03/01/2016

SizingBatteryBanksforSwitchgearandControlApplicationsbyHand
Forum

Subscribe

AboutUs

MagazineIssues

Newsletters

Advertise

Shop

REGISTER LOGIN
ElectricalConstruction&ampMaintenance(EC&ampM)
NEC

Design

Ops&Maintenance

Contractor

Safety

PowerQuality

Training

Basics

Products

HOME > CONTENT > SWITCHGEAR BATTERY SIZING BY HAND

SwitchgearBatterySizingbyHand
Arefresheronhowtosizebatteriessanssoftware
AaronJ.Hall,P.E.,CH2MHILL,Inc.|ElectricalConstructionandMaintenance
SHARE

Tweet

Recommend

Apr1,2006
COMMENTS 1

EMAIL
Sizing battery banks for switchgear and control applications is commonly performed using software
designed specifically for that purpose. Just input the required load profile, and the program selects the
optimum battery configuration. Although this is quite simple, an engineer should be capable of performing
a straightforward hand calculation either to confirm the results of a software-generated solution

Sizingbatterybanksforswitchgearandcontrolapplicationsiscommonlyperformed
usingsoftwaredesignedspecificallyforthatpurpose.Justinputtherequiredloadprofile,
andtheprogramselectstheoptimumbatteryconfiguration.Althoughthisisquitesimple,
anengineershouldbecapableofperformingastraightforwardhandcalculationeither
toconfirmtheresultsofasoftwaregeneratedsolutionortoserveasanaccuratedesign
forasimplebatterysystem.
Doyouknowhowtoperformthesecalculationsbyhand?Ifnot,thenreadon.Thisarticle
willhelpyouunderstandthebasicpremiseofsizingswitchgearbatterysystemsand
provideanexamplecalculationforclarificationoftheconcept.IEEEStandard4851997,
RecommendedPracticeforSizingLeadAcidBatteriesforStationaryApplications,also
providesdetailedguidelinesforbatterysizing.

TipoftheWeek:PreventingTransientDamageto
Motors
TipoftheWeek:WrittenProtocolsforT&M
Procedures
TheRightManfortheRightJob
BasicToolsandTestEquipmenttoGettheJob
Done
TipoftheWeek:TheBasicsofChapter6in
NFPA70(NEC)

Photo Galleries
CodeQuizofthe
Week:No.4
Takethisweeklyquizto
testyourknowledgeofthe
2014NationalElectrical
Coderequirements

Join the Discussion on EC&M Talk

Numberofcells

HotTopics

Comments
2

Batterybanksforswitchgearandcontrolapplicationsaremadeupofmanycells.These
cellsaretypicallywiredinseriestoachieveadesiredvoltageandmayalsobewiredin
paralleltoachieveadditionalamperecapacity.Sizingofthesebatterybanks,therefore,
includesselectingthenumberandtypeofcellstobeused.

KitchenIslandinstall

Theterminalvoltagepercellvarieswiththebattery'schemicalcomposition.Therequired
numberofserieswiredcellstoachievethemorecommonDCcontrolvoltagesfor
switchgearcontrolisshowninTable1.Selectionofthetypeofcellisbasedonthe
requiredpeakampereoutputandtotalAmperehour(Ah)outputcapacityfortheload

EC&M White Papers

http://ecmweb.com/content/switchgearbatterysizinghand

NewTopics

lastreplybyJE1977inGeneralElectricalTalk
Discussion

AddingReliabilityand
AvailabilitytoYour
Manufacturing
Process

1/4

03/01/2016

SizingBatteryBanksforSwitchgearandControlApplicationsbyHand

andduration.

Reliabilityandavailability
ofmediumvoltage

Loadtype

equipmentiscriticalin
virtuallyallapplications

IEEEStandard4851997classifiesindividualDCloadsascontinuous,noncontinuous,
andmomentary.Typicalcontinuousloadsincludelighting,continuouslyenergizedcoils,
andpowertoprotectiverelayandcommunicationssystems.Noncontinuousloadsare
lesscommonandincludecriticalventilationsystemmotorsandvalveactuatorswith
operatingtimesexceeding1minute.Momentaryloadsdonotexceed1minuteinduration
andincludeinrushcurrentsandcircuitbreakeroperations.

More
anyfailurewillgenerally

VIEWMOREWHITEPAPERS

EC&MWebinars

Thedutycycleimposedonswitchgearbatteriesusuallyconsistsofmomentaryhigh
ampereloadingduringchargingoftherespectivetrippingorclosingsprings,inaddition
tothesmallcontinuousloadofpoweringprotectiverelaysandlights.

