MODULE 5

FAULT CALCULATIONS
Symmetrical Faults
 At the end of
solve symmetrical
this lesson you
three-phase
will be able to: fault problems.
The operation of a power system departs from normal after
the occurrence of a fault. Faults give rise to abnormal
operating conditions – usually excessive currents and
voltages at certain points on the system – which are guarded
against with various types of protective equipment.
When circuits are controlled by fuses or any device which
does not open all three phases, one or two phases of the
circuit may be opened while the other phases or phase is
closed. These are called series type of faults. These faults
may also occur with one or two broken conductors. Series
faults are characterized by increase in voltage and frequency
and fall in current in the faulted phases.
The series faults are classified as:
1. One open conductor
2. Two open conductors

These faults also disturb the symmetry in one or two phases

and are, therefore, unbalanced faults.
Shunt type of faults involve power conductor or conductors-
to-ground or short circuit between conductors. Shunt faults
are characterized by increase in current and fall in voltage
and frequency.
Various types of short-circuit
faults that occur on a
transmission line:
(a) Line to ground fault
(b) Line to line fault
(c) Double line to ground
(d) Three-phase fault
(e) Three-line to ground
(f) Line to ground fault (with RF)
The frequency of occurrence
decreases from (a) to (f).
 Although the balanced
three-phase short circuit is
relatively uncommon, it is the
most severe fault and
therefore determines the
rating of the line-protecting
circuit breaker.
https://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/192/faul
t-calculations-introduction
Of these, L-G, L-L, L-L-G, L-L-
L-G are the unsymmetrical
faults as the symmetry is
disturbed in one or two
phases. The method of
symmetrical components will
be utilized to analyze the
unbalancing in the system.
The 3-phase fault is a
balanced fault.
1. Determination of the maximum and minimum three-phase
short-circuit currents
2. Determination of unsymmetrical fault currents, as in single
line-to-ground, double line-to-ground, line-to-line, and
open-circuit faults
3. Determination of the ratings of required circuit breakers
4. Investigation of schemes of protective relaying
5. Determination of voltage levels at strategic points during a
fault
• IEC 60909 'Short Circuit Currents in Three Phase
Systems' describes an internationally accepted method for
the calculation of fault currents.
• IEC 60781 is an adaption of the 60909 standard and
applies only to low voltage systems.
In applying these standards, two levels of fault based on voltage
factor are typically calculated:
1. the maximum current which causes the maximum thermal and
electromagnetic effects on equipment (used to determine the
equipment rating)
2. the minimum current (which may be used for the the setting of
protective devices)
The standards also idealize the fault, enabling each stage to
be analysed and understood.
• A balanced three-phase short circuit is an example of a
symmetrical fault. Balanced three-phase fault calculations can
be carried out on a per-phase basis, so that only single-phase
equivalent circuits need be used in the analysis.
• Invariably, the circuit constants are expressed in per-unit terms,
and all calculations are made on a per-unit basis. In short-
circuit calculations, we often evaluate the short-circuit MVA
(megavolt-amperes), which is equal to √3VlIf, where Vf is the
nominal line voltage in kilovolts, and Il is the fault current in
kiloamperes.
An example of a three-
phase symmetrical fault
is a sudden short at the
terminals of a
synchronous generator.
The symmetrical trace of
a short-circuited stator-
current wave is shown.
The wave, whose envelope is
shown, may be divided into three
periods or time regimes:
1. the subtransient period,
lasting only for the first few
cycles, during which the
current decrement is very
rapid;
2. the transient period, covering
a relatively longer time during
which the current decrement
is more moderate; and finally
3. the steady-state period.
The difference ∆i' between the transient envelope and the steady-state
amplitude is plotted on a logarithmic scale as a function of time, along with
the difference ∆i" between the subtransient envelope and an extrapolation of
the transient envelope. Both plots closely approximate straight lines,
illustrating the essentially exponential nature of the decrement.
The currents during these
three regimes are limited
primarily by various
reactances of the
synchronous machine (we
neglect the armature
resistance, which is
relatively small).
These currents and reactances are defined by the following
equations, provided the alternator was opening at no load
before the occurrence of a three-phase fault at its terminals:
where IEgI is the no-load voltage of the
generator, the currents are rms currents,
and O, a, b, and c are shown in the figure.
The machine reactances Xs’ X’d’ and X”d
are known as the direct-axis synchronous
reactance, direct-axis transient reactance,
and direct-axis subtransient reactance,
respectively.
The currents I, i”, and i” are known
as the steady-state, transient, and
subtransient currents. From the
above formulas, it follows that the
fault currents in a synchronous
generator can be calculated when
the machine reactances are known.
A generator rated 600 kVA, 2400 V, 60 cycles, 3-phase, 6
poles and wye-connected has 10% synchronous reactance. If
a three-phase fault occurs. What will be the short circuit
current?
A generator rated 600 kVA, 2400 V, 60 cycles, 3-phase, 6 poles and wye-
connected has 10% synchronous reactance. If a three-phase fault occurs.
What will be the short circuit current?

Solution:
𝐸!" 1
𝐼!" = = = −𝑗10
𝑋!" 𝑗0.1
𝑆 600𝑥10'𝑉𝐴
𝐼#$%& = = = 144.34A
3𝐸 3(2400𝑉)
𝐼( = (𝐼!" ) 𝐼#$%& = 10 144.34𝐴 = 1443.4 𝐴
A 15 MVA, 34.5 kV/6.24 kV transformer is connected at an
infinite bus. The percent impedance of the transformer is
2.5%. What is the current at the 34.5 kV side for a three-
phase short?
A 15 MVA, 34.5 kV/6.24 kV transformer is connected at an infinite
bus. The percent impedance of the transformer is 2.5%. What is
the current at the 34.5 kV side for a three- phase short?

"#$! &'(((
Solution: 𝑘𝑉𝐴! = %"#
= (.(*'
= 600,000𝑘𝑉𝐴
Solving for the fault current:
𝑘𝑉𝐴! 600,000
𝐼! = = = 10,040.87𝐴
3𝑘𝑉! 3(34.5)
A 5 MVA 13.8 kV / 480 V, 5% impedance transformer is
tapped at 13.8 kV line where the Thevenin’s equivalent
impedance is ½ ohm. Determine the fault current at the
primary for a three-phase fault at the secondary.
A 5 MVA 13.8 kV / 480 V, 5% impedance transformer is tapped at
13.8 kV line where the Thevenin’s equivalent impedance is ½
ohm. Determine the fault current at the primary for a three-phase
fault at the secondary.

Solution: Solve for the total per unit impedance:

*
𝑉+,-. 13.8𝑥10/ *
𝑍+,-. = = 0
= 38.088Ω
𝑆+,-. 5𝑥10
𝑍12 0.5
𝑍12"# = = = 0.01313
𝑍+,-. 38.088
𝑍131,4"# = 𝑍12"# + 𝑍15,6-!357.5"# = 0.01313 + 0.05 = 0.06313
Solution:
𝑍131,4"# = 0.06313

𝑆+,-. 5𝑀𝑉𝐴
𝑆! = = = 79.202𝑀𝑉𝐴
𝑍131,4"# 0.06313

Solving for the fault current:

𝑆! 79.202𝑥100
𝐼! = = = 3313.57𝐴
3𝑉! 3(13.8𝑥10/ )
A 10kVA, 110 V, 3-phase, 4-wire, 60 Hz alternator generates
70 volts per phase when excited to give rated voltage at full
load. The armature synchronous impedance per phase is 0.2
ohm. What is the current in each phase if the generator
terminals are short-circuited?
A 10kVA, 110 V, 3-phase, 4-wire, 60 Hz alternator generates 70
volts per phase when excited to give rated voltage at full load.
The armature synchronous impedance per phase is 0.2 ohm.
What is the current in each phase if the generator terminals are
short-circuited?

Solution: Assuming the generator is not loaded during the fault, a

three-phase fault is approximately equivalent to a line to ground
fault.
𝑉8 70
𝐼! = = = 350𝐴
𝑍8 0.2
A three-phase short-circuit fault occurs at point F in the system
shown. Calculate the fault current.
Solution: Let the base MVA be 30 MVA and let 33 kV be the base voltage.
Then referred to these values, we have the following reactances and
impedance:
Solution:
Solution:

These per unit impedance diagram can be simplified to:

The total impedance from the generator neutral to the fault is:
Solution:

Solve for the short-circuit kVA and short-circuit current.

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