Feature Electrical Fault Level Calculations Using the MVA Method Introduction With modern day personal computers, hand calculations {or eloctrical fault lovel aro becoming a thing of the past. Tho classical hand calculations, either the ohmic method or the per unit method, will need many formulas and conversions. ‘The ohmic method is cumbersome when there are several different voltage levels, The per unit method is not much botter because of the many conversions of data to the choosen base values. ‘The complexity is significantly increased when symmetrical component theory is used to solve single phase to earth faults, double phase to earth faults, and phase to phase faults. Most electrical engineers will blindly memorize these abstract formula and cumbersome conversions. When those engineers are needed to provide on the spot estimates of feult level which are quick and reasonably accurate, they will ‘ten fail to deliver. When software programmes are used, itis aot uncommon to havo errors in modelling and data entry, which will produce fault level several order of magnitude in error from the correct value. This article describes the MVA method, a hand calculation method which is easy to use, easy to remember, quick and accurate. ty source 22k, 25KA fault level <-30/800mm cable of km rows, athe Bisa oan i oe i ean ts ®| © © S) anv, 6.0.aKv i Bm. © © S.phase 5 faut © son Motor AMA, 1% 400vors Motor Fagure 1: Typieal single tine By Lee Wai Meng J. M. PANG & SEAH (PTE) LTD The MVA Method ‘The MVA method is a modification of the ohmic method. ‘The first stop is to convert the typical single lino diagram to the equivalent MVA single line diagram, and then to reduce the MVA single line diagram into a single MVA value at the point of fault. The components of a typical single line are the utility source, transformers, motors, cables and internal generators. Figure 1 is a typical single line diagram. 22KV Utility Source ‘The MVA value will be ¥3x 22 x 25 = 952MVA. ‘The utility source has a 25KA fault level. 10MVA ‘Transformer ‘The MVA value will be —*2 0.09 1 MVA ‘The transformer has 9% impedance 2MVA Transformer ‘The MVA value will be 2 aig = 33 MVA ‘The transformer has 6% impedance 6.6kV Motor ‘The MVA value will be —1_ = 8.3 MVA 012 ‘The motor has a sub-transient reactance of 12% and will contribute fault current to the fault, 400 Volts Motor ‘The MVA value will be <4. = 2.7 MVA ‘The motor has sub-transient reactance of 15% and will contribute fault current to the fault, Internal Generator ‘The MVA value will be —3_ = 20 MVA 0.18 ‘The generator is synchronized to the utility source and has a sub-transient reactance of 15%. 22kV Cable ve ‘The MVA value willbe —Z Where V is the phase to phase voltage in kV Zis the per phase impedance in ohm. 22x22 ‘The MVA value will be “9.2. = 2420 MVA. sneer tnsrew tare as)Feature MVA Single Line Figure 2 is the equivalent MVA single line of the typical single lino of Figuro 1. The next step is to reduce tho MVA single line to a single MVA value at the point of fault, The reduction uses basic mathematics, either add up the MVA values or “parallel up” the MVA values. Figure 3 illustrates the stops for tho reduction of the MVA, single line to a single MVA value at the point of fault. The fault level for a 3 phase fault at 400 volts is 28.7MVA or 41.aKA. Advantages of the MVA Method © There is no need to convert impedance from one voltage to another, a requirement in. the ohmic method © There is no need to select a common MVA base and then to convert the data to the common MVA base, a requirement in the per unit method. The formulas for convorsion are complex and not easy to remember © Both the ohmic method and per unit method usually end up with small decimals, It is more prone to make mistakes in the decimal with resulting emors several orders of ‘magnitude from the corroct value. ‘* The MVA method uses large whole numbers. This makes for easier manipulation and hence less prone to errors, 952 | unity source 2420 | Cable ia renee 29, |Geverter 05 ©| © ww SS [ieerar nape 29) © _—400volts mS 27 | weer Figure 2: Equivalent VA single tne © mace Single Phase to Earth Fault So far the calculations were for three phase fault. The MVA method can be used to calculate single phase to earth fault, and illustreted in Figure 4. The positive sequence MVA will be the value calculated in the previous example, and in ‘most applications the positive sequence MVA will be the same as the nogative sequence MVA. The zero sequence MVA will usually be different from the positive sequence MVA. For example in Figure 1, only the 2MVA transformer will contribute to the earth fault at 400 volts through the neutral connected solid to earth. ‘The zero sequence MVA of the 2MVA transformer is equal to the positive sequence MVA value of the transformer of ( G2) MVA or 33.8 MVA. Voltage Drop During Motor Starting ‘The MVA method can also bo usod to calculate the voltage drop during large motor starting. The voltage drop is equal to the motor starting MVA divided by the sum of the motor starting MVA and the short-circuit MVA. Figure 5 is an example. A constant 1 MVA load is assumed before the starting ofthe large motor. The MVA valuo of the transformor is SOMVA. The IMVA load at 400 volts will be seen as a ( 2222) MVA or 0.98 MVA load at 22kV. The voltage at 952 22KkV due to the load will be —— 952 dlue to the load will be 55952 — or 99.9%. During motor starting, the combined load at 400 volts will be (2 +4) MVA or 5 MVA. The 5MVA load at 400 volts will be seen as ( 2250.) MVA or 4.55MVA load at 22kV. The 5+ 50 952 voltage at 22KV due to the motor start a ge at Starting will be 952 — MVA or 99.5%. Hence the voltage drop to the motor starting will be (99.9 — 99.5)% or 0.4% at 22kV, Conclusion ‘The MVA method is easy to learn, easy to remember, quick and accurate. The author has been using the MVA method for the past 13 years for small and large projects, and has found it ‘most powerful for on the spat estimates. Reference [1] IEEE 141 ~ 1986, “IEEE Recommended Practices for Power Distribution for Industrial Plants” [2] IEEE399 ~ 1990, “IEEE Recommended Practices for Power System Analysis.”95 20 (123.3) 9 ©] 6 sow OOOO} caw 33] [a3 = [33 mm [26 a> (28,7 ©. ©, _400volts © ©, Aoovatts © ©, aoovots © ©] _co0votts 2 e Z 27) 27) 287=26+27 1 95=( 950 Figure 3: MVA reduction stops Positive sequence MWA. 287 l Negative sequence NVA BT Zer0 sequence 00s 123.3= 95 +20+83 soos Figute 4: MVA aiagram for single phase o earth fault Before motor starting Source of 952MVA fault level ‘MYA Figure 5: Voltage aipcaleulatione Duin tasting ‘Source of 952MVA faulttevel iWVA } motor. Starting MVAis times the shoes tne sonra ns @)