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Join Date: Apr 2018
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Motor/generator Contribution to Electrical Faults

10/05/2019 4:00 AM

Hello all

I have a model setup in SKM with a bus which has a single incomer and supplies a bunch of DOL motors. Attached to the bus are also some generators.

When I simulate a fault at the bus and open all the feeders, the fault leave at the bus is 3kA which is showing as being supplied purely from the incomer.

When I simulate the fault at the bus and close all the feeders the fault level at the bus rises to 4.5kA, which is expected as this is the contribution from the motors and generators. However, the branch fault current reading for the incomer also rises.

I thought motors/gens will only increase the fault level at the location of the fault (in this case the bus). Why am I seeing fault levels increase for the same bus fault on the incomer? Shouldn’t this remain at 3kA during both scenarios?

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Join Date: Jul 2016
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#1

Re: Motor/generator Contribution to Electrical Faults

10/06/2019 8:05 PM

It is increased everywhere connected together, at the instant of the fault. The conductor losses between nodes are usually so low they will be lost in the decimals of the calculations.

There is a finite time between a fault of a certain current and the reaction of any circuit breakers, so including circuit breaker clearings in your fault analysis is a two step set of values, one at time of fault and one some time later, after contributing sources have fully cleared. It’s likely that motor contribution will be gone by the time most breakers interrupt, generator contribution will persist.

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