Electronic Trip Circuit Breaker

Basics

Circuit Breaker Application Guide

GROUPE SCHNEIDER
When it comes to circuit breakers, no one

knows more than Square D. This Circuit

Breaker Application Guide is one of a

series designed to provide answers to

the most commonly asked questions

about selecting and applying circuit

breakers.

Along with a large network of Square D

field offices and authorized distributors,

this series of application guides helps

provide technical support unsurpassed

in the industry. So, when you need to

know more about circuit breakers, turn to

Square D.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1 – ELECTRONIC TRIP
CIRCUIT BREAKERS ...................................... 1
What Is a Circuit Breaker? ................................ 1
Why Use Electronic Trip Circuit Breakers? ....... 1
Enhanced Coordination Capabilities ............. 1
Integral Ground-fault Detection ..................... 2
Communications Capabilities ........................ 3
Future Growth Potential ................................ 4
PART 2 – MICROLOGIC® TRIP SYSTEMS ......... 5
General ............................................................. 5
RMS Sensing .................................................... 5
Rating Plugs ...................................................... 6
Ammeter/Trip Indicator ...................................... 6
Memory Feature ................................................ 7
Ground-fault Detection ...................................... 7
Trip Characteristics ........................................... 7
Standard-function Trip Unit Functions ............... 8
Long-time Trip Function ................................ 9
Short-time Trip Function ................................ 9
Instantaneous Trip Function ........................ 10
Ground-fault Trip Function .......................... 10
Full-function Trip Unit Functions ..................... 11
Long-time Trip Function .............................. 11
Short-time Trip Function .............................. 12
Instantaneous Trip Function ........................ 13
Ground-fault Trip Function .......................... 13
Ground-fault Alarm Function ....................... 14
PART 3 – A LOOK AT COORDINATION ........... 15
Coordination .................................................... 15
Coordination Under Ground-fault Conditions .. 15
Zone-selective Interlocking ............................. 16
i
 PART 1 – ELECTRONIC TRIP CIRCUIT BREAKERS
WHAT IS A CIRCUIT BREAKER?
A circuit breaker has two primary functions:
1. to provide a nonautomatic means to
energize and de-energize the circuit
and
2. to open automatically to protect the
circuit from damage due to an
overcurrent condition.
In other words, a circuit breaker must be able
to be switched on and off, and it must open
automatically during an overcurrent condition.
In order to open automatically, circuit breakers
are equipped with some type of tripping mecha-
nism. Some circuit breakers employ electro-
mechanical tripping mechanisms, some use
hydromechanical tripping mechanisms, and
some use electronic tripping mechanisms.
Electronic trip circuit breakers from Square D
Company use the MICROLOGIC® tripping
system, which includes current sensors, a
microprocessor-based trip unit and a tripping
solenoid.
Figure 1 – MICROLOGIC Electronic Trip
Circuit Breakers
Electronic trip molded case circuit breakers
are designed to meet UL489, Underwriters
Laboratories Standard for Safety for Molded-
Case Circuit Breakers and Circuit Breaker
Enclosures.
WHY USE ELECTRONIC TRIP CIRCUIT
BREAKERS?
In most cases, the basic overcurrent protection
provided by standard thermal-magnetic circuit
breakers will meet the requirements of the
electrical system design. In some cases, how-
ever, basic overcurrent protection might not be
enough.
Electronic trip circuit breakers can provide the
additional features needed in those cases.
Reasons to use electronic trip circuit breakers
include
• enhanced coordination capabilities
• integral ground-fault detection
• communication capabilities
• future growth potential
Enhanced Coordination Capabilities
In electrical systems where downtime could
have critical consequences, electronic trip cir-
cuit breakers provide more versatility to achieve
coordination. For instance, certain installa-
tions serving continuous processes may be
required to continue operating during a fault
condition because shutting the system down
would be more costly than the damage done by
the fault itself. Or, in critical care facilities, a
loss of power could result in the loss of life.
These situations require that coordination be
optimized at all costs. In order to maximize
coordination, downstream branch devices
should operate very fast – with no intentional
delay – and main devices should delay opera-
tion so that the downstream devices have time
to clear the fault.
1
MICROLOGIC electronic trip circuit breakers
can help optimize coordination:
• Independent adjustments allow one dial set-
ting to be changed without affecting the rest
of the pickup and delay levels. This allows
the designer to better define the tripping
characteristics needed on the system.
• Interchangeable rating plugs allow the de-
signer to shift the entire trip characteristic
curve (except for ground fault) to improve
coordination with other devices. MICRO-
LOGIC rating plugs define the circuit
breaker's maximum current rating based on
a percentage of the circuit breaker sensor
size, and can be used on any frame size of
circuit breaker within the MICROLOGIC
family of circuit breakers.
• Withstand ratings give the designer a larger
window of coordination potential. The with-
stand rating is the level of rms symmetrical
