Farmstead Distribution System

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Agricultural Buildings

- are defined as structures used for housing farm

implements, hay, grain, animals, or other
agricultural produce

- categorized as dry agricultural buildings and

damp agricultural buildings

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
Characteristics of a well-planned farmstead distribution system:

1. Safe
- grounding, proper size of conductors and rating of circuit
breakers
2. Reliable
- a standby generator increases reliability of the system
3. Expandable
- design ready for future expansion
4. Efficient
- one that fulfils its needs at the least expense over the lifetime
of the system

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Major steps in planning a farmstead distribution system:

1. Determine the demand load for each building or service area

2. Locate the facility’s main service

3. Size the facility’s main service

4. Selection of size and type of conductors from the central

distribution point to the buildings

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Demand Load for Farm Buildings

1. Large or permanently connected appliances.

- the full load ratings of all equipment of 1500 W, or 1 hp, or

greater are generally included in this category

- the full-load current of the largest motor should be multiplied by

125% to allow for a 25% overload of the motor

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Demand Load for Farm Buildings

2. Convenience outlets (receptacles).

- a load of 1.5 A should be allotted for each convenience outlet

- this accounts for portable tools and appliances not listed in large
or permanently connected appliances

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Demand Load for Farm Buildings

3. Lighting outlets.

- a load of 1.5 A should also be allotted for each lighting outlet

- under certain circumstances, such as in poultry laying houses,

this figure may be modified to reflect known values either larger
or smaller

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Demand Load for Farm Buildings

Farm building demand load procedure.

- if the load consists of a single item, the demand system would not be
applicable
- to apply the system, the load without diversity must be determined

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Demand Load for Farm Buildings

Farm building demand load procedure.

- the largest combinations of loads which are likely to operate at the same time
make up the load without diversity
- the ampacity selected must be equal to or larger than the calculated demand
load
AB Electrification and Control Systems
Farmstead Distribution System

Demand Load for Farm Buildings

Farm building demand load procedure.

- each building should have only one service entrance panel to prevent
confusion and hazards which may occur from live circuits not deactivated
when only one of multiple services is disconnected

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Demand Load for Farm Buildings

Example 48:

Calculate the demand load and the size of the circuit breaker for a
beef barn with a total load of 185 A at 240 V. The largest motor is 3
hp (240 V, single phase). Load without diversity is 65 A.

ANS: demand load = 110 A

size of the circuit breaker: 125A Trip Setting

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
Demand Load for Buildings

Solution: Looking for commercially available size of circuit

breaker:
Farmstead Distribution System

Central Metering and Distribution

- the most common type of distribution system

on a farmstead has a centrally located
distribution center
- the optimum location for central distribution
point and main service equipment is at the
load center
- the load center is the geographic center of the
loads

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
Central Metering and Distribution

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Central Metering and Distribution

Advantages of central distribution center approach:

1. Safety
2. Expandability
3. Minimizes main service size
4. Least investment in wire
5. Convenience

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Central Metering and Distribution

Advantages of central distribution center approach:

1. Safety
- loss of one building will not destroy the system
- service can be maintained to the other buildings

2. Expandability
- when the loads within a building change or a new building is
added, feeders to the other buildings are unaffected

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Central Metering and Distribution

Advantages of central distribution center approach:

3. Minimizes main service size

- diversity of load between buildings can be accounted for,
thereby minimizing the capacity of the main service needed

4. Least investment in wire

- because wires are used very efficiently, this technique
minimizes the cost of wire for the system

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Central Metering and Distribution

Advantages of central distribution center approach:

5. Convenience
- the meter can be located so that entrance to a building is not
required to read the meter
- components of the system are easily accessed and serviced

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
Central Metering and Distribution
Equation form of the load center distances:

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
Central Metering and Distribution

Example 49:
Locate the load center for the farmstead mapped below.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Capacity of Main Service for Farmstead

- it is not unlikely that all buildings will operate at their full

demand load at the same time

- a demand method can be used to calculate the

necessary capacity of the main service equipment for the
farmstead

- the minimum capacity for the main service is the sum of

the loads times their appropriate demand factors

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System

Capacity of Main Service for Farmstead

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
Capacity of Main Service for Farmstead
Example 50:
Calculate the main service demand load and the size of the circuit
breaker for the farmstead shown.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
Selecting Service Conductors

Major factors to consider when selecting conductors:

1. Type of wire and insulation needed to meet requirements of its

surroundings (Refer to Table A.7)

2. Size of wire and insulation type necessary to safely carry the

current (Refer to Table A.6, Part 1 and Part 2)

3. Size of wire necessary to prevent excessive voltage drops in the

lines (Refer to Table A.2)

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
1. Type of wire and insulation needed to meet requirements of its surroundings.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
1. Type of wire and insulation needed to meet requirements of its surroundings.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
2. Size of wire and insulation type necessary to safely carry the current.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
2. Size of wire and insulation type necessary to safely carry the current.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
2. Size of wire and insulation type necessary to safely carry the current.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
2. Size of wire and insulation type necessary to safely carry the current.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
2. Size of wire and insulation type necessary to safely carry the current.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
2. Size of wire and insulation type necessary to safely carry the current.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
3. Size of wire necessary to prevent excessive voltage drops in the lines.

AB Electrification and Control Systems

Farmstead Distribution System
3. Size of wire necessary to prevent excessive voltage drops in the lines.

AB Electrification and Control Systems