BRIEFS

Date May, 1987

KILOVAR
FROM THE McGRAW-EDISON POWER SYSTEMS CAPACITOR PLANT GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA
Issue 10

Issue #9 of the Kilovar Briefs discussed the general considerations and concerns of protecting capacitors through the use of fuses. In this issue those specific concerns pertaining to group fusing are elaborated upon. Included is a comprehensive table of group fusing recommendations. Group fusing is generally used for protecting pole mounted distribution capacitor racks. In this type of application the fuse links are installed in cutouts and mounted on a crossarm above the capacitor rack. The following considerations are used for selecting a group fuse: 1. 2. 3.
4.

Continuous Current Transient Current Fault Current Tank Rupture Curve Coordination Voltage on Good Capacitors

5.

The fuse protecting the capacitor is chosen such that its contirmous current capability is equal to or greater than 135% of rated capacitor current for grounded wye connected racks, and 125% for ungrounded wye racks. This overrating includes the effects of overvoltage (110%), capacitor tolerance ( 5% to 15% ) , and harmonics ( 5% for ungrounded wye and 10% for grounded wye configurations) The minimum size fuse link for a grounded wye application is calculated as follows:

Ilink

= 1.35 x

This calculation is based on the link being 100% rated. In case of NEMA type T and K tin links, which are 150% rated, this value must be divided by 1.50.

SYSTEMS
Post Office Box 1224. Greenwood.
29648

2.

Transient Currents Fuses can be damaged due to high magnitude, high frequency currents. If possible, it is desirable to minimize spurious fuse operations by selecting an appropriately large fuse link so as to withstand these transient currents. The two sources of transient currents are capacitor bank switching and lightning surges. Switching is typically only a concern when capacitor banks are switched on the same bus, i . e . back-to-back switching. This is seldom the case for pole-mounted capacitors. However, capacitor fuses are subject to high frequency transients due to lightning surges. To minimize spurious fuse operations due to lightning surges, McGraw-Edison recommends the use of T tin links for low ampere ratings through 25 amps for group fusing, and K tin links above 25 amps. The T link can withstand a higher surge current than the K link, and this general recommendation has resulted in good performance for areas of significant lightning activity. For areas where distribution lines are shielded by trees or buildings or where the lightning incidence is low, the user may consider the use of K links over the entire range of link ratings.

3.

Fault Current

The fuse link and capacitor must be able to adequately handle the available fault current. When capacitors are connected grounded wye or delta in a pole mounted rack application, a capacitor failure (terminal-to-terminal) will cause system fault current to flow. The capacitor must be able to withstand the fault current until the fuse interrupts the circuit. Additionally, the fuse must be able to successfully interrupt the available fault current. The available symmetric fault current should not exceed the limits shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 FAULT C U R R E N T LIMITATIONS M C G R A W E D I S O N CAPACITOR

Capacitor Rating

Maximum amps) When

0 5

Fault Current is:

10 15

Maximum Link Rating Which Coordinates with Available Fault Current K-Tin T-Tin

Kvar:
Less than 9 Greater than 9 When using 38 Cutouts
150,200, 300 Kvar: 8400 7900 6300 5700 3200 4100 5900 5600 4400 4000 2300 3400 5100 4800 3800 3400 2000 3100 4800 4600 3600 3300 1900 2900 80 65 40 4300 3100 2000 3000 2200 1700 2600 1900 1500 2500 1800 1400 50 30 30 E K 25 20 20 E T

Less than 9 Less than 9 Greater than 9 Greater than 9 Greater than 9 When using 39 Cutouts Note:

65 E K

40 E T

These fuse l i n k s coordinate with the capacitor tank rupture curves only up t o the currents given i n the t a b l e

When the available current -for a given application exceeds the values given in the table, possible solutions include the following: Use current limiting fuses which will limit the available fault current seen by the capacitor. Unground the neutral and operate t h e bank ungrounded wye. This is generally a more cost effective solution. In this type of connection, the available current is limited to three times the line current due to the impedance of the capacitors in adjacent phases. (If a major insulation failure or simultaneous failures in two phases should occur, then fault current could flow. These events are usually very rare and are normally not considered when applying fuses in an ungrounded wye application.) Move the capacitor rack to a location with an acceptable fault current level.
4.
Tank Rupture Curve Coordination

