Tools

Cable Sizing Application

Click here to register to use our cable sizing application

What Changed

So that we can focus all our efforts on our new application, we have retired our myElectrical.com cable sizing calculator. We recommend you now use our main cable sizing application over at myCableEngineering.com.

myCableEngineering.com

Cable Sizing Software - select, size and manage your power cables using myCableEngineering. All your cables, for all your projects.
  • LV and MV cables up to 33 kV with current capacity in accordance with BS 7671, ERA 69-30 and IEC 60502.
  • Positive and zero sequence impedance to IEC 60609. Voltage drop in accordance with CENELEC CLC/TR 50480.
  • Project management and team collaboration, with clear easy to read calculations and reports.

Our software is the only cloud-based solution and has been built from the ground up to be fully responsive - meaning you can access your cables from anywhere and on any device, desktop, tablet or smartphone.

Arc Flash Calculator

Calculation of arc flash incident energy and protection boundary in accordance with IEE Std. 1584 'IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations'.

Sytem Details

Equipment Details

Arc Flash


Tip: registered users can save calculations.

Symbols

V - system voltage (kV)
Ibf - bolted three phase fault current (kA)
Ia - arcing current (kA)
E - incident energy (J/cm2)
EB - - incident energy at boundary distance (J/cm2)
En - - normalized incident energy (J/cm2)
t - arcing time (s)
D - distance from arc to person (mm)
CB - distance of boundary from arc point (mm)

Notes

  1. Boundary Energy can be set at 5.0 J/cm2 for bare skin or at the rating of any proposed PPE.
  2. The limit of 5.0 J/cm2 is that at which a person is likely to receive second degree burns.
  3. To convert J/cm2 to cal/cm2 multiply by 0.239
Gap and distance factors
Voltage (kV) Equipment Type Typical gap between
conductors (mm)		 Distance factor,
x
0.208 - 1



 Open Air 10-40 2.000
Switchgear 32 1.473
MCC and Panels 25 1.641
Cable 13 2.000
>1 - 5 Open Air 102 2.000
Switchgear 13-102 0.973
Cables 13 2.000
>5 -15 Open Air 13-153 2.000
Switchgear 153 0.973
Cables 13 2.000

For a more detailed explanation of the calculation, please see: Arc Flash Calculations Post

ANSI (IEEE) Protective Device Numbering

The widely used United Sates standard ANSI/IEEE C37.2 'Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact Designations' deals with...

myElectrical - Cable Sizing Tool Upgrade

Our IEE cable sizing was wrote a few years ago and had become rough around the edges. I thought it was time to give the tool a service. Unfortunately when...

1,000 kV UHV First for China

At the beginning of the year China put the world's first 1,000 kV UHV transmission system into operation. Transmitting power at over a million volts is...

Always Use PPE

A lot of our members work in countries where PPE (personal protective equipment) is regulated or they work for companies/organizations which take employee...

Windows Live Writer and myElectrical

When making adding a Note to our site we have a great online WYSIWYG editor and things are pretty simple.  However, if you prefer you can write, manage...

Fire Resistant and Fire Retardant Cables

Fire resistant and fire retardant cable sheaths are design to resist combustion and limit the propagation of flames. Low smokes cables have a sheath designed...

Multimeter

Multimeters are undoubtedly the most common item of electrical test equipment in use.  Often it is the first piece of equipment people will turn to when...

IEC 60287 Current Capacity of Cables - Rated Current

In the previous note we looked at the approach taken by the standard to the sizing of cables and illustrated this with an example.  We then looked at one...

Random Numbers

Using laser optical pulses the random number generator utilizes the time between arrival of random photos to generate the numbers, ensuring true accuracy...

Why a Sine Wave?

I received this question by email a few weeks. First thoughts was that it is a product of the mathematics of rotating a straight conductor in a magnetic...

Footer
(click here to extend)
Copyright (c) 2026 myElectrical