A continuous electric current of 2,000 amps is to be transmitted from a generator to a transformer located 200 feet away. A copper conductor can be installed for $6 per pound, will have an estimated life of 25 years, and can be salvaged for $1 per pound. Power loss from the conductor will be inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area of the conductor and may be expressed as 6.516 A kilowatt, where A is in square inches. The cost of energy is $0.0825 per kilowatt-hour, the interest rate is 11%, and the density of copper is 555 pounds per cubic foot Required:
a. Calculate the optimum cross-sectional area of the conductor.
b. Calculate the annual equivalent total cost for the value you obtained in part (a).