Critical Power: Circuit Protection

in Health Care Facilities

Sponsored by:

Todays Webcast Sponsors:

Presenters:
Neal Boothe, PE,
exp US Services Inc.,
Maitland, Fla.
James Ferris, PE,
TLC Engineering for Architecture,
Orlando, Fla.
Moderator: Amara Rozgus,
Editor in Chief,
Consulting-Specifying Engineer and
Pure Power

Learning Objectives
1. The audience will understand the applicable codes: NFPA 70:
National Electrical Code, Article 517, NFPA 99: Health Care
Facilities Code, and NFPA 110: Standard for Emergency and
Standby Power Systems.
2. Attendees will understand the coordination, overcurrent, shortcircuit, and ground-fault protection issues for health care facilities.
3. Viewers will learn about feeder protection design requirements for
health care facilities.
4. Viewers will learn about branch protection design requirements for
health care facilities.

Critical Power: Circuit Protection

in Health Care Facilities

Applicable Codes
National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70,
Article 517
Used the 2008 Edition here

NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code

Used the 2012 Edition here

NFPA 110, Standard for Emergency and

Standby Power Systems
Used the 2013 Edition here

Quick Thoughts on These Codes

National Electrical Code
By far most specific requirements
Focuses on Electrical Safety
Chapters 1 4 Still Apply to Hospitals
Article 517 Health Care Facilities adds new
requirements
Article 700 Emergency Systems Still
applies to Health Care

Quick Thoughts on These Codes

NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities Code
Covers many more topics than electrical
Chapter 6 Electrical Systems
6.3.2.1 NFPA 99 defines performance required to
ensure safety. NEC defines ways systems must be
installed to achieve desired performance.
There is a great deal of referencing between NFPA
99 and NEC Article 517

Chapter 10 Electrical Equipment

Applies more to manufacturers than designers

Quick Thoughts on These Codes

NFPA 110, Standard for Emergency and
Standby Power Systems
Concerned with Generator, ATS, etc.
Not written around just health care
Hospitals = Level 1 System . . . But so are
other building types

Feeder & Branch Circuit Protection

NEC 517.12 Except as modified in this
article, wiring methods shall comply with
the applicable requirements for Chapters
1 through Chapter 4 of this Code.
So, you cant just look at Article 517
It adds new requirements

Feeder & Branch Circuit Protection

Feeders Not too much different for
hospitals
Panels serving critical care areas

Branch circuits Very specific

requirements for hospitals
Patient care versus Non-Patient care
Emergency versus Others

What is a Patient Care Area?

Per NEC 517.18 & 517.19, two types:
1. General Care Patients in contact with ordinary
appliances

Medical/surgical rooms, exam rooms, etc.

2. Critical Care Patients subject to invasive procedures

ICU, ORs, Catheterization Labs, Labor/Delivery, Coronary

Care, Trauma, Emergency Care, etc.

Note: Areas such as nurse stations, medical

prep, nourishment, clean, soil, etc. arent Patient
Care Areas

Hospital Feeder Circuit Protection

For Panels Serving Critical Care Areas
Per NEC 517.19, if metal conduit, MI, or MC
cable is used
Ground Panel to Feeder via:
Grounding bushing
Threaded hubs
Other approved devices

Any other areas (Not Critical Care)

No specific requirements for hospitals

Recommendation Use Metal Conduit

Hospital Branch Circuit Protection

Two Main Thoughts . . .
Redundant grounding required for all patient
care area branch circuits NEC 517.13 (a) &
(b)
Mechanical protection of all emergency branch
circuits NEC 517.30 (C) (3)
This includes patient care areas and non-patient
care areas
Typically done by non-flexible metal conduit (EMT
usually).

Patient Care Area (General or Critical Care)

Emergency Circuits (Life Safety & Critical)
1. Require redundant grounding NEC 517.13

Grounding conductor and metal conduit

2. Require mechanical protection

3. This means conduit must be metal

Schedule 80 PVC would meet #2 but not #1

Hospital grade flex would meet #1 but not #2

Patient Care Area (General or Critical Care)

Normal or Equipment System Circuits
1. Also require redundant grounding
2. Mechanical protection not required

This allows some flex conduit (hospital-grade

flexible cable)

Be careful circuiting
. Does circuit serve both patient care and
non-patient care area?
. More stringent requirements will apply

Exceptions to Mechanical Protection

Non-Patient Care Areas
Schedule 80 PVC
In Concrete

Schedule 40 PVC
Flex non-metallic or jacketed metallic raceway
Jacketed metallic cable

Exceptions to Mechanical Protection

Patient Care Areas
Flexible metal & metal sheathed cable in:

In listed medical headwalls

In listed office furniture
Fished into existing walls or ceilings
Necessary for flexible connection

Hospital Grade Flexible Cable

A cross between AC and MC Cable

Has a grounding conductor (like MC)
Sheath is ground rated (like AC)

