15 Basic Expressions Often Used in Electrical Testing

Testingofelectricalinstallations//
Thisisthesimplelistofbasictermsyoucanoftenhearwhentestingand
measurementsofelectricalinstallation(ingeneral)isbeingperformed.While
expiriencedelectricalengineerswillfindthislistshort,Ihopebeginnerswillcatch
theessenceandcontinueexploringthisfieldofelectricalengineering.
Feelfreetosuggestmeanexpression(alongwithdescription)youthinkitshould
belisted,itwillbemypleasuretoaddittothelistandtomoveawayfromnumber
13
Ok,sohereisthelist:

1.Activeaccessibleconductivepart
Activeaccessibleconductivepartistheconductivepartofanelectrical
installationorappliancesuchasthehousing,partofahousingetc.whichcanbe
touchedbyahumanbody.Suchanaccessiblepartisfreeofmainsvoltageexcept
underfaultconditions.
Switchboardcontructiongrounded(photocredit:ecsanyi)
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2.Passiveaccessibleconductivepart
Passiveaccessibleconductivepartisanaccessibleconductivepart,whichisnota
partofanelectricalinstallationorappliance,like:

Heatingsystempipes,
Waterpipes,
Metalpartsofairconditionsystem,
Metalpartsofbuildingframework

Equipotentialbondingofmetalpipes(photocredit:diy.stackexchange.com)
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3.Electricshock
Electricshockisthepathophysiceffectofanelectriccurrentflowingthrougha
humanoranimalbody.Verydangerous,haveeyesonyourbackwhiletesting.
Itsveryimportanttoknowwhattodoifelectricshockoccurs.
ElectricshockEmergencyresuscitationprocedures(photocredit:
uksafetystore.com)
Downloadposter
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4.Earthingelectrode
Earthingelectrodeisaconductivepart,oragroupofconductiveparts,whichare
placedintoearthandthusassureagoodandpermanentcontactwithground.
Earthingelectrode
Earthingelectrode(photocredit:wikipedia.org)
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5.Nominalvoltage
Nominalvoltage(Un)isthevoltagewhichelectricalinstallationsorcomponentsof
electricalinstallations,suchasappliances,loadsetc.areratedat.Some
installationcharacteristicsalsorefertonominalvoltage(e.g.power).
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6.Faultvoltage

Faultvoltage(Uf)isthevoltagethatappearsbetweentheactiveaccessible
conductivepartsandthepassiveonesoridealgroundinthecaseofafaulton
appliancesconnectedtothemainsinstallation(connectedappliance).
ThefigurebelowrepresentstheFaultvoltage(Uf)anddivisionofthevoltageinto
theContactvoltage(Uc)andvoltagedroponfloor/shoesresistance(Us).
Figure1PresentationofthevoltagesUf,UcandUsincaseofafaultonan
electricload
Where:
ZBImpedanceofhumanbody
RSFloorandshoesresistance
REEarthResistanceofactiveaccessibleconductiveparts
IfFaultcurrent
UcContactvoltage
UsVoltagedroponfloor/shoesresistance
UfFaultvoltage
Uf=Uc+Us=IfRE
(floormaterialisplacedtoidealground)
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7.Contactvoltage
Contactvoltage(Uc)isthevoltagetowhichahumanbodyisexposedwhen
touchinganactiveaccessibleconductivepart.Thebodyisstandingontheflooror
isincontactwithpassiveaccessibleconductivepart.
Measuring:Contactvoltageismeasuredbetweentheearthingelectrodeandtwo
measurementelectrodesconnectedtogetherandplaced1mawayfromtested
earthingelectrode.
VoltageapportionacrosstheEarthResistancevoltagefunnel
Where:

UoGroundpotential

 UcContactvoltage
UstStepvoltage
REEarthresistance
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8.LimitContactvoltage
LimitContactvoltage(UL)isthemaximumContactvoltagewhichmaybe
continuouslypresentundercertainexternalconditionse.g.presenceofwater.
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9.Nominalloadcurrent
Nominalloadcurrent(In)isthecurrentthatflowsthroughtheloadundernormal
operatingconditionsandatnominalmainsvoltage.
NameplateofHPprinter(Iguess)withnominalvaluesofvoltageandcurrent
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10.Nominalinstallationcurrent
Nominalinstallationcurrent(In)isthecurrentthattheinstallationdrawsunder
normaloperatingconditions.
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11.Faultcurrent
Faultcurrent(If)isthecurrentthatflowstoactiveaccessibleconductivepartsand
thentogroundincaseofafaultonamainsappliance.
Downloadspreadsheet//
FaultCurrentCalculationSpreadsheet
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12.Leakagecurrent
Leakagecurrent(IL)isthecurrentthatusuallyflowsthroughisolationmaterials
orcapacitiveelementstogroundinnormalconditions.
Learnmore//
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13.Shortcircuitcurrent
Shortcircuitcurrent(Isc)isthecurrentthatflowsinashortcircuitbetweentwo
pointsofdifferentpotential.
Shortcircuitcurrentdiagram
Learnmore//
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14.ElectricalInsulation
Anonconductingmaterialthatprovideselectricisolationbetweentwoormany
electricallylivepartsatdifferentvoltagesoratsamevoltages.Itshouldhavea
highelectricalhighresistivityandhighdielectricstrengthcommensuratewith
requirementformVoltagetovoltage.
Theelectricalinsulatingmaterialsareinsolid(rigid&flexible),liquidand
gaseousforms.
UpdatedbyMr.K.K.Murty,Jabalpur,India.
Motorwindingsinsulation(photocredit:primeelectricmotor.com)
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15.HarmonicsLevels

Devicescausingharmonicsarepresentinallindustrial,commercialandresidential
installations.Harmonicsarecausedbynonlinearloads.Aloadissaidtobenon
linearwhenthecurrentitdrawsdoesnothavethesamewaveformasthesupply
voltage.
Voltageandcurrentwaveformsofaninductionmotor
UpdatedbyMr.NoelPhillips,Mumbai.
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Reference//GuideToMeasurementsOnElectricalInstallationsinTheoryand
Practice(Downloadguide)