Kitchen Electrical Load Balancer

Calculate the total electrical demand (kW and Amps) and balance the load across 3-phase systems (A, B, C) for efficient electrical distribution.

Electrical Equipment List

Equipment Name Qty Power (kW) Voltage (V) Phase Diversity (%)

Electrical Load Balancing Formulas

Basic Electrical Calculations

Single-Phase Equipment

Amps = (kW × 1000) ÷ (Volts × Power Factor)
Design Amps = Amps × Quantity × (Diversity % ÷ 100)

For single-phase loads (120V or 208V/240V line-to-line), the tool automatically distributes the load between two phases (A-B, B-C, or A-C) to minimize imbalance.

Three-Phase Equipment

Amps = (kW × 1000) ÷ (Volts × √3 × Power Factor)
Design Amps = Amps × Quantity × (Diversity % ÷ 100)
Phase Amps = Design Amps ÷ √3

Three-phase loads are divided equally across all three phases (A, B, C).

Load Balancing Algorithm

The tool uses an intelligent balancing algorithm:

  1. Single-phase loads are assigned to the two phases with the lowest combined current
  2. The load is split equally between the selected phases
  3. Three-phase loads are automatically balanced across all phases

Imbalance Calculation

Average Amps = (Phase A + Phase B + Phase C) ÷ 3
Max Deviation = |Highest Phase - Average Amps|
Imbalance % = (Max Deviation ÷ Average Amps) × 100

The National Electrical Code (NEC) recommends keeping phase imbalance below 5% for optimal system performance and safety.

Key Assumptions

  • Power Factor: 1.0 (unity) for commercial cooking equipment
  • Voltage: Typically 208V or 480V for commercial kitchens
  • Diversity: Accounts for equipment not operating simultaneously
  • √3 (Square Root of 3): Approximately 1.732 for three-phase calculations