Selected work
Explore MAX’s guides to distribution-substation equipment and power flow, circuit-breaker feeder cable sizing, and vacuum circuit-breaker current chopping. These articles show the range of electrical topics covered in his published work.
Latest from MAX
How Overcurrent Protection Changes Arc-Flash Incident Energy
The protective device changes an arc-flash estimate primarily through the arcing current it sees and how long it takes to clear that current. A current-limiting fuse, instantaneous breaker,…
MCCB Selection for Automatic Power-Factor-Correction Panels
Select the incoming molded-case circuit breaker (MCCB) for an automatic power-factor-correction (APFC) panel from the bank’s maximum operating current, installation fault level, protection/coordination requirements and verified assembly design.…
Control Transformer Sizing for Contactor Pickup and Holding
Do not size a contactor control transformer from coil holding VA alone. Build at least two load cases: the largest credible simultaneous pickup demand, and the steady sealed/holding…
Low-Voltage Circuit Breaker Selection for Selective Coordination
Selectivity means a downstream fault is cleared by the protective device nearest that fault while an upstream device remains closed, within a defined range of fault currents. To…
GFCI vs. AFCI: What Each Device Protects Against
A ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) and an arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) respond to different hazards. A GFCI compares current leaving and returning on the intended circuit conductors and…
Substation Breaker Trip Troubleshooting: Reconstruct the Event Before Reclosing
When a substation circuit breaker trips unexpectedly, first establish what ordered it to open and whether it actually interrupted current. Do not treat every open breaker as a…
Switching Devices in Medium-Voltage Switchgear
Medium-voltage switchgear uses different devices for different electrical duties. A circuit breaker can interrupt specified fault currents; a load switch interrupts specified normal or limited abnormal currents; a…
How to Lower Terminal Block Assembly Cost Without Weakening Safety
The lowest-cost terminal-block build is not necessarily the one with the cheapest block. For a repeatable low-voltage panel, reduce total installed cost by controlling wire preparation, terminal selection,…
How to Read Terminal Block Markings in UL and IEC Panels
A marking on a terminal block is a starting point for verification, not permission to connect any wire that fits. Read the component identification, voltage and current ratings,…
EV Battery Busbar Design: Current, Heat, Insulation, and Validation
Size an EV battery busbar from the actual continuous and pulse-current duty using resistance at operating temperature, then validate joints, cooling, insulation coordination, fault forces, vibration, manufacturing tolerance…