Mixer continuously analyses and monitors the cable industry landscape, assessing emerging needs and challenges to deliver tailor-made solutions worldwide. In a rapidly evolving environment, and thanks to our innovative vision and attitude, we consider performance as a key point, ensuring safety, high efficiency, and flexibility.
In the recent years, data centres represent a cutting-edge application, today deeply integrated in our lives. Every day, billions of data points race across the globe at lightning speed, powering real-time insights, instant transactions, and seamless connectivity. These facilities are at the heart of this digital revolution, representing the invisible backbone that moves critical information across the world, also keeping innovation in motion. Inside them, thousands of high-performance servers and advanced networking devices operate in perfect synergy, supported by a strong network of electrical cabling and power systems, providing the energy and connectivity that keep the digital world running smoothly.
Looking more closely at data centre, power enters at high voltage (HV) from the utility grid, and it is stepped down to medium voltage (MV) for internal distribution. Here, MV cables connect transformers across the facility, feeding different zones or buildings, where electrical power is finally converted into low voltage (LV).
MV cables became therefore essential for maintaining continuous operation as act as a bridge between HV utilities and Information Technology (IT) equipment.
Nevertheless, like any electrical equipment, MV cables are vulnerable to electrical faults such as fast rising voltage transients: high frequency voltage or current spikes that occur suddenly in an electrical system, causing overvoltage that may lead to the cable breakdown. These phenomena can be provoked by several factors, like switching operations or lightning impulses. The latter are natural phenomena that can inject tens of thousands of amperes into electrical systems within microseconds, inducing powerful surges through power lines and communication cables and creating high-frequency transients that damage sensitive electronics.
In this context, one of the most important aspects to consider is the cable construction, which ensures reliability and resilience. This process starts choosing medium voltage cables capable of guaranteeing effectiveness in these contexts. In fact, they often include semiconductive layers and metallic screen to control electric fields and provide a path for fault currents; here the insulation material plays an important role.
Research by Boggs et al. (IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, Vol. 15, No. 3, July 2000, and Vol. 17, No. 2, April 2002) demonstrates that EPR (Ethylene Propylene Rubber) and EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) insulated MV cables can significantly reduce lightning-induced overvoltage. Compared to XLPE (Cross- Linked Polyethylene), EPR/EPDM cables exhibit higher dielectric losses at high frequencies, which helps dampen and attenuate surge energy. This means that the overvoltage magnitude reaching transformers and other equipment is substantially reduced, lowering the risk of insulation breakdown and catastrophic failure.
Completely understanding the real needs of customers and their challenges, Mixer developed a comprehensive range of EKOPREN® medium voltage insulation grades based on EPR/EPDM compounds. These materials provide superior surge damping compared to standard XLPE, also offering greater flexibility, and making installation easier in complex data centre environments.
Our Sales and Technical Customer support teams are constantly connected with our customers and are ready to provide them with the most effective solutions for their equipment all over the world.
For more information, contact us.
