UNIVERSITY OF MALTA

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
B.ENG. (HONS.) IN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
YEAR IV – SEMESTER I

JANUARY 2016 SESSION OF EXAMINATIONS

EPC4102 – Electrical Building Technology 21st January 2016

Reading Time: 08.30 am to 08.35 am

Duration of Examination: 08.35 am to 10.35 am

This paper contains FOUR questions. You are to attempt any THREE.
Each question is to be answered in a new page.

Stationery: Use of calculators is allowed

1. a. During the manufacturing of lamps various tests are done to obtain the lamp technical
characteristics. One of the tests carried out is to measure the Luminous Intensity of a lamp.
Describe two methods and show mathematically how the Luminous Intensity is measured.

(8 marks)

b. A road is to be illuminated by means of luminaries suspended 10m above the centre line of
the road. The luminaries are spaced 30m apart. Data for the intensity distribution curve of
each luminaire is given below.

Angle to vertical 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
(degrees)
Luminous 185 200 230 240 230 220 190 120 60 0
intensity
(cd/1000 lm)

Low Pressure Sodium (SOX) 90W lamps are installed in each luminaire having a luminous
flux of 10,000 lumens.

Considering only two luminaries, L1 and L2:

i. draw the front and side view of this layout

(2 marks)
ii. find the value of illuminance, in lux, along the centre line of the road,
a. vertically below luminaire L1 (4 marks)
b. 5m away from L1 (4 marks)
c. 15m away from L1 (4 marks)

Ignore any light contribution from the other luminaries adjacent to the two mentioned luminaries
and assume that the values of luminous intensity are linearly proportional between the given angles.

Question 1 continues on Page 2

Page 1 of 9
c. In floodlighting systems the Beam Angle, Beam Width and the distance a floodlight is
installed away from the area to be lit are considered. For one floodlight, obtain an expression
for the Beam Width (BW) in terms of the Beam Angle (BA) and the Distance (D).
(3 marks)

d. A façade measuring 15m wide by 40m high is to be lit by a number of floodlights. These
floodlights are equipped with a 250W SONT lamp giving a light output of 27000 lumens
with a beam angle of 14 degrees. From the datasheet of the floodlight, the peak intensity is
given as 20500 cd/1000 lumens with a Beam Efficiency (BF) of 60%. The Light Loss Factor
(LLF) and the Waste Light Factor (WLF) are given as 0.7 and 0.8 respectively.

Calculate:

i. The actual maximum intensity of the beam.

(2 marks)

ii. The distance that the floodlight need to be installed away from the façade, to obtain a
peak illuminance of 200lux.
(2 marks)

iii. The illuminance at the edge of the beam.

(2 marks)

iv. The number of floodlights required so that an average illuminance of not less than
200 lux is achieved.
(2 marks)

Page 2 of 9
2. a. Define the following terms as applied to electrical installations:

i. Pre-arcing time of a fuse

ii. Arcing time of a fuse
iii. Let through energy
iv. Discrimination

(4 marks)

b. List the four (4) factors which influence the arcing time of a fuse.
(4 marks)

c. Describe the various methods as outlined in the IEE regulations (BS 7671), which can
be used to protect persons and livestock against electric shock. Clearly underline which
of these methods can be used as basic protection systems, fault protection systems or
both.
(6 marks)

d. Mention three (3) possible ways how in practice you can possibly improve the
particular measurements of an earth electrode system if these have been found to be
unsatisfactory.

(3 marks)

e. With the aid of a clear diagram explain the principle of operation of a two pole residual
current device (RCD). Indicate in which supply/installation arrangement RCDs cannot
be used for protection against electric shock and give reasons for your answer.

(3 marks)

f. A guest house installation is fed from a 400/230V three phase and neutral supply. The
installation is designed to make use of a number of distribution boards, one of which has
the following connected circuits/loads:

 A heating load consisting of 6 x 2.2kW, 230V space heaters operating at

unity power factor and no diversity.

 A three phase cooking load of 17kW at 0.94 power factor and an allowance
for diversity of 67%.

 A three phase total of 14kW lighting at 0.87 power factor lagging with an
allowance for diversity of 82%.

 6 x 2kW, 230V rated thermostatically controlled water heaters operating at

unity power factor with no diversity allowance
Question 2 continues on Page 4

Page 3 of 9
 The distribution board is to be fed via single core PVC cables enclosed in trunking on
walls. The trunking will also be used to house three (3) other similar circuits. A section
of the trunking will pass through a kitchen where the maximum ambient temperature
may reach a value of 400C. Using tables A, B, C and D calculate:

i. The design current of the circuit after giving an allowance for 7 % future
load connection. No additional diversity factors other than those given above
are to apply.
(4 marks)

ii. The nominal current rating of a suitable Type C circuit breaker to BS EN

60898 which can be suitably used to protect the circuit.
(2 marks)

iii. The suitable cable size to carry the load of the distribution board.

(4 marks)

iv. The maximum distance that the distribution board can be installed away from
the main supply switchboard assuming that the allowable maximum voltage
drop up to the distribution board is to be limited to 6 volts.
(3 marks)

TABLE A

Type C circuit breaker ratings to BS EN 60898 (Amps)

32 40 50 63 80 100

TABLE B

Correction factors for grouping Cg

Reference method of
installation Number of circuits or multicore cables

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Cables in trunking on
a wall or suspended in 0.80 0.70 0.65 0.60 0.57 0.54 0.52
the air.

