ABSTRACT

Electricity exists in a form that is

useful to exploit, however, it will
also be important to install
electricity as
efficiently as possible, and design
of the power distribution system
should be convenient so as to
minimize
power losses. This paper analyses the
electrical service design of a Storey
building using the lumen method for
the lighting calculations. The purpose
of this work is to present a suitable
approach to electrical services design
based on the provision of the
Institution of Electrical Engineers
(lEE) Regulations, which includes
lighting,
power, distribution boards
schematics
1
Electricity exists in a form that is
useful to exploit, however, it will
also be important to install
electricity as
efficiently as possible, and design
of the power distribution system
should be convenient so as to
minimize
power losses. This paper analyses the
electrical service design of a Storey
building using the lumen method for
the lighting calculations. The purpose
of this work is to present a suitable
approach to electrical services design
based on the provision of the
Institution of Electrical Engineers
(lEE) Regulations, which includes
lighting,
power, distribution boards
schematics
2
Electricity exists in a form that is useful to exploit, however, it will also be important to

install electricity as efficiently as possible, and design of the power distribution system

should be convenient so as to minimize power losses. The purpose of this work is to present a

suitable approach to electrical services design based on the provision of the Institution of

Electrical Engineers (lEE) Regulations, which includes lighting, power, distribution boards

schematics. This work gives a direct approach from design of the electrical services to the

installation stage. The results of the calculations in the design helps the designer to make vital

decisions such as types of luminaries, sizes of cables and nominal ratings of protective

devices required by each circuit and by the entire installation in line with appropriate

standards and regulations.

3
INTRODUCTION

Electricity is used in many ways such as lighting, cooling, heating and it is used to power or

drive electrical equipment and machines. Electricity helps to facilitate economic development

and it is a well known fact that electricity is essential to everyday life, without it life will be

boring both at home and at the work place. Electricity passes more easily through some

materials than others. Some substances such as metals generally offer very low resistance to

the flow of electric current and such materials are called “conductors.” Another conductor

which is usually overlooked is the surface or subsurface of the earth. While insulator

materials offer high resistance to the flow of electric current among the examples are rubber,

dry wood, plastic and clothing (Bakshi, and Bakshi, 2009). Electricity normally travels in

closed circuits, through a conductor, but sometimes a person’s body which is an efficient

conductor of electricity mistakenly becomes part of the electric circuit. This can lead to an

electrical shock. Electric shocks occur when a person’s body completes the current path

having both wires of an electric circuit, one wire of an energized circuit, the ground and a

metal part that accidentally becomes energized due to a break in its insulation or another

“conductor” that is carrying a current (Floyd, et al., 2008). Circuit protection is very

important in any electrical installation as it prevent fire hazards. Circuit protection limits or

stop the passage of current automatically in the event of an overload, ground fault, or short

circuit in the wiring system. Grounding in an electrical system means intentionally providing

a low-resistance path that connects to the earth. This prevents the accumulation of voltages

that could cause an electrical accident in an installation. Grounding is normally a secondary

protective measure to protect against electric shock and it does not completely guarantee the

person from a shock or be injured or killed by an electrical current (Seip, 2000). Despite the

importance of electricity in day to day life, Electricity is often referred to as a “silent killer”

because it cannot be tasted, seen, heard, or smelled. It is essentially invisible. It is a destroyer