In a Non-Patient Care Area

Emergency Circuits
1. Redundant grounding not required
2. Still require mechanical protection
3. Allows more flexibility of installation but #2
still leads to metal conduit often

Normal Circuits
1. Redundant grounding not required
2. Mechanical protection not required
3. This allows much more flexibility of installation

Distribution Protection

Short Circuit
Protection

Arc Flash
Protection

Selective
Coordination

Short Circuit Protection

Input Data
Calculations
Equipment Ratings
Nameplates

Short Circuit Input Data

Utility Fault Contribution

Generator Fault Contribution
Motor Contribution
Feeder Size & Lengths
Transformer Size & Impedance
*If Allowed by Authority Having Jurisdiction
Current Limiting devices
Results: Short Circuit Fault Available at locations
throughout the distribution

Fault Calculations on Generator or Utility

Must Consider both sources as potential
source of fault current.
Utility company will provide a letter
indicating the available fault at the service
Generator manufacturer's can provide the
fault output of each engine
Sometimes both of these are in parallel!

Short Circuit Calculation Results Example

V

3-Phase Fault
on Utility (A)

3-Phase Fault on
Generators (A)

Largest
Available Fault

AHU 2-1

480

9650.3

9754.2

9754

ATS CR1

480

44949.2

44494.5

44949

ATS EQ2

480

39695.3

43448.5

43449

CH2ORDPB

480

32965.1

33894.8

33895

CL2A

208

5598.2

5595.9

5598

LSH1

480

21621.5

21106.3

21622

NH3

480

20523.9

21006.4

21006

BUS

* Also need to calculate the Single Line to Ground as on Generator power that
is often the worse case.

Short Circuit Ratings in the Field

AIC: Amps Interruption Current
Breakers & Fuses have this

WSR: WithStand Rating

Enclosures / Equipment such as an
Automatic Transfer Switch

SCCR: Short Circuit Current Rating

UL 508A / NEC 409.110 requires Industrial
Control Panels to be labeled with SCCR

Short Circuit Ratings in the Field

Review Equipment
Nameplates in the field
to ensure they meet the
requirements of the
Short Circuit
Calculations

Air Handling Unit Nameplate

Short Circuit Ratings What needs one?

Switchboards

Automatic
Transfer
Switches

Panelboards

Motor
Controllers

Electrical
Disconnects

Elevator
Controllers

Pump
Starters

Industrial
Control
Panels

Adjustable
Speed Drives

Selective Coordination
NEC Definition of Selective Coordination

Selective Coordination Goal

1. Protect other circuits by ensuring the
breaker in trouble trips first
2. Protecting equipment and infrastructure
a.
b.
c.
d.

Transformers
Cables
Motors
Generators

Selective Coordination Example

A 60A Main Circuit
Breaker Panelboard
Serves several 20A
Circuits
A fault on the 20A
circuit breaker
should not trip the
60A breaker

Selective Coordination Process

Select
Overcurrent
Device

Adjust
Distribution

Check
Coordination

Selective Coordination Demonstration

Time

Use Time-Current
Curves to
demonstrate
Selective
Coordination

Current

Example
Example of a
typical timecurrent plot
where all the
breakers for a
particular
distribution are
shown in a single
plot.
Selective
coordination
occurs where
there is space
between the
breakers.

Selective Coordination 0.1s Debate

NEC does not indicate a
time requirement for
Selective Coordination.
NFPA 99, Health Care
Facilities, 2012 Edition
indicates that in a
hospital Selective
Coordination Starts at
0.1 Second

Selective Coordination 0.1s Debate

For Health Care facilities
only, where 2012 is
applicable
Overcurrent protection
does not have to
selectively coordinate
from 0 to 0.1s
Disclaimer discuss
this with your local
AHJ

Overcurrent Protection
in this area must
selectively coordinate

Overcurrent Protection in
this area should, but does
not have to coordinate

Ground Fault Protection

Hospitals require two levels of

ground fault protection

Separation must be 6 cycles

per NEC, Article 517

Typical Ground Fault Plot

shown at the right

Arc Flash & Personnel Protection

Short Circuit, Selective Coordination have a direct impact on how much
energy is available in an Arc Flash Event.

Short
Circuit
Available

Overcurrent
Device
Settings

Arc Flash
Energy
Available

Learning Objective Summary

Applicable Codes
Feeder & Branch Circuit Protection
Redundant Grounding at Patient
Locations
Short-Circuit Calculations
Selective Coordination
Arc Flash

Submitting Questions, Exit Survey and Archive

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Presenters:
Neal Boothe, PE,
exp US Services Inc.,
Maitland, Fla.
James Ferris, PE,
TLC Engineering for Architecture,
Orlando, Fla.
Moderator: Amara Rozgus,
Editor in Chief,
Consulting-Specifying Engineer and
Pure Power

Thanks to Todays Webcast Sponsors:

Critical Power: Circuit Protection

in Health Care Facilities
Sponsored by: