Cable Selection

Industrial and Commercial Installation Systems

E40T001M18
 Cable selection
Learning content
Learn the relationship between Ib,In and Iz
Selecting a proper sized cable,
Calculation of the Cross-sectional Areas of Circuit Live Conductors
Cable selection

Fuse or Circuit breaker size (In)

Enough rating to pass the design current, but
not too large to avoid tripping

Cable rating (Iz)

Enough size to flow current in overloaded
situation, until breaker trips without cable
damage, but not over size for feasibility.
 Cable Selection
When a current is passed through a conductor it causes it to rise in temperature.
Heat in cables is the electrician’s worst nightmare.
When installing circuits it is important that the correct size current-carrying conductor
is selected to carry the current required without causing the cable to overheat and that
the voltage drop caused by the resistance of the cable is not greater than is
permissible.
 Cable Selection
following calculations are designed to compensate for conductor temperature rise.

1. We must first calculate the design current that the circuit will have to carry ( I b )
Calculation is ( Ib design current = Power / Voltage).
2. A over current protective device must now be selected ( In ); this must be equal to or greater than
Ib .
3. Select the cable size. If the cable is to be installed in areas where environmental conditions will not
allow the cable to cool, rating factors will be need to be used. This will ensure that the cable size
selected will be suitable for installation and will not be adversely affected by the additional
temperatures likely to be encountered.
EXAMPLE 1
Cable Selection
Ca is a rating factor to be used where ambient temperature is above or below 30 deg C. This factor can
be found in Table 4B1 Appendix 4 of BS7671.

Cg is a rating factor to be used where the cable is grouped or bunched (touching) with other cables.
This factor can be found in Table 4C1 Appendix 4 of BS7671.

Ci is a factor for use where a conductor is surrounded by thermal insulation and can be found in Table
52.2 part 5 of BS7671.

Cf is a factor for rewirable fuses and is always 0.725. This factor must always be used when rewirable
fuses protect a circuit.
EXAMPLE 1
Cable Selection
These factors should be multiplied together and then divided into In
Therefore the calculation is

𝑰𝒏
It = Iz 𝑰𝒕 ≥
𝑪𝒂 𝒙 𝑪𝒈𝒙 𝑪𝒊 𝒙 𝑪𝒇

It is the value given in the current carrying tables in appendix 4 of BS 7671.

The current carrying capacity of the cable must be equal to or greater than the result of this
calculation.
It should be remembered that all of the correction factors which affect the cable at the same section
should be used.
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 1
A circuit is to be installed using 2.5mm2 – 1.5mm2 twin and earth 70°C non sheathed thermoplastic
cables; it is 32 m long and protected by a BS 88 fuse. The load to be supplied is a 4.2kW kiln, the circuit
is to be installed in mini plastic trunking containing one other circuit at an ambient temperature of
35°C. Maximum permissible voltage drop is 7 volts.

Answer: Design current = 4.2kW / 230V = 18.26A (Breaker size =20A)

In the example the cable is installed in plastic trunking.
Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 1
From BS 7671 Table 4A2 we must
now select an installation
method to use, when we use the
current carrying capacity table
for selecting the cable size.
Number 6/7 method B matches
the example used
EXAMPLE 1
Cable Selection
The cable is installed in a trunking which will contain one other circuit. The ambient temperature is 35°C. A correction
factor for ambient temperature ( C a ) from Table 4B1 must be used. For thermoplastic cable @ 35°C the factor is
0.94.
EXAMPLE 1
Cable Selection
Correction factor for grouping ( C g ) is required from BS 7671 Table 4C1; it can be seen that for two circuits in one
enclosure a factor of 0.8 must be used.
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 1
Using these factors it is now possible to calculate the minimum size conductors required for this circuit.

𝑰𝒏 𝟐𝟎
𝑰𝒕 ≥ = 𝑨 = 𝟐𝟔. 𝟓𝟗𝑨
𝑪𝒂 𝒙 𝑪𝒈 𝟎. 𝟗𝟒𝑿𝟎. 𝟖

This is the minimum value of current that the cable must be able to carry to enable it to be installed in
the environmental conditions affecting the cable.
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 1
From Table 4D5 columns 1 and 4 it can be seen that a 4mm2 cable has an It (current carrying capacity)
of 27 amperes. A cable with 4mm2 live conductors will carry the current in these conditions
without overheating.
EXAMPLE 1 Cable Selection
But will it comply with the voltage drop requirements?
From Table 4D5 column 8 it can be seen that 4mm2 cable has a voltage drop of 11 (mV/A/m) or
millivolts x load current x length of circuit. As the value is in millivolts it must be converted to volts by
dividing by 1000.
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 1
But will it comply with the voltage drop requirements?
The circuit length is 32 meters and the load current is 18.26 amperes.
Standard voltage drop = 11 (mV/A/m)

