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Chap 2

This document discusses various electrical materials, components, and accessories used in wiring and power distribution systems. It describes conductor materials like copper and aluminum that are used in wires and cables. It also discusses insulating materials like rubber, PVC, and paper that are used to cover conductors. The document outlines different types of cables and how they are used based on voltage levels and insulation. It also covers other electrical components like switches, fuse boxes, circuit breakers, and conduits.

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Mr Nobody
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235 views

Chap 2

This document discusses various electrical materials, components, and accessories used in wiring and power distribution systems. It describes conductor materials like copper and aluminum that are used in wires and cables. It also discusses insulating materials like rubber, PVC, and paper that are used to cover conductors. The document outlines different types of cables and how they are used based on voltage levels and insulation. It also covers other electrical components like switches, fuse boxes, circuit breakers, and conduits.

Uploaded by

Mr Nobody
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Electrical

2 Materials,
Components
and Accessories
Electrical Materials, Components and Accessories
Electricity requires an electric path
to flow and there are many
conducting materials used for this
purpose. There are many semi
conducting materials which are
used to reduce the voltage and also
drop the current flow. There are
non-conducting materials which are
used as insulation during working
on live-lines.
Wire and Cable

In practice:-
• bare conductors, whether single or stranded together are
termed as Wire.
• Conductors covered with insulation are termed as cables.

• The necessary requirements of a cable are


- Conduct efficiently
- Cheap
- Safe
A Cable consists of three parts
a) The conductor or core:- the current carrying part of the metal.
b) The insulation or dielectric:- a covering of the conductor use to
avoid leakage current from the conductor.
c) The protective covering:- for protection of insulation from
mechanical damage.
Conductor materials used in cables

The conductor material used for transmission and distribution of


electric power should have the following properties:

i. high electrical conductivity.


ii. high tensile strength in order to withstand mechanical stresses.
iii. low cost so that it can be used for long distances.
iv. low specific gravity so that weight per unit volume is small.

All above requirements are not found in a single material. Therefore,


while selecting a conductor material for a particular case, a compro
mise is made between the cost and the required electrical
and mechanical properties.
E.M.F. Equation of a Transformer
Commonly used conductor materials

The most commonly used conductor materials are copper, aluminum,


steel cored aluminum, galvanized steel and cadmium copper.

The choice of a particular material will depend upon the cost, the
required electrical and mechanical properties and the local
conditions.
1. Silver: is the best conductor but due to its higher cost it is
hardly used any where.
2. Copper: It is a good conductor of electricity. It is used in wiring
materials in cables. Its has low resistance and is used for
conduction of electricity at high, medium and low voltage
The electrical resistivity of pure copper at 200c is 1.786 x 10-8
ohm.m. It is mechanically strong, hard, extremely tough, durable
and ductile. It is highly resistive to corrosion, oxidation, and
pitting.
3. Aluminium: It is light weight and cheaper in comparison to
copper. is frequently used in place of copper for bare electric
cables used for long distance power distribution. The electrical
conductivity of aluminum is about 60% of that of copper. The
only application of aluminum cables for wiring in buildings is for a
continuous bus-bar system of distribution, used sometimes in
blocks of flat or office buildings for rising mains and sub-mains of
large sectional area.
Insulating materials

The insulating material used in electric cable must possess the


following properties.
 High resistivity
 High flexibility
 Non-in flammability
 High resistivity to moisture, acid or alkalis qualities.
Various types of insulating materials used in cables are:
1. Rubber: rubber may be natural or synthetic. Its dielectric
strength is 30KV/mm. Though it posses high insulating qualities, it
absorbs moisture readily, softens when heated to a temperature of
600c to 700c, swells under the action of mineral oils and ages
when exposed to light. Hence pure rubber cannot be used as
insulating materials.

2. PVC (Polyvinyl chloride): polyvinyl chloride is a man made


thermo-plastic materials, which is tough, incombustible and
chemically uncreative. Its chief drawback is that it softens at a
temperature above 800c. It does not deteriorate with age and
does not need to be renewed. PVC insulated cables are usually
employed for low and medium voltage domestic and industrial
lights and power installation.
Transformer with Winding Resistance but No Magnetic Leakage
3. Vulcanized Indian Rubber: It is prepared by mixing Indian
rubber with minerals such as Sulphur, zinc, red lead, etc. It
absorbs water, which reduces its insulation properties and
becomes brittle with age. The use of VIR cables is limited to low
voltage distribution and internal wiring as paper-insulated cables
have largely superseded them.

4. Impregnated paper: it is quite cheap, has low capacitance,


high dielectric strength (30KV/mm), and high insulation resistivity
(10Mohm-cm). The main advantage of paper insulated cable is
that a cable of given size can be worked out at a higher current
density than a VIR cable. Impregnated paper insulated cable on its
own would be too fragile to be used unprotected, and a lead
sheath is applied over the insulation. Paper insulated cables are
used for conveying large power in transmission and distribution
and particularly for distribution at low voltage in congested areas.
Types of cables used in internal wiring

The wires used for internal wiring of buildings may be divided in


to different groups according to:
• The type of conductor
• The number of cores
• The voltage grading
• The type of insulation used

a) According to the number of cores: single core, twin core, and


twin core with ECC (earth continuity conductor).
b) According to voltage grading: divided in to two classes: 250/440
volt and 650/1100-volt cable.
c) According to type of insulation: Vulcanized Indian Rubber (VIR),
Lead sheathed, PVC, Weather proof, Flexible cords and cables
Colors of conductors:

Color identification of bare conductors and cable cores are given


by EELPA’S regulation

Earthing ----------------------------------------------------- White


Live of a.c single-phase circuit ------------------------- Green
Neutral of ac single or three phase ac circuit ------ Black
Phase R of three-phase ac circuit --------------------- Green
Phase S of three-phase ac circuit --------------------- Yellow
Phase T of three-phase ac circuit --------------------- Red
Conduits

The commonest method of installing cables is to draw them in to


a conduit. The conduit can be steel or plastic.
Conduits can be classified as:
a) Light gauge steel-plain (unscrewed) conduit.
b) Heavy gauge steel-screwed conduit.
c) Flexible conduit
d) PVC conduit.
Conduit accessories and fittings

• Conduit couplers:
- used to join two lengths of conduit
- are threaded on both ends.
• Bends elbows and tees: - are generally
called conduit fittings.
- Bends are usually used for change in
direction of conduit.
- The minimum allowable radius of
curvature is 2.5 times the outside diameter
of the conduit.
• Conduit boxes
- are used in surface conduit wiring as well
as concealed conduit wiring.
- are of different designs which serve the
following purposes:
Lighting accessories and fittings

• Switches
• Lamp holders
• Plugs and socket outlets
Fuse and circuit breakers

• Fuse : It has narrow strip of


metal which is designed to melt
when current exceeds the rated
value
• Circuit breakers Designed to
interrupt the power to a circuit
due to the current flow exceeds
safe level.
Losses in a Transformer

Most breakers will carry


- 150% of their rated load for 1 min
- 200% for about 20 sec
- 300% for about 5 sec

Standard Rating
6, 10, 16, 20, 25, 35, 50, 63, 80, 100, 125, 160, 224, 250, 300,
and large sizes.

Rating of cables :1.5 2.5 4 6 10 16 25 35 50 70 95 120 150 185


240 300 400 500 630 800
Distribution board

Is an assemblage of parts for the distribution of electrical energy


to the final circuits.
It includes
• fuses
• circuit breakers
• main switches
• frame
• bus-bar

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