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Electrical Principles
Electrical Principles
LECTURE NOTES
POWER DISTRIBUTION
Sources of energy: wind, water, nuclear, fossil fuel, solar (photovoltaic)
and geothermal
Photovoltaic cells convert solar energy directly into an electric current
Other sources - produce a rotary mechanical motion that drives electric
generators which in turn convert movement into electricity
Transformers - used to “step-up” (increase) the electrical power to very
high voltages transmitted by wires over long distances
o Large – used to “step-down” the voltage to a few thousand volts
where transmission lines enter a community for local distribution
o Small – set on poles (or in underground vaults) used for final
distribution to small groups of houses or buildings
Voltages of 120 (i.e. in Japan, USA) and 240 (i.e. in Philippines, UK) –
delivered to residences and small buildings
o Voltage drop – occurs in a building’s circuit during delivery
o 110 or 220 volts – actual delivered voltage to electrical outlets
ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENTS
Electrical properties – measured with instruments
Units of electricity – volt, ampere, watt are used in both metric and
customary outlets
Volt – unit of electrical pressure or potential
o Makes electricity flow through the wire
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
R = E
I
R = 120
10
R = 12 ohms
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
SAFETY
Protect wiring and equipment for damage
Protect people from electrical shock and possible electrocution
Major design flaws result in electrical damage and injury
o Current overloads
o Improper grounding
o Exposed wiring
o Wrong wire size
o Insufficient outlets – results in an excessive use of extension chords
Good practices to eliminate potential problems
o Adequate circuit design
o Use of correct circuit breakers and wiring sizes
o Sufficient outlets
o Code-approved grounding methods
Surge Protection
o Surges – microsecond increases in voltage that are significantly
above the capacity of a wiring system or device to withstand
Result in burned wires and damaged circuits and
equipment
Can ignite wires and adjacent materials if very high
o Surge protection - provided through:
service entrance
distribution panel
lightning rod grounding
added power supply connection to sensitive electronic
devices (computers, TV, phone)
provide ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) where water
may contact outlets (ex. lavatory counters)
o Grounding – method of ensuring that excess voltage surges are
dissipated harmlessly into the earth;
NEC (National Electrical Code) required ground rods to
penetrate at least 2.40m deep up to 9m deep in sandy soil
Code requires a resistance of 25 ohms or less
o Lightning rods – direct lightning strike voltage to the ground and
away from the building
Provides a path of least electrical resistance from the strike
point to the ground
Lightning rod system – consists of a series of short lightning
rods (air terminals) located above the highest point or a
building
Connected through cables to at least two grounding
rods 600mm from the foundation to shown in the site
plan
A must for buildings not surrounded by other taller
buildings and tall trees (nature’s lightning rod)
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022
2022-2023
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
BRANCH CIRCUITS
From the distribution panel, electricity is routed to the rest of the building
through branch circuits
Circuit – a circular path that electricity follows from the power supply
source to a light, appliance or other electrical device and back again to
the power source
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
Lighting circuits may also be used for small devices like clocks and
o
radios
o It is not necessary to provide a service capable of supplying the full
load since all lights and other devices are not probably not going
to be used at the same time
Small-appliance Circuits
o Circuits that provide power to outlets whenever small appliances
are likely to be connected
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS
Wires used to conduct electricity are classified by the type of:
o Wire material
o Insulation material
o Wire size
Wire size is classified by number in reverse order size as shown in the
following table with ampere rating of different wire sizes from 0000 to 14
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AR 3181 – Building Utilities 2
Module for Short Term Ay 2022-2023
Materials
o Aluminum is lighter and less expensive than copper, but with
stricter rules
o Insulation is available in flexible metal armored or nonmetal
sheathed form
o For underground or exposed wiring – encase wire in rigid or flexible
metal or uPVC (plastic) conduits
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