Interview Question for QA/QC Electrical and Instrumentation Inspector

General Questions

Q What is Q.C./Quality Control?

Ans 1)-Quality control is an inspection or testing of products to

uncover defects and reporting to management who make decision to allow or
deny the product release.

2)-Quality control is an operational technique (inspection, testing, and

examination) that are used to fulfill the quality requirements.

Q What is Q.A./Quality Assurance?

Ans 1)-Quality assurance attempts to improve and stabilize the

production by avoiding or minimizing the issues which led to defects.

2)-Quality assurance is the system of action and planning needed to

provide a service or product will satisfy the requirements of quality.

Q What are the responsibilities of QA/QC inspector at site?

Ans A QA/QC inspector is responsible for quality control and quality

assurance of all the construction works, and all the work at site should
be according to standards, approved procedures and ITP’s. When some
construction activity starts, QC will do internal inspection and will do
review of documents before raising the RFI. If there is some violation or
non-conformance in work then QC shall raise NCR. When there is some
issue/complication/irregularity regarding to construction activity then
QC will consult with his QC supervisor and construction representative to
resolve it.

Q What is schedule Q? How many attachments it has?

Ans Schedule Q is an Aramco document that describes the project quality

requirements, inspection schedules and procedures, documentation
requirements, contractor and subcontractor quality personnel
qualification requirements and quality requirements for contractor
supplied materials.

It has 6 attachments:

(1) Attachment-I >> Contractor and Subcontractor Quality Personnel

Qualification Requirements
(2) Attachment-II >> Saudi Aramco Standards and Procedures Containing
Quality Requirements
(3) Attachment-III >> Quality Requirements for Contractor Supplied
Materials
(4) Attachment-IV >> Quality Requirements for the Construction Phase
(5) Attachment-V >> Summary of Quality System Deliverables
(6) Attachment-VI >> Project Specific Quality Requirements

Q What is the quality plan?

Ans 1)-It includes procedures and documents, covering work activities

and description of sequences of work.
2)-Quality Plan include inspection, testing and proper documentation.

3)-Document specifying which procedures and associated resources will be

applied by whom and when to a specific project, product or process.

Q What is SAES, SAEP, SAIP, SAMSS, SAER, GI, SATIP, ITP, SAIC, QMIS,
RFI?

Ans SAES: Saudi Aramco engineering Standards SAEP: Saudi Aramco

engineering procedures SAIP: Saudi Aramco inspection procedure
SAMSS: Saudi Aramco materials systems specifications

SAER: Saudi Aramco engineering report

GI: Saudi Aramco general instructions

SATIP: Saudi Aramco typical inspection plan

SATIP is a document which provides us information related to activity,

activity number, SAIC number and responsibility of contractor and client
QC personnel inspection level.

ITP: Inspection and test plan

SAIC: Saudi Aramco inspection checklist

QMIS: Quality management information system

RFI: Request for inspection

Q Name some international standards which you follow for electrical

and instrument work?

Ans IEEE: Institute of electrical and electronic engineers

NEC: National electrical code

IEC: International electrotechnical commission

NEMA: National electrical manufacturers association

NFPA: National fire protection association

NACE: National association of corrosion engineers ANSI: American national

standards institute ASTM: American society for testing and materials UL:
Underwriters laboratories
AEIC: Association of Edison illuminating companies

ICEA: Insulated cables engineering association

IS: International standards

ISO: International standards organization

BS: British standards institution

Q How will a QC inspector raise a RFI?

Ans When some activity starts, QC will do internal inspection and will
do review of documents and then will raise the RFI.
Q How much time before the inspection you will raise RFI?

Ans 24 hours before the inspection time.

Q What is the inspection, documentation, document review, standards,

hold point, witness point?

Ans Inspection: An activity such as measuring, examining, testing one

or more characteristics of a product/equipment and comparing the results
with specified requirements (standards and procedures) in order to know
whether conformity is achieved or not for each characteristic.

Documentation: Any record or pictorial information describing, defining

the procedures or results.
Document review: To collect all the documents related to an activity and
to evaluate the requirements for quality of that specific activity are
fulfilled or not and to identify if there is any problem or non-
conformity exists.

Inspection assignment package: A set of documents that include details of

purchased material/equipment, needed to perform full inspection at the
vendor/sub-vendor facility.
Standards: A document approved by a generally recognized body.

Specification: A detailed description of the design and materials used to

make something.

Quality management system: All activities that determine the quality

policy, objectives and responsibilities, and implement them by means such
as quality planning, quality control, quality assurance.

Quality System: Organizational structure, procedures, processes and

resources needed to implement the quality arrangements and requirements.
Quality audit: A systematic and independent examination to determine
whether quality activities and related results comply with the planned
arrangements and whether these arrangements are implemented effectively
and are suitable to achieve objectives.

Hold point: Inspection or test stage beyond which work/activity should

not proceed without the QA/QC organization representative in attendance.
Witness point: A point that provides QA/QC representative with the
opportunity to attend the inspection/test at his option.
Surveillance: Generally visiting the site work without RFI.

Compliance: A judgment that the product or service meets the requirements

of the relevant specification or standard.
Non-conformity: Non-fulfillment of a specific requirement of the relevant
specification or standard.

Corrective action: Action taken

to eliminate the defect or existing non-conformity, or other undesirable
situation.

Preventive action: Action taken to eliminate the causes of the existing

non-conformity, defect or other undesirable situation in order to prevent
recurrence.
Procedure: A specified way to perform an activity.

Pre-commissioning: Testing of system components for continuity,

operability.

Commissioning: Process by which an equipment, facility, or plant (which

is completed or near completion) is tested to verify if it functions
according to its design objectives or specifications.

Q What is NCR, Define and explain it with example?

Ans None-conformance report, we raise NCR when there occur some non-
conformity/violation at the site during the construction work or when
there is some non-conformity/violation occurred during material
receiving.

There are 4 parts of a NCR... (1) Violation occurred (2) Root cause
analysis (3) Corrective action to be taken (4) Preventive action
(Recommendations to avoid re-occurrence of violation).

Q What will you do when you see some violation/non-compliance has

occurred at site?

Ans I will put internal NCR at once and then after that I will ask to
construction team to take action to rectify it.

Q After how much time of occurrence of violation you will raise NCR?

Ans Within 24 hours

Q Within how much time the violation/non-conformity should be

resolved?

Ans As per ACD-(Agreed Completion Date).

Q There are how many types of NCR?

Ans: There are 2-types of NCR, and what is the difference between them?

1- Internal NCR
2- LBE Standard Violation/Client NCR 3- Company NCR
Internal NCR is a NCR which is raised by the Contractor QC-Inspector and
LBE/Client NCR is a NCR which is raised by PID (Client QC-Inspector)
Q How many types of RFI are?

Ans There are two type of RFI; (1) Internal RFI (2) QMIS RFI

Q What is walk through?

