Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Temperature rise (TR) is an Why does non uniform distribution indicates effective resistance
important consideration for busbar result into higher losses and thereby (Rac) offered by a configuration
installations. As far as required high temperature? in relation to the actual
ampacity of busbar system is below resistance (Rdc). Ideal
To understand this, take the case
1600 A, it can be conveniently (minimum) value of this ratio is
of a flat shaped conductor assumed
achieved by using one or more 1 i.e. Rac = Rdc.
conductors of suitable size and
What is interleaving?
shape. The problem lies in
designing an a.c. busbar system for For increasing busbar system
higher ampacities. Test results ampacity, conventionally one
show that increasing cross section tends to add a conductor or a
beyond certain limits in a group of conductors adjacent to
conventional manner (say by existing conductors / groups and
adding a conductor or increasing ends up placing all conductors /
the thickness) gives marginal groups together. (Refer to table
increase in the ampacity. The 1, configuration 2) This results
reason is skin and proximity effects in widely non uniform current
or in other words, inductive effects distribution due to skin effect and
due to a.c. currents. proximity effect. Proximity effect
Direct current distribution over a is dependant on the distance
cross section depends only on the between conductors. Hence, this
resistance and hence current Figure 1 problem can be overcome by
density is uniform irrespective of arranging individual conductors
to be comprising several smaller
shape, size and arrangement of in specific geometries.
conductors of equal area in parallel,
conductors. However, a.c. Interleaving is one such
carrying total current of 10 A as
distribution is controlled more by arrangement. (Refer to
shown in figure 2. In the case of
inductive effects than by resistance. configuration 5).
uniform distribution, watt loss
Effect of current in the conductor works out to 20W. For non Interleaving means arranging
itself is known as skin effect. This uniform distribution, conductors/groups in the
causes the current to concentrate elementwise currents differ not alternate fashion (R Y B R Y B).
in the outer parts. Effect of current only in magnitude but also in In the configuration 5, two
in the adjacent conductor is known phase angle (Note that groups of three conductors each
as proximity effect. Inductive effects arithmetic addition is 11.2 A). per phase have been arranged
result in non uniform current Watt loss in this case is 30.8 W. in this fashion. One can go even
distribution over a cross section (i.e. As watt loss is more, steady beyond this and make three
inefficient use of conducting state temperature will be higher groups of two conductors each
material); consequently making for the same value of current; or to increase the rating further.
busbars to run at a higher for the same steady state
temperature. Table 1 gives ratios for various
temperature, it will have lower
configurations of three phase
Figure 1 gives current distribution ampacity.
busbar systems with wide and
pattern over round conductors in
The ratio of a.c. to d.c. watt loss moderate/close interphase
various configurations where each
is known as Rac/Rdc ratio. spacings. One can note the
dot represents a unit quantity of
(Hereafter termed as ratio). This difference between the ratios for
current.
wide spacings and close spacings (2) Effect of changing the (3) Use of TubeslChannel section
for configurations 2, 3 & 4. material from aluminium to (configurations 3 & 4): These are
Effective resistance (relative) is copper: For configuration 2, often suggested for busbar
given in the last column. copper is having higher ratio as systems as they are ideal shapes
compared to that of to counter skin effect. This is
Discussion on Table 1
aluminium. This is because for evident from ratios for wide
copper, inductive effects spacings at which interphase
(1) Effect of increase in busbar
distort current more due to proximity effects are negligible.
cross-section in a conventional
lower resistance. This reflects However, for close spacings,
manner: Configuration 2 is having
in the effective resistance configurations 3 and 4 are
double the cross-section as that
(Rac) which is not lower in the marginally better than
of configuration 1. However,
same proportion as that of configuration 2. These sections
effective resistance for middle
Rdc. Considering the fact that are also not desirable as