Arc Flash with EasyPower

Topics:

Molded-case Circuit Breaker vs Low Voltage Power Circuit Breakers Coordination of MCCBs Transformer Damage Curves Transformer Protection TCC Clipping & Tick Marks I2T Settings What and Why? Questions EasyPower,
LLC

Molded Case Circuit Breakers vs Low Voltage Power Circuit Breakers

Designed, Built and Tested to Meet Different Standards:

MCCBs & ICCBs UL489 LVPCBs UL1066 (ANSI C37)

In general:

MCCBs Switchboards LVPCBs Switchgear (Drawout)

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Comparison
Characteristic Maintenance MCCB No user-serviceable parts LVPCB Can be inspected and maintained, including contacts, arc-chutes, etc. Carry Fault Current for two 30-cycle periods 15% max Not Required Switchgear (ANSI C37.20.1) Always 100%
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Short-Time Duty Cycle Short Circuit Test power factor Instantaneous Trip Normal Use Cont Current Rating

Not Required (But can be tested) 15 to 20% (> 20kA) Required Switchboards (UL891) 80% (unless 100% rated)
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Look at Short Circuit Example

3 PHASE Fault Bus Name SUB 8A Bus kV 0.480 Sym Amps 39609.5 Total Fault Currents X/R Ratio 6.89 Mult Factor 1.35 Asym Amps Equipment Duties Equip Type Duty Amps 39890.2 46332.1 42129.4 53629.1 LVPCB MCCB 10-20 kA MCCB > 20 kA

Calculated SC Current

= pf of 14.4%

Adjusted Duty de-rated

So, 42 kA LVPCB OK, 42 kA MCCB NOT OK

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Impact on Coordination:

Short-time withstand rating allows LVPCB to stay closed, allowing downstream equipment to clear fault. Lack of short-time rating means that MCCB must have instantaneous trip to trip breaker at the short circuit withstand rating Newer MCCBs may be tested for shorttime withstand. 6
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Coordinating MCCBs and LVPCBs

In general, MCCBs in series will often not coordinate with each other due to instantaneous trip elements. Coordination is much more reliable with LVPCBs IF the proper trip units and settings are used.

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Short-time Withstand Improves Coordination

Specify LVPCBs with no instantaneous or switchable Will coordinate with downstream MCCBs Use Short-time delay to coordinate between main and feeder breakers Can also use Zone Selective Interlocking with LVPCBs.

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MCCBs in Series

General case do not coordinate May coordinate below certain levels of fault current.

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Typical MCCB Coordination

Overlap indicates coordination problem

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Typical LVPCB Coordination

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Selective Coordination of MCCBs

In 2005 NEC required selective coordination of emergency power systems This spurred MCCB manufacturers to improve testing and documentation of MCCB coordination Fuses, if applied per manufacturers instructions (2:1) have been shown to coordinate by test
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Two techniques to coordinate MCCBs

Use upstream breaker with high shortcircuit withstand rating and set instantaneous above actual maximum fault current available Use MCCBs that are tested combination and shown to coordinate up to certain fault current
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Series Coordination of MCCBs

Valid only by test Test data shows MCCBs will coordinate even though curves overlap on TCC Limited to same manufacturer Tracked in EasyPower Library Data

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Set Option in PDC Options

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Series Coordination Test Data in EasyPower

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Coordination Time Intervals

Low Voltage Breakers and Trip Units TCCs include all breaker operating time and tolerances as long as they do not touch, they should coordinate Relay curves show only nominal relay operate time need to allow additional time separation Traditionally we have used 0.3 to 0.4 seconds
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CTI Limits Number of Relays in Series

Since we must allow this CTI between each pair of relays, clearing times get very slow when we have more than two or three relays in series. Especially true in industrial applications

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Coordination Time Interval (CTI) Accounts For:

Breaker Operating Time (2 to 8 cycles) Relay Overtravel (Electro-mechanical) Relay Error CT Error Lockout Relay Operate Time

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What has changed?

