AWG 39 voltage drop calculator

Voltage drop is current times the resistance of the round trip. For AWG 39 the resistance comes straight from the gauge definition and the conductor resistivity.

A
V
Voltage drop
1423.687%
≈ Rounded Too much — go up a size or shorten the run
Voltage lost in the cable
3274.4803 V
Voltage at the load
-3044.480 V
Power lost as heat
65 489.61
Resistance per metre
2.728 73 ohm/m
Conductor area
0.006 317 95 mm2
Longest run within 3% drop
0.06
Show the working
  1. Current = 20
  2. One-way run length = 30
  3. Supply voltage = 230
  4. System = 2
  5. Conductor = 1.724e-8
  6. Conductor temperature = 20
  7. diameter_mm = 0.127 * 92^((36 - (39)) / 39) = 0.089 689 8
  8. Conductor area = pi * 0.089 689 8^2 / 4 = 0.006 317 95
  9. Resistance per metre = 1.724e-8 / (0.006 317 95 * 1e-6) * (1 + 0.00393 * (20 - 20)) = 2.728 73
  10. Voltage lost in the cable = 2 * 20 * 2.728 73 * 30 = 3274.48
  11. Voltage drop = 3274.48 / 230 * 100 = 1423.69
  12. Voltage at the load = 230 - 3274.48 = -3044.48
  13. Power lost as heat = 3274.48 * 20 = 65 489.6
  14. Longest run within 3% drop = 2.728 73 > 0 && 20 > 0 ? 230 * 0.03 / (2 * 20 * 2.728 73) : 0 = 0.063 216 1

Values are shown to six significant figures here; the arithmetic itself runs on exact fractions and is only rounded where a number is printed.

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    The formula

    • single phase or DC: drop = 2 x I x R per metre x one-way length
    • three phase: drop = sqrt(3) x I x R per metre x one-way length
    • R per metre = rho / area, corrected for temperature

    The factor of two on a single-phase run is because the current goes out and comes back. A three-phase drop uses sqrt(3) because the return currents partly cancel.

    This is resistive drop only. On long AC runs at high current, cable reactance adds to it.

    Warm conductors have more resistance: at 70 degrees Celsius copper is about 20% more resistive than at 20.

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