Chapter 3

FEEDER DESIGN

Lecturer: G/Tsadik Teklay

 Introduction
We have now reached the point where we can begin to discuss the
actual design of the electrical system itself.

All electrical systems have the common purpose of providing

electrical energy to the utilization equipment as safely and reliably
as economically possible.

The system must be adequate to deliver to the location of each

piece of equipment the necessary energy on a continuous basis,
without any component overheating or causing unacceptable
voltage drops.
Contd

The initial planning of a system involves the preparation of a

one-line diagram showing all the interconnections and basic
components, such as shown below:
Example of three phase
consumer electrical wiring
 Branch Circuits and Feeders
In an electrical system, power must be
transferred from the service equipment to the
lights, machines, and outlets.

An important part of any electrical system is the

electrical wirings that connects all the components.

Regardless of the wiring methods used, the

connecting wiring/conductors can be divided into
three components:
Service Entrance
Feeders
Brach Circuits
 Contd
Service Entrance: These are the conductors for delivering energy
from the electric supply system to the premises being served. These
conductors extend from the power company terminals to the main
service disconnect.
The conductors are terminated near their point of entrance into the building
in the service equipment.

The service equipment is the main control and means of cutoff for the supply.

In the case of a large premise, the electrical power is usually supplied by the
electric utility at medium-voltage level, requiring a transformer to step down
the voltage to the utilization level.
 Contd
Feeders: These are the conductors for delivering the energy from the
service equipment location to the final branch-circuit overcurrent device
protecting each piece of utilization equipment.

Main feeders originate at the service equipment location, and

sub-feeders originate at panel-boards or distribution centers at other than the
service equipment location.

Branch Circuits: These are the conductors for delivering the energy from
the point of the final overcurrent device to the utilization equipment.

Each feeder, subfeeder, and branch circuit in turn needs its own overcurrent
protection in the form of a circuit breaker or fused switch.
 Contd
The term conductor refers properly to the copper or
aluminum wire that actually carries the electrical
current.

An insulated conductor is one that is encased within

electrical insulation material.

The term cable then refers to the complete wire

assembly including the conductor, the insulation, and any
shielding and/or outer protective covering where used.

Cables can have just a single conductor or they can have

more than one conductor, each separately insulated, but
all enclosed in one overall covering.
Contd
This chapter deals in general with the proper selection of
conductors for feeders and circuits.

The selection of the correct size of the conductors for feeders

and branch circuits depends on the following:
1. Continuous current rating

2. Short-circuit current rating

3. Maximum allowable voltage drop

 Continuous Current Rating of Conductors
The continuous current of a conductor is referred to in NEC as ampacity
and is defined as:
the current in amperes a conductor can carry continuously under the conditions of
use without exceeding its temperature rating.

Important factors in determining the ampacity rating of the conductor

the physical characteristics of a cable.
the conditions of use under which the cable operates.

As current flows in the conductor of the cable, heat is generated because of the
resistance of the conductor (I2R)

The rate at which heat can be dissipated is not only dependent on the insulating
material of the cable but also on the environment that surrounds the cable, for
example the air temperature.
 The precise calculations to determine the ampacity of a
conductor operating under specific conditions are very complex.

Fortunately, tables have been prepared that allow us to obtain

this ampacity rating fairly quickly.
Size of Conductor
The size of a conductor is a measure of its cross-sectional area.
There are two methods of indication conductor sizes.
1. The smaller sizes are designated AWG number: the lower the number, the
greater the cross-sectional area (thus a No. 12 conductor is larger than a
No. 14). For general power wiring in a building, the smallest size of copper
conductor that can be used for low-voltage wiring is No. 14( rated for a
maximum loading of 15 amperes)

