BUS-BAR DESIGN

INTRODUCTION :

Bus-bars are current carrying conductors. They are designed to carry certain normal
current continuously. In this note OBJECTIVE is

(i) to design the bus-bars on the basis of treated normal current and permissible
temperature-rise,

(ii) to be able to check the suitability of a given bus-bar of the power panel.

BUS-BAR DESIGN :

The bus-bars are designed to carry certain rated normal current continuously within the
permissible rise in temperature. The value of cross-section so obtained is verified for
temperature rise under short time short-circuit current. This figure is further used from
the protection point of view while considering the relay setting. In fact, the relay should
be set such that under fault condition no damage is caused to these bus-bars.

Bus-bar conductors are separated on post insulators or strain insulators. These insulators
experience electrodynamics forces depending upon the current being handled. these
forces produce bending moments on the insulators. These bending moments, therefore,
become the ruling factor to decide the spacing between insulators (span).

The following factors are taken into consideration while designing a bus-bar :-

(i) Bus-bar material,

(iii) Cross-section of conductors,
(iii) Temperature rise during continuous normal current,
(iv) Temperature rise during short circuit current of 1 sec. of 3 sec.
(v) Design of insulator creepage distance and clearance,
(vi) Distance between phase conductors,
(vii) Force on insulators during peak short circuit current,
(viii) Span of insulators support, and
(ix) Enclosure design.

Copper and Aluminum are two preferred materials for electrical conductors. Considering
certain advantages of lightness, cost, resistance to corrosion, temperature coefficient of
resistance etc. Aluminum has got an edge cover copper. As such, most of the bus-bar
conductors now-a-days are of Aluminum (E 91-EWP Class).

Though a table has been prepared keeping certain parameter fixed (sec table-3) but to
select the cross-section of the bus-bar we may first have to find out the derating factors.

Derating factors depend on :

(i) Allowable bar temperature over an ambient of 35 C,
(ii) Enclosure of the bus-bar.
R. Sharma (BSNL Electrical Zone Patna) 2

Derations for these two factors are obtained from the table 1 & 2 given below and
multiplied to get the overall derating factors.

TABLE - 1

Temperature rise Rating factors

1. Bar temperature rise 40 C over ambient of 35 C 0.88
2. Bar temperature rise 30 C over ambient of 35 C 0.75

TABLE-2

(Cross sectional Derating factor

Enclosure area of bus-bar)/
(Total cross
sectional area of
Enclosure)
1. Outdoors <1% 0.95
<5% 0.90
< 10 % 0.85
2. Indoors where the enclosure itself is in <1% 0.85
a well - ventilated room <5% 0.75
< 10 % 0.65
3. Indoors where the enclosure itself is <1% 0.65
poorly ventilated ant the room <5% 0.60
temperature is high. < 10 % 0.50

After calculating the overall derating factor, the required current rating is obtained by
dividing the normal current rating by the overall derating factor. According to the
requires current rating we note down the cross-section of the conductor. Suitability of
this conductor depends upon the minimum size of the conductor required to withstand
the short circuit current within permissible temperature rise for the given duration.
Suppose the cross-sectional area obtained on the basis of derating factor is a Sq. cms.
and obtained on the basis of derating factor is a Sq. cms. and that on the basis of short
circuit withstand capacity be A Sq. cms. Obviously we are to select the cross-sectional
area which is nearer to the greater of the two (i.e. between a and A). Now we are
required to calculate the cross-sectional area of the conductor to withstand short circuit
current for a given duration within permissible temperature rise. Basic assumption made
here is that the heat produced due to a through short circuit current raises the temperature
of the conductor and none escapes by convection or radiation in the very short time of
the fault. By equating the heat produced and the heat stored it follows that for aluminium
alloy busbar.

4.276 SC T
A =
θ + 258
log10 F
θ I + 258
R. Sharma (BSNL Electrical Zone Patna) 3

Where,
A = Cross-sectional area of conductor (Sq. mm.)
T = Duration of fault (Sec)
θF = Final conductor temperature after the fault (C)
θI = Initial conductor temperature before the fault (C)
ISC = Short circuit current in kilo - Amp.

