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Short Circuit Calculation Using ETAP

ETAP short-circuit analysis module allows the calculation of fault duties according to the C37
Series of the ANSI/IEEE Standards. This module can be accessed from the mode toolbar as
shown in figure 1.

Figure 1. Accessing ETAP Short-Circuit Analysis Mode

As with other study modes within ETAP, the short-circuit analysis mode options or preferences
can be accessed through the Study Case Toolbar while various studies under short-circuit
analysis mode can be accessed through the Study Mode Toolbar.

Figure 2. Short-Circuit Study

The Study Case Toolbar

 F
igure 3. Study Case Toolbar

The short-circuit analysis mode preferences can be accessed through the Study Case Toolbar. To
begin with the short-circuit analysis, a Study Case should be identified. The ‘New Study Case’
button initializes the creation of a new study case. ETAP does this by creating a duplicate copy
of the existing study case. If done the first time, clicking the ‘New Study Case’ button will create
a copy of the default study case. Once done, the new study case will be available on the drop-
down menu.

You can also find from the Study Case toolbar a List of Output Reports where results from
previous studies can be viewed. A Report Manager allows you to save the Output Reports in
specific formats.

The Study Case Editor can be accessed by clicking the ‘Edit Study Case’ button. The Short-
Circuit Study Case Editor contains preferences and parameters in which you can specify the
solution control variables, faulted bus selection, applicable standards, and other options for
output reports. Under the ‘Standard’ tab, select ANSI to set your short-circuit study based on the
C37 series of the ANSI/IEEE standards.

Figure 4. Edit Study Case

For newer ETAP versions, creating a new study case is accessible in the ‘Edit Study Case’ pop-
out menu as shown in the next figure.

Figure 5. Creating New Study Case on Newer ETAP Versions

The Study Mode Toolbar

By selecting ANSI in the standard tab of the Study Case toolbar, the Study Mode toolbar is set to
ANSI/IEEE. The ANSI/IEEE short-circuit toolbar allows you to do the following:

 Run 3-phase device duty calculations based on ANSI c37 series

 Run 1-phase system device duty calculations (Not available on basic software license)
 Calculate ½ cycle RMS symmetrical short circuit currents
 Calculate 1.5-4 cycle RMS symmetrical short-circuit currents
 Calculate 30 cycle RMS symmetrical short-circuit currents
 Specify what you want to display on the one-line diagram
 Open an alert view of the device duty calculation
 Open Report Manager
 Open ANSI Short Circuit Analyzer (Only available to ETAP 14 and above versions)

Figure 6. Short-Circuit Toolbar

Application Example

This guide provides a step-by-step approach using the minimum input required in order to run a
short-circuit study on ETAP software.

Consider this very simple system composed of one utility source and one generator source. The
utility source represents a remote source short-circuit current while the generator represents the
local source of short-circuit current.
Figure 7. Model One-Line Diagram

Model Parameters

Power Grid

There are only a few things to set-up the Power Grid model. The ID, Operation Mode, Rated kV,
and the Short-Circuit parameters. Double click on the Power Grid to start filling-in the
parameters.

Figure 8. Power Grid Info Tab

In the ‘Info’ tab, you will find the ‘ID’ field. Type-in the name of the Power Grid.

Navigate to the ‘Operation Mode’ and verify if ‘Swing’ is ticked. Take note that ETAP requires
at least one swing source for all available study modes.

The ‘Rating’ tab allows you to input the Power Grid ‘Rated kV’ and ‘Generation Category’.
There’s not much to do here than inputting rated kV of the Power Grid.

Figure 9. Power Grid Rating Tab

Next up is the ‘Short-Circuit’ tab. You can either

specify the 3-phase and 1-phase short-circuit kA and X/R while ETAP calculates the rest

OR

specify the percent positive- and zero-sequence resistance and reactance on a 100MVAbase
while ETAP calculates the rest.

It depends on what data is readily available to you.

Figure 10. Power Grid Short-Circuit Tab

And your done setting-up the Power Grid model. Click the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.
Synchronous Generator

Setting up the generator model can be quite complicated but again we are only up to the
minimum input required to run the short-circuit study. Double click on the synchronous
generator to start setting-up.

Don’t be overwhelmed with the number of setting tabs available. We’ll only set-up a few.

Figure 11. Generator Info Tab

As with the utility model, fill in the ‘ID’ field with the name of the generator. In the ‘Operation
Mode’, you can leave at as ‘Voltage Control’. As mentioned, ETAP only requires at least one
swing source to be able to run any of the study modes.

Next tab. ‘Rating’.

Figure 12. Generator Rating Tab

In the ‘Rating’ tab, you can specify the generator rated capacity, kV, power factor, efficiency and
more. For this example, fill in the parameters as shown in the figure. These parameters were
determined for convenience’s sake and do not reflect real-world synchronous generators. After
inputting these parameters, move on to the next tab.

Figure 13. Generator Imp/Model Tab

The last tab that we are concerned about is the ‘Imp/Model’ with so much field to fill-up but we
don’t have to do much here. Just click on the ‘Typical Data’ and verify the values on the figure.
Click the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.

Next, we move on to modeling our transmission line.

Transmission Line

There are lesser tabs here compared to the synchronous generator but setting-up the minimum
input requirement for the transmission line model takes a bit more than the utility and
synchronous generator model.

Again first things first, the ‘Info’ tab.

Figure 14. Transmission Line Info Tab

Fill in the name and the length of the transmission line on the ‘ID’ and the ‘Length’ field,
respectively. Don’t forget to set the unit of measurement for the specified length!

Figure 15. Transmission Line Parameter Tab

The ‘Parameter’ tab allows you to specify the phase and neutral conductors. To that, you can
input the conductor parameters that you have or you can refer to the ETAP library and select the
conductors from the list.

