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View Full Version : What does the ' xx AIC' mean ?


rhoej0
Feb 25, 2012, 11:24 AM
I am going to install a system and in its manual there is a information of electronic rateings as follows.

Electrical rating:
208V, 3 Phase, 3L PE Tolerance: /- 4.5%
50-60Hz Tolerance: /- 1%
180A FLA
10kAIC

But I don't know(?) AIC. Is it another factor or unit for power consumption ?
If so, How much can 10k ALC be in Watts ?

tkrussell
Feb 25, 2012, 01:59 PM
AIC stands for Available Interrupting Current, AKA Available Fault Current.

10,000 amps of current is available during a short circuit event in your example.

The downstream equipment must be rated a min of 10KAIC, unless a short circuit coordination study is performed to show that the actual amps would be lower.

This is a fairly deep topic, but very serious nowadays. I suggest you hire someone to handle sizing the AIC rating of your system.

hfcarson
Feb 26, 2012, 12:07 PM
My concern here is where do you intend to use this equipment?
Are you connecting this to a distribution system that currently has
An available short circuit capacity above 10,000 amperes?
If you do this equipment is only rated to endure a fault of up
To 10,000 amperes. If let's say you're connecting this within a large
Building it is likely the electrical service has a capacity above this.

The short circuit rating of the service may be indicated at the main
Disconnect switch but with older services it may not be...

To find out for sure what the AIC level is you will need a sparky with
Math skills!