How to Solve Short Circuit

Calculation Using Point to

Point Method
Posted on Friday, March 06, 2015

Introduction
Point to point method of short circuit calculation is one of the basic method
in finding the short circuit current. Before an engineer use a computer
software to determine short circuit current it is recommended that he needs
to understand the basic principle and know how to do the manual
calculation.
Before we begin the short circuit analysis let us first familiarize the
important formula, viz:

1. Short Circuit Current at the

terminal of transformer.
Ixfr-1p = S / VLL , Full load ampere rating of single phase
transformer

Ixfr-3p = S / (1.73 x VLL) , Full load ampere rating of three

phase transformer

Ixfr-sc = Ixfr / % Z

where:
Ixfr = Current rating of transformer (1p for single phase and
3p for three phase)

Ixfr-sc = short circuit current of transformer at the terminals

% Z = percent impedance of the transformer

2. f - factor (the impedance of the

cable or busbar between two points
where the fault is calculated)
f = 2 x L x Isc-x / ( C x n x VLL) , for single phase installation

f = 1.73 x L x Isc-x / ( C x n x VLL), for three phase

installation

where:
f = f - factor

L = length of the conductor relative to the immediate

upstream fault point.

Isc-x = fault current at any point in the circuit.

C = conductor factor and the values are given in the table

below.

n = number of parallel run of conductor.

VLL = Line to line voltage

3. M- factor (Multiplier to be used

against the value of the fault current
in the immediate fault point)

M = 1/ (1 +f )

Consider This System

Now we will perform the point to point
short circuit calculation based on the
diagram below.

Figure 1. Typical Load Arrangement

Calculation of Fault Currents

Fault at Point 1:

The short circuit that can be calculated at this point is coming

from the transformer alone. The fault current that we can get is a

symmetrical 3 phase fault current. Imagine we will bolt the three

terminals of the secondary terminals altogether.

Ixfr = 500 kVA / (1.73 x 480 ) = 602.11 Amperes

Isc-1 = Ixfr / % Z

Isc-1 = 602.11 / (.04 x 0.9) = 16. 7 kA

The 0.9 exist in the equation since the transformer has +/10% tolerance and we take the negative value so that we can
take the maximum fault current. Take note that the lesser the
impedance the higher the fault current.

If the tolerance is +/- 5% then the factor that will appear in

our equation will be 0.95.

Fault at Point 2:
Point 2 has 400 ft. length conductor with 2 conductor per phase. We can
apply formula number 3 and 4 at this point, thus:
f = 1.73 x L x Isc-x / ( C x n x VLL), for three phase installation
In this case we can use conductor factor C = 22, 965 based on the
following data

the conductor size is 600 kcmil

Operating at 480 V which is under 600 V category
EMT which is a kind of a steel conduit
The conductor is made of copper

(please refer to the table below)

Table 1. Table of Conductor Factor in Short Circuit Calculation

Therefore,

f = (1.73 x 400ft x 16.7 kA) / (22, 965 x 2 x 480) = 0.524

M = 1 + (1 + f ) = 1 / 1.524 = 0.66
Isc-2 = M x Isc-1 = 0.66 x 16.7 kA

Isc-2 = 11 kA

Fault at Point 3:
Again we will use the same process and refer to the table given
above for the value of conductor factor C.

f = (1.73 x 500 ft. x 11 kA) / (16, 673 x 1 x 480) = 0.476

M = 1 / 1.476
Isc-3 = M x Isc-2 = 0.68 x 11 kA

Isc-3 = 7.48 kA

Fault Point 4:
In fault point 4 we can use the same process but we need to add the locked
rotor current (LRA)of the motor during fault condition.
Why we need to add the motor LRA?

During fault condition the motor

whether it is synchronous or induction
motor, it will contribute electric current to
the fault point.

During fault condition the supply

voltage of the motor will be tend to
approach the value of zero and since the
rotor still have the effect of inertia (will not
stop abruptly), thus it will continue to
rotate momentarily right after the fault
happen.

The momentary rotation together with

the induced voltage developed in the rotor

just before the fault happened will

transform the motor into a generator.

In case of induction motors this

scenario will continue until the magnetic
flux in the rotor disappear since there is no
permanent supply voltage in the rotor of
the induction motor.

Worst case in part of the synchronous

motor since the rotor has separate and
steady supply, thus the effect of the "motor
to generator" transformation will take
longer until the rotor stop rotating.

The value of the current that the motor

can contribute during fault condition is
equal to the locked rotor current LRA of
that motor which is equal to 400% to 600%
of the full load amperes of that motor.
In this case the motor is rated 20 HP, operating at 480 Volts, thus:
FLA = (20 HP x 746) / (1.73 x 480 x 0.85 x 0.8) = 26
Amperes

LRA = 26 x 600% = 158 Amperes

The value of LRA is the contribution of the motor to the fault

current during fault condition.

The effect of LRA during fault condition based on the rating

of the motor, thus we can say that large motors have significant
effect on the system during fault condition.

Calculate the fault current at point 4,

f = (1.73 x 200 x 11 kA) / ( 20, 867 x 1 x 480) = 0.38

M = 1 / 1.38 = 0.72

Isc-4 = (M x Isc-2) + LRA = (0.72 x 11 kA) + 158 = 8, 078 Amperes

or 8.1 kA

Isc-4 = 8.1 kA

Summary of Results:

Short
Short
Short
Short

Circuit
Circuit
Circuit
Circuit

Current
Current
Current
Current

at
at
at
at

Point
Point
Point
Point

1
2
3
4

=
=
=
=

16.7 kA
11 kA
7.48 kA
8.41 kA

These data are three phase symmetrical short circuit current values. This
is a value where we presume that the fault happened because all the
three phase are connected or bolted together.
What if the fault happened is not a symmetrical three phase fault (Phase
to Phase to Phase fault)? We can consider the following rule of the thumb
to compute the following faults:
Phase to Phase (two lines are connected) = use 87% x 3 ph.
symmetrical fault current.

Phase to ground (one line and ground are connected) = 25% x 3 ph.
symmetrical fault current.

Thus,

Phase to Phase Fault Current Values:

Short
Short
Short
Short

Circuit
Circuit
Circuit
Circuit

Current
Current
Current
Current

at
at
at
at

Point
Point
Point
Point

1
2
3
4

=
=
=
=

16.7 kA x 87% = 14.5 kA

11 kA x 87% = 9.57 kA
7.48 kA x 87% = 6.5 kA
8.41 kA x 87% = 7.3 kA

Phase to Ground Fault Current Values:

Short
Short
Short
Short

Circuit
Circuit
Circuit
Circuit

Current
Current
Current
Current

at
at
at
at

Point
Point
Point
Point

1
2
3
4

=
=
=
=

References:

Schneider Electric Cahier no. 158

General Electric
Cooper Busman

16.7 kA x 25% = 4.1 kA

11 kA x 25% = 2.75 kA
7.48 kA x 25% = 1.9 kA
8.41 kA x 25% = 2.1 kA