Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 1 of 24

This course reviews the principles of electric systems during faulted conditions and how
short circuit currents are calculated in both three-phase and single-phase systems. After
taking this course you will:

 Understand the NEC® requirements for equipment protection

 Understand what short circuit currents are and the impact on circuits
 Know how to calculate short circuit currents using the per-unit method
 Know how to calculate short circuit currents in both three-phase and single-
phase applications.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz to test your understanding of the

material.

Introduction

Electric distribution systems are designed to provide adequate capacity to serve their
intended loads while providing an acceptable level of reliability. Under normal conditions,
the system will supply electric currents just sufficient to operate the connected
equipment. Occasionally faults occur in the electric system, which cause excessive
currents to flow either between phases in the system or between a phase and ground.
These “short circuits” have the potential to create havoc in the electric system.

Short circuits may cause several damaging events to occur in the system such as arcing
and fires in conductors and equipment, excessive current flows, unusual thermal and
mechanical stresses, and voltage decay. It is important to quickly and safely remove a
faulted condition from an electric system. To protect the electric system from short
circuits, we must know the level of fault current that will flow at each point in the system
and specify equipment that can withstand the expected level of fault current.

The purpose of this course is to explain a method to calculate short circuit currents in an
electric distribution system. Calculating short circuit currents involves separating currents
and voltages into their respective symmetrical components. Symmetrical components is
a complex and tedious process that is used to analyze unusual system conditions. It is
the most accurate method to analyze a faulted system. In this course we will use a
simplified method to calculate short circuit currents. This simplified method is acceptable
for most low-voltage electric distribution systems and is recognized as an appropriate
method by most building code officials.

We will look at the principles of electric systems during faulted conditions and how to
calculate short circuit currents in both three-phase and single-phase systems. Other
courses in this series will focus on how to properly size equipment to handle fault
currents and how to coordinate the operation of the equipment to minimize the extent of
damage to a system due to faults.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 2 of 24

I. Basics

Short circuit studies are required to determine whether the equipment is rated
adequately for the level of available fault current and to adequately design equipment
protection. In this section we will look at the fundamental principles of short circuit
currents including describing short circuit currents, the sources of short circuit currents,
and waveform issues. But first, we will look at what the National Electric Code® has to
say about short-circuit currents.

A. Code Issues
Several sections of the NEC® address the issue of fault currents and component ratings.
The Code says that the fault currents in a system must be known, the equipment must
be rated for the expected levels of fault currents, and, in most cases, the equipment
must be properly coordinated.

While the Code does not explicitly state that a short circuit study be performed, Article
110.10 says that “[components] shall be selected and coordinated to permit the circuit-
protective devices used to clear a fault to do so without extensive damage to the
electrical equipment.” Based on this section of the Code, it appears that the only
practical way to comply with the Code is to perform a short circuit study.

Article 110.9 says that equipment that is used to interrupt fault currents must be rated for
the expected level of fault current.

Article 240 of the NEC® addresses overcurrent protection of an electric system in great
detail. One specific item, Article 240.12 requires that the electric system be properly
coordinated when an orderly shutdown is required to protect equipment and for the
safety of personnel.

These are just a few of the relevant code sections that concern short-circuit studies and
equipment protection and coordination.

Relevant sections of the code have been reprinted with permission from the NFPA 70-
2002, the National Electrical Code®, Copyright© 2004, National Fire Protection
Association, Quincy, MA 02269. This reprinted material is not the referenced subject,
which is represented only by the standard in its entirety.

National Electrical Code® and NEC® are registered trademarks of the National Fire
Protection Association, Inc., Quincy, MA 02269.

B. Short Circuit Currents

As we know, an electrical circuit is comprised of all of the components from the
generator to the load, including the generator itself, conductors, transformers, switches,
fuses, motors, circuit breakers, and the ultimate loads. Ohm’s Law defines the
relationship between the electrical parameters of voltage, current, and resistance (or
impedance).
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 3 of 24

Under normal conditions, the current flowing in an electrical circuit is based on the
system voltage divided by the impedance of all of the electrical components, including
the loads. However, when a fault occurs, the equipment may be “shorted” out of the
circuit leaving only the impedance of the circuit components such as the generator,
transformer, conductors, etc. Since the circuit impedance is much less without the load,
an extremely high current may be allowed to flow.

For instance, a 120-volt, single-phase, 20-amp circuit may have 10 ohms of resistance
with a load applied, which will result in 12 amps flowing in the circuit (120v / 10 = 12
amps.) If the load is shorted though, the only resistance in the circuit is just the
conductor, which may have a resistance of about 0.1-ohms. Now the current flowing in
the circuit is 120-volts divided by 0.1-ohms or 1,200-amps (120v / 0.1 = 1,200 amps.)
Obviously this short circuit current is going to exceed the continuous (20-amp) rating of
the circuit.

