13/9/2016

Sizingofpowercablesforcircuitbreakercontrolledfeeders(part1)|EEP

Sizingofpowercablesforcircuitbreakercontrolledfeeders
(part1)|EEP

Lowvoltageswitchboardwithcircuitbreakers(incomers,feeders)

Thefollowingthreecriteriaapplyforthesizingofcablesforcircuitbreakercontrolledfeeders:I.Shortcircuit
currentwithstandcapacity
Thiscriteriaisappliedtodeterminetheminimumcrosssectionareaofthecable,sothatcablecanwithstand
theshortcircuitcurrent.
Failuretochecktheconductorsizeforshortcircuitheatingcouldresultinpermanentdamagetothecable
insulationandcouldalsoresultintofire.Inadditiontothethermalstresses,thecablemayalsobesubjected
tosignificantmechanicalstresses.
II.Continuouscurrentcarryingcapacity
Thiscriteriaisappliedsothatcrosssectionofthecablecancarrytherequiredloadcurrentcontinuouslyat
thedesignedambienttemperatureandlayingcondition.
III.Startingandrunningvoltagedropsincable
Thiscriteriaisappliedtomakesurethatthecrosssectionalareaofthecableissufficienttokeepthevoltage
drop(duetoimpedanceofcableconductor)withinthespecifiedlimitsothattheequipmentwhichisbeing
suppliedpowerthroughthatcablegetsatleasttheminimumrequiredvoltageatitspowersupplyinput
terminalduringstartingandrunningconditionboth.

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1.Criteria1Shortcircuitcapacity
Themaximumtemperaturereachedundershortcircuitdependsonboththemagnitudeanddurationofthe
shortcircuitcurrent.ThequantityI2trepresentstheenergyinputbyafaultthatactstoheatupthecable
conductor.Thiscanberelatedtoconductorsizebytheformula:

A=Minimumrequiredcrosssectionareainmm2
t=Operatingtimeofdisconnectingdeviceinseconds
Isc=RMSShortCircuitcurrentValueinAmpere
C=Constantequalto0.0297forcopper&0.0125foraluminum
T2=Finaltemp.C(max.shortcircuittemperature)
T1=Initialtemp.C(max.cableoperatingtemperaturenormalconditions)
T0=234.5Cforcopperand228.1Cforaluminum
Equation1canbesimplifiedtoobtaintheexpressionforminimumconductorsizeasgivenbelowin
equation2:

NowKcanbedefinedasaConstantwhosevaluedependsupontheconductormaterial,itsinsulationand
boundaryconditionsofinitialandfinaltemperaturebecauseduringshortcircuitconditions,thetemperature
oftheconductorrisesrapidly.Theshortcircuitcapacityislimitedbythemaximumtemperaturecapabilityof
theinsulation.ThevalueofKhenceisasgiveninTable2.
BoundaryconditionsofinitialandfinaltemperaturefordifferentinsulationisasgivenunderinTable1
below.

Table1
Insulationmaterial

FinaltemperatureT 2

InitialtemperatureT 1

PVC

160C

70C

ButylRubber

220C

85C

XLPE/EPR

250C

90C

Table2
Material

Copper

Insulation

PVC

ButylRubber

XLPE/EPR

PVC

ButylRubber

XLPE/EPR

115

134

143

76

89

94

(K)1SecondCurrent
RatinginAmp/mm2

Aluminum

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(K)3SecondCurrent
RatinginAmp/mm2

