What is this other cable in the conduit with two single-phase medium voltage cables (see attached image)?

[Calrissian45]

Two single phase cables come into this handhole from another handhole. They exit this handhole and go up a pole to a pull-mounted transformer. They enter the handhole with an unknown cable, but they do not exit the handhole with the unknown cable. The unknown cable disappears beneath the water so I can't see where it goes. I assume this is a grounding conductor running between handhole grounding electrodes. Is that a good assumption?

 

[Julius Right]

This cable is steel wire shielded.

In my opinion it is an instrument cable [it could be a fiber_optic cable] .

 

[don_resqcapt19]

This cable is steel wire shielded.

In my opinion it is an instrument cable [it could be a fiber_optic cable] .

Have never seen medium voltage cable with steel wire shielding.

An instrument cable, other than fiber would not be permitted in the same raceway as medium voltage cables.

I expect that is the EGC for the high voltage circuit.

 

[LarryFine]

This cable is steel wire shielded.

How are you sure about that?

 

[Hv&Lv]

I wouldn’t make any assumptions about this wire. I doubt it’s comm cable..
Goes to a pole mounted transformer? Does it go to secondary side or primary side?
Is it a 4160V system?
what voltages are there?

to me it looks like really old asbestos wrapped cable that just been discolored by the dust and mud in the vault.

Also, I don’t really have a good reference to size. Is that a 2” hole? 8” hole? 12” hole?
Is the cable 1” diameter or 4 inch diameter?

 

[Calrissian45]

I wouldn’t make any assumptions about this wire. I doubt it’s comm cable..
Goes to a pole mounted transformer? Does it go to secondary side or primary side?
Is it a 4160V system?
what voltages are there?

to me it looks like really old asbestos wrapped cable that just been discolored by the dust and mud in the vault.

Also, I don’t really have a good reference to size. Is that a 2” hole? 8” hole? 12” hole?
Is the cable 1” diameter or 4 inch diameter?

After this handhole, the two MV cables continue overhead until they deadend about ten poles down the road. They connect to the primary of several pole-mounted transformers. I could see that the third unknown cable doesn't leave the handhole in the same conduit as the two MV cables and it doesn't come out of the riser on the pole with the two MV cables. The MV system is 12KV single phase. It comes from a three phase system up the road. I believe the conduit is 3-1/2". I don't know the size of the cables.

 

[Julius Right]

How are you sure about that?

First of all, there are a few steel wires at the right end, [it's hard to believe it's aluminum because it's too shiny]. Second, the cable is cut at the right end and doesn't continue in the water. It is not a power cable because it is not wrapped with fire tape like the neighboring power cables.

 

[Hv&Lv]

First of all, there are a few steel wires at the right end, [it's hard to believe it's aluminum because it's too shiny]. Second, the cable is cut at the right end and doesn't continue in the water. It is not a power cable because it is not wrapped with fire tape like the neighboring power cables.

Sorry, I fail to see any shiny wires on the right end. I see the light reflection at the water line…
Maybe I’m missing the picture altogether. I don’t see where it’s cut either.

 

[Hv&Lv]

After this handhole, the two MV cables continue overhead until they deadend about ten poles down the road. They connect to the primary of several pole-mounted transformers. I could see that the third unknown cable doesn't leave the handhole in the same conduit as the two MV cables and it doesn't come out of the riser on the pole with the two MV cables. The MV system is 12KV single phase. It comes from a three phase system up the road. I believe the conduit is 3-1/2". I don't know the size of the cables.

It would be great to have a few more pictures just out of curiosity. We had some UG MV cable that went about 8 spans on poles similar to what your describing. It was bound by lashing.

 

[Calrissian45]

First of all, there are a few steel wires at the right end, [it's hard to believe it's aluminum because it's too shiny]. Second, the cable is cut at the right end and doesn't continue in the water. It is not a power cable because it is not wrapped with fire tape like the neighboring power cables.

The unknown cable isn't cut at the right end. It disappears under the water and I couldn't see where it went from there because of the reflections. I could only confirm that it does not exit the handhole in the same conduit as the two MV cables.

 

[Calrissian45]

It would be great to have a few more pictures just out of curiosity. We had some UG MV cable that went about 8 spans on poles similar to what your describing. It was bound by lashing.

Here's some photos. The MV cables have a wye-splice. They exit the handhole on the right wall and go to a pad-mounted transformer. They also exit at the right end of the top wall, just above the water and go to the pole-mounted transformer.