Short circuit calculations

Purpose of Short-Circuit Calculations

Dimensioning of switching devices
Dynamic dimensioning of switchgear

Thermal rating of electrical devices (e.g. cables)

Protection coordination
Fault diagnostic
Input data for
Earthing studies
Interference calculations
EMC planning
..

Short-Circuit Calculation
Standards
IEC 60909:
Short-Circuit Current Calculation in Three-Phase A.C. Systems
European Standard EN 60909
German National Standard DIN VDE 0102
further National Standards

Engineering Recommendation G74 (UK)

Procedure to Meet the Requirements of IEC 60909 for the Calculation
of Short-Circuit Currents in Three-Phase AC Power Systems

ANSI IIEEE Std. C37.5 (US)

IEEE Guide for Calculation of Fault Currents for Application of a.c. High
Voltage Circuit Breakers Rated on a Total Current Basis.

Short-Circuit Calculations
Scope of IEC 60909

three-phase a.c. systems

low voltage and high voltage systems up to 500 kV
nominal frequency of 50 Hz and 60 Hz
balanced and unbalanced short circuits
three phase short circuits
two phase short circuits (with and without earth connection)
single phase line-to-earth short circuits in systems with solidly
earthed or impedance earthed neutral
two separate simultaneous single-phase line-to-earth short circuits in
a systems with isolated neutral or a resonance earthed neutral
(IEC 60909-3)

maximum short circuit currents

minimum short circuit currents

Short-Circuit Calculations
Types of Short Circuits
3-phase

2-phase

1-phase

Copyright Siemens AG 2007. All rights reserved.

Variation of short circuit current shapes

fault at voltage peak
fault located in
the network

fault located
near generator

fault at voltage
zero crossing

Short-Circuit Calculations
Far-from-generator short circuit
Ik
ip
Ik
A

Initial symmetrical short-circuit current

Peak short-circuit current
Steady-state short-circuit current
Initial value of the d.c component

Short-Circuit Calculations
Definitions according IEC 60909 (I)
initial symmetrical short-circuit current Ik
r.m.s. value of the a.c. symmetrical component of a prospective
(available) short-circuit current, applicable at the instant of short
circuit if the impedance remains at zero-time value
initial symmetrical short-circuit power Sk
fictitious value determined as a product of the initial symmetrical
short-circuit current Ik, the nominal system voltage Un and the
S" factor
3 3:
U I"
k

NOTE: Sk is often used to calculate the internal impedance of a network feeder at the connection
point. In this
2 case the definition given should be used in the following form:

c Un
Z
Sk"

Short-Circuit Calculations
Definitions according IEC 60909 (II)
decaying (aperiodic) component id.c. of short-circuit current
mean value between the top and bottom envelope of a shortcircuit current decaying from an initial value to zero
peak short-circuit current ip
maximum possible instantaneous value of the prospective
(available) short-circuit current

NOTE: The magnitude of the peak short-circuit current varies in accordance with the moment
at which the short circuit occurs.

Short-Circuit Calculations
Near-to-generator short circuit
Ik
ip
Ik
A
IB

Initial symmetrical short-circuit current

Peak short-circuit current
Steady-state short-circuit current
Initial value of the d.c component
Symmetrical short-circuit breaking current

2 2 IB

tB

Short-Circuit Calculations
Definitions according IEC 60909 (III)
steady-state short-circuit current Ik
r.m.s. value of the short-circuit current which remains after
the decay of the transient phenomena
symmetrical short-circuit breaking current Ib
r.m.s. value of an integral cycle of the symmetrical a.c.
component of the prospective short-circuit current at the
instant of contact separation of the first pole to open of a
switching device

Short-Circuit Calculations
Purpose of Short-Circuit Values
Design Criterion

Physical Effect

Relevant short-circuit current

Breaking capacity of circuit

breakers

Thermal stress to arcing

chamber; arc extinction

Symmetrical short-circuit
breaking current Ib

Mechanical stress to
equipment

Forces to electrical devices

(e.g. bus bars, cables)

Peak short-circuit current ip

Thermal stress to equipment

Temperature rise of electrical Initial symmetrical shortdevices (e.g. cables)

circuit current Ik
Fault duration
Selective detection of partial Minimum symmetrical shortshort-circuit currents
circuit current Ik