Figure 16. Selecting Phase Conductor

Click on the ‘Conductor Lib…’ under the ‘Phase Conductor’ to access ETAP Library Quick Pick
for Transmission Lines. For this example, navigate to ‘EPRI/M.LAYER’ and select ‘Linnet’.

Figure 17. Selecting the Ground Wire

For the Ground Wire, you can either choose from the available Ground Wire Library or the
Conductor Library. For this example, we will choose the ground wire from the Conductor
Library. Click on the ‘Conductor Lib…’ and navigate to ‘EPRI/S.LAYER’. Select ‘Penguin’
from the available list.

Figure 18. Transmission Line Configuration

The last tab to set-up is the ‘Configuration’ tab. In this tab, we specify the transmission line
configuration including the spacing and the height. Enter the values as shown in the figure. Click
the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.

Study Case

To access the short-circuit module in ETAP, click on the ‘Short-Circuit’ button as shown in the
figure.

Figure 19. Accessing the Short-Circuit Module

Navigate to the Study-Case toolbar and click the ‘Edit Study Case’ button. A new window will
pop-up where you can specify the study preferences and parameters such as solution control
variables, faulted bus selection, applicable standards, and other options for output reports.

Figure 20. Study Case Info Tab

On the ‘Info’ tab, select the bus/busses to be faulted from the list of available busses and click
the ‘<< Fault’ button. The choice of the bus depends on where the circuit breaker/s are planned
to be connected. After the bus selection, the faulted busses are moved from the ‘Don’t Fault’ to
the ‘Fault’ field of the ‘Bus Selection’.

Figure 21. Study Case Faulted Bus Selection

You can also verify the faulted busses from the ‘One-Line Diagram’ since they are highlighted
red.

Figure 21. Faulted Bus 2

Next, navigate to the ‘Standard’ tab of the Short-Circuit Study Case. For this example, select
‘ANSI’ from the ‘Standard’ field and ‘C37.010 – 1979 and Older’ for the ‘Device Duty’ field.
Selecting ‘C37.010 – 1979 and Older’ allows the selection of S-factor based on circuit breaker
contact parting time as shown in the table below.

Table 1. Circuit Breaker S-factor (C37.010 – 1979)

Leave other parameters to their default values.

Figure 22. Study Case Adjustment Tab

Lastly, navigate to the ‘Adjustment’ tab and uncheck all checkboxes. This is to verify the results
later using manual calculations for learning purposes. Click the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.

On actual projects, it is recommended to check all tolerances in order to have conservative

results.

ANSI Short-Circuit Mode

After setting up the model and study case parameters, you are now ready to conduct ANSI short-
circuit study.

Click on the ‘ANSI 3-Phase Device Duty (ANSI37)’ to start the analysis.

Figure 23. Run ANSI 3-phase Device Duty (ANSI C37)

A new window will pop-out requiring you to specify the report name. Enter the output file name
of the report and click ‘OK’.

Figure 24. Report Output File Name

After clicking ‘OK’, the One-Line Diagram should look as shown in figure.

Figure 25. Simulation Results on One-Line Diagram

You may choose to modify what is displayed on the One-Line Diagram by clicking the ‘Display
Options’ in the ANSI Short-Circuit toolbar.

Figure 26. Accessing the Display Options

Click on the ‘Report Manager’ in order to open/view the study output report.

Figure 27. Report Manager Complete Tab

Navigate through the different tabs in the ‘Report Manager’ to select the information you want to
view.

Figure 28. Report Manager Summary Tab

For this example, click on the ‘Summary’ tab and select ‘Summary’. Click ‘OK’.
Figure 29. Momentary Duty Summary Report

A new window will pop-out containing the report summary as selected on the ‘Report Manager’.

Verify the results using manual calculations. Click here to access the step-by-step guide to sizing
circuit breakers using manual calculations.

You can also compare the results using our circuit breaker sizing calculator available in the tools
section.

Figure 30. Interrupting Duty Summary Report

You may also choose to print the results by clicking the ‘Print Report’ button.

There you have it.

Tell us what you think by placing your comments below.

Reference:
ETAP Enterprise Solution for Electrical Power Systems Online Help

Short Circuit Analysis Using ETAP | IEC

60909

Short circuit analysis using ETAP software based on IEC 60909 standard.

In the previous discussion, we have presented the step-by-step process of short-circuit

calculation based on IEC 60909. The calculations were quite intensive and time-consuming as
compared to ANSI-approved methods thus the use of computer software is recommended. As
with our final discussion on ANSI short-circuit calculation method, we will conclude the IEC
60909 series with a short circuit analysis using ETAP software. Before proceeding to the topic, it
is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the software user interface. You can refer to
this link to review the basic elements and toolbars available in the software, and the step-by-step
process of modeling. We will be using the same network as with the ANSI short-circuit
application example so that we can make a comparison of the results.

At this point, you are expected to know already how to model the sample network in ETAP.
Your network model should look like the figure as shown below.

Verify that the following device parameters are consistent with your model. These parameters
are pre-requisite to running the short circuit analysis using ETAP for IEC 60909.
Utility

Rated kV: 25

3-Phase MVAsc: 228.964

3-Phase kAsc: 5.288

X/R: 17.887
Transmission Line

R – T1 Pos.: 0.08171 (Unit in Ohms)

X – T1 Pos.: 0.18041 (Unit in Ohms)

Synchronous Generator

kV: 25

MVA: 5.952

FLA: 137.5

Xd”: 19

Xd”/Ra: 19

Xd: 155

Exciter Type: Turbine 130%

Setting-up the Study Parameters

After reviewing the device parameters, we are now ready to set-up the study case. Navigate to
the Study-Case toolbar and click the ‘Edit Study Case’ button. Verify that the faulted bus is
Bus2.

Navigate to the ‘Standard’ tab. Select ‘IEC’ for the ‘Standard’ field and ‘Max.’ for the ‘Short-
Circuit Current’ field. Leave all other fields to their default values.

