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In electrical engineering, Neher–McGrath is a method of estimating the steady-state temperature of electrical power cables for some commonly encountered configurations. By estimating the temperature of the cables, the safe long-term current-carrying capacity of the cables can be calculated.
Comparison of SWG (red), AWG (blue) and IEC 60228 (black) wire gauge sizes from 0.03 to 200 mm² to scale on a 1 mm grid – in the SVG file, hover over a size to highlight it. In engineering applications, it is often most convenient to describe a wire in terms of its cross-section area, rather than its diameter, because the cross section is directly proportional to its strength and weight ...
A wire or cable has a voltage (to neutral) rating and a maximum conductor surface temperature rating. The amount of current a cable or wire can safely carry depends on the installation conditions. The international standard wire sizes are given in the IEC 60228 standard of the International Electrotechnical Commission.
A single insulated conductor in free air has 70 A rating. Ampacity rating is normally for continuous current, and short periods of overcurrent occur without harm in most cabling systems. Electrical code rules will give ratings for wiring where short-term loads are present, for example, in a hoisting motor.
Voltage drop is usually the main factor considered, but current-carrying capacity is as important when considering short, high-current runs such as between a battery bank and inverter. Arcing is a risk in DC ELV systems, and some fuse types which can cause undesired arcing include semi-enclosed, rewireable and automotive fuse types.
A Rogowski coil is a toroid of wire used to measure an alternating current I(t) through a cable encircled by the toroid. The picture shows a Rogowski coil encircling a current-carrying cable. The output of the coil, v(t), is connected to a lossy integrator circuit to obtain a voltage V out (t) that is proportional to I(t).
Conductor sizes range from 12 mm 2 (#6 American wire gauge) to 750 mm 2 (1,590,000 circular mils area), with varying resistance and current-carrying capacity. For large conductors (more than a few centimetres in diameter), much of the current flow is concentrated near the surface due to the skin effect. The center of the conductor carries ...
Electric current passing through the conductor causes heating according to Joule's first law, resulting in the conductor expanding and the line sagging. Transmission ratings are set with a maximum allowable conductor temperature ( annealing temperature ) and minimum clearance rules to comply with legislation and regulation.