2. Unfortunately, when AWG designation was adopted many years ago,

presumably it was not foreseen that conductors larger than No. 1 would be
in common use. For the next larger size the designation 0 was adopted. Then
the next three larger sizes were designated as 00, 000, and 0000,
respectively. It is common practice to identify these conductor sizes as 1/0,
2/0, 3/0 and 4/0 (pronounced as one-aught, two aught, and son).
 Contd
For conductors larger than 4/0, the cross-sectional area in thousands of circular mils (MCM)
is used to designate their size. Thus the next size above 4/0 (211.6 MCM) is 250 MCM.
Note that M is used here to designate 1000. This is not consistent with the SI system, which
uses k for 1000. Thus MCM should be more properly designated kcmil.
A circular mil is the area of a circle that is 1 mil or 1/1000 th of an inch in diameter.
The circular mil area of a conductor is then equal to its diameter in mils squared.
Thus a solid conductor, 1 inch (1000 mils ) in diameter, has a circular mil area of 1000 times
1000 or 1000,000, which is designated 1000 MCM. Its area in square inches is PiD2/4 = 0.785
square inches.
It is not practical to use solid conductors for the larger sizes as they would be very difficult
to bend. Therefore, smaller strands of wire are twisted together to form one large
conductor.
Standard kcmil wire sizes& solid copper equivalents
Diameter NECcopper wire ampacity
kcmil
mm with 60/75/90C insulation
MCM in. mm (A)
250 126.7 0.500 12.70 215 / 255 / 290
300 152.0 0.548 13.91 240 / 285 / 320
350 177.3 0.592 15.03 260 / 310 / 350
400 202.7 0.632 16.06 280 / 335 / 380
500 253.4 0.707 17.96 320 / 380 / 430
600 304.0 0.775 19.67 355 / 420 / 475
700 354.7 0.837 21.25 385 / 460 / 520
750 380.0 0.866 22.00 400 / 475 / 535
800 405.4 0.894 22.72 410 / 490 / 555
900 456.0 0.949 24.10 435 / 520 / 585
1000 506.7 1.000 25.40 455 / 545 / 615
1250 633.4 1.118 28.40 495 / 590 / 665
1500 760.1 1.225 31.11 520 / 625 / 705
1750 886.7 1.323 33.60 545 / 650 / 735
2000 1013.4 1.414 35.92 560 / 665 / 750
Table 1: Ampacities of Insulated Conductors From NEC Table NEC310.15(B)(16)
Not More than Three Conductors in Raceway or Cable or Earth (Directly Buried)
(Based on Ambient Temperature of 30 C, 86 F)

Unless otherwise specifically

permitted elsewhere in this code,
the load current rating and the
overcurrent protection for
conductor types marked with an
obelisk () shall not exceed 15
amperes for 14 AWG, 20 amperes
for
12 AWG, and 30 amperes for 10
AWG copper; or 15 amperes for 12
AWG and 25 amperes for 10 AWG
aluminum and copper-clad aluminum
after any correction
factors for ambient temperature
and number at conductors have
been applied (ref. NEC 240-3d).
 Correction Factors for Ambient Temperature
Over 30 C, 86 F
For Ambient Temperatures Over 30 C, 86 F, multiply the ampacities shown above by the appropriate factor show below:
Ambient Aluminum Conductors
Copper Conductors
Temperature Copper-Clad Conductors
21-25 C,
1.08 1.05 1.04 1.08 1.05 1.04
70-77 F
26-30 C,
1 1 1 1 1 1
78-86 F
31-35 C,
0.91 0.94 0.96 0.91 0.94 0.96
87-95 F
36-40 C,
0.82 0.88 0.91 0.82 0.88 0.91
96-104 F
41-45 C,
0.71 0.82 0.87 0.71 0.82 0.87
105-113 F

46-50 C,
0.58 0.75 0.82 0.58 0.75 0.82
114-122 F
51-55 C,
0.41 0.67 0.76 0.41 0.67 0.76
123-131 F
56-60 C,
- 0.58 0.71 - 0.58 0.71
132-140 F
61-70 C,
- 0.33 0.58 - 0.33 0.58
141-158 F
71-80 C,
- - 0.41 - - 0.41
159-176 F
 A brief explanation of the more common insulation types:
TW Thermoplastic, Water resistant
THW Thermoplastic, Heat resistant, Water resistant
THHN Thermoplastic, High Heat resistant, Nylon Jacketed
THWN Thermoplastic, Heat resistant, Water resistant Nylon
Jacketed
RHW Rubber jacketed, Heat resistant, Water resistant
Table 2: Ampacities of Three
Single Insulated Conductors,
Rated 0 through 2000 volts, in
Underground Electrical Ducts
(from NEC Table 310-27)
Contd

Naturally, the larger the cross-sectional area (the size) of the conductor,
the greater its ampacity rating. However, the ampacity rating is not a linear
function of size.