Next, navigate to the ‘Adjustment’ tab and uncheck all checkboxes as shown in the figure below.

Notice that the ‘Resistance Temperature Correction’ fields are greyed-out. Remember that IEC
60909 requires the resistance correction of a transmission line to 20°C for the calculation of
maximum short-circuit currents. You can review the resistance correction calculation through
this link.

You can now close the ‘Study Case’ window by clicking ‘OK’. After setting-up the study case,
the short-circuit toolbar on the right side of your ETAP window should look like the figure
below.

Before running the Short circuit analysis using ETAP, it is important to identify what equipment
is to be specified. In this example, we are interested in the circuit breaker. Double-click on the
high-voltage circuit breaker on the one-line diagram and navigate to the ‘Rating’ tab and click on
the ‘Library’. A new window should pop-out. Select the circuit breaker as shown and click ‘OK’.

On the ‘Min. Delay’ field drop-down list, select 0.05. This is to be consistent with our
calculation using the ANSI-approved method where we set the rated interrupting time to 3
cycles. Click ‘OK’ to close the high-voltage circuit breaker editor.

Short-Circuit Analysis

To start the short circuit analysis using ETAP, click on the ‘Run 3-Phase Device Duty (IEC
60909). If a new window will pop-out requiring you to specify the report name. Enter the output
file name of the report and click ‘OK’.
Click on the ‘Report Manager’ in order to open/view the study output report. For this example,
click on the ‘Summary’ tab and select ‘Summary’. Click ‘OK’.

Comparison of Results

The following table shows the short-circuit analysis results for the same network using the
ANSI-approved method and the IEC 60909.

Final Thoughts

Short-circuit analysis is a very important process in the planning and design of any power
system. There are different international standards that address the method of calculation but
among these, the most common is the ANSI-approved standards and the IEC 60909 standard.
These standards have different approach in the calculation of short-circuit currents and device
duties with IEC 60909 more computationally intensive and conservative. The choice regarding
which standard to use depends on the design engineer but more importantly should be based on
the standard to which the equipment to be acquired or assessed is certified.
References

IEEE Std 551-2006 [The Violet Book]: Recommended Practice for Calculating AC Short Circuit
Currents in Industrial and Commercial Power Systems. (2006). S.I.: IEEE.

ETAP Enterprise Solution for Electrical Power Systems Online Help

Circuit Breaker Short-Circuit Duty

Calculation | IEC60909

Circuit breaker short-circuit duty calculation is a very important step in our discussion on IEC
60909. We had just completed our discussion on the basic concepts of IEC 60909. We started
with the introduction of IEC 60909 by defining the common terms used in the standard and how
they compare to the terms in the ANSI-approved standards. Next, we introduced the concept of
‘meshed’ and ‘non-meshed’ networks, how to identify them, and how important they are in the
calculation of short-circuit currents. Then we introduced another important concept in IEC 60909
which is the ‘far from’ and ‘near’ generator short-circuits where we dived deeper into the
calculation of short-circuits by introducing multiplying factors, how and when to use them.
Lastly, we took a step back and presented a discussion on how IEC 60909 determines the short-
circuit impedances for common network components.

In this article, we will reinforce the concepts presented though a simple application example.
Circuit breaker short-circuit duty calculation will be presented in a step-by-step approach. For
comparison, we will use the same sample network from our application example for the ANSI-
approved standard.

Sample Network

Figure 1 shows a network with two sources, one is network feeder through a transmission line
and the other is a synchronous generator. Our faulted point is the bus where the synchronous
generator is directly connected.
Figure 1. Sample Network Diagram

Calculation of Short-Circuit Impedance

We will start by creating an impedance diagram using the concepts that we learned from our
previous discussions.

Network Feeder

Network feeders are usually represented by the initial symmetrical short circuit MVA, SkQ, or the
initial symmetrical short circuit current, IkQ”. With the nominal voltage UnQ, the impedance can
be calculated as follows.

In this example, we will be calculating the maximum short-circuit duty. Given this, we will set
the voltage correction factor cmax = 1.1. Refer to this link for the list of voltage correction factors
used in IEC 60909.

Next, we calculate the reactance based on our computed ZQ and the given X/R ratio.

From there, it is easy to calculate RQ.

Transmission Line

The method in calculation of transmission lines impedance was omitted in our previous
discussion since its determination is the same throughout different standards and is available in
different power system analysis books. It is important to note, however, that since we are dealing
with the calculation of the maximum short-circuit currents, it is necessary to adjust the
transmission line resistance to a temperature of 20°C as prescribed in IEC 60909.

With the reactance equal to

The impedance of the transmission line can be easily calculated using

The total impedance from the network feeder to the fault point can be calculated from the sum of
the feeder and transmission line resistance and reactance, therefore,

and the R/X ratio

Synchronous Generator

The easiest way to determine the generator impedance is to start with the calculation of its
reactance using,
Next is to determine the generator resistance. Since the generator in this example has a rated
apparent power of 5.952MVA, we can approximate its resistance using,

The generator impedance is calculated using,

To account for the generator substransient behavior, IEC 60909 has recommended impedance
correction factors. For generators this is,

The corrected impedance is calculated using,

The impedance diagram is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2. Impedance Diagram

Calculation of Initial Symmetrical Short-Circuit Currents

Network Feeder

The calculation of initial symmetrical short-circuit current contribution from the network feeder
through the transmission can be calculated using,

Synchronous Generator

The same process is done to calculate the initial symmetrical short-circuit current contribution
from the generator.

Total Initial Symmetrical Short-Circuit Current

The total initial symmetrical short-circuit current is calculated as follows,

Calculation of the Peak Short-circuit Current

Network Feeder
The calculation of the peak short-circuit current contribution from the network feeder through
the transmission can be calculated from

The crest factor is determined using

The peak short-circuit current contribution from the network feeder is

Synchronous Generator

The same process is done to calculate the peak short-circuit current contribution from the
generator.