Ans Preparation of balanced work report (punch list items) upon

completion of 80% of construction work
Q What is punch list items?

Ans Any balanced work report during completion of work is called punch
list items.

Q What is two week look ahead schedule?

Ans It is the schedule of work that have to do/complete in the next two
weeks. The project planner/ project scheduler will prepare two week ahead
schedule.
Q What is the T.Q?

Ans If there is some conflict/issue occurred to execute work as per

approved IFC Drawing, T.Q is raised according to site requirement and the
designer/CSD/Client will approve it.

Q What is red-mark/as-built drawing?

Ans Changed drawing according to the site requirement, for example re-
routing/re-location of cable/conduit/equipment.
Q To deviate from any standard and other Mandatory Saudi Aramco
Engineering Requirements (MSAERs), what is the procedure?

Ans As per SAEP-302, if there any conflict between Mandatory Saudi

Aramco Engineering Requirements (MSAERs) or referenced industry standards
shall request the Manager, Consulting Services Department (CSD) of Saudi
Aramco, Dhahran to resolve the conflict.

To deviate from any standard, requests shall be submitted electronically

through the SAP Waiver Process in accordance with SAEP-302.

Q For obtaining a Waiver of a Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering

Requirement which standard we follow?

Ans For obtaining a waiver of a Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering

Requirement we follow SAEP-302.

Power Supply

*Where instrument-circuit power distribution panels are used, each panel

shall be dedicated to a single voltage level. These panels shall not
provide power to non- instrumentation circuits. Distribution panels shall
be furnished with a minimum of 20% spare circuit breakers.

*Redundant power supplies feeding process automation systems, emergency

shutdown systems, metering systems, auxiliary systems or field
instrumentation shall be fed from separate distribution panels.

*Power wiring for field instruments, two-wire analog transmission loops,

field switch contacts, etc., shall be individually fused and provided
with a means of disconnecting the power without disturbing terminated
wiring. Visual indication of a blown fuse condition shall be provided.
*Low level signals are defined as Millivolt, Microamp, Pulse and
Frequency Signals under 1 Volt.

*Where multiple online DC power supplies are connected to a single power

bus, diode auctioneering shall be used to ensure bump less transfer in
the event of a single power supply failure.

*Where multiple DC power supplies are an integral part of a

manufacturer's standard product, the manufacturer's standard method of
load sharing shall apply.

*UPS power and utility power shall not share the same cable or be routed
in the same conduit.

*UPS systems powering critical instrumentation shall consist of redundant

UPS units.

*Critical instrument systems are defined as systems which, upon loss of

their supply power, would cause: 1) process failure in a non-failsafe
mode, 2) area or plant shutdowns, 3) loss of custody transfer metering or
accounting systems, or 4) other adverse facility operating scenarios.

*The time during which the battery bank shall supply power to the
instrumentation system shall depend on the application, but not be less
than 30 minutes.

*Backup power supply shall be required for instrumentation systems

containing volatile memory. For all such systems, the manufacturers'
recommendations shall be followed.

Q What is the function of diode auctioneering? And where is it used?

Ans Diode auctioneering shall be used to ensure bump less transfer in

the event of a single power supply failure.
Signal/Control Wiring

*Splices are not permitted in wiring. When wiring must be extended,

connections shall be made via terminal blocks in a junction box installed
above ground.

*Twist-on wire nut connectors shall not be used for making any electrical
instrumentation terminations or wiring connections.

Q What are the wire and cable minimum size requirements for field
instrument to field junction box in instrument circuits?

Ans The minimum wire size for single pair cable from field instrument
to field junction box shall be 16 AWG/300V, 600V.

Q What are the wire and cable minimum size requirements for field
junction box to marshalling cabinet in instrument circuits?

Ans The minimum size for multi-pair/triad cable from field junction box
to marshalling cabinet shall be 18 AWG/300V, 600V.

*The minimum size for multi-pair/triad cable should be 18 AWG. The

minimum wire size for single pair cable shall be 16 AWG.
*Type ITC cable shall not be installed on either non-power limited
circuits or powered limited circuits operating at more than 150 volts or
more than 5 amperes.
*Differences in the manufacturer recommended cable and these requirements
shall be resolved with Instrumentation Unit/PID/P&CSD.
Q How protection is provided against reverse EMF for inductive loads?

Ans Protection against reverse EMF shall be provided for inductive

loads such as relays, solenoids, etc. This may be accomplished by
installing a diode across the coil for DC loads or a metal oxide varistor
(MOV) across the coil for AC inductive loads.

*If a discrete loop length exceeds 1000 feet, 120 VAC signal shall not be
used due to potential capacitive or inductive coupling. In such cases, DC
voltage shall be used.
*Cables used in Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 circuits shall meet the
requirements of Article 725 of the National Electrical Code (NEC).

Routing

Q How the instrument cable is laid above ground from the field
instrument to the field junction box?

Ans Single twisted pair/triad cables shall be installed in RGS or PVC

Coated RGS conduits from the field instruments to the field junction
boxes and armored instrumentation cable shall be routed on a cable tray.

Q How an armored cable is laid above ground from the field junction
box to marshaling cabinets?

Ans Cables between field junction boxes and marshaling cabinets may be
routed in conduits, on trays, or direct buried.

Q What is the marshaling cabinet?

Ans A marshalling cabinet contains main terminal strips and wire

terminations.

Q What is the minimum separation between power and instrumentation

cables?

Ans Power cables and instrumentation cables have minimum separation

between given blow:

1) Conduit to Conduit Spacing, millimeters (inches)

NSL * Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Level 1 0 (0) 75 (3) 300 (12)
Level 2 75 (3) 0 (0) 150 (6)
Level 3 300 (12) 150 (6) 0 (0)

2) Tray to Conduit Spacing, millimeters (inches)

NSL * Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Level 1 0 (0) 100 (4) 450 (18)
Level 2 100 (4) 0 (0) 150 (6)
Level 3 450 (18) 150 (6) 0 (0)

3) Tray to Tray Spacing, millimeters (inches)

NSL * Level 1 Level 2 Level 3

Level 1 0 (0) 150 (6) 650 (26)
Level 2 150 (6) 0 (0) 200 (8)
Level 3 650 (26) 200 (8) 0 (0)

*Twisting and shielding of instrumentation wiring shall also be used as

detailed below to minimize the noise impact on instrumentation signals.

Termination

Q What type of terminal blocks are used for termination of instrument

cables?

Ans Terminal blocks shall be screw type and channel (rail) mounted,
strip type, with tubular box clamp connector and compression bar or yoke
for wire termination. As a minimum, the thickness of the terminals shall
be 5 mm or higher. Multi-deck and spring type terminal blocks are not
acceptable.

Q What is instrument termination?

