ETAP-Battery Document

Chapter 33
DC Short-Circuit Analysis
To assure the safe operation of DC systems, whenever there are any changes in the system related to
sources, loads, and power transmission components, a DC Short-Circuit Analysis must be carried out to
evaluate system conditions under a fault and assess protective device ratings. A complete short-circuit
calculation should provide details of fault current variations at the fault location as well as for
contributing branches, from the initiation of the fault to its end. Due to the complexities involved in
source behaviors and the nonlinearity characteristics of the equipment, such calculations are very
extensive and therefore the maximum short-circuit current is often calculated for examination of
protective device ratings.
ETAP 33-1 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

DC Short-Circuit Analysis Overview
In compliance with IEEE Standard 946, the ETAP DC Short-Circuit Module calculates the total fault
current, current contributions from different sources, and the rise time constant of the total fault current. It
can conduct calculations on both radial and looped systems. The fault under consideration is a short-
circuit between the positive and the negative terminals at the fault location. The contributing sources to
the short-circuit current include charger/rectifier, UPS, battery, and DC motor. These sources can be
modeled as a constant current source or a constant voltage source behind an impedance. For a
charger/rectifier source, the AC system equivalent impedance on the AC side can also be considered.
For each DC protective device, ETAP calculates the bus fault current as well as the maximum current that
flows through the device and flags the user in a prominent color for underrated devices.
The calculation results are reported in a Crystal Reports format as well as in a one-line diagram display.
The Crystal Reports format provides detailed information about the study, including all the input data
used in the calculation, fault current, contributions from different sources, and device rating validation
summary, etc. The user can customize the format and content of the Crystal Reports output report. The
one-line diagram display provides you with a direct visual representation of the system under fault
conditions. It displays the short-circuit current at the faulted bus, fault current contributions on
surrounding branches, as well as the system voltage profile under the fault.

DC Short-Circuit Analysis Study Toolbar
33.1 Study Toolbar

The DC Short-Circuit Study toolbar will appear on the screen when you are in DC Short-Circuit Study
Mode.
Run DC Short-Circuit Analysis
DC Short-Circuit Display Options
DC Short-Circuit Report Manager
Halt Current Calculation
Get Online Data
Get Archived Data
Run DC Short-Circuit Analysis

Click on this button to run a DC short-circuit calculation.
Display Options
Click on this button to customize the information and results annotations displayed on the one-line
diagram in DC Short-Circuit mode.
DC Short-Circuit Report Manager

Click on this button to open the DC Short-Circuit Report Manager. You can specify the Crystal Reports
format for your output reports here. A detailed explanation of the DC Short-Circuit Report Manager is in
the Output Reports section.

Click on the Stop Sign button to halt the current calculation.
Get Online Data

If the ETAP key installed on your computer has the online feature, you can copy the online data from the
online presentation to the current presentation.
Get Archived Data

If the ETAP key installed on your computer has the online feature, you can copy the archived data to the
current presentation.

DC Short-Circuit Analysis Study Case Editor
33.2 Study Case Editor

The DC Short-Circuit Study Case Editor contains parameter settings required to perform a short-circuit
calculation. The calculation results are dependent on these settings. When a new study case is created,
ETAP provides you with the default parameters. However, you should check these parameters to make
sure that they are set as required.
33.2.1 Info Page

On the Info page, you can select faulted buses and specify contribution level, etc. On the Info page, you
can select faulted buses and specify contribution level, etc.
Study Case ID
Enter a unique alphanumeric ID with a maximum of 12 characters.
Report
Specify the contribution level the report should encompass.
Update
TCC Clipping Current

Check this to update TCC clipping current and base voltage in TCC kA page of DC protective devices.

Bus Selection
Use this area to select which buses to Fault, Don’t Fault, or click on the All Buses checkbox to fault all
buses.
Note: You can fault buses (or remove faults) directly from the one-line diagram by right-clicking on the
desired bus.
Study Remarks
You can enter up to 120 alphanumeric characters in this remark box. The information entered here will be
printed on the second line of every output report page header. These remarks can provide specific
information regarding each study case. The first line of the header information is global for all study cases
and entered in the Project Information editor.

33.2.2 Source Model Page

In the Source Model page, you specify the type of model for chargers and batteries, as well as what loads
need to be considered in a study.
Charger Contributions Based on

A charger can be represented as a constant current source or a constant voltage source behind impedance.
As a constant current source, it injects a constant current into the system when a fault occurs.
Editor Selection
Click on this option to select the model type as specified in the editor for individual chargers.
Fixed SC Contribution
Click on this option to use the constant current model for all the charges in the system.
AC System Impedance
Click on this option to use the constant voltage model for all the charges in the system.
Battery Contributions Based on

A battery can be represented as a constant current source or a constant voltage source behind impedance.
As a constant current source, it injects a constant current into the system when a fault occurs. The current
injected into the system is equal to a constant multiplied by its 1-minute discharge rate.

Editor Selection
Click on this option to select the model type as specified in the editor for individual batteries.
Constant Current (K*1-Min-Rating*String)

Click on this option to use the constant current model for all the batteries in the system.
Voc Behind Battery Impedance

Click on this option to use the constant voltage model for all the batteries in the system.
Motor Internal Voltage

A motor, or the motor load portion of a lump load, is modeled as a constant voltage source behind an
impedance. You can specify the internal voltage value by selecting one of the following two options:
100% of Motor Rated Voltage

Click on this option to use the motor rated voltage as the internal voltage.
Percent of Motor Rated Voltage

Click on this option to specify the motor internal voltage in percent based on the motor rated voltage.
Short-Circuit Contributions Based on

This group provides you with an option to skip certain load elements in a short-circuit analysis.
Static loads are also considered in a DC Short-Circuit Analysis and their presence reduces total fault
current.
Load Status Only

Select this option to include loads in the Short-Circuit Study based on load status. For the current system
configuration, loads that have either the Continuous or Intermittent status will be considered in the study.
Loads that have the Spare status will be excluded from the study. When this option is selected, all of the
Composite CSD loads will be included in the study.
Load Category Only

Select this option to use the loading percent to determine which loads will be included in the short-circuit
calculation. Once this option is selected, you can specify a loading category in the Loading Category
selection box. All loads that have non-zero loading percent for the selected Loading Category will be
included in the short-circuit calculation.
Use Both Above Options

Select this option to use both load status and loading category to determine loads to be included in the
short-circuit calculation. When this option is selected, all the loads that satisfy either or both of the above
two criterions will be included in the Short-Circuit Study.
.

DC Short-Circuit Analysis Display Options
33.3 Display Options

The DC Short-Circuit Analysis Display Options consist of a Results page and three pages for AC, AC-
DC, and Color information annotations. The colors and displayed annotations selected for each study are
specific to that study.
33.3.1 Results Page
Show Units
When this box is checked the unit for the calculation results will be displayed on the one-line diagram
along with the results.

Voltage
Bus
Click on this checkbox to display bus voltage on the one-line diagram.
Bus Voltage Unit Selection

From the drop-down list you can select to display bus voltage as a percentage or in volts.
Display Faulted Bus
Fault Current Rise Time-Constant

Click on this option to display the fault current rise time-constant in ms for faulted buses.
Equivalent Fault R
Click on this option to display the equivalent fault resistance in ohms for faulted buses.
Display Contribution
Converter, Battery, & Load

Click on any or all of these checkboxes to display short-circuit contribution from these components on the
one-line diagram.

33.3.2 AC Page
This page includes options for displaying info annotations for AC elements.
ID
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the ID of the selected AC elements on the one-line
diagram.

Rating
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the ratings of the selected AC elements on the one-
line diagram.
Device Type Rating

Gen. (Generator) kW/MW
Power Grid (Utility) MVAsc
Motor HP/kW
Load kVA/MVA
Panel Connection Type Number of Phases - Number of Wires)
Transformer kVA/MVA
Branch, Impedance Base MVA
Branch, Reactor Continuous Amps
Cable/Line Number of Cables - Number of Conductor/Cable - Size
Bus kA Bracing
Node Bus Bracing (kA)
CB Rated Interrupting (kA)
Fuse Interrupting (ka)
Relay 50/51 for Overcurrent Relays
PT & CT Transformer Rated Turn Ratio
kV
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the rated or nominal voltages of the selected elements
on the one-line diagram.
For cables/lines, click the checkboxes to display the cable/line and the size, length and type on the one-
line diagram.
A
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the ampere ratings (continuous or full-load ampere)
of the selected elements on the one-line diagram.
line diagram.
Z
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the rated impedance of the selected AC elements on
the one-line diagram.
Device Type Impedance

Generator Subtransient reactance Xd”
Power Grid (Utility) Positive Sequence Impedance in % of 100 MVA (R + j X)
Motor % LRC
Transformer Positive Sequence Impedance (R + j X per unit length)
Branch, Impedance Impedance in ohms or %
Branch, Reactor Impedance in ohms
Cable/Line Positive Sequence Impedance (R + j X in ohms or per unit length)

D-Y
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the connection types of the selected elements on the
one-line diagram.
For transformers, the operating tap setting for primary, secondary, and tertiary windings are also
displayed. The operating tap setting consists of the fixed taps plus the tap position of the LTC.
Composite Motor
Click on this checkbox to display the AC composite motor IDs on the one-line diagram, then select the
color in which the IDs will be displayed.
Use Default Options

Click on this checkbox to use ETAP’s default display options

33.3.3 AC-DC Page

This page includes options for displaying info annotations for AC-DC elements and composite networks.
ID
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the IDs of the selected AC-DC elements on the one-
line diagram.

Rating
Select the checkboxes under this heading to display the ratings of the selected AC-DC elements on the
one-line diagram.
Device Type Rating

Charger AC kVA & DC kW (or MVA/MW)
Inverter DC kW & AC kVA (or MW/MVA)
UPS kVA
VFD HP/kW
kV
Click on the checkboxes under this heading to display the rated or nominal voltages of the selected
elements on the one-line diagram.
A
Click on the checkboxes under this heading to display the ampere ratings of the selected elements on the
one-line diagram.
Device Type Amp

Charger AC FLA & DC FLA
Inverter DC FLA & AC FLA
UPS Input, output, & DC FLA
Composite Network
Click on this checkbox to display the composite network IDs on the one-line diagram, then select the
Use Default Options

Click on this checkbox to use ETAP’s default display options.

33.3.4 Colors Page

This page includes options for assigning colors to annotations for elements on the one-line diagram.
Color Theme
A previously defined color theme can be selected from the list. The selected color theme will be used
whenever the Theme option button is selected.
Annotations
This area allows you to assign colors to AC and DC elements, composite elements, and displayed results.

Theme
This option allows the color theme selected in the color Theme list for element annotations to be applied
globally throughout all diagrams. When the option is selected, the name assigned to the applied color
theme is also displayed in a box at the right of the button.
User-Defined
Select this option to specify a color for element annotations. When this option is chosen, the DC element
annotation color selection list will appear.
Theme Button
Click this button to make the Theme Editor appear.
Theme Editor
The Theme Editor allows you to select existing color themes or define a new color theme. Note that color
themes are applied globally within a project file. Changes made on a color theme displayed on this page
may also affect other modes and presentations if the color themes option has been previously selected.

DC Short-Circuit Analysis Calculation Methods
33.4 Calculation Methods

The ETAP DC Short-Circuit module can perform fault analysis for a radial or a looped system. It
calculates the maximum system fault current and contributions from individual sources. The fault under
consideration is assumed to be a short-circuit between the positive and negative terminals at the fault
location. Fault current contributing sources include chargers/rectifiers, UPS, batteries, and DC motors.
These sources can be modeled either as constant current sources or constant voltage sources behind
impedance, as specified by the user. It is assumed that these sources will reach their maximum
contribution level at the same time, which results in a conservative solution. ETAP also calculates the rise
time of fault current based on the equivalent R and L at the fault location. When calculating short-circuit
current, inductance values for all of the system components are neglected. These inductance values are
used in calculating fault current rise time.
33.4.1 Procedure for DC Short-Circuit Calculation

In a DC short-circuit calculation, a contributing source may be represented by different models, either as a
voltage source or as a current source. Even the sources that are represented as constant voltage sources
may have different per unit values. This is different from the AC short-circuit calculation by the IEEE
method, where a prefault voltage is specified and a circuit network is solved to find the fault current. In
the DC short-circuit calculation, a two-step procedure is adopted that applies the superposition theorem to
calculate fault current. The two steps are voltage profile calculation and short-circuit current calculation.
In the first step of the calculation, the short-circuit current sources such as charger, UPS, battery, and
motor are modeled as specified in the study case editor and individual element editors. They may be
modeled as constant current sources or as constant voltage sources behind impedance. Based on this
system, a load flow calculation is conducted to determine system voltage profile and current flows. These
voltage values will be used in the second step as the prefault voltage for short current calculation.
In the second step of the calculation, the program calculates fault current and contributions for each bus to
be faulted with the bus voltage calculated in the first step as the prefault voltage.
In addition to fault current, the program also calculates the equivalent R and L at the faulted bus, based on
the separate R and L network. Using the equivalent R and L, it calculates the current rise time constant for
the fault.
33.4.2 Short-Circuit Current Rise Time Constant Calculation

The short-circuit current reaches its maximum value at a rate depending on the system configuration and
the resistance and inductance values of all the elements in the system. For a radial system, it depends on
the system R/L ratio, which is simple to calculate. However, for a looped network with multiple sources,
it is rather complicated to determine the rise time constant of the short-circuit current.
ETAP calculates the rise time constant based on the equivalent R and L at the fault location.

