High voltage cables are used for the transmission of higher voltage energy primarily below the surface. Most commonly, they are used in parts where an overhead route is not reasonable or acceptable to be laid. They must be produced in accordance to the regulations and demands because any irregularities in the process of production lead to the destruction of the cable and, consequently, to interference in the transmission of power. Repairs usually take a long time.
Initiatives for changing overhead routes with underground ones emerge more and more frequently. We cannot lay all transmission lines in the underground form because an underground cable route has much more capacity in comparison to an overhead route. In the case of a smaller number of underground routes in comparison to overhead routes, this is not a problem. By increasing the number of cable routes, the capacity in the system is increasing and we have to compensate it by means of throttles every few kilometers. We must add a cost of compensation devices to the price of underground routes, which is already high.
Laying cable route is a delicate matter because we have to consider a lot of parameters, which influence the transmission capacity. It matters whether the route is directed through the forest or through the town. We also have to consider the method of laying. A cable can be laid in a ditch, inserted in a tube or in concrete shafts or trenches. The surrounding soil and materials by which a cable is buried also significantly affect its transmission capacity. These are just a few of the challenges that a building designer faces when planning a cable route in order to ensure as much reliable and undisturbed power transmission as possible.
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