current that a circuit breaker can carry with
the contacts in the closed position for a
certain period of time. At current levels
above the withstand rating (and less than or
equal to the interrupting rating), the circuit
breaker will trip instantaneously. In other
words, the withstand rating is the highest
current level at which delay can be intro-
duced to maintain coordination with down-
stream devices. Withstand ratings are avail-
able only on full-function trip systems
ordered with the adjustable short-time
function.
• Inverse time delay characteristics allow for
better coordination with fusible switches or
thermal-magnetic circuit breakers down-
stream. Devices that respond to heat gen-
erated by current flow (such as fuses and
thermal-magnetic circuit breakers) have
inverse time tripping characteristics. This
means that as current increases, the time
that it takes the device to trip will decrease.
2
In order to coordinate better with these
types of downstream devices, MICRO-
LOGIC circuit breakers offer inverse time
delay characteristics on the long-time, short-
time and ground-fault functions.
• The ammeter/trip indicator displays the level
of ground-fault leakage current associated
with the circuit. The ground-fault pickup
level on the circuit breaker may then be
adjusted somewhat higher than the amount
of leakage current displayed on the amme-
ter.
This assumes that ground-fault detection test-
ing was done before the system was energized
and no ground-fault problems were found. In
retrofit situations the magnitude of leakage
current may be significant due to the deterio-
rating effects of moisture, dirt, rodents, etc.,
over time. New installations will also show
some magnitude of leakage current at start-up.
There are no hard and fast rules for selecting
the proper level of ground-fault protection be-
cause the level of leakage current on each
system is different. The system engineer should
provide information on the proper levels of
protection.
Integral Ground-fault Detection
Electronic trip circuit breakers simplify the in-
stallation of equipment ground-fault detection
into the electrical system.
Externally-mounted ground-fault detection
systems require the specifying of five different
parts – a circuit breaker, a ground-fault relay,
a ground-fault sensor, a shunt trip for the
circuit breaker, and testing means. Additional
wiring is also required to install the system.
Electronic trip circuit breakers include most of
the detection equipment within the circuit
breaker housing. The phase current sensors,
summing toroid, pickup and delay adjustments,
tripping solenoid, and a push-to-test feature
are all enclosed within the molded case.
The only part that is not within the circuit
breaker case is the optional neutral sensor
required for a four-wire system. That means
that ground-fault detection plus overcurrent
protection is as easy as specifying and mount-
ing one device (except four-wire systems which
require an additional neutral sensor).
MICROLOGIC circuit breakers are available
with two different ground-fault detection op-
tions:
• ground-fault protection for equipment
• ground-fault alarm
The ground-fault protection for equipment op-
tion is available on circuit breakers with either
the MICROLOGIC standard-function or full-
function trip system, and will trip the circuit
breaker in the event of a ground fault.
The ground-fault alarm option is available on
circuit breakers with the MICROLOGIC full-
function trip system only. This function will
signal a remote POWERLOGIC ® station, but
will not trip due to a ground fault – maintaining
system continuity.
Communications Capabilities
MICROLOGIC circuit breakers can communi-
cate with each other and with the
POWERLOGIC power monitoring systems.
Communication between circuit breakers at
different levels in the system allows the down-
stream circuit breaker closest to the fault to
ignore its preset delay time and trip without any
intentional time delay on a short circuit or
ground fault. This form of communication is
known as zone-selective interlocking (ZSI).
Coordination assures that continuity of service
is maximized during any type of overcurrent.
However, coordination does not eliminate the
stress on the system caused by the energy
dissipated during a fault. ZSI actually reduces
the stress on the system resulting from a fault
while maximizing continuity of service.
MICROLOGIC full-function circuit breakers are
equipped with ZSI communication capabilities
as a standard feature. For more information on
ZSI, see Circuit Breaker Application Guide
0600SC9102R6/95, Reducing Fault Stress
With Zone-selective Interlocking.
Communication between circuit breakers and
the POWERLOGIC power monitoring system
allows the user to monitor each circuit and
record energy usage, power surges, normal
operating modes, harmonic contribution, etc.
In addition, the MICROLOGIC full-function trip
system can communicate the following infor-
mation through the POWERLOGIC system:
• history of last trip
• trip unit pickup and delay levels
• impending trip conditions
• operating currents for each phase
• ground-fault leakage current associated with
the circuit
• ground-fault alarm signal
The ground-fault alarm signal allows a ground
fault to be reported without interrupting power
to the system. It is especially useful when
continuity of service must be maintained at all
costs and where the maintenance staff is trained
to locate and correct any fault problems before
an unplanned outage takes place.
For more information on POWERLOGIC sys-
tems, see publication 3050SM9101R11/91,
POWERLOGIC Product Interface for MICRO-
LOGIC Circuit Breakers.
3
Future Growth Potential