Short circuit currents produce heat, which can damage conductor insulation, transformer
insulation, and mechanical connections. If the current is severe enough, it can literally
melt the conductors. In industrial applications, the magnitude of the fault currents will
create damaging magnetic forces that can bend and twist electrical buses and
switchgear.

When studying fault conditions, there are four types of faults that are generally
considered. They are: Three-phase faults, Phase-to-Phase faults, Single-Line-to-Ground
faults, and Double-Line-to-Ground faults. Three-phase faults usually produce the
greatest fault currents, so only this scenario will be studied in this course.
In an electrical service installation there are four potential sources of fault currents that
may need to be addressed.

One source is the electric utility serving the installation. The electric utility is
compromised of many generators operating in parallel across a vast interconnected
network of transmission lines. As you would expect, it would be difficult to start at the
utility generation source to calculate the short circuit current all the way to a service
distribution panel. Utilities simplify this dilemma by giving us the maximum short circuit
current available at the high side of their distribution service transformer or the point of
interconnection with the customer. Some utilities assume an “infinite bus” at the load
side of the distribution transformer and provide the customer with maximum contribution
available from the transformer assuming that the utility system can sustain whatever
level of fault current that the transformer can pass. This is a conservative approach that
is acceptable for most studies. If the utility does supply fault data it will likely be in the
form of available short circuit capacity in MVA.

On-site generators such as turbines, diesel engines, and stand-by generators are
another source of fault currents. A difficulty with generators is that the generator’s
reactance is not a simple value, but instead varies with time. To simplify the modeling of
a generator under fault current conditions, engineers look at the reactance of the
generator at three specific points.

The first reactance value for a generator is when a short circuit first occurs. This
reactance is known as the sub-transient reactance and is abbreviated X''d. The sub-
transient reactance describes the generators reactance during the first few cycles after a
short occurs. After a few cycles – a common point is 6-cycles – the transient reactance
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 4 of 24

becomes the controlling value. The transient reactance is valid for up to about one-half
second to one-second. Finally, the generator will reach a steady state condition and the
reactance at this point is known as the synchronous reactance. The synchronous
reactance is not generally used in short circuit studies.

Another source of fault current is electric motors. Motors have some amount of stored
energy in the form of inertia of the spinning rotor and the associated load. This inertia
drives the motor as a generator for a few cycles after the initiation of a fault and
therefore contributes additional current to the fault. The reactance of a motor is
considered like the sub-transient reactance of a generator. Since only the rotor and load
inertia are providing the motor’s energy, a motor’s contribution to a fault subsidies
quickly.

A final source of fault current is electrical capacitors. Capacitors have stored energy in
the form of a discharge current that will feed into a fault. The discharge current tends to
be a rather high-frequency current with a short time constant, so the impact on a fault is
generally considered negligible for most applications.

C. Symmetrical vs. Asymmetrical Currents

In a synchronous state, the current and voltage waves created by electrical generators
are symmetrical about the zero axis. This means that the both the positive and negative
peaks of the waveforms are identical as shown in Figure 1 below.

At the initiation of a fault occurrence, when the reactance of a generator is in a sub-

transient or transient condition, or a large motor is in a sub-transient condition, the
waveform will not be symmetrical. Figure 2 below, shows the un-symmetric, or
asymmetrical, waveform created by a motor as it loses the stored energy in its inertia.
The asymmetrical waveform created by the motor inertia will quickly dissipate to the zero
axis.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 5 of 24

One way to visual the effects of asymmetrical currents is to consider the waveform as
being made up of two current waves, a symmetrical alternating current wave and an
exponentially decaying direct current. When these two waveforms are added together,
the result is a waveform that begins as highly asymmetrical and decays toward a
symmetrical waveform. Figure 3 shows a symmetrical wave (blue), the DC waveform,
called the DC Offset, (red), and the combined asymmetrical waveform shown in black.

In this figure, the combined waveform begins as a highly offset wave above the zero
axis, but as the DC Offset decays, the waveform returns to symmetry about the zero
axis.

The asymmetric current wave is important because equipment must be designed to

withstand not only a normal, symmetric, waveform, but also the additional energy
contained in the asymmetric waveform.

D. X/R Ratio
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 6 of 24

The rate of change of a waveform transitioning from an asymmetric waveform to a

symmetric waveform is controlled by the X/R Ratio. The X/R Ratio is simply the ratio of
the reactance contained within the circuit to the resistance of the circuit.

Remember that in an alternating current electric system, the impedance is comprised of

both resistance and reactance. Resistance is a measure of how hard it is for a current to
flow in the circuit. Reactance, which is based on inductance, is a measure of how hard it
is to change the current in a circuit. Sometimes the X/R Ratio is described as a power
factor. The power factor of an X/R Ratio is given as,
PF = cos(arctan(X/R)) * 100
Where,
PF = Fault power factor, percent.
X = System reactance, ohms.
R = System resistance, ohms.
cos = Trigonometric function, cosine.
arctan = Trigonometric function, arc-tangent.

