| Asin 1.23 | Archive ies |Buig np hig olin 123303876 al Building.co.uk ‘Monday02 August 2010 As simple as 1,2,3 oes ‘Acommon error is to assume that the number 3 that appears on the labels of mcbs means triple-pole device. ‘The British and European Standard BS EN 60898-1 is referred to in the industry as the standard for miniature circut- breakers (mcbs). Its scope states that they are designed for use by uninstructed people and for not being ‘maintained. Many tests are therefore conducted on circult-breakers to check and ensure the safety of the person ‘who returns the device to service. More often than not that person is uninstructed whether the installation is in domestic or commercial premises, ‘To comply with BS 7671 (16th Edition of the IEE's Wiring Reguations), itis essential that those responsible for ‘electrical circuit design and installation are fuly aware of, and can apply the standard information provided to, circuit design. 'BS EN 60896-1 prescribes that certain circuit-breakers may be classified into energy limiting classes. This is where the number 3 that often appears on the labeling comes in and this number could equally be 1, 2 or 3. The number ‘refers to the energy limiting class of the particular device on which it appears. Ths information helps the design ‘engineer with cable and discrimination calculations. ‘Atypical example of the marking and other product information shown on mcbs is illustrated in figure 1. The rated current together with the instantaneous tripping symbol, in tis case C32, has to be readily visible when the circuit- breaker is installed. For small devices, other information can be put on the side or back of the circui-breaker. Circuit-breakers of B and C type, having rated current up to 40 A and short circut breaking capacities of 3, 45, 6 ‘and 10 kA, may be ciassified according to the limits within which their I2t characteristics lie. '2 represents the electrodynamic stress generated, which can force busbars apart and take cables off their cleats. '2tis proportional to the energy let through the device of which the thermal effects increase the conductor temperature and may, i not correctly assessed, resut in an upstream fuse element meting, leading to a loss of electrical supply. '2t s measured according to the specified tests in the standard (see table 1) for examples of maximum permissible values. ‘The crcut-breakers are classified into these energy-liitng classes to help the design engineers and installers with ‘selection. Frequently itis necessary to obtain discrimination with the fuse on the supply side and evaluate cable faut current protection. Energy imiting class 3 is in fact top of the class, providing the lowest energy let-through into the circuit. Engineers should be aware that these are maximum values. Frequently, mcbs will exceed the standard. For example, with the Hager 16 A 10 kA C-Type, [2t = 29 KAS; this is a ‘65% reduction in energy let-through when compared with the product standard, This information provides the ‘engineer with an accurate and time-saving tool for circutt design. ‘The following examples demonstrate the application of 12t in circuit design. Example 1: Fauit current discrimination case study BS 7671 provides the requirements for discrimination for electrical installations: ‘+ Reguiation 314-01-01 — every installation shall be divided into circuits as necessary to avoid danger and minimise incorwerience in the event of a faut; Lof3 9/2/2010 11:15 AMAs simple as 1,2,3 | Archive Titles | Building Intp://www building co.uk/as-simple-as-123/3043876 article 20f3 ‘= Reguiation 314-01-02 — due accourt shall be taken of the consequences of the operation of any single protective device; ‘* Reguiation 533-01-06 — where necessary to prevent danger, the characteristics and setting of a device for ‘overcurrent protection shall be such that any intended discrimination in its operation is achieved. From these reguiations itis clear that the continuity of electrical supply to circuits which are electrically sound could be considered essential in the evert of a fault on another circuit. Only the protective device closest to the fault operates, thus achieving discrimination. For fault currents, the discrimination of a circut-breaker, in relation to the fuse on the supply side, exists up to the ccurrert value, where the 12t value let through by the circuit- breaker is less than the pre-arcing I2t of the fuse. This can be shown mathematically Downstream mcb I2t let through < Upstream fuse pre-arcing I2t Information from the energy-limiting class can now be applied to figure 2. First, a quick check to verify compliance with Regulation 434-03-01 — breaking capacity shall not be less than the prospective fauit current. The mcb rated short circuit breaking capacity (len) is 10 kA ensuring full compliance. Referring to table 1, the I2t let