Module 1

Power system broadly comprises of generation, transmission and distribution whereas

electrical system design involves distribution of electrical energy from the metering point down
to the last point or equipment of a building, which is connected to the supply system.
Electrical system design deals from the point of commencement of supply from the utility
grid to a premise/ building
Two important aspects of electrical system design are:
• To assure proper functioning of the installation for the use intended by the designer
• To provide safety to persons, livestock and property against dangers and damages that
may arise in the use of electrical installations
Role of Acts in Electrical system Design
Act: A legal document confiding the result of deliberations of a committee, society or
legislative body
Statutes: An Act passed by a legislative body
Rule: In context to an act, rules define the guidelines that must be followed for the
successful implementation of the act.
An act is an official copy of a statute or regulation that is initially presented in the form of a
bill and after being verified it is passed in the process of a legislature
THE ELECTRICITY ACT, 2003
The electricity supply industry in our country was governed by 4 major enactments
1. The Indian Electricity Act , 1910
2. The Electricity Supply Act , 1948
3. The Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, 1998
4. The Indian Electricity Act 2003
The Indian Electricity Act, 1910
 Created Basic framework for the development of electric supply industry in India
 This Act envisaged growth of the electricity industry through private licenses
 It created major frame work for laying down of conductors and other work related to
supplying electricity
The Electricity supply Act, 1948
 Mandated the creation of state Electricity boards with the responsibility of making
available the electricity in the respective states
 The responsibility was handed over to the State Electricity Boards and they undertook
rapid expansion programmes by utilizing plan funds
 However there was gradual deterioration in the performance of state electricity boards.
They were unable to take decision on tariff in a professional and independent manner
 To address these issues, The Electricity Regulatory Commission act was enacted by the
parliament in 1998

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The Electricity Regulatory Commission Act 1998
 The Electricity Regulatory Commission act was enacted by the parliament in 1998 with a
provision through which the state governments can create State electricity Regulatory
Commissions
 Accordingly many states have created State Electricity Regulatory Commissions
The main objectives were:
 Replacing existing laws while preserving the core features
 Introducing new concepts like power trading, open access
 To prevent the requirement of each SEB’s to pass their own act
 Give SEBs to develop their own power sector
 Include progressive features and endeavors

 The Indian Electricity Act, 2003 seeks to replace Indian Electricity Act 1910, The
Electricity Supply Act 1948, and The Electricity Regulatory Commission Act 1998
 It is an act implemented by the parliament to consolidate the laws relating to generation,
transmission, distribution, trading and use of electricity and aims at
• Promoting measures to the development of electricity industry.
• Promoting competition
• Protecting interest of consumers
• Providing electric supply to all areas
• Providing transparent policies on subsidies
• Constitution of Central Regulatory Authority and Regulatory Commission
• Establishment appellate tribunals
• For all matters connected to therewith and incidental there to
The salient features of the act are:
 Delicensing of generation
 Liberalization of captive power policy
 Open access to transmission and distribution network
 Stringent penalties for power theft
 Transparent subsidy management
 Constitution of an Appellate tribunal
 Thrust on Rural electrification

Overview of Electricity Act

 The bill seeks to provide a legal frame work for enabling reforms and restructuring of the
power sector.

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 It simplifies administrative procedures by integrating the Indian electricity Act, 1910, the
Electricity (supply) act 1948 and the Electricity Regulatory commission act-1998 into a
single Act. 4. The electricity Act 2003, is based on the principles of promoting
competition, protecting consumers’ interests and providing power to all
 It consolidates the laws relating to generation, transmission, distribution, trading and use
of electricity ; take all measures to the development of the sector and empower the
existing power sector regulators
 Adequate steps would be taken to encourage conservation & use of non-conventional
sources of energy.
 Theft of power, transmission and distribution losses are to be countered more
meaningfully.
 Competition will be possible not just in generation, but also in all facets of sectors
including distribution
INDIAN STANDARD CODES
IS codes are intended for standardization in the field of electrical power generation,
transmission, distribution and utilization equipment & insulating materials, winding wires,
measuring and process control instruments and primary and secondary batteries. Major IS
codes are
Code Content
IS 3043 Code for practice for earthing
IS 732 Code for practice for electrical installations
IS 2309 Code for practice for protection of buildings against lightning
IS 2675 Code of practice for enclosed distribution fuse boards and cutouts for voltages not
exceeding 1000V AC and 1200V DC
IS 5216 P1 Recommendations on safety procedures and practices in electrical work- General
IS 5216 P2 Recommendations on safety procedures and practices in electrical work- Life
saving Techniques