For example, the rating of a 250 MCM copper conductor with 60 insulation
is 215 amperes, whereas the rating of a 500 MCM copper conductor (twice
the size) is 320 amperes, only 1.5 times as much.

With alternating current circuits, the current-carrying capacity per circular

mil of conductor area decreases with size because of the skin effect, plus
the fact that it is harder to dissipate the heat within large conductors.
Therefore, it is often preferable to parallel smaller conductors for each
phase of a feeder rather than use one large conductor.
 Conductor Material
two conductor materials in common use are copper and aluminum.
The

Copper has historically been used for conductors of insulated cables because of its
desirable electrical and mechanical properties.

Aluminum has had restricted use but is considered where its ampacity rating to weight
ratio and its relative cost are favorable.

The use of aluminum requires a larger conductor size in order to have the same ampacity
rating as copper.

For example, from the table, a No. 1 AWG copper conductor with 90 temperature rating
has a rating of 150 amperes. An aluminum conductor with the same temperature rating
has to be size 2/0 (two sizes larger) to have the same rating of 150 amperes.
 Contd
Unlike copper, aluminum has a few undesirable properties when used as the conductor material.
An oxide film forms on the surface of aluminum.

This aluminum oxide is essentially an insulating film, causing poor electrical contact at
connections.
To help overcome this problem, the aluminum must be cleaned immediately prior to being
connected.
On the other hand, the oxide film that forms on copper is a relatively good conductor, causing
no real problem at connections.
Aluminum conductors can break after bending much more readily than copper conductors and
therefore aluminum conductors must be handled very carefully during installation.

Aluminum deforms at lower pressure than copper and can become loose at connections after a
period of time. The resulting poor electrical contact can cause excessive heat buildup, leading
to the ultimate failure of insulation.
The terminals of equipment, unless otherwise marked, are approved for use with copper
conductors only.
 Maximum Allowable Temperature

The maximum continuous current that a conductor can carry is ultimately
determined by temperature at which it is allowed to operate for prolonged
periods of time.

This maximum allowable temperature is set by the type of insulating material

that surrounds the conductor and is selected so that a reasonable working
life (years) is obtained.

If this operating temperature is exceeded for long periods of time, the

insulation ages much more rapidly, becoming hard and brittle and subject to
failure.

The temperature rating classifications for building wires are 60, 7, 9.

 Contd
A higher allowable operating temperature increases the ampacity rating for a
particular conductor size.
For example, from table 1, a No. 2 AWG copper conductor, with 60 insulation has
an ampacity of 95 amperes, whereas, with 90 insulation, its ampacity is increased
to 130 amperes.

The higher permissible operating temperature means that there is greater

temperature difference between the conductor and the surrounding medium,
resulting in a more rapid dissipation of the heat generated in the conductor.

The higher temperature rated insulation may cost a bit more, but if its use
results in a smaller size conductor being required for a given feeder, then the
overall cost may be less.
Contd
An exception to the foregoing is with regard to conductor
sizes Nos. 14, 12, and 10.

The setting of the overcurrent protection for the conductors

indicated cannot exceed the values quoted in the notes
regardless of the temperature classification of the insulation.
 Ambient Temperature

The ambient temperature refers to the temperature of the medium through
which the wiring is to be run (air or earth).

As the ambient temperature increases, there is less temperature

differential between the conductor and the surrounding medium, and the
rate at which the heat is dissipated from the conductor decreases.

This means that the conductor can carry less current before it reaches
its maximum operating temperature.

Table 1 is based on an ambient air temperature of 30 () as noted in the

heading.
Contd

There can be areas within a building where the ambient temperature exceeds 30 such as in
enclosed ceiling areas adjacent to heating pipes and in rooms with heating equipment.

For wiring installed in areas with ambient temperatures higher than 30 the ampacity of the
conductors must be reduced, called derating.

Conversely, if the ambient temperature is lower than 30, the ampacity can be increased.

Table 2 is based on an earth ambient temperature of 20. The appropriate correction

factors are shown at the bottom of the ampacity tables.

