Worked Example of Cable Calculation

Worked example of cable calculation
(see Fig. G65)

The installation is supplied through a 630 kVA transformer. The process requires a high degree of supply continuity and part of the installation
can be supplied by a 250 kVA standby generator. The global earthing system is TN-S, except for the most critical loads supplied by an isolation
transformer with a downstream IT configuration.
The single-line diagram is shown in Figure G65 below. The results of a computer study for the circuit from transformer T1 down to the cable
C7 is reproduced on Figure G66. This study was carried out with Ecodial 3.4 software (a Schneider Electric product).
This is followed by the same calculations carried out by the simplified method described in this guide.
Fig. G65: Example of single-line diagram
Calculation using software Ecodial 3.3
General network characteristics Number of poles and protected poles 4P4d

Earthing system TN-S Tripping unit Micrologic 2.3
Neutral distributed No Overload trip Ir (A) 510
Voltage (V) 400 Short-delay trip Im / Isd (A) 5100
Frequency (Hz) 50 Cable C3
Upstream fault level (MVA) 500 Length 20
Resistance of MV network (mΩ) 0.0351 Maximum load current (A) 509
Reactance of MV network (mΩ) 0.351 Type of insulation PVC
Transformer T1 Ambient temperature (°C) 30
Rating (kVA) 630 Conductor material Copper
Short-circuit impedance voltage (%) 4 Single-core or multi-core cable Single
Transformer resistance RT (mΩ) 3.472 Installation method F
Transformer reactance XT (mΩ) 10.64 Phase conductor selected csa (mm2) 2 x 95
3-phase short-circuit current Ik3 (kA) 21.54 Neutral conductor selected csa (mm2) 2 x 95
Cable C1 PE conductor selected csa (mm2) 1 x 95
Length (m) 5 Cable voltage drop ΔU (%) 0.53
Maximum load current (A) 860 Total voltage drop ΔU (%) 0.65
Type of insulation PVC 3-phase short-circuit current Ik3 (kA) 19.1
Ambient temperature (°C) 30 1-phase-to-earth fault current Id (kA) 11.5
Conductor material Copper Switchboard B6
Single-core or multi-core cable Single Reference Linergy 800
Installation method F Rated current (A) 750
Number of layers 1 Circuit-breaker Q7
Phase conductor selected csa (mm2) 2 x 240 Load current (A) 255
Neutral conductor selected csa (mm2) 2 x 240 Type Compact
PE conductor selected csa (mm2) 1 x 120 Reference NSX400F
Voltage drop ΔU (%) 0.122 Rated current (A) 400
3-phase short-circuit current Ik3 (kA) 21.5 Number of poles and protected poles 3P3d
Courant de défaut phase-terre Id (kA) 15.9 Tripping unit Micrologic 2.3
Circuit-breaker Q1 Overload trip Ir (A) 258
Load current (A) 860 Short-delay trip Im / Isd (A) 2576
Type Compact Cable C7
Reference NS1000N Length 5
Rated current (A) 1000 Maximum load current (A) 255
Number of poles and protected poles 4P4d Type of insulation PVC
Tripping unit Micrologic 5.0 Ambient temperature (°C) 30
Overload trip Ir (A) 900 Conductor material Copper
Short-delay trip Im / Isd (A) 9000 Single-core or multi-core cable Single
Tripping time tm (ms) 50 Installation method F
Switchboard B2 Phase conductor selected csa (mm2) 1 x 95
Reference Linergy 1250 Neutral conductor selected csa (mm2) -
Rated current (A) 1050 PE conductor selected csa (mm2) 1 x 50
Circuit breaker Q3 Cable voltage drop ΔU (%) 0.14
Load current (A) 509 Total voltage drop ΔU (%) 0.79
Type Compact 3-phase short-circuit current Ik3 (kA) 18.0
Reference NSX630F 1-phase-to-earth fault current Id (kA) 10.0
Rated current (A) 630
Fig. G66: Partial results of calculation carried out with Ecodial 3.4 software (Schneider Electric)
The same calculation using the simplified method recommended in this guide
 Dimensioning circuit C1
The MV/LV 630 kVA transformer has a rated no-load voltage of 420 V. Circuit C1 must be suitable for a current of:
per phase
Two single-core PVC-insulated copper cables in parallel will be used for each phase.These cables will be laid on cable trays according to
method F.
Each conductor will therefore carry 433A. Figure G21a indicates that for 3 loaded conductors with PVC isolation, the required c.s.a. is 240mm².
The resistance and the inductive reactance, for the two conductors in parallel, and for a length of 5 metres, are:
(cable resistance: 22.5 mΩ.mm2/m)
X = 0,08 x 5 = 0,4 mΩ (cable reactance: 0.08 mΩ/m)
Circuit C3 supplies two 150kW loads with cos φ = 0.85, so the total load current is:
Two single-core PVC-insulated copper cables in parallel will be used for each phase. These cables will be laid on cable trays according to
method F.
Each conductor will therefore carry 255A. Figure G21a indicates that for 3 loaded conductors with PVC isolation, the required c.s.a. is 95mm2.
The resistance and the inductive reactance, for the two conductors in parallel, and for a length of 20 metres, are:
Circuit C7 supplies one 150kW load with cos φ = 0.85, so the total load current is:
One single-core PVC-insulated copper cable will be used for each phase. The cables will be laid on cable trays according to method F.
Each conductor will therefore carry 255A. Figure G21a indicates that for 3 loaded conductors with PVC isolation, the required c.s.a. is 95mm2.
The resistance and the inductive reactance for a length of 20 metres is:
(cable resistance: 22.5 mΩ.mm2/m)
(cable reactance: 0.08 mΩ/m)
 Calculation of short-circuit currents for the selection of circuit-breakers Q1, Q3, Q7 (see Fig. G67)
Circuit components R (mΩ) X (mΩ) Z (mΩ) Ikmax (kA)

