What Is Electrical Cable?
An Electrical Cable Is a conductor or set of them coated by an insulating or protective material, used to transport electrical energy, generally.
Composition of the Electric Cable
A cable contains the following elements:
- Conductor: It moves the electric current. It may be of different metallic materials and be formed by one or more threads.
- Insulation: It covers the conductor to prevent electric current flow outside it.
- Fill layer: Insulating material that surrounds the conductors to keep the whole circular section.
- Cover, jacket: External mechanical protection of the conductor against the action of temperature, sun, rain, etc, made of polymeric material, generally.
- Protection: In some cases the cable may carry a screen, a metal shield that isolates the signals passing through inside the cable, from external interference. Or an armor, a mechanical protection which protects it from a possible external aggression.
Why Are Electrical Cables Used?
Electrical cables are used to connect two or more devices, enabling the transfer of electrical signals or power from one device to the other.
What Are Electrical Cables Made Of?
Electrical cables consist of a core of metal wire offering good conductivity such as copper or aluminium, along with other material layers including insulation, tapes, screens, armouring for mechanical protection, and sheathing.
Types Of Electrical Cables?
Cables are classified into 5 types depending upon their purpose as follows:
- Ribbon Electric Cables. It consists of multiple insulated wires running parallel with one another and is used for transmission of multiple data simultaneously.
- Shielded Cables.
- Twisted Pair Cables.
- Coaxial Cables.
- Fibre Optics Cable.
How Do Electrical Cables Work?
Electrical cables work by providing a low resistance path for the current to flow through. Electrical cables consist of a core of metal wire offering good conductivity such as copper or aluminium, along with other material layers including insulation, tapes, screens, armouring for mechanical protection, and sheathing. These additional layers are designed principally to allow the metal core to continue to conduct electrical current safely in the environment it is installed in.
A good conductor is made of a material whose atomic structure has loosely bound electrons in its outer shell which can move across the atomic matrix of the material. This movement of electrons is known as the current flow. On the contrary, good insulators have tightly bound electrons which make it difficult for this current flow.
The simplest electrical cable may just be a metal conductor – these cables are used as overhead line wires manufactured without any insulating material around the conductor other than the air that surrounds the conductor. Overhead cables such as those used in the rail industry, require practical considerations to ensure that the cable is isolated from any means of accidentally grounding the electrical conductor (grounding the cable would see the current pass through it, electrocuting anyone in contact). Commonly used Rail OHL including Hornet and Cockroach have PVC insulated variations. Cables used either at ground level, within reasonable reach, or underground need to be effectively insulated to both maintain current flow through the cable and to be safe for users.
The amount of current which can effectively flow through the electrical cable will be determined by a combination of factors:
- the cross-sectional area of the conductor
- the resistance of the conductor material
- the insulation material
- the installation method or environment.
The effect of resistance to current flow is the heating of the conductor and the surrounding insulation layers. Over-heating has the potential to cause failure of the insulation material resulting in current short circuiting, electric shock, or fire.
Electrical Cable Prices In Ghana:
Electrical Cable 1.5mm to 16mm Available GH₵ 2,200.00
2.5mm Conduit Cable GH₵ 150.00
Premax 305M Coaxial Cable Pm-rg305 GH₵ 650.00
Tristan Black Coaxial Cable 50m GH₵ 140.00