The maximum clearing TCC curve for the fuse link must coordinate with the tank rupture curve for the capacitor. This coordination is necessary to insure that the fuse will clear the circuit prior to tank rupture occurring. The fuse maximum clear TCC must fall to the left of the tank rupture TCC curve at and below the level of available fault current. In the case of high fault currents, the tank rupture curve should be compensated for asymmetry. In general, the largest fuse size which coordinates with the tank rupture curve for McGraw-Edison Edisol I I I 50 and 100 Kvar capacitors is a 50 K tin link. For unit sizes of 150 Kvar to 400 Kvar, the largest link which coordinates is a 100 K tin link. (See Table 1 for details)
5.

Voltage on Good Capacitors

For ungrounded wye capacitor banks, the voltage on the good capacitor units, when one is shorted, is equal to system line-to-line voltage, i.e. 1.73 times its rating. If the failed unit is not cleared from the circuit quickly, this high overvoltage condition could lead to a second capacitor failure resulting in a phase-to-phase fault. For this reason, it is desirable to use the fastest clearing fuse possible so as to minimize the possibility of obtaining a second unit failure. This criterion pushes for a fast clearing fuse, such as a K-link, while the transient current criterion dictates a slow clearing fuse, such as a T-link.
SUMMARY OF GROUP FUSING

In the following table McGraw-Edison's group fusing recommendations for the McGraw-Edison all-film capacitors are listed. These recommendations are given assuming a typical level of lightning incidence. To withstand those levels of lightning, tin T-links are listed through 25 amp ratings; and above 25 amps tin K-links are given, except for those cases where 25T links do not coordinate with the tank rupture curve. For ungrounded wye racks with very low probability of lightning transients, type K tin links may be considered over the entire range of ratings. Available fault current levels are assumed to be within the limitations listed in Table 1.

TABLE 2 Group Fusing Recommendations For Safe Fusing of McGraw-Edison Type EX All-Film Capacitors With McGraw-Edison EEI-NEMA Tin Expulsion Fuse Links In Grounded Wye Capacitor Racks
SIZE SIZE

50 t o 100 Kvar
System Voltage: L i n e to Neutral L i n e to L i n e Three Phase Rated Line Current In Link Size

150 to 400 Kvar

Link Size System Voltage: Wye, L i n e to Neutral Line to Line Three Phase Kvar Rated L i n e Current In Amperes

50 to 100 Kvar
Link Size

150 to 400 Kvar

Link Size

Amperes

20 T 40 K 50 K NA NA 12 T 25 T 40 K 50 K NA

50 K 65 K K

6.6 1 3 . 1 1 9 . 7 26.2 39.4 52.5 59.0 78.7 105.0

20 25 40 50 65 80 100

T T K K K K K Note 1

NA
N A

40.K 50 K 65 K 100 K Note 1 100 K 1

20 25 40 50 50 80 100

T T K K K K K Note 1

10 T 20 T 30 K 40 K NA NA NA

30 40 65 80 100

K K K K K Note 1

20 25 40 50 50 65 100 100

T T K K K K K Note 1 K Note 1

15 20 30 40 50 65 80 100

T T K K K, K K Note 2 K Note 3

TABLE 2

50 to 100 Kvar

150 to 400 Kvar

System Voltage: Line to Neutral Line to Line

Three Phase Kvar

Rated Line Current In Amperes

5.0 10.0 15.0 20.1 30.1 40.2 45.2 60.2 80.3 90.4

100 Kvar

400 Kvar

Link Size
5 10 15 20 30

Link Size

System Voltage: Wye, Line to Neutral Line to Line

Three Phase Kvar

Rated Line Current In Amperes

6.9 10.4 13.9 20.8 27.8 31.2 41.7 55.6 62.5 83.3

Link Size
8 10 15 20 25 30

Link Size
10 15 20 25 30 40 50 65 80

T T T T K

NA

15 20 30 40 40 65 80 80

T T K K K K K K T T
T

T T T T K K

Note 2 Note 2

T T T K K K K K K

Note 2

12 15 25 30 40 50 65 65 100

K K K K K K T T
T

Note 3

10 15 20 30 30 40 65 65 80

K K K K K K Note 2
1:

Maximum available fault current with X/R = must not exceed See Fault Current Limitations Table.
Maximum available fault current with X/R = must not exceed See Fault Current Limitations Table.