Upstream MV network, 500MVA fault level (see Fig. G34) 0,035 0,351
Transformer 630kVA, 4% (see Fig. G35) 2.9 10.8
Cable C1 0.23 0.4
Sub-total 3.16 11.55 11.97 20.2
Cable C3 2.37 1.6
Sub-total 5.53 13.15 14.26 17
Cable C7 1.18 0.4
Sub-total 6.71 13.55 15.12 16
Fig. G67: Example of short-circuit current evaluation
 The protective conductor
When using the adiabatic method, the minimum c.s.a. for the protective earth conductor (PE) can be calculated by the formula given in Figure
G58: For circuit C1, I = 20.2kA and k = 143.

t is the maximum operating time of the MV protection, e.g. 0.5s
This gives:
A single 120 mm2 conductor is therefore largely sufficient, provided that it also satisfies the requirements for indirect contact protection (i.e. that
its impedance is sufficiently low).
Generally, for circuits with phase conductor c.s.a. Sph ≥ 50 mm2, the PE conductor minimum c.s.a. will be Sph / 2. Then, for circuit C3, the PE
conductor will be 95mm2, and for circuit C7, the PE conductor will be 50mm2.
 Protection against indirect-contact hazards

For circuit C3 of Figure G65, Figures F41 and F40, or the formula given page F25 may be used for a 3-phase 4-wire circuit.
The maximum permitted length of the circuit is given by:
(The value in the denominator 630 x 11 is the maximum current level at which the instantaneous short-circuit magnetic trip of the 630 A circuit-
breaker operates).
The length of 20 metres is therefore fully protected by “instantaneous” over-current devices.
 Voltage drop
The voltage drop is calculated using the data given in Figure G28, for balanced three-phase circuits, motor power normal service (cos φ = 0.8).
The results are summarized on figure G68:
C1 C3 C7
c.s.a. 2 x 240mm² 2 x 95mm² 1 x 95mm²
∆U per conductor 0.21 0.42 0.42
(V/A/km) see Fig. G28
Load current (A) 866 509 255
Length (m) 5 20 5
Voltage drop (V) 0.45 2.1 0.53
Voltage drop (%) 0.11 0.53 0.13
Fig. G68: Voltage drop introduced by the different cables

The total voltage drop at the end of cable C7 is then: 0.77%.

Worked Example of Cable Calculation

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Worked example of cable calculation

(see Fig. G65)

General network characteristics Number of poles and protected poles 4P4d

X = 0,08 x 5 = 0,4 mΩ (cable reactance: 0.08 mΩ/m)

(cable resistance: 22.5 mΩ.mm2/m)

(cable reactance: 0.08 mΩ/m)

Circuit components R (mΩ) X (mΩ) Z (mΩ) Ikmax (kA)

Fig. G67: Example of short-circuit current evaluation

 The protective conductor

G58: For circuit C1, I = 20.2kA and k = 143.

 Protection against indirect-contact hazards

The maximum permitted length of the circuit is given by:

Fig. G68: Voltage drop introduced by the different cables

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