The Centaur Cable Saddles are the only solution for cleating large diameter High Voltage power transmission cables, that has been put through, and passed, the most rigorous of short-circuit testing procedures. The cable saddles were designed by Ellis Patents to fill the gap in the market which presented serious safety risks.
The Centaur product range typically handles 275kV to 400kV cables, from 100mm up to 162mm outside diameter, and is generally installed within tunnels and affixed to supporting steel-work.
Why is a short-circuit tested High Voltage cable cleat so important?
At present, neither the British or European standards take into account cleats on cables of this size. As a result, those specifying for such projects are very much left in the hands of the manufacturer, who in most cases, simply provide warranties for their products. The risk lies in the fact that none of the limited number of products available have been short-circuit tested, meaning warranties are based purely on calculations and mechanical tests.
How the Centaur Cable Saddles are tested
Using cables manufactured by ABB in Sweden, the centaur cleats were tested to 162kA peak (63kA RMS) for one second, in both three-phase and phase-to-phase fault installations. A copy of the full test report from KEMA is available upon request.
The saddles have also been successfully tested for corrosion resistance having been subjected to an independent salt spray test, carried out in accordance with BS EN 9227:2006 corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres.
Centaur Saddle Design features
The product consists of an extruded and pressed aluminium saddle and hinged aluminium over-strap retention which incorporates a LSFZeroHalogen (LSZH) nylon liner to cushion and protect the cable in the event of a short-circuit. The saddles are available in lengths of either: 400mm, 600mm and 800mm to allow for different mounting centres. The product range can also be supplemented by intermediate short-circuit straps as well as a roller system for easy pulling of cables.
For more information on the Ellis Centaur saddle range, please contact our Sales Team.
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