Coordination of LV

Protection Devices

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Co-ordination protection

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The availability of electrical energy
and the LV protection plan

Continuity of Cost of the

electrical electrical
Customer needs energy supply installation

Co-ordination of
protection devices:
discrimination, cascading
Protection Plan & constraint limitation

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LV co-ordination techniques
Optimising LV electrical distribution
through 3 actions at the Protection Plan Level
> 1 - discrimination to guarantee continuity of supply

> 2 - limitation to reduce constraints

> 3 - cascading to optimise performances

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Co-ordination of protection devices 1/3
1 - Discrimination

> Whatever the fault:

> overload
> short-circuit A

> insulation fault

only the circuit-breaker located just upstream from
the fault trips
B C

> 4 types of discrimination

> current
> time
> energy
> logic
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LV discrimination techniques
> Discrimination limit Is
> Is represents the fault current
- From which the 2 breakers trip IcuD1
- Before which only the downstream breaker trips
> Quality of discrimination IcuD2
> Comparison of the discrimination limit Is
to the presumed short-circuit current Isc
determines the quality of discrimination
> Total discrimination: Is > Isc
> Partial discrimination: Is < Isc
> Manufacturers catalog data: only D2 trips D1 and D2 trip
> Total discrimination: Is = IcuD2
> Partial discrimination: limited to Is < IcuD2
> Is is the intersection of D1 and D2 tripping curves

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Current discrimination
> Linked to the natural staging of Long Delay curves of the association
> discrimination limit Is = Isd1

> discrimination technique generally used in Final Distribution

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Time discrimination

> Time delay Dt of the upstream circuit-breaker’s short delay CR tripping

> extension of current safety Is = Ii1 (= Icw1)

> discrimination technique generally used on the incoming end of the installation
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 Logic discrimination (ZSI)
> Circuit-breakers fitted out with electronic trip units
> a pilot wire between upstream / downstream
circuit-breakers
> no threshold rules
> Implementation:
> The trip unit of the breaker located directly
upstream(D3)
- gives the order to trip the breaker
- send a signal to its upstream breaker (D2) to
prevent its tripping
> The upstream breaker (D2)
- delay its tripping due to the signal sent by D3
- send a signal to its upstream breaker (D1) to prevent its tripping
- will trip only if the fault has not been eliminated after the delay
> This technique
> is easily implemented
> reduces to a minimum constraints from delayed tripping of time discrimination
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Energy discrimination

Roto-active breaking: repulsion of contacts Roto-active breaking: tripping by pressure

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Energy discrimination

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Discrimination

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Discrimination
◼ Abstracted example of discrimination tables :

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Co-ordination of protection devices 2/3
2 - limitation

> The limiting capacity of a circuit

breaker is its aptitude to let through
a current, during a short-circuit, that
is less than the prospective short-
circuit current.

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Co-ordination of protection devices 2/3
2 - limitation

1. Longer service life of electrical installations

Current-limiting circuit breakers greatly reduce the negative effects of short-circuits on installations.

2. Thermal effects

Less temperature rise in conductors, therefore longer service life for cables.

3. Mechanical effects

Reduced electrodynamic forces, therefore less risk of electrical contacts or busbars being deformed or
broken.

4. Electromagnetic effects

Fewer disturbances for measuring devices located near electrical circuits.

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Co-ordination of protection devices 2/3
2 - limitation

➢ Current limiting curves

Example
What is the real value of a 150 kA rms
prospective short-circuit (i.e. 330 kA peak)
limited by an NSX250L upstream ?

The answer is 30 kA peak

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Co-ordination of protection devices 2/3
2 - limitation

➢ Energy limiting curves

Example

Is a Cu/PVC cable with a CSA of 10 mm²

adequately protected by an NSX160F?

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Co-ordination of protection devices 2/3
2 - limitation
➢ Energy limiting curves
Maximum permissible cable stresses
The table below indicates the maximum permissible thermal stresses for cables depending on their
insulation, conductor (Cu or Al) and their cross-sectional area (CSA). CSA values are given in mm² and
thermal stresses in A2s.

• The table above indicates that the permissible stress is 1.32x106 A2s.
• All short-circuit currents at the point where an NSX160F (Icu = 35 kA) is installed are limited with a
thermal stress less than 6x105 A2s. (look at the CB energy limiting curve)
• Cable protection is therefore ensured up to the limit of the breaking capacity of the circuit
breaker.
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La coordination des protections 3/3
3 - Cascading

▪ Cascading is a technique directly derived from current

limiting. No priority
feeder

▪ Circuit breakers with breaking capacities less than the

prospective short-circuit current may be installed
downstream of a limiting circuit breaker.
▪ The breaking capacity is reinforced by the limiting
capacity of the upstream device.
▪ It follows that substantial savings can be made on
downstream equipment and enclosures.

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Cascading
➢ Example abstracts from cascading tables for a network 380/415 V :

Cascading between NSX250L & iC60N:

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Cascading in practice

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Cascading ….in practice !!
source ❑ Primary substation: 2 x 1600kVA = 3.2 MVA

2880A ❑ 400V

MLVS ❑ System earthing arrangement: TNS

Isc 81kA

250A
30m Selection of the devices required:
of cable
❑ Manual approach:
1) Standard selection of circuit breakers and ratings

panelboard
Isc 27kA … 2) Implementation of cascading

… 3) Checking selectivity

30A ❑ Software approach

10 office feeders

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Standard choice of the main LV switchboard
circuit breaker
source

MLVS
Isc 81kA
Manufacturer
catalogue
250A

…
…

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Standard choice of feeder circuit breakers
number rating type curve magnetic breaking capacity at 415V
of poles threshold (kA)
In
16 25 36 50

10..32..80

NG 125 H
Panelboard
Isc27kA
Isc 27kA …
…
catalogue
30A
10 office feeders

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Now, with implementation of cascading

The NG 125 H is replaced by a smaller device: the iC60 N Manufacturer technical data
sheets
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Checking for
selectivity
MLVS

NS250L

Isc
Isc27kA
27kA

iC60N

10 office feeders
Total Up graded
selectivity
30/30 Cascading
Up to (kA) Breaking
… capacity (kA)
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selectivity 100% guaranteed
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