EE6207 – Power System Analysis
LEC 1 : Part 2 – Symmetrical
Faults
[Link] Ranaweera
MSc.(Electrical power systems)
BSc. Eng.(Hons) (University Of Ruhuna) AMIESL, MIEEE
Outline
• Introduction- short circuit analysis
• Symmetrical Faults
• Symmetrical fault calculations
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Short Circuit Analysis
• Why fault analysis is important??
• To determine the magnitude of fault current
• To design protection systems
• To select correct switchgear
• Fault analysis is one of the basic power system analysis problems.
• When a fault occurs in a power system, bus voltages reduces and large current
flows in the lines. This may cause damage to the equipment. Hence faulty section
should be isolated from the rest of the network immediately after the occurrence of
a fault. This can be achieved by providing relays and circuit breakers.
• The calculation of currents in network elements for different types of faults
occurring at different locations is called short circuit study. The results obtained
from the short circuit study are used to find the relay settings and the circuit
breaker ratings which are essential in designing a power system protection
scheme.
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Short Circuit Analysis
• What causes a fault?
• Permanent faults due to insulation failures
• Short duration faults due to lightening and switching surges
• Symmetrical faults due to three phase short circuit
• Unsymmetrical faults-line to ground, line to line, line to line to ground
• The most common fault indicator is a sudden and generally significant
increase in the current
• Balanced three-phase faults may be analyzed using an equivalent single-
phase circuit. With asymmetrical three phase faults, the use of symmetrical
components helps to reduce the complexity of the calculations.
• Typically, only 5% of the faults in a power system are three phase faults. 80%
of the unbalanced faults are line-earth faults and 15% are double line faults
which can often develops to 3 phase fault. Broken conductor faults account
for the rest.
• Though the symmetrical faults are rare, the symmetrical fault analysis must
be carried out, as this type of faults generally leads to the most severe fault
current
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Short Circuit Analysis
• Effects of Faults on the System
System faults usually, but not always, provide significant changes in the
system
o Over-current
o Over- or under-voltage
o Power factor or phase angle
o Power or current direction
o Impedance
o Frequency
o Temperature
o Physical movements
o Pressure
• In fault calculations,
• Resistances are neglected. (R<<<X)
• Fault currents are very high compared to load currents. Load currents are
neglected.
• Magnetic branches of transformers are neglected
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Symmetrical faults
Two types of three phase symmetrical faults
• All three phases of the system are short circuited to each other
• All three phase of the system are earthed.
• In general, this is a balanced condition.
• Infrequent, but most severe
• The single line diagram or the positive-sequence network can be used, as
all three phases carry equal currents displaced by 120o.
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Symmetrical fault Calculations
Symmetrical fault calculations using the single line diagram
1. Calculate the impedances in p.u. and draw the [Link]
2. Find the equivalent impedance (up to the point of fault)
3. Calculate the fault current
Fault Level
The maximum MVA that can go to the faults is the fault level
of a power system.
Fault level (MVA) = Fault Current x Nominal Voltage (Pre
fault Voltage)
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Example
A symmetrical short circuit fault occurs at the point A of the power
system shown by the single line diagram. Transmission line length
to the fault point is 2km. Determine the 3 phase fault level.
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Homework
The one-line diagram of a simple three-bus electric power system is shown in
the following figure. Each generator is represented by an emf behind the
transient reactance. All impedances are expressed in per unit on a common
100 MVA base and for simplicity resistances are neglected.
Assume:
i. Shunt capacitances are neglected and the system is considered on no-load
ii. All generators are running at their rated voltage and rated frequency with
their emfs in phase 12
Homework
Determine the fault current during the fault when a balanced three-phase
fault with a fault impedance Zf = j0.16pu occurs on,
a)Bus 3
b)Bus 2
c)Bus 1
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