2012 IEEE 10th International Conference on the Properties and Applications ofDielectric Materials

July 24-28,2012,Bangalore,India

ASSESSING SMOKE AND FIRE HAZARD OF BURNING ELECTRIC CABLES

1
1
1
B. Nageshwar Rao *, R. Arunjothi , A. R. Srinivasan
l
Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore, India
*Email: <nagesh@cprLin>

This

Abstract:

paper

presents

and

discusses

the

FIRE SAFETY EVALUATION TECHNIQUES

techniques for assessing the fire smoke hazard of

burning electric cables. Power cables, communication

The fire and smoke characteristics of cable materials are

cables,

evaluated by several test techniques.

data

cables

and

wires

used

for

various

Some of the

applications in Power plant, Refineries, automobiles and

important fire tests on cables are HRR measurements

other applications have been evaluated for heat release

using

measurement. The behavior of cables have been studied

Wire/cable bunch flame propagation: IEC 332-3/IEEE

at various thermal irradiances. Power cable Individual

383/IS 10810 (P-62), Smoke density of wireicable: IEC

components

been

evaluated

at

different

calorimeter:

ASTM

13541

ISO

5660,

heat

1034 (1,2)/IS 1081O(P-63), ASTM E 662 for Specific

fluxes. Parameters like time to ignition, mass loss rate,

optical smoke density, ASTM 2843 for smoke density

total

have

cone

specific

from the burning or decomposition of plastics, Limiting

extinction area of smoke, rate of production of yields

oxygen index (Lor) test as per ASTM 2863 1 IS 10810

heat

release,

heat

of

combustion,

COIC02 ratios are also measured and discussed.

(P-58), IEC 754 part 1 & 2 Evolved combustion gases

of wireicable, Toxicity index test as per NES 713INCD

Fire Hazards. Burning Electric cables,

Key words:

Toxicity. Heat Release, Smoke, fl ammability.

1409 1 IEC 754 part 1 & 2, UL 94 for fl ammability of

plastics, Fire survival test (lEC 331/ BS 6387 category
C, W &Z) etc.

INTRODUCTION
Critical Oxygen Index

Cables are designed for transportation of electric power

for

long

distances.

In

the

construction

of

Cables

The determination of Oxygen Index values makes it

different materials like PVC, FRPVC, XLPE, ZHFR etc

possible

are

flammability of a material. It constitutes the minimum

used

as

insulating

and

sheathing

jacketing

to

grade

and

evaluation

the

degree

of

materials. However, the polymeric materials used in

volumetric

cable construction may pose a great threat and can act as

nitrogen and oxygen which maintains the combustion of

a medium of fuel with liberation of heat, smoke and

a cable material in standard environmental conditions:

percentage

of oxygen

in

a mixture

of

toxic gases in the event of fire. Though Electric cables

the greater its value, the greater the quantity of oxygen

rarely cause fire,

necessary to sustain combustion and therefore more

they act as pathway in the event of

fire, along which fire can travel and spread. Also the

difficult

heat released from an unwanted fire is of major concern.

atmosphere. The Oxygen index value as specified in

For quantifying the growth and spread of fire the

standards should exceed more than 29. The values

to

set

fire

to

the

material

in

normal

measurement of heat release rate of burning cables is

obtained on cable samples in the laboratory ranged from

believed to be an important factor. The heat release

22 to 40.

measurement
calorimeter

is

generally

apparatus.

carried

This

out

paper

using

cone

presents

and

Temperature index

discusses the heat release measurement data on Electric

cables.

