1. Create Your User Profile and Status Updates

    Arc Flash Forum members are invited to create a user profile. Let others know who you are, what you do and even add a picture or avatar of yourself. What are you up to? Let people in the arc flash and electrical safety community know with "status updates"!
  2. Welcome to the All New Arc Flash Forum

    Arc Flash Forum is a community where we help each other learn about arc flash and electrical safety. There is still much to be learned about arc flash, standards, PPE, studies and more and We need your HELP!

    If you have good information about Arc Flash - Post It! If you have a question about Arc Flash - Post It! If you can provide answers to Arc Flash questions - Post it!

    Sign up as a today member! Feel free to link to this site www.arcflashforum.com. Tell your friends. We want to help everyone be safe in the workplace!
  3. Bigger and Better!

    As you have no doubt noticed, the forum has been through quite an upgraded and looks and feels very nice! There are loads of new features and ways in which this site can now be even more useful to the community in learning about Arc Flash and Electrical Safety.

    Create your detailed user profile
    Add a profile photo of yourself
    Like the forum on Facebook
    "Like" users' posts
    Publish your articles in the library
    ...and much, much more!

    Learn More About the New Features Here

Transformer Fault Current

Discussion in 'System Modeling and Calculations' started by rayman37, Dec 21, 2009.

  1. rayman37 New Member

    I have a questions about transformer fault current. I am trying to model a system using Arcalc by SKM. The transformer is a 75kva. I know that a study is not needed for this small system but I am trying to understand concepts with this system. The utility gave me the secondary fault current of 14264 3 phase amps. The transformer is 75KVA, 1.48 IMP, 208v sec 12470 Pri. The source imp on the secondary is %R 1267 + %jX 1477 on a 100 MVA base. I know that equates to a 1.165 X/R ratio. My question, Is there a way, using this info, to get the available fault current on the primary side if the transformer? The primary fusing is bayonet 8 amp. I also have a 500 MCM 160 feet of parallel cabel to the panel board. Thanks for any info.
  2. brainfiller Administrator

    Actually you do need to include this transformer. Even though it is less than 125 kVA, it has a low impedance. The problem with the way the standard is written is it does not elaborate on what IS a low impedance.

    The second part is a bit more complex. Yes you can calculate the primary short circuit current based on the data provided. I have based the calculations on the following information that you provided:

    Transformer: 75 kVA 1.4% impedance (transformer X/R unknown)
    Primary Voltage = 12.47 kV, Secondary Voltage = 208 Volts
    Thevenin Equivalent Impedance on the Secondary = 1267 + j 1477%
    (Includes source and transformer)
    100 MVA Base
    Short Circuit Amps on the Secondary 14262.3 Amps

    Here is what I have:

    Total impedance magnitude Z = sqrt(1267^2 + 1477^2) = 1945.97%

    Convert from 100 MVA base to .075 MVA (75 kVA) base so we can subtract the transformer impedance.

    1945.97% x (0.075/100) = 1.459 % on .075 MVA base

    Sanity check for short circuit current:

    Short Circuit Current on Secondary = (FLA secondary x 100) / Total Impedance

    FLA secondary = Full Load Amps = kVA / (sqrt(3) x kVsecondary)
    FLA secondary = 75 kVA / sqrt(3) x 0.208kV
    FLA secondary = 208.18 Amps

    Short Circuit Current on Secondary = (208.18 x 100) / 1.459
    Short Circuit Current on Secondary = 14268 Amps (your problem had 14262 – rounding)

    The 1.459% now represents the transformer and source impedance using the transformer base (which is what the transformer 1.4% is based on)

    How much of this impedance is from the source? Take 1.459 and subtract the transformer impedance of 1.4.

    Source Impedance = 1.459 – 1.4 = 0.059%

    I ignored the X/R since the transformer’s was unknown and this would have been a more complex problem. If you know the X/R transformer, then just break the impedances into respective X and R components and add them using vector addition.

    For the next part, reference this article I wrote several years ago.

    Short Circuit Calculations - Transformer and Source Impedances

    Here is the bottom line:

    Z source = (MVA transformer / MVA source) x 100

    Rearrange it to solve for MVA source:

    MVA source = (MVA transformer / Z source) x 100
    MVA source = 0.075MVA / 0.059) x 100
    MVA source = 127.1 MVA

    Short Circuit Current on Primary

    SC Primary = (127.1 MVA X 1000 kVA/MVA) / (12.47 x sqrt(3)
    SC Primary = 5885 Amps at 12.47 kV

    Of course, this is just how to work the problem, you will need to verify all of this yourself for any study or analysis.

    Hope it helps!
  3. rayman37 New Member

    Awesome! Thanks, Brainfiller.

Share This Page