Circuitry and Related Parts of BS 7671: 2008 Table C 4.4 k values for use in adiabatic equation, (thermoniante) | thermossting) | sevea [are] Copper conductor k= 115 k=100 k=118 k=118 ‘Aluminium conductor k=76 k=66 NA NA protective device. Alternatively, some manufacturers provide /°¢ values that can be used. For copper and aluminium cables up to 300mm’, kis given in Table C 4.4; the full list for other materials is found in the Regulations ‘The adiabatic equation (Equation 5) can be used to find a tripping time that will not overheat the cable being used. It is then compared with the actual tripping time for the protective device at the fault current level found in the device time/current curves. This can be a little confiasing and it can be easier to calculate the minimum size required using a transposed adiabatic equation as follows: it 5 = noting that comes out in mm? It should be noted that where the initial cable size has been adjusted following a thermal withstand check, further iterations may be necessary as the new size itself affects the prospective fault current. Tris worth noting that the factors in Table 43.1 of BS 7671 ave based on the circuit conductor running at its maximum operating temperature. Designers should take account of this when the adiabatic calculation yields a cable size ‘just over’ a standard available size, It is suggested that where this is in the order of 5% to 10%, the smaller size be used. 4.5 Voltage drop 4.5.1 7671 requirements Section 525 of BS 7671: 2008 contains four regulations specifying that the voltage at the terminals of equipment is: @ suitable for that specified in the equipment product standard; or © for equipment without a standard, suitable for safe functioning. PP?)Guide to the Wiring Regulations Table C 4.5 Appendixt2 voltage drop specification. ery ere From DNO 3% 5% Private supply 0% 8% A new Appendix (12) is included in BS7671: 2008 for consumers’ installations which, if followed, is ‘deemed to comply’ with voltage drop design requirements of the Regulations. This is summarized in Table C 4.5. It is recognized in the body of Section 525 and Appendix 12 that high inrush currents may cause higher voltage drop levels, and reference to equipment product standards is made. In essence this does not change the basic requirement that equipment must work! C 4.5.2 System design values For domestic installations, voltage drop is quite simple and rarely needs a design or further consideration. In commercial and industrial installations, voltage drop design will depend upon the nature of the supply. If the supply is to the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002, the supply voltage can vary between statutory limits of +10% to-6%. As such, the voltage drops in Table (4.5 are recommended with the caveat that voltage can be lower if the equipment standard allows. For private transformers the subject is more complicated, as the voltage regulation of the transformer is now under the control of you, the designer. The secondary terminal voltage of the transformer will largely depend upon the magnitude of the total load at any instant. Generally it is good practice to simulate the values of statutory voltage limits found in the Electricity, Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations. ‘The current limits are nominal voltage +10% to —6%. ‘Thus for a arge installation, a system of main and sub voltage drops may be required to be set, to achieve a ‘system’ design, A simple system view of this is given in Figure C44, A guide to installation voltage drop limits is 6% with an 8% maximum. Often it can be useful to apply values in stages in a system, and popular values are 2% to 3% for submains coupled with 4% or 3% for final circuits, =aCircuitry and Related Parts of BS 7671: 2008 Final Minimum Voltage 7” Creu here 400V - 6% Equipment I xx Xx Intermediate lid a Voltage Drop febdg Point: This may be set to say 2.5% lt oe brrda XXX x Xx 1 x raid XxX xX XxX ’ | i No load voltage max 400V + 10% Transformer 11000V / 400V Figure C 4.4 System voltage drops.Guide to the Wiring Regulations € 4.5.3 Definition and simple calculation of voltage drop ‘An accurate estimation of the circuit design current is decisive in calculating an accurate voltage drop. For submains, diversity will need to be considered with a slightly different approach than when applying diversity for cable sizing, Whilst short time overload currents will not cause problems to a system, voltage dips below a certain value may cause equipment to stop or malfunction. Therefore a more rigorous approach to individual submain diversity is required. An ‘overall? diversity factor, however, may be equal to that used for the maximum demand estimate. ‘The definition of voltage drop is the voltage difference between any two points of a circuit or conductor, due to