Once the size of the conductor is calculated and the number of conductors determined, the electrical professional continues by calculating the size of the conduit containing these current carrying conductors. See NEC Chapter 9, Table 1, Annex C1 through C12A. When the base current value is determined, the electrical professional then proceeds through the following sequence of calculations to determine:
(1) the overcurrent protection device (OCPD), see NEC Article 240
(2) the ground conductor, see NEC Article 250
(3) the voltage drop, see NEC Article 215
With these basic calculations completed, the electrical professional then applies the remaining factors: continuous and non-continuous load, coincidental and non-coincidental load, temperature limitation, temperature correction factor, adjustment factor (number of conductors in a raceway), special conditions/applications (current carrying conductor and tap rule), ground electrode conductor, conductors in parallel, and load types (receptacle, lighting or air conditioning).
The discussion of the complex requirement of the conductor will continue in our next newsletter.
Save Time / Save Money
PowerCalc automates the electrical design process.
It is well established that automation is the driver in our techcentric society and business world.
Automation drives productivity across all businesses large or small. Changes, even small ones, over time snowball into massive gains in productivity.
It includes: automation of processes with databases, standards, and updated procedures resulting in fewer errors, fewer building department comments and fewer issues with finished designs. And, just less time spent on design and repetitive calculations.
To illustrate this point, we’ve put together the chart shown that focuses on design time. It shows how PowerCalc streamlines the design process to save days of engineering man hours. Save Time/Save Money.
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