Many of the adjustable features that enhance

coordination also provide means for increas-
ing the ampere rating of an electronic trip
circuit breaker to meet future growth needs.
The adjustability of a MICROLOGIC circuit
breaker enables a designer to plan for future
growth. A circuit breaker can be chosen based
on projected growth, and by changing the rat-
ing plug and/or changing the long-time pickup,
its ampacity can be reduced down to 20% of its
maximum. When growth occurs, the ampacity
may be increased up to the circuit breaker's
maximum. The versatility of the adjustments
on an electronic trip circuit breaker offers the
designer a multitude of options to meet initial
and future capacity requirements.

Another way to plan for future growth or to save

space and minimize cost is to specify 100%
rated electrical distribution equipment. A cir-
cuit breaker either carries a standard rating or
a 100% rating. The standard rating is subject
to NEC sizing rules which limit the application
to 80% of the circuit breaker rating when con-
tinuous loads are involved.

The National Electrical Code (NEC) recog-

nizes overcurrent devices that are listed for
operation at 100% of their rating for continuous
loading. This means that the equipment has
undergone additional testing to verify that it
can handle the additional heat rise associated
with this level of operation. 100% rated circuit
breakers are permitted to be loaded continu-
ously at their full rating (as long as minimum
enclosure requirements, venting configurations
and wire insulation requirements have been
met).

4
 PART 2 – MICROLOGIC® TRIP SYSTEMS

GENERAL Adjustable rotary switches on the trip unit allow

the user to set the proper overcurrent or ground
Square D electronic trip circuit breakers are current protection required in the electrical sys-
equipped with either the MICROLOGIC ® Stan- tem. If current exceeds the set value for longer
dard-function Trip System or the MICROLOGIC than its set time delay, the trip system auto-
Full-function Trip System. Both trip systems matically opens the circuit breaker. All
provide adjustable tripping functions and char- MICROLOGIC protective functions are fully
acteristics using true root-mean-square (rms) fault powered, no external power source is
current sensing. required.

Figure 2 – Trip Units Circuit breakers are shipped with the long-time
pickup switch set at 1.0 and all other trip unit
RATING PLUG
CAT NO. : ARP100
Max. Ampere Rating (P) = Sensor (S) x 100%
.7
.6
.75 .8
.9
.95
3
2.5
4 5
6
7 3
4
5 6
7
8
.3

.25
.35 .45
.55
.65
adjustments set at their lowest settings. Actual
settings required for a specific application must
.5 1.0 2 8 2.5 OFF .2 .75
PICKUP PICKUP PICKUP PICKUP
x P x P x P x S
LONG TIME SHORT TIME INSTANT. GROUND FAULT
I2 t OUT I2 t IN I2 t OUT I2 t IN

4.5
3
2
6 8
10
12
14
.32
.2
.1
.5 .5
.32
.2
.1
.32
.2
.1
.5 .5
.32
.2
.1
be determined by a qualified consultant or plant
engineer. A coordination study is recommended
DELAY DELAY
DELAY
SEC. AT SEC. AT SEC. AT
6xP 12 x P 1xS
FLASH=90%
ON = OVERLOAD

STANDARD
SERIES B
to provide coordination between all overcurrent
protective devices in the distribution system.
Standard-function Trip Unit

4 5
RMS SENSING
.75 .8 5 6 .35 .45
RATING PLUG .7 .9 3 4 7 .3
6 .55
CAT NO. : ARP100
.6 .95 2.5 7 3 8 .25 .65
Max. Ampere Rating (P) = Sensor (S) x 100%
.5 1.0 2 8 2.5 OFF .2 .75

PHASE
SELECT
AMMETER / TRIP INDICATOR
PICKUP
x P
LONG TIME
PICKUP
x P
SHORT TIME
I2 t OUT I2 t IN
PICKUP
x P
INSTANT.
PICKUP
x S

GROUND FAULT
I2 t OUT I2 t IN
The sensing system on an electronic trip circuit
6 8 .5 .5 .5

breaker responds to the flow of current through

P .5
H 4.5 10 .32 .32 .32 .32
INDICATOR A
RESET S 3 12 .2 .2 .2 .2
E
Press and Hold
for Ammeter Reset ----- 2
DELAY
14 .1
DELAY
.1 .1
DELAY
.1

the circuit breaker. Electronic trip circuit break-

SEC. AT SEC. AT SEC. AT
% of Rating 0 20 40 60 80 100
6xP 12 x P 1xS
FLASH=90%
ON = OVERLOAD

ers are limited to ac systems because the

FULL-FUNCTION
SERIES B

Full-function Trip Unit electronic trip system uses current transform-

ers to sense the current.

