Voltage drop along cable

In summary, Creative thinking is enjoyable, and it's a good idea to think about your surrounding things and other thought products.
  • #1
lavalin
6
0
I have a 45kW VSD drive with pf of .9 and FL amp of 75A, I have a 350m run from the MCC to the VSD itself and I'm trying to calculate what size cable I need so that I don't exceed the specified voltage drop of 3%. The line-line voltage where the motor is to be placed is 400V and the cable impedance is say .2ohms per km.

I was looking in the australian standards and their voltage formula is as follows:
Vdrop = (sqrt(3) * I(line) * Distance * Z(cable))/1000
V(% drop) = Vdrop/400

What I want to know is, why are they multiplying by sqrt(3), when you already have the line value Current. I thought sqrt(3) was only used to convert between phase/line values of current or voltage in delta/star configurations. The motor has a delta winding and I'm running 4C (3C+E) out to it.

From what I understand it should be:
Vdrop = I(line) * Distance * Z(cable)
So;
Vdrop = (75 * 350 * .2) / 1000
Vdrop = 5.25V

V(%) = (Vdrop/V) * 100
V(%) = (5.25 / 400) *100
V(%) = 1.31%

Thanks
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
lavalin said:
I have a 45kW VSD drive with pf of .9 and FL amp of 75A, I have a 350m run from the MCC to the VSD itself and I'm trying to calculate what size cable I need so that I don't exceed the specified voltage drop of 3%. The line-line voltage where the motor is to be placed is 400V and the cable impedance is say .2ohms per km.

I was looking in the australian standards and their voltage formula is as follows:
Vdrop = (sqrt(3) * I(line) * Distance * Z(cable))/1000
V(% drop) = Vdrop/400

What I want to know is, why are they multiplying by sqrt(3), when you already have the line value Current. I thought sqrt(3) was only used to convert between phase/line values of current or voltage in delta/star configurations. The motor has a delta winding and I'm running 4C (3C+E) out to it.

It appears they are approximating the voltage drop from line-to-line of a three phase system, not line-to-neutral.

The general approximation for a line-to-neutral voltage drop is:

VD = IRcos(phi) + IXsin(phi)

where,

VD = voltage drop in one conductor, one way
I = current flowing in one conductor
R = line resistance for one conductor in ohms
X = line reactance for one conductor in ohms
phi = angle whose cosine is the load power factor

Note that I is usually assumed to be the load carrying capacity of the conductor.

The line-to-line voltage drop for a three-phase system is then found by multiplying by sqrt(3).

CS
 
  • #3
You have given cable Z of 0.2 ohm/km which is value for 95mm2
This cable has 3ph volt drop of 0.4mV/Am
Hence VD = 0.4 *75*350/1000 = 10.5v
Volt drop usually is % of voltage at MCC which usually 415v
3% of 415V is 12.45v hence you are below this
 
  • #4
%V = ( phase voltage drop / rated phase voltage)* 100

%V (in symetrical system) = ( sqrt (3) * phase voltage drop / sqrt (3) * rated phase voltage) * 100


--------------------------------------
Creative thinking is enjoyable, Then think about your surrounding things and other thought products. http://electrical-riddles.com
 

What is voltage drop?

Voltage drop refers to the decrease in voltage that occurs when electricity flows through a cable or wire. This drop in voltage is a result of the resistance of the cable, which causes some of the electrical energy to be converted into heat.

Why does voltage drop occur along a cable?

Voltage drop occurs due to the resistance of the cable. As electricity flows through a cable, some of the energy is converted into heat due to the resistance of the material. This results in a decrease in voltage along the length of the cable.

How does cable length affect voltage drop?

The longer the cable, the greater the voltage drop will be. This is because the resistance of the cable is directly proportional to its length. The longer the cable, the more resistance it has, and therefore the greater the voltage drop.

What factors can affect voltage drop along a cable?

In addition to cable length, other factors that can affect voltage drop include the material and size of the cable, the amount of current flowing through the cable, and the temperature of the cable.

How can voltage drop be minimized?

Voltage drop can be minimized by using a larger diameter cable, which will have lower resistance and therefore result in less voltage drop. Additionally, reducing the length of the cable and minimizing the amount of current flowing through it can also help to minimize voltage drop.

Similar threads

  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
2
Views
996
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
8
Views
13K
Replies
19
Views
2K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
34
Views
8K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
5K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
17
Views
11K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
1
Views
11K
Back
Top