1.

Introduction
Fujikura has just completed a line construction pro-
ject that got underway in 1996 in response to orders
for one circuit of approximately 20km of cable and
related accessories - extruded mold joints (EMJs)
and SF6 sealing ends - in the worlds first 500kV long-
distance XLPE cable line construction project with
straight through joints. The project was to connect
the Tokyo El ectri c Powers Shi n-Kei yo Substati on
and the Shin-Toyosu Substation with two circuits of
approximately 40km of XLPE cable.
The cable supplied for this project was a single-con-
ductor 2,500mm
2
aluminum-sheathed XLPE cable and
the insulation thickness is 27mm.
The latest technologies were used to manufacture
this cable, including a full-batch resin monitoring sys-
tem to i nspect the contami nants i n the extr uded
resin, to ensure perfection in quality control. We also
used the full capacity of our factory to manufacture
lengths of cable up to 1,800m in length.
Fuji kur a al so made si gni fi cant contr i buti ons to
increasing the reliability and reducing the construc-
tion period of the line by promoting the use of state-
of-the-art techniques for joints, and by automating
construction techniques.
The test after i nstal l ati on wi th parti al di scharge
measurement finished in November 2000, this line is
expected to help secure power to meet the demand of
the Tokyo Metropolitan area.
2. Overview of the Cable Laying Route
26
Construction of the Worlds First Long-Distance
500kV XLPE Cable Line
Norihiro Yonemoto*, Yasuhiro Muneta*,
Hiroshi Yamanouchi**, Sukebumi Seo, Yoshinori Kumada**, Masahiko Itoh,
Satoshi Kunimura, Shoichiro Nakamura, Yoshiyuki Fujii and Tomomi Ishii
Underground transmission line applying two circuits of 500kV 2,500mm
2
aluminum sheathed
XLPE cable, named Shin-Toyosu Line has been constructed with Tokyo Electric Power
Company. This is the world's first long-distance 500kV XLPE cable line with straight through
joint and designed to supply power to Tokyo Met.
Completed route consists of two circuits and route length is approx. 40km, Fujikura has sup-
plied the cable with one circuit of 20km, 51 phases of joint and 3 phases of SF6 sealing end. The
supplied cable length was approx. 1,800m in the maximum, it made the number of joints
reduced and compressed the construction schedule. This paper presents an overview of the pro-
ject.
Shin-K eiyo S/S
Chiba Pref.
Tokyo M et.
Shin-Toyosu S/S
Tokyo Bay
( 20km)
Fujikura's construction section
Fig. 1. Outline of Cable Route.
Table 1. Outline of the Shin-Toyosu Line
Section
Shin-Keiyo Substation - Shin-Toyosu
Substation
Cable
500 kV 2,500 mm
2
aluminum-sheathed
XLPE cable
Transmission capacity
900 MW/ circuit (1,200 MW/ circuit in
future)
Route length Approx. 40 km (approx. 20 km)
Number of circuits 2 circuits (1 circuit)
Number of straight
240 phases (51 phases)
through joints
Number of sealing
12 phases (3 phases)
ends
Note : Figures in brackets represent the quantities supplied by
Fujikura.
* Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc.
** VISCAS Corporation
As shown i n Fi g. 1 and Tabl e 1, the newl y-con-
structed Shin-Toyosu 500kV XLPE cable line is an
under gr ound tr ansmi ssi on l i ne that connects the
Shi n-Kei yo Subst at i on i n Funabashi -ci t y, Chi ba
Pr ef ect ur e, and t he newl y-bui l t Shi n-Toyosu
Substation in Toyosu, Koto-ward, in Tokyo. The line
consists of two circuits of 500kV 2,500mm
2
aluminum-
sheathed XLPE cable approximately 40km in length.
Of these, the 20km long circuit for the Shin-Keiyo
Substation side was constructed by Fujikura.
3. Cable Insulation Design
The 500kV XLPE cable used for the Shin-Toyosu
Line was constructed from aluminum-sheathed XLPE
cabl e (CAZV cabl e). I n the XLPE cabl e i nsul ati on
design, respective design withstand voltage levels VAC
and VImp were set for commercial frequency voltage
and lightening impulse voltage. Required insulation
thicknesses tAC and tImp were then determined using
formula (1), using the greater of the two values. Note
that the cable insulation thickness must meet not just
the electrical characteristics of the cable itself, but
also those of the treated portion of the cable screen in
EMJs
1)
.
tAC = VAC / EL (AC) tImp = VImp / EL (Imp)
.................
(1)
Here,
VAC = 550 / K1 K2 K3 = 970 kV
..............
(2)
K1: Temperature coefficient for AC withstand volt-
age (=1.2)
K2: Degradation coefficient for AC withstand volt-
age (= 2.3)
K3: Indeterminate factor for AC voltage (= 1.1)
VImp = LIWV (1,425) K1 K2 K3 = 1,960 kV
.................
(3)
K1: Temperature coefficient for impulse withstand
voltage (=1.25)
K2: Degradation coefficient for impulse withstand
voltage (= 1.0)
K3: Indeterminate factor for impulse voltage (= 1.1)
The stati sti cal l y mi ni mum breakdown stress EL
was improved by eliminating harmful contaminants
by tighter foreign object control in insulation materi-
als and production lines and use of finer screen mesh.