Ans When installing instrumentation, cable is run from the marshaling

cabinet, or some control system to the instrument in the field. The act
of attaching the cables to the actual electrical terminals of the
instrument or input output terminal at the Transmitting or receiving end
is called Terminating the instrument, i.e. instrument termination.
Usually the instrument loop is installed in stages, where the instrument
is physically mounted in the field, cable is pulled and run in cable
trays or buried in trenches, and the ends of the cables are terminated.

Q What type of terminal blocks are used for termination of

instrumentation cables?

Ans Screw-type terminals are provided on field instruments or other

electrical devices, solder less crimp/compression connectors shall be
used for connecting stranded copper conductors.

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*The thickness of the terminals shall be 5 mm or higher.

*Multi-deck and spring type terminal blocks are not acceptable.

Connections at Field Instruments:
(1) All connections at the field instrument shall be made on screw type
terminal blocks. Wire nuts and spring type terminals shall not be used.
Instruments with integral terminal blocks shall be connected directly to
the field cable.

(2) If the instrument is fitted with factory sealed fly leads then they
shall be connected to a screw type terminal block installed in a GUA
conduit fitting.
The outer jacket of shielded twisted single pair/triad cables shall be
left intact up to the point of termination. Drain wires and mylar shields
on shielded cables shall be cut and insulated with heat shrink sleeve at
the field instrument unless otherwise specified by the instrument
manufacturer.
Connections at Field Junction Boxes

Conduit and cable entries to field junction boxes shall be through the
bottom. Top entry is allowable provided a drain seal is installed on the
conduit within 18" of the enclosure. Side entry (within six inches of the
bottom) shall be permitted only when space limitations dictate. The
number of conduit entries shall be kept to a minimum. All unused entry
ports shall be fitted with approved plugs.

In severe corrosive environments, cable glands shall be protected against

corrosion, either by a heat shrink sleeve, anti-corrosion tape or PVC
shroud with anti-corrosion compound. Gasket materials shall be oil
resistant.

Q What are the terminals/terminal blocks accessories?

Ans Terminals and terminal block accessories are end brackets, DIN rail
mounting brackets for electrical insulation, bus-bar support blocks, etc.

Q What should be material specifications of terminal blocks

accessories?

Ans Shall be made of fire retardant, halogen free, high strength

material such as polyamide or equivalent in accordance with UL 94, V0.
Brittle materials such as melamine shall not be used.
*Wires terminated on these terminal blocks shall not have the bare ends
coated with or dipped in solder (“tinned”). However, termination of
wiring that has individual strands of the copper conductor tinned during
manufacture is acceptable.

*No more than two bare wire ends shall be connected to each side of a
single terminal block.

Q What type of wire ducts & gutters are used and what is the purpose?

52

Ans Plastic wire ducts with removable covers shall be used in control
panels and marshaling cabinets.
The purpose is to provide a means of routing and organizing wiring
between terminal blocks and instrument racks or panels for cable
termination.

Q How much distance should be between the wire duct and the terminal
strips?

Ans A minimum of 50 mm (two inches) shall be maintained between the

duct and terminal strips to permit wire markers to be completely
presented without being obscured by the duct.
Identification

Q What is the wire tagging method? How we do wire tagging?

Ans All wiring shall be tagged at each end. Each wire tag shall have
two labels. The first label (closest to the end of the wire) shall
identify the terminal number to which the wire is physically connected.
The other label shall be the terminal number of the connection of the
opposite end of the wire.
The terminals in each row shall be sequentially numbered starting at
number one (1).

Grounding

Q What is the hazard location in area classification?

Ans Hazardous locations are: CLASS I, ZONE 0 & CLASS I, ZONE 1

Connections and Terminations

*Compression (crimped) type connectors shall be used for splicing and

terminating stranded conductors.

*The use of solder lugs is prohibited.

*Compression terminal connectors for 4/0 and larger conductors shall be

two hole NEMA design.

*All compression connectors shall be tinned copper.

Q What type of connectors are used for lighting and receptacle

circuits?

Ans Spring pressure type twist-on connectors, and pressure set screw
connectors with insulating caps are permitted for lighting and receptacle
circuits in non-hazardous locations, and in non- industrial applications.
Q What type of connectors are used for control wiring?

Ans Insulated ring tongue, locking fork tongue, flanged fork tongue and
pin type compression terminals shall be used for control wiring.

*All threaded cable fittings including terminators (glands) for metric

size cables shall have tapered (NPT) threads in accordance with ANSI/ASME
B1.20.1.

Q What is the cable identification method for electrical cables?

Ans Identification of cables shall include the cable number and

destination.

Individual control wires shall be identified by two labels at each end.

The first label (closest to the end of the wire) shall identify the
number of the terminal to which the wire is connected. The other label
shall identify the terminal of the opposite end of the wire.

Q What are marking methods for wires for terminations?

Ans Wires at termination points shall be identified by the use of:

(a) Permanently imprinted or embossed wire markers of the heat-

shrinkable or slip-on type. Slip-on wire markers shall be sufficiently
tight so that they will not slip unintentionally.
(b) Cables may be identified by special plastic or non-corrosive metal
labels held with cable ties, or similar methods.
(c) Colored insulating tapes may be used for phase identification of
power circuit conductors.
* Wrap-around, rigid Snap-on, or adhesive type markers are not permitted
for wire or cable identification.
Q How to identify the individual phases of power cable circuit?

Ans SAES-P-104 describe that, individual phases of power circuit shall

be identified by the color-coding cable (Red, Yellow, Blue).

Q What is creepage distance? How much creepage distance for 13.8 KV

outdoor terminations?

Ans The clearance between the terminated ends of phase to the ground is
called creepage distance.
For 13.8 kV outdoor terminations, each phase shall have a creepage
distance of 552 mm to ground minimum.

Q What is the creepage distance for medium and high voltage

terminations installed outdoor?

Ans Medium and high voltage terminations (operating at 2.4 kV and

above) installed outdoors shall have a minimum creepage distance to
ground of 40 mm per kV line-to-line nominal system voltage.

Q What is the creepage distance for medium and high voltage

terminations installed indoor?

Ans Medium and high voltage terminations installed indoors shall have a
minimum creepage distance to ground of 25 mm per kV line-to-line nominal
system voltage.

Q What is the minimum creepage distance for MV/HV terminations?

Ans For outdoors installed is 40 mm per KVL-L and indoors installed is

25 mm per KVL-L.

Q According to SAES-P-104, Cable glands should be in accordance with?

Ans Cable glands (for hazardous and non-hazardous locations) shall be

in accordance with BS 6121 or BS 50262.

Enclosures

Q According to SAES-P-104, which type of terminal/ equipment

enclosure shall be used in outdoor plant areas?

Ans In outdoor plant areas, terminal/equipment enclosures shall be:

(a) NEMA Type 4

(b) NEMA Type 3
(c) IEC 60529, Type IP54 or better.