Total peak short-circuit current

The total peak short-circuit current is calculated as shown

Calculation of Symmetrical Short-circuit Breaking Current

Network Feeder

Since network feeders’ short-circuit contribution are considered ‘far-from’ generator short-
circuit, the symmetrical short-circuit breaking current is equal to the initial symmetrical short-
circuit current.

Synchronous Generator

For a synchronous generator, it is necessary to determine first whether the short-circuit is ‘far-
from’ or ‘near’ generator. We can check the ratio of its initial symmetrical short-circuit current
contribution to its rated current if its greater than 2.

Since I”kG/IrG is greater than 2, the synchronous generator in this example is a ‘near’ generator.

To calculate the symmetrical short-circuit breaking current contribution of the generator, a factor
µ is introduced.

IEC 60909 has provided the equations to calculate µ based on a particular minimum time delay.
For this example, let us assume a minimum time delay of 0.05s.

Calculating for the generator symmetrical short-circuit breaking current contribution we get,

Total Symmetrical Short-Circuit Breaking Current

The total symmetrical short-circuit breaking current is calculated as shown

Calculation of Asymmetrical Short-circuit Breaking Current

If the calculation of the asymmetrical short-circuit breaking current is of interest, the following
procedures apply.

Determine the aperiodic DC component of the initial symmetrical short-circuit current using the
following equation,

Network Feeder

Synchronous Generator

For synchronous generators, the calculation of the aperiodic DC component requires an X/R ratio
provided by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the approximation of RG to get the X/R ratio cannot
be used. For this example, based on the manufacturer’s data, the X/R ratio for the given generator
is 19.

Calculate the total aperiodic DC component using,

Total Asymmetrical Short-Circuit Breaking Current

Calculate the total asymmetrical short-circuit breaking current using,

Calculation of Steady-State Short-Circuit Current

Network Feeder

Since network feeders’ short-circuit contributions are considered ‘far-from’ generator short-
circuit, the steady-state short-circuit current is equal to the initial symmetrical short-circuit
current.

Synchronous Generator

Steady-state short-circuit current for ‘near’ generator short-circuits is normally lower in

magnitude than the symmetrical short-circuit breaking current. The calculation of the steady-
state short-circuit current is rather straightforward in that it depends only on the generator rated
current and the excitation voltage.

Since the circuit breaker short-circuit duty is of interest here, the maximum steady-state short-
circuit current is calculated using,

The multiplying factor λmax depends on whether the generator is a turbo or salient-pole generator
and the ratio of the maximum excitation voltage to the excitation voltage under normal load
conditions (series 1 or 2).
The generator in this example is a turbogenerator with a maximum excitation voltage of 1.3
times its rated. Therefore, we will be using the series 1 curve for turbo generators. From the
manufacturer’s data, the saturated value of synchronous reactance is 1.55.
Figure 3. Series 1 Curve for Turbo Generators

Based on the given curve, the multiplying factor λmax is determined as shown
The steady-state short-circuit current contribution from the generator is calculated as shown

Total Steady-State Short-Circuit Current

The total steady-state short-circuit current is calculated as shown

And that’s about it.

Circuit breaker short-circuit duty calculation based on IEC 60909 is quite lengthy and would take
a lot of time when done manually. A good computer software will surely help in the analysis!

In our next article, we’ll present the IEC 60909 analysis procedure using ETAP software.

References

IEEE Std 551-2006 [The Violet Book]: Recommended Practice for Calculating AC Short Circuit
Currents in Industrial and Commercial Power Systems. (2006). S.I.: IEEE.

BS EN 60909-0:2001: Short-circuit currents in three-phase a.c. systems Part 0: Calculation of

currents (2002).

Kaskci, I. (2002). Short Circuit in Power Systems: A Practical Guide to IEC 60909. Weinheim,
Germany: Wiley-VCH Verlag-GmbH.
Rooftop Solar PV Systems | Distribution
Impact Study

Rooftop solar PV systems connected to the electric distribution system are examples of what is
generally called “Distributed Generation”. The term “Embedded Generation” is sometimes used.
Installation of rooftop solar PV systems has dramatically increased in the past few years as
environmental concerns, technology advances, and with the help of government programs aimed
to promote the use of renewable energy sources. However, the increased penetration of these
systems has caused electric distribution utilities (DUs) to implement measures in order to
maintain the safety and reliability of the grid. As part of the technical evaluation, DUs have the
option to conduct a Distribution Impact Study (DIS) to evaluate the capability of the distribution
system to safely and reliably accommodate a proposed interconnection of a distributed
generation or DG.

The changing landscape of the electrical grid is brought about by the increasing penetration of
DGs. A significant percentage of this comes from rooftop solar PV systems.
Power Grid Landscape

Drivers of Distributed Generation

Conventional power flows starts with the generating plant that is usually controlled by a
centralized system. Power flows through the transmission lines, distribution lines and finally to
the end-users of electricity. This, however, is gradually changing with the generating plants
directly connecting to the distribution system. So what drives this change? The key factors that
influence the change are the following:
Environmental Concerns

The concern over climate change is one of the major concerns causing the shift to renewable
energy resources. With conventional power plants mostly fossil fuels, concerns over greenhouse
gas emissions affecting the environment have risen.
Technological Advancements

With the shift into renewables, advances in technology made it possible to efficiently connect
generating plants to the distribution system.
Government Policies

These policies are aimed to make the cost renewables competitive to the existing fossil fuel
prices making the shift more attractive. Others include subsidies like feed-in tariff and net-
metering programs.
The Net-Metering Program

This program allows electricity consumers to install a small-scale renewable energy facility
(usually a maximum of 100kW) in their premises to generate electricity for their own use.
Furthermore, any excess energy produced can be exported to the distribution system and is paid
by the distribution utility at the DU’s blended generation cost. This program allows consumers to
become prosumers (producer and consumer at the same time) of energy.

