Page 1 of 4

CABLE SIZING CALCULATIONS BASED ON NEC

Following are steps for sizing cable as per NEC :

1. Determine the minimum conductor size

For MV cables a minimum conductor size shall be established based on the type of conductor used, the
operating time of the protection device and the available fault current, to prevent damaging or dangerous
temperatures in the conductor or conductor insulation under fault conditions.

2. Determine Cable ampacity

Continuous load - Article 100 Definitions of the NEC defines a Continuous Load as "A load where the
maximum current is expected to continue for 3 hours or more."
Noncontinuous loads can be defined as any load where current is expected to flow continuously for less than
3 hours at a time; i.e., a refrigerator/freezer

The ampacity of conductors before the application of any adjustment or correction factors shall be
calculated as follows : (Article 215.2 for feeders, 430.22 for motors , 610.14.E for hoist & crane motors )

1. Feeder conductors not more than 600V - Feeder conductors shall have a minimum ampacity not less
than the noncontinuous load plus 125 percent of the continuous load.

Exception No. 1 : Where the assembly, including the overcurrent devices protecting the feeder(s), is
listed for operation at 100 percent of its rating, the allowable ampacity of the feeder conductors shall be
permitted to be not less than the sum of the continuous load plus the noncontinuous load.

Exception No. 2 : Grounded conductors that are not connected to an overcurrent device shall be
permitted to be sized at 100 percent of the continuous and noncontinuous load.

2. Feeders over 600 Volts supplying only Transformers. The ampacity of feeder conductors shall not be
less than the sum of the nameplate ratings of the transformers supplied.

3. Feeders over 600 Volts supplying Transformers and Utilization Equipment. The ampacity of feeders
supplying a combination of transformers and utilization equipment shall not be less than the sum of the
nameplate ratings of the transformers and 125 percent of the designed potential load of the utilization
equipment that will be operated simultaneously.

4. Motors :
 Conductors that supply a single motor used in a continuous duty application shall have an
ampacity of not less than 125 percent of the motor’s full-load current rating as determined by
article 430.6(A)(1).
For crane and hoist motor 100 percent of motor nameplate full-load ampere rating

(Exception:
For dc motors operating from a rectified single-phase power supply, the conductors between the
field wiring terminals of the rectifier and the motor shall have an ampacity of not less than the
following percent of the motor full-load current rating:(a) Where a rectifier bridge of the single-
phase half wave type is used, 190 percent. (b) Where a rectifier bridge of the single-phase full
wave type is used, 150 percent.)
 For a wye-start, delta run connected motor, the selection of branch-circuit conductors on the line
side of the controller shall be based on the motor full-load current. The selection of conductors
between the controller and the motor shall be based on 58 percent of the motor full-load current.
 For a multispeed motor, the selection of branch-circuit conductors on the line side of the
controller shall be based on the highest of the full-load current ratings shown on the motor
nameplate. The selection of branch-circuit conductors between the controller and the motor shall
be based on the current rating of the winding(s) that the conductors energize.
 Page 2 of 4
CABLE SIZING CALCULATIONS BASED ON NEC

For crane and hoist motor the minimum ampacity of the power supply conductors shall be the
nameplate full-load ampere rating of the largest motor or group of motors for any single crane
motion, plus 50 percent of the nameplate full-load ampere rating of the next largest motor or
group of motors, using that column of Table 610.14(A) that applies to the longest time-rated
motor.
 Conductors supplying several motors, or a motor(s) and other load(s), shall have an ampacity
not less than 125 percent of the full-load current rating of the highest rated motor plus the sum of
the full-load current ratings of all the other motors in the group, as determined by 430.6(A), plus
the ampacity required for the other loads.
 Conductors for a motor used in a short-time, intermittent, periodic, or varying duty application
shall have an ampacity of not less than the percentage of the motor nameplate current rating
shown in Table 430.22(E), unless the authority having jurisdiction grants special permission for
conductors of lower ampacity.