4
of properties if not handle with respect. Electricity is invisible in nature and it is long

recognized as a serious hazard at residential, commercial areas, institutions of learning and

other places. (Cadick, et al., 2006) said that in the late 1800s, hotels had to place signs

assuring their guests that electricity is harmless, but by late 1900s, signs had to be hung to

remind people that electricity is a hazard. MacKinnon, (2010) said that the presence of

electricity is increasing in modern live and we ought to know that more electricity usage

means more potential electrical hazards. As people continue to put confidence on electricity,

so does the importance of electrical safety awareness for the electricity users becomes

necessary. People can never be too young to start learning to use electricity safely. He makes

an estimation that 53,000 electrical fires occur in homes each year. Most of these can be

avoided by taking simple safety precautions. Electricity is a powerful and versatile energy but

can be dangerous if it is not used properly. Most of the accidents that occur are due either to

carelessness or to a lack of awareness of some basic rules that should be observed when using

electricity. The use of electricity is something taken for granted, but using it safely is very

important. By understanding how electricity works and where it is found, we can each do our

part in preventing electrical dangers no matter where we are (MacKinnon, 2010). Hazard can

be defined as any potential or actual threat to the wellbeing of people, equipment, machinery

or environment. Hazard can also be seen as something that can be identified as measure of

potential source of danger such as naked electricity wires, electricity gadgets which are not

switched off, unsafe acts, unprotected installation, over load socket outlet and many others

(Cadick, et al., 2006). The electric shock may likely occur when the body becomes part of an

electric circuit and there are three ways or path that may lead to electric shocks such as: A

person may have contact with both conductors in a circuit; A person may provide a way

between an ungrounded conductor and the ground; A person may provide a way between the

ground and a conducting material that is in contact with an ungrounded conductor. Taylor,

5
Easter and Hegney (2004) observed that, the degree of shock an individual may receive is

dependent on several factors, including skin resistance. Skin resistance is greatly reduced

when the skin is wet or moist, and so the degree of shock will be greater. Other factors

include the: The amount of current that is conducted through the body; the path of the current

through the body; the duration of time a person is subjected to the current and status of the

individual. The effect of electric shocks ranges from stop of the heart or the breathing

muscles, or both, burns, bleeding, neurological damage and ventricular fibrillation. Electricity

always follows the shortest circuit path of least resistance. If a human body creates a path to

follow, electricity will flow to the ground or complete a circuit through the body. According

to (Cadick, et al., 2006) the effects of electric shocks are severe.

In view of the relevance of electricity to man, effort should be made to educate everyone on

the use of electricity to meet human needs because electrical hazard pose a significant risk of

death and injuries to individuals. Therefore, attention to safety is the necessary first step in

any environmental set up. More than one-third of electrical fatalities, death and injuries,

losses of valuable properties are due to electricity (OSHA, 2009). According to Jarnick

(2008) fires that occur in the home, market, offices and other places as a result of electricity

are initiated as a result of improper and careless use of electrical equipment and improper

protection of installation. Due to the danger electricity poses to the existence of biological

lives, efforts are made to assess the level of electrical hazards and safety measures awareness

among electricity users.

6
SOCKET OUTLETS

A socket outlet is the correct name of what is popularly known as a power

point. It is a female socket connected to the power wiring in the building and will

accept the male plug attached at the end of the flexible wire of an appliance such as

a vacuum cleaner, electric fire or music centre.They are rated at 2 A, 5 A.13A and

15A, the spacing of the pins and sockets being different for the different ratings. This

makes sure that a plug of one rating cannot be inserted, even wilfully, into a socket

of a different rating. Plugs and sockets rated at 2 and 5 A are available in both

two- and three-pin versions, but those of 15 A rating are made only with three pins.

Types of Domestic plugs and sockets

 Type A (North America/Japanese 2-pin)

Fig 1: Type A (North America/Japanese 2-pin)

 Type B (American 3-pin)

Fig 2: Type B (America 3-pin)

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 Type C (European 2-pin)

Fig 3: Type C (European -pin)

 (Type D – German 2-pin )

Fig 4: Type D – German 2-pin

 Type E (French 2-pin , female earth)

Fig 5: Type E French 2-pin , female earth

 Type F ( British 3- pin)

Fig 6: Type F British 3- pin

8
 Duplex British 3 – pin ( type –F)

Fig 7: British 3- pin (type-F)

 Type G (Danish 3-pin )

Fig 8: Type G (Danish 3- pin)

 BS 546 (15 A/250 V earthed)

Fig 9: BS 546 (15 A/250 V earthed)

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Type of connection of socket outlets circuits

1. Radial circuit

In radial circuit we can connect 4-6, 13A socket outlets protected by 20A -25A mcb.

