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The selection of circuit breaker for a power system depend upon the
maximum current it may have to carry momentarily and the current it
may have to interrupt at the voltage of the line in which it is placed. In
order to understand the problem of calculating the initial current when a
synchronous generator is short circuited, consider the series R-L circuit
v(t ) Vm sin(t )
The closing of the switch at t=0 represents to a first approximation a
three-phase short circuit at the terminals of an unloaded synchronous
machine. For simplicity assume that the fault impedance is zero, i.e.,
the short circuit is a solid or ‘bolted’ fault. α determines the magnitude
of the voltage when the circuit is closed. The differential equation is
di(t )
Ri(t ) L Vm sin(t )
dt
The solution of this equation carries 2 parts – the steady state and the
transient solution and is given as
t
Vm
i (t ) sin(t ) Ae
Z
Substituting the initial condition that at t=o, i(t)=0, the complete
solution is
t
Vm
i(t ) [sin(t ) e sin( )]
Z
L L
where, Z R ( L) ; tan
2 2 1
;
R R
The expression for the current is also often written as
i(t) = iac(t)+idc(t)
The total fault current, called the asymmetrical fault current is shown
below
v(t)=151sin(377t+α)
a) No DC offset
b) For maximum DC offset
Three Phase Short Circuit on an Unloaded Synchronous
Machine
Eg Eg
Direct axis subtransient reactance, xd''
I '' oc / 2
t
1 1
iac (t ) 2 Eg [( '' ' )e Td''
xd xd
t
1 1 1
( ' )e Td'
]sin(t / 2)
xd xd xd
Td’’, Td’ are the direct –axis short circuit sub-transient and transient time
constants. Td’’< Td’ . Note that at t=0,
Eg
I ac ''
x d
Eg
I ac
xd
The rms value if i(t) is of interest. Since i(t) is not strictly periodic, its
rms value is not strictly defined. We stretch the rms concept to
calculate the asymmetrical fault current with maximum dc offset as
follows:
( I ac2 ) [ 2 I ac et / ]2
I ac 1 2e2t /
K (t ) I ac
Example
A bolted short circuit occurs in the R-L circuit with E= 20 kV, X=8Ω,
R=0.8 Ω. Circuit breaker opens at 3 cycles after fault inception.
Determine:
(a)The rms ac fault current
(b)The rms momentary current at t=1/2 cycles which
passes through the breaker before it opens, and,
(c)The asymmetrical fault current which the breaker
interrupts
Consider maximum dc offset.
The three phase fault currents are displaced from each other by 1200
each. In addition each phase has different dc offset. The maximum dc
offset in one phase which occurs when α=0 is
2 Eg
idc max (t ) et / TA 2 I "et / TA
xd''
Example
A 50 MVA, 20 kV, 60 Hz synchronous generator with xd”=0.15, xd’=0.24
and xd=1.1 pu, and Td”=0.035, Td’=2.0 and TA=0.2 s is connected to a
circuit breaker. The generator is operating at 5% above rated voltage
and at no load when a bolted three phase short circuit occurs on the
load side of the breaker. The breaker interrupts the fault 3 cycles after
its inception. Determine:
a) Subtransient fault current in pu and in kA
b) Maximum dc offset as a function of time
c) AC current
d)Rms asymmetrical fault current the breaker
interrupts.
Assume maximum dc offset.