Voltage Drop Calculation: Resistance (Ohms/km) for Type SHD-GC 3/C #1 AWG 8kV Trailing Cable
Type SHD-GC 3/C #1 AWG 8kV trailing cable has a DC resistance of approximately 0.161 ohms per kilometer measured at the reference temperature of 20°C (68°F). This DC resistance value represents the pure ohmic resistance of the copper conductor when direct current flows through it—a condition that occurs in short-circuit analysis and DC testing procedures. However, when this same cable carries the alternating current typical of mining equipment operations (at the standard operating temperature of 90°C), the AC resistance increases to approximately 0.363 ohms per kilometer due to the combined effects of temperature rise and skin effect phenomena. The substantial difference between 0.161 Ω/km (DC, 20°C) and 0.363 Ω/km (AC, 90°C)—more than a 2.25 times increase—demonstrates a critical principle that engineers must account for in real-world voltage drop calculations: laboratory DC resistance values are not directly applicable to field voltage drop analysis. The cable features three 107.2 mm² (1 AWG equivalent) phase conductors of Class 5 tinned copper, with an additional ground-check conductor for continuous monitoring of cable integrity during operation, an outer diameter of approximately 53–58 mm, and a total weight of approximately 6,200–6,800 kg/km. Understanding both the DC baseline resistance and the elevated AC resistance at operating temperature is essential for accurately predicting voltage drop over long cable runs in open-pit mining operations where power distribution distances frequently exceed 500 meters.