Fig 10: Radial circuit

It is required to connect 30mA RCD (residual current device) for each circuit as

shown in Figure below:

Fig 11: Radial circuit with RCD

2. Ring circuit

Ring circuit is used to increase reliability of the system and to reduce the number of circuits

and circuit breakers in the final distribution board and also to serve larger area with socket

outlets.

2
A ring circuit with 30A protective device can serve Area 90 – 100 m , i.e., connecting

about 16 sixteen ,13A socket outlet with 2.5 mm2 PVC cable.

10
 Fig 12: Ring connected socket outlets

Ring circuits fed from systems where no earth terminal is provided by the

Electricity Supply Company (TT systems) must be protected by an RCD rated at 30

mA, In all installations, a socket intended to feed equipment outdoors must be

individually protected by a 30 mA RCD.

Where a socket is mounted on a vertical wall, its height above the floor level orthe

working surface level level must be such that mechanical damage is unlikely. A

minimum mounting height of 150 mm is recommended.

The fused plug

 In many situations there is a need for socket outlets to be closely spaced so

that they are available to feed appliances and equipment without the

need to use long and dangerous leads. For example, the domestic kitchen

worktop should be provided with sockets to feed the many appliances

(deep fat fryer, kettle, sandwich toaster, carving knife, toaster, microwave

oven, coffee maker, and so on) which are likely to be used. Similarly, in

the living room we need to supply television sets, video recorders, stereo

players, table lamps, room heaters, etc. In this case, more outlets will he

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 needed to allow for occasional rearrangement of furniture, which may well

obstruct access to some outlets.

 Thus a ring circuit protected by a 30 A or 32 A device may well feed twenty

socket outlets. It follows that judgment must be used to make as certain as

possible that the total loading will not exceed the protective device rating, or its

failure and inconvenience will result. Two basic steps will normally ensure that

a ring circuit is not overloaded.

i. Do not feed heavy and steady loads (the domestic immersion heater is the

most obvious example) from the ring circuit, but make special provision for

them on separate circuits.

ii. Make sure that the ring circuit does not feed too great an area. This is

usually ensured by limiting a single ring circuit to sockets within an area

not greater than one hundred square meters.

A fused plug and socket to BS 1363 is shown in Fig.1 below.

Fig.13 Plug and socket to BS 1363

A plug to BS 1363 without a fuse is not available. The circuit protection in the

distribution board or consumer's unit covers the circuit wiring, whilst the fuse in

the plug protects the appliance and its cord as shown in Fig .2. In this way, each

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appliance can be protected by a suitable fuse, for example, a 3 A fuse for a table

lamp or a 13 A fuse for a 3 kW fan heater.

Fig .14 Principle of appliance protection by plug fuse.

15A and 16A socket outlets are each considered as one power point which must be

protected by one separate circuit breaker (usually 30A rating) . No diversity factor is

taken.

2. Industrial (heavy duty) socket outlets

There is no reason at all to prevent the installation of BS 1363 (13 A) socket

outlets in industrial situations. Indeed, where light industry, such as electronics

manufacture, is concerned, these sockets are most suitable. However, heavy

duty industrial socket outlets are available, either in single-phase or 3-phase. These

are shown in Fig.3 below.

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 Fig.15 Industrial (heavy duty) socket outlets

VOLTAGE DROP IN RING CIRCUITS

Sometimes it is necessary to calculate the voltage drop occurring in a ring circuit.

The method to use is illustrated by Example 1 if the loads taken from the points of

utilisation and the cable lengths between those points are known.

Example 1

2
Figure 4 (a) shows a single-phase ring circuit wired in 2.5 mm core (with cpc) 70⁰C

pvc-insulated and sheathed cable. The figure gives the loads taken from each point of

utilisation.

