Calculations of Short-Circuit Currents 165
Figure 7.11 Fault current distribution for fault at node F1 (29.317 kA)
7.4 A CASE STUDY
The electricity supply to a high-rise luxurious apartment is fed by a 1 MVA
22/0.4-kV transformer located on the ground floor of the building. The
schematic diagram of part of the electrical installation is shown in
Figure 7.12. As some of the distribution boards on the lower floors are
closer to the transformer, the fault level at these apartment DBs will be
high. However, by mistake, the contractor has installed the M6 MCBs in
all the apartment DBs. Since the M6 MCBs have a breaking capacity of 6
kA, the utility company insisted all the MCBs be replaced with M9 MCBs
which have a breaking capacity of 9 kA. This case study was conducted to
examine whether the replacement of MCB was essential or not.
In the fault current calculation, all the utility‛s generators are
represented by a single equivalent impedance. The impedance value is
determined by an assumed fault level of 1000 MVA at 22 kV. This is a
very conservative assumption as the switchgear at 22 kV is rated at
1000 MVA. The impedance of the 22-kV/LV transformer is assumed as
5%. For the entire three-phase network, per-unit values are used to
determine the three-phase fault current. For the single-phase network,
the representation of system elements is in ohm which provides an easier
and more straight-forward calculation. Two different methods are
illustrated and compared.
7.4.1 Method A
The single-phase representation of a three-phase balanced system uses
per-phase impedances and the line-to-neutral system driving voltage. All
166 Chapter 7
calculations up to the floor DB use per-unit values for impedances and
voltages. However, from the floor DB to each apartment DB, impedances
in ohms and voltages in volts are used to determine the fault current for
the line-to-neutral short-circuit. All the cable impedances are based on
Table 4D1B of the IEE Wiring Regulations using half of the single-phase
tabulated voltage-drop constant as the per-phase per-metre cable
impedance.
4 x 120 mm2 Cu/PVC/PVC on cable tray, 2m
Apartment DBs
250A 8m DB1
4 x 300 mm2 TPN
250A
Cu/PVC/PVC TPN
MCCB 14 m DB2 TT system - 21 to 100ohm
on cable tray,
28m 21 m DB3
TNS system- 0.8ohn
First
tap-off unit 31 m
DB4
100A DP
MCCB
400A (Floor DB)
TPN 2 x 35 mm2 Cu/PVC cable in trunking
400 V MCCB
1600A
TPN
ACB
7 x 500 mm2 Cu/PVC/PVC
in cable trench, 10m
1 MVA
5%
22 kV Fault level = 1000MVA
Figure 7.12 Schematic diagram of the electrical installation
For the per-unit calculation, values of the base MVA and base kV are as
follows:
At 22 kV : Base MVA = 1 MVA Base kV = 22 kV
At 400 V : Base MVA = 1 MVA Base kV = 400 V
base kV 2 0.4 2
Base Impedance = 0.16 :
base MVA 1
base MVA 1000 1000
Base current = 1443 A
3 base kV 3 u 0.4
VLN = 400 / 3 230.9 V 231 V
Calculations of Short-Circuit Currents 167
For a fault level of 1000 MVA at 22 kV, the per-unit impedance (Z) is:
1
Z= 0.001 p. u.
1000
Fault Current at Transformer LV Terminal
The equivalent circuit for the fault at the transformer LV terminal is
shown in Figure 7.13.
0.001 p.u. 0.05 p.u.
PUB Equivalent T/F Impedance
Impedance
IF
V = 1.0 p.u.
Figure 7.13 Equivalent circuit at LV terminal
The three-phase fault current at LV terminal is :
1 1
I F, LV, p. u . = 19.61 p.u. current
0.001 + 0.05 0.051
I F,LV 1443 x 19.61 = 28,297 A
Fault Current at the Main Switchboard
The per-phase impedance of the 7 x 500 mm2 pvc-insulated copper
conductor cable in a cable trench (installation method 1, 10 m and two
cables per phase) is:
Z 500 0.185 u 0.5 u 10 u 10 3 u 0.5 : mV/A/m /2 for single phase
0.0004625 : mV/A/m/ 1.732 for 3 phase
0.0004625
Z 500, p. u . = 0.002891 p.u.
0.16
The equivalent circuit for the fault at the main switchboard is shown in
Figure 7.14 and the three-phase fault current at the main switchboard is :
1
I F, MS, p. u . = 18.556 p.u.