As an example, what is the power factor of a faulted circuit with a reactance of 6.36
ohms and a resistance of 2.0 ohms?
PF = cos(arctan(6.36 / 2)) * 100
PF = 30%

It is not really important to understand the power factor of a fault circuit – it is just a
method that is sometimes used to describe the X/R Ratio. What is important to
understand is that if a circuit has a large X/R Ratio, it will take more time for the circuit to
return to a symmetrical condition than a circuit with a smaller X/R Ratio.

When calculating short circuit currents it is important to also calculate the asymmetric
short circuit current because of the potentially damaging effects this waveform may have
on equipment in the circuit. Most electrical equipment does not specify an asymmetric
rating, but standards specify a power factor, or X/R Ratio, for the symmetrical rating of
the equipment. By knowing the symmetrical rating and the X/R Ratio at that rating, an
asymmetrical rating can be determined.

The following table has factors to apply to the symmetrical fault current to obtain the
asymmetrical fault current.

Table 1
Asymmetrical Factors

PF X/R Mp Mm Ma Pf X/R Mp Mm Ma

- - 1.732 1.394 30 3.180 1.978 1.130 1.060

1 100.00 2.785 1.696 1.374 31 3.067 1.960 1.121 1.062

2 49.993 2.743 1.665 1.335 32 2.961 1.943 1.113 1.057

3 33.322 2.702 1.630 1.336 33 2.861 1.926 1.105 1.053

4 24.979 2.663 1.598 1.318 34 2.766 1.910 1.098 1.049

Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 7 of 24

5 19.974 2.625 1.568 1.301 35 2.676 1.894 1.091 1.046

6 16.623 2.589 1.540 1.285 36 2.592 1.878 1.084 1.043

7 14.251 2.554 1.511 1.270 37 2.511 1.863 1.078 1.039

8 13.460 2.520 1.485 1.256 38 2.434 1.848 1.073 1.036

9 11.066 2.487 1.460 1.241 39 2.361 1.833 1.068 1.033

10 9.930 2.455 1.436 1.229 40 2.291 1.819 1.062 1.031

11 9.035 2.424 1.413 1.216 41 2.225 1.805 1.057 1.028

12 8.273 2.394 1.391 1.204 42 2.161 1.791 1.053 1.026

13 7.627 2.364 1.372 1.193 43 2.100 1.778 1.049 1.024

14 7.072 2.336 1.350 1.182 44 2.041 1.765 1.045 1.022

15 6.591 2.309 1.330 1.171 45 1.985 1.753 1.041 1.020

16 6.170 2.282 1.312 1.161 46 1.930 1.740 1.038 1.019

17 5.795 2.256 1.294 1.152 47 1.878 1.728 1.034 1.017

18 5.465 2.231 1.277 1.143 48 1.828 1.716 1.031 1.016

19 5.167 2.207 1.262 1.135 49 1.779 1.705 1.029 1.014

20 4.899 2.183 1.247 1.127 50 1.732 1.694 1.026 1.013

21 4.656 2.160 1.232 1.119 55 1.519 1.641 1.015 1.008

22 4.434 2.138 1.218 1.112 60 1.333 1.594 1.009 1.004

23 4.231 2.110 1.205 1.105 65 1.169 1.517 1.004 1.002

24 4.045 2.095 1.192 1.099 70 1.020 1.517 1.002 1.001

25 3.873 2.074 1.181 1.093 75 0.882 1.486 1.001 1.000

26 3.714 2.054 1.170 1.087 80 0.750 1.460 1.000 1.000

27 3.566 2.034 1.159 1.081 85 0.620 1.439 1.000 1.000

28 3.429 2.015 1.149 1.075 100 - 1.414 1.000 1.000

29 3.300 1.996 1.139 1.070

In this table, the column labeled “Mm” is the single-phase asymmetric factor at 1/2 cycle
after the initiation of the fault. The column labeled “Ma” is the average three-phase
current 1/2 cycle after the fault. The factor, “Mm” is considered the worst-case
asymmetric fault for most cases. The factor, “Ma”, is sometimes used when evaluating a
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 8 of 24

case such as a three-phase breaker where all three poles of the breaker operate
simultaneously.

Once the symmetrical fault current is known, the X/R Ratio should be calculated for the
faulted circuit and then the asymmetric factor can be found in Table 1 above. The
symmetrical fault current is multiplied by the asymmetric factor to determine the
asymmetrical fault current. The formula is,
ISC Asym = ISC sym * Mm
Where,
ISC Asym = Asymmetrical short circuit current, amps.
ISC sym = Symmetrical short circuit current, amps.
Mm = Asymmetrical Factor, Table 1.

If a circuit is found to have a symmetrical short circuit current of 35,000 amps, what is
the asymmetrical fault current if the X/R Ratio is 4.899?
From Table 1, for an X/R Ratio of 4.899, the asymmetrical factor, Mm, is 1.247,
Therefore,
ISC sym = 35,000 * 1.247
ISC sym = 43,645 amps.