33.4.3 Device Rating Evaluation

One of the major purposes of conducting a short-circuit calculation is to evaluate the device rating under
fault conditions, such as bus rating and protective device ratings. For each DC protective device, ETAP
calculates the bus fault current and the maximum current that flows through the device. The program then
compares the device rating against the maximum through current. If an underrated condition occurs,
ETAP will flag the underrated condition in the text report as well as in the one-line display.
33.4.4 Component Models

Charger
A charger can be represented as a constant current source or a constant voltage source behind an
impedance. As a constant current source, it injects into the system a constant current equal to its rated
current multiplied by the Imax specified in the Rating page of the charger editor.
When modeled as a constant voltage source behind impedance, the rated voltage is used as the internal
voltage. The AC system Z specified in the Short-Circuit page of the Charger editor is converted to the DC
side and used as the impedance in the model.
UPS
A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) is represented as a constant current source. It injects into the
system a constant current equal to its rated current multiplied by the Imax specified in the Rating page of
the UPS editor.
Battery
As a constant current source, it injects into the system a constant current equal to its 1 minute discharging
current multiplied by a K factor specified in the Short-Circuit page of the Battery Editor.
When modeled as a constant voltage source behind impedance, the internal voltage depends on the option
selected in the Battery Editor. These options include using the rated voltage or the value calculated based
on the battery specific gravity and minimum operating temperature.
DC Converter
A DC converter is used to change the voltage level in a DC system. If a fault occurs on the output side of
the system, the DC converter is modeled as a constant current source injecting into the system a constant
current. This current is equal to its rated current multiplied by the Imax specified in the Rating page of the
DC Converter Editor.
When calculating fault current contributions, the calculation does not extend into the input side of the
system. In case a DC converter has the same input and output rated voltage values and is involved in any
loop as the only DC converter, the calculation will stop and post a message to inform the user.

DC Motor
A DC motor is modeled as a constant voltage source behind impedance. The internal voltage value can be
specified in the DC Short-Circuit Study Case Editor. The impedance is specified in the Short-Circuit page
of the DC Motor Editor.
DC Lumped Load
The constant power portion of a DC lumped load is modeled as a constant voltage source behind an
impedance. The internal voltage value can be specified in the DC Short-Circuit Study Case editor. The
impedance is specified in the Short-Circuit Imp page of the DC Lumped Load editor.
Note: Only the motor loads of the lumped loads contribute short-circuit currents, i.e., if the percent motor
load of a lumped load is greater than zero, the motor load part will be modeled the same as a DC motor.
The static load part will be represented as a static load and the constant current load portion will be
ignored in the short-circuit calculation.
DC Static and Composite CSD Loads

DC static loads are included in short-circuit calculations. The presence of static loads provides shunt paths
for short-circuit current and hence reduce the total fault current. A Composite CSD (CCSD) load is
treated the same as a static load.
DC Cable
In order to achieve conservative results, in a DC short-circuit analysis, the cable resistance is calculated at
the minimum temperature entered in the Cable editor. Note that ETAP automatically doubles the cable R
& L values for calculations to represent both the positive and negative cables.
Photovoltaic (PV) Panel

The short circuit contribution of a PV panel is based on Voc, Isc, Vmp, and Imp. If the PV panel is the
only source in a sub-system, one PV will be constant V source and its internal V is adjusted to meet the
short circuit curve. All other PV panels will be modeled as a constant current (I) source with short circuit
current injection determined by the panel terminal voltage and short circuit curve. The following table
lists consideration of PV panel and inverter in DC Short Circuit:
Element Type Modeling Comment

PV Array N/A SC Source It is modeled by a 3-point curve. PV panel short circuit
contribution depends on its terminal voltage. It requires
iterative short circuit calculation.
Inverter All Types Not Inverter will not be included in DC short circuit
Included calculation.

DC Short-Circuit Analysis Required Data
33.5 Required Data

33.5.1 Source
Charger
Info Page
Charger ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
All data in this page is required for DC Load Flow calculations
SC Page
Data in the SC Contribution for DC System section
AC System Z data is required if the Based on AC System Z option is selected
UPS
Info Page
UPS ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
AC rating data
DC rating data
Auction diode option
SC Imp Page
SC Contribution to DC System section data
Battery
Info Page
Battery ID
Bus connection data
Number of strings
Rating Page
Number of cells
SC Page
Battery Library type data: Rp, time constant, SG, VPC, and 1-min-rating
Short-circuit model data
External impedance data
Voc per cell data

33.5.2 Load
DC Motor
Info Page
Motor ID
Bus connection data
Configuration status
Quantity
Rating Page
Rating data
Load category data
SC Page
SC parameters
Lump Load
Info Page
Lump load ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rating section data
Motor/static load percent
Load category data
SC Imp Page
SC parameters
Static Load
Info Page
Static load ID
Bus connection data
Quantity
Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data

CCSD Load
Info Page
CCSD load ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data
33.5.3 Branch
DC Cable
Info Page
Cable ID
Bus connection data
Cable length
Number of cables per phase
Impedance Page
Cable resistance and inductance
Units section data
Base and minimum operating temperature
DC Impedance
Info Page
DC impedance ID
Bus connection data
Impedance resistance and inductance
DC Converter
Info Page
DC converter ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rating section data
SC contribution data

33.5.4 Protective Device

If the data for a protective device has been entered by the user, the DC short-circuit calculation will
compare the short-circuit current against device rating and flag the user if the device is underrated.
DC CB
Info Page
ID
Bus connection data
Rated V
SC kA
DC Fuse
Info Page
ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rated V
Interrupting kA
DC Single-Throw Switch
Info Page
ID
Bus connection data
Rated V
Momentary kA
DC Double-Throw Switch
Info Page
ID
Bus connection data
Rated V
Momentary kA

33.5.5 Bus
DC Bus
Info Page
ID
Nom. V
Initial Voltage
33.5.6 Study Case

Similar to any other study, you are always required to run a DC short-circuit calculation. When a DC
short-circuit calculation is initiated by the user, ETAP uses the study case currently showing in the study
case editor in the calculation. Every field in a study case has its default value. However, it is important to
set the values in the study case correctly to meet your calculation requirements.

DC Short-Circuit Analysis Output Reports
33.6 Output Reports

The DC short-circuit calculation results are reported both on the one-line diagram and in the Crystal
Reports format. The graphical one-line diagram displays the calculated fault currents, time constant for
current rise, equivalent resistance at the faulted bus, as well as fault contributions from neighboring buses.
You can use the Display Options editor to specify the content to be displayed. It also flags underrated
protective devices in red.
The Crystal Reports format provides you with detailed information for a DC Short-Circuit Analysis. You
can utilize the DC Short-Circuit Report Manager to help you view the output report.
33.6.1 DC Short-Circuit Report Manager

To open the DC Short-Circuit Report Manager, click on the Report Manager button on the DC Short-
Circuit toolbar. The editor includes four pages (Complete, Input, Result, and Summary) representing
different sections of the output report. The Report Manager allows you to select formats available for
different portions of the report and view it via Crystal Reports. There are several fields and buttons
common to every page, as described below.
Output Report Name

This field displays the name of the output report you want to view.
Project File Name

This field displays the name of the project file based on which report was generated, along with the
directory where the project file is located.
Help
Click on this button to access Help.
OK/Cancel
Click on the OK button to close the editor and open the Crystal Reports view to show the selected portion
of the output report. If no selection is made, it will close the editor. Click on the Cancel button to close the
editor without viewing the report.

Complete Page
On this page there is only one format available, Complete, which opens the complete report for the DC
Short-Circuit Study. The Complete Report includes Input Data, Results, and Summary Reports.
You can view the report in the Crystal Reports viewer, or save the report in PDF, MS Word, Rich Text
Format, or Excel formats. If you wish this selection to be the default for reports, click the Set As Default
checkbox.

Input Data Page

This page allows you to select different formats for viewing input data, grouped according to type. They
include:
Battery
Branch
Bus
Cable
Converter
Cover
Impedance
Loads
checkbox.

Result Page
This page allows you to select formats to view the short-circuit result portion of the Output Report.
checkbox.

Summary Page
This page allows you to select formats to view summary reports of the Output Report. The only summary
report format available is the Interrupting Current format.
checkbox.

33.6.2 View Output Reports from Study Case Toolbar

This is a shortcut for the Report Manager. When you click on the View Output Report button, ETAP
automatically opens the output report, which is listed in the Study Case toolbar with the selected format.
In the picture shown below, the output report name is DCSC and the selected format is Complete.
33.6.3 Input Data

Input data are grouped together according to element type. The following are some samples of input data.
Cable & Impedance Data

The cable and impedance input data page prints resistance and inductance values for these branches,
along with connection information. The resistance value for cables has been adjusted to the minimum
operating temperature. The inductance value is used to calculate time constant for fault current rise.

Converter Input Data

The converter input data section includes converter rating and the model used in the study. UPS and DC
converters are always represented as constant current sources. A charger may be modeled as a constant
voltage source behind system Z or a constant current source, depending on the selection in the DC Short-
Circuit Study Case Editor and the Charger Editor. When modeled as a constant V behind system Z, the
constant V is the charger AC input bus voltage converted to the DC side based on the rated voltage ratio.
The value is printed in the Vsys column.
Load Data
The load data section prints input data for motors, lump loads, static loads, and CCSD loads. The Vin
column shows the internal voltage of motors and the motor load portion of lump loads.

33.6.4 Short-Circuit Report

This section of the report shows the calculation results, arranged in such a way that each faulted bus is
started from a new page. It shows the total fault current as well as bus voltage and short-circuit
contributions from the neighboring buses up to the level specified in the DC Short-Circuit Study Case
editor. It also prints the equivalent R and L at the faulted bus and the time constant for fault current rise.

33.6.5 Short-Circuit Summary

The Summary page presents the comparison between fault current and protective device capability. In
order for the program to make the comparison, the interrupting capability has to be entered from the
editors of individual protective devices. The kA Fault Current column prints the total bus fault current as
well as the maximum fault current flowing through the protective device. If the device capability is less
than the maximum fault current for a device, a flag will be raised for the device.

Chapter 34
DC Arc Flash
The ETAP DC Arc Flash analysis module uses several methods to determine the level of incident energy
which can be generated by different direct-current electric circuits. The program is fully compatible with
the ETAP DC Short-Circuit calculation program which has been an industry standard for the analysis of
DC equipment faults for many years. The program can be used to determine the arc flash energy for
industrial, nuclear, data centers, electrochemical, petrochemical and any other DC electrical applications.
The DC arc flash incident energy and arc flash boundaries are determined based on the equations and
methodology presented in the following documents
National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 70E-2015

DC Arc Models and Incident Energy Calculations Paper No. PCIC-2009-07
Arc Flash Calculation for Exposures to DC Systems, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications
Vol. 46 NO. 6 November / December 2010
ETAP DC Arc Flash is a fully integrated module that takes advantage of all the capabilities already built
into ETAP. The program automatically determines the DC Short-Circuit current. It also calculates the
individual DC arcing current contributions and arc fault clearing time of all the protective devices
involved in the arc fault by interfacing with ETAP Star (Protective device selectivity and coordination
module). In addition, ETAP considers the equipment construction (enclosed or open air) to determine
the level of energy exposure.
With DC arc flash, you can perform arc flash analysis for a single bus or multiple buses at a time. It has
built-in tools like the DC Arc Flash Report Analyzer and summarized results at every DC bus or node.
ETAP also includes typical boundaries, equipment gap between conductors and working distances from
IEEE 1584 and NFPA 70E to minimize the data entry requirements.
ETAP DC arc flash provides sophisticated reporting which literally shows the arc flash results for every
location on the one-line diagram or in comprehensive analysis reports for every location. The program
gives you the ability to print or create custom MS Excel report by using the export feature from the DC
AF Report Analyzer. It also includes built-in Summary Crystal Reports for all the faulted buses in the
systems, which include the arc flash boundary and energy level. The final analysis results can be shown
on arc flash labels that can be placed on the equipment. The labels contain the necessary information to
convey the arc flash energy level in multiple languages or unit systems.

Arc Flash Analysis Toolbar
34.1 DC Arc Flash Toolbar

The DC Arc Flash Study toolbar will appear on the screen when you are in DC Arc Flash Study Mode.
Run DC Arc Flash Analysis
Create Star View
Star View Manager
Display Options
Report Manager
DC Arc Flash Result Analyzer
Get Online Data
Get Archived Data
Run DC Arc Flash Analysis

Click on this button to run a DC Arc Flash calculation.
Create Star View

Click this button to generate a new Star presentation. A Star View is a presentation that may contain
network paths (a set of one or many elements that reside in the one-line diagram) and their specific plots.
To activate the Create Star View toolbar button, select an element or a group of elements on the one-line
diagram. This is called rubber-banding a zone for a selected Configuration. Composites (nested networks)
can be opened up, rubber-banded, and grouped with their external connecting elements for coordination.
Star View Manager

Click this button to launch the Star View Manager editor.
Display Options
diagram in DC Arc Flash mode.
Report Manager
DC Arc Flash Output Reports are provided in Crystal Report format. The Report Manager provides five
pages (Complete, Input, Label, Result, and Summary) for viewing the different parts of the output report.
Available formats for Crystal Reports are displayed in each page of the Report Manager for DC Arc Flash

Arc Flash Analysis Toolbar
studies. You can open and save the report in PDF, MS Word, Rich Text Format, or Excel format. If you
wish this selection to be the default for reports, click the Set As Default checkbox.
DC Arc Flash Result Analyzer

Click on this button to open the DC Arc Flash Result Analyzer. The purpose of the DC Arc Flash Result
Analyzer is to provide an easy way for the electrical engineer to analyze arc flash results from several
scenarios.

Get Online Data

Get Archived Data


Arc Flash Analysis Bus Editor
34.2 DC Bus Editor

The DC Bus Editor contains all the input data fields needed for the DC Arc Flash calculation. The pages
that have information related to arc flash are the Info page, AF Parameters page, and the Arc Flash page.
34.2.1 Info Page

The only parameter which is related to arc flash on the DC Bus Info page is the Bus nominal Voltage.
ETAP uses the nominal V value to allow you to select the right set of typical data. The Equipment ID and
Equipment name may be displayed on certain arc flash label templates as well.
34.2.2 AF Parameters Page

The AF Parameters page contains information about equipment type (i.e., Panelboard, LV switchgear,
Battery Rack, etc.). It also contains typical data for approach boundaries. This page contains some typical
values to describe the Box (enclosed) equipment construction. The typical values were obtained from the
DC arc models and incident energy calculations paper. The AF Parameters page also includes information
about the required insulated glove class for DC Voltage.