through for the mcb is 84 KA2S. Now using the formula: ‘mcb let through < pre-arc fuse then 84 KAZS < 101 KA2S. ‘This proves that faut curent discrimination is achieved. Example 2: Cable protection study on final circult conductor In figure 2 “The circuit is unikely to carry overload current due to the characteristics of the load; therefore only fault current protection is required. Tris is endorsed in Reguation 473-01-04(i) ~ “devices for protection against overload need not be provided for a conductor, because of the characteristics of the load they are not likely to carry overload current”. ‘This may result in cost savings in conductor size as the design current is used to size its current carrying capacity, but voltage drop, protection against indirect contact and protection against faut current must also be checked. ‘We can assume for the final circut conductor in figure 2 that the current carrying capacity voltage drop and protection against indirect contact has been calculated, resutting in the selection of a 4 mm2 thermoplastics (pvc) ingulated copper conductor. Correction factors resut inthe IZ (current carrying capacity under installed conditions) being 14-4 A. This is less than the nominal rating of the mcb, but as protection against overload current need not be provided this will not deviate from the reguiations, ‘As the mcb is provided for fauit current protection only, we must ensure that it protects the conductors from thermal damage and fully complies with the fault current reguitions. Reguiation 434-03-03 provides the formula that can, as an approximation, be used for assessing protection against fault current: t= Kasai Where ts the maximum duration of faut current expressed in amperes; S is the nominal cross-sectional area of the ‘conductor in mm; | isthe value of fauit curent in amperes rms and k is a factor dependent upon the conductor and ‘neulation material ‘When the operating ime of the protective device is less than 0-1 seconds, where asymmetry of the current is of importance, the value of K2S2 forthe cable shall be greater than the I2 let through of the device as quoted by the ‘manufacturer. isnot the faut current squared mutiplied by the disconnection time. This canbe expressed mathematically as: k2S2 >I2t Itis necessary to determine the operating time and maximum let through energy of the mcb at minimum and 8/2/2010 11:15 AM‘As simple as 1,2,3 | Archive Titles | Building bntp://www.building.co.uk/as-simple-as-123/3043876article 30f3 ‘maximum fault curent and to ensure that the conductor can withstand the highest value (table 2). To calculate the thermal withstand of the 4 mm2 conductor we must extract the k factor from table 43A of the ‘eguiations. For a copper conductor with 70° thermoplastics (general purpose pvc) insulation this is 116. The k2S2 is therefore 1152 x 42 which equals 211 600. We can compare this value to the highest 12t value in table 2 to quickly and easily verify ful protection, since 211 600 AS > 84 000 A2S. Conclusion ‘BS EN 60898-1 has given extensive application and design information to the design engineer. From which source the design engineer extracts this information may be of commercial interest and consideration should be given to the following: « the values derived from the energy limiting class in the standard could be applied to any manufacturer's mcb in that class, requiring only one set of figures; ‘© mobs will often surpass the maximum values laid down in the standard resulting in lower let through energy. Incorporating this lower value into the circuit design coud lead to improved discrimination and cable protection providing a more economic design. Manufacturers’ data is normally easily availabe in tabular form, Whichever way engineers and contractors now view the number inthe litle square box they can appreciate that specifying an energy-limiting ciass 3 mcb will considerably reduce the thermal effects and electrodynamic forces created by large fault curents. Hager runs a free trairing seminar from its five regional centres to help full understanding of BS EN 60898-1. It ‘covers mcb labeling, tripping characteristics, energy-limitation class and their application in circuit design. Source: Electrical and Mechanical Contractor Postscript: Related company resources Paul Sayer IEng MIIE GCGI is technical standards manager for Hager. 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Rated short creut Energy imting Type, tatmaximum breaking capacity class 128 000 1 Bande | Nowmts i specitied 6000 2 ce 120000 8000 3 ic 42000 10.000 2 c + 290000 10.000 3 © | 84000 - Table 1 of 2 : Table 2: Minimum and maximum fault currents Table 2: Mina ane main fou cosets Faut Operatingtime ——tlettrough ‘zt tet through current fom manufacturer ftom manufacturer | energylimiing ww (ms) (28) class 3BS EN 60898 (A2S) Minimum | 10 | 9100 3 Matmum | 5 ‘84.000