SUBMARINE CABLE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 112, 24 April 1936, Page 9

SUBMARINE CABLE

Across Auckland Harbour

ASEA’S ENTERPRISE

The Auckland Harbour Board has decided that the Bean Rock light, a familiar Auckland harbour landmark, should be supplied with electrical energy from Auckland, this involving the laying of a special submarine cable of 5900 feet in length across the bed of the harbour. The cable used iu the project is supplied by Asea Electric (N.Z.), Ltd. As it was impossible to have joints in the cable the whole of the 5000 feet had to be manufactured in one length. It consists of two twin conductors, each of seven strands of .064 tinned copper wire, It is then insulated with pure rubber, followed by vulcanised India rubber, taped and compounded, after which a special brass tape with a 50 per cent, overlap is put round which prevents certain marine insects attacking the cable. It is then further served and compounded, after which it is armoured with one layer of galvanised soft iron wire; then further jute served and compounded and suitable for 660 volts. The dielectric resistance in megohms a mile is 5150 megs. It. was tested at 2500 volts A.C. for 15 minutes after having been immersed in water for 24 hours. The net weight of ‘the cable is 5.46 tons, while the gross weight is 6.66 tons. Asea’s cable factory was established 65 years ago, and it makes all classes

of cables whether it be for motors, vacuum cleaners or the largest of power supply schemes. The first Asea deliveries in New Zealand were transformers in 1898 for the Wellington Electrical Supply Co. Asea is really a group of electrical manufacturing companies, 57 in number, covering the whole electrical field. They manufactured commercially the first three-phase motor, were the inventors of the auto-syn-chronous motor, were also the inventors of the variable speed commutator

motor, have the largest static conden ser, 20,000 KVA, and have also manufactured the largest double rotation turbine to date. Asea have the distinction of sun" 1 -- ing the most northerly generating station in the world, Roijus, aim ...... also equipped one of the world’s long ost single-phase railways. They are internationally famous for their relays, which have been supplied to tho Public Works Department and the Railway Depaiiment for their schemes. The first three-phase motor to be connected to the New Zealand hydioelectric supply was an Asea in 1915 for

the Dominion Compressed Yeast Co. The first auto-synchoronous motor supplied was to C. E. Otley, Ltd., Christchurch. The largest Diesel generator so far manufactured is an Asea machine (19,000 KVA). The world’s largest generator (physically) was supplied by Asea to Vargon. They manufacture gears as standard up to 18,000 horsepower. It would be impossible to say what horse power of motors is installed in New Zealand—it is probably well over 35,000. In addition, of course, there the Lyttelton and Arapuni generating stations and a large number of smaller generating stations and sub-stations.