1. IS 3043 Code for practice for earthing:

 Contains guidelines on choosing proper size of various components of earthing
system especially earthing conductors and earthing
 Gives guidance on the methods which are adopted to earth and electrical system
for limiting the potential of current carrying conductors forming part of the
system ie. System earthing and Equipment earthing
 This code applies to land based installation and it does not apply to ships, aircrafts
or offshore installations
 It is divided into 11 sections
o General guidelines
 Covers terminologies used, influencing factors, system earthing,
equipment earthing etc
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 o Connections to earth
 Covers details of earth resistance, current density, earthing
arrangements, typical schematics etc
o Earth fault protection on consumer's premises power stations, substations
and overhead lines industrial premises
o Standby and other private generating plants
o Medical establishment
o Static and lightning protection earthing miscellaneous installations and
considerations
 Earthing of potentially hazardous areas, telecommunication
circuits, mines and quarries, maintenance of earth electrodes etc
o Measurements and calculations
 Covers calculation of earth fault current, earth resistivity, earth
electrode resistance etc
o Data processing installations
 Earthing requirements for installations of data processing
equipment
2. IS 732 Code for practice for electrical installations:
 Covers the essential requirements and precautions regarding wiring installations
for ensuring satisfactory and reliable service and safety from all possible hazards
from the use of electricity
 Applicable to design, selection, erection, inspection and testing of wiring
installations whether temporary or permanent
 Relates to all wiring installations in non industrial and industrial locations
 This code is not applicable to the following:
 Systems for distribution of energy to the public, or to power generation and
transmission for each systems
 Wiring installations in special locations such as mines or other areas where
potentially explosive atmosphere exists
 Lightning conductors, telecommunications and alarm systems
 Traction installations, motor vehicles, installations on board ships, aircraft or
offshore installations
 It is divided into following 5 sections
o S1. Terminology
 Explains all terminologies used in the standard
o S2. Assessment of general characteristics of installations
 Assessment of general characteristics like purpose of wiring, supply
available, maintainability etc

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  Assesses external influences like environmental factors ,construction
of building etc, that affects the installation
o S3. Requirements for protection for safety
 Requirements for Protection against electric shock
 Protection Against Thermal Effects in Normal Service
 Protection Against Overcurrent, Over voltage, Under voltage
 Precautions against earth leakage and earth fault currents
 Protection against switching and isolation for maintenance
o S4. Design of installation, selection and erection of equipment
 Fundamental Requirements for Design
 Fundamental Requirements for Selection of Electrical Equipment
 Fundamental Requirements for Erection and Initial Testing of
Electrical Installations
o S5. Inspection and testing
 Guidelines for inspection and testing
3. IS 2309 Code for practice for protection of buildings against lightning:
 Outlines the general technical aspects of lightning, illustrating its principal
electrical, thermal and mechanical effects
 Offers guidance on good engineering practice and the selection of suitable
materials for lightning protection
 This code is divided into 4 sections
o General and basic considerations
 Explains the basic definitions related with lightning and lightning
protection, technical aspects of lightning, effects of lightning
stroke , function of a lightning conductor
o System design
 Covers general considerations for design, materials used, corrosion
factors etc regarding the design of lightning system design
o Protection of special structures
 Explains the protection details of structures exceeding 30m height,
buildings with explosive or
 Highly flammable contents, structures with roofs of high
flammability, trees and structures near trees, structures supporting
overhead electricity supply, telephone and other lines
o Miscellaneous provisions and explanatory notes
 Details about inspection and testing of the system, maintenance
and upkeep of system, record keeping etc