Scope of the Distribution Impact Study

The increased penetration of rooftop solar PV systems has caused electric distribution utilities to
implement measures in order to maintain the safety and reliability of the grid. As part of the
technical evaluation, DUs have the option to conduct a Distribution Impact Study (DIS) to
evaluate the capability of the distribution system to safely and reliably accommodate a proposed
interconnection. The scope of the DIS includes the following:
Impact of short-circuit infeed on the distribution equipment

Short-circuit infeed is evaluated to determine the impact of the DG installation on the fault level
at the connection point. This is very much important since existing equipment connected at that
point were sized according to the short-circuit duty prior to the DG installation.
Coordination of the protection system

The short-circuit infeed is also assessed to determine its impact on the coordination of the
protective devices in the distribution system. The assessment will determine if changes to
settings of protection relays, LV-circuit breakers, and trip levels of fuses are necessary.
Impact on thermal component ratings and voltage variation

Load flow analysis is conducted to determine the power flows especially during the times when
the DG is exporting power to the grid.
Impact of user development on power quality

Power quality parameters such as DC current injection, flicker severity, and harmonics are
assessed based on energy regulatory standards.

Steps in Conducting a Distribution Impact Study

Step 1: Data Gathering

The first step of the DIS is to gather information about the existing customer demand and the RE
facility to be installed. Generally, the following data are required:

 Technical specifications of the RE system specifying the kVA capacity and voltage
rating. A typical example is shown in the figure below.
PV-Inverter Technical Specifications

 Customer load profile.

 Type verification test results and/or certifications or equivalent; should include the
following:
o Power Quality:
 Harmonics with THD and TDD summary
 Voltage fluctuations and flicker
 DC injection
 Power Factor
o Protection:
 Frequency tests
 Voltage tests
 Current tests
 Anti-Islanding functionality tests
Step 2: Assessment of RE System Compatibility to the Existing Utility Connection

This is a basic step to ensure that the RE system is compatible with the nominal system voltage
at the connection point. There is no easy way of connecting a 120V RE system to a 230V
utilization voltage, right?
Step 3: Impact of Short-circuit Infeed on the Distribution Equipment

The next step of the study to assess the impact of the short-circuit contribution of the RE system
to the existing fault duty at the distribution system and compare it against the short-circuit rating
of existing equipment. This short-circuit information can be found on the RE system type
verification test report. The following figures show a typical short-circuit information from a
sample type verification test report.


Type Test Report: Short-Circuit Contribution

You may want to read this to understand the parameters

from this report.
If no such information is available, short-circuit contribution may be assumed to be

It should be noted that for PV-inverters, the short-circuit contribution is a result of the current
limiting function of the controller and hence not affected by any impedance between the PV-
inverter and the fault location.

This short-circuit contribution is added to the existing distribution system fault duty.
Step 4: Coordination of the protection system

The new fault duty arising from the short-circuit contribution of the RE facility will be used to
assess the coordination of protection relays, LV-circuit breakers, and trip levels of fuses are
necessary. Time-current coordination study is required in this step. Figure 4 shows a sample
TCC curve in many coordination studies.

Time-Current Coordination Curve

Step 5: Impact on thermal component ratings and voltage variation

Plot the customer load profile and typical generation profile of a RE system with the applied
capacity. This is available in many computer software such as ETAP. You can also do an online
search of typical generation profiles and scale it to the applied capacity. In this step, we are
interested in two extreme cases.
Case 1: Minimum voltage at the load center, low voltage side; maximum load and no generation.

This is to establish the baseline data at the utility connection point. Thermal component ratings
and voltage variations are based only on the customer loads.
Case 2: Maximum voltage at load center, low voltage side; minimum load (during day-time) and maximum generation.

This is the case where the RE facility produces considerably more power than the customer load.
In this case, increased thermal loading of transformer, lines or cable and voltage rise is likely.

The plots should look similar to the figures below.


 

Impact on thermal component ratings and voltage variation

From the plots, get the data with the widest margin between the customer load and generation. In
this example, the widest margin for case 1 is 77.25kW (77.25 – 0), while for case 2, it’s
-55.36kW (6.72 – 62.08).

Do a load flow study using these two sets of values. Our interest here is to determine the
maximum thermal loading and voltage rise on the LV feeder.
Step 6: Impact of user development on power quality

From the RE system type test report, verify the results for DC current injection, flicker severity,
and harmonics as shown in the following figures.




 

Type Test Report: Power Quality

Bonus Step: Harmonic Performance

In most cases, the harmonic performance of the RE system is further evaluated based on the
utility harmonic planning levels. In the absence of these, other methods are used. A combination
of the following evaluation methods is usually done to assess the harmonic performance of the
RE system.

 Voltage Droop Concept (Based on Electricity Engineer’s Association Power Quality

Guidelines)
 IEC 61000
 IEEE 519

Recommendations

The results of the Distribution Impact Study will determine if the existing distribution system
infrastructure can safely and reliably accommodate the proposed connection. In cases where a
distribution network upgrade is required, a Distribution Asset Study is conducted in order to
define the necessary upgrades.

References
Moeller & Poeller Engineering, “Distribution Impact Study Guideline: Guideline for Studying
the Impact of Rooftop PV-Systems on Distribution Networks in the Philippines”, December
2013

Operations Directorate, “Distributed Generation Connection Guide”, Energy Networks

Association, October 2010

Short Circuit Calculation Using ETAP

ETAP short-circuit analysis module allows the calculation of fault duties according to the C37
Series of the ANSI/IEEE Standards. This module can be accessed from the mode toolbar as
shown in figure 1.

