Cable Sizing Calculation

Introduction
The proper sizing of an electrical (load bearing) cable is important to ensure that the cable can:
   

Operate continuously under full load without being damaged Withstand the worst short circuits currents flowing through the cable Provide the load with a suitable voltage (and avoid excessive voltage drops) (optional) Ensure operation of protective devices during an earth fault

General Methodology
All cable sizing methods more or le ss follow the same basic six step process: 1) Gathering data about the cable, its installation conditions, the load that it will carry, etc 2) Determine the minimum cable size based on continuous current carrying capacity 3) Determine the minimum cable size based on voltage drop considerations 4) Determine the minimum cable size based on short circuit temperature rise 5) Determine the minimum cable size based on earth fault loop impedance 6) Select the cable based on the lowest of the sizes calculated in step 2, 3, 4 and 5

Step 1: Data Gathering The first step is to collate the relevant information that is required to perform the sizing calculation. Typically, you will need to obtain the following data: Load Details The characteristics of the load that the cable will supply, which includes:
   

Load type: motor or feeder Three phase, single phase or DC System / source voltage Full load current (A) - or calculate this if the load is defined in terms of power (kW) Full load power factor (pu)

  

Locked rotor or load starting current (A) Starting power factor (pu) Distance / length of cable run from source to load - this length should be as close as possible to the actual route of the cable and include enough contingency for vertical drops / rises and termination of the cable tails

Cable Construction The basic characteristics of the cable's physical construction, which includes:
     

Conductor material - normally copper or aluminium Conductor shape - e.g. circular or shaped Conductor type - e.g. stranded or solid Conductor surface coating - e.g. plain (no coating), tinned, silver or nickel Insulation type - e.g. PVC, XLPE, EPR Number of cores - single core or multicore (e.g. 2C, 3C or 4C)

Installation Conditions How the cable will be installed, which includes:

 

Above ground or underground Installation / arrangement - e.g. for underground cables, is it directly buried or buried in conduit? for above ground cables, is it installed on cable tray / ladder, against a wall, in air, etc. Ambient or soil temperature of the installation site Cable bunching, i.e. the number of cables that are bunched together Cable spacing, i.e. whether cables are installed touching or spaced Soil thermal resistivity (for underground cables) Depth of laying (for underground cables) For single core three -phase cables, are the cables installed in trefoil or laid flat?

     

Step 2: Cable Selection Based on Current Rating Current flowing through a cable generates heat through the resistive losses in the conductors, dielectric losses through the insulation and resistive losses from current flowing through any cable screens / shields and armouring.

The cable components (particularly the insulation) must be capable of withstanding the temperature rise and heat emanating from the cable. The current carrying capacity of a cable is the maximum current that can flow continuously through a cable. It is sometimes also referred to as the continuous current rating or ampacity of a cable. Cables with larger conductor cross -sectional areas (i.e. more copper or aluminium) have lower resistive losses and are able to dissipate the heat better than smaller cables. Therefore a 16 mm2 cable will have a higher current carrying capacity than a 4 mm2 cable.

Base Current Ratings International standards and manufacturers of cables will quote base curre nt ratings of different types of cables in tables such as the one shown below. Each of these tables pertain to a specific type of cable construction (e.g. copper conductor, XLPE insulated, etc) and a base set of installation conditions (e.g. ambient temperature, installation method, etc). It is important to note that the current ratings are only valid for the quoted types of cables and base installation conditions.

Current Rating for 3 x XLPE Insulated Copper Conductors Reference Installation Method Size (mm2) A1 A2 B1 B2 C D1 D2 E Trefoil 1.5 2.5 4 6 10 16 25 35 50 70 95 120 17 23 31 40 54 73 95 16.5 22 30 38 51 68 89 20 28 37 48 66 88 117 19.5 26 35 44 60 80 105 128 154 194 233 268 22 30 40 52 71 96 119 21 28 36 44 58 75 96 23 30 39 49 65 84 23 32 42 54 75 100 135 169 207 268 328 383 F Laid Flat 141 176 216 279 342 400 G Horizontal Vertical 182 226 275 353 430 500 161 201 246 318 389 454