The MICROLOGIC trip system samples the

MICROLOGIC trip systems use a set of current current waveform 33 times per cycle on a 60 Hz
transformers (called CTs or sensors) to sense system. It then uses this data to calculate the
current, either a standard-function or full-func- true rms current.
tion trip unit to evaluate the current, and a
tripping solenoid to trip the circuit breaker. Figure 4 – Trip System Current Sensing

Figure 3 – Trip System

Current
Load Current (in amperes)

Trip Unit

Trip
Coil
Microprocessor Sample Time
Interval
Communications
Link
Trip Unit
ZSI Link
Switches Time (in seconds)
Current Sensor
(one per pole) Trip
Indicator

5
True rms sensing accurately measures the mag-
nitude of a non-sinusoidal waveform. Therefore,
the heating effects of harmonically distorted wave-
forms are accurately evaluated.
Electronic trip circuit breakers with MICROLOGIC
trip systems can be used on 50/60 Hz systems
with alternating current (ac) to direct current (dc),
dc to ac, and ac to ac converters. This includes
applications that use silicon-controlled rectifiers
(SCRs) and adjustable frequency controls.
RATING PLUGS
Rating plugs are used to determine the circuit
breaker ampere rating (P) according to the fol-
lowing equation:
Ampere (P) = Sensor (S) x Rating
Rating Size Plug %
The ampere rating and the long-time pickup
switch are then combined to determine the circuit
breaker continuous current rating. For example:
Continuous = Sensor (S) x Rating x Long-time
Current Rating Size Plug % Setting
225 = 600 x 0.75
Rating plugs are available with multiplier values
ranging from 0.40 to 1.00. If the rating plug is not
installed, the circuit breaker will operate safely,
but the trip unit will default to a rating plug
multiplier of 0.40.
Figure 5 – Rating Plug
RATING PLUG
CAT NO. : ARP100
Max. Ampere Rating (P) = Sensor (S) x 100%
Rating plugs and ammeter/trip indicators are
subject to damage from static charge. Internal
damage can result if these devices are handled
by their contacts. If either device is removed from
the trip unit, it must be held against grounded
metal, such as the metal circuit breaker enclo-
sure, for at least two seconds before reinstalling.
6
Each MICROLOGIC circuit breaker is shipped
with a rating plug factory installed. The label on
the circuit breaker marked "Configuration as
Shipped" gives the circuit breaker configuration
as it left the factory. Field-installable rating plug
kits are also available.
Ground-fault pickup values are based on the
sensor size of the circuit breaker and are not
affected by changing the rating plug.
AMMETER/TRIP INDICATOR
The ammeter/trip indicator is used to identify
the type of overcurrent if the circuit breaker
trips, to monitor operating current, and to iden-
tify potential overcurrent situations.
Figure 6 – Ammeter/Trip Indicator
PHASE AMMETER / TRIP INDICATOR
SELECT
P
INDICATOR
RESET
H
A
GROUND FAULT
S
E
Press and Hold
for Ammeter Reset
% of Rating
-----
0 20 40 60 80 100
x 0.5
The ammeter/trip indicator displays current in
phases A, B and C, and the ground-fault current
associated with the circuit. Each value can be
viewed one at a time using the phase select/
indicator reset button. (Phase values are dis-
played in true rms. Ground-fault current values
are displayed in calculated rms based on mea-
sured peak current.) A bar graph is provided
Multiplier indicating the level of operating current as a
Value percentage of the continuous current rating
(P x long-time setting) of the circuit breaker.
The ammeter may not display if the load is less
than 20% of the CT rating.
The ammeter/trip indicator window displays
"OVERLOAD," "SHORT CIRCUIT," or "GROUND
FAULT" when the circuit breaker trips from an
overcurrent. The indicator must be manually
reset by pushing the phase select/indicator reset
button.
The phase select/indicator reset button can be
pressed at any time to test the ammeter/trip
indicator battery condition. The window will
display a battery symbol. If this does not occur,
contact Square D for a replacement ammeter/
trip indicator.
tor the flow of ground-fault current and signal an
alarm condition through the POWERLOGIC ®
system. This feature meets NEC Sections 700-
7(d) and 700-26 for emergency systems. Circuit
breakers with the ground-fault alarm trip system
DO NOT trip if a ground-fault occurs.

Figure 7 – Reset Button Ground-fault protection (trip) trip units include

Reset Button
both ground-fault pickup and delay adjustments.
PHASE
SELECT
AMMETER / TRIP INDICATOR
Ground-fault alarm (no trip) trip units include
+ -

P
H
OK

only ground-fault pickup adjustments.

