An Overview Of Short Circuit Current (part 2)

electrical-engineering-portal.com/an-overview-of-short-circuit-current-part-2

27/2/2013

An Overview Of Short Circuit Current - Part 2 (on photo Main Switchboard by jayreynoldsisreal @Flickr)

Continued from previous technical article: An Overview Of Short Circuit Current (part 1)

Reactance
Sub transient reactance Xd is the apparent reactance of the stator winding at the instant short circuit occurs, and it
determines the current ow during the rst few cycles of a short circuit.
Transient reactance Xd is the apparent initial reactance of the stator winding, if the eect of all amortisseur windings
is ignored and only the eld winding considered. This reactance determines the current following the period when
subtransient reactance is the controlling value.
Transient reactance is eective up to 1/2 sec. i.e. 30 cycles or longer, depending upon the design of the
machine.

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Synchronous reactance Xd is the apparent reactance that determines the current ow when a steady state condition
is reached.
It is not eective until several seconds after the short circuit occurs, consequently it has no value in short circuit
calculations for the application of circuit breakers, fuses and contactors selection but is useful for relay setting
studies.
Below gure gives simplied representation of Asymmetrical and symmetrical fault current as well as dierent
reactance:

Asymmetrical and symmetrical fault current

During rst few cycles reactance of system/synchronous machine is least and short circuit current is highest. This
stage is called subtransient reactance. This reactance is denoted by X. After rst few cycles decrement in RMS
value of short circuit current is less. This state is called transient reactance and is denoted by X.
Finally transient dies out and current reaches the steady sinusoidal state. Reactance in this state is called steady
state reactance and is denoted by Xd.
Here we can introduce the concept of short circuit making and breaking current. During the rst few cycles of fault
current the reactance is least and magnitude of short circuit current is highest. Current increases to maximum value
at the peak of rst current loop.
All switching device are subjected to high electro-magnetic forces. To ensure that switching device like circuit
breakers withstand safely this high magnitude of short circuit current, switching device is tested for short circuit
making current. Hence we can also dene the short circuit making current as peak value of rst current loop of
short circuit current.
Short circuit making current
= Peak value of steady state SC current + doubling eect caused by rst peak containing DC component
= 1.8 x peak value of steady state short circuit current (considering doubling eect)
= 1.8 x 2 x RMS value of steady state short circuit current
= 2.5 x RMS value of steady state short circuit current

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Since RMS value of steady state short circuit current is called breaking current so short circuit making current can be
written as:
Short circuit making current = 2.5 x short circuit breaking current
Above expression for calculating the making current is also given by Indian standard 10118, part-2 for selection,
installation and maintenance of switchgear and controlgear.
However as per Indian standard 8623-part-1 for low voltage switchgear and controlgear assembly:
Relationship between peak and RMS. values of short-circuit current The value of peak short-circuit current ( peak
value of the rst loop of the short-circuit current including DC. component) for determining the electrodynamic
stresses shall be obtained by multiplying the RMS. value of the short-circuit current by the factor n.
Standard values for the factor n and the corresponding power factor are given in below table:

Table for selecting asymmetrical peak value

RMS Value of Short circuit current

cos

I 5 kA

0.7

1.5

5kA

0.5

1.7

10kA

0.3

20kA

0.25

2.1

50kA

0.2

2.2

One can observe the dierence in selection of multiplying factor n in case of two dierent IS. As per IS 10118 part-2
multiplying factor should be 2.5 and as per 8623 part-1 multiplying factor should be n times and n should be
selected as per above table.
Since IS 8623 latest edition is 1998 and IS 10118 has been published before 8623 hence generalized value of n in
IS 10118 must have been elaborated in IS 8623. Also note the fact that IS 10118 considers the doubling eect as
1.8 times which may vary depending upon amount of DC component which in turn depends upon the X/R ratio.
Exact and accurate knowledge of system X/R ratio is dicult to obtain, only power system engineers who are
exclusively involved in system studies can throw some light on it. Hence dierent values of multiplying factor at
dierent power factor (in other words X/R) in IS 8623 is more reliable and is used by all switchgear manufacturers.
All the switchgears are type tested as per IS 8623 part-1 Readers are advised to refer the equivalent IEC 439 part-1
for technical comparison and analysis of multiplying factor n.

Sources and limiters of short circuit current

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When determining the magnitude of short-circuits currents, it is extremely important that all sources of short
circuit current be considered and that the reactance characteristics of these sources are known.
Electrical loads are either static (such as lighting) or dynamic loads (like motors). Dynamic loads have residual
voltage and voltage of fault point is zero (if it is ground fault) or very less than line voltage hence current starts
owing from dynamic loads to fault points.
During a short circuit condition the system voltage will decay. A stable voltage supply no longer exists. The
rotating magnetic eld in the rotor will attempt to support the reduced voltage condition by becoming a power
source. The motor is now providing additional current into the faulted electrical system.
This phenomenon is called motor contribution.
The amount of current is dependent on the motor impedance. At rst there is an asymmetrical current containing
both AC and DC components.
Lack of a stable voltage supply causes the AC component to decay when the rotor ux begins to drop. Without a
stable voltage supply, the transient DC component also decays. Induction motor contribution typically lasts from one
to four cycles from time equal zero during a short circuit condition.
However, synchronous motors short circuit contribution can last from six to eight cycles. The main dierence is
the induction motor does not have an excitation capability of a synchronous motor; therefore, it cannot maintain
voltage for the same amount of time.
In either case the motor contribution is present during the rst cycle.
There are three basic sources of short circuit current:
1. Generators
2. Synchronous motors and synchronous condensers
3. Induction motor
Due to residual ux in the rotor of the induction motor, it contributes fault current for 1-4 cycles. Normally, induction
motor current contribution is considered for fault calculations.
ANSI standard C37.010 [1] oers guidance when calculating motor contribution for a group of low voltage motors if
detail motor data are not available. Assuming a motor contribution of four times rated full load current is acceptable.
The standard arrived at this value by assuming the motor contribution of 3.6 times rated current came from 75%
induction motors and 4.8 times rated current from 25% synchronous motors.
A circuit element where voltage is induced by changing current in it is inductor and property is called inductive
property. As per Lenz Law rate of change of current is positive and induced voltage is negative.
Thus inductance acts in negative direction around the circuit to oppose change in current and hence can also limit
the short circuit current.
There are three basic limiters of short circuit current:
1. Transformer impedance
2. Cable impedance
3. Series reactor impedance (if any)

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Will be continued very soon

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