Newer Digital Relays have no overtravel and are extremely accurate can we reduce the CTI? Yes we can, but keep in mind:

Still have breaker operate time and CT error CT Saturation must still be considered as well
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TYPICAL COORDINATION TIME INTERVALS

UPSTREAM DEVICE

Electro-Mech. Relay Digital Relay Direct-Acting Trip Fuse

ElectroMech. Relay
0.30 0.25 0.20 0.30

(TIME IN SECONDS) Digital Relay Direct-Acting Trip

0.25 0.20 .20 .25 0.20 0.15 Separation 0.10

DOWNSTREAM DEVICE

Fuse
0.20 0.20 Separation 0.10

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Protecting Transformers

Overloads Internal Faults Through Faults Transformer Damage Curves only deal with through faults not internal faults, not overloads If you have an internal fault the transformer is already damaged
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Transformer Protection ANSI Damage Curve

Damage Curve for

Through-Faults

ANSI C57.109 Oil Frequent vs Infrequent faults Mechanical Damage = Frequent Fault

Thermal

Mechanical

ANSI C57.109
Category I II III IV Single-Phase (kVA) 5 to 500 501 to 1667 1668 to 10,000 Above 10,000 Three-Phase (kVA) 15 to 500 501 to 5000 5001 to 30,000 Above 30,000 Frequent Fault n/a 10 5 5

Damage Curve Shape Varies Based on Category, Transformer Impedance

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Protecting Delta-Wye Transformers

Per-Unit Current Seen by Primary Protection Not the Same as Seen by Secondary Winding. Winding Damage on Through-Faults a function of current through any one winding. We must adjust damage curve or primary protection curve to compensate
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Protecting Delta-Wye Xfmr

1 pu 1 pu 1 pu 1 pu .58 pu

1 pu 1 pu

Currents at Full Load Normal

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Protecting Delta-Wye Xfmr

1 pu .58 pu

Ignoring Load Current, Primary Relay or Fuse will see only 58% of the per unit current in the secondary winding for ground fault on secondary side.

.58 pu
Currents For SLG Fault on Wye Side

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We Must Adjust Damage Curve

Applies Only for Ground Faults on Secondary on Delta-Wye Transformers Applies Only for Primary Protection

Adjusted For Ground Fault Seen From Primary

NEC Requirements for Transformer Protection

NEC Table 450-3(A) Primary > 600V Location Any %Z 6% >6% Supervised Any 6% >6%

Primary Over 600V

Bkr 600% 400% 300% 600% 400% Fuse 300% 300% 250% 300% 300%

Secondary Over 600V

Bkr 300% 250% N.R. 300% 250% Fuse 250% 225% N.R. 250% 225%

<600V
Bkr or Fuse 125% 125% N.R. 250% 250%
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Transformer Inrush

Transformer Primary Protection Must Ride through Inrush Inrush hard to calculate, high in harmonics Assume 8 to 10 x FLC for 0.1 sec Based on Self-Cooled Rating
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TCC Clipping and Tick Marks

Intended to aid in understanding of impact of short circuit current on coordination Well look at why we want to use these features and how they behave in EasyPower

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TCC Clipping and Tick Marks

Consider TCC using manufacturers TCC and no tick marks Curve may extend to maximum fault current grid line on TCC If we do not know what the maximum fault current through each device is, it is difficult to determine selectivity
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TCC Tick Marks

Tick Marks Can be Added to Indicate Maximum Fault Current Possible For Each Device Selected under Short Circuit tab for each protective device Can select cycle, 5 cycle, or 30 cycle

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TCC Curve Clipping

In addition to Tick Marks, we can stop (clip) TCC at the maximum fault current it can see. Also selected under Short Circuit tab for each protective device Can select cycle, 5 cycle, or 30 cycle

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TCC Defaults

EasyPower Defaults as delivered: TCC curves clipped cycle Tick Marks for each device cycle When TCC is opened or created, EasyPower faults every bus and uses maximum current through each device to determine clipping and tick marks. But if a single bus is faulted tick marks and clipping can change.

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Last and Least I2t Function

480 V Trip Units Generally Have I2t function on Short-time and (sometimes) Ground Function Cuts off the corner of Short-Time curve In = ON, Out = OFF Intent is to improve coordination with downstream fuses
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Last and Least I2t Function

In many situations, use of I2t function will increase arc-flash incident energy. Generally not necessary for coordination with other trip units or MCCBs. Not widely used.

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Question Future Topics

E-mail Comments to David@easypower.com Thanks.

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