Abstract: In view of the increasing shortage of copper resources, which causes the high cost of raw materials in wire and cable industry, this paper analyzes the performance differences of copper and aluminum materials, and calculates the cross-section conversion of copper and aluminum conductors under equal transmission capacity. According to the existing production process, adopting the analytical method, this paper completes the parameter calculation of copper and aluminum conductors for submarine cables, and the economic applicability and electrical characteristics of copper and aluminum conductor submarine cables are compared, including the further study on the connection performance of aluminum conductor. The statistics show that the unit mass of copper and aluminum conductor submarine cables is approximately equal under the condition of equal transmission capacity. The loss and short circuit current characteristics of the two conductors are similar. However, the cost of copper conductor submarine cables is 110% ~180% of that of aluminum conductor submarine cables. Good electrical and mechanical properties of aluminum conductor joints can be achieved by AC argon arc welding. Therefore, the economic performance of aluminum conductor submarine cable is comparatively better.

Key words: submarine cable, equal transmission capacity, copper conductor, aluminum conductor, technical and economical performance