Co-ordination of LV Protection

Devices

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DBTP107PRE-En-07/00
 Contents

 Operator needs
Availability of electrical energy 3
 Co-ordination of LV protection devices 8
 Co-ordination techniques 12
o The IEC 60947-2 standard 12
o Discrimination techniques 16
o Limitation 21
o Cascading 23
 Schneider solutions 24
o Masterpact and the incoming end of the installation 25
o Compact NS and power distribution 30
o Multi 9 circuit-breaker and final distribution 33
o Discrimination rules for 1 to 6300 A 34
 Conclusion 35

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 From one application to another
operator needs are the same

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…The availability of electrical energy...

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 The availability of electrical energy

 Savings for the operator through:

o the continuity of electrical supply
o the optimised cost of his installation

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…A source of profit for the operator...

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 Availability of electrical energy
and the LV protection plan
Structure of LV Distribution

Level 1 General LV
= incomer Switchboard

Level 2
= MSB
feeders

Distribution
Level 3 Switchboard
= power or
distribution motor
control

Level 4 Final
= final distribution switchboards
distribution

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Loads

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 Availability of electrical energy
and the LV protection plan
Structure of LV Distribution

 Installation design
o priority / non priority feeders

 Protection of LV distribution
o level 1 and 2: using Air Circuit-Breaker (ACB) or
Moulded Case Circuit-Breaker (MCCB) with high rating
800 to 6300 A
o level 3: using LV industrial Fuse or Moulded Case Circuit-Breaker (MCCB)
63 to 1250 A
o level 4: using Miniature Circuit-Breaker (MCB)
1 to 100 A

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 Availability of electrical energy
and the LV protection plan

Continuity of Cost of the

Customer needs electrical electrical
energy supply installation

Co-ordination of
Protection Plan protection devices:
discrimination,
cascading
& constraint limitation

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 LV co-ordination techniques

 Optimising LV electrical distribution through 3 actions at the Protection

Plan Level

o 1) discrimination to guarantee continuity of supply

o 2) limitation to reduce constraints

o 3) cascading to optimise performances

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 Co-ordination of protection devices
1) discrimination
 Whatever the fault:
o overload
A
o short-circuit
o insulation fault
only the circuit-breaker located just upstream from the fault trips
B C
 4 types of discrimination
o current
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o time
o energy
o logic

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 Co-ordination of protection devices
2) limitation
 Technique that allow for the harmful effects of short-circuit currents
to be diminished

 Limitation reduces effects of the following type:

o electromagnetic: reduction in EMC disturbances
o mechanical: reduction of deformation and/or breaks
o thermal: rise in the life span of trunkings

Isc I2sc
 A2
Isc presumed 100 %
100 % Presumed
transient peak energy
Isc presumed 100 %
steady peak

Isc limited peak

10 % Limited
1% energy

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<1%
t t
tsc

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 Co-ordination of protection devices
3) cascading
 The limiting upstream circuit-breaker helps the downstream
circuit-breakers to open
 Technique that allows for the cost of LV electrical distribution
to be optimised

Non priority
feeder
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 The IEC 60947-2 standard
and co-ordination of protection devices
 Recognises the 2 co-ordination elements (appendix A)
o discrimination
o cascading

 Defines testing to guarantee this co-ordination

 Characterises the circuit-breakers capable of time discrimination
o utilisation category B
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 The IEC 60947-2 standard appendix A
discrimination
 Definition of the discrimination limit Is

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 Tests to be conducted

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 The IEC 60947-2 standard appendix A
cascading
 Definition of the current IB and of the reinforced breaking capacity IcuD2+D1
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 Tests to be conducted

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 The IEC 60947-2 standard
category B circuit-breakers
 They ensure time discrimination that is characterised by Icw during Dt
o Icw must be at least equal to 12 In or 5 kA for In  2500 A
30 kA for In > 2500 A
o Dt - standardised delay - of: 0.05 - 0.1 - 0.25 - 0.5 - or 1 s
 They are subjected to additional testing
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 LV discrimination techniques

 Quality of discrimination
Comparison of the discrimination limit Is to the
presumed short-circuit current Isc determines the quality of discrimination

o total discrimination: Is > Isc

o partial discrimination: Is < Isc

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only D2 trips D1 and D2 trip

o if the discrimination limit is equal to the Icu of the upstream circuit-breaker

discrimination is total

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 Current discrimination

 Linked to the natural staging of Long Delay curves of the association

o discrimination limit Is = Isd1
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o discrimination technique generally used in Final Distribution

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 Time discrimination

 Time delay Dt of the upstream circuit-breaker’s Short Delay CR tripping

o extension of current safety
E62683 o discrimination limit Is = Ii1 (= Icw1)

o discrimination technique generally used on the incoming end of the installation

the upstream circuit-breaker is from category B with a high EDW (Icw1 = Icu1)

DBTP107PRE-En-07/00 18
 Energy discrimination

 Comparison of energy curves (tripping D downstream/non

tripping ND upstream) allows for the discrimination limit Is to be determined

D
Tripping

ND
Non
tripping
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 Only the manufacturer can guarantee the quality of discrimination
of the energy type

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 Logic discrimination (ZSI)

 Circuit-breakers fitted out with electronic trip units

o a pilot wire between upstream / downstream circuit-breakers
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o no threshold rules

 This technique
o is easily implemented
o reduces to a minimum constraints from delayed tripping of time discrimination