Equipment Properties
Type
The Type dropdown list allows you to select or enter the DC equipment type being model for DC arc
flash Analysis. The list has been pre-populated with the following options:
Panelboard
LV Switchgear
MV Switchgear
Junction Box
Exposed Conductors
Battery Rack
Battery Terminals
Battery Disconnect
Overhead Conductor
The option to type in and define the actual type of equipment being modeled is also available.
Note: The equipment type is used for information only and it does not affect the calculation; however,
entering the correct equipment type description is useful for label printing and reporting purpose.
If the option “Automatically Update Arc Flash Parameters” is enabled, the fields in the DC bus editor
related to arc flash are immediately populated with typical IEEE 1584 and NFPA 70E boundaries and
working distances.
Note: The Gap between Conductors / Electrodes, Width, Height, Depth, and Reflectivity coefficients are
not listed in IEEE 1584 or NFPA 70E Standards. The typical values for these parameters come from the
DC Arc Models and Incident Energy Calculations Paper.
Width
If the equipment is enclosed, this field displays the width of the enclosure which contains the DC
energized conductors. This field is used for information only and is not used in the calculation of the
incident energy at this time.
Height
If the equipment is enclosed, this field displays the height of the enclosure which contains the DC
Depth
If the equipment is enclosed, this field displays the depth of the enclosure which contains the DC
a&k
The reflectivity constants are used when determining the incident energy. They are properties of the
enclosure and are determined based on the dimensions of the box/enclosure. These constants are used
when determining the incident energy based on the Stokes & Oppenlander or Paukert methods.

Please refer to "DC Arc Models and Incident Energy Calculations Paper No. PCIC-2009-07" for below
typical data.
*Enclosure Dimension Default Values

Sample Equipment
Width Height
Type a (mm) k Depth (mm)
(mm) (mm)
Panelboard 100 0.127 305 356 191
LV Switchgear 400 0.312 508 508 508
MV Switchgear 950 0.416 1143 762 762
Conductor/Electrode Properties
Gap Between Conductors / Electrodes

The gap between conductors for DC equipment is not defined in IEEE 1584 or NFPA 70E documents.
The main reason is that the most common analysis method, which is called “Maximum Power Method”,
does not utilize the gaps. In ETAP, the default value has been set to 20 mm. This default value was
selected based on the DC arc models and incident energy calculations reference. It was also selected as a
default value because DC arcs can be generated at this gap distance for lower voltages (120 ~ 250 Volts
dc).
ETAP has two additional calculation methods which are called “Stokes & Oppenlander” and “Paukert”.
For these methods the gap between conductors is a critical parameter to determine the arcing current. It is
highly recommended that a proper value be selected based on the actual equipment distance between the
Anode and Cathode as shown in the image below.
Orientation
This is the orientation of the conductors / electrodes. The orientation field will be used as an input field as
future calculation methods become available. In this version of ETAP it is used for information purposes
only.
Termination
This field allows the user to enter the type of conductor / electrode termination. The termination field will
be used as an input field as future calculation methods become available. In this version of ETAP it is
used for information purposes only.

Conductor Type
This field allows the user to enter the material of the conductor / electrode. The conductor type field will
Typical Data
This button works in similar way as AC arc flash. It provides the ability to update the typical approach
boundaries to energized conductors or circuit parts for shock protection.
Note: The Gap between Conductors / Electrodes, Width, Height, Depth, and Reflectivity coefficients are
not updated when using this option. There are no available typical values in the standards for these
parameters at this time.
The Typical Data button brings in default values and ranges for the Limited, Restricted, and Prohibited
Approach Boundaries.
Limited Approach Boundary to Exp. Movable Conductor

The Limited Approach Boundary (LAB) is defined according to NFPA 70E-2012, as the approach limit at
a distance from an exposed energized electrical conductor or circuit part within which a shock hazard
exists.
The LAB for exposed movable conductors is the distance, which unqualified persons may not cross when
approaching a conductor that is not properly braced in a fixed position. The value should be entered in
feet or meter. The default value is the minimum value allowed in NFPA 70E-2012 table 130.4 (C)(b)
(Approach Boundaries energized Electrical Conductors or Circuit Parts for Shock Protection, Direct
Current Voltage Systems).
Limited Approach Boundary to Fixed Circuit Part

The Limited Approach Boundary for Fixed Circuit Parts is the distance, which unqualified persons may
not cross when approaching a conductor that is fixed (not movable). The value should be entered in feet
or meters.
Defaults for Limited Approach Boundaries

The range and default values for the Limited Approach Boundaries are defined according to the values
listed in NFPA 70E-2012 table 130.4 (C)(b) (Approach Boundaries energized Electrical Conductors or
Circuit Parts for Shock Protection, Direct Current Voltage Systems). If you click the Typical Data button,
the values will be automatically updated according to the values listed in the table below. If you change
the Bus nominal kV, the values will be reset back to the default boundaries. The table below lists the
default limited approach boundaries.

Limited Approach Boundary for Different Voltage Levels (NFPA 70E 2012)
Limited Approach Boundaries
Bus Nominal kV Exposed Movable Boundary Exposed Fixed Circuit Part
Range
Default (ft) Range (ft) Default (ft) Range (ft)
10 10 to 30 3.5 3.5 to 30
10 10 to 30 5 5 to 30
10 10 to 30 5 5 to 30
10 10 to 30 8 8 to 30
10 10 to 30 8 8 to 30
10.66 10.66 to 45 10 10 to 45
11.66 11.66 to 45 11.66 11.66 to 45
20 20 to 45 20 20 to 45
* 26 26 to 45 26 26 to 45
* Note: If the Bus kV is higher than 800 kV, the boundary distances remain the same as those for the
800 kV
Print On Label
This toggle radio button allows you to select which limited approach boundary to display on the Label.
Basically this input value serves the purpose of telling the program which one of the approach boundary
values should be passed to the arc flash labels.
Restricted Approach Boundary

The Restricted Approach Boundary (RAB) is defined according to NFPA 70E-2012 as the approach limit
at a distance from an exposed energized electrical conductor or circuit part within which there is an
increased risk of shock due to electrical arc-over combined with inadvertent movement, for personnel
working in close proximity to the energized electrical conductor or circuit part. The value should be
entered in feet or meters.
Defaults for Restricted and Prohibited Approach Boundaries

The range and default values of the Restricted and Prohibited Approach Boundaries are defined according
to the values listed in NFPA 70E-2012 table 130.4 (C)(b) (Approach Boundaries energized Electrical
Conductors or Circuit Parts for Shock Protection, Direct Current Voltage Systems). If you click the
Typical Data button, the values will be automatically updated according to the values listed in the table
below. If you change the bus nominal kV, the values will be reset back to the default boundaries.

Restricted and Prohibited Approach Boundary for Different kV levels (NFPA 70E 2012)
Restricted and Prohibited Approach Boundaries
Bus Nominal kV Restricted Approach Prohibited Approach
Range Boundary Boundary
Default (ft) Range (ft) Default (ft) Range (ft)
1 1 to 30 0.083 0.083 to 30
1.416 1.416 to 30 0.333 0.333 to 30
2.166 2.16 to 30 0.583 0.583 to 30
2.75 2.75 to 30 1.416 1.416 to 30
3.166 3.16 to 30 2.083 2.083 to 30
4 4 to 45 3.166 3.166 to 45
5.25 5.25 to 45 5 5 to 45
11.5 11.5 to 45 10.833 10.833 to 45
16.416 16.416 to 45 16.416 16.416 to 45
* Note: If the Bus kV is higher than 800 kV, the boundary distances remain the same as those for the
800 kV
Prohibited Approach Boundary

The prohibited approach boundary (PAB) is defined according to NFPA 70E-2012 as the approach limit
at a distance from an exposed energized electrical conductor or circuit part within which work is
considered the same as making contact with the electrical conductor or circuit part. The value should be
entered in feet or meters.
Insulating Glove Class

The insulating glove class field shows the insulating glove class and voltage rating determined based on
the bus nominal kV. This information is updated automatically as soon as the bus nominal voltage is
known. The Table below shows the nominal bus voltage ranges and the corresponding insulating glove
classes and voltage ratings according to ASTM D120 Standards.
Table 6: ASTM Insulated Glove Voltage Classes: (ASTM D120) Standard

Maximum use Class ETAP Bus nominal kV range
voltage rating DC
Volts L-L
750 00
1500 0
11250 1
25500 2
39750 3
54000 4
N/A N/A Bus kV > 54.0 kV
Note: ASTM does not define the insulating glove voltage rating or class for voltage higher than 54000
Volts. As a result of this, the voltage rating is set to the bus nominal kV if the bus nominal voltage is
higher than 54 kV and the glove class is omitted in the labels.

Shock hazard when

The “Shock hazard when” field may be used to provide additional information about the shock hazard so
that it may be printed on some label templates or the MS Excel Arc Flash Report. You can use it to add a
description about when there is a shock hazard present. You can type up to 50 alphanumeric characters
and define your own informational message. The following table contains three possibilities that have
been built into the program.
Note: This information is only to be displayed on certain arc flash label templates and will not cause any
effect on the arc flash results (i.e., effect of covers open or closed, etc.). The default for this field is
“covers removed”.
Possible additional descriptions of the “Shock Hazard” for the AF labels

Field Default Comments
Shock Hazard when covers removed This could read “doors are open”
enclosure doors are closed This could read “covers are on”
hinged covers are open This could read “opening hinged
doors”
Automatically Update Arc Flash Parameters

This option configures the bus editor to automatically update the protection boundaries every time the bus
nominal voltage or the equipment type is modified. Selecting this checkbox saves you an extra click to
update the typical values for each bus that is configured. This option is selected by default.

34.2.3 Arc Flash Page

The DC Bus Arc Flash page contains the quick incident energy calculator, which is a powerful analysis
tool that allows you to perform a quick AF analysis at the bus level for different working distances. This
page is different from its AC counterpart. The main difference is that the DC Bus Arc Flash only allows
calculations inside the bus for different working distances and not for any other parameters like fault
clearing time.
The main purpose of the DC Bus Arc Flash page is to display the calculated DC Arc Flash analysis results
from the global calculation. The main features of this page are displayed below:
Perform “What if scenarios” for incident energy calculations for different working distances.
Setup user-defined parameters for the DC arc flash global calculation.
Plot incident energy points on the TCC views.

DC Arc Current
This section displays the results of the global DC arc flash calculation. It is dedicated to the calculation of
the DC arc current.
Method
This read-only field displays the calculation method used to determine the arcing current and incident
energy. The available methods are the Maximum Power, Stokes & Oppenlander and Paukert. The
method displayed is selected from the DC Arc Flash Study Case.
Ibf
This is the total DC Short-Circuit current in kA available at the bus. This field is display only and is
updated from the global DC Arc Flash calculation.
Iarc
This is the total arcing current in kA at the point of the fault. This field is display only and is updated by
the global arc flash calculation.
Varc
This is the calculated total arc voltage in Volts dc. This field is display only and is updated by the global
arc flash calculation.
Disable Update
This check box disables the update of results into the DC Arc Flash page.
Source PD
This section is dedicated to the display of the source protective device results and selections.
User-Defined Source PD
This droplist allows the selection of the source protective device which will be used for the determination
of the fault clearing time.
Source PD
This is the ID of the source protective device determined by the global DC arc flash calculation to be the
device which clears the fault at the bus (last operating device to de-energize the fault). If there are
multiple source branches with protective devices, ETAP will select the one that takes the longer to trip
(clear the fault).
The ID of the source PD is passed to the DC Bus Arc Flash page if the update options are selected in the
Method page of the DC Arc Flash Study Case. The source PD ID is updated only upon a successful
global DC arc flash calculation.
Source PD Ibf
The fault current shown in this field is the actual available short-circuit current in kA which would pass
through the source protective device in the event of a bolted fault. This current value is used to determine
the equivalent arcing current through the source protective device.
Source PD Iarc
The fault current shown in this field is the actual arcing current in kA which would pass through the
source protective device for a fault at the bus.

Fault Clearing Time (FCT)

The arc duration is defined in ETAP as the Fault Clearing Time (FCT). This is the calculated time in
seconds, which is needed by the protective device to completely open and clear the arc fault (extinguish
the arc). The FCT value is calculated by the global DC arc flash calculation and is updated into this field.
Fixed FCT
If this checkbox is selected, then the global DC arc flash calculation uses the User-Defined Fault Clearing
Time (FCT) value to determine the incident energy of this bus.
If this checkbox is selected, the fields “Source PD ID drop List” and “Source PD Arcing Current” will be
hidden since they are not applicable. The program will indicate that it used the Fixed FCT on the reports
by showing a flag next to the bus FCT field.
Incident Energy
This section displays the incident energy and arc flash boundary information.
Incident Energy
This is the calculated incident energy based on the system calculated parameters. The units for the
incident energy are cal/cm2. This display only field shows the incident energy calculated using any of the
three DC arc flash calculation methods. The “Method” display only field indicates which one is being
used to determine the incident energy in this field.
Arc Flash Boundary

The Arc Flash Boundary is the distance from the arc source at which the onset of a second-degree burn
could occur. This value is determined based on second-degree burn criteria of 1.2 cal/cm2. This is
determined from the incident energy and fault clearing time. The unit of this field is in feet (meter). This
value is empty unless the calculation is performed and you have logged into the current project with the
access level to run the Arc Flash Module.
Note 1: The Arc Flash Boundary calculated in the Bus Arc Flash page may be different from the global
arc flash calculated results if the EB value (Parameters Page of the DC Arc Flash Study Case editor) is set
to a value higher than 1.2 cal/cm2, or if notes 1 & 2 from the incident energy section apply.
Note 2: The bus Arc Flash page always uses EB = 1.2 cal/cm2 to determine the flash protection boundary.
Please also note that the equations used to determine the Arc Flash Boundary are different from the
empirical method or Lee method in AC arc flash calculation. Depending on which method is used, the
program automatically determines the right equation to use.
Energy Level
The Energy Level is determined based on the incident energy. This is nothing more than a method to sort
the incident energy results. The program has different sets of levels which can be used to sort the energy
results.
Note: The energy levels are used simply to sort and group the incident energy for different locations.
They are not meant to be used for PPE ATPV or EB ratings for personal protective equipment (PPE).
Other factors involved in the task need to be considered to perform a “Risk” analysis to determine the
actual PPE ratings to be used. NFPA 70E 2012 can be used as a starting point in designing a PPE system
adequate for the task.

Allowable Energy
This incident energy value can be used to plot a reference point on the TCC views. It can be used as a
reference point to set the overcurrent protective device settings. In the future, this value will be used as an
alert in similar fashion as the AC Arc Flash calculation does.
Working Distance
Enter the distance from the possible arc point to the person in inches (centimeters). This distance is
defined as the distance between the arc point and the persons face and torso. This value has a range of 1 to
999.99. This is the distance value used to determine the incident energy. Typical working distances to DC
equipment have not been established yet in the standards and guidelines for arc flash calculations. The
default value in ETAP is 18 inches, but consideration of the work procedures and task requirements
should be made in order to ensure that a conservative working distance is used for the calculation.
TCC Plot
This section allows you to plot the incident energy curves on ETAP Star.
TCC Plot-Calculated Energy

This checkbox allows you to display the system calculated or user-defined incident energy curve point in
the ETAP Star View TCC. If you select this checkbox, the corresponding point will appear in the Star
View that contains the same bus.
TCC Plot-Allowable Energy

This checkbox allows you to display the Allowable Incident Energy point in the ETAP Star View TCC. If
you select this checkbox, the corresponding point will appear in the Star View that contains the same bus.