66

77

83

44

51

54

Inthefinalequation2wehavedeterminedthevalueofconstantK.Nowthevalueoftistobedetermined.
Thefaultcurrent(ISC)intheaboveequationvarieswithtime.However,calculatingtheexactvalueofthe
faultcurrentandsizingthepowercablebasedonthatcanbecomplicated.Tosimplifytheprocessthecable
canbesizedbasedontheinterruptingcapabilityofthecircuitbreakers/fusesthatprotectthem.
Thisapproachassumesthattheavailablefaultcurrentisthemaximumcapabilityofthebreaker/fuseand
alsoaccountsforthecableimpedancesinreducingthefaultlevels.
Thefaultclearingtime(tc)ofthebreakers/fusesperANSI/IEEEC37.010,C37.013,andUL489are:
Formediumvoltagesystem(4.16kV)breakers,use58cycles
Forstarterswithcurrentlimitingfuses,usecycle
Forlowvoltagebreakerswithintermediate/shorttimedelay,use10cycles
Forlowvoltagebreakerswithinstantaneoustrips,use1cycle
AlternativelyletusconsiderthatfeederisforanylargemotorwhichisbeingfedfromLV415Vor400V
switchgearhavingacircuitbreakerwithseparatemultifunctionmotorprotectionrelay(Forthiscalculationit
isassumedtobeSIEMENSmade7SJ61).
TheinstantaneousprotectionfeatureofthisrelaywillbeturnedONasandwhenanyfaultoccurs.However,
theselectedcableshallhavethecapacitytowithstandthemaximumfaultcurrentforafiniteduration(thatis
faultclearingtimeofthecircuitbreaker).
Theminimumfaultswithstanddurationnecessary(fortheinstantaneoussetting)forcableiscalculatedas
under:
Si.No.

Parameters

Timeinms

Source/Backup

Relaysensing/pickuptime

20

SIEMENS7SJ61technicaldata

Tolerance/Delaytime

10

SIEMENS7SJ61technicaldata

Breakeroperatingtime

40

Relayovershoot

20

SafetyMargin

30

TOTALTIMEINMILISECONDS

120

L&TmakeCPowerbreakerhavetypicalopening
timeof40msandclosingtimeof60ms)
GEChandbookNetworkProtection&automation
Guide

Thereforethecableselectedforacircuitbreakercontrolledmotorfeederin415Vor400Vswitchgearshall
besuitabletowithstandthemaximumratedfaultcurrentof50kAforatleast120msec.Howevertaking
allowanceof40Milisecondsintheopeningtimeofcircuitbreakerduetoaging,frequentnumberof
operation,increaseincontactresistanceofcircuitbreakerandfinallytocoverthevariationduefrom
manufacturertomanufacturer.

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Hencethecableselectedforacircuitbreakercontrolledmotorfeederin415Vor400Vswitchgearshallbe
suitabletowithstandthemaximumratedfaultcurrentof50kAforatleast(120+40)160msec.Many
consultantsrecommendforuseoperatingtimeofdisconnectingdeviceas200msecalso.Valueoftmore
than160secondsisaconservativedesign.
A=(Iscxt)/K=(50000x0.16)/94=212.766mm2Nextstandardcablesize:=240mm2
Althoughitmayappearthatselectionofminimumcrosssectionalareaofcableconductoras240mm2is
onlyjustlargeenoughfortheduty,theactualfaultcurrentinthemotorcircuitisgenerallylessthanthe
switchboardfaultwithstandratingof50kA,hencetheselectionofcableofcrosssectionalarea240mm2in
practiceofferssufficientdesignmargin.
Theminimumcrosssectionalareaofcablerequiredfor415Vor400Vswitchgearmotorfeederfromfault
withstandpointofviewshallbe240mm2.
Wehaveconsideredforcircuitbreakercontrolledmotorfeederandanalyzedthedurationof
shortcircuit/faultwithstandingtimeinsecondsforthesame.ExactlytheSameholdstrueforCircuitbreaker
controlled(Pleaseseethebelowfigure)outgoingtransformerfeeder.
Howeveroperatingtimeofdisconnectingdeviceisslightlydifferentforcircuitbreakercontrolledincomerand
tiefeeders.Durationoffaultwithstanding/operatingtimeofdisconnectingdeviceforincomerandtiefeeder
is1and0.5secondrespectively.Thisisbecauseofadditionalpresenceofinversedefiniteminimumtime
delayprotectionrelaysalongwithinstantaneousprotection.Theinversedefinitetimedelayprotectionhas
timesettingsgreaterthan0.5forincomerfeedersandabout0.5fortiefeeders.
Foralldifferenttypeoffeederstheoperatingtimeofdisconnectingdeviceisindicatedinfigurebelow:

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Sizingofpowercablesforcircuitbreakercontrolledfeeders(part1)|EEP

Typicalvalueoft(faultclearingtime).Alltheconnectingcableshastobesizedforshortcircuitduration(t)indicatedinthe
diagramabove

Thefinalcablesizeshallbeselectedconsideringtheothertwocriteriathatiscontinuouscurrentcarrying
capacity&voltagedropcriteriawhichwouldbecontinuedinpart2andpart3.

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