Tampere University of Technology

Electrical Engineering
DEE-24106 Electric Power Systems
Exercise 3: Short-Circuit Fault Current Calculation

Exercise 3.1

Assume that the power circuit shown in Fig. 1 undergoes a three-phase-to-ground fault in
all three buses of the power circuit at different times. In each case calculate: (i) the short-
circuit fault current assuming a flat voltage profile of 1 p.u. in all buses just before the fault
occurs (i.e. system load is neglected) and zero fault impedance, i.e. Zf = 0+j0, (ii) the
faulted nodal voltages in all buses, in sequence quantities, (iii) the faulted nodal voltages
and the current flows in the two transmission lines in phase quantities but only for the case
when the short-circuit fault takes place at node 2.

Figure 1

Exercise 3.2

The power circuit shown in Fig. 2 undergoes a 2-phase fault in bus 2. (i) Calculate the
short-circuit fault currents assuming a flat voltage profile of 1 p.u. in all buses just before
the fault occurs and zero fault impedance, i.e. Zf = 0+j0, (ii) determine the faulted nodal
voltages in all buses, in sequence quantities and in phase quantities, (iii) calculate the
current flows in the three transmission lines, in sequence quantities and in phase quantities.
 Figure 2

Exercise 3.3

The power circuit shown in Fig. 3 undergoes a 1-phase to ground fault in bus 4. (i)
Calculate the short-circuit fault current assuming a flat voltage profile of 1 p.u. in all buses
just before the fault occurs and zero fault impedance, i.e. Zf = 0+j0. (ii) Determine the
faulted nodal voltages in all buses, in sequence quantities and in phase quantities. (iii)
Calculate the current flows in the two transmission lines and transformer, in sequence
quantities and in phase quantities.

Figure 3
Problem 3.1. Assume that the power circuit in this problem undergoes a three-phase-to-ground
fault in all three buses of the power circuit at different times.

(i) The positive sequence Thevenin equivalents as seen from buses 1, 2 and 3, respectively, are
shown below:

E= 1 p.u. 1

jX(1)=j0.1 p.u.

E= 1 p.u. 1 2 E= 1 p.u. 2

jX(1)=j0.1 p.u. jX(1)=j0.1 p.u. jX(1)=j0.2 p.u.

E= 1 p.u. 1 3 E= 1 p.u. 3

jX(1)=j0.1 p.u. jX(1)=j0.2 p.u. jX(1)=j0.3 p.u.

 The corresponding positive-sequence currents for the three-phase short-circuit faults taking
place at buses 1, 2 and 3, respectively, are:

1 p.u.
I SC(1),1    j10  10  90 p.u.
j0.1 p.u.
1 p.u.
I SC(1), 2    j5  5  90 p.u.
j0.2 p.u.
1 p.u.
I SC(1),3    j3.3333  3.3333   90 p.u.
j0.3 p.u.

(ii) The faulted nodal voltages, in sequence quantities, for the fault taking place at node 1, are:
E  V1(1) 1  V1(1)
I SC(1),1   j10    V1(1)  0 ; V2(1)  0 ; V3(1)  0
Z(1)g j0.1

For the fault taking place at node 2,

V1(1)  V2(1) V1(1)  0
I SC(1), 2   j5    V1(1)  0.5 p.u. ; V2(1)  0 ; V3(1)  0.5 p.u.
Z (1)tl,1 j0.1

For the fault taking place at node 3,

V1(1)  V3(1) V1(1)  0
I SC(1),3   j3.3333    V1(1)  0.6667 p.u. ; V2(1)  0.6667 p.u. ; V3(1)  0
Z (1)tl,2 j0.2

(iii) The nodal voltages and current flows in the two transmission lines in phase quantities, for
the case when the fault occurs at node 2, are:
V fa,1  1 1 1  0   0.50 
 b     
V f ,1   1 a a  0.5    0.5240   p.u.
2

V c  1 a a 2  0   0.51200  
 f ,1      
V fa, 2   0 
 b   
V f , 2    0 
V c   0 
 f ,2   
V fa,3   0.50 
 b   
V f ,3    0.5240   p.u.
V c   0.51200  
 f ,3   

