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Home / Technical Articles / An Overview Of Short Circuit Current (part 3)

Sample calculation for small LT system

Fault calculations are carried out to find the magnitude of fault current at various voltage levels of electrical system. One of the key components in the calculation process is to determine the total impedance of the circuit from the utility / source, through the transmission system, transformers, and conductors, down to the point in question such as a panel or switchboard location.

An Overview Of Short Circuit Current (part 3)
An Overview Of Short Circuit Current (part 3)

Continued from previous technical article: An Overview Of Short Circuit Current (part 2)

The impedances of the various circuit elements have both resistance and reactance and are often referred to as the “complex impedance” or “polar notation”. Short circuit calculations are actually just an elaborate version of Ohm’s Law.

Fault current values and time helps in deciding equipment short time withstand capacity and deriving settings of protection relays. Interrupting capacity of protection equipment should be high enough to open safely the maximum short circuit current which the power system can cause to flow through that equipment.

One sample calculation for calculating the short circuit current at downstream of transformer is shown below.

Purpose and intent of this calculation is to calculate the short term current rating of a marshalling kiosk to be fed by AC distribution board (ACDB). ACDB being fed by a source of 630kVA transformer.

Calculation basis

1/ The busbar and switchgear of Marshalling kiosk is sized for short time rating as per contribution from MV source through LT transformer.

2/ For circuits connected by transformer PU system is particularly suitable. By selecting suitable base kV for circuits the per unit reactance and resistance remains same, referred to either side (HV or LV) of transformer.

3/ For circuits connected by transformer same base kVA is selected for both the circuits (HV and LV) because power remains constant throughout so same base kVA should be considered throughout.

4/ As a rule only two bases should be selected first and from these two the remaining bases should be calculated. This is so because kV, kVA, I and Z are interrelated. They must obey ohms law. If we select base kVA and base kV than other base like base I and base Z are calculated from base kV and base kVA.

Vice-versa will be inconvenient that is selecting base I and Z and calculating other bases like kV and kVA will make calculation difficult.

Input data to be collected: 
1. Transformer Rating=0.63 MVA
2. Transformer Voltage ratio=11/0.433 kV
3. Frequency=50Hz
4. Transformer Impedance=5% = 0.05 PU
5. MV System fault level (Maximum)=40 kA
6. MV System fault MVA=√3 x 40 x 11 = 762 MVA

Calculation

Actual Fault Current available at AC distribution board
Base MVA=0.63
Base kV=11
Base Current in kA=Base MVA/(√3 x Base kV) = 0.63/(√3 x 11) = 0.033
Base Impedance = (Base kV)/ Base MVA=192.1
Source Impedance = MV System fault MVA / Base MVA=0.0008
LT Transformer impedance at 0.63MVA & 11kV Base=0.05
Total MV system impedance (MV System + LT Transformer)=0.0508
Fault MVA contributed by Source through LT Transformer=Base MVA / Total Impedance
=0.63 / 0.0508 = 12.40
Fault current contribution in kiloAmpers from MV system at LV side through (Switchyard) LT Transformer:
=Fault MVA x 1000 x 1000 / (√3 x 0.433 x 1000 x 1000)
=12.40 x 1000 x 1000 / (√3 x 0.433 x 1000 x 1000)
=17.245 kA

Actual Fault Current available at marshalling kioskbusbar

Busbars and switchgear components of marshalling kiosk shall be braced for the peak value of the faultcurrent contribution from the MV system through 630kVA rated source transformer.

Hereafter Marshalling kiosk to be referred as BMK and AC distribution board to be referred as ACDB.

Actual Fault Current available at marshalling kioskbusbar
Actual Fault Current available at marshalling kioskbusbar

Base kVA = same as above, since this parameter remains constant throughout the circuit
Base kV = 0.415V Base kV at LV circuit
Distance in meters of transformer from ACDB = 20
Distance in meters of BMK from ACDB = 50
Size of connecting cable in Sq mm from transformer to ACDB = 3.5C x 300 Sq mm Al, XLPE
Resistance in Ohms/kM of connecting cable from transformer to BMK = 0.128

Total resistance over route length = 20×0.128 /1000 = 0.003
PU resistance = Actual Resistance x Base kVA/ (BasekVx 1000)
= 0.003 x 0.63 x 1000 / (0.415 x 0.415 x 1000) = 0.009

Reactance in Ohms/kM of connecting cable from transformer to BMK = 0.0705
Total reactance over route length = 0.0705×20 /1000 = 0.001

PU reactance = Actual Reactance x Base kVA/(Base kV2x 1000)
= 0.001 x 0.63 x 1000 / (0.415 x 0.415 x 1000) = 0.0052

PU impedance of cable from LT transformer to ACDB
= √((PU resistance)2+(PU reactance)2)= √(0.0092+ 0.07052) = 0.011

Size of conecting cable in Sq mm from ACDB to BMK = 3.5C x 35 Al, XLPE
Resistance in Ohms/kM of connecting cable from ACDB to BMK = 0.671
Total resistance over route length = 0.671 x 50 /1000 = 0.034
PU resistance = Actual Resistance x Base kVA/(Base kV2 x 1000)
= 0.034 x 0.63 x 1000 / (0.415 x 0.415 x 1000) = 0.12

