Design: overall view

• Electrical installations have:

– to be economical
– to have a good performance, lasting as
required:
• in normal operating conditions: to withstand
system voltages, to carry currents, to
ensure a good service quality
• to withstand abnormal operating conditions,
and to limit their consequences
• to be safe, i.e. free from unacceptable risk
Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition

Abnormal operating conditions

• Voltage(s) and/or currents(s) values
such that corresponding stresses on
the components can not last
indefinitely
• Stresses: electrical, thermal

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition

EPSE_21_22 - Printouts no. 5 1

 Causes
• Overcurrent (I>I’z)
– incorrect usage of the electrical
installation ← overload
– fault ← short-circuit
• Overvoltage (U>Um)
– internal ← internal causes, e.g.
switching, faults
– external ← lighting

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition

Prevention and repression

• To limit the the likelihood of
abnormal conditions ← preventive
measures
• To limit the consequences of
abnormal conditions ← repressive
measures

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition

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 Overcurrents
• Preventive measures
– limit the likelihood of overloads
– choose good components, with good
insulation level
• Repressive measures
– install protection systems to interrupt the
supply (disconnect) to the over-stressed
component(s), for fault currents and if
needed for overload currents
Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition

Overvoltages
• Preventive measures
– limit the possibility of overvoltages due
to faults
– install components with good insulations
• Repressive measures
– install protection systems, to limit the
overvoltages, and/or to disconnect the
over-stressed components

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition

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 The five required
characteristics of protections

1. Sensitivity
2. Coordination (between many
protection systems)
3. Timeliness
4. Autonomy
5. Security

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition

Overcurrents
• Temperature increase
• Limited withstand capability by all
components; in particular, by lines
• Overloads and faul-currents:
different withstand capabilities

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition > withstand capability to overcurrents

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 Overload withstand capability (1)
• Overtemperature by overload may
cause:
– cables: loss of useful life
– bare conductors: change in mechanical/
geometrical characteristics
• Overload withstand capability ← max
allowed value of heat stress:
– loss of useful life per event (LV cables)
– mechanical/geometrical change (bare
conductors)
Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition > withstand capability to overcurrents

Overload withstand capability (2)

• Heat stress depends on:
– duration
– current
– ambient temperature
– initial conductor temperature
• For given ambient and initial
conductor temperatures, max
allowed heat stress is a combination
of duration and current
Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition > withstand capability to overcurrents

10

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 Overload withstand
capability (3)
t

not allowed

allowed

I’z I
Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition > withstand capability to overcurrents

11

Fault current withstand

capability (1)
• Very short duration (only up to 5s)
• Almost no heat exchange with the
ambient
• Insulation material or lines with bare
conductors have a prescribed short
duration max temperature

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition > withstand capability to overcurrents

12

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 Fault current withstand
capability (2)

=
↓

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition > withstand capability to overcurrents

13

Fault current withstand

capability (3)
I2t

not allowed

allowed

I* Isc

Electrical installations > basic design > abnormal operating condition > withstand capability to overcurrents

14

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