cable flexible power

A power cable is an assembly of two or more electrical conductors, usually held together with an overall sheath. The assembly is used for transmission of electrical power.

History

Early telegraph systems were the first forms of electrical cabling but transmitted only small amounts of power. Gutta-percha insulation used for the first transatlantic cables was unsuitable for building wiring use since gutta-percha deteriorated rapidly when exposed to air. The first power distribution system developed by Thomas Edison used copper rods, wrapped in jute and placed in rigid pipes filled with a bituminous compound. Although vulcanized rubber had been patented by Charles Goodyear in 1844, it was not applied to cable insulation until the 1880s, when it was used for lighting circuits. Other types of flexible cable include twisted. Rubber-insulated cable was used for 11,000 volt circuits in 1897 installed for the Niagara Falls power project. Oil-impregenated paper-insulated high voltage cables were commercially practical by 1895. During World War II several varieties of synthetic rubber, and polyethylene insulation was applied to cables.

Construction

Modern power cables come in a variety of sizes, materials, and types, each particularly adapted to its uses. Large single insulated conductors are also called power cables in the trade.

Conductors are usually made of copper or aluminum wires, or may be composite conductors with steel strands at their core. DC Power Cables - Cobra Wire & Cable, Inc.