Figure 1. Accessing ETAP Short-Circuit Analysis Mode

As with other study modes within ETAP, the short-circuit analysis mode options or preferences
can be accessed through the Study Case Toolbar while various studies under short-circuit
analysis mode can be accessed through the Study Mode Toolbar.
Figure 2. Short-Circuit Study

The Study Case Toolbar

Figure 3. Study Case Toolbar

The short-circuit analysis mode preferences can be accessed through the Study Case Toolbar. To
begin with the short-circuit analysis, a Study Case should be identified. The ‘New Study Case’
button initializes the creation of a new study case. ETAP does this by creating a duplicate copy
of the existing study case. If done the first time, clicking the ‘New Study Case’ button will create
a copy of the default study case. Once done, the new study case will be available on the drop-
down menu.

You can also find from the Study Case toolbar a List of Output Reports where results from
previous studies can be viewed. A Report Manager allows you to save the Output Reports in
specific formats.

The Study Case Editor can be accessed by clicking the ‘Edit Study Case’ button. The Short-
Circuit Study Case Editor contains preferences and parameters in which you can specify the
solution control variables, faulted bus selection, applicable standards, and other options for
output reports. Under the ‘Standard’ tab, select ANSI to set your short-circuit study based on the
C37 series of the ANSI/IEEE standards.

Figure 4. Edit Study Case

For newer ETAP versions, creating a new study case is accessible in the ‘Edit Study Case’ pop-
out menu as shown in the next figure.

Figure 5. Creating New Study Case on Newer ETAP Versions

The Study Mode Toolbar

By selecting ANSI in the standard tab of the Study Case toolbar, the Study Mode toolbar is set to
ANSI/IEEE. The ANSI/IEEE short-circuit toolbar allows you to do the following:

 Run 3-phase device duty calculations based on ANSI c37 series

 Run 1-phase system device duty calculations (Not available on basic software license)
 Calculate ½ cycle RMS symmetrical short circuit currents
 Calculate 1.5-4 cycle RMS symmetrical short-circuit currents
 Calculate 30 cycle RMS symmetrical short-circuit currents
 Specify what you want to display on the one-line diagram
 Open an alert view of the device duty calculation
 Open Report Manager
 Open ANSI Short Circuit Analyzer (Only available to ETAP 14 and above versions)
Figure 6. Short-Circuit Toolbar

Application Example

This guide provides a step-by-step approach using the minimum input required in order to run a
short-circuit study on ETAP software.

Consider this very simple system composed of one utility source and one generator source. The
utility source represents a remote source short-circuit current while the generator represents the
local source of short-circuit current.

Figure 7. Model One-Line Diagram

Model Parameters

Power Grid

There are only a few things to set-up the Power Grid model. The ID, Operation Mode, Rated kV,
and the Short-Circuit parameters. Double click on the Power Grid to start filling-in the
parameters.

Figure 8. Power Grid Info Tab

In the ‘Info’ tab, you will find the ‘ID’ field. Type-in the name of the Power Grid.
Navigate to the ‘Operation Mode’ and verify if ‘Swing’ is ticked. Take note that ETAP requires
at least one swing source for all available study modes.

The ‘Rating’ tab allows you to input the Power Grid ‘Rated kV’ and ‘Generation Category’.
There’s not much to do here than inputting rated kV of the Power Grid.

Figure 9. Power Grid Rating Tab

Next up is the ‘Short-Circuit’ tab. You can either

specify the 3-phase and 1-phase short-circuit kA and X/R while ETAP calculates the rest

OR

specify the percent positive- and zero-sequence resistance and reactance on a 100MVAbase
while ETAP calculates the rest.

It depends on what data is readily available to you.

Figure 10. Power Grid Short-Circuit Tab

And your done setting-up the Power Grid model. Click the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.
Synchronous Generator

Setting up the generator model can be quite complicated but again we are only up to the
minimum input required to run the short-circuit study. Double click on the synchronous
generator to start setting-up.

Don’t be overwhelmed with the number of setting tabs available. We’ll only set-up a few.

Figure 11. Generator Info Tab

As with the utility model, fill in the ‘ID’ field with the name of the generator. In the ‘Operation
Mode’, you can leave at as ‘Voltage Control’. As mentioned, ETAP only requires at least one
swing source to be able to run any of the study modes.

Next tab. ‘Rating’.

Figure 12. Generator Rating Tab

In the ‘Rating’ tab, you can specify the generator rated capacity, kV, power factor, efficiency and
more. For this example, fill in the parameters as shown in the figure. These parameters were
determined for convenience’s sake and do not reflect real-world synchronous generators. After
inputting these parameters, move on to the next tab.

Figure 13. Generator Imp/Model Tab

The last tab that we are concerned about is the ‘Imp/Model’ with so much field to fill-up but we
don’t have to do much here. Just click on the ‘Typical Data’ and verify the values on the figure.
Click the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.

Next, we move on to modeling our transmission line.

Transmission Line

There are lesser tabs here compared to the synchronous generator but setting-up the minimum
input requirement for the transmission line model takes a bit more than the utility and
synchronous generator model.

Again first things first, the ‘Info’ tab.

Figure 14. Transmission Line Info Tab

Fill in the name and the length of the transmission line on the ‘ID’ and the ‘Length’ field,
respectively. Don’t forget to set the unit of measurement for the specified length!

Figure 15. Transmission Line Parameter Tab

The ‘Parameter’ tab allows you to specify the phase and neutral conductors. To that, you can
input the conductor parameters that you have or you can refer to the ETAP library and select the
conductors from the list.

Figure 16. Selecting Phase Conductor

Click on the ‘Conductor Lib…’ under the ‘Phase Conductor’ to access ETAP Library Quick Pick
for Transmission Lines. For this example, navigate to ‘EPRI/M.LAYER’ and select ‘Linnet’.

Figure 17. Selecting the Ground Wire

For the Ground Wire, you can either choose from the available Ground Wire Library or the
Conductor Library. For this example, we will choose the ground wire from the Conductor
Library. Click on the ‘Conductor Lib…’ and navigate to ‘EPRI/S.LAYER’. Select ‘Penguin’
from the available list.