For example, for a conductor with 90 insulation operating in an ambient temperature of 40,
the correction factor is 0.91. thus a No. 6 copper conductor, 90, has an ampacity rating of
75 amperes at 30 and only a rating of 0.91 times 75 or 68 amperes at 40.
Conductors installed in Raceways
most common method of installing wiring in a
The
building is to run the conductors in a raceway.

Note the heading of the first table, which states not

more than three single insulated conductors, rated 0 to
2000 volts, in raceway.

The raceway enclosure impedes the dissipation of the

heat from conductors.

This fact requires the derating of a conductor as

compared to its ampacity rating when run by itself in air
(its free air rating).

As an example, if we refer to table 210-17 in the NEC,

the free air rating of s No. 1/0 copper conductor, 90,
are installed in a raceway, the ampacity of each
 that the first table applies to conductors in raceways installed in free air. However,
Note
this table can also be applied where conduits are installed in walls and structural floor
slabs that are above grade level.

Where conduits are run adjacent to each other, sufficient spacing must be maintained
between them to permit proper cooling.

The second table, on the other hand, applies to 75 rated conductors installed in
underground electrical ducts.

The ampacities are based on ambient earth temperature of 20(68). Ratings are shown for
arrangements where from 1 to 6 electrical ducts are run in the same duct bank.
Details and Adjustment Factors for tables 1 and 2
The duct arrangements and accompanying notes are shown in figure.
 raceway or electrical duct.
The ratings in in tables 1 and 2 apply when not more than three conductors are installed, in the one

When more than three conductors are installed, their ampacity rating must be decreased to
compensate for added conductors.

Adjacent conductors have the dual effect of raising the temperature within the raceway and of
impeding the heat dissipated from the raceway.

The table shows the percentages that must be applied to the values listed in tables 1 and 2.

For example, three No. 1/0 copper conductors, 90, installed in a raceway in free air have an
ampacity of 170 amperes. If six No. 1/0 copper conductors, 90, are installed in one raceway, then
the rating of each conductor is reduced to 80% of 170, or 136 amperes.

Note that for more than nine conductors in one raceway the percentage values are based on load
Determining the Ampacity of Conductors
Example 1:
Determine the ampacity of a three-phase, four-wire feeder using 250
MCM copper conductors, 75 insulation, installed in a raceway in free air,
40 ambient temperature, and feeding an incandescent lighting load.

Solution:
From table 1, column 3, the rating for 250 MCM 255 A. the correction factor for 40 is
0.88.

There is no need to derate for the neutral (the fourth wire) because
there are no third harmonics with incandescent lighting.
 Short-Circuit Current Rating of Conductors
Short-circuit calculations can impose tremendous stresses on an electrical system.

In the case of feeders, the resulting high short-circuit currents can cause the conductor
temperature to rise very rapidly.

The device protecting the feeder requires some finite time before it can detect and then
fully interrupt the fault current.

The feeder conductors must be sized large enough to carry the fault current for this time
interval without reaching a temperature that will permanently damage the insulation.

The maximum allowable short-circuit transient temperature rating of a cable is much higher
than its maximum allowable operating temperature rating because the short circuit is of such
short duration. The maximum short-circuit temperature rating depends on the type of
 With an asymmetrical fault current, the heating of the
conductors is greater than it would be if the fault current were
symmetrical.
Therefore, allowance must be made for this increased heating in
selecting the correct size of conductor.
The ration between the asymmetrical and the symmetrical
current is dependent on the rate of decay of the dc component
after the fault occurs.
If we let represent this ratio, then

The value depends on the system voltage and the type of overcurrent
device used for the feeder, as shown in the table below.

This table also shows the total clearing times for the overcurrent devices.
 precise calculation to determine the short-
The
circuit current rating of a cable is very
complex. Fortunately, graphs have been
prepared that simplify the process.

These graphs show short-circuit current on the

vertical axis and the conductor size on the
horizontal axis, with a series of diagonal lines
indicating the duration of the fault ( the total
clearing time of the overcurrent device
protecting the conductors).
This figure applies to copper conductors with
thermoplastic insulation, which has a maximum
operating temperature of 75 and a maximum
short-ciruit temperature of 150.
 Maximum Allowable Voltage Drop
It is very important to have the correct voltage at the outlet
that serves a piece of utilization equipment.

Most equipment is voltage sensitive, and an excessive an

excessive voltage drop impairs the starting and operation the
equipment.

