Design and test of three-conductor gas-insulated cable

A three conductor compressed-gas-insulated cable was designed and compared on a technical and economic basis with conventional isolated phase gas cables. Also designed, fabricated, and tested was a 30 foot prototype piece of three conductor gas cable complete with elbows, trifurcation joint and three potheads. The conductor gas cables were found to have advantages over the isolated phase gas cables. A detailed economic analysis was performed which indicated that if the full ampacity of the gas cable can be utilized, three conductor gas cables are competitive and perhaps even less expensive than existing and proposed pipe cables insulated with either paper or polypropylene-cellulose.