INDICATOR
A
RESET S
E
Press and Hold
for Ammeter Reset ----- Circuit breakers with either ground-fault pro-
% of Rating 0 20 40 60 80 100
tection (trip) or alarm (no trip) trip systems are
equipped with an internal ground-fault push-to-
test feature. The ground-fault push-to-test fea-
The ammeter/trip indicator is factory installed ture is built into the circuit breaker and elimi-
on the full-function circuit breaker and is avail- nates the need for any additional test equip-
able as a field-installable option on the stan- ment, such as monitor panels. The push-to-
dard-function circuit breaker. test feature requires 120 Vac control power.

MEMORY FEATURE TRIP CHARACTERISTICS

MICROLOGIC trip systems feature a memory MICROLOGIC trip units provide a full range of
circuit for intermittent overload or ground-fault adjustable tripping characteristics using a pro-
conditions. This enables the circuit breaker to grammable microcomputer that constantly
respond to a series of ON and OFF overload or monitors the line currents.
ground-fault conditions which could cause con-
ductor overheating. Table 1 – Adjustable Tripping Characteristics
for Electronic Trip Circuit Breakers
If the circuit breaker trips due to an overcurrent Standard-function Full-function
condition, wait at least one minute before re- Trip Unit Trip Unit
setting the circuit breaker. This allows the Long-time pickup Long-time pickup
memory to clear itself sufficiently for the circuit Long-time delay Long-time delay
breaker to be turned ON. If checking trip times, Short-time pickup Short-time pickup
Short-time delay Short-time delay
wait fifteen minutes after the circuit breaker (I2t IN only) (I2t IN and I2t OUT)
trips before resetting to allow memory to reset Instantaneous pickup Instantaneous pickup
completely to zero (or use a memory reset Ground-fault pickup Instantaneous OFF
module, Cat. No. MTMB). Ground-fault delay Ground-fault pickup
(I2t OUT only) Ground-fault delay
GROUND-FAULT DETECTION (I2t IN and I2t OUT)
Ground-fault alarm

Both standard-function and full-function circuit

breakers are available with integral ground-
fault protection for equipment. This feature will
trip the circuit breaker if a ground-fault occurs.
Full-function circuit breakers are also available
with integral ground-fault alarm (no trip) to moni-
The overcurrent or ground-fault current pickup
and delay levels are set using adjustable rotary
switches on the face of the trip unit. If the line
current exceeds the trip settings longer than
the delay settings, the microcomputer signals
the circuit breaker to trip.

7
Trip settings are used to obtain a coordinated
system in which a downstream circuit breaker
will trip before an upstream circuit breaker.
Properly adjusting the MICROLOGIC trip set-
tings will result in a circuit breaker trip curve
that falls above and to the right of the down-
stream circuit breaker trip curve. Under
overcurrent conditions, the downstream circuit
breaker will trip first.
STANDARD-FUNCTION TRIP UNIT
FUNCTIONS
The trip curve below illustrates how the adjust-
ments made to a standard-function trip unit will
affect the circuit breaker's trip characteristics.
Adjusting the trip unit switches will shift that
area of the trip curve.
Figure 8 – Standard-function Trip Unit Curve

Square D recommends that a system coordina-

tion study be done to find the proper trip unit
Long-time
settings to optimize coordination with other 1000 Pickup
devices.
Long-time
Delay
100

10 Short-time
TIME IN SECONDS

Pickup

Short-time
Delay (I 2 t IN)
1.0

Instantaneous

0.1

0.01

1 5 10 100
MULTIPLES OF AMPERE RATING*

*Ampere Rating (P) = Sensor Size (S) x Rating Plug (%).

8
Long-time Trip Function INDICATOR — the trip unit includes an indica-
tor that will flash when the current reaches 90%
LONG-TIME PICKUP Switch — switch value of the LONG-TIME PICKUP setting and will be
(multiplied by the ampere rating) sets the maxi- lit continuously when the current is above 100%
mum current level which the circuit breaker will of the pickup setting.
carry continuously. If the current exceeds this
value for longer than the set delay time, the Short-time Trip Function
circuit breaker will trip.
SHORT-TIME PICKUP Switch — switch value
Figure 9 – Long-time Pickup (multiplied by the ampere rating) sets the short-
circuit current level at which the circuit breaker
will trip after the set SHORT-TIME DELAY.
.75 .8
.7 .9
.6 .95
Figure 11 – Short-time Pickup
.5 1.0
PICKUP
x P
LONG TIME
4 5
7 11 3 6
4.5 16
2.5 8
3 20
2 10
2 24 PICKUP
DELAY x P
SEC. AT
6xP
SHORT TIME
FLASH=90% I 2 t IN
ON = OVERLOAD
.5
.32
.2
.5 .1
LONG-TIME DELAY Switch — sets length of DELAY
SEC. AT
time that the circuit breaker will carry a sus- 12 x P

tained overload before tripping. Delay bands

are labeled in seconds of overcurrent at six
times the ampere rating. For maximum coordi- SHORT-TIME DELAY Switch — sets length of
nation, eight delay bands are available. time the circuit breaker will carry a short circuit
within the short-time pickup range. Delay bands
Figure 10 – Long-time Delay are labeled in seconds of short-circuit current at
12 times the ampere rating, P. The short-time
.75 .8 delay can be set to one of four I2t ramp operation
.9
.7
.6 .95
positions (I2t IN).
.5 1.0
PICKUP
x P Figure 12 – Short-time Delay
LONG TIME

