Abstract of over current Protection of

Transformer (NEC 450.3)
September 18, 2012 8 Comments

Introduction:
 The over current protection required for transformers is consider for Protection of
Transformer only.Such over current protection will not necessarily protect the primary or
secondary conductors or equipment connected on the secondary side of the transformer.
 When voltage is switched on to energize a transformer, the transformer core normally
saturates. This results in a large inrush current which is greatest during the first half cycle
(approximately0.01 second) and becomes progressively less severe over the next several
cycles (approximately 1 second) until the transformer reaches its normal magnetizing
current.
 To accommodate this inrush current, fuses are often selected which have time-current
withstand values of at least 12 times transformer primary rated current for 0.1 second and
25 times for 0.01 second. Some small dry-type transformers may have substantially
greater inrush currents.
 To avoid using over sized conductors, over current devices should be selected at about
110 to 125 percent of the transformer full-load current rating. And when using such
smaller over current protection, devices should be of the time-delay type (on the primary
side) to compensate for inrush currents which reach 8 to 10 times the full-load primary
current of the transformer for about 0.1 s when energized initially.
 Protection of secondary conductors has to be provided completely separately from any
primary-side protection.
 A supervised location is a location where conditions of maintenance and supervision
ensure that only qualified persons will monitor and service the transformer installation.
 Over current protection for a transformer on the primary side is typically a circuit
breaker. In some instances where there is not a high voltage panel, there is a fused
disconnect instead.
 It is important to note that the over current device on the primary side must be sized
based on the transformer KVA rating and not sized based on the secondary load to the
transformer

Over current Protection of Transformers > 600 V (NEC

450.3-A)
 1) Unsupervised Location of Transformer (Impedance <6%)

 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (Primary Voltage >600V):

 Rating of Pri. Fuse at Point A= 300% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next higher Standard
size. or
 Rating of Pri. Circuit Breaker at Point A= 600% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next higher
Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage <=600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse / Circuit Breaker at Point B= 125% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next
higher Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage >600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse at Point B= 250% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next higher Standard
size. or
 Rating of Sec. Circuit Breaker at Point B= 300% of Sec. Full Load Current.

Example: 750KVA, 11KV/415V 3Phase Transformer having Impedance of Transformer 5%

 Full Load Current At Primary side=750000/(1.732X11000)=39A

 Rating of Primary Fuse = 3X39A= 118A, So Standard Size of Fuse =125A.
 OR Rating of Primary Circuit Breaker =6X39A=236A, So Standard Size of Circuit
Breaker =250A.
 Full Load Current at Secondary side=750000/ (1.732X415) =1043A.
 Rating of Secondary of Fuse / Circuit Breaker = 1.25X1043A=1304A, So Standard Size
of Fuse =1600A.
 2) Unsupervised Location of Transformer (Impedance 6% to 10 %)

 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (Primary Voltage >600V):

 Rating of Pri. Fuse at Point A= 300% of Primary Full Load Current or Next higher
Standard size.
 Rating of Pri. Circuit Breaker at Point A= 400% of Primary Full Load Current or Next
higher Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage <=600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse / Circuit Breaker at Point B= 125% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next
higher Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage >600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse at Point B= 225% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next higher Standard
size.
 Rating of Sec. Circuit Breaker at Point B= 250% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next
higher Standard size.

Example: 10MVA, 66KV/11KV 3Phase Transformer, Impedance of Transformer is 8%

 Full Load Current At Primary side=10000000/(1.732X66000)=87A

 Rating of Pri.  Fuse = 3X87A= 262A, So Next Standard Size of Fuse =300A.
 OR Rating of Pri. Circuit Breaker =4X87A=348A, So Next Standard Size of Circuit
Breaker =400A.
 Full Load Current at Secondary side=10000000/ (1.732X11000) =525A.
 Rating of Sec. Fuse = 2.25X525A=1181A, So Next Standard Size of Fuse =1200A.
 OR Rating of Sec. Circuit Breaker =2.5X525A=1312A, So Next Standard Size of Circuit
Breaker =1600A.
 3) Supervised Location (in Primary side only) of Transformer:

  Over Current Protection at Primary Side (Primary Voltage >600V):

 Rating of Pri. Fuse at Point A= 250% of Primary Full Load Current or Next higher
Standard size.
 Rating of Pri. Circuit Breaker at Point A= 300% of Primary Full Load Current or Next
higher Standard size.

