Flexible Cables: Important Safety Issue [RE-wrenches]

Bob-O Schultze, Electron Connection econnect at snowcrest.net
Wed Aug 25 08:28:52 PDT 2004


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Well, that's old JW all over isn't it? Find a situation that could be 
a problem or that is very, very rarely a problem and make Mt Everest 
out of a molehill. Since day one of his inputs to the RE industry 
everything he suggests or opines that UL/NEC requires raises the cost 
of a PV system. EVERYTHING! Ever notice that? This man comes to us 
from the nuke industry. I find it damn hard not to question his 
motives. He's kind of a Swift Boat PV Opinionater for Arcane Stuff, 
ain't he?
Jesus H. Christ!


>  Oh my God.
>
>   This isn't April 1st is it?
>
>   So now all those inverters that we've been putting in with "fine stranded
>wire" for the past 20 years are going to have to have their cables removed
>and exchanged because "there have been problems"? What, fires? Explosions?
>Electrocutions? Befuddled inspectors?
>
>   I have to say that in all the years I've been working on battery-based
>inverters, the ONLY connection problems I have observed  have ONLY been
>those that had stiffy wire for inverter cables! There is so much potential
>for tension-caused breakage with this method, so many (virtually) impossible
>wire bends and seeming non-compatablity with all the commonly used, tried
>and true connection components, I just can't bel;ieve that this can be for
>real.
>
>   If this such a huge problem, why not simply tin the wire ends?! UL indeed.
>
>   Matt T
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: "Allan Sindelar" <allan at positiveenergysolar.com>
>   To: "New wrenches posting" <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
>   Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 3:35 PM
>   Subject: Fw: Flexible Cables: Important Safety Issue [RE-wrenches]
>  Wrenches,
>   Forwarded to this list at the request of John Wiles
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: "John Wiles" <jwiles at nmsu.edu>
>   Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2004 3:50 PM
>   Subject: Flexible Cables
>
>
>   Flexible, Fine-Stranded Cables: Incompatibilities with Set-Screw
>Mechanical
>   Terminals and Lugs
>
>   Reports have been received over the last several years about field-made
>   connections that have failed when flexible, fine-stranded cables have been
>   used with mechanical terminals or lugs that use a set screw to hold the
>wire
>   in the terminal.
>
>   These terminals are found on nearly all circuit breakers (except those
>with
>   stud-type terminals), fuse holders, disconnects, PV inverters, charge
>   controllers, power distribution blocks, some PV modules, and many other
>   types of electrical equipment.
>
>   Fine-stranded conductors and cables are considered as those cables having
>   stranding more numerous than Class B or C stranding. Class B stranding
>(the
>   most common) will normally have 7 strands of wire per conductor in sizes
>   18-2 AWG, 19 strands in sizes 1-4/0 AWG, and 37 strands in sizes 250-500
>   kcmil. Conductors having more strands than these are widely available and
>   are in different classes such as K and M used for portable power cords and
>   welding cables. Commonly used building-wire cables such as USE, THW, RHW,
>   THHN and the like are most commonly available with Class B stranding, but
>   are also readily available with higher stranding. Fine-stranded cables are
>   frequently used by PV installers to ease installation and are used in PV
>   systems for battery cables, power conductors to large utility-interactive
>   inverters and elsewhere.
>
>   Some modules are supplied with fine-stranded interconnecting cables with
>   attached connectors. While these crimped-on connectors listed with the
>   module are suitable for use with the fine-stranded conductors, an
>   end-of-string conductor with mating connector may also be supplied with
>the
>   fine-stranded conductor ,and the unterminated end of that conductor will
>not
>   be compatible with mechanical terminals.
>
>   According to UL Standard 486 A-B, a terminal/lug/connector must be listed
>   and marked for use with conductors stranded in other than Class B and C.
>   With no marking or factory literature/instructions to the contrary, the
>   terminal may only be used with conductors with the most common Class B and
>C
>   stranded conductors. They are not suitable and should not be used with
>   fine-stranded cables. UL engineers have said that few (if any) of the
>normal
>   screw-type mechanical terminals that the PV industry commonly uses have
>been
>   listed for use with fine stranded wires. The terminal must be marked or
>   labeled specifically for use with fine-stranded conductors.
>
>   UL suggests two problems, both of which have been experienced in PV
>systems.
>   First, the turning screw tends to break the fine wire strands, reducing
>the
>   amount of copper available to meet the listed ampacity. Secondly, the
>   initial torque setting does not hold and the fine strands continue to
>   compress after the initial tightening. Even after subsequent retorquing,
>the
>   connection may still loosen. The loosening connection creates a
>   higher-than-normal resistance connection that heats and may eventually
>fail.
>   Recent examples of failed mechanical terminals from a large PV system have
>   been found. The terminal had been torqued properly less than three months
>   before the failure.
>
>   Solutions
>
>   All electrical equipment listed to UL Standards has:
>
>   . Terminals rated for the required current and sized to accept the proper
>   conductors
>
>   . Sufficient wire bending space to accommodate the Class B stranded
>   conductors in a manner that meets the wire bending requirements of the NEC
>
>   . Provisions to accept the appropriate conduit size for these conductors
>   where conduit is required.
>
>   It is therefore unnecessary to use the fine-stranded cables except
>possibly
>   when dealing with conductors 4/0 AWG and larger.
>
>   In those cases where a fine-stranded cable must be used, a few
>manufacturers
>   make a limited number of crimp-on compression lugs in various sizes that
>are
>   suitable for use with fine-stranded cables.
>
>   Factory-supplied markings and literature indicate which lugs are suitable.
>   An example is the ILSCO FE series of lugs in sizes 2/0 AWG and larger.
>   Burndy makes a YA series of lugs in sizes 14 AWG and up. In both cases the
>   lugs are solid copper. It should be emphasized: Most crimp-on lugs are not
>   listed for use with fine-stranded wire. Where the crimp-on compression
>lugs
>   can be used, they must be installed using the tools recommended by the
>   manufacturer and, of course, they must be attached to a stud with a nut
>and
>   washer.
>
>   Burndy and others make pin adapters (a.k.a. pigtail adapters) that can be
>   crimped on fine-stranded cables. These pin adapters provide a protruding
>pin
>   that can be inserted into a standard screw-type mechanical connector.
>Again,
>   not all pin adapters/pigtail adapters are listed for use with
>fine-stranded
>   conductors; some are intended for use with aluminum wire and others
>provide
>   only a conversion to a smaller AWG size for B Class conductor.
>
>   It is suggested that the use of fine-stranded conductors be avoided
>wherever
>   possible. Where such cables must be used, they should only be terminated
>   with the appropriate connectors/lugs. Previously installed systems should
>be
>   revisited and the cables replaced where possible or terminated properly.
>
>   John Wiles SWTDI/NMSU jwiles at nmsu.edu 505-646-6105
>
>   > If I can provide further information, please do not hesitate to call,
>   > e-mail or fax me.
>   >
>   > John
>   >
>   > John C. Wiles,  Program Manager
>   > Southwest Technology Development Institute, New Mexico State University
>   > 505-646-6105      505-646-3841 (FAX)   http://www.NMSU.Edu/~tdi
>   > SWTDI/NMSU
>   > Corner Research Drive and Sam Steel Way
>   > Box 30001/MSC 3 SOLAR
>   > Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001
>

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