Cable Sizing

Cable Name:

415 (239.6 V 1-ph)

Voltage (V):415 Spin UpSpin Down

4 (16.6/9.6 V)
Voltage Drop (%):4.00 Spin UpSpin Down

0.86
Load Current (A): Spin UpSpin Down pf:0.86 Spin UpSpin Down
three-phas select

30
Ambient Temperature (°C):30 Spin UpSpin Down

General pro select

10
Rating (A):10 Spin UpSpin Down

25 0.86
Short Circuit (kA):25 Spin UpSpin Down pf:0.86 Spin UpSpin Down
1
time:1.00 Spin UpSpin Down

Al - Multico select

Select insta select

Grouping:
select

No.Circuits/Cables:
1 select
Simultaneous Overload

25 Parallel Cables:
Cable Length (m):25 Spin UpSpin Down
Auto select

Ignore group derating

 2.5
Soil Thermal Resistivy (K.m/W): Spin UpSpin Down - only for buried cables

0
Insulation Thickness (mm):0 Spin UpSpin Down - if in thermal insulation

Cable sizing compiles with BS 7671:2008 (IEE Wiring Regulations Seventeenth Edition) and
IEC 60364:2001

Cable Size Calculation

Calculation Notes
Cable sizing compiles with:
- BS 7671:2008
IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition
- IEC 60364:2001

Help and Tips

Cable size is selected as follows:

1. Cable is calculated on current capacity

2. Voltage drop is calculated (and cable size increased if necessary)
3. Fault level withstand is calculated (and cable size increased if necessary)

Tip: if you don’t want fault level to be considered, you can set it to a very low value.

To find out more about how the cable sizing tool works, please see:

 Cable Sizing Tool - Notes Post

Cable Sizing Tool

By Steven on 5/20/2012 12:14 AM
Filed Under [Power Systems], [myElectrical] | 10
Comments
Popular tags: Cables, myElectrical, IEE Wiring
Regulations

Our cable sizing tool is one of the more popular tools on

the site. The tool enables cables to be sized in compliance
with BS 7671 (the IEE Wiring Regulations) and by implication IEC 60364.

This post gives some insight into how the tool works, the calculations carried out and how to
use it. With the tool being based on BS 7671, this post will also provide an introduction and
explanation of the cable sizing method given in the standard.

The sizing tool can be found at:

myElectrical Cable Sizing Tool

The Procedure
The flowchart (click for a larger image) shows the general procedure followed by the tool:

 current capacity – a cable size is found which is adequate for the expected current
 voltage drop – the voltage drop on the selected cable is checked and if to big the cable
size is increased
 fault level – the fault level withstand is checked and if not adequate the cable size is
increase

Any errors or warnings generated during the calculation are passed on the the user.

In addition to cable size the tool also calculates the cable impedance and fault levels at the
load end of the cable.

The Formulae
The calculation method follows the procedures given in BS 7671:2008 (the IEE Wiring
Regulations), 17th Edition.

Definitions:

Iz - current carrying capacity of the cable (continuous service under defined

installation conditions)

It - tabulated value of current (for the type of cable, type of installation, and at an
ambient of 30oC)

Ib - design current of the circuit (expected in normal service)

In - nominal setting of any protective device

I2 – operating current of the protective device

Ca - correction factor for the ambient temperature

Cc - correction factor for the type of protective device used

Cg - correction factor for grouping of circuits/cables

 Ci - correction factor thermal insulation

Ct - correction factor for the operating temperature of the conductor

Np - number of cables in parallel

tp - maximum permitted operating temperature

Current Capacity

By considering any correction factors, the tabled current for a cable installed in a given
situation can be found. Once the tabled value of current is found, the cable size is determined
by selecting the next largest cross sectional area in the lookup tables.

For single circuits:

For groups where simultaneous overload is possible:

For groups not liable to simultaneous overload (the maximum of):

For cables where overload protection is not required:

Once It is known, this size of cable is then looked up in the current carrying capacity tables:

 Tables 4D1A to 4J4A (pages274 to 316) – current carrying capacity

Correction factors are obtained from the following tables (dependant upon cable type and
installation):

 Table 4B1 – rating factors for cables in air, ambient other than 30 °C
 Table 4B2 – rating factors for buried cables, ambient other than 20 °C
 Table 4B3 – rating factors for buried cables, thermal resistivities other an 2.5 K.m.W-1
 Table 4C1 to 4C3 – rating for grouping of circuits/cables
 Table 52.2 – rating factors for cables surrounded by thermal insulation

Voltage Drop

Voltage drop calculations consider both the power factor of the system and a correction factor
for the cable operating standard. Tables 4D1B to 4J4B of the standard give voltage drops
(resistive and reactive) in (mV/A/m), which is equivalent to mΩ/m (or Ω/m if adjusted).

By looking up in these tables and using the cable length, the sizing tool determines the
resistance, R and reactance, X of the cable. The calculated voltage drop, is then given by:

The temperature correction factor is only applied to the resistance and is given by:

Note: the tool carries out all calculations in complex form.