Figure 18. Transmission Line Configuration

The last tab to set-up is the ‘Configuration’ tab. In this tab, we specify the transmission line
configuration including the spacing and the height. Enter the values as shown in the figure. Click
the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.

Study Case

To access the short-circuit module in ETAP, click on the ‘Short-Circuit’ button as shown in the
figure.
Figure 19. Accessing the Short-Circuit Module

Navigate to the Study-Case toolbar and click the ‘Edit Study Case’ button. A new window will
pop-up where you can specify the study preferences and parameters such as solution control
variables, faulted bus selection, applicable standards, and other options for output reports.

Figure 20. Study Case Info Tab

On the ‘Info’ tab, select the bus/busses to be faulted from the list of available busses and click
the ‘<< Fault’ button. The choice of the bus depends on where the circuit breaker/s are planned
to be connected. After the bus selection, the faulted busses are moved from the ‘Don’t Fault’ to
the ‘Fault’ field of the ‘Bus Selection’.

Figure 21. Study Case Faulted Bus Selection

You can also verify the faulted busses from the ‘One-Line Diagram’ since they are highlighted
red.

Figure 21. Faulted Bus 2

Next, navigate to the ‘Standard’ tab of the Short-Circuit Study Case. For this example, select
‘ANSI’ from the ‘Standard’ field and ‘C37.010 – 1979 and Older’ for the ‘Device Duty’ field.
Selecting ‘C37.010 – 1979 and Older’ allows the selection of S-factor based on circuit breaker
contact parting time as shown in the table below.

Table 1. Circuit Breaker S-factor (C37.010 – 1979)

Leave other parameters to their default values.

Figure 22. Study Case Adjustment Tab

Lastly, navigate to the ‘Adjustment’ tab and uncheck all checkboxes. This is to verify the results
later using manual calculations for learning purposes. Click the ‘OK’ button to save the settings.

On actual projects, it is recommended to check all tolerances in order to have conservative

results.

ANSI Short-Circuit Mode

After setting up the model and study case parameters, you are now ready to conduct ANSI short-
circuit study.

Click on the ‘ANSI 3-Phase Device Duty (ANSI37)’ to start the analysis.

Figure 23. Run ANSI 3-phase Device Duty (ANSI C37)

A new window will pop-out requiring you to specify the report name. Enter the output file name
of the report and click ‘OK’.

Figure 24. Report Output File Name

After clicking ‘OK’, the One-Line Diagram should look as shown in figure.

Figure 25. Simulation Results on One-Line Diagram

You may choose to modify what is displayed on the One-Line Diagram by clicking the ‘Display
Options’ in the ANSI Short-Circuit toolbar.

Figure 26. Accessing the Display Options

Click on the ‘Report Manager’ in order to open/view the study output report.

Figure 27. Report Manager Complete Tab

Navigate through the different tabs in the ‘Report Manager’ to select the information you want to
view.

Figure 28. Report Manager Summary Tab

For this example, click on the ‘Summary’ tab and select ‘Summary’. Click ‘OK’.

Figure 29. Momentary Duty Summary Report

A new window will pop-out containing the report summary as selected on the ‘Report Manager’.

Verify the results using manual calculations. Click here to access the step-by-step guide to sizing
circuit breakers using manual calculations.
You can also compare the results using our circuit breaker sizing calculator available in the tools
section.

Figure 30. Interrupting Duty Summary Report

You may also choose to print the results by clicking the ‘Print Report’ button.

There you have it.

Tell us what you think by placing your comments below.

Reference:

ETAP Enterprise Solution for Electrical Power Systems Online Help

Circuit Breaker Sizing Calculation: A Step-
by-Step Guide

Circuit breaker sizing calculation for medium- and high-voltage circuit breakers basically
involves two symmetrical current calculations, one for the first cycle duty and another for the
interrupting duty. This guide presents a step-by-step approach. A sample calculation is provided
in each step to reinforce learning.

Click here to estimate the short-circuit duty of a medium-

and high-voltage circuit breaker.
First Cycle Duty Calculation for Medium- and High-Voltage Circuit Breakers

1. Using the ½ cycle network impedances, construct the impedance diagram of the system. Refer
to the impedance table presented here.
Figure 1. 1/2 Cycle Impedance Diagram
*Note: The values presented in this example are overly simplified. Highlight is given to the calculation process instead.

2. Calculate the Thevenin’s equivalent impedance.

Figure 2. Thevenin’n Equivalent Circuit

Alternatively, you may use the equivalent impedance calculated using the separate X and R
networks. This approach is generally conservative.

3. Calculate the symmetrical RMS current using the following formula.

where Vpre-fault is the line-to-line fault point voltage and is equal to the operating voltage under
actual service conditions.
*Note: The solution for the symmetrical RMS current is calculated from the actual voltage and ohmic value of the impedances. For more systems with two
(2) or more voltage levels, use per unit approach.

4. Calculate the fault point X/R ratio using the separate X and R reduction process.

Figure 3. Separate X and R Networks

5. Calculate the first cycle asymmetrical peak current multiplying factor using the following
formula.

6. Calculate the first cycle asymmetrical peak current by applying MFpeak to the previously
calculated symmetrical RMS current.

7. Calculate the first cycle asymmetrical RMS current multiplying factor using the following
formula.

8. Calculate the first cycle asymmetrical rms current by applying MFrms to the previously
calculated symmetrical RMS current.

Interrupting Duty Calculation for Medium- and High-Voltage Circuit Breakers

1. Calculate the interrupting duty multiplying factor using the following formula.
2. Calculate the No AC Decay (NACD) using the ratio of the remote generators (if available)
fault current contribution to the total available fault.