When using Table 1, it may be necessary to interpolate between the given values. For
instance, what is the single-phase asymmetric factor for an X/R Ratio of 10.5?
When you look for the X/R Ratio of 10.5 in Table 1, you find that the closest value in the
table is either 9.93 or 11.066 and the corresponding Mm values are 1.436 and 1.460
respectively. To find the “Mm” value for an X/R Ratio of 10.5 we interpolate as follows,
Mm = [(1.46-1.436) / (11.066-9.93)] * (10.5-9.93) + 1.436
Mm = 1.448

Therefore, for an X/R Ratio of 10.5 the corresponding “Mm” value is 1.448.

E. Equipment Data
This section includes resistance and reactance data for the course. Table 2 and Table 3
are excerpts from Chapter 9 of the NEC® and contain resistance and reactance data for
a few typical conductors. Table 2 is for copper conductors and Table 3 is for aluminum
conductors. The reactance values vary based on whether the conductor is in a metallic
(steel) conduit or a non-metallic (PVC) conduit. For the purposes of short circuit studies,
the type of conduit does not affect conductor resistance.
For copper conductors,
Table 2
Copper Conductors
75C - THHN - Ohms/1000'
Metal Duct Non-Metallic
Size
R X R X
10 1.2 0.063 1.2 0.05
2 0.2 0.057 0.19 0.045
1/0 0.12 0.055 0.12 0.044
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 9 of 24

4/0 0.063 0.051 0.062 0.041

350 0.039 0.05 0.038 0.04
500 0.029 0.048 0.027 0.039
1000 0.018 0.046 0.015 0.037
(Excerpted from NEC, Chapter 9)

For aluminum conductors,

Table 3
Aluminum Conductors
25C - THHN - Ohms/1000'
Metal Duct Non-Metallic
Size
R X R X
10 2 0.063 2 0.05
2 0.32 0.057 0.32 0.045
1/0 0.2 0.055 0.2 0.044
4/0 0.1 0.051 0.1 0.041
350 0.063 0.05 0.061 0.04
500 0.45 0.048 0.043 0.039
1000 0.025 0.046 0.023 0.037
(Excerpted from NEC, Chapter 9)

Table 4 shows the reactance values for several different types of disconnecting devices.
These values are representative of the values typically found for this type of equipment,
but they do not represent any particular manufacturer’s product. Notice that only a
reactance value is given, since the resistance value is generally negligible.
Table 4
Disconnecting Devices
Reactance Data
Device Reactance
Fused Disconnect 0.00005 Ohms
Low-Voltage Circuit Breaker
0.0002 Ohms
- 800 amps or less
Low-Voltage Circuit Breaker
0.00008 Ohms
- Greater than 800 amps
Molded Case Circuit Breaker 0.0002 Ohms
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 10 of 24

Tables 5 and 6 show representative values for several different sizes of single-phase
and three-phase transformers. These values do not represent any particular
manufacturer’s equipment. Notice that these values are in percent. The formulas for
transformers in the next section of the course are based on percentage resistance and
reactance values.

Table 5
Single - Phase Transformer
Impedances
(Represented Values)

Size %Z %R %X

15 1.2 0.8072 0.8879

25 1.2 0.8072 0.8879

37.5 1.8 1.0462 1.4647

50 1.8 0.8742 1.5735

75 2.1 1.0199 1.8357

100 2.1 0.9391 1.8783

This table is for three-phase transformers.

Table 6
Three - Phase Transformer
Impedances
(Represented Values)

Size %Z %R %X

45 1.2 0.6656 0.9985

75 1.8 0.9985 1.4977

112 2.1 1.1649 1.7473

225 3 1.6641 2.4962

300 3.5 1.9415 2.9122

500 5.75 1.0286 5.6573

1000 5.75 1.0286 5.6573

1500 5.75 0.9228 5.6755

2500 5.75 0.8525 5.6864

Note: Based on X/R ratios of 1.5 for transformers up to 300

Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 11 of 24

kVA

The data in these tables will be used in the next section to calculate short circuit
calculations.

II. Three-Phase Short Circuit Calculations

There are three simplified methods used to calculate three-phase short circuits. They are
the ohm method, point-to-point, and per-unit. The ohm method and point-to-point are the
quickest to use with simple, one voltage transformation circuits, but it becomes more
complex as the circuit complexity increases. The per unit method takes a little more
effort to set-up, but it makes the calculations easy, regardless of the complexity of the
circuit. Of course, using a computer program to calculate the fault currents makes this
decision moot! Due to its flexibility, only the per-unit method will be reviewed.

The per-unit method allows us to present numbers in a non-dimensional manner, which

makes comparison easier. The foundation of a per-unit system is the selection of a base,
or unit value, for each quantity under study. Once a base value is selected all quantities
are referenced to the base. Base values can be used for any quantity under study, but
for short circuit studies a kVA and voltage base are normally selected.

