Lecture 12: Circuit Breaker

Application

Circuit Breakers
ANSI Simplified Methods
Momentary Duty and Ratings
Interrupting Duty and Ratings

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 Theory
• Sudden three-phase short circuit on a
generator with external reactance Xe
ia(t) = 2 Iac(t) cos(t+) + 2 I" e-t/Ta
Iac(t) = (I"-I')e-t/T"d + (I'-I)e-t/T'd + I
I"=E/(X"d+Xe)
I'=E/(X'd+Xe)
I=E/(Xd+Xe)
T"d=T"do(X"d+Xe)/(Xd+Xe),
T'd=T'do(X'd+Xe)/(Xd+Xe)
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 E = prefault voltage (rms) usually 1.0 pu
Idc(t) = 2 I" e-t/Ta
Irms(t) = [Iac(t)2 + Idc (t) 2]1/2
This is rigorous:
Momentary duty is Irms at 0.5 cycle and
interrupting duty is Irms at contact parting
time of breaker
Usually use simplified methods, discussed
next

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 Circuit Breakers
• Basically, an AC circuit breaker is a
piece of switchgear that can
– withstand the momentary short-circuit
current
– interrupt the short-circuit current at the
current zero following contact parting
– withstand the transient recovery voltage
across its open contacts
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 Interrupting time
Contact parting time
Tripping Opening Arcing
delay time time
t

Initiation Trip Primary Arc on

of short circuit contacts primary
circuit energized part contacts
extinguished
Sequence of events in AC circuit breaking: after relays
detect fault and energize trip coil, breaker contacts open,
arc is established and then extinguished at a current zero

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 Simplified Methods (ANSI)
• Circuit breakers in the US are rated per
ANSI standards, by
– momentary (or first-cycle or closing and
latching) rating, and
– interrupting rating on either:
• total current rating (older breakers)
• symmetrical current rating (new breakers)
– We compute both first cycle and
interupting duties to compare with ratings
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 Simplified Method
• Simplified method method is based on
calculation of Thevenin reactance Xth
at the point of the fault, then I = E/Xth
• If resistance is significant, calculate
Zth = (Rth2 + Xth2)1/2, and I = E/Zth

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 First-cycle duties
• Breakers that are rated on a total
current basis
– momentary rating must exceed the
calculated first-cycle duty
• Breakers that are rated on a
symmetrical current basis
– closing and latching capability must
exceed the first-cycle duty
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 First-cycle duties
• Look up machine reactances from
tables in ANSI standards
– HV (and MV) circuit breakers (above
1000 V) use
• ANSI C37.5 (total interrupting rating)
• ANSI C37.010 (symmetrical interrupting
rating)
– LV circuit breakers and fuses use
• ANSI C37.13

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 First-cycle duties for HV and MV circuit breakers
Turbo-generators, hydro-
 1.00 Xd"
generators, and condensers
Hydro-generators (no
0.75 Xd'
damper windings)
Synchronous motors 1.00 Xd"
above 1000 hp at
1800 rpm or less
1.00 Xd"
above 250 hp at
3600 rpm
Induction motors 50 - 1000 hp at
1800 rpm or less
1.20 Xd"
50 - 250 hp at
3600 rpm
Below 50 hp neglect
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 First-cycle duties
• Compute I" using the appropriate reactances
in the short-circuit study
• The first-cycle duty is 1.60 I"
– approximates the duty on the breaker during the
first half cycle of short-circuit current.
– breaker must be able to close and latch, while
withstanding the mechanical forces produced
by this large current
– compare to breaker momentary rating
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 LV CB and Fuses
• For LV circuit breakers and fuses, see
ANSI C37.13 for reactances adn
multipliers to estimate the momentary
current
• This is also summarized in section
2.7.4 of the notes

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 System X/R Ratio
• If a fault is near a large generator, the
system X/R ratio can be large
– Simplified method needs some
modification for X/R >15, then either:
• derate breaker interrupting rating by 80%, or
• use the method given in ANSI C37.010
– We need to discuss the X/R ratio
calculation
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 System X/R
• Every generator has its own X/R, but a
safe approximation is as follows:
– Find the Thevenin reactance seen from
the fault, neglecting all resistances, call
that Xth
– Find the Thevenin resistance seen from
the fault, neglecting all reactances, call
that Rth
– Then X/R ratio = Xth/Rth
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 Interrupting Rating
• Total current basis (older breakers)
– Interrupting rating based on total
(asymmetrical) current including ac and
dc components. See notes section 2.7
• Symmetrical current basis (new
breakers)
– Interrupting rating based on symmetrical
current (ac component only)

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 Symmetrical interrupting duties for HV and MV circuit breakers
Turbo-generators, hydro-
 1.00 Xd"
generators, and condensers
Hydro-generators (no
0.75 Xd'
damper windings)
Synchronous motors 1.50 Xd"
above 1000 hp at
1800 rpm or less
1.50 Xd"
above 250 hp at
3600 rpm
Induction motors 50 - 1000 hp at
1800 rpm or less
3.00 Xd"
50 - 250 hp at
3600 rpm
Below 50 hp neglect
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 Symmetrical interrupting rating
• Calculate I = E/X for 3-phase and for
1-phase-ground short circuits
• Circuit breaker is adequate for any X/R
if
3-phase sc I  80% of the interrupting
rating,
and
1-phase-ground sc I  70% of the
interrupting rating
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 Symmetrical interrupting rating
• Calculate X/R, if it exceeds 15 then
– Look up multiplying factor from ANSI
C37.010 (also Fig. 2.7.3 in notes)
– Multiply the factor by I" to estimate the
breaker interrupting duty
– If the interrupting duty  interrupting
rating, then the breaker is adequate
• If X/R  15, then multiplying factor is
1.00
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 Breaker Ratings
• ANSI C37.06 has ratings for HV
breakers with symmetrical interrupting
ratings:
– rated max voltage
– rated voltage range factor K
– rated short-circuit current
– plus other ratings

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 K factor
• If K = 1, then interrupting rating =
rated short-circuit current
• If K > 1, then interrupting rating is
inversely proportional to the operating
voltage, up to a limit of K times the
rated short-circuit current
– Breaker has an operating region with a
MVA rating
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 Example
• Vmax = 15 kV, Iscrated = 19.0 kA,
K=2.27, apply at 13 kV:
Interrupting rating = 19 kA15 kV/13 kV =
21.9 kA
Check maximum int rating = KIscrated =
2.2719.0 kA = 43.1 kA
Interrupting rating = 21.9 kA

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 45

40

Iint rated( V ) 35

kA
30
Isc rated K

kA
25

20

15
0 5 10 15
Vmax
V K

kV kV

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 • As V decreases from its maximum,
the interrupting rating increases up to
a maximum of Krated sc current at
Vmax/K
• Note that the close and latch
capability is 1.6  K  rated short-
circuit current
• See several examples in section 2.7
of the notes
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