The determination of temperature index value makes it

possible to evaluate the temperature necessary for the
ignition of a material. It

Fire Hazards:

constitutes

the minimum

temperature in degree centigrade at which the material's

The fire hazards associated with electric cables when

oxygen index is equal to that of normal air (21%).The

they are burning is of great concern. Once cables get

greater its value, the greater the temperature required for

ignited, lot of smoke and toxic gases are liberated and

the

due to preheating effect, the temperature gradually

difficulty of setting fire to material in normal air. The

ignition

of

the

fire,

therefore

the

greater

the

increase until it develops into a full flame liberating

temperature indices of cable materials are generally

large amount of heat. During flame growth, there will

greater than 2500 C

be depreciation of oxygen content also. A critical

situation is reached where the temperature, smoke, toxic
gases

would

have

attained

maximum

levels

Halogen Acid Determination Test

and

diminished surrounding oxygen content. Therefore the

During combustion of cable materials halogen acids are

classification of the fire hazard associated with burning

generally produced which are highly corrosive, and can

electric cables is a great challenging problem.

cause problems of corrosion to electrical apparatus and

metallic structures, even months after the fire.

978-1-4673-2851-7/12/$31.00 2012 IEEE

The gas determination carried out by analytical methods

the amount of oxygen required for combustion. The test

is expressed as a percentage of the weight of the original

specimens can be irradiated at heat fluxes from 10 - 100

2
kW/m using a truncated conical heater element to

sample. The safe limit value recommended is 20 %

(Max).

simulate a range of fire intensities. The tests were

conducted as per ASTM E 1354 - 2003 standard [1].

Specific Optical density/Opacity

Specimen preparation

A specified size of the test samples is heated in the

closed chamber by heat derived from either electrical

Cone calorimeter tests were performed on the outer

furnace, giving output irradiance of 2.5 watts/sq.cm

sheath of Power cables. The sample size of 100 x 100

under the standardized conditions or from a six tube

mm in area and 3 mm thick were considered in the

burner giving AIR/gas mix flame. From this technique

present study. The details of the sample preparation is

the curve of Ds versus time is obtained and the

described

following quantities are read from the graph. I)The

conditioned for 24 hours at 23 deg C and 50% relative

max. value attained by Ds during the test 2)The time

humidity to ensure that the specimen has constant mass

required for Ds to reach its maximum value 3)The time

before test.

elsewhere

[2].

The

cable

samples

were

required for Ds to reach a value of 75% (DI6)

CONE RESULTS
Fire Resistance test

The cables have been evaluated at various heat fluxes

In this technique, the cable length of 1200 mm is
arranged

horizontally

by

means

of

stands

and their behaviour studied. Individual components of

and

power cable have been evaluated at various irradiances.

supporting clamps. A 24" long tubular type of burner,

Besides the heat release some of the other parameters

used to obtain a flame from AIR 1 GAS mix. The cable

like heat of combustion, total heat release, mass loss

is electrically stressed and is subjected to the flame at a

rate, specific extinction area of smoke, time to ignition,

specific temperature of 750C for a specific time. A

rate of production of yields CO/C02 ratios are also

included in the study.
Cable sheath samples were
2
2
exposed to heat fluxes of 35 kW/m and 50 kW/m and

short circuit prior to the test time indicated a failure.

the test parameters mentioned above were measured.

Flame Resistance test on Bunched Cables

Table 1 presents the description of the cables that were

In this test the behaviour of polymeric materials and

evaluated.

their fire resistance characteristic in the full scale model

Table 1 DescnptIOn

related to bunched cables is checked. A satisfactory

0f

cable sheath Samples

performance is achieved when the charred section of the

cable loading has reached a height of less than 2.5

Sheath

meters.