We will review three-phase short circuit calculations by looking at three scenarios. The
first scenario is a simple circuit with one transformation. The second scenario includes a
motor in the circuit and the third scenario has two transformations.

Scenario 1 – Single Transformation

The first step in a short circuit analysis is to develop a one-line diagram of the circuit
under test. Figure 4 is a one-line diagram of a simple three-phase circuit with a
12.47/480v, 1,500kVA transformer, 75 feet of six parallel runs of 350MCM copper
service entrance cable, and a 2,000-amp fused disconnect. We will assume that there is
a fault at node 4, which is downstream of the fused disconnect.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 12 of 24

The first step is to select base value for the per-unit calculation. For this example, let’s
select 10,000 kVA as the base kVA. Now we will determine the reactance and resistance
of each component in the circuit, beginning with node 1.

Node 1. Utility Contribution

The utility contribution is based on the short circuit capability of the electric system. The
utility contribution is frequently given in MVA. To convert MVA to kVA, multiply by 1,000.
The system reactance, based on the utility contribution, is,
Xpu Utility = Base kVA / SC kVA Utility
Where,
Xpu Utility = Reactance contribution of the utility source, per unit.
Base kVA = Base value for per unit calculations, kVA.
SC kVA Utility = Short circuit capability of the utility source, kVA.

From Figure 4, we see that the utility contribution is 500 MVA, or 500,000 kVA.
Therefore, the utility reactance is,
Xpu Utility = 10,000 / 500,000
Xpu Utility = 0.02 ohms.

The resistance value contributed by the utility is usually negligible, so only the utility
reactance is considered.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 13 of 24

Node 2. Transformer
Node 2 is the 12.47/480v, 1,500-kVA transformer. The impedance of this transformer is
5.75%. To calculate the reactance of the transformer, we need to know the percent
reactance of the transformer. The per-unit transformer reactance is,
Xpu Tx = (%X * Base kVA) / (100 * kVA Tx)
Where,
Xpu Tx = Reactance contribution of a transformer, per unit.
%X = Percent reactance of a transformer, % of transformer kVA.
Base kVA = Base value for per unit calculations, kVA.
kVA Tx = kVA rating of the transformer, kVA.
Similarly, the per-unit transformer resistance is,
Rpu Tx = (%R * Base kVA) / (100 * kVA Tx)
Where,
Rpu Tx = Resistance of a transformer, per unit.
%R = Percent resistance of a transformer, % of transformer kVA.
Base kVA = Base value for per unit calculations, kVA.
kVA Tx = kVA rating of the transformer, kVA.
Table 6 has representative values for a 1500 kVA transformer with a 5.75% impedance.
From this table, the percent reactance is 5.6755% and the percent resistance is
0.9228%.
Xpu Tx = (5.6755 * 10,000) / (100 * 1,500)
Xpu Tx = 0.37837
Rpu Tx = (0.9228 * 10,000) / (100 * 1,500)
Rpu Tx = 0.06152

Notice that this calculation is independent of the transformer voltage since the resistance
and reactance values are based on the capacity of the transformer.

Node 3. Service Entrance Conductor

Calculating the per-unit resistance and reactance of a conductor requires a couple of
steps. The first step is to determine the reactance of the conductor based on the length
of cable, wire reactance, and number of conductors per phase. Multiple, parallel, runs of
conductors has the effect of lowering the conductor impedance.
X = X Cond * Distance / (n * 1,000)
Where,
X = Reactance of the conductor, Ohms/phase.
X Cond = Reactance of the conductor, per wire, ohms/1,000 ft.
Distance = Length of the conductor, feet.
n = Number of conductors, per phase.
Likewise for the conductor resistance,
R = R Cond * Distance / (n * 1,000)
Where,
R = Resistance of the conductor, Ohms/phase.
R Cond = Resistance of the conductor, per wire, ohms/1,000 ft.
Distance = Length of the conductor, feet.
n = Number of conductors, per phase.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 14 of 24

Once these values are found, the conductor per-unit reactances and resistances
respectively are found by,
Xpu Cond = (X * Base kVA) / (1,000 * kV2)
Where,
Xpu Cond = Reactance of a conductor, per unit.
X = Reactance of a conductor, ohms/phase.
Base kVA = Base value for per unit calculations, kVA.
kV = System voltage, phase-to-phase, kilo-volts.
Rpu Cond = (R * Base kVA) / (1,000 * kV2)
Where,
Rpu Cond = Resistance of a conductor, per unit.
R = Resistance of a conductor, ohms/phase.
Base kVA = Base value for per unit calculations, kVA.
kV = System voltage, phase-to-phase, kilo-volts.

Since the conductor values are in ohms, the system voltage is needed to convert the
ohm values to per-unit values.