7 11
4.5 16 4 5
20 3 6
3
2.5 8
2 24
DELAY 2 10
SEC. AT PICKUP
6xP x P
FLASH=90%
ON = OVERLOAD SHORT TIME
I 2 t IN
.5
.32
.2
Indicator
.5 .1
DELAY
SEC. AT
12 x P

Long-time delay is an inverse time characteris-

tic in that the tripping time decreases as the
current increases.
I2t IN delay is an inverse time characteristic in that
the delay time decreases as the current increases.

9
Instantaneous Trip Function
INSTANTANEOUS PICKUP Switch — switch
value (multiplied by the ampere rating) sets the
short-circuit current level at which the circuit
breaker will trip with no intentional time delay.
The instantaneous function will override the
short-time function if the INSTANTANEOUS
PICKUP is adjusted at the same or lower set-
ting than the SHORT-TIME PICKUP.
Figure 13 – Instantaneous Pickup
Ground-fault pickup values are based on the
circuit breaker sensor size only, not the rating
plug multiplier. Changing the rating plug mul-
tiplier has no effect on ground-fault pickup
values.
GROUND-FAULT DELAY Switch — sets the
length of time the circuit breaker will carry
ground-fault current which exceeds the
GROUND-FAULT PICKUP level before trip-
ping. Delay bands are labeled in seconds of
ground-fault current at 1 times the sensor size,
S. Ground-fault delay can be adjusted to one
of four fixed time delay positions (I 2t OUT).

6 8 Figure 15 – Ground-fault Delay

5 10
4 12

3 12
PICKUP .35 .45
x P .3 .55
INSTANT. .25 .65

.2 .75
PICKUP
x S

GROUND FAULT
I 2 t OUT
.5
.32
.2
.1 .5
DELAY
SEC. AT
1xS

Ground-fault Trip Function

GROUND-FAULT PICKUP Switch — switch

value (multiplied by the sensor size) sets the I 2t OUT delay is a fixed time characteristic in
current level at which the circuit breaker will that the delay time does not change as the
trip after the set GROUND-FAULT DELAY. current increases.

Figure 14 – Ground-fault Pickup

.35 .45
.3 .55
.25 .65

.2 .75
PICKUP
x S

GROUND FAULT
I 2 t OUT
.5
.32
.2
.1 .5
DELAY
SEC. AT
1xS

10
FULL-FUNCTION TRIP UNIT FUNCTIONS Long-time Trip Function

The full-function trip unit trip curve drawing,
below, shows the various parts of a typical trip
curve affected by the adjustments on a full-
function trip unit.
Adjusting the trip unit switches will shift that
area of the trip curve.
Figure 16 – Full-function Trip Unit Curve
LONG-TIME PICKUP Switch — switch value
(multiplied by the ampere rating) sets the maxi-
mum current level which the circuit breaker will
carry continuously. If the current exceeds this
value for longer than the set delay time, the
circuit breaker will trip.
Figure 17 – Long-time Pickup

.75 .8
.7 .9
Long-time .6 .95
1000 Pickup .5 1.0
PICKUP
x P
LONG TIME
Long-time
Delay 7 11
4.5 16
100
3 20

2 24
DELAY
SEC. AT
6xP
FLASH=90%
ON = OVERLOAD
10 Short-time
Pickup

Short-time LONG-TIME DELAY Switch — sets length of

Delay (I 2 t IN) time that the circuit breaker will carry a sustained
1.0
overload before tripping. Delay bands are la-
beled in seconds of overcurrent at six times the
Short-time
Delay (I 2 t OUT) Instantaneous ampere rating. For maximum coordination, there
0.1 are eight delay bands.

Figure 18 – Long-time Delay

0.01
.75 .8
.7 .9
1 5 10 100
.6 .95
MULTIPLES OF AMPERE RATING* .5 1.0
PICKUP
x P
*Ampere Rating (P) = Sensor Size (S) x Rating Plug (%).
LONG TIME

7 11
4.5 16
3 20

2 24
DELAY
SEC. AT
6xP
FLASH=90%
ON = OVERLOAD

Indicator

Long-time delay is an inverse time characteristic

in that the delay time decreases as the current
increases.

