Simple questi?n

[heasb2002]

Waths mean AIC, please?.

 

[jim dungar]

AIC = Amps Interrupting Capacity; the amount of short circuit amps which a protective device can safely interrrupt.

The AIC of the device can only come from the manufacturer and is usually determined/confirmed through actual testing.
Per NEC section 110.9, a device's AIC must be greater than the calculated available Short Circuit Amps (SCA) on the line side of the device.

 

[edlee]

Waths mean AIC, please?.

Along with the above reply, it means how many amps equipment can safely handle, usually service panels and such, during that brief period between a short-circuit and the actual blowing of a fuse or tripping of a circuit breaker. During a short circuit the resistance can go down near zero so the current can spike up quickly towards infinity.

Utility companies can tell you how much power a transformer will deliver during a short circuit so your service equipment has to be rated to handle that. A lot of residential equipment is rated at 10,000 amps, or 10,000
AIC. It goes up from there for commercial and industrial services.

 

[Smart $]

...
Per NEC section 110.9, a device's AIC must be greater than the calculated available Short Circuit Amps (SCA) on the line side of the device.

@heasb2002

AIC is an overcurrent protection device rating.

It is quite similar to, but not to be confused with SCCR?Short-Circuit Current Rating?defined in Article 100. It too must be greater than SCA (aka SCC), but is an equipment assembly rating. Other section references:

110.10
230.82(3)
Table 240.92(B)
285.6
409.22
409.110(4)
430.8
440.4(B)
520.52(F)(2)
646.7
670.3(4)
670.5
695.6(C) Exception No. 2
705.16

 

[jim dungar]

Along with the above reply, it means how many amps equipment can safely handle, usually service panels and such, during that brief period between a short-circuit and the actual blowing of a fuse or tripping of a circuit breaker.

The ability to carry, or tolerate, fault current is called SCCR (see Smart's reply), colloquially it is often referred to as 'withstand rating'. This is covered by the NEC in a different section, 110.10.

 

[edlee]

The ability to carry, or tolerate, fault current is called SCCR (see Smart's reply), colloquially it is often referred to as 'withstand rating'. This is covered by the NEC in a different section, 110.10.

Thx. Learn something new every day!