Date: February 2002

Primary Author: Carl Schneider

ANSI/IEEE, NEMA and UL Switchgear

General Overview

The predominant standards in North America for electrical equipment are

ANSI/IEEE, NEMA, and UL. These standards organizations all have the same goal,
which is promoting the manufacture and application of safe and reliable electric
products that have comparable ratings and features. Each organization has a
different background and focus, which can result in some differences in
requirements between the standards. This in turn will lead to differences in ratings
and construction for products designed to different standards. This can lead to
confusion when there is a line-up of equipment that has products covered by
different standards all bolted together into a single final assembly. One such
instance can be found in line-ups of medium-voltage controllers and switchgear. It is
quite common for a main-tie-main arrangement of medium-voltage switchgear
(metal enclosed load interrupter switches or metalclad circuit breakers) to be
connected to medium-voltage controllers (usually motor controllers) in a contiguous
line-up. Even though they form a single assembly, with a common bus energized to
the same applied system voltage, there are different standards for each of these
products. Currently, medium-voltage switchgear is covered in the ANSI/IEEE C37
series of standards while medium-voltage controllers are covered by NEMA SC3
part 2 and UL 347.

Different Fault Ratings

Based on the ANSI/IEEE standards, the bus in medium-voltage switchgear

structures will have been design tested for fault currents (typically 25kA, 40kA,
“Electrical Shortz” 50kA, or 63kA symmetrical) with a duration of 2 seconds. The controller bus, on the
are produced by the other hand, will have been design tested per the NEMA & UL standards for the peak
SENA Codes and
Standards Group and let-through time and current of the installed current limiting fuses. These current-
are intended for limiting fuses are designed to clear faults up to 50kA symmetrical. At the highest
internal use only.
currents, this clearing occurs in the first half cycle of the fault.
These documents
only provide general
guidance on the Different Spacings
specific issue.
Circumstances
regarding particular Along with different fault ratings for the bus for each equipment category, you are
installation issues also likely to find different phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground spacings for
may need further
consideration. controllers compared to switchgear. There are other differences in standards
requirements between these product categories that are too numerous to be
addressed here.
Keywords:
ANSI, IEEE, When medium-voltage controllers or switchgear are installed individually there is not
NEMA, much confusion. However, when Medium-voltage controllers and switchgear are
controller,
switchgear, Additional References: ANSI/IEEE C37, NEMA SC3 Part 2, UL 347
lineup, motor,
control

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 ANSI/IEEE, NEMA and UL Switchgear
connected together there exists a bus whose fault ratings and spacings can vary
from one section to the next. How did this come about? Is this a concern? The
answer to the first question lies in the history and functionality differences of the
different product types.

Why the Differences?

Switchgear fault current rating background

The two second short-circuit duration for medium-voltage metalclad switchgear

was picked years ago based on the maximum relaying delay for circuit breakers.
This is to allow for coordination of upstream and downstream circuit breakers in a
distribution system. Metal enclosed load interrupter switches are strictly
distribution products that are often included in these same distribution systems.
Because of this and their common ANSI/IEEE background, metal enclosed
switchgear is also design tested to two seconds. The multiple fault current levels
are tied to the interrupting ratings of the installed circuit breakers.

Controller fault current rating background

Medium-voltage controllers are by definition a control product. They and their

standards are a derivative of low-voltage motor controllers, hence the NEMA &
UL standards instead of ANSI/IEEE. Unlike circuit breakers, which are intended to
interrupt load, overload, and fault currents, medium-voltage controllers are
designed around contactors. The interrupting rating of contactors is much lower
than circuit breakers and intended to open load and overload currents. Contactors
are instead designed for the much heavier duty cycle of a typical motor controller.
To provide fault protection, medium-voltage controllers employ current limiting
fuses to interrupt loads above the contactor interrupting rating. When there is a
large fault on the load side of a medium-voltage controller, the clearing of the
current limiting fuses also limits the amount of time this current would be seen by
the controller bus. Therefore, the design tests specified in the NEMA & UL
standards have no separate longer time duration requirements for testing the
controller bus. The 50kA symmetrical rating is tied to interrupting rating of current
limiting fuse.

Spacings Differences Explained

Medium-voltage controllers are currently only designed to a maximum 7.2kV

rated voltage, which requires spacings that will pass a 60kV BIL test. Medium-
voltage switchgear that would be lined-up with these controller are often based on
designs that are rated up to a maximum 15kV rated voltage which requires
spacings that pass a 95kV BIL test. Therefore, the spacings are often going to be
different between product categories.

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 ANSI/IEEE, NEMA and UL Switchgear
Recommendations
Is any of this a concern? Not as long as the different design ratings and
construction designs are taken into account. For instance, it would be advisable
to try to avoid having a bus within medium-voltage controller sections feed a
metalclad circuit breaker or unfused switch that could subject that controller bus
to fault currents for any significant duration. See the one-lines below for
examples of arrangements that recommended and not recommended.

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 ANSI/IEEE, NEMA and UL Switchgear

Summary
The most important consideration is to insure that the equipment is installed in a
system where the available fault current or system voltage is not greater than the
rating of that equipment. Fortunately, most specifications separate the
requirements for different product designs. This allows the specifier to reference
only the standards relevant for a particular product (e.g. don’t specify a
ANSI/IEEE C37 medium-voltage controller) and to customized the requirements
and ratings of each product for the particular application.

There are numerous other instances of inter-connected equipment that have

different ratings and/or construction based on their functionality and individual
standards requirements. The key in any of these situations is to understand the
design and ratings of all the electrical equipment being specified for an
installation and make sure that they meet the requirements of the application
both individually and as an integrated system. Becoming familiar with the
relevant standards for each of these products is a big step towards reaching this
understanding.

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