The first stage is to determine the current distribution and as shown in Figure 4(b) a

current given by Ix A is taken to flow in the first section, (Ix - 5)A in the second

section, and so on.

If the resistance per metre of the phase conductor is denoted by ‘r’ then:

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Ix r (6 + 4 +3 + 6 + 8 + 4) – r (20 + 45 + 120 + 200 + 120) = 0

Ix =16.29A

The current distribution therefore is as shown in Figure 4(c) and it is now possible to

calculate the voltage drop.

This is given by:

[(16:29 x 6) + (11:29 x 4)

+ (1:29 x 3)] x

i.e.

Fig 16

From Table (3-23) Column 3 the mV/A/m value is found to be 15.38 milliohms /A / m.

The voltage drop is therefore

15
SWITCHES

A switch is used to make or interrupt a circuit. There are two types of switches:

1. Dolly operated switch. 2. Rocker operated switch.

The older type of switch mechanism was dolly operated. It is illustrated in Fig. 5. The

moving contact was on a spring lever which was moved by a cam. Dolly operated switches

have now been entirely superseded by rocker operated switches. This type is also illustrated

in Fig. 5.

The advantages of the rocker switch are that it is easier to operate and that it is almost

impossible to hold it half open, even deliberately. Ratings:

Most manufacturers make switches in two standard capacities, the lower being rated at 5

amps and the higher at 10, 15 or 20 amps.

Fig.17

Boxes

The box is fixed to the wall, and the wires going to the switch are drawn into the box.

After this the wires are connected to the mechanism. To carry out this operation the

16
electrician must pull the wires away from the wall sufficiently to give himself room to

work on the back of the mechanism. He then pushes the mechanism back into the

box and the length of wire which he had to pull out from the wall becomes slack

inside the box. It is therefore important that the box is large enough to accommodate a

certain amount of slack wire at the back of the mechanism.

Standard boxes for recessing within a wall are 35 mm deep. There are also shallow boxes

available which are 25 mm deep. These boxes are shown in Figure 6.

Fig.18

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CONCLUSION

Electrical outlets are designed to protect you and your family from the electrical current

they're connected to. However, if they're cracked or otherwise broken, they're no longer

effective — plus, they might not even function anymore. Most electrical fires are caused by

faulty electrical outlets and old, outdated appliances. Other fires are started by faults in

appliance cords, receptacles and switches. Running cords under rugs is another cause of

electrical fires.

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REFERENCES

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publications.

Cardick, J., Capelli-Schellpfeffer, T. and Neitzel, D.K., (2006). Electrical safety handbook.
New York MC Graw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Floyd, L., Rogers, M., and UzoKa, U (2008). Home electricity safety retrieved on July, 15
2013 from http:/www.safeelectricity.org/new/news.room

Janick, C. A. (2008). Occupational Fatalities due to Electrocutions in the Construction

Industry. Journal of Safety Research, 39: 617-621.

Kolak, J. (2007). Electrical Safety: Elements of an effective program. Professional Safety.

52(2):18-24.

MacKinnon, J.T (2010). Important electrical and fire safety tips for families. Publication of
Plymouth Utilities

Networks (n.d). The safe use of electricity in the home. Retrieved on May, 13 2013 from
http:/www.esb.ie/esbnetworks

OSHA, (2009). Occupational Safety and Health Association fact file 2002-2009, retrieved on
August, 10 2013 from www.cdcgov/osha.com.

Selp, G.G. (2000). Electrical installation handbook. Werbeagentur, John Wiley and Sons
Chichester Publisher

Smith, A.M., (2006). Assessment of the injured athlete. In J. Crossman (ed) Coping with
sports injuries: Psychological strategies for rehabilitation. New York: Oxford
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Taylor G., Easter, K., and Hegney, R. (2004). Enhancing occupational safety and health.
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