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4. IS 2675 Code of practice for enclosed distribution fuse boards and cutouts for
voltages not exceeding 1000V AC and 1200V DC:

 This Indian standard covers enclosed distribution fuse boards for voltages not
exceeding 1000V AC and 1200V DC, the current rating in each outgoing circuit not
exceeding 100A
 Applies only to distribution fuse boards incorporating different types of fuses
 It does not cover other equipments such as switches, distribution pillars, MCB and
instruments
 It is divided into 8 sections
o S1 scope
 This standard is intended to cover, fuse boards for use in single phase
and three phase ac systems and dc systems
o Terminology
 Explains all terminologies used in the standard
o Service conditions
 Environmental and atmospheric conditions to be sustained by
distribution fuse boards
o Classification of fuse boards
 Electrical characteristics of fuse boards design & construction
 Mechanical design details, protection and earthing aspects of fuse
boards
o Marking
 Explains about mandatory indications and markings on all fuse boards
o Testing
 Pre-commissioning and routine tests to be followed
5. IS 5216 P1 Recommendations on safety procedures and practices in electrical work-
General:
 Scope
o Gives recommendations regarding safety procedures and practices which
should be followed in all major electrical installations such as generating
stations, sub stations, industrial establishments, transmission and distribution
lines and cable networks
 Statuary regulations
o Details of statuary regulations to be followed for electrical installations
 Permit-to-work system
o All work on major electrical installations shall be carried out under permit-to-
work system unless standing instructions are issued by the competent
authority to follow other procedures

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  Register of messages
o All messages and instructions relating to the operation of switches and other
important communications concerning the work shall be recorded in the
register of messages, preferably by an independent person not directly
connected with the work
 Safety instructions for working on low & medium voltage mains and apparatus
 Safety instructions for working on high voltage mains and apparatus
 Workmen’s safety devices and appliances
o Rubber gauntlets, gloves, mats, boots and galoshes, insulated platforms and
stools, safety belts, hand lamps, tower wagons and other special insulated
devices shall be used, as required, for working on electrical equipment and
apparatus as precaution against accidental electric shock
 Fires and fire extinguishers
o In the event of fire on electrical mains or apparatus, the effected parts shall
immediately be isolated completely from its source of supply of electrical
energy.
 Training of employees
o For maximum effectiveness, a sound safety procedure would include in
addition to the instructions on the hazards of electricity, thorough training of
all employees who work on electrical installations and equipments
6. IS 5216 P2 Recommendations on safety procedures and practices in electrical work-
Life saving Techniques:

 Objective of this standard is to cover, the DOs and DONTs instructions to be adhered
to in the case of an accident and details of the life saving techniques in the event of all
accidents to persons, whether minor or major
 Covers in detail the various alternative methods of inducing artificial respiration to a
victim of electric shock
 Covers methods of dealing with electrical accidents and techniques for saving the life
of a person who is affected

Bureau of Indian standards (BIS)

BIS is the National Standards body of India, established by BIS act 1986. Former name of BIS
was Indian Standards Institution (ISI). BIS is a founder member of International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO). BIS represents India in ISO and IEC (International Electro-technical
Commission). BIS mark (ISI mark) is mandatory for certifying products to be sold in India like
electrical appliances, switches, electric motors, cables etc

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NATIONAL ELECTRIC CODE

 Regionally adoptable standard for safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment
 It is a part of National Fire Codes series published by National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA)
 NEC unifies practices, procedures and safety requirements to be compiled within the
design, execution and inspection/maintenance of electrical installations in the country
 NEC is formulated to elaborate Indian Electricity Rules and serve as a compilation
document on electrical practices in our country

Objective of NEC

 To complement Indian Electricity Rules by elaborating and recommending practices to

comply with their requirements
 NEC provides information in a consolidated form to the electrical engineers and
contractors who are concerned with the design and operation of electrical installations