Q According to SAES-P-104, which type of terminal/equipment enclosure

shall be used in outdoor plant areas in severe corrosive environment?

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Ans In outdoor plant and other industrial areas located in severe

corrosive environments, equipment and terminal enclosures shall be:
(a) NEMA Type 4X
(b) NEMA Type 4 or 3
(c) IEC 60529, Type IP 54 or better

Q According to SAES-P-104, what type of enclosure material shall be?

Ans Enclosure materials shall be

a) Aluminum (Copper Free -0.4%)

b) Plastic (Fiberglass)
c) Stainless steel (Type 304 or better)
d) Galvanized/Painted/Coated carbon steel in indoor air conditioned
area.

Q According to SAES-P-104, which equipment/terminal enclosure shall

be used in outdoor non- industrial area?
Ans In outdoor non-industrial areas, equipment and terminal enclosures
shall be:

(a) NEMA Type 3R, 3 or 4

(b) IEC 60529 Type IP34 or better

Q According to SAES-P-104, which type of enclosure shall be used for

dry-type transformers in outdoor locations?

Ans In outdoor locations, enclosures for small dry-type transformers

shall be totally enclosed NEMA Type 3R.
*In hazardous (classified) locations, enclosures that are required to be
approved for Class I locations by NEC Article 501 or 505.

Q What type of breathers and drain fitting shall have in enclosures

and junction boxes?

Ans Enclosures and junction boxes having an internal volume exceeding

2,000 cm³ shall be provided with Type 300 Series stainless steel breather
and drain fittings.

Q AS per SAES-P-104, what is the size of drain hole?

Ans SAES-P-104, says thin wall enclosure and junction box may be drill
by 5mm hole in the bottom.

Conduit, Conduit Fittings and Supports

Q What are the specifications of direct buried PVC conduit, as per

SAES-P104?

60

Ans Direct buried conduit shall be PVC conduit Type DB-120 per NEMA TC
6 & 8 or Type EPC-40-PVC per NEMA TC 2.

Q What are the specifications of concrete encased underground conduit

as per SAES-P104?
Ans Concrete encased conduit shall be PVC conduit Type EB-35 or DB-120
per NEMA TC 6 & 8 or Type EPC-40-PVC per NEMA TC 2.

Q What are the specifications of direct buried conduit for corrosive

area, as per SAES-P104?

Ans Direct buried conduit in class I division I (Classified area) shall

be PVC coated RGS conduit.

Q What are the specifications of aboveground/exposed conduit, as per

SAES-P104?

Ans Conduit installed exposed, above ground in outdoor, industrial

facilities shall be rigid steel per ANSI C80.1, and in addition it shall
be galvanized.

Q What are the specifications of aboveground conduit in severe

corrosive environments as per SAES-P104?
Ans Conduit above ground in severe corrosive environments shall be
rigid steel per ANSI C80.1, and it shall be galvanized, in addition, it
shall be factory PVC coated (1 mm) per NEMA RN 1.

*Where flexibility is required, liquid-tight flexible metal conduit (non-

hazardous and Class I, Division 2 and Zone 2 locations) or explosion-
proof neoprene coated or PVC coated flexible couplings (in Class I,
Division 1 and Zone 1 locations) shall be used.
*EMT (electrical metallic tubing) is acceptable only for indoor non-
hazardous location. EMT shall comply with the requirements of ANSI C80.3.

*Intermediate metal conduit (IMC) is prohibited.

Q What is the minimum size of conduit shall be, as per SAES-P-104?

Ans The minimum conduit size shall be ¾ inch or equivalent.

*In non-industrial areas and for instrumentation wiring the minimum size
conduit shall be ½ inch.

*Conduit and threaded conduit fittings shall have tapered (NPT) threads
in accordance with ANSI/ASME B1.20.1.

*Field cut conduit threads shall be coated with a zinc rich protective
coating.

Q What type of conduit fittings are used for outdoor rigid steel
conduit and liquid-tight flexible metal conduit as per SAES-P-104?

61

Ans Conduit fittings for outdoor rigid steel conduit and liquid-tight
flexible metal conduit shall be of steel, iron, either hot-dip
galvanized, or zinc electroplated.

Q What type of conduit fittings are used for aboveground rigid steel
conduit and liquid-tight flexible metal conduit, as per SAES-P-104?

Ans Conduit fittings for rigid steel conduit and liquid-tight flexible
metal conduit used above ground in severe corrosive environments shall be
steel, iron, either hot-dip galvanized, or zinc electroplated and in
addition, shall be factory-coating with PVC or field coating prior to
installation.

*Conduit fittings for direct buried PVC coated rigid steel conduit shall
be factory PVC coated.

*Threads of plugs, junction boxes and other fittings shall be lightly

lubricated with a rust preventive grease before assembly.

*The use of conduit unions with underground conduit should be avoided. If

this is not possible, conduit unions must be protected with heat-
shrinkable sleeves or wrap-arounds.

Q As per SAES-P-104, pvc conduit fittings shall be in accordance with

which standard?

Ans Fittings for NEMA TC 6 & 8 Type PVC conduit shall be in accordance
with NEMA TC 9.

Fittings for NEMA TC 2 Type PVC conduit shall be in accordance with NEMA
TC 3.

Q What type of supports are used to support conduits, cable trays,

enclosures, lighting fixtures and other electrical equipment?
Ans Channel erector system components used to support conduits, cable
trays, enclosures, lighting fixtures and other electrical equipment shall
be made of steel or iron, either hot-dip galvanized (preferably), or zinc
electroplated.

Q What type of supports are used to support conduits, cable trays,

enclosures, lighting fixtures and other electrical equipment in severe
corrosive environment?

Ans Shall be made of

(A) Steel or iron, either hot-dip galvanized (preferably), or zinc

electro plated and in addition, shall be factory-coating with PVC or
field coating prior to installation. (B) Stainless steel (C) Fiberglass

Cable Trays

Q What kind of material is used for the cable trays?

Ans According to SAES-P-104, cable trays materials shall be

a) Aluminum (copper free 0.4%).

b) Fiber glass.

c) Stainless steel

d) Galvanize carbon steel in indoor air-conditioned area.

Q According to SAES-P-104, Aluminum and galvanized carbon steel cable

trays are designed, manufactured, rated and tested in accordance with?
Ans Aluminum and galvanized carbon steel cable tray shall be designed,
manufactured, rated, and tested in accordance with NEMA VE 1.

Q According to SAES-P-104, Fiberglass cable trays are designed,

manufactured, rated and tested in accordance with?
Ans Fiberglass cable tray shall be designed, manufactured, rated, and
tested in accordance with NEMA FG 1.

Q What is purpose of providing the cover of cable tray?

Ans Cover provide for protection from sun light and mechanical damage.

Q How much spacing require on expansion joint for aluminum cable

tray?

