Welded FM Connection for Aluminum Pipe Cables

The use of aluminum for cable conductors has been hampered by the lack of an acceptable splicing technique. A method whereby the aluminum conductors of a 950-kcmil, 72-kV pipe cable were spliced by means of metal inert gas (MIG) welding and a field machined (FM) compression sleeve is described. The design criteria and the practical problems encountered during the development, as well as their solutions, are presented. The welding operation and connector application are fully described. Test data are included for strength and conductance in the splice.