: [ S_min = \frac25,000 \cdot \sqrt0.2143 \approx \frac25,000 \cdot 0.447143 \approx 78 , mm^2 ] 185 mm² >> 78 mm² — thermal withstand OK.
Introduction At first glance, selecting an electrical cable seems trivial: pick a wire that fits the current. In reality, cable sizing is a multivariable optimization problem governed by a single master equation derived from thermodynamics and electromagnetism. The "cable calc formula" is not one formula but a synthesis of voltage drop limits, thermal constraints, and short-circuit withstand capability.
(185 mm² Cu, R=0.106 Ω/km, X=0.078 Ω/km): [ V_d = \sqrt3 \cdot 340 \cdot 0.250 \cdot (0.106\cdot0.85 + 0.078\cdot0.527) \approx 12.9V ] Drop % = (12.9/400 = 3.2%) — within typical 5% limit.
[ I_rms = \sqrtI_1^2 + I_2^2 + ... + I_h^2 ] And derating factor: