Volt Drop

Voltage Drop

  • Definition: Voltage drop is the loss of voltage in an electrical circuit due to resistance encountered by current.

  • Causes:

    • Resistance within the conductors (wires or cables).

    • When electrical current flows through a conductor, some energy is converted to heat due to resistance.

    • The resistance affects current flow and leads to a reduction in voltage across the load.

  • Factors Influencing Voltage Drop:

    • Magnitude of the voltage drop depends on:

      • The resistance of the cable.

      • The amount of current drawn by the load.

Calculation Examples

Example Scenario: 10 A Load

  • Initial Conditions:

    • Load Resistance: 230 ohms

    • Cable Resistance: 0.70 ohms

    • Supply Voltage: 230V

Calculations:

  1. Total Resistance (R):

    • R = Load Resistance + Cable Resistance

    • R = 230 + 0.7 = 230.70 ohms

  2. Current (I):

    • I = 230V / 230.70 ohms

    • I ≈ 9.7 A

  3. Cable Voltage Drop:

    • Cable Volt Drop = I x Cable Resistance

    • Cable Volt Drop = 9.7 A x 0.7 = 6.79 V

  4. Voltage Across Load:

    • Voltage Across Load = I x Load Resistance

    • Voltage Across Load = 9.7 A x 230 ohms = 223.1 V