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Cable Capacity of Conduits and Trunking
Cable Capacity of Conduits and Trunking
The following single-core p.v.c. insulated cables are to be run in a conduit 6 m long with a double set:
8 x 1,4 x 2.5 and 2 x 6 mm. Choose a suitable size.
Table 1- Cable factors (terms) for conduit and trunking
Type of
conductor
Conductor
c.s.a. (mm)
Factor for
Factor for
trunking pvc
conduit
insulation
Solid
1.0
16
3.6
3.8
Solid
1.5
22
8.0
8.6
Stranded
1.5
22
8.6
9.1
Solid
2.5
30
11.9
11.9
Stranded
2.5
30
12.6
13.9
Stranded
4.0
43
16.6
18.1
Stranded
6.0
58
21.2
22.9
Stranded
10.0
105
35.3
36.3
Stranded
16.0
145
47.8
50.3
Stranded
25.0
217
73.9
75.4
Cable factor
Solid
1.0
22
Solid
1.5
27
Solid
2.5
39
Stranded
1.5
31
Stranded
2.5
43
Stranded
4.0
58
Stranded
6.0
88
Stranded
10.0
146
Conduit, straight
10
16mm
290
290
290
171
171
167
158
150
20mm
460
460
460
286
278
270
256
244
25mm
800
800
800
514
500
487
463
442
32mm
1400
1400
1400
900
878
857
818
783
16mm
188
177
167
158
150
143
130
120
20mm
303
286
270
256
244
233
213
196
25mm
543
514
487
463
442
422
388
258
32mm
947
900
857
818
783
750
692
643
16mm
177
158
143
130
120
111
97
86
20mm
286
256
233
213
196
182
159
141
25mm
514
463
422
388 358
333
292
260
32mm
900
818
750
692
600
529
474
643
Factor
37.5 x 50
767
50 x 50
1037
25 x 75
738
37.5 x 75
1146
50 x 75
1555
75 x 75
2371
25 x 100
993
37.5 x 100
1542
50 x 100
2091
75 x 100
3189
100 x 100
4252
The first conduit from a distribution board will be straight and 10 m long. It is to enclose 4 x
10 mm and 8 x 4 mm cables. Calculate a suitable size.
From {Table 1}, cable factors are 105 and 43 respectively. Total cable factor:
=(4 x 105) + (8 x 43) = 420 + 344 = 764
From ({Table 2}, a 10 m long straight 25 mm conduit has a factor of 442. This is too small, so
the next size, with a factor of 783 must be used.
The correct conduit size is 32 mm diameter.
Example
= 18 x 36.3
= 653.4
16 x 6mm at 22.9
= 16 x 22.9
= 366.4
12 x 4mm at 15.2
= 12 x 15.2
= 182.4
10 x 2.5mm at 11.4
= l0 x ll.4
= 114.0
= 1316.2
From the trunking factor {Table 4. }, two standard trunking sizes have factors slightly greater
than the cable factor, and either could be used .
They are 50 mm x 75 mm at 1555, and 37.5 mm x 100 mm at 1542.
Metal
Insulating
Horizontal
Vertical
Horizontal
Vertical
Up to 25 x 25
0.75
1.0
0.5
0.5
Up to 50 x 25
1.25
1.5
0.5
0.5
Up to 50 x 50
1.75
2.0
1.25
1.25
Up to 100 x 50
3.0
3.0
1.75
2.0
Since trunking will not be solidly packed with cables (see {4.5.3}) there will be room for air movement.
A very long vertical trunking run may thus become extremely hot at the top as air heated by the cables
rises; this must be prevented by barriers as shown in {Fig 4.19}. In many cases the trunking will pass
through floors as it rises, and the fire stop barriers needed will also act as barriers to rising hot air.
Lighting trunking is being used to a greater extent than previously In many cases, it includes copper
conducting bars so that luminaires can be plugged in at any point, especially useful for display
lighting.