Ans Spacing between expansions joint that allowed a 25 mm movement in

20 meters

Underground Cable Systems

Q What are the minimum depth of burial requirements for underground

installations? Ans Minimum depth of burial requirements for
underground installations are as follows:
Millimeters from Grade Level to the Top Surface of Cable, Conduit or Duct
Bank

System Voltage
Direct Buried Cables
Direct Buried PVC
Duct Bank and Direct Buried Rigid Steel

600 V and below

610
460
460

Over 600 V to 35 kV
920
610
460

Over 35 kV
1070
760
460

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Q What is the underground conduit installation depth requirements in

rocky areas, in areas where cables being below the water table, or to
avoid underground obstructions such as other cables, conduits or piping?

Ans In rocky areas where digging must be minimized, in areas where

cables being below the water table, or to avoid underground obstructions
such as other cables, conduits or piping, cables may be installed in one
of the following configurations with total cover of 300mm or 150 mm:
(a) PVC coated rigid steel conduit with a total cover not less than 300
mm, which shall include a 50 mm thick (minimum) reinforced concrete slab
over the conduit; or
(b) PVC coated rigid steel conduit with a total cover not less than 150
mm, which shall include a 100 mm thick (minimum) reinforced concrete slab
over the conduit; or

(c) A reinforced concrete encased duct bank with 150 mm of total cover,
measured from the top of the upper conduit, which shall include a minimum
of 100 mm of concrete over the upper conduit.
*The top layer of the concrete slab or the duct bank shall be mixed with
red dye. (Minimum thickness of red concrete layer should be 5 mm).

Q What is the mini thickness of red concrete tiles?

Ans SAES-P-104, minimum thickness of red concrete tiles is 50mm/5cm and

are placed 300mm above direct buried cable or direct conduit, in
addition, a yellow warning tape shall be installed over the tiles. Tiles
dimensions are 200x400 mm.

Q What is the depth, width of trench? And what is the minimum sand
bedding height? And what is the minimum height of sweet sand before the
yellow warning tape?
Ans For direct buried cable trench the minimum depth is 610 mm from the
top surface of the cable and minimum sand bedding is 150 mm and minimum
height of sweet sand over the cable is 300 mm and then put red tiles and
yellow warning tape and then backfill it.

Q What type of duct banks are used for underground cable systems?

Ans Duct banks shall consist of PVC conduit, encased in concrete.

(1) The minimum burial depth from the grade level to the top surface of
duct bank is 460 mm.
(2) There shall be a minimum of 75 mm of concrete from the outside
surface of the duct bank to any conduit or reinforcing steel.
(3) In duct banks with steel conduit, unreinforced non-structural
concrete shall be used.
(4) In duct banks with PVC conduit, under areas with no traffic, or
occasional traffic, unreinforced non-structural concrete shall be used.
(5) In duct banks with PVC conduit, under areas with frequent traffic,
such as roads and parking lots inside plants or communities, reinforced
concrete shall be used.

64

*There shall be a minimum of 75 mm of concrete from the outside surface

of the duct bank to any conduit or reinforcing steel.
*The top layer (5 mm minimum thickness) of the concrete shall be mixed
with red dye.

Q When is the duct banks used?

Ans At cross under paved road, and railroads and when depth is
restricted/minimized due to some reasons.

Q What is the minimum crossing or parallel clearance between direct

buried cables or conduits and underground piping?
Ans The minimum crossing or parallel clearance between direct buried
cables or conduits and underground piping, shall be 300 mm.

Cable Testing after Installation

65

• Fence test cable ends to ensure personnel safety.

• Preliminary step: ‘Megger’ cable to be tested. Any cable that

exhibits low ‘Megger’ readings is questionable and should be cleared
before the high voltage DC test is performed.
• Connect output of test set to conductor/terminal to be tested and
connect ground terminal of test set to ground.

• Bring DC voltage up to prescribed test level in five equal steps.

Raise the voltage at an even rate, so as to reach the required level in
not less than 10 seconds. Hold the voltage at each step for 60 seconds.
Read and record the leakage current at the end of each hold period.
• Hold the full test voltage for not less than 10 minutes or more
than 15 minutes. Read and record the leakage current at 15-second
intervals for the first 2 minutes and then every minute for the duration
of the test.

• Bring the test voltage control quickly and smoothly to zero. Read
and record the voltage remaining on the cable after 30 and 60 seconds.
Discharge the cable to ground using a properly terminated resistor stick.
When the test set voltmeter indicates zero voltage on the cable, attach a
solid ground to the cable and then disconnect the test set and resistor
stick.

• Test each conductor/cable in the circuit in the same manner.

• Record all data concerning the circuit and test results.

Q How can we check the condition of the cable insulation in field?

Ans 1. The insulation resistance test performed with a megger tester.

2. The DC high potential test or DC hi-pot test

3. The very low frequency high potential test (VLF hi-pot test)

4. The AC high potential test which is performed at power frequency

(50 hertz or 60 hertz).

Q For low voltage cable, how much megger voltage requires?

Ans SAES-P-104, megger voltage shall be 1-KV (DC) for one minute.

Q For medium voltage cables how much megger voltage requires?

Ans SAES-P-104, for medium voltage cables (5KV to 35 KV), megger

voltages shall be 5-KV (DC).

Q What kind of cable testing shall be performed at medium voltage (5

kV to 35 kV) cables?

Ans 5 kV megger tested before and after backfilling and then DC- high-
potential testing after installation and prior to placing in service
66

Q For how long time we applied the DC high potential test for 5kv and
high rating direct buried cables?
Ans The DC high potential value shall be 4 kV/1 mm for one minute and
not to exceed 10 kV.

Q How we do megger testing of new cables spliced to existing cables?

Ans New cables to be spliced to existing cables shall be 5 kV megger

tested and DC high-potential tested prior to splicing.

After splicing, the new and existing cable combination shall be 5 kV

megger tested.

In addition, if the existing cable has been in service for less than five
years, the new and existing cable combination shall be high-potential
tested.

Q What kind of test may be applied to determine the condition of old

cables?

Ans Very low frequency (VLF) test.

Q For what purpose we applied VLF test?

Ans Very Low Frequency (VLF) test may be applied to determine the
condition (dielectric strength of insulation) of old cables.

Q For high voltage cable (69 KV and above) how much voltage requires
for Hi-Pot test?

Ans SAES-P-104, Hi-Pot test voltages shall be 192-KV (AC)

Q For what purpose we use high potential test and megger test?

Ans To check to integrity of the cable jacket.

Q How we check the integrity of overall jacket of direct buried

cables rated 5KV and higher?

Ans The integrity of the overall jacket of direct buried cables rated 5
kV and higher shall be tested by conducting a 5 kV megger and DC high
potential test between the cable insulation and ground.
Q How we check the integrity of the overall jacket of direct buried
low voltage armored or metal clad cables?