To achieve the reduced-thickness insulation of the
Shin-Toyosu Line cable, we evaluated breakdown test
data for a model cable manufactured with the same
resin and by the same method as the 500kV XLPE
cable.
Note that we used the most up-to-date statistically
mi ni mum breakdown strength EL, esti mated from
Weibull distribution analysis of breakdown test data
for the above-mentioned model cable and EMJ, as the
design electric field EL in formula (1).
Table 2 summarizes the design electrical stress,
and the required insulation thickness of the 500kV
XLPE cable and EMJ. As shown in the table, we were
able to set 27mm as the cable insulation thickness,
based on the EL (AC) of the treated portion of the cable
screen in EMJs
1)
.
Fig. 2 and Table 3 give various data for the con-
struction of the cable supplied for the Shin-Toyosu
Line.
3
27 Fujikura Technical Review, 2003
Fig. 2. Photograph of 500kV XLPE Cable.
Table 2. Design EL Values for Cable and EMJ and Required
Insulation Thickness
EL (kV/ mm)
Insulation
Item
thickness (mm)
AC Imp AC Imp
Cable: ECL*
1
40 80 25 25
Treated portion of cable
screen: EminL*
2
27.6 57.5 27 26
*1: Average stress evaluation
*2: Electrical stress on the outer semi-conductive layer
Table 3. Construction of 500kV XLPE Cable
Nominal voltage kV 500
Nominal cross-
mm
2
2,500
sectional area
Five
Shape -- segmental
stranded
Outer diameter mm 61.2
Thickness of inner semi-conductive
Approx. mm
layer
2.5
Minimum insulation thickness mm 27.0
Diameter of insulation mm 120.2
Thickness of outer semi-conductive
Approx. mm 1.0
layer
Thickness of cushion layer Approx. mm 3.0
Thickness of corrugated aluminum
Approx. mm 3.2
sheath
Thickness of anti-corrosion layer mm 6.0
Finished outer diameter Approx. mm 162
Approximate weight Approx. kg/ m 41
Conductor
4. Cable Manufacture
To reduce the number of joints in order to reduce
the time required to build the transmission line, a
cable exceeding 1,800m in length was supplied for
the l ongest secti on of the Shi n-Toyosu Li ne. Thi s
cabl e was manufact ur ed by t he qual i t y cont r ol
method shown in Table 4 to control defects (contami-
nants, voids, protrusions). For contaminants in partic-
ular, the screen mesh was made finer to control maxi-
mum defects in the insulation. A full-batch resin mon-
itoring system was also installed to inspect resin opti-
cally after passing through the mesh, and to ensure
that no contami nants beyond the speci fi ed val ue
would be incorporated into the length of the extruded
resin. To manufacture the long-length cable, a long-
hour continuous resin-extrusion was implemented
through precision control of manufacturing equip-
ment in the insulation extrusion and curing process.
5. Cable Transport and Laying
The Shi n-Toyosu Li ne used a cabl e exceedi ng
1,800m in length, with a cable drum having a outer
diameter of 4.25m and an outer width of 8.55m, the
total weight, including the cable, amounted to 92.5
tons, cabl e drums were too l arge for i nl and trans-
por t at i on. So dr ums for l ong-l engt h cabl e wer e
shipped from Tokyo Bay Plants dedicated quay fac-
ing Tokyo Bay for sea transport. After landing at the
Hinode Wharf, Funabashi-city, the cable was then
transferred from the cable-laying base built specifical-
ly for this project into the tunnel, then laid. A new
l ow-fr i cti on-condui t l ayi ng method and i n-tunnel -
transport method for long-length cable were devel-
oped in a joint effort with the cable installation compa-
ny.
The l ow-fri cti on-condui t constructi on method i s
designed to speed up cable-laying by using a silicon-
oil-impregnated conduit with low-friction coefficient.
The in-tunnel-transport method propelled a train of
railcars, on which the entire length of the cable was
loaded, by means of drive units (twin pulley, magnet-
ic belt), allowing the carriage to travel on tunnel rails.
These new construction methods more than quadru-
pled cable-laying speed, compared to conventional
construction methods, reaching 25m/ min, significant-
ly reducing the time required to lay the cable. Fig. 3
shows the landing of a drum at the Hinode Wharf and
Fig. 4 shows cable-laying base.
6. Cable Jointing
The EMJ employed as the straight through joint
for the Shin-Toyosu Line is a jointing technique that
can be regarded as a cable manufacturing on site. So
i nsul ati on materi al of EMJ i s manufactured to the
same quality control standards as that of cable.
28
Table 4. Defect Control Items and Quality Control Method for
the 500kV XLPE Cable
Control item Assurance method
Control method
Controlled by the opening
of screen mesh
Inspection method
Full-batch resin monitoring,
Slice sample inspection
Control method
Process control during
curing
Inspection method Slice sample inspection
Control method
Controlled by the opening of
screen mesh
Inspection method Slice sample inspection
Contaminant
Void
Protrusion
Fig. 3. Photograph of Landing of a Drum at the Hinode
Wharf.