 I af ,1  2  1 1 1  0   5  90  
 b      
 I f ,1  2   1 a a   j5    5150   p.u.
2

 I c  1 a a 2  0   530  
 f ,1  2      
 I af ,1  3   0 
 b   
 I f ,1  3    0 
 I c  0
 f ,1  3   
Problem 3.2. The nodal admittance matrices for positive and negative sequence parameters are
formed first:
  j25 j10 j5 
 
Y(1)   j10 - j13.3333 j3.3333  pu
 j5 j3.3333 - j8.3333

  j35 j10 j5 
 
Y( 2 )   j10 - j13.3333 j3.3333  pu
 j5 j3.3333 - j8.3333

and the nodal impedance matrices Z(1) and Z(2) are obtained by inversion of Y(1) and Y(2):
 j0.1 j0.1 j0.1 
 
Z (1)   j0.1 j0.1833 j0.1333 pu
 j0.1 j0.1333 j0.2333
 
 j0.05 j0.05 j0.05 
 
Z ( 2 )   j0.05 j0.1333 j0.0833 pu
 j0.05 j0.0833 j0.1833
 
(i) The short-circuit fault currents for a double phase fault at node 2 is:
1
I (1)   I ( 2 )    j3.1586 pu
j0.1833  j0.1333

 I ( a ), f  1 1 1  0   0 
      
 I ( b ), f   1 h h   j3.1586     5.4709  pu
2

I  1 h h 2  j3.1586   5.4709 

 ( c ), f  
(ii) The sequence nodal voltages are obtained using information of pre-fault voltages and fault
currents:
 V1,(1)  1  j0.1 j0.1 j0.1  0   0.6841
        
V2,(1)   1   j0.1 j0.1833 j0.1333 j3.1586   0.4210 pu
V  1  j0.1 j0.1333 j0.2333 0   0.5790
 3,(1)        
 V1,( 2 )   0   j0.05 j0.05 j0.05  0   0.1579 
        
V2,( 2 )    0    j0.05 j0.1333 j0.0833 - j3.1586   0.4210  pu
V   0   j0.05 j0.0833 j0.1833   0.2631
 3,( 2 )     0   
The nodal voltages in phase domain are:
 V1,( a )  1 1 1  0   0.8420   0.84200 
        
V1,( b )   1 h h  0.6841    0.4210  j0.4557    0.6204  132.73  pu
2

 V  1 h h 2  0.1579    0.4210  j0.4557   0.6204132.73 

 1,( c )  
V 2 , ( a )   1 1 1  0   0.8420   0.84200 
        
 V 2 ,( b )   1 h h  0.4210     0.4210    0.4210  180  pu
2

V   h 2  0.4210    0.4210   0.4210  180 

 2 ,( c )  1 h
V3,( a )  1 1 1  0   0.8421   0.84210 
        
V3,( b )   1 h h  0.5790     0.4210  j0.2736    0.5021  146.99  pu
2

 V  1 h h 2  0.2631   0.4210  j0.2736   0.5021146.99 

 3,( c )  
(iii) The current flows are:
(j0.2  j0.3)
I 1 2(1)   (  j3.1586)   j2.6322 pu
j0.1  ( j0.2  j0.3)
j0.1
I 13(1)  I 3 2 (1)   (  j3.1586)   j0.5264 pu
j0.1  ( j0.2  j0.3)
(j0.2  j0.3)
I 1 2 ( 2 )   ( j3.1586)  j2.6322 pu
j0.1  ( j0.2  j0.3)
j0.1
I 13( 2 )  I 3 2 ( 2 )   ( j3.1586)  j0.5264 pu
j0.1  ( j0.2  j0.3)
and
 I 1 2,( a )  1 1 1  0   0 
      
 I 1 2,( b )   1 h h   j2.6322     4.5591 pu
2

I   h 2  j2.6322   4.5591 

 1 2,( c )  1 h
 I 13,( a )   I 3 2,( a )  1 1 1  0   0 
        
 I 13,( b )    I 3 2,( b )   1 h h   j0.5264     0.9118 pu
2

I     h 2  j0.5264   0.9118 

 13,( c )   I 3 2,( c )  1 h
Problem 3.3. The power circuit of this problem undergoes a 1-phase to ground fault in bus 4. The
positive, negative and zero sequence nodal impedance matrices are established first:
 0+j0.1 0+j0.1 0+j0.1 0+j0.1 
 