sample
PVC

RELEASE MEASUREMENT

Cone calorimeter shown in figure 1 is used for

principle

of

oxygen

consumption

PVC sheath of 3 x 240 sq mm, XLPE

insulated, 19/33 kV PVC sheathed cable

CONE CALORIMETER FOR HEAT

release measurement. The apparatus is

Cable description

heat

based on the

calorimetry

for

measuring rate of heat release, where the net heat of

combustion of any organic material is directly related to

FR

Moulded FR PVC Insulation of 1 x 4.0 Sq

PVC

mm, FR PVC insulated 1.1 kV Cable

FRLS

1 x 24 mm2, 19/33 kV, XLPE Cable with

PVC

FRLS PVC sheath

HR

12 pair 0.95 sq.mm, 300 / 500 V, HR PVC

PVC

insulated and HR PVC sheathed cable

HFFR

1 X 400 SQ. MM, 33 kV XLPE cable with

MDPE

3 X 185 SQ .MM 8.7 / 15 kV, XLPE cable

HFFR sheath
with MDPE sheath.
LSZH

1 x 400 sq.mm,

XLPE 6 /10 kV LSZH

inner and outer sheathed cable

2
Table 2 present the cone data obtained at 50 kW/m heat
intensity. Figure 2 show the heat release rate curves for
2
the samples evaluated at 35 kW/mm . From the table it
is observed that the time to ignition is much shorter for
2
samples tested at 50 kW/m compared to samples
2
evaluated at 35 kW/m thermal flux. Halogen Free
Flame Retardant and LSZH materials have higher time
to ignition signifYing they are more heat resistant
compared to PVC, FR PVC & others.
Fig. 1. A view of Cone Calorimeter apparatus

The mass loss

Table 2C ODe resu ts

0f

Power cable sheathiDl materials evaluated at 50 kW/m

MDPE

PVC

HR

FRLS

PVC

PVC

FR PVC

HFFR

LSZH
23.1

29.2

32.5

39.7

17.9

31.4

26.9

Ignition Time (Secs)

17

39

36

26

23

46

53

Peak HRR (kW/mL)

Total HR (MJ/mL)
2
Total Smoke(m )

165.8

604.5

124.6

243.2

112.1

136.1

185.3

41.5

112.9

28.6

47.4

37.7

62.1

63.2

20.7

13.7

26.9

4.2

10.8

4.1

5.3

MAHRE

126.5

280.7

63.3

153.7

87.4

96.1

112.1

575

660

582

478

561

711

678

705.8

420.6

677.0

237.7

341.8

151.5

228.5

2350.6

1564

3187.5

489.2

1226.1

473.7

596.5

Mass Loss

Flame out Time (Secs)

Specific Extinction Area(m2/kg)
Total Smoke Release (m2/m2)

Heat Release Rate at 35 kWlm2

(a) Heat Release Rate

,-------

300 ,-------

= r------.--

25<)

200

150
,

1i
(s)
195
395
595
795
995
1195
1395
1595
50 1...---

Time(s)

TIme(s)

Figure 2: HRR with time, at 35 kW/m'

Figure 3. HRR with time

rate are more or less the same for both the thermal
2
fluxes of 35 and 50 kW/mm . It is also observed that

It is interesting to note that the cable did not get ignited

2
at 25 kW/m through out the test and hence it was
2
discarded. However at 35 and 50 kW/m two prominent

peak HRR increases with increase in thermal flux and is

highest for MDPE material compared to others. During
tests on FR PVC

sample it was observed that the

HRR peaks and small variations in other peaks are also

observed. The trend is similar in smoke production, CO

sample was burning intermittently and multiple HRR

and CO2 rates.

peaks are observed. COz I CO ratios are high for Non

FRLS compared to FRLS materials. The CO and CO2
production are also high and sustain till the end of the

This is a four pair

cable with each copper core

insulated

category

test. MAHRE values of all the materials have increased

LSZH CABLE

with

PVC, LSZH, HFFR, FRLS PVC and FR PVc.

...1....,

V' .

DATA CABLES:

LSZH

polyethylene

material and all the 4 pairs shielded

with the increase of heat flux. The order highest to

lowest of peak value MAHRE is MDPE, HR PVC,

FTP

with aluminium foil and the overall

FTP category LSZH sheathed. The
cable has been tested at 25, 35 and
50 kW/mz
and the results are

shown in figure 4. The time to peak HRR decreases

The data cables were evaluated at heat flux of either 25,

2
35, 50 and 75 kW/m or a combination. The results are
discussed in the succeeding section.

while HRR increases with heat flux. The CO peaks also

vary according to the buring process. Since both core

(a) Heat Release Rate

FRLS PVC CABLE

The materials used in construction of this cable are

polyoefine material for core insulation and FRLS PVC
for outer sheath. The core size is 1.5
sq.mm multi stranded copper and 2
pairs.