The considerably improved life, efficiency and colour rendering properties of extra-low voltage
tungsten halogen lamps has led to their increasing use, often fed by lighting trunking. It is important
here to remember that whilst the voltage of a 12 V lamp is only one twentieth of normal mains
potential, the current for the same power inputs will be twenty times greater. Thus, a trunking feeding
six 50 W 12 V lamps will need to he rated at 25 A.
Breaker or Fuse
Type
Fuses and FixedTrip Circuit
Breakers**
Conditions
Rating
The standard ampere
ratings for fuses and
inverse time circuit
breakers shall be
considered as follows:
15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40,
45, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90,
100, 110, 125, 150, 175,
200, 225, 250, 300, 350,
400, 450, 500, 600, 700,
800, 1000, 1200, 1600,
2000, 2500, 3000, 4000,
5000, and 6000 amperes.
Additional standard
ampere ratings for fuses
shall be 1, 3, 6, 10, and
601.
Adjustable-Trip
Circuit
Breakers**
the requirements of
Restricted Access breakers in
below.
Restricted Access
Adjustable-Trip
Circuit Breakers
**(see fig.1)
Notes:
* The use of fuses and inverse time circuit breakers with nonstandard ampere
ratings shall be permitted.
** A combination of a current transformer and overcurrent relay shall be considered
equivalent to an overcurrent trip unit.
- The set long-time pickup rating is the opposite to the instantaneous trip rating.
Multipole or Single-Pole Circuit breakers
Circuit breakers (as Overcurrent Device) shall open all ungrounded conductors of the
circuit both manually and automatically. (see fig.2)
Exception: single-pole circuit breakers, with identified handle ties, shall be permitted as
the protection for each ungrounded conductor as in the blow table.
Case
Multiwire Branch
Circuits(see fig.3)
Grounded Single-Phase
Alternating-Current
Circuits (see fig.4)
Condition
Serve only single-phase line-to neutral loads.
individual single-pole circuit breakers
rated 120/240 volts ac,
For line-to-line connected loads for singlephase circuits.
volts.
3-Wire Direct-Current
Circuits
Fuse Type
Plug fuses of the
Edison-base
type(see fig.5)
Cartridge fuses
and fuseholders
of the 300-volt
type (see fig.6)
Ratings
Permissible Usages
Shall be classified
at not over 125
volts and 30
amperes and
below.
Single-phase line-to-neutral
circuits supplied from a 3-phase, 4-
Current and voltage transformers to step down the high voltages and currents of the
electrical power system to convenient levels for the relays to deal with
Protective relays to sense the fault and initiate a trip, or disconnection, order;
Circuit breakers to open/close the system based on relay and autorecloser commands;
For parts of a distribution system, fuses are capable of both sensing and disconnectingfaults.
Where a branch circuit supplies continuous (runs all the time) loads, or a
combination of continuous and non-continuous (intermittent) loads, the
rating of the overcurrent device shall not be less than the non-continuous
load plus 125% of the continuous load. Branch circuit conductors shall be
protected .. Flexible cords and fixture wires shall be protected in
accordance with Article 240.5.
set of conductors feeding a single load, or each set of conductors feeding separate loads,
shall be permitted to be connected to a transformer secondary, without overcurrent
protection at the secondary, as specified in the following conditions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Fuses and circuit breakers should be located or shielded so that people will not be
burned or otherwise injured by their operation. Handles or levers of circuit breakers and
similar parts that may move suddenly in such a way that persons in the vicinity are likely
to be injured by being struck by them shall be guarded or isolated.
Outside Taps
of Unlimited
Length.
Fault Level Circuit breakers must be capable of safely interrupting the maximum
potential short-circuit current at their location in the circuit. The circuit breaker
must have a breaking capacity higher than the potential short-circuit current.
Note that the cost of circuit breakers becomes lower with lower breaking
capacity. Potential short-circuit current is determined by: 1. The available power
from the transmission network 2. Transformer characteristics 3. Impedance of
conductors in the distribution system. A fault level study which accounts for