ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design

Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

Lesson title: Coordination of Protective Device Materials:

Calculator , Notebook
Lesson Objective: At the end of the lesson, you should be
able to: References:
Electric Power Distribution System
1. To learn the different Coordination of Protective Device Engineering (Second Edition) –
Turan Gonen
Electric Power Substations
Engineering (Third Edition)- John
D. McDonald

Productivity Tip:

Who says that study groups need to be in person? In this day and age, with technologies like Zoom, Skype,
FaceTime, or just a plain phone call, you can connect with your fellow classmates from the comfort of your
home and help each other learn just as if you were together in class.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW
1) Introduction (3 minutes)

Welcome to Module 18 ! Last lesson we tackle about the Distribution System Protection more focusing
on Automatic line sectionalizer , and circuit breaker . We learn that A sectionalizer is a protective device that
automatically isolates a faulted section of line from the rest of the distribution system. A sectionalizer should not be confused
with a recloser; it does not interrupt fault current. A circuit breaker is an automatically operated electrical switch designed
to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by excess current from an overload or short circuit. Its basic function is
to interrupt current flow after a fault is detected. And ,for this Module we will going to discuss the Coordination of
this protective device in the Distribution system .

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

2) Activity 1: What I Know Chart, part 1 (3 mins)

What I Know Questions: What I Learned (Activity 4)

Explain Fuse to Fuse

Coordination.

Explain Fuse to Recloser

Coordination.

B.MAIN LESSON
1) Activity 2: Content Notes (8 minutes)

COORDINATI ON OF PROTECTIVE DEVICES

The process of selecting overcurrent protection devices with certai n time-current settings and thei r
appropriate arrangement in series along a distribution circuit in order to clear fault s from the lines
and apparatus accordi ng to a preset sequence of operation is known as coordination . When two
protective apparatus installed in series have characteristics which provide a speci fied operating
sequence, they are said to be coordinated or selective . Here, the device w hich is set to operate first to

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

isolate the fault (or interrupt the fault current) is defined as the protecting device. It is usually the
apparatus closer to the fault. The apparatus whic h furnishes backup protect ion but operates only
when the protecti ng device fails to operate to clear the faul t is defined as the protected device.
Properly coordi nated protective devices help (i) to eliminate service interrupt ions due to temp orary
fault s, (ii) t o minimize the extent of faults in order to reduce the number of customers affected, and
(iii) lo locate the fault , t hereby minimizing the duration of service outages.

As coordinat ion is primarily the selec tion of protective devices and their settings to deve lop zones
that provide temporary fault protection and limit an outage area t o the minimum size possible if a fault is
perma nen t, to coordi nate protective devices, in general, the distribution engineer must assemble the
follow i ng data:

1. Scaled feeder-circuit configuration diagram (map).

2. Locations of the existi ng protective devices.
3. TCC curves of protective devices.
4. Load currents (under normal and emergency conditions).
5. Fault currents or megavoltamperes (under mi nimum and maxi mum generation conditions) at
every point where a protective apparatus might be located.
Usually, these data are not readily available and therefore must be brought together from numerous
sources. For example , the TCCs of protective devices are gathered from the manufacturers, the values of
the load cu rrents and fault cu rren ts are usually taken from compu ter ru ns called the load flow (or more
correctly, power flow) studies and fault studies, respectively.
In general, manual techniques for coordi nation are still employed by most utilities, especially where
distribution systems are relatively small or simple and therefore only a small nu mber of protective devices
are used in series. However, some utilities have established standard procedures, tables, or other means
to aid the distribution engineer and field personnel in coordi nation studies. Some utilities employ
semiautomated, computerized coordination programs developed either by the protective device
manufactu rers or by the compa ny's own staff.
A genera l coordination proce dure, regardless of whether it is man ual or computerized, can be
summarized as [3,4]:

1. Gather the required and aforementioned data.

2. Select initial locations on the given distri bution circuit for protective (i.e., sectionalizing) devices.
3. Determine the maximum and minimum values of fault cu rrents (specifically for th ree- phase ,
L-L ,and L-G faul ts) at each of the selected locations and at the end of the feeder mai n, branches,
and latera ls.
4. Pick out the necessary protective devices located at the distribution substa tion in order to
protect the substation transforme r properly from any fault that migh t occur in the distribution circuit.

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

5. Coordinate the protective devices from the substation ou twa rd or from the end of the
distribution circuit back to the substation.
6. Reconsider and change, if necessary, the initial locations of the protective devices.
7. Re-examine the chosen protective devices for cu rrent-carrying capaci ty, i nterrupting
capacity, and minimum pickup rating.
8. Draw a composite TCC curve show ing the coordination of all protective devices employed,
with curves draw n for a com mon base voltage (this step is optional).
9. Draw a circuit diagram which shows the circuit configu ration , the max imu n1 and mini mu m
values of the fault currents, and the ratings of the protective devices employed, and so on .