11
INDICATOR — the trip unit includes an indicator
that will flash when the current reaches 90% of
the LONG-TIME PICKUP setting and will be lit
continuously when the current is above 100% of
the pickup setting.
Short-time Trip Function
SHORT-TIME PICKUP Switch — switch value
(multiplied by the ampere rating) sets the short-
circuit current level at which the circuit breaker
will trip after the set SHORT-TIME DELAY.
SHORT-TIME DELAY Switch — sets length of
time the circuit breaker will carry a short
circuit within the short-time pickup range.
Delay bands are labeled in seconds of short-
circuit current at 12 times the ampere rating, P.
The delay can be adjusted to four positions
of I 2t ramp operation (I 2t IN) or four positions
of fixed time delays (I 2t OUT).
Figure 20 – Short-time Delay

Figure 19 – Short-time Pickup

4 5
3 6
I 2t IN
4 5 2.5 8
3 6 2 10
PICKUP
2.5 8
x P
2 10 SHORT TIME
PICKUP
x P I2 t OUT I2 t IN
SHORT TIME .5 .5
.32 .32
I2 t OUT I2 t IN
.5 .2 .2
.5
.32 .32 .1 .1
.2 .2 DELAY
SEC. AT
.1 .1 12 x P
DELAY
SEC. AT
12 x P

I 2t OUT

I 2t IN delay is an inverse time characteristic in

that the delay time decreases as the current
increases.

I 2t OUT delay is a fixed time characteristic in

that the delay time does not change as the
current increases.

12
Instantaneous Trip Function Ground-fault Trip Function

INSTANTANEOUS PICKUP Switch — switch GROUND-FAULT PICKUP Switch — switch

value (multiplied by the ampere rating) sets the value (multiplied by the sensor size) sets the
short-circuit current level at which the circuit current level at which the circuit breaker will
breaker will trip with no intentional time delay. trip after the set GROUND-FAULT DELAY.

Figure 21 – Instantaneous Pickup Ground-fault pickup values are based on circuit

breaker sensor size only, not on the rating plug
multiplier. Changing the rating plug multiplier
6 8 has no effect on ground-fault pickup values.
5 10
4 12
3
Figure 23 – Ground-fault Pickup
OFF
PICKUP
x P
INSTANT.

.35 .45
.3 .55
.25 .65

.2 .75
PICKUP
x S

GROUND FAULT
I 2 t OUT I 2 t IN
.5 .5
.32 .32
.2 .2

The instantaneous function will override the .1

DELAY
.1

SEC. AT
short-time function if the INSTANTANEOUS 1xS

PICKUP is adjusted at the same or lower set-

ting than the SHORT-TIME PICKUP.

In full-function trip units with both adjustable

short-time and instantaneous trip functions, Figure 24 – Ground-fault Pickup
the adjustable instantaneous trip can be dis- (> 1600A Sensor)
abled by setting INSTANTANEOUS PICKUP to
OFF. Even when the instantaneous pickup is
turned OFF, an instantaneous override occurs 880 960
800 1040
above the circuit breaker short-time withstand
720 1120
rating. 640
PICKUP
1200

GROUND FAULT
Figure 22 – Instantaneous OFF gure 23 – Ground-fault Pick
I 2 t OUT I 2 t IN
.5 .5
.32 .32
.2 .2
.1 .1
6 8 DELAY
5 10 SEC. AT
1xS
4 12

3 OFF
PICKUP
x P
INSTANT.

13
GROUND-FAULT DELAY Switch — sets length I 2t IN delay is an inverse time characteristic in
of time the circuit breaker will carry ground-fault that the delay time decreases as the current
current which exceeds the GROUND-FAULT increases.
PICKUP level before tripping. Delay bands are
labeled in seconds of ground-fault current at 1 I 2t OUT delay is a constant time characteristic
times the sensor size, S. Delay can be adjusted in that the delay time does not change as the
to four positions of I2t ramp operation (I2t IN) or current increases.
four positions of fixed time delays ( I2t OUT).
For sensor sizes below 2000 amperes and I2t
Figure 25 – Ground-fault Delay IN ground-fault current levels less than 1 x S,
the actual time delay will be longer than the
delay setting. At ground-fault current levels
equal to or greater than 1 x S, the delay will be
equal to the delay setting.
.35 .45
.3 .55
.25 .65 For sensor sizes equal to or greater than 2000
.2
PICKUP
.75 amperes, the actual time delay will be equal to
x S

GROUND FAULT
the delay setting for ground-fault currents of
I 2 t OUT I 2 t IN
.5
2000 amperes and above.
.5
.32 .32
.2 .2
.1
DELAY
.1
Ground-fault Alarm Function
SEC. AT
1xS

GROUND-FAULT ALARM Switch — switch

value (multiplied by the sensor size) sets the
current level at which the circuit breaker will
signal the POWERLOGIC system that a ground
fault is present.