 4) Supervised Location of Transformer (Impedance Up to 6%):

 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (Primary Voltage >600V):

 Rating of Pri. Fuse at Point A= 300% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower Standard
size.
 Rating of Pri. Circuit Breaker at Point A= 600% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower
Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage <=600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse / Circuit Breaker at Point B= 250% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next
higher Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage >600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse at Point B= 250% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next Lower Standard
size.
  Rating of Sec. Circuit Breaker at Point B= 300% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next
Lower Standard size.

Example: 750KVA, 11KV/415V 3Phase Transformer having Impedance of Transformer 5%

 Full Load Current At Primary side=750000/(1.732X11000)=39A

 Rating of Primary Fuse = 3X39A= 118A, So Next Lower Standard Size of Fuse =110A.
 OR Rating of Primary Circuit Breaker =6X39A=236A, So Next Lower Standard Size of
Circuit Breaker =225A.
 Full Load Current at Secondary side=750000/ (1.732X415) =1043A.
 Rating of Secondary of Fuse / Circuit Breaker = 2.5X1043A=2609A, So Standard Size of
Fuse =2500A.

 5) Supervised Location of Transformer (Impedance 6% to 10%):

 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (Primary Voltage >600V):

 Rating of Pri. Fuse at Point A= 300% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower Standard
size.
 Rating of Pri. Circuit Breaker at Point A= 400% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower
Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage <=600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse / Circuit Breaker at Point B= 250% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next
higher Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Secondary Voltage >600V):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse at Point B= 225% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next Lower Standard
size.
 Rating of Sec. Circuit Breaker at Point B= 250% of Sec. Full Load Current or Next
Lower Standard size.

Example: 750KVA, 11KV/415V 3Phase Transformer having Impedance of Transformer 8%

 Full Load Current At Primary side=750000/(1.732X11000)=39A

 Rating of Primary Fuse = 3X39A= 118A, So Next Lower Standard Size of Fuse =110A.
  OR Rating of Primary Circuit Breaker =4X39A=157A, So Next Lower Standard Size of
Circuit Breaker =150A.
 Full Load Current at Secondary side=750000/ (1.732X415) =1043A.
 Rating of Secondary of Fuse / Circuit Breaker = 2.5X1043A=2609A, So Standard Size of
Fuse =2500A.

 Difference in C.B between Supervised & Unsupervised

Location 
 Here we see two notable conditions while we select Fuse / Circuit Breaker in Supervised
Location and Unsupervised Location.
 First notable Condition is Primary Over current Protection. In Unsupervised Location
Fuse in Primary side is 300% of Primary Current or Next Higher Standard size and in
Supervised Location is 300% of Primary Current or Next Lower Standard size. Here
Primary Over current Protection is same in both conditions (300%) But Selecting Size of
Fuse/Circuit Breaker is Different.
 Lets us Check with the Example for 750KVA, 11KV/415V 3Phase Transformer.
 Full Load Current At Primary side=750000/(1.732X11000)=39A
 In Unsupervised Location: Rating of Primary Fuse = 3X39A= 118A, So Next Higher
Standard Size =125A
 In Supervised Location: Rating of Primary Fuse = 3X39A= 118A, So Next Lower
Standard Size =110A
 Second notable Condition is Secondary Over current Protection increased from 125% to
250% for unsupervised to Supervised Location.