Note 2:
40 65 65 80

K K K K

Note 3: Note 2

Maximum available fault current with X/R must not exceed See Fault Current Table.

Cannot be fused properly using Rack

tin expulsion fuse links.

size cannot be built using these capacitor sizes.

TABLE 3 Group Fusing Recommendations For Safe Fusing of Type EX All-Film Capacitors With Tin Expulsion 4 Fuse Links In Ungrounded Wye and Delta connected Capacitor Racks

UNIT SIZE
50 t o 100 Kvar 150 t o 400 Kvar 50 t o 100 Kvar 150 400

to

System V o l t a g e : Wye, L i n e t o Neutral Line to Line

Three Phase

Rated Line Current In Amperes

Recomnended Link Size

Recomnended Link Size

Voltage: Wye, L i n e t o Neutral Line t o Line

Three Phase Kvar

Rated Line Current In Amperes

Link Size

Link Size

*
20 25 40 50 50 65 100 100

T T K
K K K

15 T 30 K 50 K NA

NA
10 T 20 T 30 K 40 K NA NA NA

50 K 65 K 100 K

Note 1

K Note 1 K Note 1

30 40 65 80 100

K K K K
K

Note 1

20 25 40 50 50 65 100 100

T T K
K K

K K Note 1 K Note 1

20 25 40 50 65 80 100

T T K K K K K Note 1

15 20 30 40 50 65 80 100

T T K K K K K K Note 1

15 20 30 40 40 65 80 80

T T K
K

K K
K

Note 2 Note 2

TAB.

(Cont

50 t o 100 Kvar

150 t o 400 Kvar

50 to 100 Kvar

150 to 400 Kvar

System Voltage: Wye, L i n e Neutral L i n e to L i n e

Three Phase Kvar

150 300 450 600 900 1200 1350 2400 2700 3600

R a t e d Line, Current In
A m p e r e s

Link Size

Reconmended Link Size

System Voltage: Wye, L i n e to Neutral Line t o Line

Three Phase Kvar

Rated Line Current In Amperes

Link Size

Link Size
10 12 20 25 30 40 50 65 80

15 20 25 40 50 80 80 100

T T T
K

K K K Note 2 K Note 2 K Note 3

T T T T K K K K K Note 2

10 15 20 30 30 40 65 65 80

T T T K K K K K
K

Note 2

10 15 20 25 30 40 50 65 80

T T T T
K

K K
K

Note 2

Note 1: Note 2: Note 3: Note 4:

Maximum a v a i l a b l e f a u l t c u r r e n t w i t h X/R = must n o t e x c e e d See F a u l t Current L i m i t a t i o n s Table. Maximum a v a i l a b l e f a u l t c u r r e n t w i t h X/R = must n o t e x c e e d See F a u l t Current L i m i t a t i o n s Table. Maximum a v a i l a b l e f a u l t c u r r e n t w i t h X/R = must n o t exceed See F a u l t Current L i m i t a t i o n s Table. The f o l l o w i n g r a c k s , assume f u s i n g when a p p l i e d to d e l t a c o n n e c t e d the delta. t i n expulsion fuse links.

10 12 20 25 30 40 50 65 80

T T T
K K

K K K

Note 2

N A = Cannot be f u s e d p r o p e r l y u s i n g

= Rack k v a r s i z e c a n n o t b e b u i l t u s i n g t h e s e c a p a c i t o r sizes.

McGRAW-EDISON POWER SYSTEMS

Post Office Box 1224. Greenwood.

SC 29648