Short Circuit Current Duties of Circuit

Breakers and Fuses Part 1

Jul 1, 2012Frank Mercede | Electrical Construction and Maintenance

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Short Circuit Current Duties of Circuit Breakers and Fuses Part 1

Medium-Voltage Circuit Breakers

Medium-Voltage Power Fuses

Understanding the methodologies behind the math

This is the first of a two-part series on the processes used to find

the short circuit current duties of circuit breakers and fuses. In
Part 1, well use a simplified power system to illustrate the
methodologies for medium-voltage circuit breakers and fuses. In
Part 2, well do the same for low-voltage circuit breakers and
fuses.
Its important to note that this discussion is intended only to
illustrate (by way of example) the ANSI methodologies to find the
short circuit current duties to select the short circuit withstand
and interrupting capabilities of ANSI-rated circuit breakers and
fuses. Other ratings and application considerations beyond the
scope of these two articles must be considered for the proper
selection of circuit breakers and fuses. The reader is directed to
the latest editions of the applicable ANSI/IEEE C37 standards,
cited in the references of Chapter 10 of the IEEE Violet Book
(IEEE Std 551-2006), for complete coverage.

Background
A short circuit fault is an unintentional phase-to-phase or phaseto-ground connection in an electrical system that is caused by
insulation breakdown, equipment malfunction, or human error.
Oftentimes, the short circuit fault causes an extremely high level
of current to flow; and (1) electrical equipment must be capable of
withstanding the extreme mechanical and thermal stresses
associated with the short circuit current, and (2) interrupting
devices must be capable of quickly and safely interrupting the
short circuit current. Inadequate short circuit withstand or
interrupting capability can lead to catastrophic failure of
equipment, posing a threat to facility operations (i.e., electrical
outage, infrastructure damage, or fire) and personnel (i.e., electric
shock, burns, physical trauma, or death).

Fig. 1. Components of asymmetrical short circuit current waveform.

Figure 1 (above) illustrates a typical short circuit current

waveform for one phase of a 3-phase synchronous generator,
previously unloaded, which has been subjected to a bolted 3phase short circuit across its accessible terminals. The
asymmetrical short circuit current waveform can be broken down
into two components: 1) a unidirectional (DC) component; and 2)
a symmetrical alternating (AC) component. The DC component

exponentially decays to zero, while the envelope of the

symmetrical AC component eventually decays to a constant
amplitude sine wave in the steady-state. The rate of exponential
decay (or time constant) of the DC component is related to the
short circuit X/R ratio, where X and R are the equivalent
reactance and resistance at the fault location, respectively. To
simplify analysis, steady-state AC circuit theory is exploited to
calculate a worst-case (initial) root-mean-square (rms) magnitude
of the symmetrical AC component to characterize a particular
time interval of the fault-on time period. To simplify verbiage, the
expression worst-case (initial) root-mean-square (rms)
magnitude of the symmetrical AC component is hereafter
shortened to symmetrical rms current.
Three types of networks are used to represent the power system
over three time intervals of the fault-on time period. The firstcycle (momentary) network characterizes the first few cycles (at
60 Hz) of the fault-on time period. For this network, the AC
motors and generators are modeled by first-cycle or subtransient
reactances, and steady-state AC circuit analysis is used to
calculate the first-cycle (momentary) symmetrical rms current. To
account for the DC component of the short circuit current
waveform, the first-cycle (momentary) symmetrical rms current is
multiplied by an appropriate multiplying factor (MF) to yield the
first-cycle (momentary) short circuit current duty; and first-cycle
(momentary) short circuit duties must not exceed: (i) closing and
latching (momentary) capabilities of medium-voltage circuit
breakers, (ii) interrupting capabilities of medium-voltage fuses,
(iii) interrupting capabilities of low-voltage circuit breakers, and
(iv) interrupting capabilities of low-voltage fuses. The contactparting (interrupting) network is used to calculate the contactparting (interrupting) symmetrical rms current for mediumvoltage circuit breaker minimum contact-parting times of 1.5 to 4
cycles after the inception of the short circuit fault. For this
network, the AC motors and generators are represented by

different (same or larger) constant reactances than those for the

first-cycle (momentary) network. To account for the DC
component of the short circuit current waveform, the contactparting (interrupting) symmetrical rms current is multiplied by an
appropriate MF to yield the contact-parting (interrupting) short
circuit current duty; and contact-parting (interrupting) short
circuit current duties must not exceed the interrupting
capabilities of medium-voltage circuit breakers. Finally, the
approximately 30 cycle network is a minimum source
representation that characterizes the faulted power system in the
steady-state (beyond 30 cycles), and it is used to investigate
whether minimum short circuit currents are sufficient to operate
current-actuated relays.

