Basics

Instrument Cable Voltage Drop

Sizing of instrument cable should be performed to ensure that instrument device such as solenoid valve and its cabling works properly.

There are two factors that should be checked i.e. voltage drop and current carrying capacity.

Voltage drop is calculated as follows:

Instrument Cable Voltage Drop

where:

Rio = Input resistance of I/O Card (Ohm)
Rw = Resistance of wire at specified temperature per lenght (Ohm/m)
Rins = Resistance of instrument device (Ohm)
L = Length of cable / distance from instrument to cabinet in control room (m)
In = Load current (A), obtained from power consumption of instrument device divided by power supply voltage.

Rins, Rio and Rw can be obtained from manufacturer’s catalog for instrument, I/O card and cable respectively.

The cable suits the application if calculated voltage drop is less than maximum permissible voltage drop by the system.

Current Carrying Capacity of a certain cable is defined as the maximum current that can flow through a cable without melting the conductor or insulation. Current Carrying Capacity varies depending on several factors such as conductor size, ambient temperature, and cable installation.

These factors are referred as derating factors and IEC has established the values for each.The cable suits the application if nominal current (In) is less than current carrying capacity.

Read Next:

Source: instrument-control blog

You've successfully subscribed !
Share

Recent Articles

  • PLC Tutorials

STAR DELTA Programming using PLC Controller

In this article, you will learn the STAR DELTA programming using PLC controller to start…

3 days ago
  • Instrumentation Design

Single and Three Phase Immersion Electrical Heaters Wiring Circuits

Lube oil consoles of rotary equipment packages in industrial process plants are usually equipped with…

9 hours ago
  • Instrumentation Design

Immersion Heaters in Lube Oil Consoles

Rotating equipment packages such as pumps, compressors, turbines need the lube oil consoles for their…

2 days ago
  • PLC Tutorials

How to Blink Lights in Ladder Logic?

This article explains how to blink lights in ladder logic with a detailed explanation video…

3 weeks ago
  • PLC Tutorials

From Boolean Algebra to PLC Logic

In this article, a simple example will teach you the conversion from Boolean algebra to…

1 month ago
  • PLC Tutorials

PLC Cooking Timer Example for Kitchen Automation

In this article, you will learn the PLC cooking timer example for kitchen automation using…

3 weeks ago