SEP10,2015
SPONSORED

ONDEMAND:An
EffectiveElectrical
SafetyProgramthat
Delivers

WhilebothmotorsforchargingthetrippingorclosingspringscanbeDC,themore
commonswitchgeardesignusesanACclosingmotorandaDCtrippingmotor.Sucha
designreducesthetotalDCloadbecausetrippingisoftheutmostimportance
particularlywhenafaultoccurs.However,thisonlyallowsonefulloperationalcycle
followingapowerfailurebecausethereisnoACtochargetheclosingspring.

JUL21,2015
SPONSORED

ONDEMAND:
MitigationMethodsfor
ArcFlashHazards
EnhancingPersonal

Sizingguidelines

Sincethemomentaryloadonaswitchgearbatterybankismuchhigherthanthe
continuousload,therequired1minute(peak)ampereratetypicallydeterminesthe
batterycelltype.HowevertheAmperehourrateshouldalsobechecked.Thebatterycell
typethatmeetstheworstcaseconditionbetweenthetwoshouldbeselected.

Safety
VIEWMOREWEBINARS

EC&M TV

Theseratesaretabulatedinthemanufacturer'sstandardliteratureatseveralfinal
voltages.Usetheratespublishedatafinalvoltageof1.75voltspercellforleadacidcells
or1.14voltspercellfornickelcadmiumcells.Asanexample,thedatainTable2on
page43isexcerptedfromamanufacturer'sWebsite.(Themodeldesignationsare
fictitious.)

IDEALPowerBlade
CableCutters
Bigenoughforanyjob...

Tocalculatetherequired1minuteampererate,assumethepeakratetobeequaltothe
sumoftheloads(i.e.inrushcurrentforallbreakerchargingmotors,loadcurrentsforall
relaysandotherloads,andignorepilotlights).

More

BROWSEALLVIDEOS

Althoughmomentaryloadsusuallyexistformuchlessthanaminuteperhapsonlya
fractionofaseconditiscommonpracticetousethefullamperevalueforanentire
minute.Assignarequired1minuterateequaltothispeakratedividedbytheambient
temperaturederatingfactor,thebatteryagingfactor,andadesignmarginaslistedin
Table3onpage43.
TocalculatetherequiredAmperehourrate,computetheaveragecontinuousloadand
dividebytheambienttemperaturederatingfactorandbatteryagingfactor,aslistedin
Table3.Usethemanufacturer'sdatatoselectthebatterycelltypethatmeetsboththe
ampereandAmperehourrequirements.
Samplecalculation

Touseahypotheticalrealworldexample,calculatethebatterysizeforthe69kV
substationloadslistedinTable4.Thebatterytypeshallbeleadacid,operatethegiven
loadsfor8hoursat125VDC,andbehousedinaclimatecontrolledbuilding.

EC&MLearningCenter
Understandingthe2014NEC,
Volume1(Articles90to480)
Thisresourcehasprovenitselfinthe
fieldandintheexamroom.Thislatest
editionwillprovideyouwitharocksolid
foundation...

UnderstandingNECRequirements
forGroundingvsBonding
Oneofthemostconfusingareasofthe

Step1:Calculatetherequired1minutedischargerate.

tradecontinuestobegroundingand
bonding,whichiswhythisbookneedsto

AscanbeseeninTable4,thepeakdischargerateis96.2A.Dividethisnumberbyan
ambienttemperaturefactorofonefora77Froom,bya0.8batteryagingfactor,andby
0.85forthedesignmargin.
Required1minutedischargerate=96.2A0.80.85=141.5A

beinthehands...

ChangestoTheNEC2014
Don'tletthescaleofthecodechanges
intimidateyou,thisbookwillgetyouup
tospeedonthemostessential...

Step2:CalculatetherequiredAmperehour(Ah)rate.
BROWSEALLTITLES

AscanbeseeninTable5,thetotalAmperehourrateis27.1Ah.Dividebyanambient
temperaturefactorofonefora77Froom,andbya0.8batteryagingfactor.
RequiredtotalAhrate=27.1Ah0.8=33.9Ah
Step3:Selecttheappropriatecellfromthemanufacturer'sliterature.

http://ecmweb.com/content/switchgearbatterysizinghand

2/4

03/01/2016

SizingBatteryBanksforSwitchgearandControlApplicationsbyHand

ReferringbacktoTable2,aModelAbatteryhasa1minutedischargerateof177Aand
an8hourAhrateof180Ah,downto1.75V.Thistypeofbatteryis,therefore,morethan
sufficientforthisparticularload.The125VDC,180Ahbatterybankwouldbecomposed
of60ModelAcells.

Signuptoreceiveourfreenewsletters
eTrain(BiWeekly)ViewSample

Backtobasics

Sowhetheryou'reoneofthosepeoplethatrefusestotrustacomputerfartherthanyou
canthrowitoryousimplyfeelmorecomfortabledoublecheckingcalculationsbyhand
possessingtheknowledgetosizebatterybanksforswitchgeartheoldfashionedwayis
agoodskillforanyengineertomaster.Notonlywillyouimpressyourpeers,butyou'll
alsofeelmoreconfidentaboutrecommendingarocksolidswitchgearsolution.

