Distribution Equipment: Conductors, Switchgear, Fuses, Capacitors, and Metering

Overhead conductors and ampacity, URD cable, fuse cutouts, voltage regulators, capacitor banks, surge arresters, padmount switchgear, and revenue metering. The buyer's distribution equipment reference. 10 lessons, free.

  1. 1 Overhead Conductors: Reading the Codeword Decode the ACSR/AAC/AAAC/ACAR families and the bird-name codeword that tells you what a bare overhead conductor actually is. 8 min
  2. 2 Reading an Ampacity Table Look up a real conductor's continuous ampacity and see how it shifts with ambient temperature and conductor temperature rating. 9 min
  3. 3 Underground Cable: TR-XLPE vs EPR and the Concentric Neutral Build a URD cable from the conductor out: strand shield, insulation (TR-XLPE vs EPR), insulation shield, and the concentric neutral wrapped around it. 10 min
  4. 4 Picking a Cable Voltage Class Match a cable's voltage class (15/25/35 kV) to the circuit, and choose 100% vs 133% insulation level by the system's grounding and clearing time. 8 min
  5. 5 Fuse Cutouts: K vs T Links and Interrupting Rating Read a cutout's three ratings (voltage/BIL, continuous amps, interrupting amps) and tell a fast K link from a slow T link. 9 min
  6. 6 Voltage Regulators: 32 Steps, Bandwidth, and Line-Drop Comp Work the regulator math: plus/minus 10% in 32 steps means 5/8% per step, set a bandwidth, and let line-drop compensation hold voltage out at the load center. 10 min
  7. 7 Capacitor Banks and VAR Management Use the power triangle to size a shunt capacitor bank in kVAR, and see why fixed banks sit on feeders while switched banks follow the load. 9 min
  8. 8 Surge Arresters: Selecting MCOV by Grounding Mode Pick a metal-oxide arrester's duty-cycle/MCOV rating from the line-to-ground voltage and whether the system is effectively grounded. 10 min
  9. 9 Padmount Switchgear and Separable Connectors: Loadbreak vs Deadbreak Pick the right IEEE 386 elbow connector: 200 A loadbreak you can switch under load vs 600 A deadbreak you must de-energize first. 10 min
  10. 10 Revenue Metering: Forms, CT/PT, and Accuracy Class Recognize a meter form, decide self-contained vs CT/PT transformer-rated metering by the service current, then read the accuracy class. 9 min