Electrical Equipment, Materials, and Safety Review

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the electrical equipment, materials, testing, protection, and wiring installation notes.

Electrical Equipment

Apparel, devices, and machinery involved in the generation, conversion, transmission, and distribution of electrical energy, including machine transformers, measuring instruments, appliances, or materials.

Equipment Accessory

An electrical device used to control, protect, or connect a circuit, such as a switch or socket.

Ambient Temperature

The temperature of the surrounding air or medium used for cooling calculations, taken as $30\,^\circ\text{C}$ air outside of insulation.

Phase Conductor

The power cable in an alternating current (AC) system carrying load to the source, distinct from the neutral conductor.

Conduit

A pipe protection system for cables against mechanical damage.

Silver

The best electrical conductor, which is soft, easily shaped, and expensive, primarily used for plate contacts inside switches, relays, and connectors.

Copper

An excellent conductor with micro ohms resistance that is soft, easily drawn into wires, easy to joint/solder, and a good heat conductor; extensively used in cables and busbars.

Aluminium

A soft, easily shaped conductor with low cost and low weight, $35$ micro ohms resistance, and $80\%$ conductivity compared to copper; used in sway cables, busbars, overhead powerlines, or electroplated onto base metals.

Nichrome

An alloy composed of $80\%$ Nickel and $20\%$ Chromium that is hard, corrosion-resistant, and possesses extremely high heat resistance for manufacturing heating elements.

Carbon

A hard-wearing, self-lubricating conductor with a flat, parallel layer atomic structure (strong on one axis, weak on another for movement) and a Negative Temperature Coefficient.

Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC)

A material property where electrical resistance decreases as temperature increases, leading to poorer performance at high temperatures.

Standard PVC

A weather-resistant electrical insulating material rated for temperatures from $0\,^\circ\text{C}$ to $70\,^\circ\text{C}$ that becomes brittle approaching $0\,^\circ\text{C}$ and gives off smoke and fumes when burned.

Arctic PVC

A flexible insulating material designed for cold temperature conditions, rated for operating temperatures from $-20\,^\circ\text{C}$ to $+70\,^\circ\text{C}$.

Crosslinked Polyethylene (XLPE)

An insulation and sheath material used in wiring, rated for temperatures from $-40\,^\circ\text{C}$ to $+90\,^\circ\text{C}$ that produces little smoke or fumes when burned.

Silicone Rubber

A flexible insulation material rated for temperatures up to $145\,^\circ\text{C}$, used in cookers and internal applications.

Magnesium Oxide

A hygroscopic, powder-form insulation material rated up to $145\,^\circ\text{C}$ requiring a sheath; used in Mineral Insulated (M.I.) / PYRO cables, kettles, cookers, immersion heaters, and fire safety equipment.

Dangers of Loose Connections

A condition causing high resistance joints, where heat rises and travels both ways from origin, leading to insulation deterioration, potential equipment damage, electric shock, and fire hazards.

NSAI

National Standards Authority of Ireland.

Batten Lampholders

Lampholders designed to be fixed directly on a wall.

Flexible Cord Weight Limits

Maximum recommended weight support capacities for flexible cords based on cross-sectional area: $0.5\,\text{mm}^2$ supports up to $2\,\text{kg}$, $0.75\,\text{mm}^2$ supports up to $3\,\text{kg}$, and $1.0\,\text{mm}^2$ supports up to $5\,\text{kg}$.

Electrical Equipment

Apparatus used for the Generation, Conversion, Transmission, and Distribution of Electrical energy, including machines, transformers, and measuring instruments.

Setting Up Equipment

The process of installing any machine, Device/Appliance, or material to fulfill a purpose, such as Electrical meters, line Pole, and Circuit breakers.

Fixtures

Electrical equipment classified specifically as Lights & Appliance.

Equipment Accessory

Devices used to Control, Protect or connect circuit, such as a Switch or Socket.

Ambient Temperature Standards

Standard reference temperatures used for cooling calculations, set at $20^\text{o}\text{C}$ for Ground and $30^\text{o}\text{C}$ for Air.

Conduit

A system of pipe protection for cables against Mechanical Damage.

Phase Conductor

The PC cable in AC (Alternating Current) carrying load to Source, other than the neutral Conductor.

Silver (Conducting Material)

The best electrical conductor; expensive, soft, and easily shaped, electroplated onto base metal for plate contacts inside metal of switches, relays, and connectors.

Copper (Conducting Material)

An excellent conductor that is soft, easily drawn into wires, easy to joint/solder, and a good heat conductor, used extensively in cables and busbars with Micro Ohms Resistance.

Aluminium (Conducting Material)

A great conductor with low cost and weight that is soft and easily shaped, though not as flexible as copper and corrodes; used for overhead powerlines, busbars, and cables with $35\text{ Micro Owhms}$ resistance.

Nichrome

An alloy of Nickel 20 and Chromium that is hard, resists corrosion, has extremely high heat resistance, and is manufactured for heating elements.

Carbon (Conducting Material)

A good, hard-wearing (strong) self-lubricating conductor with flat parallel layer atomic structure and a Negative Temp Coefficient (NTC), meaning electrical resistance decreases as temp increases.

Infinite Resistance Measurement ($\infty$)

Tester reading indicating a fuse blown or circuit break.

Zero Resistance Measurement ($0.0$)

Tester reading indicating Over Current.

Standard PVC Insulation

Flexible, weather-resistant insulation rated for $0^\text{o}\text{C}\text{ to }70^\text{o}\text{C}$ that becomes brittle approaching $0^\text{o}\text{C}$ and emits smoke and fumes when burned.

Arctic PVC Insulation

Thermal insulation rated for $-20^\text{o}\text{C}\text{ to }+70^\text{o}\text{C}$ that is affected by UV.

Crosslinked Polyethylene (XLPE)

Insulation and sheath material used in $11\text{ wiring}$, rated from $-40\text{ to }+90^\text{o}\text{C}$, emitting little smoke and fumes.

Silicone Rubber Insulation

Flexible insulation rated for temperatures up to $145^\text{o}\text{C}$, used for cooker internal wiring.

Magnesium Oxide Insulation

Powder form hygroscopic insulation requiring a sheath, rated at $145^\text{o}\text{C}$, used in Mineral insulated (PYRO) systems such as kettles, cookers, fire safety, and immersion heaters.

Dangers of Loose Connections

Hazards including rise of heat, heat traveling both ways from origin, insulation deterioration, high resistance joint formation, equipment damage, electric shock, and fire hazard.

NSAI

National Standards Authority of Ireland.

Batten Lampholders

Type of lampholders that are fixed on wall.

Ceiling Roses

Fixtures consisting of a base, lid, and table, requiring circular heat resistant PVC flex of a minimum size of $0.5\text{ mm}^2$.

$0.5\text{ mm}^2$ Flex Support Capacity

Flex size capable of supporting a maximum weight of $2\text{ kg}$.

$0.75\text{ mm}^2$ Flex Support Capacity

Flex size capable of supporting a maximum weight of $3\text{ kg}$.

$1.0\text{ mm}^2$ Flex Support Capacity

Flex size capable of supporting a maximum weight of $5\text{ kg}$.