𝟏𝟏𝒙𝟏𝟖. 𝟐𝟔𝒙𝟑𝟐
𝑽𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒑 = = 𝟔. 𝟒𝟐 𝑽𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒔
𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎

The voltage drop in this cable will be 6.42 volts which is acceptable as the maximum
permissible for the circuit is 7 volts.
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 2
A 6kW load is to be supplied at 230 V by a PVC sheathed and insulated twin and cpc copper cable, 8
metres in length. The cable is clipped on the surface through an area with an ambient temperature
of 40°C and is grouped with three other cables of similar size and loading. The protection is by means
of a BS 3036 fuse. Calculate the minimum cable size required (it is assumed in this example that all the
correction factors need to be applied).
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 2
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 2
 Cable Selection
EXAMPLE 2
 Cable Selection
Calculating the right size - SUMMARY
There are five steps to calculating the right size of cable for a particular load. These are as follows:
1. Calculate the design current (Ib). This is the normal current drawn by the load. It is usually
determined as follows:
Ib = Watts / Volts
2. Select the type and current rating of the overcurrent device (In).
3. Apply the relevant correction factors to obtain the tabulated current (It). Correction factors are
applied to situations which inhibit a cable from dissipating its heat caused by
the normal flow of current through it. Therefore, the following correction factors, if applicable, are
applied:
 Cable Selection
Calculating the right size – SUMMARY…
Ambient temperature, Ca This factor is obtained from Table 4C1 (or Table 4C2 if a rewireable fuse to BS
3036 is used) in Appendix 4 of BS 7671.
Grouping, Cg This factor is found by reference to Table 4B1 in Appendix 4. Table 4B2 is used where
mineral insulated cables are installed on perforated cable tray. Thermal insulation, Ci Where a cable is
in contact with thermal insulation on one side only, the current-carrying capacity of the cable should
be calculated using Reference Method 4, which is described in Appendix 4 (Table 4A) of BS
7671. Where a cable is totally surrounded by thermal insulation for a distance greater than 0.5 meters,
the current-carrying capacity should be taken, in the absence of further information, as 0.5 times the
current-carrying capacity for that cable when using Installation Method 1 (open and clipped direct).
 Cable Selection
Calculating the right size – SUMMARY…
Where a cable is totally surrounded by thermal insulation for a distance of 0.5 metres or less, Table
52A in BS 7671 gives derating factors which must be applied.
Rewireable fuse (BS 3036) factor, Cf Where a rewireable fuse to BS 3036 is used, a further correction
factor of 0.725 is applied, due to the poor fusing factor of rewireable fuses.
How to apply correction factors
These correction factors are applied as divisors to the nominal current rating of the overcurrent
protective device (In), to obtain the tabulated current, It . For example, in the worst possible situation
where all four factors are applied, the formula would look like this:
 Cable Selection
How to apply correction factors…
The more correction factors we apply, the larger the value of It will be and hence the larger the size of
cable we will require. Consequently, it is advantageous to avoid having to apply correction
factors where possible by, such measures as, avoiding grouping of cables and avoiding contact
with thermal insulation.
However the formula given above is based on the assumption that the conditions requiring the
application of correction factors apply simultaneously to the same part of the cable along its route.
Where particular correction factors are appropriate to different parts of the cable along its route, each
part can be treated separately. Alternatively, only the correction factor (or combination of factors)
applicable to the worst situation along the cable route can be applied to the whole route. (See Item 6.4
of Appendix 4 in BS 7671)
 Correct order of Selection

Next we have to do the calculations

Needs
1. BS7671 on site guide book
2. Calculator
 Correct order of Selection

1. Calculate the design current, or load

The amount of current draws when a circuit, or electrical appliance (machine) is
working in correct order.

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑠

𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 =
230𝑉
 Correct order of Selection
Example 3
You have to install hot water shower rated 7kW in a hotel. Cable type is flat twin as a
radial circuit. Reference method is A. 30mA RCD is installed in the CU.

Determine
1. The design current (load current)
2. The size of the breaker (BS EN60898 - MCB)
3. Size of the cable
 Cable installation reference methods
On site guide Part 7 Page 74
Table 7.1(ii)
Installation reference methods and
cable ratings for 700C
thermoplastic (PVC) insulated and
sheathed flat cable with protective
conductor

Twin and Earth Wire Twin flat cable

 Finding the design current
1. The design current (load current)
7000𝑊
𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 = = 30.43A
230𝑉
 Breaker Selection
On site guide Part 7 Page 64
2. The size of the breaker
(BS EN60898)

Answer is RCBO
In = 32A
 Correct order of Selection
On site guide Part 7 Page 72

3. Size of the
cable

Power cable size

= 6 sq. mm
Earth cable size
= 2.5 Sq. mm