This European standard specifies a method for appraising the behaviour of cable insulation when an electric arc is initiated and maintained by two powered cables rubbing against a blade.
This European Standard shall be used together with EN 3475 100.
The primary aim of this test is:
— to produce, in a controlled fashion, continuous failure effects which are representative of those which may occur in service when a typical cable bundle is damaged by abrasion such that electrical arcing occurs, both between cables and between cables and conductive structure, and
— to examine the aptitude of the insulation to track, to propagate electric arc to the electrical origin.
Originally defined for 115 Vac network, this test also proposes conditions for 230 Vac network. Unless otherwise specified in product standard, only 115 Vac conditions shall be satisfied.
Six levels of prospective fault current have been specified for concerned cable sizes (see Clause 7). It is generally agreed that larger sizes need not be assessed since the short-circuit phenomenon becomes dominant at low line impedances.
Unless otherwise specified in the technical/product standard sizes 002, 006 and 020 cable shall be assessed.