107 127

117 109 144 141 130 175 179 164 222 216 197 269 249 227 312

147 115 129 158 179 135 153 192 229 167 188 246 278 197 226 298 322 223 257 346

150 185 240 300 400 500 630

285 259 342 324 295 384 380 346 450 435 396 514

300 340 398 455

371 251 287 399 424 281 324 456 500 324 375 538 576 365 419 621

444 510 607 703 823 946 1088

464 533 634 736 868 998 1151

577 661 781 902 1085 1253 1454

527 605 719 833 1008 1169 1362

Reference Installation Method Reference installation method mentioned in above table is explained below:

Method A

 

A1 - Insulated single core conductors in conduit in a thermally insulated wall A2 - Multicore cable in conduit in a thermally insulated wall

This method also applies to single core or multicore cables installed directly in a thermally insulated wall (use methods A1 and A2 respectively), conductors installed in mouldings, architraves and window frames.

Method B

B1 - Insulated single core con ductors in conduit on a wall

B2 - Multicore cable in conduit on a wall This method applies when a conduit is installed inside a wall, against a wall or spaced less than 0.3 x D (overall diameter of the cable) from the wall. Method B also applies for cables installed in trunking / cable duct against a wall or suspended from a wall and cables installed in building cavities.

Method C

C - Single core or multi -core cable on a wooden wall This method also applies to cables fixed directly to walls or ceilings, suspended from ceilings, installed on unperforated cable trays (run horizontally or vertically) and installed directly in a masonry wall (with thermal resistivity less than 2 K.m/W).

Method D

 

D1 - Multicore or single core cables installed in conduit buried in the ground D2 - Multicore or single core cables buried directl y in the ground

Method E

E - Multicore cable in free -air

This method applies to cables installed on cable ladder, perforated cable tray or cleats provided that the cable is spaced more than 0.3 x D (overall diameter of the cable) from the wall. Note that cables installed on unperforated cable trays are classifie d under Method C.

Method F

F - Single core cables touching in free -air

This method applies to cables installed on cable ladder, perforated cable tray or cleats provided that the cable is spaced more than 0.3 x D (overall diameter of the cable) from the wall. Note that cables installed on unperforated cable trays are classified under Method C.

Method G

Si li t it tt tl i

l t l i t l t t i l

l i i l

l i fl t t ll t t ifi l t . t . l . l l

i f , f

i t t t t l l t ft i t ll l li t l l l f t t

i i ll f i t ll

ll i t t . i

t i

ll C i
ed inst ll ti n nd iti ns differ f rom the se onditions, dera ting or orrection) factors can e applied to the ase curren t ra tings to obtain the actual installed

When the curren t ra tings.

In ternational standards and cable manufacturers ill provide dera ting factors for a range of installation conditions, for example amb ient / soil tempera ture , grouping or bunching of cables, so il thermal resistivit , e tc. he installed curren t ra ting is calcula ted by mu ltiplying the base curren t ra ting ith each of the dera ting factors, i.e .

here

is the insta lled curren t rating A) is the base curren t ra ting A) are the product of all the dera ting factors

or example, suppose a cable had an ambien t tempera ture dera ting factor ofkab = . . and a grouping dera ting factor of kg = . x . = . . or a cable x = . A. , then the overall derating factorkd = A, the installed curren t ra ting ith a base curren t ra ting of

ou ld be Ic = .

 l  S l i    C  i i  wi h P iv  vi !

ker) is When si ing cables for loads, the upstream pro tective device f use or circuit brea typ ically selected to also pro tect the cable against damage f romtherma l overload. he

pro tective device must therefore be selected to exceed the full load curren t, bu t not exceed the cab le's installed curren t ra ting , i.e . this inequality must be me t:

Where

is the full load curren t A)

is the pro tective device ra ting A) is the installed cable current ra ting A) S ep V l e p A cable's conductor can be seen as an impedance and as a resu lt, henever curren t flows through a cable , there will be a voltage drop across it, derived by he voltage drop will depend on two th ings: # urrent flow through the cable the higher the curren t flow, the h igher the voltage drop hms aw i.e . V = IZ).