Fig. 2. One-line diagram of simplified industrial power system.

Figure 2 (above) is a one-line diagram of a simplified industrial

power system well use to illustrate the ANSI methodologies to
find the short circuit current duties of ANSI- rated mediumvoltage circuit breakers and fuses. The Table below summarizes
the results of the short circuit study by listing the first-cycle
(momentary) and contact-parting (interrupting) symmetrical rms

currents and short circuit X/R ratios for a bolted 3-phase fault at
each bus. [In general, it is important that the study be performed
on the system configuration involving maximum fault current
contributions. The reader is directed to Chapter 9 of the IEEE
Violet Book (IEEE Std 551-2006) and the references cited therein
for the procedure to perform these calculations.] Note in the Table
that the contact-parting (interrupting) symmetrical rms current
and short circuit X/R ratio are not listed for low-voltage Bus 3,
since the interrupting capabilities of low-voltage circuit breakers
and fuses are selected based on first-cycle (momentary) short
circuit current duty. As mentioned earlier, well discuss the
methodologies to find the short circuit current duties of lowvoltage circuit breakers and fuses in Part 2.

Short circuit study results of simplified industrial power system.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the bolted 3-phase fault

represents the worst-case condition at every bus of this example,
insofar as contact-parting (interrupting) short circuit current duty
is concerned. Generally speaking, the bolted single line-to-ground
fault could represent the worst-case condition, and the

methodologies to calculate contact-parting (interrupting) duty

will differ from those described below. [For an example of this
case, the reader is directed to Sec. 5.3 of ANSI/IEEE C37.0101979 for the older constant MVA rated medium-voltage circuit
breakers and Sec. 6.3 of IEEE Std C37.010-1999 (R2005) for the
newer constant kA rated medium-voltage circuit breakers.]

Short Circuit Current Duties of Circuit

Breakers and Fuses Part 1
Jul 1, 2012Frank Mercede | Electrical Construction and Maintenance

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Short Circuit Current Duties of Circuit Breakers and Fuses Part 1

Medium-Voltage Circuit Breakers

Medium-Voltage Power Fuses

Understanding the methodologies behind the math

Medium-Voltage Circuit Breakers

Generally speaking, the appropriate MF to account for the DC
component of the short circuit current waveform depends on the
short circuit X/R ratio at the fault location and the rating
structure of the interrupting device. Complicating the selection of
the appropriate MF for medium-voltage circuit breakers is the fact
that there is a huge installed base of medium-voltage circuit
breakers whose short circuit ratings are based on older standards

that differ significantly from the latest standards. Specifically, the

historic constant MVA rating structure pre-dates the latest
constant kA rating structure that was initiated around 1999. [See
Siemens TechTopics Nos. 4 and 23 (available
at www.energy.siemens.com/us/en/services/power-transmissiondistribution/te...) for a well-written summary of these rating
structures.] Consequently, the procedures summarized below to
select the appropriate MFs to calculate the short circuit current
duties of medium-voltage circuit breakers are classified according
to rating structure. [The reader is directed to Chapters 9 and 10 of
the IEEE Violet Book (IEEE Std 551-2006) for detailed coverage
of these procedures.]
First-Cycle Duty (Constant MVA Rated Breakers)
First-cycle (momentary) duty of Bus 2 medium-voltage breakers =
MF Bus 2 first-cycle (momentary) symmetrical rms current =
1.6 8.920kA = 14.272kA (asymmetrical rms)
The closing and latching (momentary) withstand capabilities of
constant MVA rated medium-voltage circuit breakers in rms kA
must exceed the first-cycle duty in asymmetrical rms kA.
Note: MF = 1.6 is applicable whenever the first-cycle short circuit
X/R ratio is less than or equal to 25. If the first-cycle short circuit
X/R ratio exceeds 25, the following formula can be used to
calculate the MF.

