Why Voltage Drop And Power Cable Calculations Are Important In An Electrical Network

An electrical network consists of many wired connection to supply power as per utilisation demands. It’s a common observation that an air-conditioner needs more power and a light bulb requires less power. Various sizes of cables with different voltage and current ratings are available in the market for different type of connections in an electrical network. Every wire or cable has some amount of voltage drop factor along with many other important considerations like maximum current throughput, maximum travel distance and such others.

Why it’s necessary to calculate cable sizes: In any large scale and high voltage electrical installation, there are a lot of cables that are used for channelizing power. These cables vary on their costs depending upon the size, core materials and make. In any electrical installation, if thick cables are used, they may add-up significantly to the overall cost. Also thick cables add to the voltage drops due to their resistance and other factors. Hence there are specific standardizations of cables that are purposed for specific application. To keep the budget in limit and to use the electricity in the most efficient manner it is essential to calculate cable sizes for specific installations. Power cable calculations are important for any installation for this reason. It is also necessary to calculate voltage drops in any electrical installation if done commercially. A drop in voltage reduces the current flow resulting in less output or ceasing of the entire system. When there is a requirement for electrical installation in a large segment, it is therefore quite essential to calculate cable sizes for each installation segment along with power cable calculations. It is further essential to check and calculate voltage drops for planning a perfect power distribution.