 Summary of over current Protection for more than 600V:

Maximum Rating of Over current Protection for Transformers more than 600 Volts
LocationLimitation TransformerRate Primary Protection Secondary Protection
s d Impedance (More than 600 More than 600 Volts Less than
Volts) 600 Volts
Circuit Fuse Circuit Fuse C.B or
Breaker Rating Breaker Rating Fuse
Any location Less than 6% 600% 300% 300 % 250% 125%
(NH) (NH) ( NH) (NH) (NH)
6% To 10% 400% 300% 250% 225% 125%
(NH) (NH) (NH) (NH) (NH)
Supervisedlocations Any 300% 250% Not Not Not
(NH) (NH) required required required
only Less than 6% 600% 300% 300% 250% 250%
6% To 10% 400% 300% 250% 225% 250%
NH: Next Higher Standard Size.
 Over current Protection of Transformers< 600 V (NEC
450.3-B)
 1) Only Primary side Protection of Transformer:

 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (Less than 2A):

 Rating of Pri. Fuse / C.B at Point A= 300% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower
Standard size.
 Example: 1KVA, 480/230 3Phase Transformer, Full Load Current at Pri.
Side=1000/(1.732X480)=1A
 Rating of Primary Fuse = 3X1A= 3A, So Next Lower Standard Size of Fuse =3A.
 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (2A to 9A):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse / C.B at Point A= 167% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower
Standard size.
 Example: 3KVA, 480/230 3Phase Transformer, Full Load Current at Pri.
Side=3000/(1.732X480)=4A
 Rating of Primary Fuse = 1.67X4A= 6A, So Next Lower Standard Size of Fuse =6A.
 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (More than 9A):
 Rating of Pri. Fuse / C.B at Point A= 125% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Higher
Standard size.
 Example: 15KVA, 480/230 3Phase Transformer, Full Load Current at Pri.
Side=15000/(1.732X480)=18A
 Rating of Primary Fuse = 1.25X18A= 23A, So Next Higher Standard Size of Fuse =25A.
 2) Primary and Secondary side Protection of Transformer:

 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (Less than 2A):

 Rating of Pri. Fuse / C.B at Point A= 250% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower
Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (2A to 9A):
 Rating of Sec. Fuse / C.B at Point A= 250% of Pri. Full Load Current or Next Lower
Standard size.
 Over Current Protection at Primary Side (More than 9A):
 Rating of Pri. Fuse / C.B at Point A= 250% of Pri. Full Load Current or Lower Higher
Standard size.
 Example: 25KVA, 480/230 3Phase Transformer, Full Load Current at Pri. Side=125000/
(1.732X480)=30A
 Rating of Primary Fuse = 2.50X30A= 75A, So Next Lower Standard Size of Fuse =70A.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (Less than 9A):
 Rating of Pri. Fuse / C.B at Point B= 167% of Sec. Full Load Current or Lower Standard
size.
 Example: 3KVA, 480/230 3Phase Transformer, Full Load Current at Sec.
Side=3000/(1.732X230)=8A
 Rating of Primary Fuse = 1.67X8A= 13A, So Next Lower Standard Size of Fuse =9A.
 Over Current Protection at Secondary Side (More than 9A):
 Rating of Pri. Fuse / C.B at Point A= 125% of Pri. Full Load Current or Higher Standard
size.
 Example: 15KVA, 480/230 3Phase Transformer, Full Load Current at Sec.
Side=15000/(1.732X230)=38A
 Rating of Primary Fuse = 1.25X38A= 48A, So Next Higher Standard Size of Fuse =50A.

 Summary of over current Protection for Less than 600V:

Maximum Rating of Over current Protection for Transformers Less than 600
Volts
ProtectionMetho Primary Protection Secondary Protection
d More than 2A to 9A Less than More than Less than
 9A 2A 9A 9A
Primary only 125%(NH) 167% 300% Not required Not required
protection
Primary and 250% 250% 250% 125%(NH) 167%
secondary
protection
NH: Next Higher Standard Size.