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 Limitation

 Technique consists in using the arc voltage

to limit short-circuit currents I asymetric
peak

 3 criteria to be considered Isc

IL
o early o fast o high

early fast high

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 Technique that has multiple advantages

o limitation of constraints on the installation
o better discrimination
o circuit-breaker cascading

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 Improving discrimination through limitation

 The use of a limiting downstream circuit-breaker extends current

and/or time discrimination with the upstream circuit-breaker
Isc
in D2 D2
non limiting

D2
Is limiting
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Is Is Isc (D2)
D2 non limiting D2 limiting presumed

 The downstream circuit-breaker by limiting the fault current Id increases

the discrimination limit Is

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 Cascading

 The use of a limiting upstream circuit-breaker “increases” the breaking

capacity of the downstream circuit-breaker
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 Technique that allows for the installation of a limiting circuit-breaker
downstream from circuit-breakers with optimised Breaking Capacities

DBTP107PRE-En-07/00 23
 Schneider solutions

Continuity of Cost of the

Customer needs
electrical electrical
energy supply installation

Totally co-ordonated Constraint

Schneider protection Discrimination as a Limitation
devices standard in the Economical association
circuit-breaker ranges of circuit-breakers
through Cascading

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 Masterpact power circuit-breakers

 Discrimination upstream: setting

the long delay (LR) slope (IDMTL)
allows for better discrimination

 Discrimination downstream:
o better time discrimination
thanks to higher Icw
o on very high Isc (up to 150 kA),
maintains a high level
of discrimination

 Limitation of very high constraints

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Masterpact offers unequalled performances as a standard
for all applications

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 Improving MV/LV discrimination thanks to IDMTL
curves
 5 suggested slopes:
HVF curve
o DT: definite time tr = 2 s

o SIT: inverse standard time MV Fuse 80 A

brought to LV
I2t curve
o VIT: very inverse time tr = 12 s
o EIT: extremely inverse time
o HVF: HV compatible fuse Short delay
threshold = 4 Ir

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 Ensuring total time discrimination
as a standard
 Time discrimination with very high Icw (up to 85 kA 1s) thanks to:
o a globally reinforced mechanism, enclosure, copper parts
o the use of air CTs for measurement
63047-7

Accuracy zone of the

instantaneous
tripping threshold
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(± 10 %)

Maximum time discrimination

NW H2
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Icw = thermal withstand = self-protection DIN threshold

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 Increasing the breaking capacity without
sacrificing discrimination
 Conciliate high breaking capacity (150 kA) and high Icw (65 kA -1s)
 Disengagement
Half moon actvating
the pole shaft

Effort sensor
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Kinematic chain
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 Limiting as much as possible the constraints on
the incoming end of the installation
 Limitation
o using disengagement for very fast breaking
o modification of the fixed pole to increase the repulsion force
Breaking chamber
Presumed
short-circuit
current
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Magnetic U Limited
current

Total breaking time

U-shaped
current loop
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Intervention time

 Time discrimination up to 37 kA
Unequalled performances for a limiting circuit-breaker

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 Compact NS power distribution

 New breaking technology

o roto-active breaking
o pressure (“reflex” tripping)
Fixed
contact Short-circuit
current

Breaking
Arc chamber Piston
053100

Mobile
Breaking
contact
enclosure

Arc

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Breaking
chamber Fixed
contact 

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Breaking chamber

o

o
 Provides an exceptional limiting capacity

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 Natural discrimination

 Compact NS circuit-breakers have natural discrimination performances

o current and/or time tripping curves
o natural discrimination energy curves
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 Simultaneous discrimination and cascading

 Compact NS circuit-breakers have natural

Cascading performances
o reflex tripping (piston)
D1

 Reinforced Breaking Capacity

without loss of Discrimination
053100

D2

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DBTP107PRE-En-07/00 32
 Final distribution
Multi 9 circuit-breakers
 Technology with magnetic actuator
031887

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 Guaranteed performances
o ultra rapid breaking
o exceptional limitation
o total discrimination with circuit-breakers located upstream

DBTP107PRE-En-07/00 33
 Schneider discrimination rules

 Masterpact
o total discrimination with Compact NS (<630 A) circuit-breakers located
downstream

 Compact NS
o total discrimination as soon as the ratio between ratings is greater than 2.5

Note: it is necessary to conserve current and time threshold staging

The Schneider solution ensures total natural discrimination

from 1 to 6300 A

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 The Schneider solution: mastering the technique

 Continuity of supply thanks to total discrimination

CA

Recording
box

production
Compact NS
1 to 160 A

Factory assembly line

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DBTP107PRE-En-07/00 35
 The Schneider solution: mastering the financial
aspect
 Upon installation
 During operation
Thanks to the quality of limitation of these circuit-breaker ranges
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DBTP107PRE-En-07/00 36
 The Schneider solution: mastering services

 Simple and high-performance tools

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o software: Ecodial 3
o catalogue: Exhaustive choice table

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LV Catalogue

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 “No one in the world does more with electricity”

Schneider offers circuit-breaker ranges

from 1 to 6300 A with unequalled performances

 Standards are respected

CT150fi
 Performance of co-ordinations:
o discrimination as a standard
o highly economical cascading
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 Simple and high-performance catalogues
and software

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Schneider guarantees a safe and high-
performance electrical installation for
mastering the LV protection plan

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