Power Distribution System Conductor Sizing As Viewed From Thermodynamics Principles

The task of educating members of an engineering team (engineers, engineering technologists, and engineering technicians) becomes even more challenging as technology evolves towards new horizons. Power electronics, robotics, networks, advances in manufacturing technologies as well as environmental and energy saving concerns call for new pedagogical and curriculum development approaches. Theoretical instructions, laboratory exercises, and projects should include emerging issues and be common to several disciplines across the curriculum. One of the topics of such integration is identifying and linking related issues in electrical engineering/electrical engineering technology and thermodynamics courses. An example of such a topic is sizing conductors based on their current carrying capacity as well as fault current calculations.