the flow of current. Voltage drop information for installation cables is given in BS 7671 Appendix + tables expressed in millivolts for a current of one amp for one metre of the cable. Hence: Voltage drop (v) = belated voltage drop * es n current (A) X length ‘The tabulated ratings are also denoted as ‘(mV/A/m)’ ratings and the above equation can be expressed as follows ny _ fmV/A/m) x LX 1, a (a or can be rearranged to find a limiting circuit length: |. _ permitted vd. (V) x 1000 Length (an) = nV ZAZan) %Z, C 4.5.4 Correction for conductor temperature ‘These equations and the (mV/A/m) values in Appendix 4 of BS 7671 are based upon fully loaded circuits, a rare circumstance in practice ‘The values of (mV/A/m) given in the Appendix 4 tables are at the maximum, conductor operating temperature of, say, 70°C or 90°C, and these temperatures are only reached when the conductor is carrying its full load. At lower loads, the temperature and the resistance of the cable are lower: The difference can be significant ~ up to 20%. Thus for lightly loaded circuits this can reduce the tabulated rating (mV/A/m) by up to 20%Circuitry and Related Parts of BS 7671: 2008 ‘The conductor temperature correction factor, G, is worked out using the following: A 230+ 1, -|C2 S-F) (i, = 30) 20+, where {, isthe rated maximum conductor operating temperature J, is design current of the circuit Lis the tabulated current rating of the cable. Reoo 1.00 % OK 0.98 © fp =09 0.96 0.94 0.92 0.90 0.88 — Reduction Factorto 0.86 tabulated mviAim — 9-84 0.82 0.80 0.78 0.76 0.74 0.72 0.70 04 =03 o 10 2 30 40 50 60 Ambient Temperature °C Figure C 4.5 Reduction factors for thermoplastic cables (PVC). Source: adapted from Electrical installation Calculations, Third Ealition, ECA 2002.Guide to the Wiring Regulations r ®@ o 9 «oO 1,00 0.98 0.96 0.94 0.92 0.90 0.88 0.7 Reduction Factorto 0,86 tabulated mviAim 0-84 0.82 0.80 078 0.76 0.74 0.72 0.70 se 567 5M spose 0 SEO sie > 8 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Ambient Temperature °C Figure C 4.6 Reduction factors for thermosetting cables (XLPE}, Source: adapted from Electrical instalation Calculations, Third Edition, ECA 2002 Again, manual calculations can be tedious, and the graphs in Figures C 4.5 and C46 provide a quick and convenient way of avoiding them. The graphs can be used to correct tabulated {mV/A/m) values and can be applied to all cables under 16mm? and to the tabulated resistive component, (mV/A/m), for larger cables. “To use the graphs, select an J,/Z, line, and find the reduction factor F at the appropriate installation ambient temperature and a corresponding reduction factor. This factor is multiplied by either the tabulated (mV/A/m) value for cables up to 16mm or by the resistive (mV/A/m), component for cables of 25mm? and over. 4.5.5 Correction for load power factor and temperature For larger cables above 25 mm where the load power factor is known, a more accurate estimation can be made of voltage drop allowing slightly greater cable =aCircuitry and Related Parts of BS 7671: 2008 length or perhaps reduced size in marginal cases. The voltage drop is calculated, using the formula: LXk, Voltage drop = F757 [6,608 # (mV/A/mn), + sin 9 (mV/A/),] where (mV/A/m), is the tabulated value of resistive element of voltage drop in mV per amp per metre from the cable rating tables of Appendix 4 of BS 7671 (mV/A/m), is the tabulated value of inductive clement of voltage drop in mV per amp per metre from the cable rating tables of Appendix 4 6 is the power factor of the load For cables of 25mm! and greater, the voltage drop is given both as an impedance (mV/A/m), and as a complex impedance with a resistive clement (mV/A/m), and inductive element (mV/A/m), as follows: (mV/A/m), = VoaV7A7an)= + GV 7AToa) Example calculations are provided in Appendix 10. €4.6 Disconnection and electric shock C 4.6.1 Introduction and protective measures A significant change for BS 7671: 2008 is the introduction of new terminology within the new Chapter 41. The previously very familiar terms ‘direct contact’ and ‘indirect contact’ are replaced by the terms ‘basic protection’ and ‘fault protection’ respectively; these terms in themselves introduce no technical changes. As well as terminology changes, the whole of Chapter 41 has been revised. It is important to become familiar with the structure of the chapter, and this is depicted in Figure 4.7, It can be seen that ‘basic protection’ measures have been shunted to the end of the chapter. This is sensible, as almost without exception we do not consider these; they are so fundamental as to be ‘automatically’ included. The ‘basic protection’ protective measure is achieved by selecting equipment complying with relevant product standards. ‘The new terms ‘basic protection’ and ‘fault protection’ are illustrated in Figure G 4.8,