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How To Achieve Selective Coordination of Circuit Breakers - EEP

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154 views5 pages

How To Achieve Selective Coordination of Circuit Breakers - EEP

Uploaded by

Sandro Cueto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Energy and Power / Protection

How to achieve selective coordination of circuit breakers

Introduction to Selective Coordination


Selective coordination is often referred to simply as coordination. Coordination is defined in NEC® 240.2 as: “The
proper localization of a fault condition to restrict outages to the equipment affected, accomplished by the choice of
selective fault-protective devices.”

Selective Coordination with Circuit Breakers (photo credit: enerprom.si)

It is important to note that the type of overcurrent protective device selected often determines if a system is
selectively coordinated.

The figure below shows the difference between a system without selective coordination and a system with selective
coordination. The figure on the left shows a system without selective coordination. In this system, unnecessary power
loss to unaffected loads can occur, since the device nearest the fault cannot clear the fault before devices upstream
open.

The system on the right shows a selectively coordinated system.


With and without selective coordination

Here, the fault is cleared by the overcurrent device nearest the fault before any other upstream devices open, and
unnecessary power loss to unaffected loads is avoided.

Selective Coordination – NEC®

The NEC® discusses selective coordination in 240.12 and states:

Where an orderly shutdown is required to minimize the hazard(s) to


personnel and equipment, a system of coordination based on the following
two conditions shall be permitted:
1. Coordinated short-circuit protection
2. Overload indication based on monitoring system or devices.
The monitoring system may cause the condition to go to alarm, allowing
corrective action or an orderly shutdown, thereby minimizing personnel hazards
and equipment damage.

In addition, coordination is specifically required in health care facilities (per NEC® 517.17) and multiple elevator
circuits (per NEC® 620.62).

Good design practice considers continuity of service, cost of downtime, lost worker productivity, and safety
of building occupants.

Methods of Performing a Coordination Study

Two methods are most often used to perform a coordination study:

1. Overlays of time-current curves, which utilize a light table and manufacturers’ published data.
2. Computer programs that utilize a PC/Laptop and allow the designer to select time-current curves published by
manufacturers. (For example, Schneider Electric has an excellent piece of software ‘Direct Curves‘ designed to
carry out a discrimination study based on protection device tripping curves.)
Regardless of which method is used, a thorough understanding of time-current characteristic curves of overcurrent
protective devices is essential to provide a selectively coordinated system.

For fuse systems, verification of selective coordination is quick and easy, merely adhere to fuse ampere rating ratios
as indicated by the manufacturer.

It should be noted that the study of time-current curves indicates performance during overload and low-
level fault conditions. The performance of overcurrent devices that operate under medium to high level
fault conditions are not reflected on standard time-current curves. Other engineering methods must be
utilized.

Selective Coordination – Circuit Breakers

The curve below shows a 90 ampere circuit breaker and an upstream 400 ampere circuit breaker with an
instantaneous trip setting of 5 (5 times 400A = 2000A).

90 ampere circuit breaker and an upstream 400 ampere circuit breaker with an instantaneous trip
setting of 5 (5 times 400A = 2000A)

The minimum instantaneous unlatching current for the 400A circuit breaker could be as low as 2000A times .75 =
1500A (± 25% band). If a fault above 1500 amperes occurs on the load side of the 90 ampere breaker, both
breakers could open. The 90 ampere breaker generally unlatches before the 400 ampere breaker.

However, before the 90 ampere breaker can clear the fault current, the 400 ampere breaker could have unlatched
and started to open as well.

The example below illustrates this point.

Assume a 4000 ampere short-circuit exists on the load side of the 90 ampere circuit breaker. The sequence of
events would be as follows:

1. The 90 ampere breaker unlatches (Point A).


2. The 400 ampere breaker unlatches (Point B). Once a breaker unlatches, it will open. At the unlatching point, the
process is irreversible.
3. At Point C, the 90 ampere breaker will have completely interrupted the fault current.
4. At Point D, the 400 ampere breaker also will have completely opened.

Consequently, this is a non-selective system, causing a blackout to the other loads protected by the 400A
breaker.

This is typical for molded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) due to the instantaneous trip and wide band of operation on
medium to high fault conditions. In addition, this can affect other upstream molded case circuit breakers depending
upon the size and the instantaneous setting of the circuit breakers upstream and the magnitude of the fault current.

Circuit Breakers with Short-Time-Delay and Instantaneous Override

Some electronic trip molded case circuit breakers (MCCB) and most insulated case circuit breakers (ICCB) offer
short-time delay (STD). This allows the circuit breaker the ability to delay tripping for a period of time, typically 6 to
30 cycles.

LV circuit breaker protection settings

However, with electronic trip molded case circuit breakers and insulated case circuit breakers, a built-in instantaneous
override mechanism is present.

This is called the instantaneous override function, and will override the STD for medium to high level
faults. The instantaneous override setting for these devices is typically 8 to 12 times the rating of the
circuit breaker and will “kick in” for faults equal to or greater than the override setting.

Because of this instantaneous override, non-selective tripping can exist, similar to molded case circuit breakers
and insulated case circuit breakers without short-time delay.

Thus, while short-time delay in molded case and insulated case circuit breakers can improve coordination in the
overload and low level fault regions, it may not be able to assure coordination for medium and high level fault
conditions.

Low Voltage Power Circuit Breakers (LVPCB) with Short-Time Delay

Short-time-delay, with settings from 6 to 30 cycles, is also available on low voltage power circuit breakers. However,
with low voltage power circuit breakers an instantaneous override is not required. Thus, low voltage power circuit
breakers with short-time delay can hold into faults for up to 30 cycles.
This allows the downstream device to open the fault before the upstream low voltage power circuit
breaker opens.

However, if the fault is between the downstream device and the low voltage power circuit breaker, the electrical
equipment can be subjected to unnecessarily high mechanical and thermal stress.

Reference // Electrical Plan Review – Overcurrent Protection and Devices, Short-Circuit Calculations, Component
Protection, Selective Coordination, and Other Considerations – COOPER Bussmann (Download here)

About Author

Edvard Csanyi

Edvard - Electrical engineer, programmer and founder of EEP. Highly specialized for design of LV/MV switchgears
and LV high power busbar trunking (<6300A) in power substations, commercial buildings and industry fascilities.
Professional in AutoCAD programming. Present on Google+

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