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Why CB Should Not Include Instantaneous Setting?

04/17/2013 12:40 AM

http://www.hv-eng.com/OvercurrentCoord.pdf

In the above link, at page 52 at the "Coordination Pop Quiz #3" slide, the author states that:

"A main should never include an instantaneous setting"

Can anyone explain why and what is the basis for this particular recommendation?

( Please give your reference / standard )

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#1

Re: Why CB Should Not Include Instantaneous Setting?

04/17/2013 9:54 AM

You cannot coordinate instantaneous settings, so a fault on one feeder sufficient to trip an instantaneous setting on the main will shut everything off. So you put (time and) instantaneous trips on each of the feeders, and only time trips on the main, so that in the event a feeder somehow doesn't trip when it should, eventually the main will.

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#2

Re: Why CB Should Not Include Instantaneous Setting?

04/17/2013 10:44 AM

Then co-ordination or discrimination is not possible. That is, even for an away fault in a feeder, the main incoming would trip, thus causing total black-out. Yes! One could opt for current based discrimination but then back-up protection would not be possible then. To achieve an effective back-up protection and still avoid mains incoming tripping first for an away fault, it is advisable to opt for a short time protection element in mains incoming.

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#3

Re: Why CB Should Not Include Instantaneous Setting?

04/17/2013 5:57 PM

If the relay (relay 2) for the secondary side CB (Main CB 2) of the transformer has its instantaneous setting off, how will it make it in time to clear a three-phase fault that would happen in the following zone:

Also if the transformer above (T1) is connected to another bus bar upstream, which is supplied from another transformer upstream of the bus bar, then shouldn't the relay for the primary or secondary side CB of T1 (Main CB 1 or 2) has it's instantaneous on for coordination with the upstream CB (Main CB 1A & 2A) ? Let's assume its a radial power system.


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#5
In reply to #3

Re: Why CB Should Not Include Instantaneous Setting?

04/18/2013 8:41 AM

You can't just look at the single lines and figure out coordination from what is upstream / downstream from what. You have to plot the transformer damage curves and look at the circuit breakers' protective relay or trip unit trip curves to pick settings that will be below the damage curve of each transformer, and still coordinate with downstream breakers for faults further down in the system. Doing a relay coordination study is not trivial, but the fundamentals are simple. There are good software packages out there that do most of the graphical work for you once you enter the data for the various system components, but there is still a bit of an art/science to knowing how to use the various protection settings and functions. Take a class in electrical protective relaying and you will see. Also, check out this (free, downloadable) info from GE:

GE - The Art & Science of Protective Relaying

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#4

Re: Why CB Should Not Include Instantaneous Setting?

04/18/2013 12:34 AM

Because instant FIZZ BANG is dramatic and in most cases very very expensive.. Though others will give the tech reason, the practical one is most applicable..

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