Gesamtstrom

Gesamtstrom, in electrical engineering, is the total electric current flowing through a conductor or circuit. It is the sum of currents from all branches connected at a junction and is determined by Kirchhoff's current law.

In DC circuits, currents add algebraically; in a series circuit, the current is the same through all components; in parallel, branch currents split and recombine so that I_total equals the sum of the branch currents (I_total = sum I_i).

In AC systems, currents can have different phases. The concept of total current then uses phasor or RMS values, and the magnitude of the total current is the vector sum of the branch currents. Phase differences can cause the total current to be smaller than the sum of the individual magnitudes.

Applications of the Gesamtstrom include sizing conductors and protective devices, as well as assessing the load on power supplies, transformers, and distribution networks. Measuring the Gesamtstrom typically involves current meters, shunt resistors, or current transformers.

Example: In a 230 V system with two parallel loads drawing 2 A and 3 A, the Gesamtstrom is 5 A. In a series circuit, the current is the same through all components, so the Gesamtstrom is equal to that common current.

Note: The term is descriptive in German and is often used interchangeably with Stomstärke or Gesamtstromstärke in technical literature. It denotes the overall current flowing in a conductor or node, as distinct from individual branch currents.