DJEE114-1 Homework 2

1. What is the service entrance of a building electrical system and what are its components?

Service entrance of a building serves as the starting point wherein it is the one that brings power
from the service drop itself to the panel board that is inside the building. It composes of service
conductor and service disconnect. Service conductors runs from the service point to the service
disconnecting means the service equipment, not the meter. Moreover, it can also enter an installation
from overhead (service drop) or underground (service lateral). Meanwhile service equipment consists of
circuit breakers and fuses which are connected to the load end service conductor.

2. What are the functions and differences of switchboards and panelboards?

Main differences between switch boards and panel boards is that switch boards are single panel that
are made of buses, overcurrent devices and metering equipment. It also acts as the main power
distribution device of the entire building. On the other hand, panelboards consist of circuit breakers,
fuses, circuits which is also for power distribution. The main function of switchboard is to control and
protect the distribution system of electricity in the building. However, panel boards provide protection
to the control circuit and for the last power run to the load.

3. What is the difference between a step-down and step-up transformer?

Main difference between a step-down and step-up transformer is that step-down transformer
means stepping down or lowering down the voltage applied to the transformer. Output voltage is low
while the input voltage is high. On the contrary, step-up transformer means the input voltage is low and
the output is high. In addition, step-up transformer is generally used for power transmission, and step-
down transformer is used in power distribution.

4. What is a circuit breaker and where is it used in a building electrical system?

Basically, a circuit breaker is a switching device that interrupts the abnormal current. It’s a device
that disturbs the flow of high magnitude (fault) current. This device is mainly designed for closing or
opening of an electrical circuit, thus protects the electrical system from damage. Without circuit
breaker, it can cause a serious damage in the electrical wirings which can lead to equipment and
appliances failure and worse could create short circuits that can cause fire.

5. What is a fuse and where is it used in a building electrical system?

Fuse is a small thin conductor designed to melt separate in to two pieces for the purpose of
breaking the circuit in the event of excessive current so that appliances will not be destroyed or
affected. It is also known as an electrical safety device that removes electrical current from an electrical
circuit when the current in the electrical circuit is too high. Moreover, fuses can be quicker in term of
interrupting the flow current than circuit breakers. However, if overheated, fuse can melt easily since it
is made up of metal.
 6. What are types of conductor (wire) materials and where are they used in building electrical
systems?

- There are various types of conductor, and one of it is insulated conductor. Insulated conductors
are encased in materials that are recognized by PEC as electrical insulation. They oversee saving energy
from being lost. Secondly, are the covered conductors that are encased in a material that are not
recognized by PEC as electrical insulation. They are mostly used in overhead high voltage installations.
Another type is Cadmium Copper Conductor that possesses the advantages of easy joining, more
resistance to atmospheric condition, better resistance to wear, easy machinability. Last would be the
Steel-cored Copper Conductor the one that has one or two layers of copper strands surround a steel-
cored copper conductor the steel core adds the tensile strength to the conductor. Moreover, there is
also a conductor called the bare conductor where is do not have covering and electrical insulation. This
type of conductor is typically used for bonding and grounding. Another type of conductor are cables that
is composed of one or more insulated conductors that is used to connect devices and to transfer
electrical signals. Lastly, is the raceway that is an enclosed channel for holding wires, cables, and bus
bars.

Another type of conductor is bare conductor. These types of conductor do not have covering and
electrical insulation and are typically used for bonding and grounding. Fourth type of conductor is cable.
It is composed one or more insulated conductors. These are used to connect two or more devices,
transferring electrical signals. Last type of conductor is raceway. They are closed channels made up of
metal or nonmetal that are designed to hold wires and cables.

7. What is the difference between a receptacle and plug-in building electrical systems?

The difference between a plug and receptacle is that plugs have prolonged connecting pins which fit
into a mating socket called a receptacle. A receptacle connector is sometimes called a jack. A receptacle
will have mounting features such as a flange with holes. Receptacles are installed at an outlet for users
to have an ease of connection to an electric circuit when one wants to plug one electrical device.

8. Distinguish between the term’s appliance and device. Give examples of each.

Device is a kind of material that can be mechanical or electrical which has a particular purpose. One
of those devices are smartphones, and computers that uses electricity to carry its function. Meanwhile,
appliance is a device is a specific form of equipment that was designed to perform a specific task that is
powered electrically. These things are mostly commonly used in homes (kitchen) or in office. Some
examples of appliances are refrigerator, toaster, microwave, and blender.

9. What is a busway and where is it used in building electrical systems?

Busway is also defined as a prefabricated electrical distribution system consisting of bus bars in a
protective enclosure, including straight lengths, fittings, devices, and accessories. Commercial and
industrial distribution systems use several methods to transport electrical energy to switchgears,
panelboards, and transformers. These methods may include heavy conductors run in trays or conduit.
Having a busway will be considered as a major advantage because electrical power can be distributed to
any area of structure with the matter of just connecting the standard length of busway.
 10. How are electric motors rated?

Electrical motors are the one who converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Electrical
motors are rated in horsepower or watt. Power is in general rated in watt (W) or horsepower (hp). The
old imperial unit horsepower is equal to 746 watts (0.745 kW) or 33000 lb ft per minute (or 550 lb ft per
second). The unit of electric power – 1 watt – is equal to the power produced by an electrical current of
1 amp at a potential difference of 1 volt. Here’s the sample conversion; 1 watt = 1/746 hp and 1 hp = 746
watt = 0.76kW