Design aims

• Electrical installations have:

– to be economical
– to have a good performance, lasting as
required:
• in normal operating conditions: to withstand
system voltages, to carry currents, to
ensure a good service quality
• to withstand abnormal operating conditions,
and to limit their consequences
• to be safe, i.e. free from unacceptable risk
Electrical installations > basic design > economical issues

Size of conductors
• Installation and operational costs vs.
volume of conductors

Ci Co

volume volume

Electrical installations > basic design > economical issues

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 Size of conductors in LV
• Operational costs much lower than
installation costs, in LV

• Min overall costs ≈

min installation costs

• Minimum installation costs ≡

minimum volume of conductors

Electrical installations > basic design > economical issues

Sizing of conductors:
rationale for LV (1)
min
∈
subject to , ≤0
– Ω: set of all installation sections
– Lk , σk: lenght and CSA of the conductor
in the k-th section
– χ : set of constraints describing a good
performance

Electrical installations > basic design > sizing of conductors

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 Sizing of conductors:
rationale for LV (2)  lenghts
• Supply centres as close as possible to the
barycenter (by annual energy) of the loads:
– a MV/LV substation as close as possible to the
barycentre of the load it serves
– LV switchboard as close as possible to the
barycentre of the loads connected to it
– “as close as possible”, not always “at” is
possible: service conditions (e.g. dust), heavy
equipment close to walls/exits, position of the
point of supply, specific rules (e.g. hospitals)
Electrical installations > architectures > layout

Sizing of conductors:
rationale for LV (3)
∗
min
∈
∗
subject to , ≤0
– Ω: set of all installation sections
– ∗ , σk: lenght (given) and CSA (to be
determined) of the conductor in the k-th
section
– χ : set of constraints describing a good
performance
Electrical installations > basic design > sizing of conductors

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 Sizing of conductors:
rationale for LV (4)

• Solution process is iterative:

– min σk, k∈ Ω, choosen to satisfy one of
the constraint (carrying current)
– the other constraints are checked
– if any not verified, one or more σk are
increased and process is iterated
• Convergence granted for by the
∗
nature of functions ,
Electrical installations > basic design > sizing of conductors

Design: overall view

• Electrical installations have:
– to be economical
– to have a good performance, lasting as
required:
• in normal operating conditions: to withstand
system voltages, to carry currents, to
ensure a good service quality
• to withstand abnormal operating conditions,
and to limit their consequences
• to be safe, i.e. free from unacceptable risk
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 Withstand system voltages

Rated voltage of equipment

System voltage
in normal operating conditions

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

Example: cable voltage rating

U 0 U (U m ) • Uo : rated voltage between the
conductor and the metal covering
(sheath) or earth
• U : rated voltage between the
phase conductors
• Um (if specified - in parenthesis) :
maximum permissible voltage
• Cable rated voltages: not lower than system
nominal voltages

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 Design: overall view
• Electrical installations have:
– to be economical
– to have a good performance, lasting as
required:
• in normal operating conditions: to withstand
system voltages, to carry currents, to
ensure a good service quality
• to withstand abnormal operating conditions,
and to limit their consequences
• to be safe, i.e. free from unacceptable risk
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

11

Current-carrying capacity (1)

• Conductors have a small, but not zero,
resistance
• Joule losses RI2 → heating of the
conductor →
– in presence of organic insulation (cables,
insulated busbars): ageing of the insulation
– for bare conductors or mineral insulation:
mechanical issues due to the thermal
expansion of the conductor

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 Current-carrying capacity (2)
• Steady–state heat exchange (per unit length)
ϑc − ϑ∞ 1
RI 2 = , R = ρ 0 (1 + α 0ϑc ) , Ttot = Ttot (σ )
Ttot σ
• Iz : current-carrying capacity
Maximum value of current (RMS for AC)
continuously flowing in the conductor under
specified conditions without steady-state
conductor temperature exceeding the max
service temperature (dictated by life
expectancy, or mechanical issues)
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

13

Current-carrying capacity (3)

• Current-carrying capacity, Iz
ϑc − ϑ∞
RI 2 =
Ttot

ϑsM − ϑ∞ ϑsM − ϑ∞ σ
RI z2 =  Iz =
Ttot Ttot (σ ) ρ 0 (1 + α 0ϑsM )

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 Current-carrying capacity (4)
ϑsM − ϑ∞ σ
Iz =
Ttot (σ ) ρ 0 (1 + α 0ϑsM ) depends on:
• insulation material or mechanical issues (ϑs )
M

• ambient temperature (ϑ∞ )

• composition of the line, insulation material,
and installation type
• conductor material ( ρ 0 , α 0 )
• conductor CSA (σ )
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

15

Current-carrying capacity (5)

350

Iz [A]
300

250

200

150

100

50

0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
σ [mm2]

Example of Iz as a function of σ
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 Current-carrying capacity (6)
• Example of
values of Iz [A]
σ
in some [mm2 ]
reference
conditions for
commercially
available
CSAs

Electrical installations > basic PVC insulation, three loaded copper conductors
M
design > normal operating in air, ϑs = 70 °C , ϑ∞ = 30 °C IEC 60364-5-52
condition

17

Current-carrying capacity (7)

• Correction factors for Iz to account
for actual installation conditions,
given in tables:
– air (k1) or soil (k2) temperature
– soil thermal resistivity (k3)
– presence of other of conductors/cables (k4)
– harmonic currents (k5)
• Actual current-carrying capacity
I ′z = k1 ⋅ k 2 ⋅ k3 ⋅ k 4 ⋅ k5 ⋅ I z
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 Design current
• IB: design current
current intended to be carried by an
electric circuit in normal operation:
– final circuit ← SM of the load
SM Si
IB = = ui
3U n 3U n
– upstream circuit ← SM of the load cluster
M ks  SM
j
ks  ui , j Si , j
Scluster j∈cluster j∈cluster
IB = = =
3U n 3U n 3U n
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