The above formula can further be simplified as follows :-

A = 13.88 ISC √T Sq. mm; upto 6.6 KV

13.7 ISC √T Sq. mm. ; for 11 KV

The insulators are selected by considering mechanical bending load occurring at that
instant of peak short circuit current. During short circuit the insulators supporting the
bus-bars experience a bending force and unless these insulators have enough cantilever
strength to withstand the dynamic force occurring during short circuits they will fail.

Let ISC be the short circuit current in KA & Ipeak be the peak short circuit current in KA,

Ipeak = 2.55 ISC

If L be the length of the bus-bars in metres and r be the phase to phase spacing (in
metres) then total force F developed in Kgf is

F = 2.04 I2peak x L/r X 10-5 Kgf.

Force per metre length on bus-bars,

2.04 X 10-5 I 2(peak)

F =
r

Let H be the height of insulator (in metre), Sk the cantilever strength insulator and L, the
span of insulators then

Sk
FX HXL =
(Factor of safety)

Bolting and clamping should be done by proper grades of steel or of alumimium alloy.
Typical properties for recommended material are

Tensile strength = 71 Kg/Sq. mm.

0.2 % Proof stress (minimum) = 52 Kg/Sq. mm.
Hardness = Brinell 200 minimum Rockwell B 93
minimum

Also absolute minimum contact pressure should be taken as 28 Kg/Sq. cm. and a
desirable minimum should be 56 Kg/Sq. cms.
R. Sharma (BSNL Electrical Zone Patna) 4

The washers (Plain and spring) should also be used. They should be aluminized or
electrogalvanised.

The following sizes are recommended :-

Bolt size (mm) Washer Dimension (mm)

O.D. I.D. Tickness
9.53 25.4 11.11 2.34
12./7 28.58 14.239 9.64
R. Sharma (BSNL Electrical Zone Patna) 5

TABLE-3

Cross Size of AL Current Ratings Short circuit with stand Weight of bus Typical Typical reactanc
sectional area bus bar capacity bar/length maximum d.c. Xa, at 305 mm
in Sq. mm (mm x mm) (Kg./m) resist. at 20 C spacing at 50 c/s
Single Double Tripple 2 Sec. 1 Sec.
bar bar bar in (KA) (in KA)
161.29 25.4 X 6.35 355 705 970 8.22 11.6 0.435 194.35 236.22
241.30 38.1 X 6.35 520 1020 1350 12.30 17.38 0.652 129.56 215.22
322.58 50.8 X 6.35 670 1290 1705 16.43 23.24 0.871 97.18 199.14
403.23 63.5 X 6.35 810 1510 2000 20.54 29.05 1.089 77.82 186.35
483.87 76.2 X 6.35 960 1740 2310 24.65 34.86 1.306 64.80 175.85
645.16 101.6 X 6.35 123 2140 2800 32.87 46.48 1.742 48.59 159.45
806.45 127.0 X 6.35 1505 2510 3240 41.08 58.10 2.177 38.88 146.00
967.74 152.4 X 6.35 1780 2860 3680 49.30 69.72 2.613 32.38 134.51
484.12 50.8 X 9.53 830 1500 1970 24.66 34.88 1.307 64.80 195.86
726.19 76.2 X 9.53 1180 2050 2660 37.00 52.32 1.961 43.18 174.21
968.25 101.6 X 9.53 1495 2480 3150 49.33 69.76 2.614 32.38 157.48
1210.31 127.0 X 9.53 1860 2930 3660 61.66 87.20 3.268 26.21 144.36
1452.37 152.4 X 9.53 2120 3340 4080 74.00 104.64 3.921 21.59 134.18
1936.50 203.2 X 9.53 2750 4150 4900 98.65 139.52 5.228 16.21 117.45
967.74 76.2 x 12.7 1355 2240 2830 49.30 69.72 2.613 32.38 170.93
1290.32 101.6 x 12.7 1740 2720 3360 65.73 92.96 3.848 24.28 155.84
1612.90 127.0 x 12.7 2080 3120 3900 82.17 116.20 8.355 19.42 143.04