Protection setting
Earthing, Interference, EMC

Potential rise;
Magnetic fields

Maximum initial symmetrical

short-circuit current Ik

Equivalent Voltage Source

Short-circuit
Equivalent voltage source at the shortcircuit location
real network
Q

equivalent circuit
ZN

ZT

ZL
~

I"K

c.U n
3

Operational data and the passive load of consumers are neglected

Tap-changer position of transformers is dispensable
Excitation of generators is dispensable
Load flow (local and time) is dispensable

Short circuit in meshed grid

Equivalent voltage source at the short-circuit
location
real network

equivalent circuit

Voltage Factor c
c is a safety factor to consider the following effects:

voltage variations depending on time and place,

changing of transformer taps,
neglecting loads and capacitances by calculations,
the subtransient behaviour of generators and motors.
Voltage factor c for calculation of

Nominal voltage

maximum short circuit currents

minimum short circuit currents

-systems with a tolerance of 6%

1.05

0.95

-systems with a tolerance of 10%

1.10

0.95

Medium voltage >1 kV 35 kV

1.10

1.00

High voltage >35 kV

1.10

1.00

Low voltage 100 V 1000 V

Short Circuit Impedances and Correction

Factors

Short Circuit Impedances

For network feeders, transformer, overhead lines, cable etc.

impedance of positive sequence system = impedance of negative
sequence system
impedance of zero sequence system usually different
topology can be different for zero sequence system

Correction factors for

generators,
generator blocks,
network transformer

factors are valid in zero, positive, negative sequence system

Network feeders

At a feeder connection point usually one of the following values is given:

the initial symmetrical short circuit current Ik
the initial short-circuit power Sk

c U n
c U n2
ZN
"
"
Sk
3 Ik
XN

ZN
1 (R / X )2

If R/X of the network feeder is unknown, one of the following values can be
used:
R/X = 0.1
R/X = 0.0 for high voltage systems >35 kV fed by overhead lines

Network transformer
Correction of Impedance
ZTK = ZT KT

general
c max
K T 0,95
1 0,6 x T

at known conditions of operation

KT

c max
Un

Ub 1 x T (IbT IrT ) sinbT

no correction for impedances between star point and ground

Network transformer
Impact of Correction Factor
1.05
1.00

KT

0.95
0.90
cmax = 1.10
cmax = 1.05

0.85
0.80
0

10

15

20

xT [%]

The Correction factor is KT<1.0 for transformers with xT >7.5 %.

Reduction of transformer impedance
Increase of short-circuit currents

Generator with direct Connection to Network

Correction of Impedance
ZGK = ZG KG

general
KG

c max
Un

UrG 1 xd sinrG

for continuous operation above rated voltage:

UrG (1+pG) instead of UrG

turbine generator:

X(2) = X(1)

salient pole generator: X(2) = 1/2 (Xd" + Xq")

Generator Block (Power Station)

Correction of Impedance
2

ZS(O) = (tr ZG +ZTHV) KS(O)

Q
G

power station with on-load tap changer:

2
2
UnQ
c max
UrTLV
KS 2 2
UrG UrTHV 1 xd x T sinrG

power station without on-load tap changers:

K SO

UnQ
c max
U
rTLV 1 p t
UrG (1 pG ) UrTHV
1 xd sinrG

Asynchronous Motors

Motors contribute to the short circuit currents and have to be considered for
calculation of maximum short circuit currents

2
1
UrM
ZM

ILR / IrM SrM

XM

ZM
1 (RM / XM )2

If R/X is unknown, the following values can be used:

R/X = 0.1 medium voltage motors
power per pole pair > 1 MW
R/X = 0.15 medium voltage motors
power per pole pair 1 MW
R/X = 0.42 low voltage motors (including connection cables)

Special Regulations for low Voltage Motors

low voltage motors can be neglected if IrM Ik

groups of motors can be combined to a equivalent motor
ILR/IrM = 5 can be used

Calculation of initial short circuit current

Calculation of initial short circuit current

Procedure
Set up equivalent circuit in symmetrical components

Consider fault conditions

in 3-phase system
transformation into symmetrical components

Calculation of fault currents

in symmetrical components
transformation into 3-phase system

Calculation of initial short circuit current

Equivalent circuit in symmetrical components

(1)

(0)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

(1)

(1)

(1)

positive sequence system

(2)

negative sequence system

(1)

(2)

(2)

(2)

(0)

(0)

(0)
(0)

(0)

(0)

(0)

zero sequence system

Copyright Siemens AG 2007. All rights reserved.

