Voltage drop for DC
- Thread starter Big Guns
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winnie
Senior Member
- Location
- Springfield, MA, USA
- Occupation
- Electric motor research
The same as for any other system at any other voltage.
1) Figure out how much voltage drop your load can tolerate during various operating conditions.
Say the load is rated for 24V, but can tolerate a 10% drop. This means that you can tolerate a 2.4V drop.
2) Figure out the current that your load will draw during the various operating conditions.
Say the load is a 50W lamp, rated to use 2.1A at 24V. It will draw less at lower voltage, but for approximation purposes you can usually assume constant current draw. In a more detailed analysis, you need to figure out the actual current draw at the reduced voltage.
3) From the load current and allowed voltage drop you calculate a maximum circuit resistance (actually impedance, but this is DC).
So we are allowed a 2.4V drop, and have a current of 2.1A. E/I = R. R=1.15 ohm
4) Select conductors that have lower resistance than the maximum calculated in step 3.
-Jon
1) Figure out how much voltage drop your load can tolerate during various operating conditions.
Say the load is rated for 24V, but can tolerate a 10% drop. This means that you can tolerate a 2.4V drop.
2) Figure out the current that your load will draw during the various operating conditions.
Say the load is a 50W lamp, rated to use 2.1A at 24V. It will draw less at lower voltage, but for approximation purposes you can usually assume constant current draw. In a more detailed analysis, you need to figure out the actual current draw at the reduced voltage.
3) From the load current and allowed voltage drop you calculate a maximum circuit resistance (actually impedance, but this is DC).
So we are allowed a 2.4V drop, and have a current of 2.1A. E/I = R. R=1.15 ohm
4) Select conductors that have lower resistance than the maximum calculated in step 3.
-Jon
Jim W in Tampa
Senior Member
- Location
- Tampa Florida
500 feet is a lot at 24 volts and keep in mind thats times 2 so really 1000 feet.
If load is large i would look for a better way. Is this a gate control ?
If load is large i would look for a better way. Is this a gate control ?
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