First-Cycle Duty (Constant kA Rated Breakers):

The closing and latching (momentary) withstand capabilities of

constant kA rated medium-voltage circuit breakers in peak kA
must exceed the first-cycle duty in asymmetrical peak kA.
First-cycle (momentary) duty of Bus 2 medium-voltage breakers =
MF Bus 2 first-cycle (momentary) symmetrical rms current =
2.6 8.920kA = 23.192kA (asymmetrical peak)
Note: MF = 2.6 is applicable whenever the first-cycle short circuit
X/R ratio is less than or equal to 17. If the first-cycle short circuit
X/R ratio exceeds 17, the following formula can be used to
calculate the MF.

Interrupting Duty (Simplified Method)

The simplified method to find the contact-parting (interrupting)
short circuit current duty applies to constant MVA or constant kA
rated medium-voltage circuit breakers and uses a conservative
MF of 1.25, rather than calculating the MF from a formula based
on the contact-parting short circuit X/R ratio.
Contact-parting (interrupting) duty of Bus 2 medium-voltage
breakers = 1.25 Bus 2 contact-parting (interrupting)
symmetrical rms current = 1.25 8.399kA = 10.499kA
(asymmetrical rms)
The required symmetrical interrupting capability of the mediumvoltage circuit breaker in rms kA must exceed the contact-parting
(interrupting) duty in asymmetrical rms kA, where the required
symmetrical interrupting capability depends on the rating
structure as follows.

Constant kA rated breakers: For operating voltage less than rated

maximum design voltage, the required symmetrical interrupting
capability = rated short circuit current, where the rated maximum
design voltage and rated short circuit current are listed in the
manufacturers table for constant kA rated medium-voltage circuit
breakers.
Constant MVA rated breakers: For operating voltage between
(1/K) rated maximum design voltage and rated maximum
design voltage, the required symmetrical interrupting capability =
rated short circuit current (rated maximum design voltage
operating voltage).
For operating voltage less than (1/K) rated maximum design
voltage, the required symmetrical interrupting capability = K
rated short circuit current = maximum symmetrical interrupting
capability, where voltage range factor K, rated maximum design
voltage, rated short circuit current, and maximum symmetrical
interrupting capability are listed in the manufacturers table for
constant MVA rated medium-voltage circuit breakers.
Interrupting Duty (Only Remote Sources)
A less conservative method than the simplified method takes into
account the actual decay of the DC component of the short circuit
current waveform, but assumes no decay in the envelope of the
symmetrical (AC) component. The assumption of no AC decay is
characteristic of a power system without local (in-house)
generation. Note the following procedures differ by rating
structure. [For further details, the reader is directed to
ANSI/IEEE C37.010-1979 for the older constant MVA rating
structure and IEEE Std C37.010-1999 (R2005) for the newer
constant kA rating structure.]
Constant MVA rated breakers: Contact-parting (interrupting)
duty of Bus 2 medium-voltage breakers = MF Bus 2 contact-