The information in NEC is presented in 8 parts according to NEC 2011. They are

 General and common aspects

 Electrical installations in standby generating stations and substations
 Electrical installations in non industrial buildings
 Electrical installations in industrial buildings
 Outdoor installations
 Electrical installations in agricultural premises
 Electrical installations in hazardous areas
 Solar photovoltaic power supply system

The information relating to each type of installation identified above is further classified and
presented in the following manner

 Assessment of general characteristics

 Heavy current installation in the occupancy
o Power supply and distribution systems
o Cables and accessories for power distribution
o Protective equipment
o Metering of energy consumption
o Emergency supply requirements
o Reactive power compensation
o Guidance on building services like lighting, air conditioning, lifts etc
 Light current installations in the occupancy
o Electric bells and clock systems
o Electrical audio systems
o Fire protection signaling

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 o Cable TV
o Networking etc
 Specific requirements for protection and safety

NEC takes into account the following

 Classification should be based on skills and capabilities of the occupants utilizing the
installations
 Classification should also be based on the degree of sophistication of the electrical
installation of the building rather than type of building

Scope of NEC

 Standard good practices for selection of part of power systems

 Recommendations concerning safety and related matter in the wiring of electrical
installations of buildings or industrial structures, promoting compatibility between such
recommendations and those concerning the equipment installed
 General safety procedures and practices in electrical work
 Additional precautions to be taken for use of electrical equipment for special
environmental conditions like explosive and active atmosphere

The Code applies to electrical installations such as

 Standby/emergency generating plants and building substations

 Domestic dwellings
 Office buildings, shopping and commercial centres and institutions
 Recreation and other public premises
 Medical establishments
 Hotels
 Sports buildings
 Industrial premises
 Temporary and permanent outdoor installations
 Agricultural premises
 Installations in hazardous areas
 Solar photovoltaic installations
 Circuits other than internal wiring of apparatus

The code does not apply to

 Traction, motor vehicles, installations in rolling-stock, on board-ships, aircraft or
installations in underground mines
 Lightning protection aspects from structural safety point of view
 Systems of distribution of energy to public
 Power generation and transmission for such systems

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  Guidelines on the payment for electrical work done in installations

SAFETY ASPECTS OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DESIGN

Two important aspects of electrical system design are:

 To provide proper functioning of the installation for the use intended by the designer
 To provide safety to persons, livestock and property against dangers and damages that
may arise in the use of electrical installations
Two major risks exposed to end users by every electrical installations

 Electric shock current

 Very high temperature due to sparking which causes burns, fires etc.

When there is a current flow through the human body, the electric current itself is the
source of danger which has a negative effect when it passes through the body

Protective measures incorporated in the system

1. Protection against direct contact

 Prevent persons and livestock coming in direct contact with live parts of the
installation
 This is achieved by preventing a current from passing through the body of any
person/livestock or by limiting the magnitude of the current passing through the
body to a value lower than the perceptible shock current
2. Protection against indirect contact
 Protected against dangers from contact with exposed conductive parts of the
electrical installations
 Protection against indirect contact can be achieved by
o Preventing fault current from passing through the body of any
person/livestock
o Limiting the magnitude of the fault current which can pass through the
body to a low value
o By automatic disconnection of the supply
3. Protection against thermal effects
 No risk of ignition of flammable material due to high temperature of conductive
parts or due to an electric arc
 During normal operation there shall be no risk of persons suffering from burns
due to thermal effects
4. Protection against overcurrent
 Automatic disconnection of the supply in the event of an overcurrent before it
reaches a dangerous value taking into account its duration
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  By limiting maximum value of overcurrent to a safe value and duration
5. Protection against fault currents
 Faults are likely to occur in an electric systems
 All parts intended to carry fault current shall be capable of carrying the fault
current without reaching excessive temperature levels
6. Protection against over/under voltage
 Causes of overvoltage- lightning, switching or faults between live parts etc
 These ,ay damage the insulation of various equipments and insulation of power
system
 Over voltage protective devices like rod gap, surge diverter, overhead earth wires
are used for protection
 Causes of undervoltage- overloading of motors, sudden tripping of motor starters
etc
 Undervoltage protective devices are installed in the system