Arc Flash Analysis Short-Circuit Study Case
34.3 DC Arc Flash Study Case

34.3.1 Info Page
On the Info page, you can select faulted buses and specify contribution level, etc.
Study Case ID
Enter a unique alphanumeric ID with a maximum of 12 characters.
Report
Specify the contribution level the report should encompass.
Update
TCC Clipping Current

Check this to update TCC clipping current and base voltage in TCC kA page of DC protective devices.
Bus Selection
Use this area to select which buses to Fault, Don’t Fault, or click on the All Buses check box to fault all
buses.

Note: you can fault buses (or remove faults) directly from the one-line diagram by right-clicking on the
desired bus.
Study Remarks
You can enter up to 120 alphanumeric characters in this remark box. The information entered here will be

34.3.2 Source Model Page

In the Source Model page, you specify the type of model for chargers and batteries, as well as what loads
need to be considered in a study.
Charger Contribution
A charger can be represented as a constant current source or a constant voltage source behind impedance.
As a constant current source, it injects a constant current into the system when a fault occurs.
Editor Selection
Click on this option to select the model type as specified in the editor for individual chargers.
Constant Current
Click on this option to use the constant current model for all the charges in the system.
AC System Short Circuit Impedance

Click on this option to use the constant voltage model for all the charges in the system.
Battery Contribution
As a constant current source, it injects a constant current into the system when a fault occurs. The current
injected into the system is equal to a constant multiplied by its 1-minute discharge rate.

Editor Selection
Click on this option to select the model type as specified in the editor for individual batteries.
Constant Current (K*1-Min-Rating*String)

Click on this option to use the constant current model for all the batteries in the system.
Voc Behind Battery Impedance

Click on this option to use the constant voltage model for all the batteries in the system.
Motor Internal Voltage

A motor, or the motor load portion of a lump load, is modeled as a constant voltage source behind an
impedance. You can specify the internal voltage value by selecting one of the following two options:
100% of Motor Rated Voltage

Click on this option to use the motor rated voltage as the internal voltage.
Percent of Motor Rated Voltage

Click on this option to specify the motor internal voltage in percent based on the motor rated voltage.
Short-Circuit Contributions Based on

This group provides you with an option to skip certain load elements in a short circuit analysis.
Static loads are also considered in a DC arc flash analysis and their presence reduces total fault current.
Load Status
Select this option to include loads in the arc flash study based on load status. For the current system
configuration, loads that have either the Continuous or Intermittent status will be considered in the study.
Loads that have the Spare status will be excluded from the study. When this option is selected, all of the
Composite CSD loads will be included in the study.
Load Category
Select this option to use the loading percent to determine which loads will be included in the arc flash
calculation. Once this option is selected, you can specify a loading category in the loading category
selection box. All loads that have non-zero loading percent for the selected loading category will be
included in the short circuit calculation.
Both Above Options

Select this option to use both load status and loading category to determine loads to be included in the arc
flash calculation. When this option is selected, all the loads that satisfy either or both of the above two
criterions will be included in the arc flash study.

34.3.3 Method Page

The structure of the DC Arc Flash Method page is shown below:
Arc Flash Method

This section is used to select which method to use when determining the incident energy for a faulted DC
bus. There are three methods available and they were developed from the reference information listed
below:
National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 70E-2012

Maximum Power
This method of estimating DC arc flash incident energy was presented at the 2007 IEEE Electrical Safety
Workshop. This method is based on the concept that the maximum power possible in a DC arc occurs
when the arcing voltage is equal to half of the system prefault voltage. Please see NFPA 70E 2012 Annex
D.8.1.1 for more information.
Stokes and Oppenlander

This method is based on an exhaustive study of free-burning vertical and horizontal arcs between series
electrodes in open air. A.D. Stokes and W.T. Oppenlander modeled the arc voltage and current above the

transition point. Their set of data totaling two million current and voltage points was re-assembled to
current-voltage characteristics. These characteristics were compiled into empirical equations which are
used by ETAP to determine the arcing current using an iterative method.
Paukert
This method is based on J Paukert’s compilation of arcing fault data from seven researchers who
conducted a wide range of arc tests. Paukert generated equations from the compiled results for both low-
current and high-current arcs. Only the high-current arc equations have been implemented in ETAP DC
arc flash.
Update Arc Flash Results to Buses

This group of the Method page is dedicated for the update of the calculation results into the faulted
locations. The main purpose of this section is to provide tools to update the “worst-case” incident energy
results into the faulted location.
Update
This option always updates the arc flash results into the faulted buses.
No Update
Does not update any result into the faulted buses.
Update if Result is more Conservative

The arc flash results will be updated into the faulted buses if the incident energy value is higher than the
current value in the faulted locations. This ensures that the most conservative result or “worst-case” is
updated into the bus.
Note: If the “Disable Update” is selected (DC Bus -DC Arc Flash Page), then the arc flash results will
never be updated into the bus.
FCT (Fault Clearing Time)

This group of the Method page is used for the options to be considered in the determination of the DC arc
duration or arcing time.
Auto Select Source Protective Device (PD)

If this option is selected, the Arc Flash Module will automatically determine the FCT from the available
TCC curves of the source protective devices that can clear the fault. If no element TCC information is
available, ETAP will display the message “TCC not found” or “FCT not determined”.
If there is more than one protective device that needs to open to clear the fault, ETAP will select the FCT
of the element that takes the longest to open.
Except if PD is Selected in Bus Editor

If this checkbox is selected, the Arc Flash Program will determine the Fault Clearing Time (FCT) based
on the User-Defined Source Protective Device defined in the DC Bus DC Arc Flash page. The program
calculates the FCT automatically for those buses that do not have a selection. If this option is not checked,
the program automatically calculates the FCT for all the faulted buses.

Limit Maximum FCT

This option allows you to set a maximum fault clearing time for all the buses. If the FCT determined is
longer than this value, then it is clipped to this value. The program determines the incident energy based
on the maximum FCT if the actual FCT exceeds it.
Limit Maximum FCT field in Seconds.

Enter the maximum FCT allowed to determine the incident energy for any element in the system (Buses
and Source Protective Devices). The range is from 0.01 to 99 seconds. The default value is 2 seconds.
User-Defined FCT
If this option is selected, the DC Arc Flash Module uses the FCT values specified in the DC Bus Editor
DC Arc Flash page to calculate the incident energy for all the buses in the system.

34.3.4 Parameters Page

This page provides a set of options for the selection of global or individual AF input data for the
calculation. Also select a global selection for the incident energy level system to be used to sort the
results. Please note that the global parameters option will be available in a future release of DC arc flash.
Bus Gaps, Coefficients & Working Distance

Select the source of the arc flash parameters to be used in the global DC AF calculation. The data can be
defined in every single bus or it can be selected for all the buses depending on the nominal voltage of the
equipment from a global location (this option will be available in a future release).
Individual
If this option is selected, the program will use the gaps, coefficients and working distances defined in
each bus editor.
Global
This option will be available in a future release of the program.
PPE Requirements
This section allows you to select the set of PPE requirements which can be printed on the arc flash labels
or reports. There are four basic options to select. All four sets of PPE descriptions

NFPA 70E 2000

If this option is selected the PPE description is determined based on annex H of NFPA 70E-2000 and the
incident energy sorting range values come from Table 3-3.9.3.
NFPA 70E 2004

incident energy sorting range values come from Table 130.7 (C)(11).
NFPA 70E 2009

incident energy sorting range values come from Table 130.7 (C)(11).
NFPA 70E 2012 / User-Defined

If this option is selected the PPE descriptions are determined based on the user-defined settings. In NFPA
70E 2012, this option should be used in conjunction with a power system analysis program method.
Note: The PPE Requirements provided by ETAP are only samples and are based on different versions of
NFPA 70E. It is recommended that all PPE Requirements be approved prior to implementation on any arc
flash labels or reports.
Edit/Approve PPE
This button opens the PPE Requirements editor. This editor can be used to modify and approve the PPE
Requirements which can be used to be printed on the arc flash labels.
Note: The PPE Requirements will not be printed on the arc flash labels or in the reports or arc flash
analyzer until they have been approved by the engineer in charge or the facility safety manager.
Arc Flash Boundary

Select the energy value to use to find the arc flash boundary. The default value is 1.2 cal/cm2. This is
based on the category 1 level from NFPA 70E 2009.
1.2 cal/cm2
Select to use 1.2 cal/cm2 as given by NFPA 70E 2009.
User-Defined EB
Enter a user-defined energy value to use to find the arc flash boundary. If your safety program requires
everyone at all times to wear PPE rated for an energy value higher than 1.2 cal/cm2, then based on
engineering supervision, the value of EB can be set to a higher value than 1.2. this will reduce the required
Arc Flash Boundary to a smaller distance. The program only allows you to set this value to a maximum of
4.00 cal/cm2. As an example we can show the difference in the calculated flash protection boundary for
two cases:

Arc Flash Analysis Display Options
34.4 DC Arc Flash Display Options

This section describes the display of DC arc flash results on the one-line diagram (in DC arc flash mode).
The Arc Flash Display Options are shown below:
This section provides

the Thevenin
equivalent fault
resistance
DC Arc Flash results

shown on the one-line
diagram

Arcing Current Display

The individual arcing currents are displayed on the one-line diagram. They are calculated as shown
below:
I
arc _ Total
I *I DC arcing current individual contribution
arc _ c I bf _ c
bf _ total
Where:
I Individual arcing current contribution (i.e. branch contribution)

arc _ c
I total arcing current at the fault location
arc _ Total
I total short - circuit current at the fault location
bf _ Total
I individual short - circuit contribution (i.e. branch contribution)
bf _ c
Arc Flash
This group provides display options for calculated DC arc flash results. The results are provided for every
faulted DC bus in the system. The program shows only the arcing current on the display. This is different
from AC Arc Flash. To view the available DC Short-Circuit contributions on the one-line you have to run
the DC Short-Circuit calculation.
Incident Energy
If this checkbox is selected, then the incident energy is displayed in cal/cm2.
AFB
If the AFB (Arc Flash Boundary) option is selected, the Arc Flash Program will display the calculated
Boundary on the one-line diagram. The results are placed next to the faulted bus. The units for this value
are ft or meters.
Energy Level
This is the energy level assigned to each bus based on the selection from the Parameters page of the DC
Arc Flash Study Case editor. The energy levels help the engineer sort the incident energy and focus on the
higher values for detailed analysis. The energy level sorting is not to be confused with personal protective
equipment ratings and selection.
FCT
This option can be used to display the final fault clearing time (FCT) for every faulted bus (FCT of the
bus only). The unit for the FCT is seconds.
The following image shows the displayed values on the one-line diagram.

Arc Fault Location

This group provides display options for calculated results from an Arc Flash Hazard Analysis. The results
are provided for every faulted bus in the system. Select to determine whether arc flash results should
show at the selected location.
Bus
This check box allows you to show the arc flash analysis results for a fault right at the buses. Typically,
the incident energy results for a fault at the load protective device are set the same as those as the bus.
Source PDs
This option will be available in a future release of the program. In this version a node needs to be inserted
on the line side of the source PD to see the results on the one-line diagram.
Load Terminals
This option will be available in a future release of the program. In this version a node needs to be inserted
on the line side of the source PD to see the results on the one-line diagram.

Arc Flash Analysis Running Arc Flash Analysis
34.5 Running DC Arc Flash Analysis

The global DC arc flash calculation is started by clicking one of the arc flash calculation buttons on the
DC Arc Flash toolbar. This button runs an arc flash calculation for all the faulted buses.
Setting Up the DC Arc Flash Study Case

To open the DC Arc Flash Study Case, click the study case button shown below (single suitcase icon).
Info Page
To begin, set up an arc flash calculation by selecting the buses to be faulted. You do this by right-clicking
the buses and selecting the Fault option while in DC arc flash mode. Or, you can open the DC Arc Flash
Study Case, click the Info page, and select the buses to be faulted.
Source Model Page

The arc flash calculation can be performed using the DC Short-Circuit calculation. The modeling of the
DC sources is very important for arc flash calculations. This page is the same as the one in DC short-
circuit.
Note: It is recommended that the voltage behind impedance model be used whenever possible. This is
especially true for battery and battery charger models. ETAP allows these elements to be modeled as
constant current injection for the purpose of obtaining conservative DC Short-Circuit results. However,
for DC arc flash the voltage behind impedance model should be always used to represent these models as
much as possible. Please refer to the calculation methodology section for more information.
Note: Please note that DC-DC converters and the UPS DC Output are only modeled as constant current
sources. Please refer to the calculation methodology section of this chapter for special handling
conditions.
Method Page
There are three methods for running DC arc flash calculation. The method to be used can be selected from
this page. The simplest and most popular method is the Maximum Power method. It is the one that
requires the least amount of input data. It is the default calculation method in ETAP. It is considered to
yield conservative results.
Starting the Global DC Arc Flash Calculation

To start the calculation, click the Arc Flash button on the DC arc flash toolbar.

Arc Flash Analysis DC Arc Flash Calculation Methodology
34.6 DC Arc Flash Calculation Methodology

34.6.1 Guidelines / Standards / Reference Information
The following documents were consulted in the development of DC arc flash calculations:
National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 70E-2012~2015 Annex D.8

The DC Short-Circuit calculations were developed based on other additional standards. Please consult the
DC Short-Circuit chapter of this user-guide for more information on other reference material.
34.6.2 Determination of the DC Arcing Current Contributions

Once the bolted DC Short-Circuit current is calculated by the DC Short-Circuit Analysis Module, the DC
arcing current is determined using the equations listed in the previous reference documents. (See the
previous section). The general steps are described below:
1. The total bus bolted DC Short-Circuit current is used to calculate the total bus DC arcing current.
2. The individual DC arcing currents are determined by distributing the arcing current proportionally
among all the contributing sources (branches, motor loads, sources, and etc.).
The process ends up being similar to the process described in section 18.8.2 of this user-guide. Please
refer to that section for more information.
Fundamental Concept for DC Arc Flash

The DC sources can be modeled as constant current or voltage behind impedance. It is recommended to
use the voltage behind impedance model whenever possible to obtain more accurate results. The image
below represents a battery with a source resistance and a fault at its terminal:
The arc resistance is added to the circuit to represent an actual arc fault scenario. The image below shows
the arc resistance and the calculation of the arcing current.