With our example in Figure 4, the service entrance cable is 75 feet of six runs of
350MCM copper conductor in metallic conduit. From Table 2, the resistance and
reactance is 0.039 and 0.050 ohms/1,000’.
X = 0.050 * 75 / (6 * 1,000)
X = 0.000625 ohms.
R = 0.039 * 75 / (6 * 1,000)
R = 0.0004875 ohms.
Xpu Cond = (0.0006250 * 10,000) / (1,000 * 0.482)
Xpu Cond = 0.02713.
Rpu Cond = (0.0004875 * 10,000) / (1,000 * 0.482)
Rpu Cond = 0.02116.

Node 4. Fused Disconnect

The per-unit value for a fused disconnect is found using the same formula as for
conductors. The resistance contribution of a fused disconnect is nominal and is usually
ignored in short circuit calculations. From Table 4, the reactance of a 2,000-amp fused
disconnect is 0.00005 ohms. The per-unit reactance is,
Xpu Disconnect = (0.00005 * 10,000) / (1,000 * 0.482)
Xpu Disconnect = 0.00217.

System Impedance
Once we have calculated the per-unit resistance and reactance values from the utility
source to the point of the fault, the values should be tabulated as shown below.

Scenario 1 Summary
Individual Cumulative
Node Item
Rpu Xpu Rpu Xpu
1 Utility - 0.02000 - 0.02000
2 Transformer 0.06152 0.37837 0.06152 0.39837
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 15 of 24

3 Conductor 0.02116 0.02713 0.08268 0.4255

Fused
4 - 0.00217 0.08268 0.42767
Disconnect

This table includes the cumulative values from the source to the fault. The system
impedance to the fault is found from the cumulative resistance and reactance as follows,
Zpu System = [(Rpu Total)2 + (Xpu Total)2 ]0.5
Where,
Zpu System = Total system impedance, per unit.
Rpu Total = Total system resistance, per unit.
Xpu Total = Total system reactance, per unit.
Zpu System = [(0.08268)2 + (0.42767)2 ]0.5
Zpu System = 0.4356.

Short Circuit Currents

Now that we know the total system per-unit impedance, the symmetrical short circuit
current is found from,
I SC = Base kVA / (1.732 * kV * Zpu System)
Where,
I SC = Short circuit current, amps.
Base kVA = Base value for per unit calculations, kVA.
kV = System voltage, phase-to-phase, kilo-volts.
Zpu System = Total system impedance, per unit.

Continuing our example where the system voltage at the fault at Node 4 is 480-volts, the
short circuit current is,
I SC = 10,000 / (1.732 * 0.48 * 0.4356)
I SC= 27,614 amps.

The asymmetric current is based on the X/R Ratio. The X/R Ratio is,
X/R Ratio = 5.1726

With the X/R Ratio the asymmetrical factor, Mm, is found in Table 1. For an X/R Ratio of
5.1726 the factor is 1.262. Remember that the asymmetrical short circuit current is the
product of the symmetrical short circuit current and the asymmetrical factor.
I SC Asym = ISC sym* Mm
I SC Asym = 27,614 * 1.262
I SC Asym = 34,849 amps.

So for a fault at Node 4, the symmetrical and asymmetrical short circuit currents are
27,614 and 34,849 amps respectively.

This scenario assumed that the fault was at node 4 in the circuit. But, what if we wanted
to know the symmetrical fault current at node 2?

The summary table makes it easy analyze the circuit and to make changes to the
components in the circuit. To determine the fault current at node 2, which is on the load
side of the transformer, we just have to look at the cumulative data in the table. From the
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 16 of 24

summary table, the cumulative resistance and reactance at node 2 is 0.06152 and
0.39837 respectively.
Zpu System = [(0.06152)2 + (0.39837)2 ]0.5
Zpu System = 0.4031
I SC = 10,000 / (1.732 * 0.48 * 0.4031)
I SC node 2 = 29,840 amps.

Scenario 2
This scenario includes a 1,200 amp motor load connected to Node 4 as shown is Figure
5. If several motors are in the circuit, the sum of the motor load, in amps, should be
considered. When there are many small motors in the circuit, it is common practice to
just assume that the sum of the motor load is one-half of the transformer capacity
instead of summing the individual motor loads. In this scenario, we will assume that the
fault is at Node 4, just like the previous scenario. In fact, this scenario is identical to
scenario 1, except for the addition of the motor.

Since this scenario has the same basic circuit as scenario 1, the summary chart for
scenario 1 is valid for this scenario.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 17 of 24

Scenario 2 Summary
Individual Cumulative
Node Item
Rpu Xpu Rpu Xpu
1 Utility - 0.0200 - 0.02000
2 Transformer 0.06152 0.37837 0.06152 0.39837
3 Conductor 0.02116 0.02713 0.08268 0.4255
Fused
4 - 0.00217 0.08268 0.42767
Disconnect

The symmetrical fault current that is attributed to the motor is found by multiplying the full
load motor current by a multiplying factor. The multiplying factor is dependent on the
type of motor design, but a commonly used multiplier is four (4). In equation form, the
motor contribution is,
I SC Motor = 4 * I FLC
Where,
I SC Motor = Symmetrical Short Circuit, amps.
I FLC = Motor full load current, amps.