Figure 27 – Ground-fault Alarm

Figure 26 – Ground-fault Pickup
(> 1600A Sensor)
.35 .45
.3 .55
.25 .65

.2 .75
PICKUP
x S

GROUND FAULT
ALARM
880 960
800 1040

720 1120
640 1200
PICKUP

GROUND FAULT
gure 23 – Ground-fault Pick
2 2
I t OUT I t IN
.5 .5
.32 .32
.2 .2
.1 .1
DELAY
SEC. AT
1xS

14
 PART 3 – A LOOK AT COORDINATION
COORDINATION
When designing an electrical distribution sys-
tem, coordination must be considered.
Coordination is the process of localizing the
protection against an overcurrent condition to
restrict an outage to only affected equipment.
Only the upstream device closest to the fault
trips – leaving the rest of the system intact to
continue supplying power to unaffected areas.
Coordination does not exist when more than
one device opens simultaneously during an
overcurrent condition.
The degree of coordination required is depen-
dent on the load. For less critical loads, such
as commercial lighting, lack of coordination
may only be a nuisance. For hospital applica-
tions, manufacturing processes and other criti-
cal loads, coordination may be required.
In order to maximize coordination, downstream
branch devices should operate very fast – with
little or no intentional delay – and main devices
should delay operation so that the downstream
devices can clear the fault.
Coordination is limited by the instantaneous
trip characteristics of the upstream device.
When the magnitude of the overcurrent ex-
ceeds the instantaneous pickup point of the
upstream device, it will trip with no intentional
delay and coordination is lost.
Electronic trip devices from Square D, such as
MICROLOGIC ® circuit breakers and GC
GROUND-CENSOR ® relays, have adjustable
pickup and delay settings to maximize coordi-
nation with other overcurrent protective de-
vices in the system.
For more information on coordination, see Cir-
cuit Breaker Application Guide SD354R2, Cir-
cuit Breaker Characteristic Trip Curves and
Coordination.
COORDINATION UNDER GROUND-FAULT
CONDITIONS
The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires
that equipment ground-fault protection be pro-
vided at service entrance disconnecting means
rated for 1000 amperes or more on solidly
grounded wye systems between 150 volt-to-
ground and 600 volts phase-to-phase
(NEC 215-10 includes ground-fault protection
requirements for feeders). In order to meet the
minimum requirements set forth in the NEC, it
is acceptable to provide ground-fault protec-
tion only at a single point in the electrical
system – at the main.
What happens if a ground fault occurs farther
down in the system, at the branch circuit level
for instance? If the only device capable of
detecting a ground fault is the service entrance
main, a ground fault anywhere in the system
will trip the main device. Coordination is lost
because the main tripped and shut down the
entire system!
It is estimated that over 80% of all overcurrents
are low-level overloads and ground faults. Odds
are very high that the situation described above
will happen in the real world. In order to
prevent a blackout condition, multiple levels of
ground-fault protection are recommended. That
is, equipment ground-fault protection should
be provided at each level of distribution (main,
feeder, branch, etc.) to maximize system con-
tinuity. By supplying multiple levels of ground-
fault protection, it is possible to isolate ground
faults to feeders and branch circuits or to any
portion of the system with ground-fault protec-
tion.
15
ZONE-SELECTIVE INTERLOCKING

Coordination assures that continuity of service is

maximized during any type of overcurrent. How-
ever, coordination does not eliminate the stress
on the system caused by the energy generated
during a fault. Zone-selective interlocking (ZSI)
actually reduces the stress on the system result-
ing from a fault while maximizing continuity of
service.

Without ZSI, a coordinated system results in the

circuit breaker closest to the fault clearing the
fault, but with an intentional delay.

With ZSI, the device closest to the fault will

ignore its preset short-time and/or ground-fault
delays and clear the fault with no intentional
delay.

Eliminating intentional delay with ZSI results in

faster tripping times without sacrificing coordina-
tion. This limits fault stress by reducing the
amount of let-through energy the system is sub-
jected to during an overcurrent.

Circuit breakers that are not coordinated (due

to improper settings) will not be coordinated
simply by using ZSI.

For more information on ZSI, see Circuit

Breaker Application Guide 0600SC9102R6/
95, Reducing Fault Stress with Zone-selective
Interlocking.

16
SQUARE D, , MICROLOGIC, POWERLOGIC, I-LINE and GROUND-CENSOR
are Registered Trademarks of Square D Company.

Order No. 602SC9601 6/96

Replaces SD378 Printed In USA © 1996 Square D All rights reserved.