EE 513 Electrical System Design

Planning for Electrical Design

1. Four Vital Requirements of an electrical design
2. Three basic steps in the design of an electrical system
3. Approach in the design task
4. Safety provisions
1. NEC
2. IEC
3. OSHA
5. Spare Capacity
6. System Analysis
7. Type of Building
8. Standard equipment
9. System Power Supply

Objectives:
1. Realize the importance of incorporating spare
capacity in the design.
2. Examine the characteristics of a good electrical
design.





Spare Capacity
An electrical system should have sufficient capacity
to serve the loads for which it is designed.
Spare capacity must be included in the design to meet
anticipated growth in the load of the system.
Conductors and raceways
Substations
Transformers
Switching and protective devices
Branch circuit



Spare Capacity
NEC (or PEC) provides an obscure recommendations
on allowances.
Problems
Conduit risers are filled to capacity
Conductors are loaded fully or overloaded
Modernization is impeded by the absence of space.
Modern electrical design must include careful
planning for future increases in electrical utilization.


Spare Capacity
The following should be sized for considreable load
growth:
Mains
Switchgear
Transformers
Feeders
Panelboards
Circuits




Spare Capacity
Conductors should be selected on the basis of:
Carrying capacity
Voltage drop
Estimated future requirements
Conduits, wireways, troughs and other raceways
should be sized to allow future increase in occupancy
The space used to house electrical equipment (electric
closets, switchgear rooms, substation cages, riser, and
pipe shafts and etc. should accommodate more
equipment at a later date.




Spare Capacity
Every design must include:
Flexibility
Should readily accommodate changes
Accessibility
Must provide ease of access
Reliability
Continuity of electrical supply




System Analysis
Involves the careful determination of all the usual and
special electrical requirements for the type of building.
Activities to be performed in the building
Nature of electrical usage
Some building types:
School
Office building
Industrial plant
hospital
Designer must know
the history of electrical
applications in these
types of buildings and
must be well informed
of the current trends
System Analysis
What kind of building?
1. Small or large
2. Single-story or multilevel
3. An industrial plant, office building, apartment
house, school, hospital, and etc.
These characteristics give insight to the
types of electrical utilization
need for flexibility
accessibility of the system
and duty cycles of various loads

Standard equipment
Maximum standardization in equipment type and
ratings
Standard supply voltage
Standard-rated transformers
Switchgear
Motors
Lack of standardization complicates maintenance
Replacement parts are not easy to obtain
Large inventory of parts and equipment
Efficiency of personnel is reduced


Standard equipment
Use of special, nonstandard equipment and voltages
may seriously impair expansion or alteration of the
electrical system at a later date.
Where special nonstandard equipment is necessary for
the particular function of a building, such equipment
must be carefully selected and integrated into the
sytem.

System Power Supply
Power may be supplied by:
1. Distribution system of an electric utility
Most common type
Must be matched to the requirements of the building
2. Private generating plant
The need for large amounts of process steam makes
possible the use of excess steam to generate energy
economically (such in case of paper and pulp mills)
Part of the total electrical load