Calculation of initial short circuit current

3-phase short circuit
L1-L2-L3-system

Z(1)l

L1
L2
L3
~ ~ ~ -Uf

012-system

I sc3

c Ur
3 Z (1)

Z(1)r

c Un
3

(1)

Z(2)l

Z(2)r

~
(2)

Z(0)l

Z(0)r

~
(0)

UL1 =

Uf

UL2 = a2 ( Uf)

UL3 = a

( Uf)

network left of
fault location

fault location

U(1) = Uf
U(2) = 0
U(0) = 0

network right of
fault location

Calculation of 2-phase initial short circuit current

L1-L2-L3-system

Z(1)l

012-system

L1

L3

c U r

I sc2
Z 1 Z 2

-Uf

I sc2

L2

c U r
2 Z 1

I sc2
3

I sc3
2
U
c n
3

IL1 = 0

U (1) U ( 2)

IL2 = IL3

I(0) = 0

UL3 UL2 = Uf

I(1) = I(2)

Z(1)r

c Un

(1)

Z(2)l

Z(2)r

~
(2)

Z(0)l

Z(0)r

~
(0)

network left of
fault location

fault location

network right of
fault location

Calculation of 2-phase initial short circuit

current with ground connection
L1-L2-L3-system

Z(1)l

012-system

Z(1)r

~
L1

L2

c Un

(1)

L3

I scE2E

-Uf

3 c U r

Z 1 2Z 0

Z(2)l

Z(2)r

~
(2)

Z(0)l

Z(0)r

~
(0)

I L1 0
U L2 a c
2

U L3 a c

Un
3

Un
3

network left of
fault location

U (1) U ( 2) c

fault location

Un
3

network right of
fault location

U (1) U (0)

I(0) = I(1) = I(2)

Calculation of 1-phase initial short circuit current

L1-L2-L3-System

Z(1)l

012-System

Z(1)r

~
(1)

L1
L2
L3

"
I sc1

-Uf

3 c U r
Z (1) Z ( 2) Z ( 0)

Z(2)l

Z(2)r

~
c Un
3

(2)

Z(0)l

Z(0)r

~
(0)

U L1 c
IL2 = 0
IL3 = 0

Un
3

network left of
fault location

fault location

U (0) U (1) U ( 2) c
I(0) = I(1) = I(2)

network right of
fault location

Un
3

Short Circuit Calculation Results

Faults at all Buses

Short Circuit Calculation Results

Contribution for one Fault Location

Example

Data of sample calculation

Network
feeder:
110 kV
3 GVA
R/X = 0.1

Transformer:

Overhead line:

110 / 20 kV
40 MVA
uk = 15 %
PkrT = 100 kVA

20 kV
10 km
R1 = 0.3 / km
X1 = 0.4 / km

Impedance of Network feeder

c Un2
ZI
Sk"
1.1 20 kV
ZI
3 GVA

ZI 0.1467

RI 0.0146

XI 0.1460

Impedance of Transformer

Un2
Z T uk
Sn
Z T 0.15

20 kV 2
40 MVA

ZT 1.5000

Un2
R T PkrT 2
Sn

20 kV 2
RT 100 kVA
40MVA 2
RT 0.0250

XT 1.4998

Impedance of Transformer
Correction Factor

K T 0.95

c max
1 0.6 x T

K T 0.95

1.1
1 0.6 0.14998

K T 0.95873
ZTK 1.4381

RTK 0.0240

XTK 1.4379

Impedance of Overhead Line

RL R'

XL X'

RL 0.3 / km 10 km

XL 0.4 / km 10 km

RL 3.0000

XI 4.0000

Initial Short-Circuit Current Fault location 1

R RI RTK

X XI XTK

R 0.0146 0.0240

X 0.1460 1.4379

R 0.0386

X 1.5839
Ik"