There are also some additional factors that need to be considered in the coordination of protective
devices (i.e., fuses, reclosers, and relays) such as (i) the differences in the TCCs and related
manufactu ri ng tolerances, (ii) preloading condi tions of the appa rat us, (iii) ambient temperature, and (iv)
effect of reclosing cycles. These factors affect the adequate margin for selectivity u nder adverse
conditions.

FUSE-TO-FUSE COOR DI NATI ON

The selection of a fuse rati ng to provide adequate protection to the circuit beyond its location is
based on several factors. First of al l, the selected fuse must be able to carry the expanded load current,
and, at the same time, it m ust be sufficien tl y selective wi th other protective appa ratus in series
Fur thermore, it m ust have an adequate reach; that is, it must have the capability to clear a minimum fault
current with in its zone in a predeter mined time duration.
A fuse is designed to blow within a specified time for a given value of fault current. The TCC of a fuse
are represented by two cu rves; the mini m u m melting cu r ve and t he total clearing cu r ve, at shown in
Figure 10.19. The minimum melting cur ve of a fuse represents the minimum time, and therefore it is the
plot* of the minimum time versus current required to melt the fuse. The total clea ri ng (time) curve
represent s the total ti me, and therefore it is t he plot of the maxi mu m time versus cu rrent req ui red
to melt the fuse and exti ng uish the arc, pl us manufacturing tolera nce. It is also a standard procedure
to develop "da maging" time cu r ves from the minimum melting time cu rves by using a safety factor of
25%. Therefore the damagi ng curve ( d ue to the partial melti ng) is developed by ta ki ng 75 percent of
t he mi nimu m melting time of a specific-size fuse at var ious cu rrent values. The time u nit used in
these curves is seconds.
Fuse-to-fuse coordination, that is, t he coordination between f uses connected in series, can be
ach ieved by two methods:

1. Usi ng the TCC cu rves of the fuses.

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

2. Usi ng the coordi nation tables prepared by the fuse manufactu rers.

Fu rthermore, some utilities employ certain rules of thumb as a thi rd ty pe of f use-to-f use
coordination method.
In the first method , the coord ination of the two fuses connected in series, as shown in Figure
1 0.19, is achieved by comparing the total clearing ti me-current curve of the "protecting fuse ," that is, fuse
B, with the damagi ng time cu rve of the "protected fuse, " that is, f use A. Here, it is necessary that the total

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

clearing ti me of the protecting fuse not exceed 75% of the minimum melting time of the protected fuse. The
25% margi n has been selected to take into account some of the operat ing variables, such as preloading,
ambien t temperatu re, and the partial melting of a fuse link due to a fault cu rren t of short duration. If
there is no intersection between the afore1nentioned curves, a complete coordination in terms of selectivity
is achieved . However, if there is an intersection of the two cu rves, the associated current val ue at the point
of the intersection gives the coordination limi t for the partial coord ination achieved.
In the second method of f use-to-f use coord ination , coord ination is established by using the f use si zes
from coord inat i on tables developed by the f use l in k manufacturers.

RECLOSER-TO-RECLOSER COORDINATION

The need for recloser-to-recloser coord i nation may arise due to any of the following situations that
may exist in a given distribution system:

1. Havi ng two th ree-ph ase reclosers.

2. Having two sing l e-phase reclosers.
3. Having a three-phase recloser at the substati on and a single-phase recloser on one of the
branches of a given feeder.

The required coordi nation between the reclosers can be achieved by using one of the following
remedies:
1 . Employing differen t recloser types and some mixture of coil sizes and operating sequences.
2. Employing the same recloser type and operating sequence but using differen t coil sizes.
3. Em pl oyi ng the same recloser ty pe and coil sizes but usi ng different operating sequences.

In general , the utility industry prefers to use the first remedy over the other two. However, there
may be some ci rcu mstances, for example, having two single-phase reclosers of the same type,
w here the second remedy can be applied. When the TCC curves of the two reclosers are less than
12 cycles separate from each other, the reclosers may do their i n stantaneous or fast operations at the
same ti me. To ach ieve coordi nation between the delayed trippi ng curves of two reclosers, at least a
minimum time margin of 25% must be applied.

