Choosing Type W Single Conductor Portable Power Cable 2kV: Application Fit and Specification Checks

1. Start with the application

The product description says the Type W Single Conductor Portable Power Cable 2kV is designed for use on electric mining locomotives and other mobile equipment of the gathering-reel type, where the cable must withstand constant flexing and reeling.

Before you choose a size, answer these questions:

• Is the cable going on a gathering reel or other mobile equipment that flexes and reels it repeatedly?
• Does the circuit design call for single-conductor runs, or do you need several conductors in one jacket?
• What current must each conductor carry, and what ambient temperature will it see in service?
• What reel drum or sheave diameter is available? This sets the bending limits.

If you need several conductors in one cable for continuous miners, drills, cutters, loading machines or AC shuttle cars, look at the multi-conductor Type W cables in the same product family instead (see Section 6).

2. Check the construction

The published construction is:

1. Conductor: stranded annealed tinned copper
2. Insulation: EPR
3. Reinforcement: a polyester braid layer between the insulation and sheath, added for mechanical strength
4. Sheath: chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), black

Options listed in the product description: other jacket materials and colors, such as CSP, PCP, NBR or PVC, are available on request. A two-layer jacket with reinforcing fiber between the layers is also offered as an option. If your site specifies a jacket compound or color, put it in your inquiry and get written confirmation for the exact construction you order.

3. Review the referenced standards

The standards are: ICEA S-75-381 / NEMA WC 58, ASTM B 172, ASTM B 33 and CAN/CSA C22.2 No. 96. Use this list to check against your project specification.

4. Confirm mechanical and thermal limits

• Minimum bending radius: 6 × overall diameter (OD)
• Maximum operating temperature: +90 °C

Calculate the minimum bending radius from the OD of the size you select (Section 5). Then compare it with your reel, sheave and routing geometry. For example, a size with an 18.8 mm nominal OD works out to a minimum bending radius of about 113 mm (6 × 18.8 mm).

5. Match conductor size to ampacity, diameter and weight

The table below shows the published nominal data. Ampacity is based on a conductor temperature of 90 °C and an ambient air temperature of 40 °C, per ICEA S-75-381. If your installation conditions differ, have a qualified engineer evaluate them before relying on these values.

Practical points for selection:

• Current first: pick the smallest size whose published ampacity covers your design current under comparable conditions. Then check whether your own derating rules apply.
• Reel capacity: larger sizes increase both OD and weight. Check that the reel can hold the length you need and that the equipment can carry the weight.
• Bending: a larger OD means a larger minimum bending radius (6 × OD).

6. When the single-conductor cable is not the right choice

The single-conductor cable is described for gathering-reel equipment. If your design needs several conductors in one jacket, the same family includes multi-conductor Type W 2kV cables. Their published descriptions say they are for general use where bare grounding conductors are not required or desired:

• Type W Two-Conductor Portable Power Cable 2kV: sizes 2×8 to 2×250
• Type W Three-Conductor Portable Power Cable 2kV: sizes 3×8 to 3×500
• Type W Five-Conductor Portable Power Cable 2kV: sizes 5×8 to 5×4/0. Its description names continuous miners, drills, cutters, loading machines and AC shuttle cars.

The multi-conductor versions list the same referenced standards, tinned copper conductors, EPR insulation, 6 × OD minimum bending radius and +90 °C maximum operating temperature. Their sheath is described as reinforced, extra-heavy-duty CPE. Compare their own published tables; do not apply single-conductor ampacity values to them.

7. What to confirm before ordering

• Conductor size(s) and required length per reel
• Jacket material and color, if not standard black CPE
• Whether you need the optional two-layer jacket
• The standards and documentation your project or destination market requires

With the application, construction, limits and size data checked against your project, you can request a quotation for the Type W Single Conductor Portable Power Cable 2kV that is specific to your requirements.