With a motor full load current of 1,200 amps, the motor’s symmetrical contribution to the
short circuit current is,
I SC Motor = 4 * 1,200
I SC Motor = 4,800 amps.

The motor’s asymmetrical contribution is based on the locked rotor current of the motor.
A good approximation is a multiplier of five (5), which results in a formula of,
I SC Asym Motor = 5 * I FLC
Where,
I SC Asym Motor = Asymmetrical Short Circuit, amps.
I FLC = Motor full load current, amps.

In this example, with a motor full load current is 1,200 amps, the motor’s asymmetrical
contribution is,
I SC Asym Motor = 5 * 1,200
I SC Asym Motor = 6,000 amps.

When the motor contribution is found, its contribution is simply added to the circuit’s
short current values. From scenario 1, the symmetrical short circuit current is 27,614
amps and the asymmetrical short circuit current is 34,849 amps. When the motor
contribution is included the values become,
I SC = 27,614 + 4,800
I SC = 32,414 amps.
I SC Asym = 34,849 + 6,000
I SC Asym = 40,849 amps.

This approach to considering motor contribution is greatly simplified and is conservative

since any conductor and device reactances between the motor and the fault are not
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 18 of 24

considered. A more exact approach is the use the sub-transient reactance of the motors
and to sum the component impedances to the fault location.

Scenario 3
This scenario includes a 300 kVA step-down transformer at the load side of the fused
disconnect in scenario 1. In this scenario we will assume that the fault occurs on the load
side of the second transformer. See Figure 6.

The contribution from the 300-kVA transformer is calculated like the 1,500 kVA
transformer.

Table 6 has representative values for a 300-kVA transformer with a 3.56% impedance.
From this table, the percent reactance is 2.9122% and the percent resistance is
1.9415%.
Xpu Tx = (2.9122 * 10,000) / (100 * 300)
Xpu Tx= 0.97073
Rpu Tx = (1.9415 * 10,000) / (100 * 300)
Rpu Tx = 0.64717

Adding these values to the summary table from scenario one results in the following
results.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 19 of 24

Scenario 3 Summary
Individual Cumulative
Node Item
Rpu Xpu Rpu Xpu
1 Utility - 0.0200 - 0.02000
2 Transformer 0.06152 0.37837 0.06152 0.39837
3 Conductor 0.02116 0.02713 0.08268 0.4255
Fused
4 - 0.00217 0.08268 0.42767
Disconnect
5 Transformer 0.64717 0.97073 0.072985 1.3984

Following the same procedure as from scenario one, the fault current is found by finding
the impedance and then calculating the short circuit current.
Zpu System = [(0.72985)2 + (0.1.39840)2 ]0.5
Zpu System = 1.5774

Since the fault is on the load side of the 480v/240v, 300 kVA transformer, the fault
current is based on 240-volts.
I SC = 10,000 / (1.732 * 0.24 * 1.5774)
I SC = 15,251 amps.
The X/R Ratio is,
X/R Ratio = 1.916

Interpolating from Table 1, the asymmetrical factor is 1.037.

I SC Asym = 15,251 * 1.037
I SC Asym = 15,815 amps.

The transformer has a significant impact on reducing the magnitude of the short circuit
current.

III. Single-Phase Short Circuit Calculations

Three-phase short circuit calculations are performed by analyzing one phase of the
three-phase system without regard for the system neutral since any neutral currents
should cancel out in a balanced three-phase system. Single-phase calculations are
different though because a single-phase circuit must include the entire circuit path
including the neutral return path.

There are two cases to consider when performing single-phase short circuit calculations.
One case is a fault between both hot legs, which is also known as a line-to-line fault. The
other case is a fault between one of the hot legs and the neutral conductor, which is
known as a line-to-ground fault.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 20 of 24

The previously mentioned formulas for calculating three-phase short circuit calculations
are applicable to single-phase cases with only slight modification. For a line-to-line fault,
the per unit calculation for the utility source, conductors, and components should be
multiplied by two to account for the return path. If the hot leg and neutral conductors are
different sizes, then the per unit calculations must be performed separately (and they are
not multiplied by two.) The transformer value is not multiplied by two, since the entire
transformer winding is accounted for in the transformer calculation. For a line-to-neutral
condition the utility source and the conductors are also multiplied by two. However, only
a portion of the transformer winding is affected by a line-to-neutral fault so the
transformer values must be adjusted. The common method to adjust the transformer
values is to multiply the resistance value by 1.5 and the reactance value by 1.2.
Components are not multiplied by two, since only one-half of a component should be
affected by a line-to-neutral fault. Table 7 shows the multipliers for both line-to-line and
line-to-neutral conditions.

