Electrical Calculate a value
Why the voltage at the end of the cable is lower than at the supply
Calculating voltage drop over the run, and why the cable size that satisfies current may not satisfy voltage.
Engineering discipline
Electrical Engineering
Load, conductor sizing, voltage behaviour, protection and the distribution that carries power.
11 topics in this discipline
Electrical Calculate a value
Sizing a cable for both current and voltage drop
Two independent constraints that must both be satisfied, and recognising which one actually chose the size.
Electrical Understand a concept
Why a conduit cannot be filled completely, and how full is too full
Conduit fill percentages by conductor count, the reason they exist, and choosing the next conduit when the first does not fit.
Also: Construction & QS
Electrical Understand a concept
Why a low power factor costs money, and how much correction is needed
Converting kW and power factor into the reactive power to remove, and choosing a defensible target.
Electrical Choose between alternatives
Choosing a transformer: why standard sizes matter more than the load
Applying diversity and growth to connected load, then selecting the next standard rating and understanding the utilisation.
Renewable Energy Calculate a value
How many solar panels a load actually needs
From appliance energy to module count, with the derating that stops an array from under-delivering.
Also: Electrical
Renewable Energy Calculate a value
Battery bank size and how long it should last
Converting daily demand and autonomy into stored energy, and why depth of discharge changes the answer so much.
Also: Electrical
Renewable Energy Diagnose a problem
Sizing an inverter when motors start, not just run
Continuous rating versus surge capability, and the load types that decide which governs.
Also: Electrical
Renewable Energy Calculate a value
Charge controller sizing and getting the array and bank to agree
Controller current from array size and battery voltage, and what happens when the array is oversized for the bank.
Also: Electrical
Civil & Structural Understand a concept
Knowing when a calculation is not a design
The difference between a screening number and a compliant design, and where professional review genuinely has to enter.
Also: Geotechnical Electrical HVAC & Services Mechanical & Fluids Plumbing & Fire
Civil & Structural Understand a concept
The unit mistakes that ruin engineering calculations
The conversions and dimension slips that produce plausible-looking but wrong answers, and how to catch them.
Also: Geotechnical Electrical Mechanical & Fluids HVAC & Services Plumbing & Fire Water & Desalination Environmental Renewable Energy Chemical & Process