The biggest task is to determine the arc resistance and/or voltage to be used to solve the circuit above.
ETAP has three methods which can be used to determine the arc resistance and voltage. They will be
discussed in more detail later in this section.
Once the arc resistance, voltage and current are known, then the arc power and energy can be easily
calculated. The following basic equations apply
Power Vdc I dc
2
Parc Varc I arc I arc Rarc
2
Earc I arc Rarc t arc
The image above shows the arcing current and arc power calculation. The energy calculation would
follow once the arc duration is determined. This is another major step in the calculation methodology
which will be covered in this section.
The incident energy is calculated using different methods as described in the references section. The main
factor to be considered for this step would be the type of equipment (enclosed or open air types).

34.6.3 Maximum Power Method

This method of estimating DC arc flash incident energy was presented at the 2007 IEEE Electrical Safety
Workshop. This method is based on the concept that the maximum power possible in a dc arc occurs
when the arcing voltage is equal to half of the system prefault voltage. The equations which represent the
maximum power method fundamental concept are displayed below:
I arc 0.5 I bf
Vsource
R arc 0.5
I bf
Where:
Iarc DC arcing current

Ibf DC Short-Circuit current
Rarc Arc Resistance
Vsource DC Voltage at the point of the fault
This method is simple since the arc fault current in principle is determined to be half of the DC Short-
Circuit current available at the fault location.
This method is easy to use and it has the benefit of easy arcing fault current calculation. Please refer to the
reference material for information on the calculation of the incident energy. The calculation of the
incident energy should be the most conservative of all three methods available in ETAP.
The main problem with this method is that it does not yield accurate arcing current values. In fact it may
be better to assume a fault clearing time or incident energy exposure time (i.e. fixed FCT) with this
method to determine the energy. Regardless, ETAP still uses the arcing current predicted from this
method to determine the clearing time.
This calculation is not recommended for system nominal voltages higher than 1000 Volts dc.

34.6.4 Stokes & Oppenlander Method

This method is based on an exhaustive study of free-burning vertical and horizontal arcs between series
electrodes in open air. A.D. Stokes and W.T. Oppenlander modeled the arc voltage and current above the
transition point. Their set of data totaling two million current and voltage points was re-assembled to
current-voltage characteristics. These characteristics were compiled into empirical equations which are
used by ETAP to determine the arcing current using an iterative method.
The main equation used by ETAP to determine the arcing current is shown below:
It 10 0.2 zg
0.12
Varc (20 0.534 zg ) I arc
(20 0.534 zg )
Rarc 0.88
I arc
Where:
Varc arc voltage (volts dc)

Iarc arc current (amps)
Zg gap between conductors (mm)
Rarc arc resistance (ohms)
It transition current
The only way to solve the equations above is iteratively because of their non-linear nature. ETAP only
calculates the arcing currents above the transition current It. If arcing current is below transition point, a
solution cannot be reached and the program will flag this condition.
If the gap, voltage and system impedance are within the limits of the equations, the model can predict if
the arc is sustained. If the gap is too long, a solution may not be found. With this method, the arcing
current and arc fault duration calculation is more accurate. The incident energy calculated as a result of
this method should be more accurate rather than over conservative.
This method requires an iterative solution and because of this it is not easy to calculate manually unlike
the maximum power method.

34.6.5 Paukert Method

This method is based on J Paukert’s compilation of arcing fault data from seven researchers who
conducted a wide range of arc tests. Paukert generated equations from the compiled results for both low-
current and high-current arcs. Only the high-current arc equations have been implemented in ETAP DC
arc flash. The resulting equations are shown below:
ETAP determines the arcing current from the equations listed above for different gap values. The
following table describes how these equations are selected based on the equipment gaps:
Equations used for

Gap Range
Varc and Rarc
1 mm equations
5 mm equations
10 mm equations
20 mm equations
50 mm equations
100 mm equations
200 mm equations
Zg > 200 200 mm equations.
The compiled test data included DC arcs with both vertical and horizontal electrode configurations. The
test also included arcing currents ranging from 0.3A to 100kA and electrode gaps from 1 to 200mm.
Similar to the Stokes and Oppenlander method, if the gap voltage and/or system impedance are within the
range of the equations, the model can predict if the arc can occur. The arcing current and arc duration
from the TCCs is also more accurate when compared to the maximum power method.
The Paukert method may not be applicable for electrode gaps more than 200 mm. however ETAP uses the
200 mm equation to obtain the results. The arcing current used for this model should not exceed 100 kA.

34.6.6 DC Arc Flash Page Calculation Method Limits and Warning

This section provides information on the warning messages which may be generated in the DC Arc Flash
page or by the global DC arc flash calculation as results of method limitations.
The following special condition messages can be generated:
Method Message / Warning Condition

The Maximum Power Method may not
Maximum
"Bus Nom Voltage > 1000 V dc" be accurate to use for voltages higher
Power
than 1000 V dc
The Stokes and Oppenlander Arc
“Iarc < transition current point” Current value is below the transition
current limit. No solution is possible
Stokes and No Solution can be obtained for the Arc
Oppenlander Current or Voltage at this bus. It is
“Iarc not determined” possible that the gap between conductors
is too big or the system voltage is too
low to generate or sustain a DC arc
The Paukert method arc current value is
“Iarc < 100 A” below 100 Amps. A solution is not
possible or may not be accurate enough.
The Paukert method arc current value is
above 100 kA. A solution is not possible
Paukert or may not be accurate enough.
No Solution can be obtained for the arc
current or voltage at this bus. It is
“Iarc not determined” possible that the gap between conductors
is too big or the system voltage is too
low to generate or sustain a DC arc.

34.6.7 DC Arc Flash Analysis Assumptions – Thevenin Equivalent

The DC arc flash calculation is performed with the assumption of a Thevenin equivalent system which
represents the source resistance and voltage. This model is recommended for DC Arc flash calculation.
Please refer to the section for DC Arc Flash Source Model settings.
The arcing current is difficult to obtain for systems energized only or main by constant current sources.
For these locations, ETAP will use the bus nominal voltage and equivalent fault resistance to create the
Thevenin equivalent circuit.
The program will detect the “Constant Current Source” condition by showing a flag in the DC Arc Flash
Report Analyzer. The name of the flag is “Calc. Warnings”. The following image shows how this
condition can be detected through the analyzer.
The program will use a multiplier value which can be user-defined to obtain the equivalent source
voltage. The multiplier can be defined in the ETAPS.INI file as follows:
Under the [ETAP PowerStation] section of the INI file place the following entry:
DCAFVoltageMultiplier=1.0
The value of this entry can be changed from 0.1 to 2. Its default value is 1.0
There is also an internal check to detect the constant current source condition. The check consists of
multiplying the short-circuit current by the equivalent source resistance. The program identifies the
condition by checking if the result is higher than the specified value (1.5 times the bus nominal voltage).
This limit may also be modified by adding the following INI entry:

DCAFVoltageLimitFactor=1.5
The value of this entry can be changed from 0.1 to 2. Its default value is 1.5. Lowering this limit may be
desirable to detect the constant current condition at lower voltages.
The incident energy calculation will be more conservative for systems which exhibit this condition since
the source voltage driving the DC arc will be higher.
34.6.8 DC Arc Current Calculation Methods

Starting with ETAP 14.0.0, DC arc flash has two fundamentally different methods to model and
determine the dc arc flash current for different types of sources, and in particular for DCPV array systems
(Photovoltaic systems).
DC Arc Current Calculation – Method 1

The first calculation method described in sections 34.5.2 & 34.5.7 is the calculation method used as
default by ETAP DC arc flash to represent the source arc current. This first method works well for
systems where the dc arc current is mostly coming from voltage behind impedance sources. However, this
method may not be accurate enough for systems where the majority of the dc arc current comes from
constant current sources.
DC Arc Current Calculation – Method 2

This method was first introduced at the 2015 IEEE / IAS electrical safety workshop in Louisville
Kentucky in the form of a tutorial session (“AC & DC Arc Flash Analysis for Renewable Energy
Systems”). This method was added to ETAP dc arc flash in response to a large number of requests for
higher accuracy models for DC PV array systems. The main benefits of this method are:
1) It reduces the over conservative approach of the maximum power method since it allows for an
actual arc current operating point determined from the PV array P-V short-circuit curves.
2) It is combined with the Stokes and Oppenlander and Paukert methods; which by themselves are
considered a “rigorous” or “detailed” calculation method for dc arc flash current.
The previous two benefits make this method a preferred choice for PV array dc arc flash calculations. The
method essentially introduces the constant current limits of the PV arrays and general constant current
sources and iteratively finds the operating point of the dc system after the arc fault has been introduced
into the system.
The following image illustrates the concept of this method. The arc voltage and resistance are determined
iteratively by the program. The iterative routine utilizes the PV characteristic short-circuit curves and the
(Paukert / Stokes & Oppenlander) equations to determine the final value of the dc arc current.

The resistance of the arc causes the operation of the PV arrays to settle at a lower power operating point
than what is considered a maximum power point. If the dc fault were to be completely bolted, the output
current of the PV arrays would be the Isc current rating on the left axis at approximately 1.3 Amps. The
added resistance of the arc causes the operating point to move away from a bolted fault but settle towards
a slightly higher power output.
The short-circuit characteristic curve used by ETAP is simplified to a pair of linear regions with a knee
point represented by the (Impp, V mpp) point.

Depending on the gap between conductors and the distance (electrical resistance of the system Rs) from
the PV array sources, the power dissipated by the arc fault may change. Note that it is assummed that the
MPPT controller can maintain and operate the PV arrays near the maximum power point only within a
limited operating voltage.
Switching between Arc Current Calculation Methods

The DC arc flash program allows the user to switch between the arc current calculations methods at will.
All that is needed is to add an INI file entry which indicates the method selection.
The entry is
DCAFEngineCalcArcR= 0 or 1
The entry needs to be placed below the [Etap PowerStation] header.
The default of the entry is Method 1 (value of 0). If the entry is not present in the INI file, then the
program still uses method 1.
If the entry is added and it has a value of 1, then the program will use method 2 to calculate the arc
current.

34.6.9 Determination of the Fault Clearing Time (FCT)

The FCT is one of the major factors which affect the calculation of the incident energy. The FCT is the
time required to clear the fault (arc to get extinguished by opening protective devices). This time is
determined from the time current characteristic curves (TCCs) or the definite times of each protective
device that is considered to be a source protective device (source PD).
ETAP classifies protective devices (PDs) as of two types. The first and most important are the source
PDs. These are the protective devices that energize the faulted bus, and once disconnected, completely
isolate the system from any power source. The other type of protective devices is Load PDs. These are
the PDs which carry power to the loads or subsystems connected to a faulted bus, but do not provide
power from a source (i.e. battery, battery charger, converters, and etc).
ETAP takes the most conservative approach when determining the fault clearing time (FCT). If there are
several parallel source PDs feeding the bus, it will select the longest FCT (or the time at which the last
source PD opens). If there is multiple source PDs in series on the same branch, it will take the shortest
opening time of such PDs. The FCT is then used to calculate the incident energy for the bus and load
PDs.
The process of obtaining the fault clearing time is dependent on the method selected to determine the
results. The program determines the arcing current contribution passing through each source PD and
based on its TCC settings, the program automatically determines the estimated fault clearing time of each
PD.
Effect of L/R time constant

The L/R time constant plays a role in the determination of the fault clearing time. The time that takes the
protective device to trip will most likely increase for higher time constant values since it takes longer for
the fault current to reach its full magnitude. The effect of the rise time of the circuit is ignored at this time
by the arc flash calculation. In general, the time constant of battery banks may be relatively low and thus
it may be possible to ignore the time constant effect on the fault clearing time. In current ETAP release, if
the time constant is higher than 10 ms, then it is possible to add the time constant effect on top of the fault
clearing time to yield more conservative results. The user-defined or fixed FCT options can be used to
define the fault clearing time.
For some circuits ETAP provides the time constant value of the circuit. Please refer to the DC Short-
Circuit chapter for more details on how this value can be obtained.
Rules for Determination of the Fault Clearing Time

The determination of the fault clearing time is bounded by several special rules and assumptions for
different types of protective devices. Also the program can determine the fault clearing time if it can find
it within a specified range or electrical distance from the fault location.
The following applies to the process of determining the FCT at a fault location:
ETAP determines the FCT for a faulted bus by searching up to 50 branch levels away from the
faulted bus. The program will search for source PDs as far away from the fault location as
specified in the option “Bus Levels Away To Find Source PD”. This option can be configured
from the project preferences window under the Arc Flash section.

