The ABB Guide to

Circuit Breaker Selection for Generator protection

TABLE 1 - 400V TABLE 2 - 440V TABLE 3 - 500V TABLE 4 - 690V
Srg [kVA] MCB MCCB ACB Srg [kVA] MCB MCCB ACB Srg [kVA] MCB MCCB ACB Srg [kVA] MCB MCCB ACB
4 S20L/S260 B6 4 S20L/S260 B6 4 4
6 T2 160 In=10 6 S20L/S260 B8 T2 160 In=10 6 T2 160 In=10 6
S20L/S260 B10
7 7 S20L/S260 B10 7 7 T2 160 In=10
9 S20L/S260 B13 9 S20L/S260 B13 9 9
11 S20L/S260 B16 11 S20L/S260 B16 11 11
T2 160 In=25 T2 160 In=25
14 14 S20L/S260 B20 14 T2 160 In=25 14
S20L/S260 B25
17 17 S20L/S260 B25 17 17
19 19 19 19
T2 160 In=25
21 S20L/S260 B32 21 S20L/S26 B32 21 21
22 22 22 22
28 28 S20L/S260 B40 28 28
S20L/S260 B50 T2 160 In=63
31 31 31 31
S20L/S260 B50 T2 160 In=63
35 35 35 35
T2 160 In=63
38 S20L/S260 B63 38 38 38
42 42 S20L/S260 B63 42 42
T2 160 In=63
44 44 44 44
48 S280 B80 48 48 48
T2 160 In=100 S280 B80
55 55 55 55
T2 160 In=100
69 S280 B100 69 S280 B100 69 T2 160 In=100 69
80 80 80 80
T2 160 In=160 T2 160 In=160
87 87 87 87
T2 160 In=100
100 T2 160 100 100 100
T2 160 In=160 T2 160 In=160
111 111 111 111
T4 250
138 138 T4 250 138 138
159 T3 250 159 T3 250 159 T3 250 159 T2 160 In=160
173 T4 250 173 T4 250 173 T4 250 173
180 180 180 180
T3 250
190 190 190 T4 250 190
T4 320
208 208 T4 320 208 208
218 218 218 218
T4 250
242 242 242 T4 320 242
T5 400
277 277 T5 400 277 277
308 308 308 308
311 311 311 T5 400 311
T5 630 T4 320
346 346 T5 630 346 346
S6 800
381 381 S6 800 381 381
415 415 415 T3 630 415
T5 400
436 436 436 S6 800 436
484 S6 800 484 S6 800 484 484 T5 630
554 S7 1250 554 S7 1000 554 S6 800 554
T5 630
692 E1/E2 1250 692 E1/E2 1250 692 S7 1250 E1/E2 1250 692 E 1800
S7 1000 S6 800
727 S7 1250 727 727 727
S7 1250
865 E1/E2/E3 1600 865 S7 1250 865 865 S6 800
1107 S7 1600 E2/E3 2000 1107 S7 1600 E1/E2/E3 1600 1107 S7 1600 E1/E2/E3 1600 1107 S7 1000 E1/E2 1250
1730 E3 3200 1730 E3 2500 1730 S8 2500 E3 2500 1730 S7 1600 E1/E2/E3 1600
2180 S8 3200 E3 3200/E4 4000 2180 S8 3200 2180 2180
E2 2000
2214 2214 E3 3200 2214 2214
S8 3200 E3 3200 E3 2500
2250 E4 4000 2250 2250 2250 S8 2500
2500 2500 E4 3600 2500 2500
E3 2500
2800 2800 E4 4000 2800 2800
E4 4000
3150 E6 5000/6300 3150 3150 3150
E6 5000/6300 S8 3200 E3 3200
3500 3500 3500 E6 5000/6300 3500

N.B. It is always advisable to check that the settings of the releases are correct with respect to the effective decrement curve of the generator to be protected N.B. It is always advisable to check that the settings of the releases are correct with respect to the effective decrement curve of the generator to be protected N.B. It is always advisable to check that the settings of the releases are correct with respect to the effective decrement curve of the generator to be protected N.B. It is always advisable to check that the settings of the releases are correct with respect to the effective decrement curve of the generator to be protected

Protection and switching of generators Example

The need to guarantee an ever greater continuity of service has let to an increase in the 2 a transitory phase: may last up to some seconds (0.5-2.5s) and is characterised by the The circuit breaker for the protection of the generator shall be selected according to the As the short-circuit contribution from the network is normally greater than the contribution Protection of a generator with Srg = 100kVA, in a system with a rated voltage 440V
use of emergency supply generators, either as an alternative to, or in parallel with, the transitory reactance X’d (15-40% of the rated impedance value) and by the transitory time following criteria; from the generator.
The generator parameters are: Ur = 440 V
• the set current higher than the rated current of the generator: Irg ≥ Ikg
public utility supply network. constant T’d (0.03-2.5s)
• for circuit-breakers with thermo-magnetic releases, low magnetic trip threshold: Srg + 100kVA
Typical configurations include: 3 a synchronous phase: may persist until the tripping of external protection, and is I3 = 2.5-3 · In F = 50Hz
• breaking capacity Icu or Ics higher than the maximum value of short-circuit current at the
characterised by the synchronous reactance Xd (80-300% of the rated impedance value) Irg = 131.2A
• ‘island supply’ (independent functioning) of the priority loads where the public supply fails installation point: • for circuit breakers with electronic releases:
X”d = 6.5% (subtransient reactance)
• - in the case of a single generator: Icu (Ics) ≥ higher than the maximum value of short-circuit
As a first approximation, it can be estimated that the maximum value of the short-circuit current
• parallel supply to the user installation alongside the public supply network - trip threshold of the delayed short-circuit protection function (S), set between 1.5 and X’d = 17.6% (transient reactance)
of a generator, with rated power Srg at the rated voltage of the installation Ur is equal to:
current at the installation point: 4 times the rated current of the generator, in such a way as to intercept the decrement Xd = 230% (synchronous reactance)
Unlike the public supply network, which has a constant contribution where a short-circuit I . 100
• in the case of a single generator: Icu (Ics) ≥ Ikg
curve of the generator; I2 = (1.5-4)Irg; if the function S is not present, function I can be T”d = 5.5 ms (subtransient time constant)
occurs, the current supplied by the generator is a function of the parameters of the machine Ikg = rg set at the indicated values I3 = (1.5-4)Irg T’d = 39.3ms (transient time constant)
X”d%
• in the case of n identical generators in parallel: Icu (Ics) ≥ Ikg (n-1)
itself, and decreases with time. It is possible to identify the successive phases:
- trip threshold of the delayed short-circuit protection function (I3) set at a value greater
• in the case of operation in parallel with the network: Icu(Ics) ≥ IkNet
1 a subtransient phase; with a brief duration (10-50ms), characterized by the subtransient Where Irg is the rated current of the generator: From Table 2, an ABB SACE T2N160 circuit breaker is selected, with In = 160 A, with electronic release PR221-LS.
than the rated short-circuit current of the generator, so as to achieve discrimination
reactance X”d (5-20% of the rated impedance value) and by the subtransient time constant Srg For correct protection of the generator, the following settings are selected:

√3 . U
Irg = with the devices installed downstream, and to allow fast tripping in the event of a
T”d (5-30ms) Function L: 0.84 x In, corresponding to 134.4 A, value greater than Irg
short-circuit upstream of the device (working in parallel with other generators or with
the network): I3 ≥ Ikg
r Function I: 1.5 x In.

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