ProductNewsWire(Monthly)View
Sample
ElectricalZone(Weekly)ViewSample
MROInsider(BiWeekly)ViewSample
PQNewsBeat(BiWeekly)View
Sample
IlluminationInsider(BiWeekly)View
Sample

HallisanelectricalengineerbasedintheLasVegasofficeofCH2MHILL,Inc.
Table1.Stringtogether37individualNiCadbatteriesinseriestoachieveacontrolvoltageof
48V.
BatteryType

CodeWatch(BiWeekly)ViewSample
GBiz(Varies)ViewSample
ElectricalTesting(Monthly)View
Sample

ControlVoltage
NiCad

Leadacid

48VDC

37cells

24cells

125VDC

92cells

60cells

250VDC

184cells

120cells

EMAIL*
COUNTRY*

UnitedStates

Enteryouremailabovetoreceivemessagesabout
offeringsbyPenton,itsbrands,affiliatesand/orthird
partypartners,consistentwithPentonsPrivacyPolicy.

Table2.Amperehourandampereratesforfourdifferentbatterymodelsofferedbyone
manufacturer.
NominalRatesat77F(25C)
Final
AmpereHours(Ah)
Models
Volts

1.75V

Amperes(A)

8hr

4hr

3hr

1.5hr 1hr

30
min

15
min

1min

180

142

132

65

81

109

134

177

250

210

195

98

126

172

219

303

330

280

260

130

168

230

292

404

410

350

326

163

204

285

362

500

ConnectWithUs

TwitterFacebook
LinkedRSS

Table3.DesignfactorstobeusedwhencalculatingAmperehourratesforNiCadandlead
calciumbatteries.
BatteryType
DeratingFunction
NiCad

LeadCalcium

77F

1.0*

1.0*

32F

0.7

0.67

0F

0.5

0.8

Batteryagingfactor

0.8*

0.8*

Designmargin

0.85*

0.85*

Ambienttemperature

*PerIEEEStd.485recommendedpractice
Table4.Peakdischargerateforahypothetical69kVsubstationload.
125VDCLoad
Description

Quantity

Current(A)

Subtotal(A)

69kVcircuitswitchers 2

15.0

30.0

69kVsubstation
relays

0.2

1.6

5kVvacuumbreakers

7.0

63.0

5kVswitchgearrelays

0.2

1.6

5kVswitchgear
indicatinglights

Ignore

0.0

0.0

Total

96.2A
Table5.RequiredAmperehourrateforahypothetical69kVsubstationload.

125VDCLoad
Description
69kVcircuit

Quantity

Current(A)

Hours(h)

Subtotal(Ah)

15.0

0.016*

0.5

http://ecmweb.com/content/switchgearbatterysizinghand

3/4

03/01/2016

SizingBatteryBanksforSwitchgearandControlApplicationsbyHand

switchers
69kVsubstation
relays

0.2

8.0

12.8

5kVvacuum
breakers

7.0

0.016*

1.0

5kVswitchgear
relays

0.2

8.0

12.8

5kVswitchgear
indicatinglights

Ignore

0.0

8.0

0.0

Total

27.1Ah

*0.016hours=1minute
SHARE
PRINT

REPRINTS

Tweet

Recommend

FAVORITE EMAIL

DiscussthisArticle

onJul14,2012

AliAhmadArshad(notverified)

Whilecalculatingmomentaryloadofsubstationswitchgear,someengineerssuggesttotake
intoaccounttheloadatstartandendofthecycle.Myconcernisthatduringtrippingitisa
matteroffewmillisecondstomax1sec.Itisdifficulttodifferentatethetimingofrelays
etc.Waitingforengineerstoreply.
LogInorRegistertopostcomments

PleaseLogInorRegistertopostcomments.

Related Articles
TheOftMisinterpretedRequirementsofStationaryBatterySystems
BatterySizingBasics

BUILDINGINTELLIGENCE
GrowingPains
HowtoWireaHomeinNineHours

Ecmweb.com
NEC Design Ops&Maintenance Contractor Safety PowerQuality Training Basics Products

Site Features

EC&M Corporate

AuthorGuidelines

PrivacyPolicy

RSS

TermsofService

Sitemap

AboutUs

SiteArchive

Advertise

Subscribe

ContactUs

ViewMobileSite

Follow Us

Search ecmweb.com

Subscribe to the print magazine

Related EC&M Sites

ElectricalWholesaling ElectricalMarketing Transmission&DistributionWorld

Copyright2016Penton

http://ecmweb.com/content/switchgearbatterysizinghand

4/4