#Impedance of the conductor the larger the impedance , the higher the voltage drop C

" #l $ Impedances
ost cable manufacturers will quo te a cables resistance and reactance

The impedance of the cable is a f unction of the cab le si e cross-sectional area) and the length of the cable. in /km. Ca lculating V %ltage

&'

%p

or AC systems, the me thod of calcu la ting voltage drops based on load power f actor is commonly used . ull load curren ts are norma lly used , bu t if the load has h igh startup curren ts e .g . mo tors), then voltage drops based on starting curren t and power f actor if app licable) should also be calcula ted . For ree p e em:

Where

is the three phase voltage drop V)

is the nominal fu ll load or starting curren t as app licable A) is the ac resistance of the cable /km) is the ac reactance of the cab le /km) is the load power f actor pu) is the length of the cable m) For i le p e em:

Where

is the single phase voltage drop V)

is the nominal fu ll load or starting curren t as app licable A) is the ac resistance of the cable /km) is the ac reactance of the cab le /km) is the load power f actor pu) is the length of the cable m) For em:

Where

is the dc voltage drop V)

is the nominal fu ll load or starting curren t as app licable A) is the dc resistance of the cable /km) is the length of the cable m) Maxi mum Permi ssi le V )ltage

rop

Maximum voltage drops across a cable are specified because load consumers e.g . app liances) will have an inpu t voltage tolerance range . Th is means tha t if the voltage at the app liance is lower than its ra ted min imum voltage , then the appliancemay no t opera te correctly. In general, most electrical equ ipmen t will opera te normally a t a vo ltage as low as nominal voltage . or examp le , if the nominal voltage is run a t > in the range of % a t full load . %

VAC, then most appliances will

VAC. Cables are typically si ed for a more conserva tive maximum voltage drop,

Ca lculating Maximum Cable ength due to Voltage

rop

It may be more convenien t to calcula te the maximum leng th of a cable f or a particu lar conductor si e given a maximum permissibe l voltage drop e .g . % of nominal voltage at fu ll load) ra ther than the voltage drop itself. or examp le , by doing this it is possible to construct tables showing the maximum leng ths correspond ing to different cable si es in order to speed up the selection of similar type cables. The maximum cable leng th that will achieve th is can be calcu la ted by re -arranging the vo ltage drop equa tions and substituting the maximum permissib le voltage drop e.g . % of V nominal vo ltage = . V ).

For

ree p

em:

Where

is the maximum length of the cable m)

is the maximum permissib le three phase voltage drop V) is the nominal fu ll load or starting curren t as app licable A) is the ac resistance of the cable /km) is the ac reactance of the cab le /km) is the load power f actor pu) For i le p e em

Where

is the maximum length of the cable m)

is the maximum permissib le single phase voltage drop V) is the nominal fu ll load or starting curren t as app licable A) is the ac resistance of the cable /km) is the ac reactance of the cab le /km) is the load power f actor pu) For em:

Where

is the maximum length of the cable m)

is the maximum permissib le dc vo ltage drop V) is the nominal fu ll load or starting curren t as app licable A) is the dc resistance of the cable /km) is the length of the cable m)

S ep 4 S ort

ircuit empe rature

i e

uring a short circuit, a h igh amoun t of current can flow through a cable for a short time. Th is surge in curren t flow causes a tempera ture rise with in the cab le . igh temperatures can trigger unwan ted reactions in the cab le insulation, shea th ma terials an d other componen ts, wh ich can prema ture ly degrade the condition of the cable . As the cross -sectional area of the

cable increases, it can dissipa te higher fault curren ts for a given temperature rise . Theref ore , cables should be si ed to withstand the larges t short circuit tha t it is expected to see .

Minimum Cable Size

ue to Short Circuit Temperature

ise

The minimum cable si e due to short circuit tempera ture rise is typically calcula ted with an equa tion of the form:

Where

is the minimum cross-sectional area of the cable mm2)

is the prospective short circu it curren t A) is the duration of the short circuit s) is a short circuit tempera ture rise constant The tempera ture rise constant is calculated based on the material properties of the conductor and the initial and final conductor tempera tures. -5-54 calcula tes it as f ollows: ifferen t in ternational standards have differen t trea tmen ts of the tempera ture rise constant, but by way o f example, IEC

for copper conductors)

for aluminium conductors) Where is the in itial conductor tempera ture deg C) is the final conductor tempera ture deg C) Initia l and Fina l Conductor Temperatures The in itial conductor tempera ture is typ ically chosen to be the opera ting temperature of the cable. The final conductor temperature is typically chosen to be the limiting tempera ture of the insula tion .