TYPES OF BUILDINGS

Buildings are classified according to their functions like residential and non residential
buildings. However a classification is made as per NEC as follows

 Domestic dwellings/Residential buildings: includes sleeping accommodation for

normal residential purpose with cooking and dining facilities. Such buildings are again
classified as
o One or two private family dwelling: Occupied by members of single family with
members not more than 20
o Living quarters: Occupied by three or more families living independently with
each other with independent cooking facilities
 Office/Business buildings
o For the purpose of office transactions, accounts and records, banks, data
processing installations etc
 Shopping/ Commercial buildings
o Include buildings such as shops, stores, market etc
 Educational buildings
o Include schools, colleges, day care etc
 Recreational or Assembly buildings
o Any building where group of people gather for amusement, recreation, social,
religious, patriotic, civil and similar purpose
o Eg. Assembly halls, auditorium, exhibition hall museums, restaurants, dance halls
etc
 Other buildings
o Hospitals
o Hotels

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 o Sport buildings
o Factory buildings

ELECTRIC/BUILDING SERVICES & IT’S CLASSIFICATIONS

 Those aspects of building design that make the building worthy of its purpose for which
they are designed are called building services
 Main classification- Major building services and Minor building services
 Major building services- those services which require high amount of electricity
 Major building services are:
o Lighting and ventilation
o Air-conditioning
o Lifts and escalators
 Minor building services- those require less amount of electricity
 Types and number of minor building services depend on type and occupancy of building
 Minor building services are:
o Electric audio systems
o Electric call bell systems
o Electric clock systems
o Fire alarm systems
o Closed circuit TV systems
o Cable TV network
o Data networking intercom etc.
 Lighting and ventilation services are absolute requirements of any type of buildings
 During day time sufficient amount of natural light and ventilation should be made
available inside buildings
 National Building Code (NBC) gives extensive guidelines in the orientation of the
building
1. Design aspects of lighting services

Good lighting is an absolute necessity and has 3 primary aims

 To promote the work and other activities carried out within the building
 To promote the safety of the people using the building
 To create in conjunction with the structure and decoration, a pleasing environment

Design aspects of good lighting scheme

 Careful planning of the brightness and color pattern within the work space
 Controlling direct and indirect glare
 Minimizing flicker and paying attention to color rendering properties of light
sources

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  installing emergency lighting systems

Good lighting is also the process of providing the right quantity of light at the right quality.
The quantity of lighting or the level of illumination depends on the following factors.

 Adequacy for preventing both strain in seeing and liability to accidents due to poor
visibility
 Adequacy for realizing visual comfort
 Adequacy for performance of the task at high efficiency
 Adequacy for pleasantness

The recommended levels of illumination are specified in IS 3646. Therefore we can see that
good lighting design will involve

 Planning the brightness pattern from the point of view of visual performance, safety and
amenity
 Creating form and texture in the task area and the surroundings
 Controlling glare, flicker and stroboscopic effects
 Selecting the right kind of light sources to provide correct color rendering
 Maintaining right level differences in lighting to prevent accidents
 Providing emergency lighting services
 Including effective maintenance and easy installation features
 Assuring effective energy conservation

2. Design aspects of ventilation

 Provides required quantity of fresh air to improve the general environment of the building
 Proper ventilation means creation of an environment that stimulates the people to higher
efficiency levels

Important considerations for ventilation

 To provide fresh air for respiration

 To remove the products of combustion
 To dilute the air inside to prevent vitiation of body odour
 To maintain the heat balance of human body

