Burning characteristics of power cables with cone calorimeter

Power cables consist of insulation, padding and sheathing, which are highly susceptible to ignition. Power cables are an important factor affecting fire risk in urban utility tunnels (UUTs). In this paper, the combustion characteristics of four types of power cables (YJV, ZR-YJV, ZR-VV, and ZR-PE) in UUTs were investigated using a cone calorimeter. In this paper, laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the combustion characteristics of power cables with two different parameters including two heat fluxes (35 kW/m2 and 75 kW/m2) and two sheath thicknesses (3 mm and 5 mm). The effects of heat release rate (HRR), effective heat combustion (EHC), optical density index (ODI) and smoke production rate (SPR) on ignition and combustion were investigated. The results showed that ZR-VV power cables have lower TTI, lower average HRR, lower EHC, higher MLR, and lower SEA than YJV and ZR-YJV power cables.With a conical calorimeter and heat flux of 35 kW/m2, the HRR of the power cables increased within 200 s, while for ODI, the total smoke output of ZR-YJV cables was minimized. Heat flux has a significant effect on HRR, SPR and EHC of ZR-PE cable. Sheath thickness has little effect on HRR, SPR and EHC of ZR-PE cables. In addition, one of the most important parameters, the ignition time, which depends on the composition and structure of the cable, was identified. Finally, the effect of external heat flux is complex and depends on the combustion characteristics of the power cable. Laboratory tests provide useful information for understanding the combustion behavior of power cables, including heat release rate, effective thermal burn, optical density index, and smoke production.