Fault Calculation

1
2
 Source of Fault Current

◈ Synchronous Generator
◈ Synchronous motors and condensers
◈ Induction machines
◈ Electric utility systems

3
 Synchronous Generator
◈ Xd˝ = Sub transient reactance; determines
current during first cycle after fault occurs

◈ X’d = Transient reactance; assumed to

determine the current after several cycle 50 Hz

◈ Xd = Synchronous reactance; this is the value

that determines the current flow after a steady-
state condition is reached.

4
◈Generator synchronous reactance is seldom used in calculating
fault currents for application of the devices like circuit breakers and
fuses.

5
 Fundamentals of fault-
current calculations.

◈ Ohm’s law, I = E/Z, is the basic relationship used in

determining fault current.

6
 Type of fault:

◈Line-to-line fault currents are approximately 87% of three-phase

fault current

◈Line-to-ground fault currents can range in utility systems from a

few percent to possibly 125% of the three-phase value, but in
industrial systems line-to-ground fault currents of more than the
three-phase value are rare.

7
◈ In the per-unit system, there are four base quantities: base
apparent power in volt-amperes, base voltage, base current,
and base impedance. The relationship of base, per-unit, and
actual quantities is as follows:

Per-unit quantity (Voltage, current, etc) = Actual quantity

Base quantity
 

8
 The following formulas apply to three-phase systems,
where the base voltage is the line-to-line voltage in
volts or kilovolts and the base apparent power is the
three-phase apparent power in kilovolt amperes or
megavolt-amperes.

• Base current (amperes) = Base kVA (1000) = base kVA

√ 3 (base volts) √ 3 (base kV )

= Base MVA (10) = base MVA (1000)

√ 3 (base volts) √ 3 (base kV)

• Base impedance (ohms) = Base volts = ( base volts )²

√ 3 (base amperes) √3 (base kVA)(1000)

= (Base kV)² (1000) = (Base kV)²

base kVA base MVA

9
Impedance of individual power system elements are
usually obtained in forms that require conversion to
the related bases for a per-unit calculation. Cable
impedance are generally expressed in ohms.
Converting to per unit using the indicated
relationship leads to the following simplified
formulas, where the per-unit impedance is Zpu :

• Zpu = actual impedance in ohms (base MVA)

(base kV)²
= actual impedance in ohms (base kVA)
(base kV)²(1000)

10
Transformer impedance are in percent of self-
cooled transformer ratings in kilovolt-amperes
and are converted using
 
Zpu = Percent impedance (base kVA)
KVA rating
 
= Percent impedance (10) (base MVA)
kVA rating

11
Motor reactance may be obtained from tables
providing per-unit reactance on element
ratings in kilovolt-amperes and are converted
using
 
Xpu = Per-unit reactance (base k
VA)
KVA rating

12
The procedure for calculating industrial system short-
circuit currents consists of the following steps:
 
1)       Prepare system diagrams
2)       Collect and convert impedance data
3)       Combine impedance
4)       Calculate short-circuit current

13
Prepare System Diagram:

A one-line diagram of the system should be prepared

to show all sources of short-circuit current and all
significant circuit elements.

14
Collect and convert Impedance
Data:

Impedance data should be collected for important and

converted to per unit on bases selected for the study.

15
 Combine Impedance:
      
Star to delta

A= bc + b+ c
a

B = ac + a + c
b
 
C = ab + a + b
c
16
Delta to Star

A = BC
A+B+C

B = AC
A+B+C
 
C = AB
A+B+C

17
Fault Calculation
Transformer
Assumption, Impedance of H.T side is considered to be negligibly small

For several transformer Isc is added

Isc at any point in L.V system

Isc = ZT = Impedance up stream of fault

R3 = , X3 =

Equivalent impedance of H.T network

R X
250MVA 0.106 0.71
500MVA 0.053 0.353

Source Impedance =
U0 = Phase
Psc = Fault level in KVA
The up stream resistance is negligibly small.
18
R may be taken as 0.15 of X.
The impedance ZT = of transformer =

U20 = Secondary Phase to Phase Voltage

Pn = Rating of Transformer
Usc = S.C impedance voltage of transformer in %.
Transformer winding resistance
Pcu= 3 In2 x Rfr
Pcu = Transformer losses
Rfr = Transformer Resistance
For circuit Breaker the reactance value generally assumed to be 0.15mΩ per C.B.
Bus Bars
The resistance is generally negligible and reactance amount to 0.15 mΩ/meter
length for L.V Bus Bars.
Cables
For c.s.a. of less than 50mm2 reactance may be neglected.
A value of 0.08mΩ/meter may be used.
Motors
Isc = 3.5 In for three Phase motor.
Effect of single phase motor is in significant.

19
Impedance Method

20
Example Impedance Method

21
Example 1 Short kVA Method

22
23
24
 Example 2 Short kVA Method
Step 1

•Capacitor do not contribute fault kVA

•Resistive load do not contribute fault kVA
•VFD do not contribute fault kVA due to not
containing regenerative character.
•Cable impedances are neglected.

25
Step 2

26
Step 3

27
Step 3

28
Step 4

29
Step 4

30
Example 1 Per Unit Method

31
32
33
34
35
36
37
Fault Calculation Per Unit Method

38
39
40
41
42
43
44
Example 2 Per Unit Method

45
46
47
48