The default value of the “Bus Levels Away To Find Source PD” entry is 10. The maximum level
is 50. It is recommended that this entry be left as default unless the protection for the faulted bus
resides in location that is more than 10 bus levels away (reducing this number speeds up the
calculation). If you know that the protection for all the buses can be found within 5 or less bus
levels away, then reducing this number of levels to search may speed up the calculation
considerably.
If ETAP cannot determine the FCT for any of the connected source protective devices which are
capable of de-energizing the fault, then it displays a warning message on the one-line diagram
and reports “TCC not Found”.
Protective devices which are considered as Load PDs are not considered in the determination of
the FCT for the bus. Load PDs are not considered for determining the bus FCT since such devices
cannot isolate the fault at the bus
Protective devices need to have their proper TCC curves selected from the ETAP Library to be
considered in the determination of the FCT. The reason for this requirement is to limit human
error when entering settings into a protective device editor directly. Also the analysis is far more
accurate if you use the actual TCC curves.
This version of DC arc flash only handles low voltage breakers and fuses. No relay operation is
considered for DC systems at this time.
Fuse total clearing time cannot be less than 0.010 sec. If the fuse does not have a total clearing
time curve (i.e., average time curve only), the program adds an additional 10 or 15% time from
the average melt time determined from the manufacturer fuse curve.
You may also use the User-Defined Source PD from the DC Arc Flash page of DC Bus editor to
efficiently determine the FCT. You may select the ID of the source PD that should be used for the
determination of the FCT in the bus editor. The option “Except if PD is Selected in Bus Editor”
from the Method page of the DC Arc Flash Study Case needs to be selected as well. ETAP will
automatically determine the arcing current passing through this protective device for a fault at the
specified bus. Based on this arcing current, the program finds the FCT and uses it to calculate the
bus and load PD incident energy.
The way the Arc Flash calculation handles fuses which have only the average melt time curves
has been modified. The new method is described below:
If Fuse has only average melt time curve, then

If Fuse has average melt time curve or both total and minimum clearing time curves, then

Troubleshooting “TCC not Found” (FCT not determined) Problems

There are several reasons why the DC arc flash Program may not determine the fault clearing time for a
fault at a particular bus. The following are the seven most common issues which can cause this message
to be generated by the program:
1) There are no source protective devices properly configured to protect the arc fault location:
If you have not added the protective devices which actually de-energize the equipment in the
event of a fault, the program may display this error message.
2) Arcing current is too Low and Source Protective Device does not trip: The arcing current
could be much smaller in magnitude than the available bolted DC Short-Circuit current for some
equipment. Because of this phenomenon, the protective devices may not trip at all under an
arcing fault (i.e., arcing current is below the long time pickup). If ETAP detects that the source
protective device does not trip, then it will display the “TCC not found” message.
3) The Source Protective Device is outside the Search Bus Level Number: In order to reduce the
calculation speed and computer system requirements, certain limits are set by ETAP. The
limitation consists of reducing the number of bus levels required in the search of the source
protective device.
4) The source protective device is completely outside the search area of the program: For some
very special cases, the DC arc flash program may not be able to determine the Fault Clearing
Time since the source protective device cannot be located. This means that the system does not
have protection within the searchable area of the system. It is possible that the source PD selected
(user-defined source PD) is located in an isolated part of the system and thus it is impossible for it
to de-energize the fault. It is possible that the source protective device may be part of a highly
complex loop configuration in which not all paths energizing the fault are cleared.

34.6.10 Determination of the Incident Energy

After the fault clearing times have been determined, the next step is to determine the incident energy for
the fault location. ETAP is capable of determining the incident energy for a fault at any location in the
equipment by simply specifying a fault at the bus. The locations are categorized as follows:
1) Fault at the main bus

2) Fault on the source protective devices (will be handled in the future for DC arc flash, for now
insert a node or a bus).
3) Fault on load protective devices (typically the same as the bus fault)
The process of determining the incident energy is simple and it uses the following equations for the
maximum power method:
Tarc
IE open 0.01 Vsys I arc
D2
Tarc
IE box 3 0.01 Vsys I arc
D2
Please refer to NFPA 70E 2012 Annex D.8 for more information.
ETAP DC arc flash uses the following equations to calculate the arc power for the Stokes & Oppenlander
and Paukert methods:
Power Vdc I dc
2
Parc Varc I arc I arc R arc
2
E arc I arc R arc t arc
Once the arc power is known, the incident energy is determined using the equations below:
Earc
Es
4 d2
Earc
E1 k
a2 d 2
The NFPA 70E 2012 guidelines do not address how complex electrical system with multiple sources
should be handled. These guidelines only indicate that the incident energy can be determined based on the
fault clearing time of the first upstream protective device which de-energizes the fault. This methodology
is simple enough for radial systems; however, there is no mention on how to handle looped or meshed
systems with multiple source protective devices energizing the fault location.
ETAP AC Arc Flash has two methods of handling the calculation of the incident energy for power
systems which have more than one energizing source protective device. The first method takes the total
bus arcing current and determines the energy using the fault clearing time of the last protective device to

de-energize the fault. For most power systems having multiple sources, it is likely that the operating time
of each source is similar and thus it is acceptable to use the entire arcing current up to the final fault
clearing time. The DC arc flash program only utilizes this method at this time and it will handle the
Incident Energy Subtraction method (refer to Chapter 18) in a future release.
DC Arc Flash Incident Energy Points in ETAP Star

ETAP has the capability of showing the incident energy curves on the Star Views. The calculated incident
energy can be shown as a function of the fault clearing time and the arcing current. Any combination of
clearing time and arcing current that lies below the calculated incident energy curve can be considered to
yield less incident energy.
ETAP can also show the allowable incident energy level point on the Star Views. The calculated incident
energy curve should always be below the allowable incident curve since this would mean that the
equipment protection ATPV rating is adequate for protecting personnel working on this equipment.
The calculated and allowable incident energy points can be shown on the TCCs if you select them from
the DC Bus Editor’s DC Arc Flash page. The image below shows the calculated and allowable incident
energy points.
Energy Level Determination

The energy level is determined by comparing the calculated incident energy in cal/cm2 against the
selected range. The selection depends on the option selected in the AF Parameters page of the DC Arc
Flash Study Case editor.

ETAP gives the option of defining your own incident energy levels or to use those defined by NFPA 70E.
You can define up to 10 levels, but in the majority of the cases it proves impractical to define more than
three levels.
The “Incident Energy Levels” editor can be accessed from the Project menu by pointing to Settings – Arc
Flash and selecting PPE Requirements or via the DC Arc Flash Study Case editor “Edit/Approve PPE”
button in the AF Data page.
The “Incident Energy Levels” editor is displayed below:
The Incident Energy Levels window has the following sections:
1. Standard: which includes four pre-defined PPE requirements as described in NFPA 70E 2000,
2004, and 2009 and a user-definable set of descriptions for NFPA 70E 2012.
2. Personal Protective Equipment: where you can specify the personal protective equipment list
for each level.

3. Disclaimer / User-Defined Text section: Where you can enter text that can be used as a
disclaimer about the Arc Flash Analysis results that are printed on a label
NFPA 70E-2000 Incident Energy Levels

These ranges are listed on Table 3-2.9.3 of NFPA 70E-2000.
Hazard/Risk Categories based on NFPA 70E 2000

Incident Energy Level
Exposure cal/cm2
0 < cal/cm2<1.2 0
2
5 > cal/cm 1.2 1
2
8 > cal/cm 5 2
2
25> cal/cm 8 3
40 > cal/cm2 25 4
2
cal/cm > 40 N/A

These ranges are listed on Table 130.7 (c)(11) of NFPA 70E –2004.
Incident Energy Levels based on NFPA 70E 2004

Exposure cal/cm2
0 < cal/cm2<2.0 0
2
4 > cal/cm 2.0 1
2
8 > cal/cm 4 2
2
25> cal/cm 8 3
2
40 > cal/cm 25 4
2
cal/cm > 40 N/A

These ranges are listed on Table 130.7 (c)(11) of NFPA 70E –2009.
Incident Energy Levels based on NFPA 70E 2009

2
Exposure cal/cm
0 < cal/cm2<1.2 0
2
4 > cal/cm 1.2 1
8 > cal/cm2 4 2
2
25> cal/cm 8 3
2
40 > cal/cm 25 4
2
cal/cm > 40 N/A

User-Defined / NFPA 70E 2012 to 2015/User-Defined

The User-Defined levels are interpreted by the Arc Flash Module as described in the following table:
User Defined Incident Energy Levels

Level Range (example) Defaults
2
0 0 < cal/cm <C0 2
2
1 C1 > cal/cm C0 4
2
2 C2 > cal/cm C1 8
2
3 C3> cal/cm C2 25
2
4 C4 > cal/cm C3 40
2
5 C5 > cal/cm C4 100
2
6 C6> cal/cm C5 120
2
7 C7> cal/cm C6 0
2
8 C8> cal/cm C7 0
2
9 C9> cal/cm C8 0
The level ranges are always from low values to higher values. For example, this means that the level 4
value cannot be equal to or higher than the value in level 3. This is true for all the levels.
If any level (6, 7, 8, and 9) is left as zero, the module ignores it and uses the 5th level for any value higher
than the maximum value in the 5th level. This will also apply if level 6 is the last one and 7, 8, and 9 are
left as zero. You cannot skip a level.
The Incident Energy Levels editor has the following properties and behavior:
a) The NFPA 70E 2000, NFPA 70E 2004 and NFPA 70E 2009 Incident energy ranges are not
customizable and follow the definitions published by NFPA 70E Standards. The items that can be
customized are the Level ID and the list of PPE equipment (requirements) for each level. It is
recommended that these “Legacy” options not be used for new arc flash analysis studies.
b) If you select the User-Defined Values option, you can define a name for each level, which can be
composed of up to 12 alphanumeric characters (i.e., a Level0 or Level1, etc.).
c) If you select the User-Defined Values option, the Incident Energy range fields become editable
and you may type the different limits in cal/cm2.
d) You have the option to type in some text for a disclaimer statement. This disclaimer statement
may appear in some selected label templates. This field holds up to 250 alphanumeric characters.
e) You have the ability to create a user-defined text field, which may be used to type in custom
information (such as engineering company name and address). This information is included in
certain label templates or is stored in the output report database. This field holds up to 125
alphanumeric characters.
f) You may navigate using the scroll arrows which allow you browse the different PPE descriptions
for each level.
g) There are four sets of PPE descriptions. One for each of the options “NFPA 70E 2000” (5
descriptions), “NFPA 70E 2004” (5 descriptions), “NFPA 70E 2009” (5 descriptions), and one
for the “NFPA 70E 2012 to 2015/User-Defined” (10 descriptions). The description fields hold up
to 250 alphanumeric characters.

Note: The defaulted descriptions are provided only as examples of PPE requirement descriptions as
described by NFPA 70E Standards. These descriptions are not recommendations made by ETAP on how
to protect personnel from Arc Flash or Shock Hazards. Please exercise caution in applying these
descriptions and follow all the remaining recommendations made in NFPA 70E 2015.
In previous versions of ETAP the incident energy levels were defined as incident energy categories. For
the purpose of keeping older projects or versions compatible, the word category is maintained and still
used for the 2000, 2004 and 2009 sets of energy levels.
Note: Starting with NFPA 70E 2012_2015, a new set of PPE descriptions specifically designed to be used
with for arc flash analysis has been approved and added. It is important to understand that the energy
levels or “categories” as they used to be called in previous versions are nothing more than a method of
sorting (filtering) incident energy results and do not imply that the table method from NFPA 70E is being
used.
These ranges have been used in the past versions of ETAP as a method of rationalizing or analyzing the
incident energy found at different locations in the system. It was convenient to use the incident energy
breakdown from the table method of NFPA 70E as a starting range to sort or present the incident energy
results.
PPE Approval
The PPE requirements must be approved prior to printing any reports or printing arc flash labels. For this
reason, starting with ETAP11, an approval checkbox has been added to raise the awareness towards the
review and approval of the PPE which will be reported.
The PPE requirements can be approved from the PPE Requirements editor by clicking on the “Approve
PPE” button. The following message window appears:
Logic for PPE Approval:

Once the PPE Requirements have been approved, the message window closes, and the PPE
requirements become display only (read-only). This is done to prevent further changes or
undesired PPE requirements once the approval has been done. If modifications are needed then
the PPE approval box should be unchecked.
If the PPE requirements have not been approved, the arc flash calculation will not write them into the
output reports or label databases.

Arc Flash Analysis Required Data
34.7 DC Arc Flash Required Data

The data required for an arc flash calculation is in essence the same data required for a DC Short-Circuit
analysis minus the device short-circuit capability ratings (i.e., device duty evaluation ratings)
34.7.1 Bus
DC Bus
Info Page
Nom. V
DC AF Parameters Page
Relativity coefficients a, k
Gap between Conductors / Electrodes
DC Arc Flash Page

User-Defined Source PD
FCT
Fixed FCT
Working Distance
Allowable Energy
34.7.2 Source
Charger
Info Page
Charger ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
All data in this page is required for DC Load Flow calculations
SC Page
Data in the SC Contribution for DC System section
AC System Z data is required if the Based on AC System Z option is selected
UPS
Info Page
UPS ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
AC rating data
DC rating data

Auction diode option
SC Imp Page
SC Contribution to DC System section data
Battery
Info Page
Battery ID
Bus connection data
Number of strings
Rating Page
Number of cells
SC Page
Battery Library type data: Rp, time constant, SG, VPC, and 1-min-rating
Short-circuit model data
External impedance data
Voc per cell data
34.7.3 Load
DC Motor
Info Page
Motor ID
Bus connection data
Quantity
Rating Page
Rating data
Load category data
SC Page
SC parameters
Lump Load
Info Page
Lump load ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rating section data


Load category data
SC Page
SC parameters
Static Load
Info Page
Static load ID
Bus connection data
Quantity
Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data
CCSD Load
Info Page
CCSD load ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data
34.7.4 Branch
DC Cable
Info Page
Cable ID
Bus connection data
Cable length
Impedance Page
Cable resistance and inductance
Units section data
Base and minimum operating temperature
DC Impedance
Info Page
DC impedance ID

Bus connection data

Impedance resistance and inductance
DC-DC Converter
Info Page
DC converter ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rating section data
SC contribution data

Arc Flash Analysis Arc Flash Reports
34.8 Arc Flash Reports

34.8.1 Opening the Arc Flash Report
To open the Arc Flash Report, do the following:
1. Click the Report Manager Button on the DC Arc Flash toolbar. ETAP displays the Arc Flash Report
Manager.
2. Click the Summary page tab, select Arc Flash Summary, and click OK to generate the report.
You may also start the Arc Flash Crystal Reports by selecting them from the Report Manager located on
the upper right-hand corner of ETAP as shown below:

34.8.2 Types of DC Arc Flash Output Reports

DC arc flash calculations are performed using DC Short-Circuit reports. The DC Arc Flash calculation
has Crystal Report databases with extension *.DA1 or *.DA1S.
There is no input data report for DC arc flash. There is no Arc Flash analysis report. The only report that
is readily available is the Arc Flash Summary report. However any input or output report can be easily
created by exporting the input/output results from the DC Arc Flash report analyzer into MS Excel®.
34.8.3 Structure of the Arc Flash Report Manager

The Report Manager is structured into different sections and each one of them contains some information
about the arc flash calculation.
Input
The Report Manager’s Input section shows the input data for the DC Arc Flash calculations.

Complete
The Report Manager Complete page shows the Complete DC Arc Flash report with an extra appended
page that contains the Arc Flash Summary report.