Fault Levels

The fault withstand rating of the cable is determined using the adiabatic equation:

Where:
S is the cable cross sectional area in mm2
I is the fault current which can flow in A
t is the operating time of the protective device in S
k is a factor related to the conductor material and insulation – tables 54.2 to 54.6 of
the standard

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the tool taking into account parallel conductors?
Additional parallel cables are automatically added to group derating (you don't need to
increase this manually).

You can click the ignore checkbox to change this (for example if your cables are more than
two diameters apart).: code changes have been made. The updated version of the calculator is
now live.

What exactly is the No.Circuits/Cables?

Group derating takes into account heat generated by adjacent cables. Each circuit is usually
supplied by one cable and the number of circuits will equal the number of cables. Sometimes
several cables are run a parallel for a single circuit and this will increase the total number of
cables (and group derating).

Tip: if cables are spaced more than twice their overall diameter apart, then no group derating
is required.

Cable Sizing Tool

Posted @ 5/20/2012 12:14 AM by Steven | Files in Power Systems,myElectrical

Our cable sizing tool is one of the more popular tools on

the site. The tool enables cables to be sized in compliance
with BS 7671 (the IEE Wiring Regulations) and by
implication IEC 60364.

This post gives some insight into how the tool works, the
calculations carried out and how to use it. With the tool
being based on BS 7671, this post will also provide an
introduction and explanation of the cable sizing method
given in the standard.

The sizing tool can be found at:

myElectrical Cable Sizing Tool

The Procedure

The flowchart (click for a larger image) shows the general procedure followed by the tool:

 current capacity – a cable size is found which is adequate for the expected current
 voltage drop – the voltage drop on the selected cable is checked and if to big the cable
size is increased
 fault level – the fault level withstand is checked and if not adequate the cable size is
increase

Any errors or warnings generated during the calculation are passed on the the user.

In addition to cable size the tool also calculates the cable impedance and fault levels at the
load end of the cable.

The Formulae

The calculation method follows the procedures given in BS 7671:2008 (the IEE Wiring
Regulations), 17th Edition.

Definitions:

Iz - current carrying capacity of the cable (continuous service under defined

installation conditions)

It - tabulated value of current (for the type of cable, type of installation, and at an
ambient of 30oC)

Ib - design current of the circuit (expected in normal service)

In - nominal setting of any protective device

I2 – operating current of the protective device

Ca - correction factor for the ambient temperature

Cc - correction factor for the type of protective device used

 Cg - correction factor for grouping of circuits/cables

Ci - correction factor thermal insulation

Ct - correction factor for the operating temperature of the conductor

Np - number of cables in parallel

tp - maximum permitted operating temperature

Current Capacity

By considering any correction factors, the tabled current for a cable installed in a given
situation can be found. Once the tabled value of current is found, the cable size is determined
by selecting the next largest cross sectional area in the lookup tables.

For single circuits:

For groups where simultaneous overload is possible:

For groups not liable to simultaneous overload (the maximum of):

 For cables where overload protection is not required:

Once It is known, this size of cable is then looked up in the current carrying capacity tables:

 Tables 4D1A to 4J4A (pages274 to 316) – current carrying capacity

Correction factors are obtained from the following tables (dependant upon cable type and
installation):

 Table 4B1 – rating factors for cables in air, ambient other than 30 °C
 Table 4B2 – rating factors for buried cables, ambient other than 20 °C
 Table 4B3 – rating factors for buried cables, thermal resistivities other an 2.5 K.m.W-1
 Table 4C1 to 4C3 – rating for grouping of circuits/cables
 Table 52.2 – rating factors for cables surrounded by thermal insulation

Voltage Drop

Voltage drop calculations consider both the power factor of the system and a correction factor
for the cable operating standard. Tables 4D1B to 4J4B of the standard give voltage drops
(resistive and reactive) in (mV/A/m), which is equivalent to mΩ/m (or Ω/m if adjusted).

By looking up in these tables and using the cable length, the sizing tool determines the
resistance, R and reactance, X of the cable. The calculated voltage drop, is then given by:

The temperature correction factor is only applied to the resistance and is given by:
Note: the tool carries out all calculations in complex form.

Fault Levels

The fault withstand rating of the cable is determined using the adiabatic equation:

Where:
S is the cable cross sectional area in mm2
I is the fault current which can flow in A
t is the operating time of the protective device in S
k is a factor related to the conductor material and insulation – tables 54.2 to 54.6 of
the standard

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the tool taking into account parallel conductors?

Additional parallel cables are automatically added to group derating (you don't need to
increase this manually).

You can click the ignore checkbox to change this (for example if your cables are more than
two diameters apart).: code changes have been made. The updated version of the calculator is
now live.

What exactly is the No.Circuits/Cables?

Group derating takes into account heat generated by adjacent cables. Each circuit is usually
supplied by one cable and the number of circuits will equal the number of cables. Sometimes
several cables are run a parallel for a single circuit and this will increase the total number of
cables (and group derating).

Tip: if cables are spaced more than twice their overall diameter apart, then no group derating
is required.