parting (interrupting) symmetrical rms current = 1.0 8.399kA =

8.399kA (asymmetrical rms), where MF = 1.0 was found from the
curve in Fig. 10 of ANSI/IEEE C37.010-1979 for a 5-cycle breaker
with 3-cycle minimum contact-parting time and Bus 2 contactparting (interrupting) short circuit X/R ratio of 16.2 from the
Table. (Generally speaking, MF = 1.0 for a 5-cycle breaker with 3cycle minimum contact-parting time if the contact-parting
(interrupting) short circuit X/R ratio is 15 or less, because a
certain degree of asymmetry is built into the rating structure.)
The required symmetrical interrupting capability of the mediumvoltage circuit breaker in rms kA must exceed the contact-parting
(interrupting) duty in asymmetrical rms kA. (The required
symmetrical interrupting capability of constant MVA rated
medium-voltage circuit breakers was described in the previous
section.)
Constant kA rated breakers: Contact-parting (interrupting) duty
of Bus 2 medium-voltage breakers = MF Bus 2 contact-parting
(interrupting) symmetrical rms current = 1.0 8.399kA =
8.399kA (asymmetrical rms), where MF = 1.0 was found from the
curve of Fig. 10 of IEEE Std C37.010-1999 (R2005) for a 5-cycle
breaker with 3-cycle minimum contact-parting time and bus 2
contact-parting (interrupting) short circuit X /R ratio of 16.2 from
the Table. [Generally speaking, MF = 1.0 for a 5-cycle breaker
with 3-cycle minimum contact-parting time if the contact-parting
(interrupting) short circuit X/R ratio is 17 or less, because a
certain degree of asymmetry is built into the rating structure.]
The required symmetrical interrupting capability of the mediumvoltage circuit breaker in rms kA must exceed the contact-parting
(interrupting) duty in asymmetrical rms kA. (The required
symmetrical interrupting capability of constant kA rated mediumvoltage circuit breakers was described in the previous section.)
Interrupting Duty (Local and Remote Sources)

The least conservative procedure to find the contact-parting

(interrupting) short circuit current duty is applicable if the fault is
fed by local and remote sources of short circuit current. Remote
sources include the electric utility and those in-house
synchronous machines that are electrically remote from the fault
location. Local sources include those in-house synchronous
machines that are electrically local to the fault location.
[Induction motors local to the fault location may be classified as
remote sources of short circuit current, because the AC decay
effect in the induction motor short circuit current waveform has
already been taken into account in the induction motor reactance
multipliers for the contact-parting (interrupting) network. See
Table 9-1 in the IEEE Violet Book (IEEE Std 551-2006) for
details.]
The duty calculation makes use of both remote and local
multiplying factors in a weighting process. The duty is calculated
as the sum of the remote MF multiplied by the portion of the
contact-parting (interrupting) symmetrical rms current from
remote sources and the local MF multiplied by the remainder
(local portion) of the contact-parting (interrupting) symmetrical
rms current. [Another formula to calculate the duty, involving the
so-called no AC decay ratio, yields an identical result. The
reader is directed to Chapters 9 and 10 of the IEEE Violet Book
(IEEE Std 551-2006) for details.]

Short Circuit Current Duties of Circuit Breakers and Fuses

Part 1
Jul 1, 2012Frank Mercede | Electrical Construction and Maintenance

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Short Circuit Current Duties of Circuit Breakers and Fuses Part 1

Medium-Voltage Circuit Breakers

Medium-Voltage Power Fuses

Understanding the methodologies behind the math

Medium-Voltage Power Fuses

This discussion is limited to applications of medium-voltage power fuses for industrial and
commercial power systems. The reader is directed to Chapter 6 of the IEEE Buff Book (IEEE
Std 242-2001) for broader coverage of high-voltage power and distribution fuses.
E-rated power fuses are available as both expulsion and current-limiting types, while Rrated power fuses are available only as current-limiting type. E-rated current-limiting power
fuses afford protection of power transformers, voltage (or potential) transformers, and
capacitor banks; while R-rated power fuses afford short circuit protection in mediumvoltage motor controllers. For symmetrical-current-rated power fuses, the first-cycle
symmetrical rms current can be directly compared to the rated symmetrical interrupting
capabilities in a manufacturers table only if the first-cycle short circuit X/R ratio at the fault
point (i.e., source side of the power fuse) is 15 or less. In this context, symmetrical-currentrated implies that an MF to account for the DC component is unnecessary to adjust the
first-cycle symmetrical rms current whenever the first-cycle short circuit X/R ratio is less
than or equal to 15, because a certain degree of asymmetry is built into the rating structure.
If the first-cycle short circuit X/R ratio exceeds 15, the manufacturer should be consulted for
derating (reduction) of the published rated symmetrical interrupting capabilities. For the
example at hand, the last statement applies, since the first-cycle short circuit X/R ratio for a
3-phase fault at Bus 4 is 16.4.
Mercede, P.E., is principal of Mercede Engineering LLC, based in Bryn Mawr, Pa. He can
be reached at fmercede@mercedeengineering.com.