Summary
From the DC Arc Flash Report Manager Summary page, you can generate the Arc Flash Summary report.
The DC Arc Flash Summary report is shown below:
It contains the following sections:
1) Faulted Bus: Provides information on the identification “ID” of the DC Faulted bus, its nominal
voltage, equipment type and gap between energized conductors or circuit parts.
2) Fault Current: This section provides information on the DC Short-Circuit fault current (total fault
current), the equivalent total arc current and the portion of the arcing current which passes
through the source protective device.
3) Source Trip Device ID: This is the ID of the last source protective device to de-energize the fault.

4) Total FCT (seconds): This is the time it takes the source protective device to trip or completely
clear the fault.
5) Arc Flash Boundary: AFB (ft / meters).
6) Incident Energy (cal/cm2): Total faulted bus incident energy
7) Working Distance (inches / centimeters): This is the working distance from the energized
conductor or circuit part to the face and or torso.
8) Energy Level: This is the level used to sort, filter and group the incident energy results.
Result
This section of the report manager does not contain any information specific to DC arc flash. It only
contains the DC Short-Circuit results (which are the base for the DC Arcing current calculation).

Arc Flash Analysis Arc Flash Labels
34.9 DC Arc Flash Labels

The DC arc flash label templates can be accessed through the DC Arc Flash Report Manager Label page.
These templates are pre-designed. If you select the template that you want, all the buses will be displayed
with the same label template.
ETAP labels can be printed to different types of labels printers and to different media types. Please refer
to the AC Arc Flash chapter for more information of printing arc flash labels.
34.9.1 Arc Flash Label Formats

This section describes some of the features of the arc flash label templates available in ETAP 11.1.0.
Please refer to the AC Arc Flash chapter for more information on available label templates and printer
information.

Arc Flash Analysis Arc Flash Result Analyzer
34.10 DC Arc Flash Result Analyzer

The purpose of the DC Arc Flash Result Analyzer is to provide an easy way for the electrical engineer to
analyze the arc flash results from several scenarios. It is a difficult task to determine which scenario
produces the worst-case results and thus manipulation of the results from several reports is needed in
order to find the desired final results to be placed on arc flash labels or summaries.
The Arc Flash Result Analyzer has the ability to present the results of all the different output reports and
to filter them based on different conditions of special interest. The analyzer is a powerful tool for
exporting results to MS Excel in any fashion that you want since it allows you to select different
input/output fields.

34.10.1 Report and Result Selections

The report and result section of the DC Arc Flash Result Analyzer has identical behavior as that of its AC
counterpart. Please refer to the AC Arc Flash Report analyzer section for more details.
Bus
Select the “Bus” check box to display the DC bus arc fault results in the display window.
Source Protective Device

This option will be available in a future release of DC arc flash.
Load PD (Bus Side)

Load Terminal
Info
View general information pertaining to the devices selected. This information is typically the information
that is reported in the input and summary pages of the study reports. The information displayed for the
protective devices and loads may come from the connected bus of that device. Please also note that when
multiple reports are selected, the info fields are taken from the reference report. The following image
shows you how to select the reference report. Of course, it is highly unlikely that the input AF properties
like the Gap and X-factor will be set differently for different scenarios. Most likely the variations occur
on protective device settings and/or fault current levels or system configurations. This is why it is
practical to include only the reference report input data when comparing multiple reports.
Voltage
Display the voltage rating of the element. This may be the bus nominal voltage, protective device rated
voltage or the load rated voltage.
Type
Display the specific type of DC equipment, such as LV Switchgear, Battery Rack, Panelboard, etc.
Open / Box
This field indicates if the equipment is enclosed or open.

Width
If the equipment is enclosed, this field displays the width in mm of the enclosure which contains the DC
Height
If the equipment is enclosed, this field displays the height in mm of the enclosure which contains the DC
Depth
If the equipment is enclosed, this field displays the depth in mm of the enclosure which contains the DC
a&k
The reflectivity constants are used when determining the incident energy. They are properties of the
enclosure and are determined based on the dimensions of the box/enclosure. These constants are used
when determining the incident energy based on the Stokes & Oppenlander or Paukert methods.
Bus Gap
This is the gap between conductors/electrodes in mm.
Orientation
This is the orientation of the conductors / electrodes. The orientation field will be used as an input field as
future calculation methods become available. In this version of ETAP it is used for information purposes
only.
Termination
This field allows the user to enter the type of conductor / electrode termination. The termination field will
Conductor Type
This field allows the user to enter the type of material of the conductor / electrode. The conductor type
field will be used as an input field as future calculation methods become available. In this version of
ETAP it is used for information purposes only.
Equipment Name
Display the equipment name of the device.
Working Distance
Display the working distance, which is used to calculate the incident energy, for each bus or connected
bus.
LAB to Exp. Mov. Conductor

Display the limited approach boundary of exposed movable conductors for each bus or connected bus.
This is the approach limit at a distance from an exposed energized conductor or circuit part that is
movable within which a shock hazard exists.

LAB to Fixed Part

Display the limited approach boundary of fixed circuit parts for each bus or connected bus. This is the
approach limit at a distance from an exposed live part that is fixed within which a shock hazard exists.
RAB
Display the restricted approach boundary of the bus or the connected bus. This is the approach limit at a
distance from an exposed live part within which there is an increased risk of shock due to electrical arc
combined with inadvertent movement, for personnel working in close proximity to the live part.
PAB
Display the prohibited approach boundary of the bus or the connected bus. This is the approach limit at a
distance from an exposed live part within which work is considered the same as making contact with the
live part.
Glove V-rating
Maximum Insulated glove voltage rating per ASTM D120-02a (2006) standard. Please note that if your
safety program requires a higher voltage rating to be used, then the user-defined voltage-rated glove
feature can be used.
Glove Class
Insulated glove class per ASTM D120-02a (2006) standard
Results
This section determines which calculation values are displayed in the results windows. The results
displayed are determined by either the output reports selected or the different analysis filters selected.
The following are descriptions of each field which can be displayed in the results window:
Total Incident Energy

Display the total incident energy (cal/cm2). This value is the most important piece of information which is
obtained from the calculation. It represents the total energy released by the fault up to the final fault
clearing time (Final FCT).
Var
This is the arc voltage in Volts dc.
Rarc
This is the arc resistance in ohms.
PPE Description
Description of the required Personal Protective Equipment required for performing energized work based
on the determined energy level. This PPE is determined based on the total incident energy accumulated
during the arc fault.
AFB
The Arc Flash Boundary (ft/m) is the distance at which the energy exposure is less than or equal to 1.2
cal/cm2 (typically the onset of a second degree burn). This boundary is always determined based on the
total incident.

Energy Level
This is used to sort the results using different energy levels. Typically the values from NFPA 70E tables
have been used as reference points for energy values.
Final FCT
The Final Fault Clearing Time (FCT) is the time at which the final source protective device operates to
completely de-energize the arc fault. ETAP assumes that all sources must be completely de-energized
before the arc fault can be completely extinguished.
Total Ia
Total arcing fault current for a fault at the DC bus (kA)
Calc. Method Limits

This field is used to display information about the limitations of the calculation methods. Please refer to
the calculation methodology section for explanation into each of the limits which can be flagged through
this field.
FCT Not Determined

This field is used to flag the locations for which the DC arc flash program failed to obtain a fault clearing
time or arc duration.
Source PD ID
This is the ID of the last source protective device to operate to de-energize the fault. For radial systems,
this is the first device which operates which is capable of de-energizing the fault.
Exceeds Max FCT

This is a warning flag which indicates if the final fault clearing time exceeds the maximum allowed value
which was entered by the user in the Method page of the DC Arc Flash Study Case editor.
Total Ibf
Total bolted fault DC Short-Circuit current for a fault at the DC bus (kA)
Source PD Ibf
DC Short-Circuit current which would flow through the source protective device for a bolted fault (kA)
Source PD Ia
Arcing current which flows through the source protective device (kA)
Calc. Warning
This flag identifies which locations are energized by a large amount of constant current sources. Please
refer to the calculation methodology section for more information on this field.
Incident Energy
Incident Energy
Filter the results based on incident energy values. Only available if multiple reports are being compared.
Worst-case
Show only the results of the scenario which produced the worst-case incident energy exposure for each
location.

Min
Show only the results of the scenario which produced the minimum incident energy exposure for each
location.
The following logic applies to the incident energy filter:
1) If the check box “Incident Energy” is selected, then the Max and Min Radio toggle field should
be enabled. The default position of the Incident Energy check box should be as unchecked.
Selecting this box should enable the Max/Min filters.
2) The default position of the filter is set to Max. This means that the filter will find the highest
incident energy values for every bus, protective device and or load terminal amongst all the
different output reports (scenarios).
3) The Min Incident Energy Filter is designed to do exactly the opposite of the Max filter. It is
looking for the minimum incident energy value (not including “0”) amongst all the selected
output reports for every faulted element.
4) When the Incident Energy Filter Max or Min filters are enabled, the name of the configuration
and the output report ID are always displayed. This helps to identify which configuration or
scenario produces the worst or minimum incident energy values.
5) If the Incident Energy Filter is selected, the “Ref.” toggle radio box on the Output Report window
is hidden. However, if you choose to show information from the “Info” window, it will come
from the reference report.
Filter Results By
This section allows you to filter results based on special conditions which the program determined during
the calculation.
FCT Not Determined

Indicate which arc fault locations are potential hazards because the protective device did not operate. This
applies to arc faults at the bus, source protective devices or load terminals.
The following logic applies to the FCT Not Determined filter:
1) If the “FCT Not Determined” filter is enabled and the “Bus” result selection check box is
selected, then the program only shows the bus elements for which the program failed to find a
fault clearing time (FCT).
Exceeds Max. FCT

The arc flash analysis “Exceeds Max. FCT” filter is designed to easily filter out any bus, protective
device or load terminal fault which has a Fault Clearing Time higher than the maximum allowed. The
maximum FCT can be defined in the DC Arc Flash Study Case Method page. Typically the maximum
value is set by default to 2.0 seconds.
Calc. Method Limits

This filter determines if any calculation method is out of range. Please refer to the calculation
methodology section for a list of the calculation limits.

Calc. Warnings
This filter determines if any calculation warning related to constant current source modeling is present at
any faulted bus. Please refer to the calculation methodology section for a list of the calculation limits.
Filter Reports by Energy Levels

The incident energy filter allows the user to filter out and color the incident energy results according to
the level ranges defined in NFPA 70E 2000, 2004, 2009 guidelines or user-defined. Please note that this
is nothing more than a tool for sorting, grouping and filtering the incident energy results and is not an
evaluation of the Risk for working on the energized equipment.
Energy Level Drop List

This drop list allows the user to select which group of category definitions to use and show in the filter
selection window below.
Show Colors Check Box

The show colors check box enables the coloring of the results according to the selected filter colors from
the category filter selection window. If this checkbox is not selected, then the coloring is not enabled.
NFPA 70E 2000

Show only the results for the scenarios which were categorized using NFPA 70E 2000 energy levels.
NFPA 70E 2004

NFPA 70E 2009

NFPA 70E 2012 to 2015 /User-Defined Values

Show only the results for the scenarios which were categorized using user-defined risk levels.
Level A
Show the incident energy results for locations with energy level “0”
Level B
Show the incident energy results for locations with energy level“1”
Level C
Level D
Level E
Level F
Level G

>Level G
Show the incident energy results for locations with energy level higher than last level specified.
Not Det.
Show the incident energy results for locations for which a hazard/risk assessment could not be
determined.
Show Colors
Display the colors for each category in the results window of the analyzer.
Energy Level Selection Window

This window displays the category ID, the Category Max limit (cal/cm2) and the color selection buttons
for each energy level. To enable the colors, click in the color box to open the color selection editor.
The default colors for the each of the energy levels are displayed in the following table:

Default Category ID (cal/cm2) Color

NFPA 70 2009
Level 0 1.2 Yellow
Level 1 4 Yellow
Level 2 8 Orange
Level 3 25 Orange
Level 4 40 Red
> Level 4 > 40 Red
Not Det. N/A Red
NFPA 70 2004
Level 0 2 Yellow
Level 1 4 Yellow
Level 2 8 Orange
Level 3 25 Orange
Level 4 40 Red
> Level 4 > 40 Red
Not Det. N/A Red
NFPA 70 2000
Level 0 1.2 Yellow
Level 1 5 Yellow
Level 2 8 Orange
Level 3 25 Orange
Level 4 40 Red
> Level 4 > 40 Red
Not Det. N/A Red
NFPA 70E
2012~2015 User-
Defined Values
Level A 1.2 Yellow
Level B 5 Yellow
Level C 8 Orange
Level D 25 Orange
Level E 40 Red
Level F 100 Red
Level G 120 Red
Level H 0 (disabled) No Color
Level I 0 (disabled) No Color
Level J 0 (disabled) No Color
> Last Enabled
Level
Not Det. N/A Red
The following specific logic applies to the incident energy filter:
1) The results window filters out any result which does not match with the levels selected in the
incident energy level drop list. This means that if you ran some studies with the NFPA 70E 2000
and and some other studies with the NFPA 70E 2004 energy levels, but the drop list selection is

NFPA 70E 2009, then the program only displays the reports which were generated using the
NFPA 70E 2009 selection in the Parameters Page of the DC Arc Flash Study Case editor.
2) The “Not Det” option of the filter shows all the results for which the incident energy level could
not be determined. One common cause of this condition is when the program fails to determine
the fault clearing time (i.e. “FCT not determined” condition). This means that enabling the results
of the FCT not determined filter will most likely produce similar results to those of this filter
option.
Display Options
This section will be enabled in a future release of the program.
Actual Value
Actual operating values of the incident energy results
Differences with Ref

Show the result difference between two scenarios
Skip if Same
Do not show results if they are the same in multiple scenarios.
FCT Unit
This section determines the measurement unit used to display the fault clearing time.
Seconds
Display the fault clearing times in seconds.

34.10.2 DC AF Result Analyzer Reporting Tools

Standard Label
This tool works in similar fashion as its AC Arc Flash counterpart. Please refer to the AF Report Analyzer
Reporting Tools section for more information.
Custom Labels
Labels are the end result of Arc Flash Studies. Many labels need to be customized according to different
regulations or preferences (i.e. CSAZ462, NFPA 70E, NEC, ANSI Z535, etc). The DC arc flash custom
labels work in similar fashion as their AC counterparts. Please refer to the AC Arc Flash chapter of this
user-guide for more information on how to open, modify or create custom labels.
Work Permit
A work permit is part of the NFPA 70E Guidelines. It is required when performing work on energized
equipment. It contains information about the shock hazard and the arc flash analysis results. The work
permit needs to be generated for individual bus arc flash results. It is launched from the Arc Flash Report
Analyzer. Customize the report analyzer to fit the requirements of each project.