0+j0.1 0+j0.2 0+j0.2 0+j0.2 
Z (1)  p.u.
 0+j0.1 0+j0.2 0+j0.3 0+j0.3 
 
 0+j0.1 0+j0.2 0+j0.3 0+j0.4 

 0+j0.05 0+j0.05 0+j0.05 0+j0.05 

 
0+j0.05 0+j0.15 0+j0.15 0+j0.15 
Z (2)  p.u.
 0+j0.05 0+j0.15 0+j0.25 0+j0.25 
 
 0+j0.05 0+j0.15 0+j0.25 0+j0.35 

 0+j0.1 0+j0.1 0 0 
 
 0+j0.1 0+j0.35 0 0 
Z (0)  p.u.
 0 0 0+j0.1 0+j0.1 
 
 0 0 0+j0.1 0+j0.35 
(i) The short-circuit fault current assuming a flat voltage profile of 1 p.u. in all buses just before
the fault occurs and zero fault impedance are:
1  j0
I sc(1)  I sc(2)  I sc(0)   0  j0.909  0.909  90 p.u.
(0  j0.4)  (0  j0.35)  (0  j0.35)
(ii) The faulted nodal voltages in all buses, in sequence quantities and in phase quantities are:
 V1,(1)  1  j0.1 j0.1 j0.1 j0.1  0   0.9091
        
V2,(1)  1  j0.1 j0.2 j0.2 j0.2  0   0.8182 
V   1   j0.1 j0.2 j0.3

j0.3  0   0.7273
pu
 3,(1)        
V  1  j0.1 j0.2 j0.4  j0.909   0.6364 
 4,(1)     j0.3

 V1,( 2 )   0   j0.05 j0.05 j0.05 j0.05 0    0.04545

        
V2,( 2 )   0   j0.05 j0.15 j0.15 j0.15 0    0.13635
V    0    j0.05 j0.15

j0.25 j0.25 0    0.22725
pu
 3,( 2 )        
V     j0.25 j0.35 j0.909    0.31815
 4,( 2 )   0   j0.05 j0.15

 V1,( 0 )   0   j0.1 j0.1 0 0  0   0 

        
V2,( 0 )   0   j0.1 j0.35 0 0  0   0 
V    0    0 0 j0.1 j0.1   0  
 0.0909 
pu
 3,( 0 )
       
V   0   0 j0.1 j0.35 j0.909    0.31815
 4 ,( 0 )     0
  V1( a )  1 1 1  0   0.8637  j0   0.86370 
        
 V1(b )   1 h h  0.9091    0.4318  j0.8267    0.9327  117.58  p.u.
2

 V1( c )  1 h h 2      
    0.04545   0.4318  j0.8267   0.9327117.58 

 V2( a )  1 1 1  0   0.6819  j0   0.68190 

        
 V2( b )   1 h h  0.8182    0.3409  j0.8267    0.8942  112.41  p.u.
2

 V2( c )  1 h h 2      
    0.13635   0.3409  j0.8267   0.8942112.41 

 V3( a )  1 1 1   0.0909   0.4091  j0   0.40910 

        
 V3( b )   1 h h   0.7273    0.3409  j0.8267    0.8942  112.41  p.u.
2

 V3( c )  1 h h 2   0.22725   0.3409  j0.8267   0.8942112.41 

  

 V4( a )  1 1 1   0.31815   0   0 
        
 V4( b )   1 h h   0.6364    0.4773  j0.8267    0.9545  120  p.u.
2

 V4( c )  1 h h 2   0.31815   0.4773  j0.8267   0.9545120 

  
(iii) The current flows in the two transmission lines and transformer, in sequence quantities and in
phase quantities are:
0.9091  0.8182
I12(1)    j0.909 p.u.
j0.1
0.7273  0.6364
I 34(1)    j0.909 p.u.
j0.1

0.0455  0.1364
I12(2)    j0.909 p.u.
j0.1
0.2273  0.3182
I 34(2)    j0.909 p.u.
j0.1

I12(0)  0 p.u.
0.0909  0.3182
I 34(0)    j0.909 p.u.
j0.25
 I12( a )  1 1 1  0    j1.818 
      
 I12(b )   1 h h   j0.909    j0.909  p.u.
2

 I12( c )  1 h h 2    
     j0.909   j0.909 

 I 34( a )  1 1 1   j0.909    j2.727 

      
 I 34(b )   1 h h   j0.909    0  p.u.
2

 I 34( c )  1 h h 2    
     j0.909   0 