Ventilation can be arranged in any one of the following methods

 Natural supply and natural exhaust of air

o Natural wind enters through the building and sweeps through the building
providing required level of ventilation
o Orientation of the building and proper positioning of the doors, windows and
ventilators ensure satisfactory level of illumination
 Natural supply and mechanical exhaust of air
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 o System of ventilation for forced exhausting of polluted air ( kitchen, utility room,
bathroom etc.) is introduced
o The suction created by the exhaust fan pulls fresh air through the openings and
provides fair circulation of the fresh air
 Mechanical supply and natural exhaust of air
o Conventional ventilating systems use circulating fans to provide the required level
of ventilation
o Circulating fans include ceiling fans, table fans, wall fans, pedestal fans etc
o These fans create an air movement that makes people inside the building more
comfortable
o Ceiling fans are considered to be most effective of all these fans as they
effectively circulate the air
 Mechanical supply and mechanical exhaust of air
o Controlled air flow with a level of purity
o Balanced air flow is obtained by the use of two fans, one for supply of fresh air
and another for exhausting the polluted/stale air
o Eg. Textile mills, pharmaceutical industry, medical facility etc

IS 3362: Code of practice for natural ventilation for residential buildings

IS 3103: Code of practice for industrial ventilation

3. Design aspects of climate control

When the desired temperature and humidity cannot be achieved by proper ventilation, air
conditioning is resorted to. The design of air conditioning systems shall be based on the
following criteria

 Nature of application
 Type of building construction
 External and internal load patterns
 Desired space condition
 Permissible limits of control
 Energy conservation aspects
 Possibility of heat recovery
 Economic factors

The designer shall also look into the following aspects of load variations before finalizing the
design

 Load variations in summer and winter months

 Loading pattern of the intermediate season
 Loading pattern during day and night
 Loading pattern at weekends

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  Loading pattern when the electric supply fails and the system operates on standby
generators
4. Design aspects of vertical transportation
 Lifts and escalators form the major means of vertical transportation
 Following aspects to be taken into account while deciding the electrical
requirements for lifts and escalators
o Number of lifts, its size or passenger carrying capacity and location in the
building
o Number of floors served by the lifts
o Height between floors
o Location of the machine room
o Provision for lighting and ventilation
o Location where electric supply is required and in what quantity
o Quantity of electric supply
o Occupant load factor
o Control systems used
o Operation and maintenance

IS 1860: Code of practice for installation, operation and maintenance of passenger and good lifts
IS 4666: Specification for passenger and good lifts

5. Design aspects of minor building services

All minor building services like audio systems, fire alarm, electric clock, CC TV systems etc
require electric supply in a limited quantity at specific locations in the building. The
following Indian Standard specifications are referred

 Audio systems
o IS 1881: Code of practice for installation of indoor amplifying and sound
distribution systems
o IS 1882: Code of practice for outdoor installation of public address systems
 Fire alarm systems
o National Building Code, 2005
 Call bell services
o IS 8884: Code of practice for installation of electric bells and call systems
 Central clock systems
o IS 8969: Code of practice for installation and maintenance of impulse and
electronic master and slave clock system

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 CLASSIFICATION OF VOLTAGES, STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS

Standard voltages to be used in electrical systems as per NEC are as detailed. The standard
distribution voltage for DC system shall be 220/440V.

For single phase AC: 240V, 50 Hz, 2 wire

For three phase AC: 415V, 50 Hz, 4 wire
 240V- voltage to neutral
 415V- line to line voltage
 3.3kV-HV
 6.6kV- Thermal Power Stations
 11kV- Primary distribution
 22kV- Not in Kerala
 33kV- EHV
 66kV
 110kV
 132kV- Transmission voltage
 220kV- Transmission voltage
 400kV- National Grid voltage
Low voltage- Not exceeding 250V
Medium voltage- Not exceeding 650V
HV- Not exceeding 33kV
EHV-Exceeding 33kV

Voltage limits for AC systems

The supply authorities are required to maintain the voltages on the system under normal
condition within the tolerances specified below:
 6% in case of low and medium voltage installations
 6% on the higher side or 9% on the lower side of high voltage systems
 12.5% in case of extra high voltage systems
 Under Indian Electricity Rules, the voltage fluctuation may not vary by more than
5% above or below the declared nominal voltage
 Frequency must be within ±1% of the declared frequency of 50Hz ie. 228V to
252V for nominal voltage of 240V & 394.25V to 435.75V for nominal voltage of
415V

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GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS

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