Ik"

c Un
3 R1 j X1

1.1 20 kV
3

0.03862 1.58392

Ik" 8.0 kA

Initial Short-Circuit Current Fault location 2

R RI RTK RL

X XI XTK XL

R 0.0146 0.0240 3.0000

X 0.1460 1.4379 4.0000

R 3.0386

X 5.5839
Ik"

Ik"

c Un
3 R1 j X1

1.1 20 kV
3

3.0386 2 5.58392

Ik" 2.0 kA

Peak current

Peak Short-Circuit Current

Calculation acc. IEC 60909
maximum possible instantaneous value of expected short
"
i

I
circuit current
p
k
1.02 0.98 e3R / X

equation for calculation:

Peak Short-Circuit Current

Calculation in non-meshed Networks

The peak short-circuit current ip at a short-circuit location, fed from

sources which are not meshed with one another is the sum of the
partial short-circuit currents:

M
G

ip1

ip2

ip3

ip = ip1 + ip2 + ip3 + ip4

ip4

Peak Short-Circuit Current

Calculation in meshed Networks

Method A: uniform ratio R/X

smallest value of all network branches
quite inexact

Method B: ratio R/X at the fault location

factor b from relation R/X at the fault location (equation or diagram)
=1,15 b

Method C: procedure with substitute frequency

factor from relation Rc/Xc with substitute frequency fc = 20 Hz
R Rc fc

X Xc f
best results for meshed networks

Peak Short-Circuit Current

Fictitious Resistance of Generator
RGf = 0,05 Xd"

for generators with UrG > 1 kV and SrG 100 MVA

RGf = 0,07 Xd"

for generators with UrG > 1 kV and SrG < 100 MVA

RGf = 0,15 Xd"

for generators with UrG 1000 V

NOTE: Only for calculation of peak short circuit current

Peak Short-Circuit Current Fault location 1

Ik" 8.0 kA

R 0.0386

X 1.5839

R / X 0.0244

1.02 0.98 e3R / X

1.93
ip 2 Ik"

ip 21.8 kA

Peak Short-Circuit Current Fault location 2

Ik" 2.0 kA

R 3.0386

X 5.5839

R / X 0.5442

1.02 0.98 e3R / X

1.21
ip 2 Ik"

ip 3.4 kA

Breaking Current

Breaking Current
Differentiation
Differentiation between short circuits near or far from
generator
Definition short circuit near to generator
for at least one synchronous machine is: Ik > 2 Ir,Generator
or
Ikwith motor > 1.05 Ikwithout motor

Breaking current Ib for short circuit far from generator

Ib = Ik

Breaking Current
Calculation in non-meshed Networks

The breaking current IB at a short-circuit location, fed from sources which

are not meshed is the sum of the partial short-circuit currents:

M
G

IB1 = Ik

IB2 = Ik

IB3 = qIk

IB = IB1 + IB2 + IB3 + IB4

IB4 = qIk

Breaking current
Decay
Current
fed from Generators
IB =of
I
k
Factor to consider the decay of short circuit current fed from
generators.

Breaking current
Decay
fed from Asynchronous Motors
IB =of
Current
q Ik
Factor q to consider the decay of short circuit current fed from
asynchronous motors.

Breaking Current
Calculation in meshed Networks

Simplified calculation:
I b = I k

For increased accuracy can be used:

U"Mj
U"Gi
"
"
Ib I
(1 i ) IkGi
(1 jq j ) IkMj
i c Un / 3
j c Un / 3
"
k

UGi jX"diK IkGi

"

"

"
UMj jXMj
IkMj
"

"

XdiK
subtransient reactance of the synchronous machine (i)
XMj
reactance of the asynchronous motors (j)
IkGi , IkMj
contribution to initial symmetrical short-circuit current from the synchronous machines (i)
asynchronous motors (j) as measured at the machine terminals

and the

Continuous short circuit current

Continuous short circuit current Ik
r.m.s. value of short circuit current after decay of all transient
effects
depending on type and excitation of generators
statement in standard only for single fed short circuit
calculation by factors (similar to breaking current)
Continuous short circuit current is normally not calculated by
network calculation programs.
For short circuits far from generator and as worst case estimation
Ik = Ik