Question 2 continues on Page 5

Page 4 of 9
 TABLE C

Current carrying capacity for

cables in trunking on a wall or Voltage drop
suspended in the air. (mV/A/m)
(Ampères)

Copper 2 cables, single 3 or 4 cables, three

conductor 2 cables, 3 or 4 cables, phase a.c. phase a.c.
cross- single phase three phase (mV/A/m) (mV/A/m)
sectional area a.c. a.c.
(mm2) (amperes) (amperes) r x z r x z

25 101 89 1.80 0.33 1.80 1.50 0.29 1.55

35 125 110 1.30 0.31 1.30 1.10 0.27 1.10

50 151 134 0.95 0.30 1.00 0.81 0.26 0.85

70 192 171 0.65 0.29 0.72 0.56 0.25 0.61

95 232 207 0.49 0.28 0.56 0.42 0.24 0.48

TABLE D

Correction factors for ambient temperature Ca

Type of
insulation Ambient temperature (0C)

25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

PVC 1.03 1.0 0.94 0.87 0.79 0.71 0.61 0.50 0.35

Page 5 of 9
3. a. It is essential that the type of lighting system to be installed in a building is chosen at the
early stages of the building design. Discuss the necessary steps to be taken in order to
choose the correct lighting system.
(10 marks)

b. For a given type of lamp discuss and draw its performance, in terms of lamp life and
lamp lumens, in relation to changes in supply voltage.
(6 marks)

c. Write short notes on the following characteristics of a Power Distribution System which
will have an ultimate influence and effect on the electrical supply of
domestic/commercial/industrial clients:

i. Security
ii. Reliability
iii. Quality
(6 marks)

d. Make a list of the initial sequence of tests that have to be performed on an electrical
installation in accordance with the IEE regulations (BS7671) underlining those which
are done prior to and after energisation of the circuits. Clearly identify which of these
tests are performed to actually check the effectiveness of the earthing.
(5 marks)

e. The main distribution board (MDB) of small industrial plant is to be connected to a

utility substation with an 11/0.4kV transformer. The connection is made via a short
length of insulated busbar setup having negligible impedance. The power rating of the
transformer is 630 kVA with a percentage impedance of 5.5%.

Network design analysis has shown that the maximum short circuit current rating of the
switchgear and fuses inside the main board shall not exceed 16 kA. Given this
information calculate:

i. The maximum prospective short circuit level on the 11kV side of the utility
transformer which safeguards the installation design.
(3 marks)

One of the outgoing circuits from the main distribution board consists of a 4 core steel
wire armoured (SWA), XLPE insulated copper conductor cable feeding a sub
distribution panel (SDP) which in turn supplies a stationary load connected in close
vicinity. The cable route distance between the MDB and the SDP is 36m.

Given that the design short circuit rating of the switchgear and fuses installed inside the
sub distribution panel shall be limited to 7 kA, find:

ii. Using the information given in Table E, a suitable cable size which can
safely be used as a connection between the two panel boards.
(3 marks)

Question 3 continues on Page 7

Page 6 of 9
 Table E

Nominal cross-sectional area of cable conductor Resistance of conductor

mm2 Ω/Km

6 3.08

10 1.83

16 1.15

25 0.727

35 0.512

50 0.387

Page 7 of 9
4. a. Explain the term ‘Transmittance Coefficient (U-Value)’ of a composite building
structural element and express its relation with ‘Total Thermal Resistance’ as used in
heating calculations.
(3 marks)

b. Mention three types of extractor fans used for mechanical ventilation purposes.
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of each type and give examples of where
these are most suitably used.
(7 marks)

c. Write short notes on the following types of thermal resistances indicating the factors
which actually affect the respective resistance values in heating calculations

i. Surface resistances
ii. Air space resistances
(5 marks)

d. Derive an expression for the rate of heat loss Q (Watts) due to infiltration of external
air in a room if the air density is taken as 1.2 kg/m3, hourly infiltration rate N, volume
of room V (m3), specific heat capacity of air is 1000 J/kgoC and the difference in
temperature δθ (oC).

(3 marks)

e. The internal dimensions of a stand alone ground floor store are 15m x 13m with a
ceiling height of 3.8m. The structural elements and material components making up
the walls of the store are the following:

Component Thickness in mm Thermal conductivity W/moC

Brick outer leaf 154 1.147

Polystyrene board 28 0.0286

Lightweight concrete block 100 0.1374

Plaster 13 0.384

Given that the internal and external surface resistance of the wall structure are
0.123m2oC/W and 0.053 m2oC/W respectively calculate:

i. The overall thermal resistance of the wall

(7 marks)

Question 4 continues on Page 9

Page 8 of 9
The store has a main wooden door measuring 3.5m x 3m and an emergency door at the
back with dimensions 1.8m x 2m. The area covered by double glazed windows fixed on
walls is 8.5m2. The transmittance coefficients (U values) in W/m2oC for the other structural
components of the store are as follows:

Concrete roof 1.361

Tiled floor 0.929
Wooden doors 2.39
Double glazed windows 3.37

The external air temperature around the store building is 29oC and the store is to be cooled
by five (5) air conditioning split units each rated 9,000 Btu/hr. Heat gains due to
lighting and other appliances inside the store amount to 653W. The store is also equipped
by extractor fans capable of creating three (3) air changes per hour of air flow. The
number of workers in the store at any time is five (5).

Given that the estimated average heat gain from a person is 90W determine:

ii. The inside temperature at steady state conditions

(8 marks)

Additional data to be used in calculation is as follows:

 Specific heat capacity of air = 1000J/kgoC

 Density of air = 1.2kg/m3
 1 Btu = 1055J

Page 9 of 9