Help with terminology

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Colin Bowles

Member
Location
Brazil
Hello all,

I wonder if u cld help me with some terminology on a document I am translating from Portuguese to English?

The text (about the electrical plant in a powerstation) talks about the cable that comes down from the system providing protection against atmospheric discharges (lightning conductor) and the way it connects to the grounding grid. Translating literally, the text refers to it as the "down cable", but I am wondering if there is a better term to use in English. Drop cable? or something like that?

Tks in advance,

Colin.
 
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winnie

Senior Member
Location
Springfield, MA, USA
Occupation
Electric motor research
"Down Conductor" is the term commonly used. I guess that this was translated literally into Portuguese, and translated back it became down cable.

"The whiskey is good but the meat is rotten" :)

-Jon
 
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bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
The NFPA 780 defines the conductor between the strike termination device and the grounding electrode as the "MAIN CONDUCTOR", however the same is commonly referenced as the "DOWN CONDUCTOR" throughout the text of the document.
 
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Colin Bowles

Member
Location
Brazil
Thanks

Thanks

Thanks to you all for your speedy help. "Down conductor" it must be...

Would I be overstepping my welcome if I asked some more words over the next few weeks while I am working on the translation?

Rgds,

Colin.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Colin Bowles said:
Thanks to you all for your speedy help. "Down conductor" it must be...

Would I be overstepping my welcome if I asked some more words over the next few weeks while I am working on the translation?

Rgds,

Colin.
Click to expand...

Overstepping your welcome? Heck no! We love a challenge!
 
C

Colin Bowles

Member
Location
Brazil
Cable tray terminology

Cable tray terminology

I wonder if someone could possibly help me with the names of various type of cable trays. I have the descriptions and names in Portuguese, but am having some difficulties distinguishing between cable trays, conduits, raceways etc... I assume the terms are as per the NEC, but I don't have a copy. FYI the term "cable tray" is being used as the general term to cover all the different types.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Here are the definitions I have (transliterated quickly from the Portuguese):

"Leitos para cabos" lateral longitudinal sections interconnected every 200mm, galvanized, 100mm H, 250 500 or 750 mm W (ladder-type trays?)

"Eletrocalhas" made of folded sheet steel with covers, 50 or 100mm H, 100 to 700 mm W (covered cable channel/ raceway?)

"Canaletas" made of reinforced concrete, masonry or pre-molded with supports for cables and reinforced concrete concrete covers. If used inside civil structures the covers will be of metal. External "canaletas" should be drained. (trunking?)

"Eletrodutos" galvanized steel, parallel BSP thread internal diams 3/4 inch, 1 inch, 2 inch (conduits?)

"Bancos de dutos" PEAD eletrodutos (conduits?) will be used in these "bancos de dutos" (duct banks?)
 
tallguy

tallguy

Senior Member
See here for an example of "leitos para cabos"

For "canaletas" -- simply "raceways" is a good candidate, but not sure about being concrete. Never heard of that, but there are others here who might be able to shed some light on that particular application. See here for a Hubbell translation (it's in Spanish, but it's the same word)

BSP might be "black steel pipe", but it would be odd to have an English acronym in a Portuguese document.

"eletrodutos" appears to be a safe bet as "conduit".

PEAD: Polietileno de Alta Densidade (Portugese: high density polyethylene aka HDPE)

Also, you can read the 2008 NEC online here, which might help for matching up with the formal terms used in English.
 
weressl

weressl

Esteemed Member
Location
Texas by the Gulf, geat crab, great shrimp
Colin Bowles said:
Thanks to you all for your speedy help. "Down conductor" it must be...

Would I be overstepping my welcome if I asked some more words over the next few weeks while I am working on the translation?

Rgds,

Colin.
Click to expand...

Eventually you will be charged extra postage on your e-mail:grin:

You can contact me private if the crowd gets nasty....
 
C

Colin Bowles

Member
Location
Brazil
Luminaire

Luminaire

Could someone plse "throw some light" (sorry about the pun) on the following?

Is the term "luminaire" used in the electrical/lighting industry (e.g., in technical documentation) to refer to the whole light fixture? i.e., the metal fitting, any brackets for attaching the unit to a surface, the light bulb, the diffuser and the wiring? Or is it used differently? In Portuguese the term "lumin?ria" is used to refer very generally to a light and is not restricted to technical personnel (for example, shops would advertise a bedside light as a "lumin?ria").

Tks for the help,

Colin.
 
N

nakulak

Senior Member
"down conductors" from an overhead grounding grid/air terminals are also often referred to as "downcomers" (in case you run accross that term)
 
tallguy

tallguy

Senior Member
Colin Bowles said:
Is the term "luminaire" used in the electrical/lighting industry (e.g., in technical documentation) to refer to the whole light fixture?
Click to expand...
Yes -- see Article 100. Luminaire is not a term used by the general public in the USA.
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
Caixa means box. But I would tend to call it an enclosure or cabinet as well.

FWIW, there's many free translation web sites that can be utilized for what you're doing.

Just Google "Portugese English Translation" and take your pick.
 
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