In our example, the remote contribution to the fault comes from the utility source. Using
common circuit analysis technique such as current division and/or superposition theorem, the
remote contribution can be easily calculated to be

From this, we can calculate the NACD ratio.

3. Calculate the remote multiplying factor using the X/R ratio at the fault point and a CPT of 2
cycles.

Adjust MF for symmetrically rated circuit breaker.

Verify circuit breaker rating structure. For totally rated circuit breakers use S = 1. For
symmetrically rated circuit breakers use the S-factor indicated on the nameplate. If not available,
use the S-factor provided in C37.010-1979. You can access this table here.

In our example, we assume a symmetrically rated circuit breaker. With a CPT of 2 cycles, the S
factor is equal to 1.2.

4. The local multiplying factor can be derived from the local curves provided in IEEE Std C37.5
for totally rated circuit breakers and IEEE Std C37.010 for symmetrically rated circuit breakers.

In our example, the fault point X/R ratio was calculated to be 13.29. Selecting the multiplying
factor for a CB interrupting time of 3 cycles (CPT = 2cycles), we get

Again, adjust MF for symmetrically rated circuit breaker.

5. Calculate the AMF.

6. Calculate the circuit breaker interrupting duty using the following formula.

Since reactances for ½ cycle and 1.5 – 4 cycle network are the same for both utility and
generator,

*Note: In calculating for the interrupting RMS symmetrical current, use reactances on the 1.5 – 4 cycle network.

That’s it for circuit breaker sizing calculation. Share your insights by leaving a comment below.

References:

IEEE Std 551-2006 [The Violet Book]: Recommended Practice for Calculating AC Short-Circuit
Currents in Industrial and Commercial Power Systems. (2006). S.I.: IEEE.

IEEE Std C37.5-1979: ANSI Guide for Calculation of Fault Currents for Application of AC
High-Voltage Circuit Breakers Rated on a Total Current Basis. (1979). S.I.: IEEE.

IEEE Std C37.010-2016: IEEE Application Guide for AC High-Voltage Circuit Breakers > 1000
Vac Rated on a Symmetrical Current Basis. (2016). S.I.: IEEE.

IEEE Std C37.04-2018: IEEE Standard for Ratings and Requirements for AC High-Voltage
Circuit Breakers with Rated Maximum Voltage Above 1000 V. (2018). S.I.: IEEE.

ETAP Enterprise Solution for Electrical Power Systems Online Help

You may want read these articles:

Short Circuit Study: An Introduction to Circuit Breaker Sizing

Circuit Breaker Interrupting Rating Calculations 

kAIC Rating of Circuit Breakers: Calculation in Low Voltage System

Transformer Differential Protection:

Application Example

So far we have discussed about the principles of transformer differential protection. We started
with the introduction into Percentage Biased differential were we talked briefly about operate
and restraint current, and slope characteristic. Next we revisited the concept of transformer
vector groups and identified the key take away which is “Master the Delta Connection and
you’re on your way to mastering Vector Groups!”. Then we discussed about how CTs are
actually connected to relays. Lastly, we talked about zero sequence and tap compensation and
how they affect the operation of the transformer differential protection.

In this article, we will be ending the discussion on transformer current differential protection
with an application example.

APPLICATION EXAMPLE: 25/33MVA 69/23kV Delta-Wye Transformer on SEL-387A Relay

Figure 1. Transformer Vector Group and CT to Relay Connection

We start with the identification of the transformer vector group. For this example, we have a
25/33MVA 69/23kV Delta-Wye Transformer with vector group, Dyn1. We will apply wye
connected CTs on both sides of the transformer. Based on our discussion on CT and relay
connection, we apply CT compensation on the 23kV side using,
Phase Compensation Matrix

In SEL relays, this is represented by the setting CTC(1). SEL recommends compensating on the
wye side. This setting also compensates for zero sequence currents as was discussed in our
article on Zero Sequence Compensation. Next on the setting is TAP compensation which is
based per unit concept.

Tap Compensation Equation

The transformer MVA rating is 33MVA while the voltage rating is 23kV. Using a CT ratio of
240, the TAP setting value is 3.45Amps secondary for the wye side. Delta side TAP setting value
can be calculated using a CT ratio of 80. The TAP setting compensation is automatically
calculated in SEL relays by providing the appropriate transformer parameters and CT ratio.
Other relay settings are listed below,

 E87 = Y
 W1CT = Y
 W2CT = Y
 CTR1 = 80
 CTR2 = 240
 MVA = 33
 ICOM = Y
 W1CTC = 0
 W2CTC = 1
 VWDG1 = 69
 VWDG2 = 23
 TAP1 = 3.45
 TAP 2 = 3.45

Next we define the percentage biased differential characteristic through the settings minimum
operate pick-up, slope 1, slope 2, slope boundary, and unrestrained current pick-up. In our
article, The Operate Quantity, we calculated the minimum operate pick-up, 0.28, based on the
CT error and voltage ratio variation. In this application, we set the minimum operate pick-up to
0.3. Slope 1 and slope 2 settings were presented in our first article for transformer differential
protection. The complete settings for the percentage biased differential characteristic is presented
below.

 O87P = 0.3
 SLP1 = 25
 SLP2 = 40
 IRS1 = 3.0
 U87P = 10
 PCT2 = 15
 PCT4 = 15
 PCT5 = 35
  TH5P = OFF
 DCRB = N
 HRSTR = N
 IHBL = N

SINGLE LINE-TO-GROUND THROUGH FAULT

Let us examine the response of our transformer differential protection on through fault
conditions. Consider a single line-to-ground through fault.

The currents seen by the relay are affected by the CT ratio and connection hence the values of
the secondary currents before compensation. By applying the phase and tap compensation
setting, the currents values are as presented. These compensated current values are used in the
calculation of the operate and restraint currents and are evaluated based on the percent biased
differential characteristic.
Reference:

SEL-387A Instruction Manual. Available at https://selinc.com