RECLOSER-TO-FUSE COORDI NATION

In Figure 10.20, cu rves represent the in stantaneous, tim e-delay, and extended time-delay (as an
alter- native) tri pping characteristics of a conven tional au tomatic circui t recloser. Here, cu rves A and B
sym bolize the first and second open i ngs, and the third and fou rth openi ngs of the recloser, respectively.
To provide protect ion aga i nst perma nent faults, fuse cutouts (or power fu ses) are installed on

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

overhead feeder taps and laterals. The use of an au tomatic reclosi ng device as a back up protection
agai nst tem porar y faults eli minates many u n necessary outages that occur when u sing fuses on ly.
H ere, the back u p recloser can be either the substation feeder recloser, u sually with an operating
sequence of on e fast- and two delayed-tri pping operat ion s, or a branch feeder recloser, with two
fast- and two delayed -t ri pping operation s. The recloser is set to trip for a tem p or ary fault before any
of the fu ses can blow, and then reclose the circuit. However, if the fault is a permanent one, it is
cleared by the cor rect fuse before the recloser can go on time-delay operation foll owing one or two
insta nta n eous operations.
Figu re 10.21 shows a portion of a distribution system where a recloser is installed ahead of a
fuse. The figu re also shows the superposition of the TCC curve of the fuse C on the fast and delayed
TCC cu rves of the recloser R. I f the fault beyond fuse C is temporary, the i nstantaneous tripping
operation s of t he recloser protect t he fuse from any damage. This can be observed from the figu re

by the fact that the instantaneous recloser curve A lies below the fuse TCC for cu rren ts less than t hat

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

associated with the intersection point b. However, if the fau lt beyond fuse C is a permanent one, the f use clea rs
t he fault as the recloser goes th rough a delayed operat ion 8. This can be observed from the
.figure by the fact that the time delay curve B of the recloser lies above the total clearing curve portion of the
f use TCC for currents greater than t hat associated with the in tersection point a. The dista nce between
the intersection points a and b gives the coordinat ion range for the fuse and recloser.
Therefore, a proper coordi nation of the trip operat ions of the recloser and the total clea r i ng time of
the fuse prevents the fuse link from bei ng damaged during instantaneous trip operations of the recloser.
The required coordination between the recloser and t he fuse can be achieved by compar ing the respective
time-current curves and taking into accou nt other factors, for exa mple, preloading, ambient
temperature, curve tolerances, and accumulated heating and cooling of the fuse link during the fast-trip
operations of the recloser.

Activity 3: Skill-building Activities (10 minutes including checking)

Guided Practice : Fill in the blanks
1. Give the three coordination of protective device discuss in the module : _________________ ,
____________________ , and ________________ .
2. Fuse-to-fuse coordination, that is, the coordination between fuses connected in series, can be

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

achieved by two methods: ____________________________ and

___________________________________ .
3. The need for recloser-to-recloser coordination may arise due to any of the following situations
that may exist in a given distribution system: (1)________________________________ (2)
_____________________________(3) _____________________________________ .

4. The required coordination between the reclosers can be achieved by using one of the following
remedies:
1. __________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________

5. The process of selecting overcurrent protection devices with certain time-current settings and their
appropriate arrangement in series along a distribution circuit in order to clear fault s from the lines and
apparatus according to a preset sequence of operation is known as _____________ .

Activity 4: What I Know Chart, part 2 (5 mins )

Go back to Activity 2 and answer the last column.

Activity 5: Check for Understanding (15 mins )

Multiple Choice :

1. On which of the following effects of electric current a fuse operates?

(A) Photoelectric effect
(B) Electrostatic effect
(C) Heating effect
(D) Magnetic effect

2. A fuse in a motor circuit provides protection against

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

(A) Overload
(B) Short-circuit and overload
(C) Open circuit, short-circuit and overload
(D) None of the above

3. A short-circuit is identified by
(A) No current flow
(B) Heavy current flow
(C) Voltage drop
(D) Voltage rise

4. For the protection of power station buildings against direct strokes the requirements are
(A) Interception
(B) Interception and conduction
(C) Interception, conduction and dissipation
(D) Interception, conduction, dissipation and reflection

5. The time of closing the cycle, in modern circuit breakers is

(A) 0.003 sec
(B) 0.001 sec
(C) 0.01 sec
(D) 0.10 sec

B. LESSON WRAP-UP
1) Activity 6: Thinking about Learning (5 mins)

What portion of the lesson(s) did you find the easiest to understand?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

What portion of the lesson(s) did you find it difficult to understand?

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________

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 ELE 106 - Distribution System and Substation Design
Student Activity Sheet Module #18

Name: ______________________________________________________ Class number: _____

Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________ Date: ____________

Answer keys:
Guided Practice:
1. Fuse to Fuse Coordination , Recloser to recloser Coordination , and Recloser to fuse coordination
2. 1. Using the TCC curves of the fuses.
2. Using the coordination tables prepared by the fuse manufacturers.
3. 1. Having two three-phase reclosers.
2. Having two single-phase reclosers.
3. Having a three-phase recloser at the substation and a single-phase recloser on one of the branches of a given
feeder.
4. 1 . Employing different recloser types and some mixture of coil sizes and operating sequences.
2. Employing the same recloser type and operating sequence but using different coil sizes.
3. Employing the same recloser type and coil sizes but using different operating sequences.

5. coordination

Check for understanding :

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