Final answer:
A continuous load current usually refers to the largest load a system is expected to carry for three hours or more. This limit helps to ensure electrical safety and prevent overloading, especially given that circuits are typically rated to only handle continuous usage at 80% of their breaker current capacity.
Step-by-step explanation:
A continuous load current refers to the largest load a system is expected to carry for an extended period without interruption. In electrical engineering, there is a standard for dealing with the capacity of circuits to handle continuous loads. Safety regulations commonly limit continuous use to 80% of the breaker current capacity. A continuous load is typically considered something that lasts three hours or more. This ensures that the system has a safety margin and diminishes the risk of overheating and other electrical issues.
For example, when someone is calculating the energy usage over a long period, say a year, one must consider the continuous power output and multiply it by the time to find the total energy used or produced. For a person generating 100 W of power, continuously doing so for an hour would result in 100 watt-hours (Wh) of energy, which implies that sustained human power output would require a vast number of individuals to replace significant electrical sources, such as a 800 MW power plant.