Reactance in Ohms/kM of connecting cable from ACDB to BMK = 0.0783
Total reactance over route length = 0.0783 x 50 /1000 = 0.004

PU reactance = Actual Reactance x Base kVA/(Base kV2x 1000)
= 0.004 x 0.63 x 1000 / (0.415 x 0.415 x 1000) = 0.14

PU impedance of cable from ACDB to BMK = √((PU resistance)2+(PU reactance)2) = √((0.12)2+(0.14)2) = 0.124

Total PU Impeadnce of connecting cable from LT transformer to BMK = 0.011 + 0.124 = 0.134
Total PU Impedance from LT Transformer to BMK = PU Impedance of Transformer + Total PU
Impedance of connecting cable from LT transformer to BMK = 0.05 + 0.134 = 0.1842

Fault MVA at BMK busbar = Base MVA/Total Impedance = 0.63 / 0.1842 = 3.42

Fault current in kiloAmps at BMK busbar = Fault MVA x 1000x 1000 / (√3 x 0.415 x 1000 x 1000)
= 3.42 x 1000 x 1000 / (√3 x 0.415 x 1000 x 1000) = 4.757 kA

Hence selection of 10kA busbar and switchgear components like MCB is safe and appropriate as per the actual fault level existing at BMK main busbar.

Si. NoEquipmentCURRENT RATING

CALCULATED SHORT
TERM CURRENT
RATING IN kA

OPTIMUM SELECTION
OF SHORT TIME
CURRENT RATING IN kA

RMS
Symmetrical
Assymmetrical
peak value =
nxRMS
Symmetrical
RMS
Symmetrical
Assymmetrical
peak value =
nxRMS
Symmetrical
1Main LT board17.2434.5 (n=2)3573.5 (n=2.1)
2Marshalling kiosk4.757.1 (n=1.5)1017 (n= 1.7)

References:
  1. Indian Standard 8623, part-1-SPECIFICATION FOR LOW-VOLTAGE SWITCHGEAR AND CONTROLGEAR ASSEMBLIES
  2. Indian Standard 10118, part-2-CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE SELECTION, INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SWITCHGEAR AND CONTROLGEAR
  3. The Importance of the X/R Ratio in Low-Voltage Short Circuit Studies- Research paper DATE: November 17, 1999 REVISION: 0 by AUTHOR: John Merrell
  4. Short-circuit-current Calculating Procedures by Donald Beeman, Alan Graeme Darling, and R. H. Kaufmann
  5. Industrial Power Engineering and Applications Handbook by K.C. Agrawal

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Asif Eqbal

Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical & Electronics engineering, from Manipal University, (Karnataka), India in 2006. Presently involved in the design of EHV outdoor substation and coal fired thermal power plants for more than seven years. Motto of joining EEP as a contributor is to share my little engineering experience and help the budding engineers in bridging the conspicuous gap between academics and Industrial practice. “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it, so that people who are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating timeless learning processes".

10 Comments


  1. R vasudevan
    Jun 19, 2019

    Sir:
    I observed that You have mentioned the transformer ratio as 11/0.433 kV but worked using 0.415 kv as secondary. Otherwise Fault current would not have come as 17.245 kA.
    Any reason?


    • Asi
      Jul 18, 2021

      433V is no load voltage of transformer. Ones the load is connected the voltage across transformer secondary is 415V


  2. Ibrahim Awad
    Jan 22, 2015

    Dear Asef,

    As along time of reading and searching for exisiting of 3 phase fault to ground in the electrical system or not. actually, i refered to many standards searching for type of short circuits which is single phase to earth, two phase, two phase to earh and three phase faults. kindly can you inform me if there is a three phase to earth fault in the electrical system or not and if yes please identify a reference standard.

    thank you


    • Asif
      Jul 18, 2021

      Yes its there. 3 Phase to ground fault (LLLG) fault is also one of the type of faults. You can refer the references mentioned in this article


  3. LALO EL HIPPIE
    Oct 16, 2014

    Muchas gracias por los documentos, excelente trabajo.


  4. shafibhai
    Oct 06, 2013

    Asif Eqbal sahab Asalamalikum,
    I’m new to this site and after reading the author description i think u might help me. I graduated in Electrical & Electronics Engg. how and what skill do i need to develop to succeed, any courses or whatever. Can u please guide me.


  5. Murali Marar
    Mar 19, 2013

    Source Impedance = MV System fault MVA / Base MVA = 0.0008
    MV System fault MV = 762 – Base MVA = 0.63 ie 762/0.63 not equal to 0.0008
    I hope it may be reverse
    Base MVA / MV System fault MVA


    • Asif Eqbal
      Mar 19, 2013

      yes it is base MVA/System fault level typographical error is regretted


    • Asif
      Jul 18, 2021

      Yes it is typographical error


  6. 102shirisha
    Mar 09, 2013

    this was really good articles 3 parts gives a lot of information

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