Identification of current flow depending on the mechanical deformation in a stranded cable

Abstract

Purpose

In the majority of devices for measuring the resistance of wires or cables, the supplying voltage is applied via some clamping arrangement. Thus, current enters the bundle of conductors through the side surface of the outside wire. The purpose of this project was to establish the distance from the supplying point after which the current may be considered to be uniform and normal to the cable cross‐section.

Design/methodology/approach

When current passes from one wire to another, the crucial parameter is the resistance of the contact region. The paper presents a method by which this region can be identified and relevant resistance measured. A comprehensive simulation was conducted for different types of wires and cables to assess the influence of design parameters on the current distribution and uniformity.

Findings

The distance from the current entry point (the clamps) to the position where current density may be considered uniform has been established. This has facilitated estimating recommended positions of voltage taps with reference to current taps.

Practical implications

The look‐up tables and graphs allow adjustments to the position of the taps and/or correction of the measured results.

Originality/value

The original contribution of this paper is in the way the contact region is identified where current passes from one wire to another. Original relationships have been proposed showing the relationship between contact resistance and the design parameters of the cable and mechanical stress.

Citation

Zeroukhi, Y., Napieralska Juszczak, E., Komeza, K., Morganti, F. and Vega, G. (2013), "Identification of current flow depending on the mechanical deformation in a stranded cable", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 1437-1450. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321641311317239