Each

pair

shielded

with

aluminium and polyproplene film.

Further the two pairs are wrapped with pp film and
overall sheathed with FRLS PVC.
HRR data

Figure 3 show the

Time(s)

Figure 4. HRR with time at 25,35 and 50 kW/m'

and outer sheath insulation are from the same material

very few HRR peaks were observed. The material

peak and second peak is pretty large and COz to CO

ratio is very high compared to other cables.

during burning softens and runs into molten liquid

flowing through sides walls of the container with

DISCUSSION

dropping flamelet.
The fire behaviour of various materials showed that the
time to peak (HRR) is in the increasing order for the

TC Cable

materials PVC, FR PVC, HDPE and ZHFR. The time

This is a non FRLS cable for use in telecommunication
applications. The materials used in construction of the

to ignition of PVC and FR PVC (Table 2) shows that

the fire retardation is very effective at both heat flux of

TC cable 1 are 0.5 sq.mm multi

35 and 50 kW/mz. FIGRA values are higher for PVC

stranded

compared to FR PVC

copper,

material,

and

poly olefin

aluminum

and

polypropylene film for inner shield.

Cables tested showed a variety of behaviors at different

Twenty five pairs are wrapped with

heat fluxes depending upon the cable composition and

polypropylene film and overall sheathed with non FRLS

construction.

PVc. The test results are shown in figure 5. The

release

burning times are quite long compared to FRLS cables.

development and the fluctuations of the curve show

As

different components of the cable contributing to the

observed

in

other

cables

the

HRR

peaks

are

very

One category of cable reaches peak heat

quickly.

second

shows

slower

observed at varying times due to metallic shielding of

fire development. A third shows steady growth for the

the insulation used in the construction of the cable.The

duration of the test and the fourth shows very little heat

CO and CO2 production are also high and sustain till the
end of the test.

release throughout the test.

All cables shows multiple peaks of HRR attributed to
different materials used in the construction of cable and

(a) Heat Release Rate

shielding effect of aluminium and mica in between the

cable cores.

The HRR peaks are observed at varying

times due to metallic shielding of the insulation used in

the construction of the cable. This trend is due the

e""

I
""
i
!
l '"

masking effect of the metallic aluminium foil.

""

CONCLUSION

The fire behavior of cable depends on a number of

Tlme(s)

factors, including their construction and constituent

Figure 5. Variation ofHRR with time.

materials. The component material and the construction

of the cable are very important, as is the nature of the

FS cable

given fire. The key parameters were obtained using

The fire survival cable is intended
for

use

in

maintaing

electrical

integrity even under fire condition.

The cable is a single pair, 1.5 sq.mm
copper core insulated with mica and
polyolefin sheathed. Further sheath is protected with

Cone calorimeter which enabled to ascertain the fire

behaviour of material under different thermal fluxes.
From this study burning cables can propagate flames
from one area to another or they can add to the amount
of fuel available for combustion and can liberate smoke
and containing toxic and corrosive gases.

steel armour and overall sheathed with FRLS PVC

2
cable. The cable was tested at 35 and 50 kW/m The

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

HRR curves are shown in figures 6. From this figure it

The authors acknowledge with thanks the management

evident that the time to peak HRR between the first

(a) Heat Release Rate

of CPRI for the permission given to publish the paper.

REFERENCES

[1] ASTM E 13541 ISO 5660 Standard Test Method for

Heat and Visible Smoke Release rates for Materials
and

Products,

using

an

Oxygen

consumption

calorimeter.
[2] B.Nageshwar Rao &et.al "Heat Release measure
ments Using Cone Calorimeter", Interflam 2007
Time(s)

Figure 6. Variation ofHRR, with time

Conference, San Francisco, 2007.