Ans The integrity of the overall jacket of direct buried low voltage
armored or metal clad cables shall be tested by conducting a 500 V megger
test.

*IEC 60229 shall be used for HV cable jacket integrity testing.

Cable Separation

Q What is the minimum separation b/w power and control cables?

67

Ans At (1 kV to 34.5 kV), 300 mm separation is required At (34.5 kV and

above), 1 m separation is required
Q What are the low voltage, medium voltage and high voltage values?

Ans Less than 1000 V

35KV to 69 KV
Voltage
*Conduit sealing fittings shall not be used.

*Conduits that cross hazardous location boundaries shall terminate in the

open air at both ends of the conduit.
*The cables outside the building shall be direct buried for a distance of
at least 2 meters

Q Describe Uninterruptible Power Supply System.

Ans Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) System shall consist of, but not
limited to batteries, battery circuit breaker, rectifier/charger,
inverter, static transfer switch, manual bypass line, bypass shielded
isolation transformer, output distribution panelboards and management
system.

Q Describe Photovoltaic Power System.

Ans Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power System shall consist of, but not
limited to batteries, photovoltaic panels, charge regulator and output
distribution panelboards. If AC output is required, inverter (DC/AC
converter) shall be included.

Battery Selection, Sizing and Load Determination

*Batteries shall comply with 17-SAMSS-511.

Q What are the guidelines for the battery selection?

What is the criteria for battery selection?

Ans Battery selection shall be made according to the following

guidelines.

a) Lead-calcium or lead low antimony pasted flat plate batteries are

generally the most suitable for standby float service applications in an
indoor temperature controlled environment. Such applications include
electrical substations and UPS systems where shallow moderate cycling is
expected. Lead-calcium batteries are not capable of many charge/discharge
cycles, i.e., up to 5 cycle operations per year. Nonetheless, lead
calcium battery features low current during float charging, and requires
equalize charging only as needed. In comparison, lead low antimony
batteries are capable of many charge/discharge cycles, but require
equalize charging yearly.
b) Tubular plate lead-antimony batteries or lead selenium batteries
are suitable for cyclic loads (frequent charge/discharge cycles) and for
high current short discharge applications. Due to material retention
properties of the tubular construction, such batteries can also be
successfully used in locations where frequent battery discharges are
anticipated. Lead selenium batteries feature low water loss.
c) Nickel-cadmium batteries are suitable for the applications
described in this standard including outdoor non-temperature controlled
applications such as remote unattended substations and photovoltaics
systems. The batteries are fairly immune to corrosion, are resistant to
mechanical and electrical abuse, operate well over a wide temperature
range, and can tolerate frequent shallow or deep discharges.
d) The use of valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries shall be
limited to applications where flooded batteries cannot be used and when
installed in temperature-controlled (25°C) environment.
Q What are the factors to be considered for selection of batteries?

Ans The following factors shall be considered in selecting a battery

for a particular application:

a) The design life of the battery shall be at least 20 years for

flooded lead acid/nickel cadmium batteries, and at least 10 years for
VRLA batteries.
b) The design life of the battery shall be based on 25°C.

Q Describe the battery sizing criteria?

Ans 1- For applications involving a combination of continuous loads,

non-continuous loads and/or momentary loads (such as switchgears), lead
acid batteries shall be sized in accordance with the battery sizing
worksheets of IEEE 485, and nickel cadmium batteries shall be sized in
accordance with the battery sizing worksheets of IEEE 1115, or the
equivalent IEC standards as applicable.

2- For photovoltaic (PV) applications involving a combination of

continuous loads, non- continuous loads and/or momentary loads, lead acid
and nickel cadmium batteries shall be sized in accordance with IEEE or
IEC applicable standards.

3- For applications of constant current consumption loads, the battery

ampere-hour capacity shall be calculated as follows:

DC Loads:
Battery Ah Capacity @ CBT = L x BT x TC x AF x DF (1)
UPS Loads:

Where:

Battery Ah Capacity @ CBT = Ah capacity of battery at required backup

time
Battery Ah Capacity = Ah capacity of battery at C8/C10 and C5, for lead
acid battery and nickel cadmium battery, respectively (consult battery
manufacturer for the conversion factor to convert Ah @ CBT to Ah @ C8/C10
and C5, for lead acid battery and nickel cadmium battery, respectively)

L = Continuous load current (dc amperes)

73

BT = Battery back-up time (hours)

AF = Aging factor (use 1.25 for all batteries)

DF = Design factor (use DF = 1.1 for all types of batteries)

kVA Load = Load designed apparent power (= Actual Load Power Consumption
+ Future Growth)

PF = Load power factor

No. of Cells = Number of series connected battery cells [Link] =

Efficiency of UPS inverter
VoltageEndCell = Battery cell voltage at end of discharge

TC = Temperature compensation factor (cell size correction factor)

4- If the calculated battery capacity exceeds a manufacturer's

standard rating by more than 5%, then the next larger standard battery
capacity shall be selected.

5- Paralleling up to 4 sets of battery banks of identical Ah capacity

and potential shall be allowed, to achieve the required Ampere Hour
capacity.

6- The minimum battery backup time shall be in accordance with Table,

and shall be based on the actual load calculation. For applications where
the battery backup time exceeds Table 1 requirements, Electrical
Equipment Unit, Consulting Services Department shall be consulted.

7- Redundant DC system, which consists of 2 rectifiers/chargers

connected in parallel, shall have separate battery banks such that each
battery bank shall be sized for 50% of the required total battery backup
time as specified in Table.

Table – Battery Backup Times Load

Location Type of Load Primary Power Source Battery Backup Time(1)
In-Plant or In-Office AC (UPS) Utility Only 60 minutes
In-Plant or In-Office AC (UPS) Utility +
Generator(2) 30 minutes
In-Plant or In-Office DC Utility Only 2 hours
In-Plant or In-Office DC Utility +
Generator(2) 30 minutes
Remote AC & DC Solar Photovoltaic 5 days (120 hours)
Attended
Substation(3) DC Utility +
Generator(2) 2 hours
Attended
Substation(3) DC Utility 4 hours
Unattended
Substation(3) DC Utility 8 hours
Unattended
Offshore Substation DC Utility 12 hours

74

8- Battery backup time (battery duration) for emergency or life-

critical loads shall be as specified in NFPA 70 and NFPA 101
9- Battery backup time for all security emergency systems shall be per
the requirements of SAES-O Standards.

10- No-load losses of redundant systems shall be included in the

battery sizing calculations.

11- Switchgear DC system shall be dedicated for loads that are critical
and require continuous operation during utility power loss.

12- In-plant DC loads shall not be connected to the battery bank which
is dedicated to the UPS system.

13- Substation battery systems shall be dedicated to connected DC loads

and shall not be part of a plant UPS or other DC system.