The National electrical Code recommends a maximum voltage

drop of 3% for any one branch circuit or feeder with a
maximum voltage drop from the service entrance to the
utilization outlet of 5% [NEC sections 210-19(a) and 215-
2(b)].
The NEC recommends that the
maximum combined voltage drop for
The voltage drop of a feeder or branch circuit when carrying
both the feeder and branch circuit
current (under load conditions) is caused by the resistance shouldn't exceed 5%, and the
and inductive reactance associated with conductors. maximum on the feeder or branch
circuit shouldn't exceed 3%
 Refer to the figure below, which shows
the equivalent single-phase circuit
diagram of a three-phase feeder under
balanced load conditions. a) Equivalent
The resistance R and the reactance X single-
are shown as lumped values that phase
represent the total resistance and circuit
inductive reactance actually distributed diagram
over the entire circuit.
The power factor of the load affects
b) Phasor
the voltage drop as shown in fig. b and
diagram
c.
with unity
With lagging power factor load, the power
load current lags the voltage, which factor load
alters the relationships of the voltage
drop components IR and IX with c) Phasor diagram
respect to the voltage. with lagging
This change in in relationships factor load
increases the difference between VS
and VL, thus increasing the voltage
drop.
 voltage drop is the difference between the voltage at the source of the
The
feeder , which is assumed to be constant, and the voltage across the load ,
which varies with the feeder current.
This voltage drop in volts is then expressed as a percentage of the source
voltage. Therefore,

The voltage drop on the feeder depends on:

1. Current flowing in the feeder
2. Length of the feeder
3. Resistance per unit length r
4. Inductive reactance per unit length x
5. Power factor of the load
 The precise calculations to determine the voltage drop
for a particular feeder are complex. However, once
again tables can be used to give fairly accurate values
that are satisfactory for most applications.
Because of the many factors previously listed, these
tables must be prepared for specific conditions.
The two factors previously listed as affecting the
voltage drop and that would be hard to accommodate
directly into the table are the current flowing in the
feeder and the length of the feeder.
Therefore, the values listed in the table represent the
voltage drops for each 1000 ampere-feet of circuit.
Question: To test your knowledge, take the
following pop quiz. What is the minimum
NEC-recommended operating voltage for a
115V load connected to a 120V source.

Solution
The maximum conductor voltage-drop
recommended for both the feeder and
branch circuit is 5% of the voltage source
(120V). The total conductor voltage drop
(feeder and branch circuit) shouldn't exceed
120V0.05=6V. Calculate the operating
voltage at the load by subtracting the
conductor voltage drop from the voltage
source: 120V-6V=114V. Therefore, the
correct answer is 114V.
 Exercise 1
Let's look at a 3-phase example. A 3-phase, 36kVA load rated 208V is wired
to the panelboard with 80-foot lengths of 1 AWG THHN aluminum. What is
the approximate voltage drop of the feeder circuit conductors?

Note: take K 12.9 ohms for

copper and 21.2 ohms for
aluminum.
 Exercise 2
Suppose you have a 3-phase, 15kVA load rated 480V and 390 feet of
conductor. What size conductor will prevent the voltage drop from
exceeding 3%?
Excercies 3
You could also rearrange the formula to solve a problem like this one:
What is the maximum length of 6 AWG THHN you can use to wire a
480V, 3-phase, 37.5kVA transformer to a panelboard so voltage drop
doesn't exceed 3%?
Raceways
The function of a raceway is to provide space for, and support and mechanical protection to, the
insulated conductors of a feeder or branch circuit.

An equal function is to protect people against electrical hazards and to minimize the likelihood
of fires being caused by faults in the electrical wiring.

As previously discussed, the ampacities are reduced by having them installed in a raceway, but in
the interest of safety the NEC requires all wiring must be properly protected (Section 300-4).

The final function of metallic-type raceways is to provide for continuity of the equipment
grounding system throughout the building.

Raceways, therefore, are an important part of electrical system in a building.

 The NEC defines a raceway as an enclosed channel
designed expressly for holding wires, cables, or
busbars.
Raceways may be constructed from metal or insulating
material.
Raceways may be rigid or flexible conduit, tubing,
underfloor raceways, cellular floor raceways, wireways,
and busways.
 Number of Conductors Permitted in Conduit
The number of conductors that can be installed in any one run of conduit must be
restricted.

