Single Conductor Cable Feeder Cable To Portable Equipment

[Jim Malady]

I have an application where 3 single conductor cables are being used to supply a power feeder to portable equipement via plugs. The feeder needs to deliver 400A and multiple single conductor cables with individual plugs are being used for ease of cable handling, as opposed to a single plug with multi-conductor cable. To ensure flexibility, the cables must be long enough that there will be enough "slack" that excess cable may end up coiled up at one end or the other. My question relates to proper ampacity table to use to size the single conductor cables. If the single conductor in free air (table 310.17) is used as opposed to the 3 conductor in a raceway or cable (table 3.10.16) the of course small cable can be utilized which eases handling concerns. However, in this application the cables may be "side by side" on the ground and could be randomaly coiled up near or on top of each other depending on how the user routes them. In other words,there is no engineered feature to ensure the cables are "in free air".

 

[tom baker]

If this is portable cord, which it should be, then you would size from Article 400 table 400.5. Type W is normally used for this application.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

I have an application where 3 single conductor cables are being used to supply a power feeder to portable equipement via plugs. The feeder needs to deliver 400A and multiple single conductor cables with individual plugs are being used for ease of cable handling, as opposed to a single plug with multi-conductor cable. To ensure flexibility, the cables must be long enough that there will be enough "slack" that excess cable may end up coiled up at one end or the other. My question relates to proper ampacity table to use to size the single conductor cables. If the single conductor in free air (table 310.17) is used as opposed to the 3 conductor in a raceway or cable (table 3.10.16) the of course small cable can be utilized which eases handling concerns. However, in this application the cables may be "side by side" on the ground and could be randomaly coiled up near or on top of each other depending on how the user routes them. In other words,there is no engineered feature to ensure the cables are "in free air".

Protection from physical damage and protection for personnel may become an issue.

 

[Smart $]

If this is portable cord, which it should be, then you would size from Article 400 table 400.5. Type W is normally used for this application.

Still subject to 110.14(C) limitations, which will likely put it back under Table 310.16.