14- The minimum number of series-connected battery cells shall be in

accordance with Table or as determined by the calculations. Nonetheless,
battery manufacturer's recommended number of cells based on the specified
battery backup time shall be followed, if available. Nevertheless, for
UPS applications, the number of series connected cells (DC voltage value)
shall be selected by the UPS manufacturer.

Required Number of Cells

Number of cells DC
Systems Number of Cells
Photovoltaic Systems
Nominal Battery
Voltage (VDC) Lead Acid Nickel Cadmium Lead Acid Nickel Cadmium
12 6 9 6 10
24 12 18 12 19
48 24 36 24 38
120/125 60/62 91 60 95
240/250 120/125 182 120 191
360 180 273 NA NA
408 204 309 NA NA
480 240 364 NA NA

15- The maximum number of series connected cells shall be calculated as

follows to ensure an optimal and safe DC system voltage and battery
recharge voltage:

Max. Number of Cells = Max. Allowed DC System Voltage / Equalizing Volts

per Cell

16- Based on the number of cells calculated, the end-of-discharge

voltage for each cell shall be calculated as follows to ensure that the
system voltage does not fall below the minimum acceptable level:

Voltage Discharge -of – End = Voltage System DC Allowed Min. / Cells of

Number

Unless otherwise recommended by the manufacturer, the minimum allowed DC

system voltage shall be 87.5% of the nominal system voltage for DC and
UPS systems, and 92.5% for Photovoltaic systems.

17- The cell end-of-discharge voltages shall be per Table below:

Battery Cell End of Discharge Voltage
Battery Type General
Applications PV Applications*
Lead-Acid 1.65 VPC to 1.75 VPC 1.85 VDC
Nickel-Cadmium 1.0 VPC to 1.14 VPC 1.14 VPC to 1.2 VPC
VPC = Volt Per Cell

Battery Installations

Q What are the international standard codes for installation of

batteries?

Ans All batteries shall be installed in battery rooms or battery

enclosures in accordance with NFPA 70 (NEC), IEEE 484 or IEC 50272-2.

*Batteries shall not be installed in enclosures inside a battery room.

*The minimum battery room ventilation shall be one complete air change
every 3 hours, and the temperature inside this battery room is
maintained, but never exceed, 25°C.

*Batteries shall not be installed in Class I, Division 1 locations.

*Batteries installed in Class I, Division 2, locations shall be in a

building or enclosure made safe by pressurized air. Loss of
pressurization shall be monitored in accordance with NFPA 496.

*Working space of at least 1 meter shall be provided in front of each

battery rack or enclosure.

*Batteries shall be supplied with covers for all inter-cell connecters

and terminals or insulated copper busbars to enhance safety.

Q Battery room walls and floor shall be made of what type of

material?

76

Ans Battery room walls and floor shall be made of concrete construction
and finishing.

*Battery room finishing shall not contain drywall (such as plasterboard,

wallboard, gypsum board, sheetrock, or gyprock).

*Manned workstations shall not be located in battery rooms.

*Battery rooms shall be provided with enclosed and gasketed (i.e., vapor
tight) corrosion resistant lighting fixtures

*Battery room lighting shall be installed to provide a minimum level of

illumination of 30-ft candles (300 lux).

*Emergency lighting with illumination level of 10-ft candles (100 lux)

shall be installed to operate in the event of loss of mains power supply.

Q How shall be installed the battery room doors?

Ans Battery room doors shall open outward, away from the room, to the
outside of the building, and be fitted with door closers and anti-panic
(quick-release, quick-opening) hardware. No hasp, padlock, or other
device shall be installed which will hinder operation of the emergency
door opening devices.

*Doors between battery rooms and other rooms shall not be permitted.

*Potable water facilities shall be provided for rinsing spilled

electrolyte in the battery room. Raw water shall not be used (as it is
rich of minerals and dissolved solids that may react with the
electrolyte). The amount of water supply shall be determined based on a
risk assessment of the extreme scenario where the largest battery or
electrolyte container gets spilled.

*Provisions for neutralizing the battery electrolyte (acid or alkali) and

caustic spillage shall be included in the battery room design.

*Floor drains shall comply with SAES-S-060.

*Sealed valve-regulated batteries do not require floor drains.

*Emergency eyewash facilities shall be provided as required by SAES-B-

069.

*Sealed valve-regulated batteries do not require eyewash facilities.

Q With what type of cover the battery room floor shall be covered?

Ans Battery room floor shall be covered with an electrolyte (acid or

alkali) resistant, durable, antistatic and slip-resistant surface
overall, to a height 100 mm on each wall.

77

Where batteries are mounted against a wall, the wall behind and at each
end of the battery bank shall be coated to a distance of 500 mm around
the battery with an electrolyte resistant paint or tiles.

*A dry type chemical fire extinguisher shall be installed on the outside

of the battery room.

*Cabinets or racks shall be provided in the battery room for storing

maintenance tools and safety equipment. These cabinets and racks shall be
acid or alkaline resistant as applicable.

*Lead acid batteries shall not be mounted in the same room together with
nickel cadmium batteries, and vice versa.

*Battery rooms shall be vented to the outside air by forced ventilation

to prevent accumulation of hydrogen and to maintain design temperature.
The ventilation system is designed such that the hydrogen concentration
shall not exceed 1% of the total air volume of the battery room.

*The maximum hydrogen evolution rate for all kinds of flooded batteries
is 0.000457 m³/hour (0.016 ft³/hour), per charging ampere, per cell, at
25°C, at standard pressure. The worst condition (the maximum hydrogen
evolution) occurs when current is forced into a fully charged battery
(overcharge).
*An interlock between the air-handling unit and the high-rate charging
switch shall be provided, such that failure of the air-handling unit
shall cause the high-rate charging of batteries to stop.

*The ventilation system shall be 100% redundant. Only direct driven

exhaust fans shall be used. An interlock with the ventilation system
shall be provided to stop the high-rate battery charging if the exhaust
fan stops.

*An alternative to interlocking with either air-handling unit or exhaust

fans is to interlock the high-rate battery charging system with either an
air-flow or air-pressure measuring device, such that ventilation
insufficient to the 1% hydrogen limit will cause the high-rate charge to
stop.

*Audible and visual alarm shall be installed outside the battery room
entrance to annunciate a failure in ventilation for prompt repair.
*The minimum ventilation shall be one complete air change every 3 hours.

*A battery area that meets the above ventilation requirements and the
high-rate charge interlock shall be considered non-hazardous. Therefore
special electrical equipment enclosures to prevent fire or explosions
shall not be required.

*Equipment with arcing contacts shall be located in such a manner as to

avoid those areas where hydrogen pockets could form. Electrical equipment
shall not be located directly above the batteries and, as a rule, shall
have a minimum horizontal separation of 1.5 meters from the nearest cell.

*Temperature in a room that contains batteries shall not exceed 25°C.

