Line Losses Calculator
Line Losses Calculator
An automatic calculator to work out line losses in DC powered systems
storage | generalIn our article
Minimising Line Losses in RE Systems we looked at how the diameter of
wire (cable) should be selected to ensure that
line losses (i.e. energy lost when the current flowing through a wire heat it up) are kept below
10%.
If you are interested in understanding the equations which are used to make the calculations below, then we recommend you read the article linked to above.
Wire Size Calculator
Enter the peak
charging voltage (volts DC - e.g. 14V to 20V for a 12V rated wind turbine),
wire length (metres), peak
current (Amps), and maximum acceptable
power loss (%, we suggest 10% or lower), and click
Calculate to view the minimum cross sectional area of the wire you should use.
To convert the above wire cross sectional area to
AWG,
mm diameter, or
inch diameter, click here to go to our
Automated AWG Wire Size Converter. Remember to choose a wire with a slightly larger cross sectional area than that recommended above to ensure that power losses are below your maximum acceptable percentage.
Line Losses Calculator
Alternatively use the calculator below to work out the
line losses for a system with a given wire size (diameter measured in mm).
Article Last Modified: 10:31, 8th Mar 2008
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