The total cross-sectional area of the conductors, including the insulation, must not exceed a
specified percentage of the cross-sectional area of the inside of the conduit. This referred
to as the percentage fill.

If the percentage fill is too high, then the cables can be damaged as they are pulled
through the run of conduit.

Also the heat buildup within the conduit from the conductor currents could become
excessive under operation because of overcrowding.
The National Electrical Code restricts the percentage fill to 40% for three or more
conductors.
 Conductors in Parallel
For larger-rated feeders, it may be desirable
to parallel two or more conductors per phase,
rather than use one large conductor, paralleling
means that the conductors of each phase are
electrically joined at both ends to effectively
form a single conductor as shown.
As previously illustrated, the ampacity of
conductors is not a linear function of their size;
that is, the doubling of the cross-sectional area
of the conductor doesnt result in the doubling
of its ampacity rating.
Another reason to use to avoid using large
conductors is the difficulty of pulling them into
the raceway.
Also, a large-sized conduit is required, which is
cumbersome to handle during installation.

The general recommendation for conductors installed in conduit is that, if
required conductor size is computed to be larger than 500 MCM, then
paralleling should definitely be considered. In fact, the NEC allows
conductors size 1/0 and larger to be paralleled ( Section 310-4).

As an example of the desirability of paralleling, consider the following.

A three-wire feeder requires an ampacity of 500 amperes. If one THW conductor
per phase is used, the size required is 900 MCM (rated for 520 A). If two
conductors in parallel are used, then the size required for each is only 250 MCM
(rated 255 A for a total of 510 amperes). The two 250 MCM conductors have a total
of only 55% of the cross-sectional area of the 900 MCM conductor and will
therefore cost less. The six 250 MCM conductors can be installed in two runs of
inch conduit, whereas the three 900 MCM conductors require a 4 inch conduit.
 In the foregoing example, the six 250 MCM conductors
could have been installed in one run of conduit. However,
this would mean that the derate factor for more than
three conductors in a raceway would have to be applied,
resulting in larger-sized conductors being required.
The recommendation, therefore, is that the parallel
conductors be installed in separate runs of conduit. This
requires that one of each of the phase conductors and the
neutral (if used) must be grouped together in each conduit
run.
If this not done, then there is not a complete canceling of
the magnetic flux around the conductors, with the result
that the parallel conductors do not have the same
reactance and therefore do not equally share the feeder
total current.
In addition, if steel conduits are used, then the residual
flux causes severe heating problems in the steel through
Contd
The parallel conductors must equally share the total feeder
current. Otherwise, one conductor could end up being
overloaded, resulting in overheating problems.
In addition to the arrangement of conductors in each phase and
the neutral must be of the same length, material, and size, have
the same insulation, and be terminated in the same manner.
 Examples of Feeder Design
In the normal course of the design of a feeder, the unknown factor is the required
minimum conductor size that will meet each of the three separate requirements
previously outlined: the ampacity rating, the short-circuit current rating, and the
maximum allowable voltage drop. However, before proceeding with some design problems,
there is one more item to discuss.
Article 220 of the NEC covers Branch-Circuit and Feeder Calculations. Part B of this
article is concerned with the ampacity requirements of feeders, and in particular section
220-10(b) deals with Continuous and Non-continuous Loads.
For a continuous load, the maximum current is expected to continue steadily for 3 hours or above.
Conversely, a non-continuous load fluctuates and only operates at its maximum current for short
periods of time.
An example of a continuous load is the general lighting for an office, which usually operates with all
the lighting fixtures turned on continuously for 8 hours or more.
An example of a noncontinuous load is the lighting in a residential complex, where each
lighting fixture randomly switched on and off, and it is extremely unlikely that all the
units would be on at the same time for long periods of time.
 Where a feeder supplies any combination of a continuous and/or non-continuous
load, the ampacity of the feeder shall not be less than 125% of the continuous load
plus the non-continuous load.

There are two exceptions to this requirement. The first concerns feeders to groups
of motor. The second concerns 100% rated overcurrent devices.

For the method of calculating minimum load requirements for the feeders to panels
supplying lighting units and general purpose receptacles see next chapter.
 The following examples show the procedures for the selection of feeder conductors.

Example