*If battery operating temperature increases by 10°C above the 25°C

reference, battery design life is reduced by: 50% for lead acid
batteries, and 20% for nickel cadmium batteries.
*Return air-conditioning ducts from battery rooms shall be prohibited.

*Lighting fixtures shall be installed at least 300 mm below the finished

ceiling.

*Inlets of air-conditioning shall be no higher than the top of the

battery cell and the outlets (exhaust) at the highest level in the room.
Air inlets and outlets shall be located in such a manner to provide
effective cross ventilation over the batteries.

*Batteries installed in a sealed passively cooled shelter shall be

located in a separate compartment with a dedicated entrance. All battery
cell vents shall be tubed so that hydrogen gas is vented outside the
battery compartment.

*Battery racks shall be constructed in accordance with 17-SAMSS-511.

*Battery racks installations shall meet NEC bonding and grounding

requirements. Battery racks shall be bonded at both end points to a local
supplementary grounding electrode per NEC 250 or EN 50178. Install lug
and cable on the steel rack and tighten to ensure ohmmeter reading
between each component and a common point on rack frame indicated
continuity for proper grounding.

*Stationary batteries shall be installed on open battery racks within a

battery room to facilitate proper cooling, routine inspection, and
maintenance.
*Either covers for all inter-cell connecters and battery terminals or
insulated copper busbars shall be supplied as part of the battery.

Q How much clearance shall be for battery cell to the rack?

Ans Clearance from the top of the battery cell highest point to the
bottom of the rack above it shall be 350 mm, and airspace between battery
cells shall be approx. 10 mm.

Q What are the requirements for battery enclosures?

Ans Battery enclosures shall be in accordance with the following

requirements:

a) The enclosure design shall include a removable lid, secured by

quick- release latches, type 316L stainless steel or equivalent. Hinged
enclosures shall be designed to open at least 120 degrees to facilitate
proper maintenance access.
b) The enclosure base shall be provided with cell supports designed to
raise the cells a minimum of 5 cm above the enclosure floor.
c) For indoor use, the battery enclosures and cell supports shall be
made of fiberglass reinforced material or steel, with provisions for
anchoring to the floor and grounding. The ventilation requirements of
paragraph 6.3 shall be complied with.
d) Valve regulated (sealed) lead acid (VRLA) batteries shall be
mounted in ventilated indoors enclosures unless installed inside a
dedicated battery room, where battery racks are sufficient. VRLA
batteries shall not be used for outdoors applications.
e) Battery enclosures for outdoor use shall be made of fiberglass-
reinforced material, and shall be completely weatherproof, dust-tight,
and rain-tight. The gasket shall be one- piece, heavy-duty black neoprene
or Buna nitrile rubber, mechanically attached to the enclosure lip and in
continuous contact with the enclosure lid. Minimum protection Class for
outdoors mounting shall be NEMA 250 Type 4 (or IEC 60529 IP 65). For
offshore outdoors applications, corrosion resistance enclosure NEMA 250
Type 4X (or IEC 60529 IP 65 with corrosion protection) shall be required.
f) The fiberglass material shall meet the flammability rating of UL 94
type V-0.
g) Steel enclosures and grounding lugs shall be coated with an acid-
resistant or alkali- resistant (as applicable), chip and scratch
resistant, baked powder epoxy or propylene.
h) All hardware shall be 316L stainless steel or equivalent.
i) The enclosure shall have an adequate number of drain openings at
the bottom and a minimum of two ventilation openings at the top. The
ventilation openings shall be fitted with breather-type plugs to release
hydrogen gas without allowing sand/dust to enter the enclosure.
j) Clearance above each battery cell shall be 350 mm, to allow proper
air circulation and to permit filling, testing, and replacement of cells.
Adequate clearance shall also be maintained in between cells. Air space
between battery cells, as well as between the cells and external
enclosure walls shall be approx. 10 mm.
k) Enclosures with front access only shall have no more than 2 rows of
stepped cells. Enclosures with access from the front and back sides may
have a maximum of 4 rows of stepped cells. In the stepped cell
arrangement, for vented battery application, cells shall be positioned in
such a way that the electrolyte levels markings (both minimum and
maximum) can be easily seen.
Q What are the cable requirements for battery cables?

Ans Battery cables shall be sized for a total voltage drop of less than
3%. Positive and negative battery cables shall be run in the same conduit
to prevent inductive heating.

*The positive and negative buses of batteries shall be isolated from

earth ground.

*Each battery-based system shall be equipped with properly sized two-pole

fused disconnect switch or circuit breaker with an undervoltage release
feature to prevent battery discharge beyond the battery's end-of-
discharge voltage. The undervoltage device shall disconnect the battery
from the load when the battery voltage drops to the end-of- discharge
voltage.

*An alarm to indicate the battery circuit breaker open condition (or
fused disconnect switch open or blown fuse condition) shall be provided
on the charger cabinet or the UPS cabinet. This alarm shall also be
annunciated to the main control room DCS or to an area where operators
are present.

*The battery circuit breaker open condition (or fused disconnect switch
open or blown fuse condition) shall be routed via Standalone or the
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system or Network
Management System (NMS), to the power control center.

*Another alarm to indicate the battery room high temperature shall be

annunciated to the main control room.

Q What is wiring color coding for batteries wiring for grounded and
ungrounded systems?

Ans Ungrounded Systems for Industrial Facilities Positive: Red

Negative: Black
Battery rack and other equipment grounding conductors: Green Grounded
Systems for Special Applications
a) Negative Grounded Systems Positive: Red (ungrounded) Negative:
White (grounded)

b) Positive Grounded Systems Positive: Black (grounded) Negative: Red

(ungrounded)

*Battery rack and other equipment grounding conductors: Green, or green

with yellow stripes

Q What are the safety equipments shall be provided near stationary

batteries?

Ans The following safety equipment shall be provided near stationary

batteries:
a. Safety face shields and goggles
b. Safety aprons
c. Acid resistant rubber gloves
d. Safety shoes
e. Eye washing facilities (refer to SAES-B-069)
f. Neutralizing agent:
- To neutralize lead acid battery:
Mix 0.1 kg bicarbonate of soda to one liter of water.
- To neutralize nickel cadmium battery spillage:
Mix 50 grams boric acid solution to one liter of water.
- Or use other suitable neutralizing agent recommended by the
manufacturer for acid electrolyte spillage or the manufacturer of
alkaline electrolyte spillage, whichever applicable.

Q What are the safety signs shall be posted on battery room?

Ans The following safety signs shall be permanently posted on battery

room entrance at a visible location in Arabic and English languages:
a. Sign: “DANGER CAUSTIC/ACID”
b. Sign: “DANGER CAUSTIC/ALKALINE”
c. Sign: “DANGER NO SMOKING”
d. Sign: “EYE PROTECTION REQUIRED IN THIS AREA”