Fig. 4. Photograph of Cable Laying Base.
Apart from being manufactured on-site, EMJs are
manufactured in the same way as the cable. Likewise,
the defects that determine EMJ performance are the
same factors (contaminants, voids, protrusions) that
determine performance for the cable. In short, the
quality control method is the same as that used for
the cable.
The new EMJ techniques employed for the Shin-
Toyosu Li ne wer e t he use of an aut o-penci l i ng
machine to reduce the jointing period, and high accu-
racy X-ray inspections which is a combination of a
mi cr o-focus X-r ay i nspecti on devi ce and i magi ng
pl ate, and a ful l -batch resi n moni tori ng system to
ensure improved inspection accuracy.
These latest technologies were used to manufac-
ture EMJs for the Shin-Toyosu Line.
Fig. 5 shows the construction of the EMJ.
7. Partial Discharge Test
Partial discharge test conditions were determined
to screen initial defects, that is to say, external dam-
age due to human error occurring after X-ray inspec-
tion and interface defects anticipated from previous
experiences.
As a results of experiments using models of several
type of defects, partial discharge test condition was
determined as 1.1E(352kV) 1 hour + 1.0E(318kV)
168 hours, and we performed continuous partial dis-
charge test for seven days per phase to verify line
integrity.
Fig. 6 shows the basic principle of partial discharge
measurement.
Fuji kur as par ti al di schar ge measur i ng system
detects high-frequency signals in the range from sev-
eral MHz to several tens of MHz, a range little affect-
ed by external noise. Fig. 7 illustrates the partial dis-
charge measuring system. Partial discharge signals,
detected by the detecti on el ectrode and detecti on
impedance, and the noise cancellation antenna signal
are transmitted in the 2-40MHz frequency band to
the master station through an optical transmission
system. The signals thus transmitted are fed to the
tuned amplifier for tuning and amplification at the fre-
quency appropriate for the noise conditions at the
site, and then processed by a partial discharge analy-
sis device.
The system features are listed below:
(1) Enables identification of the location where partial
discharge occurred.
(2) Enables frequency spectrum analysis of the par-
tial discharge signal at the master station.
29 Fujikura Technical Review, 2003
2, 300
UNI T : mm
!0 y t q r i u we !4 !1 !3
!2
Part
No.
Part
No.
Name of part Name of part
q i Copper casing I nsulation flange
w o Conductor connector Earthing terminal lug
e !0 I nner semi-conducting layer Spacer
r !1 I nsulation Aniti corrosion layer
t !2 I nsulation shielding Terminal lug for arrester
y !3 Water proof compound Teflon tube
u !4 O -ring Pouring duct for compound
500 500
(

3
6
0
)

3
2
5

2
4
0
M
i
n
.
3
6
M
i
n
.
4
3
o
Fig. 5. Construction of the Extruded Mold Joint.
Power cable( I nsulation joint)
Conductor
M etal sheath
Detecting foil electrode
PD pulse
AM P
ground
Detection
impedance
a
b
z
Fig. 6. Principle of Partial Discharge Detection.
(3) Allows detection of measurement conditions from
a remote location with a remote control device.
(4) Enabl es swi tchi ng to a desi r ed measur ement
phase vi a a master stati on command, usi ng a
phase-switching device.
8. Conclusion
Compl eti on test of the Tokyo El ectr i c Power s
Shin-Toyosu Line, the worlds first 500kV long-dis-
tance XLPE cable line, was successfully concluded in
November 2000.
A range of new technologies employed for this pro-
ject will be applied in future ultra-high-voltage under-
ground transmission line projects to improve trans-
mission line reliability.
Reference
1) K. Kaminaga, et al.: Development of 500kV XLPE Cables
and Accessor i es f or Long-Di st ance Under gr ound
Transmission Lines -Part V : Long-term Performance for
500kV XLPE Cabl es and Joi nts, I EEE Trans. On Power
Delivery
30
E/O E/O
I nsulation joint I nsulation joint
Detecting foil eletrode
Note D/I : Detection impedance
D/I
D/I
D/I
D/I D/I
D/I
D/I
D/I
ANT for noise
O pt
O pt O pt
O
p
t
O pt.ATT O pt.ATT O pt.ATT O pt.ATT
E/O E/O
Phase changer Phase changer
O ptical multiplexer
O ptical demultiplexer O ptical demultiplexer
O ptical multiplexer
O /E O /E O /E O /E
Tuning AM P
( with noise gate)
Tuning AM P
( with noise gate)
O .S for P.D location
O .S for waveform
DATA recorder
Local station
N
o
i
s
e
N
o
i
s
e
S
i
g
n
a
l
S
i
g
n
a
l
Voltage phase
signal
P.D monitoring equipment
1) -Q -T, -Q -N, Q max-T
2) Alarm
3) Phase select
( 1) -Q -T, -Q -N, Q max-T
( 2) Alarm
Remote monitoring equipment
M aster station
Fig. 7. Partial Discharge Measuring System.