Short Circuit Energy The short circuit energy could po ten tia lly experience. is normally chosen as the maximum short circu it that the cable owever for circuits w ith curren t limiting devices such as C

fuses), then the short circuit energy chosen shou ld be the maximum prospective le-tthrough energy of the pro tective device , wh ich can be found f rom manufacturer da ta.

Step 5 Earth Fault oop Impe anc e Sometimes it is desirable or necessary) to consider the earth fault loop impedance of a circuit in the si ing of a cable . Suppose a bolted earth fau lt occurs bet ween an active conductor and earth. uring such an earth fault, it is desirable tha t the upstream pro tec tive device acts to interrup t the fault within a maximum disconnection time so as to pro tect aga inst any inadverten t con tact to exposed live parts. Ideally the circu it will have earth fau lt pro tection , in wh ich case the pro tection will be fast acting and we ll with in the maximum disconnection time . The maximum disconnection time is chosen so tha t a dangerous touch voltage does no t persist for long enough to cause injury or dea th. or most circu its, a maximum disconnection time of 5s is sufficient, though for portable equipment and socke t ou tle ts, a faster disconnection time is desirable i.e . < s and will definitely require earth fault pro tection). owever for circuits tha t do no t have earth fau lt pro tection, the upstream pro tective device i.e. fuse or circuit breaker) must trip with in the maximum disconnection time . In order f or the pro tective device to trip , the fault curren t due to a bolted short circuit must exceed the value that will cause the pro tective device to act within the maximum disconnection tim e. or example , suppose a circuit is pro tected by a fuse and the maximum d isconnection time is 5s, then the f ault current must exceed the fuse melting curren t a t 5s wh ich can be found by cross-ref erencing the fuse time-curren t curves). By simple application of hm's law:

Where

is the earth fault curren t required to trip the pro tective device with in the minimum

d isconnection time A) is the phase to earth voltage at the pro tective device V) is the impedance of the earth f ault loop ) It can be seen f rom the equa tion above tha t the impedance of the earth fault loop must be sufficien tly low to ensure that the earth fau lt curren t can trip the upstream pro tection .

The Earth Fault oop The earth fault loop can consist of various return pa ths o ther thanthe earth conductor, including the cable armour and the sta tic earthing connection of the facility. and the earth conductor. owever for practica l reasons, the earth f ault loop in this calcula tion consists on ly of the active conductor

The earth fault loop impedance can be found by:

Where

is the earth fault loop impedance )

is the impedance of the active conductor ) is the impedance of the earth conductor ) Assuming that the active and earth conductors have iden tical lengths, the earth faultloop impedance can be calcula ted as f ollows:

Where and

is the leng th of the cable m) are the ac resistances of the active and earth conductors respectively /km)

and are the reactances of the active and earth conductors respective ly /km) 5 Maxi mum Cable ength The maximum earth fault loop impedance can be found by re -arranging the equation above :

Where

is the maximum earth fault loop impedance )

is the phase to earth voltage at the pro tective device V) is the earth fault curren t required to trip the protective device with in the min imum d isconnection time A) The maximum cable leng th can therefore be calculated by the following :

Where

is the maximum cable leng th m)

is the phase to earth voltage at the pro tective device V) is the earth fault curren t required to trip the protective device with in the min imum d isconnection time A) and and are the ac resistances of the active and earth conductors respectively /km) are the reactances of the active and earth conductorsrespective ly /km)

o te tha t the voltage V 0 at the pro tective device is not necessarily the nominal phase to earth voltage , bu t usually a lower value as it can be downstream of the main busbars. This vo ltage is commonly represented by applying some factor conserva tive va lue of = 0 . can be used so tha t: to the nominal voltage. A

Where Vn is the nominal phase to earth voltage V)