TON DUC THANG UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ELECTRICAL AND

ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

401068
ELECTRICAL SUPPLY
:CHAPTER 6: LV SWITCHGEAR
FUNCTION & SELECTION

Tran Dinh Cuong, MSc

 CHAPTER 6: LV SWITCHGEAR:
FUNCTION AND SELECTION
6.1 The basic functions of the switchgear
6.2 The switchgear
6.3 Choice of switchgear
6.4 Check the selectivity and adjust of
switchgear

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 OBJECTIVES

 Understand about the switchgear &

protective devices
 Calculate and select the switchgear &

protective devices
 Check the selectivity and adjust of

protective devices

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 OUTCOMES
 Explain the basic components and functions, parameters of equipment,
wires, characteristic of electrical loads, calculation formulae in electrical
field
 Evaluate the suitability of diagrams to design the circuits in the low
voltage system
 Apply knowledge to calculate and select nominal parameters of wires,
cables, electrical equipments.
 Appraise the suitability of types wire, cable to solve the practical
requirements of electrical networks in the low voltage system.
 Evaluate the characteristic of the electrical system to select appropriate
protection devices for fault conditions.
 Select improvement methods for the protection system.
 Coordinate effective teamwork
 Build the plan for more effective time and resources management

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 6.1 THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF
THE SWITCHGEAR

6.1.1 Electrical protection

 Protection of circuit elements against the
thermal and mechanical stresses of short-circuit
currents
 Protection of persons in the event of
insulation failure
 Protection of appliances and apparatus being
supplied (e.g. motors, etc.)

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 6.1 THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF
THE SWITCHGEAR

6.1.2 Isolation
 All poles of a circuit, including the neutral (except
where the neutral is a PEN conductor)
 It must be provided with a locking system in open
position with a key (e.g. by means of a padlock)
 It must comply with a recognized national or
international standard

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 6.1 THE BASIC FUNCTIONS OF
THE SWITCHGEAR

6.1.3 Switchgear control

 Functional control
 At the origin of any installation
 At the final load circuit or circuits (one switch may control
several loads)
 Emergency switching
 Maintenance operations on the power system

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

6.2.1 Disconnector (or isolator):

 DS

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 LBS

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

6.2.2 Fuses

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

6.2.3 Contactor

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

6.2.4 Circuit-breaker ( CB )
 MCB

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 MCCB

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR
 ACB

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR
 RCD

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

6.2.5 Combined switchgear elements

 Switch and fuse combinations

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 Fuse – disconnector + discontactor

 Circuit-breaker + contactor
 Circuit-breaker + discontactor

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 ATS

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 UPS:
 Offline

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 UPS:
 Online

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 Thermal relays:

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

 Contactor - Thermal relays:

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR
 CB - Contactor
- Thermal relays:

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 6.2 THE SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

6.3.1 Disconnector selection

 Phase :
 Poles :
 Rated voltage :
 Rated current :
 ..

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

6.3.2 Fuse selection

 Two classes of LV cartridge fuse are very
widely used:
 For domestic and similar installations type gG
 For industrial installations type gG, gM or aM
 Student refer [1]: H6 – H10

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

6.3.3 Contactor selection

 The contactor is a solenoid-operated switching
device which is generally held closed by (a
reduced) current through the closing solenoid
 Contactors are designed to carry out numerous
close/open cycles and are commonly controlled
remotely by on-off pushbuttons
 Student refer [1]: H6

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

6.3.4 Circuit-breaker (CB) selection

 The circuit-breaker/disconnector fulfills all of the
basic switchgear functions, while, by means of
accessories, numerous other possibilities exist
 Industrial circuit-breakers must comply with : IEC
60947-1 and 60947-2 or other equivalent standards
 Domestic-type circuit-breakers must comply with
IEC standard 60898, or an equivalent national
standard

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

Fundamental characteristics of a circuit-breaker

 Rated operational voltage (Ue)

 Rated current (In)

 Frame-size rating

 Overload relay trip-current setting (Irth or Ir)

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

Fundamental characteristics of a circuit-breaker

 Short-circuit relay trip-current setting (Im)

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR
 Rated short-circuit
breaking capacity
(Icu or Icn)

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

Fundamental characteristics of a circuit-breaker

 Rated service short-circuit breaking capacity (Ics) -

Refer [1]: H16

 …

Choice of a circuit-breaker. Refer [1]: H18 – H22

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 6.3 CHOICE OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR
 6.4.1 The cascading technique
 Discrimination may be total or partial, and based on
the principles of current levels, or time-delays, or a
combination of both.

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR
6.4.2 Protection against overload
 In ( or Ir) > IB
 Lighting or general circuits : In = 1.1 IB
 Motor circuits : In = (1.6 – 2.2) IB

Example

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR
6.4.3 Protection against short-circuit currents

 Im < IN1
 Isc > IN3

Example:

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR
 6.4.4 Compare technical solutions
 Protection against overload : discrimination
based on current levels
 This method is realized by setting successive tripping
thresholds at stepped levels, from downstream relays
(lower settings) towards the source (higher settings)
 Discrimination is total or partial, depending on particular
conditions, as noted above
 As a rule of thumb, discrimination is achieved when:
IrA/IrB > 2

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR
 Protection against low level short-circuit
currents : discrimination based on stepped time
delays
 This method is implemented by adjusting the time-
delayed tripping units

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 6.4 CHECK THE SELECTIVITY
AND ADJUST OF SWITCHGEAR
 Discrimination based on a combination of the
two previous methods
 A time-delay added to a current level scheme.
 The upstream CB has two high-speed magnetic tripping
thresholds:

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 SUMMARY AND ASSIGNMENTS
 In this chapter, we have learnt:
 The basic functions of the switchgear : DS, LBS,
Fuses, Contactor, CB
 Choice of switchgear
 ASSIGNMENTS:
 Refer: [1]: H1; [2]: H1 ;
 Do exercises next slide
 Write a report

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 EXERCISES

1/ Single phase motor: Pn = 3 (kW), Un = 220

(V), cos𝜑 = 0.82 .Select Fuse and CB of
motor ?
2/ Three phase motor: Pn = 100 (kW), Un = 380
(V), cos𝜑 = 0.88 . Select Fuse and CB of
motor ?
3/ The building have 10 storeys with 50
customers, each having 4 kVA of installed
load. Select CB to MSB of the building ?

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