Circuit Breaker Ratings –

A Primer for Protection Engineers

Bogdan Kasztenny
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
and
Joe Rostron
Southern States, LLC

© 2018 SEL and Southern States, LLC

Typical Fault Clearing Operation

Relay Time CB Mechanical Time Arc Time

Typical Fault Clearing Operation

Contact Parting Time Arc Time

 Fault Clearing Timing Diagram
Fault Breaker Primary Contacts Final Arc
Initiation Actuation Parting Extinction

Time

Relay Operating Time CB Interrupting Time

(Release Time)
Opening Time Arcing Time
(Mechanical Time)

Contact Parting Time

Fault Clearing Time

 Asymmetrical Breaker Rating
• Higher current → more plasma →
more difficult current interruption
• DC component increases the current
• Breakers need extra margin to break
asymmetrical currents
• Today, breaker standards ask for
asymmetrical rating under reference
dc conditions
Combining AC and DC Components
Peak
Current

Current
Short Circuit
AC Current
Component Zero
DC
Component Crossing

DC
Time

Contact Parting Time Arcing Time

Combining AC and DC Components
Peak
Current

Current
Short Circuit
AC Current
Component Zero
DC
Component Crossing

DC
Time

Contact Parting Time Arcing Time

 Combining AC and DC Components
Peak
Current • RMS current defines
Current

asymmetrical CB rating
Short Circuit
AC
Component
Current • RMS current combines ac
DC Zero
Component Crossing RMS with dc at contact
parting time
DC
Time

2
2 DC%
S= 1+2
100
Contact Parting Time Arcing Time
 S-Factor
Extra Margin for Asymmetrical Currents
1.8

Asymmetrical Rating / Symmetrical Rating

1.7 100

1.6 90

1.5 80
S-Factor

1.4 70

1.3 60

1.2 50

1.1

1
0 20 40 60 80 100
DC Level, %
DC Component Decays With Time
t
−
DC%(t) = 100% � e TDC

• DC depends on t and TDC

• tPART = tRELAY + tMECH
• Standard dc reference condition
 TDC = 2.71 cycle (X/R = 17)
 Relay operating time (tRELAY = 0.5 cycle)
 Required S-Factor
Depends on Relay Time and CB Mechanical Time
1.8

1.7

1.6 Reference Relay Time

(0.5 Cycle)
1.5
S-Factor

1.4

1.3
2 Parting Time (Cycles)
1.2
Mechanical
Time 3
1.1
4

1
0 20 40 60 80 100
Contact Parting Time, ms
Relay Operating Times Are Improving

• Elimination of interposing and lockout relays

• Naturally fast operating principles
 Switch-onto-fault and stub-bus
 Bus differential
 Unrestrained transformer differential

• New line protection principles

New Line Protection Principles

• Based on fast incremental quantities

 TD32 (directional, 1.5 ms)
 TD21 (distance, 2−5 ms)

• Based on traveling waves

 TW32 (directional, 0.1 ms)
 TW87 (differential, 1−3 ms)
Ultra-High-Speed Line Protective Relays

• Large processing power

• 1 MHz sampling
• 0.1 ms processing
• Low-latency fiber channels (0.9 ms / 100 mi)
• Solid-state outputs (10 µs)
Field Case 1: TW87 Operates in 0.9 ms
Field Case 2: TD21 Operates in 1.8 ms
Field Case 3: POTT Operates in 2.2 ms
CB Derating for Arbitrary Relay Time
Required margin for asymmetrical rating
for a given contact parting time

tPART 2
−
IRATED = S � ISYM = ISYM 1 + 2 e TDC

Contact parting time includes relay operating time and

breaker mechanical time

tREL +tMECH 2
− TDC
IRATED = ISYM 1 + 2 e
CB Derating for Arbitrary Relay Time
For the standard relay time of 0.5 cycle

t0.5 +tMECH 2
−
IRATED(0.5cycle) = ISYM 1 + 2 e TDC

For an arbitrary relay time

tREL +tMECH 2
− TDC
IRATED(tREL ) = ISYM 1 + 2 e
CB Derating for Arbitrary Relay Time
We introduce the R ratio

tREL +tMECH 2
−
IRATED(tREL ) 1+2 e TDC
R= =
IRATED(0.5cycle) t0.5 +tMECH 2
− TDC
1+2 e

R < 1 – loss of rating compared with 0.5 cycle

R > 1 – gain in rating compared with 0.5 cycle
CB Derating for Fast Tripping
Standard X/R of 17 (45 ms)

Asymm. Rating Relative to 0.5 cyc Relay Time, %

101

100
tMECH
99 63 ms
(5-cycle CB)
98

97

96 30 ms
(3-cycle CB)
95

94 13 ms
(2-cycle CB)
93

92
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Relay Operating Time, ms
CB Derating for Fast Tripping
High X/R of 37.7 (100 ms)
101

Asymm. Rating Relative to 0.5 cyc Relay Time, %

100

99

tMECH
98 63 ms
(5-cycle CB)

30 ms
97
(3-cycle CB)
13 ms
(2-cycle CB)
96
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Relay Operating Time, ms
CB Derating for Fast Tripping
Low X/R of 9.4 (25 ms)
101

Asymm. Rating Relative to 0.5 cyc Relay Time, %

tMECH
100 63 ms
(5-cycle CB)
99

98
30 ms
97 (3-cycle CB)

96

95

94

93
13 ms
92 (2-cycle CB)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Relay Operating Time, ms
 “Slow” and “Fast” Tripping
Gains and Loses in Margin
120

Asymm. Rating Relative to 0.5 cyc Relay Time, %

tMECH
115
13 ms
(2-cycle CB)
110
30 ms
(3-cycle CB)
105
63 ms
(5-cycle CB)
100

95

90
5 10 15 20 25 30
Relay Operating Time, ms
 Other Cases of “Fast Tripping”

• Relay misoperation
 Can actuate CB at any time

• Evolving faults
 Fault current may start after CB actuation
 Can lead to “negative trip times”
 Evolving Fault Field Case
Trip

Fault Inception

Relay Operating Time?

• 12 ms after fault current in the B phase
• 8 ms before fault current in the C phase
 Circuit Breaker Application
Worst-Case Scenario vs. BF Protection

• Worst-case scenario
 Caused by evolving faults or relay misoperations
 DC = 100% → S = 1.7 (70% margin required)

• Dismissing worst-case scenario

 Low-probability
 Series-Compensated Lines
Exponential DC Decay Does Not Apply
 Conclusions
• Ultra-high-speed tripping calls for small
increase in asymmetrical CB rating
over the 0.5 cycle reference
 Fast breakers, low X/R 7%
 Slower breaker, large X/R 3%
• Breakers are applied with customary
20% margins
• CB practitioners routinely derate
breakers