Selection of cables for
current carrying capacity
Electrical details:
Electrical load of 80KW, distance between source and load is 200 meters, system voltage 415V three phase,
power factor is 0.8, permissible voltage drop is 5%, demand factor is 1. resistivity 2.
Cable laying detail:
Cable is directed buried in ground in trench at the depth of 1 meter. Ground temperature is approximate 35 Deg
with XLPE insulation material. Number of cable per trench is 1. Number of run of cable is 1 run.
Calculation:
Consumed Load = Total Load · Demand Factor:
Consumed Load in KW = 80 · 1 = 80 KW
Consumed Load in KVA = KW/P.F.:
Consumed Load in KVA = 80/0.8 = 100 KVA
Full Load Current = (KVA · 1000) / (1.732 · Voltage):
Full Load Current = (100 · 1000) / (1.732 · 415) = 139 Amp.
RUN OF CABLES: The number cables connected to each individual phases is called No.of Run for power cable. e.g if
two cables are connected to each phase then its called double run
Temperature Correction Ground Temperature Soil Thermal Resistivity: Nature of Soil K3
Factor in Air: K1 Correction Factor: K2
k4 2.5 KM/W correction
Ambient Insulation Ground Insulation
Temper PVC XLPE/E Temper PVC XLPE/E Resistivity K3 factor
ature ature
PR PR 1 1.18 Very Wet Soil 1.21
10 1.22 1.15 10 1.1 1.07
1.5 1.1 Wet Soil 1.13
15 1.17 1.12 15 1.05 1.04
20 1.12 1.08 20 0.95 0.96 2 1.05 Damp Soil 1.05
25 1.06 1.04 25 0.89 0.93 2.5 1 Dry Soil 1
35 0.94 0.96 35 0.77 0.89 3 0.96
40 0.87 0.91 40 0.71 0.85
Very Dry Soil 0.86
45 0.79 0.87 45 0.63 0.8
50 0.71 0.82 50 0.55 0.76 Laying Depth Rating Factor
55 0.61 0.76 55 0.45 0.71 (Meter) k5
60 0.5 0.71 60 0 0.65 0.5 1.1
65 0 0.65 65 0 0.6
0.7 1.05
70 0 0.58 70 0 0.53
75 0 0.5 75 0 0.46 0.9 1.01
80 0 0.41 80 0 0.38 1 1
1.2 0.98
1.5 0.96
Cable Distance correction Factor (K6) Cable Grouping Factor (No
No of Nil Cable 0.125m 0.2 0.5m No of 1 2 3 4 6 8
Circuit diamet 5m Cable/
er Tray
1 1 1 1 1 1
2 0. 0.8 0.85 0.9 0.9 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
75 2 0.84 0.8 0.78 0.77 0.76 0.75
3 0. 0.7 0.75 0.8 0.85
65 3 0.8 0.76 0.74 0.73 0.72 0.71
4 0. 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.8 4 0.78 0.74 0.72 0.71 0.7 0.69
6 5
5 0.77 0.73 0.7 0.69 0.68 0.67
5 0. 0.55 0.65 0.7 0.8
55 6 0.75 0.71 0.7 0.68 0.68 0.66
6 0. 0.55 0.6 0.7 0.8 7 0.74 0.69 0.675 0.66 0.66 0.64
5
8 0.73 0.69 0.68 0.67 0.66 0.64
According to above detail correction factors:
– Ground temperature correction factor (K2) = 0.89
– Soil correction factor (K4) = 1.05
– Cable depth correction factor (K5) = 1.0
– Cable distance correction factor (K6) = 1.0
Total derating factor = k1 · k2 · k3 · K4 · K5 · K6 · K7
– Total derating factor = 0.93
Selection of Cable
For selection of proper cable following conditions should be satisfied:
1.Cable derating amp should be higher than full load current of load.
2.Cable voltage drop should be less than defined voltage drop.
3.No. of cable runs ≥ (Full load current / Cable derating current).
4.Cable short circuit capacity should be higher than system short circuit capacity at that point.
Selection of cable – Case #1
Let’s select 3.5 core 70 Sq.mm cable for single run.
•Current capacity of 70 Sq.mm cable is: 170 Amp,
Resistance = 0.57 Ω/Km and
Reactance = 0.077 mho/Km
•Total derating current of 70 Sq.mm cable = 170 · 0.93 =
159 Amp.
•Voltage Drop of Cable = Here voltage drop for 70 Sq.mm Cable (5.8 %) is higher
(1.732 · Current · (RcosǾ + jsinǾ) · Cable length than define voltage drop (5%) so either select higher size
· 100) / (Line voltage · No of run · 1000) = of cable or increase no of cable runs.
(1.732 · 139 · (0.57 · 0.8 + 0.077 · 0.6) · 200 · 100) / If we select 2 runs, than voltage drop is 2.8% which is
(415 · 1 · 1000) = 5.8% within limit (5%) but to use 2 runs of cable of 70
Voltage drop of cable = 5.8% Sq.mm cable is not economical, so it’s necessary to
use next higher size of cable.
Selection of cable – Case #2
Let’s select 3.5 core 95 Sq.mm cable for single run, short circuit capacity = 8.2
KA.
•Current capacity of 95 Sq.mm cable is 200 Amp,
Resistance = 0.41 Ω/Km and
Reactance = 0.074 mho/Km
•Total derating current of 70 Sq.mm Cable = 200 · 0.93 = 187 Amp.
•Voltage drop of cable =
(1.732 · 139 · (0.41 · 0.8 + 0.074 · 0.6) · 200 · 100) / (415 · 1 · 1000) = 2.2%
To decide 95 Sq.mm cable, cable selection condition
should be checked.
1.Cable derating Amp (187 Amp) is higher than full load
current of load (139 Amp) = O.K
2.Cable voltage Drop (2.2%) is less than defined voltage
drop (5%) = O.K
3.Number of cable runs (1) ≥ (139A / 187A = 0.78) = O.K
4.Cable short circuit capacity (8.2KA) is higher than
system short circuit capacity at that point (6.0KA) = O.K
