Example 1
• Substation earth resistance Rn=10 Ω
• Installation earth resistance RA=20 Ω
• Earth fault current Id=7.7 A
• Touch voltage Uf=Id×RA=154 which is hazardous.
To ensure protection: RCD sensitivity must meet:
IΔn≤50/20 =2.5
A 300 mA RCD (standard type) can disconnect the supply within 30 ms, without intentional time delay,
ensuring protection if touch voltage exceeds 50 V.
Example 2
• Nominal phase-to-neutral voltage U0=230 V
• Maximum disconnection time allowed is t=0.4 s
• From the time-current characteristic curve of the
circuit breaker or fuse,
• find the fault current that would cause tripping within
0.4 seconds.
• Calculate the maximum allowable loop impedance
(Zs):
This impedance value must never be exceeded and should preferably be substantially less to ensure
satisfactory fuse operation.
Example 3
• Phase-to-neutral voltage (Uo) = 230 V
• Zs = ZAB + ZBC + ZDE + ZEN + ZNA (ZBC and ZDE are usually
the dominant parts of the total impedance (they contribute the most).
• Calculated earth fault current (Id) : Id= 230/Zs = 2300/0.0643
=3,576 A
• Touch voltage (Uf) = Uf=230/2=115 V
• The circuit uses an NSX160 breaker with a nominal current In.
• The fault current of 3,576 A (22 In) is much higher than the breaker's instantaneous magnetic trip setting.
• So, the breaker will trip very quickly, providing fast disconnection and ensuring safety.
Note:
Some authorities (such as utility companies or standards bodies) assume a 20% voltage drop in part of the
fault loop to make the calculation more conservative. Instead of using 230 V, they use 230 × 0.8 = 184 V.
Example 4
• Installation Details:
• Type: 3-phase 4-wire (230/400 V), TN-C earthed.
• Circuit Protection: Type B circuit breaker rated at 63 A.
• Cable: Aluminium core with: Phase conductors: 50 mm².
• Neutral conductor (PEN): 25 mm².
• Maximum Length Calculation:
o From Fig. (for 50 mm² and 63 A type B circuit breaker), the maximum length of the circuit is 603
meters.
o Apply the correction factor 0.42 (from Fig. for Sph/SPE=2).
Therefore, the maximum circuit length is:
603 m×0.42= 253 meters
Example 5
• In a simplified fault scenario, the neutral point of
the power supply is connected to earth via a
1500 Ω resistor.
• During a fault, the current through the earthing
resistor is 153 mA (for a 230/400 V 3-phase
system).
• The voltage from this current to earth is
calculated by multiplying the current with the
resistance of the PE conductor and earthing
resistor, which is very small and can be
neglected.
Example 6
• Consider a network with 1 km of conductors.
• The leakage impedance to earth is approximately 1
μF per kilometer.
• This results in a capacitive impedance ZC of around
3500 Ω per phase.
• The capacitive current to earth in normal conditions
is calculated as: IC=230/3500=66 mA per phase.
Effect of Fault Between Phase and Earth
• When a fault occurs between phase 1 and earth, the voltages of the healthy phases increase by a
factor of √3.
• This causes the capacitive currents in the healthy phases to rise: IC2=IC3=IC×3=66×3=114 mA.
• The capacitive current in the neutral remains the same: 66 mA.
Vector Addition of Currents
• The currents from the phases are displaced by 30°, so the total fault
current (vector sum) is:
Fault Current Calculation
• The total fault current to earth is the sum of the neutral resistor current (153 mA) and the capacitive
current (264 mA):
Ifault= sqr(153^2+264^2)=304 mA.
Fault Voltage
• If the earthing resistance RA is 50 Ω, the fault voltage Uf is:
Uf=50×304×10−3=15.2 V.
Example 7
The loop resistance :
• p = resistanæe of copper rod 1 meter long of cross sectional area 1 mm2,
• L = length of the circuit in meters
• a = cross sectional area of the conductor in mm2
→ FGHJ=2×23.7×50/35=67.7 mΩ .
→ the loop resistance B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J will be 2 x 67.7 = 135 mΩ.
Fault Current: The fault current is calculated as
Example 8
• Insulation Level: 100 kΩ
• Leakage Current without Danger: 300 mA (fire risk if current exceeds 300 mA)
• Indication Levels Set by the Consumer:
→ Preventive Maintenance Threshold: 0.8 × 100 = 80 kΩ (indicates early signs of degradation)
→ Short-circuit Alarm Threshold: 500 Ω (indicates a critical fault condition)
Example 9
First Case: 3-phase 3-wire system (no neutral)
• In this case, the second fault creates a phase-to-phase short-circuit (e.g., L1–L2).
• The voltage used in the formula is: Sqr(3) *U0=400 V
• Formula for maximum circuit length:
Second Case: 3-phase 4-wire system (with neutral)
• In this case, the worst-case scenario is when one of the faults involves the neutral conductor,
resulting in the lowest short-circuit current.
• The voltage used in this case is: U0=230 V (phase-to-neutral voltage)
• Formula for maximum circuit length:
o Lmax: Maximum circuit length (in meters)
o Uo: Phase-to-neutral voltage (230 V for 230/400 V systems).
o ρ (rho): Conductor resistivity at normal temperature:
o Ia: Protection trip current (for breakers or fuses).
o Sph: Cross-sectional area of the phase conductor.
o SPE: Cross-sectional area of the PE conductor.
o Sl:
→ = Neutral conductor size if present.
→ = Sph if no neutral conductor.
o M = Sph/Spe
→ For a 3-phase 3-wire 230/400V installation, with a 63A circuit breaker, and 50 mm² aluminium phase
conductors with a 25 mm² aluminium PE conductor, the maximum circuit length is calculated.
→ According to Fig, the initial calculated length is 603 meters.
→ After applying a correction factor (0.36 for aluminium cable), the maximum allowable circuit length
reduces to 217 meters.