3. Selecting Cable Size

Using the total minimum conductor ampacity computed in step 1, select the cable size based on NEC Article
310.

1. Ampacity Table Selection :

Appropriate table from NEC – 310.1 through 310.86 – is to be selected, taking the following into account:
- Cable configuration
- Conductor material
- Electrical duct
- Configuration
- Insulation type
- Raceway type
- Voltage

2. Adjustment Factors :

a. Ambient Temperature correction: Every ampacity table in NEC has a temperature correction factor
table. Appropriate deration shall be applied.
b. No. of current carrying conductors in a raceway or cable : Adjustment factor in accordance to article
310.15.B.2 shall be applied
c. Burial Depth of underground circuits : Adjustment factor in accordance to article 310.60.C.2 shall be
applied
d. Covered or uncovered cable tray : Adjustment factor in accordance to article 392.11, 392.12 &
392.13 shall be applied.
e. Soil resistivity : Adjustment factor in accordance to Annex B shall be applied.
f. Check for any additional adjustment factor application for underground circuits as per Annex B.

After applying the deration factors to the cable ampacity select cable size such that the derated cable
ampacity is greater than the cable ampacity calculated in step 1.

4. Voltage Drop Verification

- at three-phase AC-system
' '
ΔU %= √ 3⋅I⋅L⋅( R L⋅cos ϕ+ X L⋅sin ϕ )⋅100/ U
 Page 3 of 4
CABLE SIZING CALCULATIONS BASED ON NEC

- at single-phase AC-system:
' '
ΔU %=I⋅2⋅L⋅( R L⋅cos ϕ+ X L⋅sin ϕ )⋅100/ U

- at DC-system '
ΔU %=I⋅2⋅L⋅R DC⋅100/U
Where:
- I - operating or starting current (A),
- R’L - cable resistance (ohm / km),
- R’DC – cable dc resistance (ohm / km),
- X’L - cable reactance (ohm / km),
- L - one-way length of conductor, (km),
- U - nominal voltage (V),
- cos - power factor,
- sin - reactive factor.

Note:
The resistances of cables for a voltage drop calculation shall be determined from the conductor
temperature at the maximum operating temperature.
For motors running and starting voltage drop shall be verified.

5. Grounding Conductor

Copper, aluminium, or copper-clad aluminium equipment grounding conductors of the wire type shall not
be smaller than shown in Table 250.122, but in no case shall they be required to be larger than the circuit
conductors supplying the equipment.
Where ungrounded conductors are increased in size, equipment grounding conductors, where installed,
shall be increased in size proportionately according to the circular mil area of the ungrounded conductors.
Where a single equipment grounding conductor is run with multiple circuits in the same raceway, cable, or
cable tray, it shall be sized for the largest overcurrent device protecting conductors in the raceway, cable,
or cable tray. Equipment grounding conductors installed in cable trays shall meet the minimum
requirements of 392.3(B)(1)(c)
Where conductors are run in parallel in multiple raceways or cables as permitted in 310.4, the equipment
grounding conductors, where used, shall be run in parallel in each raceway or cable. Each parallel
equipment grounding conductor shall be sized on the basis of the ampere rating of the overcurrent device
protecting the circuit conductors in the raceway or cable in accordance with Table 250.122.

Equipment grounding conductors for motor circuits shall be sized in accordance with (1) or (2).
(1) General. The equipment grounding conductor size shall not be smaller than determined by 250.122(A)
based on the rating of the branch-circuit short-circuit and ground fault protective device.
(2) Instantaneous-Trip Circuit Breaker and Motor Short-Circuit Protector. Where the overcurrent device is
an instantaneous-trip circuit breaker or a motor short-circuit protector, the equipment grounding
conductor shall be sized not smaller than that given by 250.122(A) using the maximum permitted
rating of a dual element time-delay fuse selected for branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault
protection in accordance with 430.52(C)(1), Exception No. 1.