Six years ago, an IEEE paper entitled "Wire and Cable Update 1985" was presented to the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Conference (PCIC) and subsequently to the Industry Applications Society (IAS) [l]. The practices and trends in cable designs and installations then prevalent within the petroleum and chemical industry were reviewed. Since then, there have been many advances in wire and cable technology. With the 1985 paper as a base, the authors will address the progress and trends in cable designs, applications, and installations. Although medium-voltage (MV) cable will be emphasized, certain types of low-voltage cable also will be considered. Improvements in materials and design are discussed for each component part of the cable including the conductor, semiconducting shields, insulation, metallic shield, and protective jacket. Industry standards are considered as they relate to the proper sizing, rating, and construction of cables used in the petrochemical industry. Ampacity tables for MV as well as low-voltage cable continue to be a controversial issue, and the authors will consider the alternatives covered by the 1990 National Electrical Code (NEC). The 1990 NEC still allows industrial users to calculate technically correct ampacitities under engineering supervision. IEEE efforts to establish new and comprehensive methods for determining ampacity will also be reviewed. Paper PID 91-03, approved by the Petroleum and Chemical Industry , September 10-12. Manuscript released for publication March 13, 1991. M. G. Bayer is with Dow Chemical Co., Freeport, TX 77541. K. E. Bow is with Dow Chemical Co., Granville, OH 43023. J. H. Snow is with Anixter Bros., Inc., Angleton, TX 77515. D. A. Voltz is with Dow Chemical Co., Houston, TX 77042. IEEE Log Numbeer 9103734.