19

Design current: example

ks = 0,7
IB = 0,7*(80+60+100+50) = 203 A

Si = 35 kVA
U n = 400 V
ui = 1
adapted from
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition Schneider Electric, Electrical installation guide

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 Flowing current and capacity
• Good performance of electrical installation,
lasting as required:
– in normal operating conditions: to withstand
system voltages, to carry currents, to ensure a
good service quality
– to withstand abnormal operating conditions, and
to limit their consequences
– to be safe, i.e. free from unacceptable risk

• I B ≤ I′z

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

21

Design: overall view

• Electrical installations have:
– to be economical
– to have a good performance, lasting as
required:
• in normal operating conditions: to withstand
system voltages, to carry currents, to
ensure a good service quality
• to withstand abnormal operating conditions,
and to limit their consequences
• to be safe, i.e. free from unacceptable risk
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 Voltage requirements
by devices
• Voltage sensitivity
U < Un U > Un
ligthing • possible reduced • reduced life
lumen output
• possible shut-off
(discharge lamps)
asynchronous • reduced max torque • increased
motors • increased heating starting
current
• LV devices work fine with
0.90 Un ≤ U ≤ 1.10 Un
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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Voltage drop
• Circuit conductors show a low but
not negligible impedance
• Voltage drop along a line (VD):
difference between amplitudes of
starting and ending voltages

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 VD in AC - rationale
• One phase of a 3-ph line
not to scale
I
Z& ph,line
Us
Us Ur
jXI
Ur
lenght =  

I ϕ RI
R = r a, X = x a, x > 0
&
Z = R + jX
ph ,line

VD = U s − U r ≅ RI cos ϕ + XI sin ϕ

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

25

VD in AC - rationale
• 1-ph line
not to scale
I
Z& ph,line
Us
Us Ur
I j2 XI
Z&n,line
Ur
lenght =  
I ϕ 2 RI
Z& ph,line = Z&n,line = R + jX = ra + j xa
VD = Us − Ur ≅ 2RI cosϕ + 2XI sinϕ

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 VD requirement
• Limit VD (VDlim) for the max value of VD
(VDmax) from the origin of a LV installation

IEC 60364-5-52

• VDmax ≤ VDlim

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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VDmax computation (1)

• VDmax between the supply and any
load: to be computed with
– given conductor/cable/installation type
– design currents, I
B
– precise cos ϕ ; if not known, it is advised to
put cos ϕ = 0.8 ( sin ϕ = 0.6 )
– resistivity of conductors at the max service
temperature; simplified (as if ϑ M = 80°C )
s
ρ = 1.25 ρ 20°C
Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 VDmax computation (2)
• VDmax
depends
on σ mostly
due to the
dependence
σ
of r
Resistance and reactance at 50 Hz (per km) of a LV
3-phase cable, copper conductors

A. Losi and G.M. Casolino, Progettazione degli impianti elettrici di bassa tensione, Pearson, 2013

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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VDmax computation (3)

• Values of r and x
– found in tables by the manufacturers
– or computed with

r=
( )
ρ ϑsM
or r =
1.25 ρ 20°C
, x = 0.08
mΩ
σ σ m

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 VDmax computation – example 1
• Feeder (one phase of a 3-phase line)
IB,1
Z&1 Z&2 Z&i Z&n−1 Z&n

Us U1 U2 Ui Un−1 Un
I1 I2 Ii In−1 In

VDn = U n −1 − U n ≅ Rn I B , n cos ϕ B , n + X n I B ,n sin ϕ B , n =

= Rn I n cos ϕ n + X n I n sin ϕ n
VDn −1 = U n −2 − U n −1 ≅ Rn −1 I B , n −1 cos ϕ B , n −1 + X n −1 I B ,n −1 sin ϕ B , n −1
VDi = U i −1 − U i ≅ Ri I B , i cos ϕ B , i + X i I B ,i sin ϕ B , i

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

31

VDmax computation – example 1

• Feeder (one phase of a 3-phase line)
IB,1
Z&1 Z&2 Z&i Z&n−1 Z&n

Us U1 U2 Ui Un−1 Un
I1 I2 Ii In−1 In

hyp: all loads draw positive reactive power

n
VDmax = VDntot = U s − U n ≤ VDi
i =1
due to the possible non-coincidence of the max
values of currents flowing in the different sections

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 VDmax computation – example 1
• Feeder (one phase of a 3-phase line)
IB,1
Z&1 Z&2 Z&i Z&n−1 Z&n

Us U1 U2 Ui Un−1 Un
I1 I2 Ii In−1 In

conservative
approximation n
VDmax ≤ VDlim  VD
i =1
i ≤ VDlim

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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VDmax computation – example 2

• Radial (one-line diagram of a 3-ph line)

hyp: all loads draw positive reactive power

n,i
VDmax,i = VDntot, i = U A − U n , i ≤ VDAB + VDk , i = 1,K , m
k =1

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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 VDmax computation – example 2
• Radial (one-line diagram of a 3-ph line)

VDmax,i ≤ VDlim , i = 1,K , m

 conservative approximation
n,i
VD AB + VDk ≤ VDlim , i = 1,K , m
k =1

Electrical installations > basic design > normal operating condition

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