0.001 + 0.05 + 0.002891
IF, MS = 1443 A u 18.556 = 26,776 A
168 Chapter 7
0.001 p.u. 0.05 p.u. 0.002891 p.u.
Impedance of
500 mm2 cable
IF
V = 1.0 p.u.
Figure 7.14 Equivalent circuit at the main switchboard
Fault Current at First Tap-off Unit
The per-phase impedance of the 4 x 300 mm2 pvc-insulated copper
conductor cable on a cable tray (installation method 11, 28 metres) is :
Z300 = 0.22 x 0.5 x 28 x 10-3 : = 0.00308 :
0.00308
Z = 0.01925 p.u.
300, p. u . 0.16
The equivalent circuit for the fault at the first tap-off unit is shown in
Figure 7.15 and the three-phase fault current at the first tap-off is :
1
I F,TAP1,p.u. =
0.001 + 0.05 + 0.002891 + 0.01925
1
= 13.6724 p.u.
0.07314
I F,TAP1 1443 x 13.6724 = 19,729 A
0.001 p.u. 0.05 p.u. 0.002891 p.u. 0.01925 p.u.
Impedance of
300 mm2 cable
IF
V = 1.0 p.u.
Figure 7.15 Equivalent circuit at the first tap-off unit
Calculations of Short-Circuit Currents 169
Fault Current at Floor DB
The per-phase impedance of the 4 x 120 mm2 pvc-insulated copper
conductor cable on cable tray (installation method 11, 2 metre) is :
Z120 = 0.41 x 0.5 x 2 x 10-3 : = 0.00041 :
0.00041
Z120,p.u. 0.0025625 p. u.
0.16
The equivalent circuit for fault at the floor DB is shown in Figure 7.16 and
the three-phase fault current at the floor DB is:
1
I
F, DBF, p. u . 0.001 0.05 0.002891 0.01925 0.0025625
1
13.21 p.u.
0.757
IF, DBF 1443 A u 13.21 = 19,062 A
0.002891 p.u. 0.01925 p.u. 0.025625 p.u.
0.001 p.u. 0.05 p.u.
Impedance of
IF 120 mm2 cable
V = 1.0 p.u.
Figure 7.16 Equivalent circuit floor DB
Fault Current at Apartment DB
To calculate the line-to-neutral short-circuit current at each apartment
DB, the line-to-neutral voltage behind an internal impedance from each
apartment DB to the utility infeed is applied. The equivalent circuit is
shown in Figure 7.17.
Equivalent Impedance Impedance of
from the floor DB 35 mm2 cable
to utility infeed IF
VLN
Figure 7.17 Equivalent circuit at apartment DB by method A
170 Chapter 7
The equivalent impedance from the floor DB to the supply intake at 22 kV
is :
VLN 231
Z eq,DBF 0.01212 :
I F,DBF 19,062
The impedances of the 2 u 35 mm2 pvc-insulated copper conductor cables in
trunking (installation method 3, 8 m for DB1, 14 m for DB2, 21 m for DB3,
and 31 m for DB4) are:
Z DB1 1.3 u 0.5 u 8 u 10 3 0.0052 :
3
Z DB2 1.3 u 0.5 u 14 u 10 0.0091 :
3
Z DB3 1.3 u 0.5 u 21 u 10 0.01365 :
Z DB4 1.3 u 0.5 u 31 u 10 3 0.02015 :
The fault current at the four apartment DBs are :
231
I F,DB1 10,258 A
0.01212 0.0052 0.0052
231
I F,DB2 7,619 A
0.01212 0.0091 0.0091
231
I F,DB3 5,860 A
0.01212 0.01365 0.01365
231
I F,DB4 4,407 A
0.01212 0.02015 0.02015
7.4.2 Method B
In method A, the three-phase fault level at the floor DB is calculated first,
and then a single-phase equivalent is used to calculate the fault level at
each apartment DB. As the main focus of the analysis is to estimate the
fault level for line-to-neutral at each apartment DB and not to estimate
the fault level at other locations, the more accurate method should be
based on a single-phase equivalent at the LV terminal of the 22 kV/LV
transformer.
As the three-phase fault level at the transformer’s LV terminal has been
calculated as 28,297 A in section 7.4.1, the single-phase equivalent
impedance at the LV terminal can be expressed as :
VLN 231
Z eq,LV 0.00817 :
I F,LV 28,297