Table 7
Single-Phase Multipliers

Item Line-to-Line Line-to-Neutral

Utility Source 2 2

Transformers 1 1.5 * R, 1.2 * X

Conductors 2 2

Components 2 1

Note: Assumes Phase and Neutral Conductor are the

same size

An example of a line-to-line fault and a line-to-neutral fault will be reviewed to explain

single-phase short circuit currents.

Line-to-Line Single-Phase Scenario

For this example, consider the following one-line diagram.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 21 of 24

This circuit has a 50-kVA transformer with one hundred feet of 350 MCM THHN Copper
and a 200A fused disconnect. Consider a fault at node 4.

First, the utility source is converted to per unit, and likewise for the transformer,
conductor, and the fused disconnect. These calculations are the same as for three-
phase applications. Assume the kVA base for the problem is 10,000.

From the figure, the utility contribution is 500 MVA.

Xpu Utility = Base kVA / SC kVA Utility
Xpu Utility = 10,000 / 500,000
Xpu Utility = 0.02 ohms.

Table 5 has the resistance and reactance values for single-phase transformers. For a
50- kVA transformer, the percent R and percent X are 0.8742% and 1.5735%
respectively. The equations are,
Xpu Tx = (%X * Base kVA) / (100 * kVA Tx)
Rpu Tx = (%R * Base kVA) / (100 * kVA Tx)
And the calculations,
Xpu Tx = (1.5735 * 10,000) / (100 * 50)
Xpu Tx = 3.147.
Rpu Tx = (0.8742 * 10,000) / (100 * 50)
Rpu Tx = 1.7484.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 22 of 24

The resistance and reactance for 350 MCM conductor are 0.039 and 0.050 ohms/1,000’
respectively, and there is only one conductor in a metallic conduit. The voltage is 240-
volts. The equations are,

X = X Cond * Distance / (n * 1,000)

R = R Cond * Distance / (n * 1,000)
Xpu Cond = (X * Base kVA) / (1,000 * kV2)
Rpu Cond = (R * Base kVA) / (1,000 * kV2)

And the calculations are,

X = 0.050 * 100 / (1 * 1,000)
X = 0.005 ohms.
Xpu Cond = (0.005 * 10,000) / (1,000 * 0.242)
Xpu Cond= 0.86806.
R = 0.039 * 100 / (1 * 1,000)
R = 0.0039 ohms.
Rpu Cond = (0.0039 * 10,000) / (1,000 * 0.242)
Rpu Cond = 0.67708.

For the fused disconnect, the reactance is found in Table 4. Using a voltage of 240-volts,
the disconnect per unit reactance is,
Xpu Disconnect = (0.00005 * 10,000) / (1,000 * 0.242)
Xpu Disconnect = 0.00868.

The following table is a summary of the calculations with the appropriate multipliers.

Using the cumulative per unit resistance and reactance values, the impedance is found
from the following formula,
Zpu System = [(Rpu Total)2 + (Xpu Total)2 ]0.5
Zpu System = [(3.102)2 + (4.940)2 ]0.5
Zpu System = 5.833

The equation for the short circuit current is slightly different from the three-phase
calculation since the three-phase factor, 1.732, is not needed,
I SC = Base kVA / (kV * Zpu System)
I SC = 10,000 / (0.24 * 5.833)
I SC = 7,143 amps.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 23 of 24

The asymmetric short circuit current may also be found as previously described.

Line-to-Neutral Single-Phase Scenario

If, at the fused disconnect, the fault is a line-to-neutral fault instead of a line-to-line fault,
then the summary table will look like this,

Notice that the transformer resistance and reactance values are multiplied by 1.5 and
1.2 respectively due to the line-to-neutral fault and the fused disconnect multiplier is one.
Using the cumulative per unit resistance and reactance values, the impedance is found
from the following formula,
Zpu System = [(Rpu Total)2 + (Xpu Total)2 ]0.5
Zpu System = [(3.977)2 + (5.561)2 ]0.5
Zpu System = 6.837.

The equation for the line-to-neutral short circuit current uses only one-half the system
voltage (i.e. 120-volts) since the fault is between one hot leg and the neutral,
I SC = Base kVA / (kV * Zpu System)
I SC = 10,000 / (0.12 * 6.837)
I SC = 12,189 amps.
Overcurrent Protection I – Short Circuit Calculations Page 24 of 24

Conclusion

Since short circuits have such damaging impacts on an electric system the magnitude of
the expected faults currents and their impact on the components in the circuit must be
understood. The simplified analytical procedures presented in this course will allow the
user to quickly determine the expected level of fault currents in the system. These
procedures should be adequate for most applications of 600-volts or less. Above 600-
volts, traditional symmetrical component analysis may be required.

Knowing the level of expected short circuit currents in a circuit is only part of the solution.
Knowledge of the withstand capability of the equipment and how to minimize the extent
of a fault are also needed. Other courses in this series will focus on how to properly size
equipment to handle fault currents and how to coordinate the operation of the equipment
to minimize the extent of damage to a system due to faults.

Copyright © 2005 Lee Layton. All Rights Reserved.