Selective Coordination

Streamlining System Design

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Smart design and expert guidance for meeting regulatory requirements

Certain electrical power system designs need to ensure that the selection and setting of protective devices be done in such a manner as to cause the smallest possible portion of the system to be de-energized due to an abnormal condition. In a selectively coordinated system, only the circuit breaker that directly supplies the overloaded/faulted part of the system will trip, limiting the service interruption to only the circuit experiencing the problem and not shutting down the larger portion of the power system.
Achieving Selective Coordination
Designing a coordinated electrical distribution system requires knowledge about the application and circuit breakers being specified. Considering selective coordination early in the design phase will make the process easier and more cost-effective. Conducting a comprehensive short-circuit current study and an overcurrent coordination study of the electrical power system is the only true method of achieving selective coordination and equipment protection. The following actions help simplify the creation of compliant systems that meet NEC requirements for selective coordination.

Step One: Short-Circuit Current Study

Short-circuit current studies consist of determining the prospective shortcircuit currents available at all points in the system, when fed from both the normal and alternate power sources. It is helpful to label the nodes of the system with prospective current levels to aid in proper selection of the circuit breakers.

The overcurrent coordination study is a comparison of the time it takes the individual devices to operate when certain levels of normal or abnormal current pass through the protective devices. The objective of a coordination study is to determine the characteristics, ratings, and settings of overcurrent protective devices that help ensure the minimum unfaulted load is interrupted when the protective devices isolate a fault or overload anywhere in the system. At the same time, the devices and settings selected should provide satisfactory protection against overloads on the equipment and interrupt short circuits as rapidly as possible.

Step Two: Overcurrent Coordination Study

Dynamic Impedance Effect Between Circuit Breakers

CURRENT IN AMPERES 10 1000 100 K 100 10 K 1K

1000

Step Three: Short-Circuit Coordination Tables

100

100

Time-current curves graphically represent the trip time compared to current levels for a single protective device. In an electrical system, each circuit is fed by two or more circuit breakers from the source to the branch (load). During a fault which causes a circuit breaker to operate in its instantaneous tripping region, the circuit breaker adds a dynamic impedance to the circuit. This can affect the tripping times of upstream circuit breakers and it is impossible to chart these interactions on a single time-current curve. Much like the fuse manufacturers fuse ratio tables, Schneider Electric publishes short-circuit coordination tables to provide advanced information on the interaction of circuit breakers to allow appropriate selection.

CB PM1

10

CB B1

These tables should be consulted when overlap of the instantaneous trip characteristics of two circuit breakers is observed on their time-current curves. Short-circuit coordination tables provide the tested levels of coordination between two circuit breakers in a series. Taking into account dynamic impedance, where circuit breakers limit the prospective flow of current that upstream circuit breakers register as a downstream fault, the level of coordination between two circuit breakers in series may be greater than what their individual time-current characteristic curves indicate. By using our coordination tables, achieving higher levels of selective coordination is possible.
FPO
TIME IN SECONDS

10

CB B1 and CB PM1 coordinate up to the available fault current of 25 kA, despite what time-current curves show, due to dynamic impedance effects.

0.10

0.10

Schneider Electric offers an online Selective Coordination Analysis Tool that assists users in selecting coordinated breakers on two- or three-tier systems. Visit www.schneider-electric.us/go/consultants and look for the Selective Coordination Analysis Tool under Resources.

0.01 100 1K 10 100 K 10 K

0.01

CB B1, CB PM1 Coordination through 2.0 kA

FPO Actual Tested Combination 21.6 kA

Additional Design Resources From the expertise of our Consulting Engineer Specialists to downloadable white papers from our Design Resource Center, www.schneider-electric.us/go/consultants, Schneider Electric can provide expert technical advice to aid in the development of compliant system designs. Additionally, we provide our circuit breaker tested combinations to electrical engineer software manufacturers, making them available on time-current curve overlays for easier device selection and system design.

Meeting Selective Coordination Code Requirements

Schneider Electric delivers the industry experience, technical knowledge, application expertise, market-focused products, and expert service support to meet your selective coordination design needs.

For more information

Contact us today for your next selective coordination design project at www.schneider-electric.us/go/consultants

Schneider Electric USA

1415 S. Roselle Road Palatine, IL 60067 Tel: 847-397-2600 Fax: 847-925-7500 www.schneider-electric.com/us Document Number 0100BR0801R10/12

November 2012

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