Chapter 35
DC Load Flow Analysis

The DC power system is an integral part of the entire electric power system, providing power to control
circuits and backup power during emergency conditions. It includes DC power sources, their distribution
systems, and vital supporting systems that supply power to critical equipment.
Due to lack of analytical tools in the past, DC power system design and validation studies have been
mainly done by hand-calculations, limited to simplified calculations on simple system configurations.
Such simplified hand-calculations cannot meet today’s requirement for DC system analysis, especially for
the nuclear power industry. The ETAP Load Flow Analysis Module is the perfect tool to perform DC
system studies. It provides a diversity of DC components and calculations required for conducting DC
power system design and validation studies. It can handle any system configuration at ease, including
radial system; loop system and AC-DC interconnected system.
A variety of DC components and AC-DC power conversion components are available for you to model
the DC power system, including:
DC battery
DC bus and node
DC cable
DC machine, static load, lumped load, and Composite CSD (CCSD) load
DC protective devices, such as circuit breaker, fuse, switch, and contact
DC composite network and DC composite motor
DC-DC converter
AC-DC power conversion components, such as charger/rectifier, inverter, and UPS
DC load flow analysis is an essential study for DC system design and operating condition assessment.
The ETAP Load Flow Program calculates bus voltage profile and branch power flows for a user-specified
loading category. It validates the calculated operating conditions against element operating limits, such as
bus maximum/minimum operating voltage, branch allowable current, and source maximum output, etc. In
case any abnormal operating condition occurs in the system, ETAP flags the user in the one-line diagram
by showing the element in an outstanding color.
In order to simulate correctly various operating modes for AC-DC interface components in actual
operations, ETAP provides different models to represent them in load flow studies. It automatically
selects the one that is suitable for the actual operating condition. For example, a charger may be operating
in constant voltage, constant current or non-effective modes, depending on its terminal bus voltage and
loading conditions.
The calculation results are reported in a Crystal Reports format as well as in the one-line diagram display.
The Crystal Reports format provides detailed information about the study, including all the input data

DC Load Flow Analysis Overview
used in the calculation, system voltage profile, branch power flows, and overloading validation results,
etc. The one-line diagram display provides you with a direct visual representation of system operating
conditions.

DC Load Flow Analysis Study Toolbar
35.1 Study Toolbar

The DC Load Flow Study toolbar will appear on the screen when you are in DC Load Flow Study Mode.
Run DC Load Flow Studies
DC Load Flow Display Options
DC Load Flow Report Manager
Get Online Data
Get Archived Data
Run DC Load Flow Studies

Click on this button to run a DC load flow calculation using the parameters currently selected in the DC
Load Flow Study Case Editor. ETAP will give you error message list indicating missing information if
your system is not set up properly.
DC Load Flow Display Options

diagram in DC Load Flow Mode.
DC Load Flow Report Manager

Click on this button to open the DC Load Flow Report Manager. The Report Manager allows you to
select the Crystal Reports format for your output reports. A detailed explanation of the DC Load Flow
Report Manager is in the Output Reports section.

Get On-Line Data

Get Archived Data


DC Load Flow Analysis Study Case Editor

The DC Load Flow Study Case Editor allows you to specify variables related to DC load flow
calculations and Output Reports.
35.2.1 Info Page
Study Case ID
Enter a unique alphanumeric ID with a maximum of 12 characters. ETAP automatically assigns a unique
ID, which consists of the letters DCLF plus an integer, starting with the number 1 and increases as the
number of study cases increases.
Solution Parameters (Newton-Raphson)

The ETAP DC load flow study uses the Newton-Raphson Method for calculation.
Max. Iteration
Enter the maximum number for iterations. If the solution has not converged before the specified number
of iterations, a message will show up to flag the user.

Precision
Enter the value for the solution precision to be used to check for convergence. This value determines how
precise you want the final solution to be. A load flow solution is considered reached if, between two
iterations, the maximum bus voltage difference in per unit is less than the specified precision value.
Initial Condition
Use Bus Voltage

Select this option to use the initial voltage value in the Bus editor as the initial voltage in a load flow
calculation. The bus initial voltage can be updated automatically in load flow studies.
Use Fixed Value

This option allows you to specify a flat initial voltage for all buses in a load flow calculation.
Report
Critical Voltage
Select this option and enter the minimum and maximum voltages that any bus may achieve before it is
flagged and included in the critical undervoltage and overvoltage bus summary report.
Marginal Voltage
flagged as a marginally undervoltage or overvoltage bus.
Bus Voltage
Calculated bus voltages seen in the output report can be printed in kV or in percent of the bus nominal
voltages. Select your preference by clicking on Percent or kV.
Power
Power seen in the output report can be printed in W, kW or in MW. Select your preference by clicking on
W, kW or MW.
Update
The selected options will be updated after the subsequent load flow run.
Initial Bus Voltage

Select this option to update the values of the bus voltage magnitudes with the result of this load flow run.
Charger/UPS Operating Load

Select this option to update the load provided by chargers/rectifiers. When a UPS is operating as a source
to the DC system, its operating load will also be updated. The AC loads for these sources are calculated
based on the DC power they provide, the losses involved, and their operating power factor.
Study Remarks
You can enter up to 120 alphanumeric characters in this remark box. Information entered here will be

35.2.2 Loading Page
Loading
DC Loading Category
Select one of the 10 DC Loading Categories for this Load Flow Study. The selection applies to all DC
load elements and UPS.
Load Diversity Factor
None
Select None to use the percent loading of each load for the selected Loading Category.
Bus Max.
When the maximum loading option is selected, each load will be multiplied by the Maximum Load
Diversity Factor entered in the Bus editor for the bus where the load is connected.

This study option is helpful when the future loading of the electrical system has to be considered and each
bus may be loaded at a different maximum value.
Bus Min.
When the minimum loading option is selected, each load will be multiplied by the Minimum Load
Diversity Factor entered in the Bus editor for the bus where the load is connected.
The minimum bus loading study option may be used to check system voltages under a minimum (light)
loading condition.
Global Diversity Factor

When this option is selected, the Constant kVA and Constant Z edit boxes will be enabled, allowing you
to enter the diversity factors in percent for constant kVA and constant impedance loads.
These factors are global throughout the whole system. A motor load multiplying factor of 125% implies
that the motor loads of all buses are increased by 25% above their nominal values. This value can be
smaller or greater than 100%.
Constant kVA
Enter the global diversity factor in percent for constant kVA loads.
Constant Z
Enter the global diversity factor in percent for constant impedance loads.
Inverter Loading
There are two options for including inverter loads: Operating Load and Loading Category.
Operating Load
Select this option to use the load displayed in the operating load section on the Loading page of the
Inverter Editor. When the operating load is used, the diversity factor will not be applied to the inverter
load. These operating loading values can only be updated by running an AC load flow calculation. They
cannot be edited directly by the user.
Loading Category
Select this option to use the loading category selected in the Category list.
Motor Load
A motor normally behaves as a constant power load when its terminal voltage is close to its rated voltage.
However, when its terminal voltage deviates considerably from its rated voltage, its behavior becomes
similar to a static load. This group allows you to set the voltage range within which you want a motor to
be modeled as a constant power load.
Constant kW if V is within Range

Click on this checkbox for setting VMin and VMax. If this box is not checked, all of the motor loads will
be modeled as constant power loads regardless of their terminal voltage. Please note that when only
constant current sources in the system are present, this can prohibit load flow calculations from reaching a
solution.

Vmin
Enter the minimum voltage as a percentage of its rated voltage, below which the motor load will be
modeled as a constant impedance load.
Vmax
Enter the maximum voltage as a percentage of its rated voltage, above which the motor load will be
modeled as a constant impedance load.

DC Load Flow Analysis Display Options

The DC Load Flow Analysis Display Options consist of a Results page and three pages for AC, AC-DC,
and Color information annotations. The colors and displayed annotations selected for each study are
specific to that study.
35.3.1 Results Page
Show Units
When this box is checked the unit for the calculation results will be displayed on the one-line diagram
along with the results.

Voltage
Bus
Click on this checkbox to show the bus voltage in the one-line diagram.
Bus Display Unit

From the drop-down list box, you can select to display the bus voltage in percent or in volt.
Power Flows
Power Flow Display Units

Select to display the power flow in kW or MW.
kW and Amp
Select the kW to display power flow Amp to display current in ampere.
% Voltage Drop
Click on the Cable/Z checkbox to display voltage drop across cables and impedance.
Branch Losses
Click on the kW checkbox to display branch losses in kW.
Flow Results
Click on these checkboxes to display load flow results for different types of elements, including Branch,
Source, Load/UPS, Composite Motor, and Composite Network.

35.3.2 AC Page
This page includes options for displaying information annotations for AC elements.
ID
diagram.

Rating
line diagram.
Device Type Rating

Motor HP/kW
Load kVA/MVA
Panel Connection Type (# of Phases - # of Wires)
Transformer kVA/MVA
Cable/Line # of Cables - # of Conductor/Cable - Size
Bus kA Bracing
kV
line diagram.
A
line diagram.
Z

Motor % LRC
Transformer Impedance in %
D-Y
one-line diagram.

Composite Motor
Click on this checkbox to display the AC composite motor IDs on the one-line diagram, then select the
Use Default Options

Click on this checkbox to use ETAP’s default display options. The checkboxes on this page will be
grayed out.
Show Eq. Cable

Click on this checkbox to display equipment cables symbols. This option does not display cable
information. Double-click on the equipment cable symbol to open up the Cable Editor for the selected
cable.

35.3.3 AC-DC Page

This page includes options for displaying info annotations for AC-DC elements and composite networks.
ID
line diagram.

Rating
one-line diagram.
Device Type Rating

UPS kVA
VFD HP/kW
kV
A
one-line diagram.
Device Type Amp

UPS Input, Output, & DC FLA
Composite Network
Click on this checkbox to display the AC Composite Network IDs on the one-line diagram, then select the
Use Default Options


35.3.4 Colors Page

This page includes options for assigning colors to annotations for elements on the one-line diagram.
Color Page Theme

whenever the Theme option button is selected.
Annotations

Theme
theme is also displayed in a box at the right of the button.
User-Defined
Theme Button
Theme Editor
The Theme Editor allows you to select existing color themes or define a new color theme.
Note: Color themes are applied globally within a project file. Changes made on a color theme displayed
on this page may also affect other modes and presentations if the Set Global option has been previously
selected.

DC Load Flow Analysis Calculation Methods

The ETAP DC Load Flow calculation is an iterative process, due to the presence of constant power loads
and power converter components. The objective of a load flow calculation is to find bus voltage values
with specified system loads and sources. Based on the obtained bus voltage results, branch flows can then
be calculated. The Newton-Raphson method is used in solving DC load flow calculations. This method is
fast in convergence speed, bus it has a relatively high requirement on initial bus voltage values.
In a DC load flow calculation, the loads involved in the system are constant power loads and constant
impedance loads. The sources include constant voltage source and constant current source. A constant
voltage source maintains its terminal bus voltage at a fixed value, while a constant current source injects a
fixed value of current into the system.
Because a converter component, such as a charger, has a maximum current limit, it is a constant voltage
source only when its output current is not larger than its current limit. Once the output current is over the
limit, it becomes a current source. Therefore, the operating mode of a converter component and its model
cannot be predefined. It varies depending on system loads and configurations, and is determined during
the process of calculation.
Newton-Raphson Method
The Newton-Raphson method formulates and solves iteratively the following load flow equation:
J V I
where I is a vector for bus current injection mismatch between the specified value and the calculated
value. Here the constant power loads are converted to current injections using the calculated voltage. V
is a vector for bus voltage incremental and J is a coefficient matrix called the Jacobian Matrix.
The Newton-Raphson method possesses a unique quadratic convergence characteristic. It usually has a
very fast convergence speed compared to other load flow calculation methods. However, the method is
highly dependent of the initial value of bus voltages. A careful selection of bus voltage initial values is
strongly recommended.
When the system contains constant power loads and a charger (or a UPS) is the only source in the system,
and the source is overloaded and changes to a constant current source, there may be problems in reaching
a solution. This can occur when the source switches to a constant current source; it provides less current
than it would as a constant voltage source. For a constant power load, its terminal voltage increases when
it draws less current in order to maintain a constant power. It can lead to abnormally high voltage values
as the calculation resolves. At such high voltage values, the motor loads actually behave as constant
impedance loads. In order to resolve this situation, you may check the option of Constant kW if V within
Range in the study case and properly set the VMin and VMax values.

35.4.1 Component Models and Operations

Charger
Model
In DC load flow calculations, a charger can be represented in one of three models: constant voltage source
model, constant current source model, and inactive mode model.
A charger is normally operating as a constant voltage source, maintaining its terminal bus voltage at the
regulated value specified in the Charger editor. However, when the current drawn from the charger is
more than Imax, the maximum current it can provide while keeping its terminal voltage constant at the
same time, it becomes a constant current source. The current drawn from the charger is then kept at Imax,
while the terminal voltage drifts, depending on system loads and other sources.
Whenever the terminal bus voltage is lower than the regulated voltage of a charger, it will try to raise the
voltage to the regulated value until the charger current reaches Imax. On the contrary, if for some reason,
such as other sources being connected to the same buses, the terminal bus voltage is higher than the
charger regulated voltage, the charger becomes inactive as if it is switched off from the system.
Operating Mode
As a constant voltage source, a charge can operate in either the Constant Vdc Mode or the Fixed Firing
Angle mode, depending on the selection made in the Rating page of the Charger Editor.
In the Constant Vdc Mode, the charger output voltage is regulated at either the floating voltage or the
equalizing voltage, as selected in the Rating page of the Charger Editor.
In the Fixed Firing Angle Mode, the output voltage depends on the firing angle and the input bus voltage
value. When the load to the charge varies, its output voltage should change accordingly. However, since
the internal voltage drop of a charger is not considered in the calculation, the charger output voltage is
assumed to be constant in the load flow studies.
Converter
From the Information page of the Charger Editor, you may select the type of charger as Converter, which
means it is actually a rectifier. As a rectifier, it behaves almost the same as a charger, except that it does
not have floating and equalizing voltage values. When operating in the Constant Vdc Mode, the regulated
voltage is equal to its rated output voltage.
UPS
UPS as Source or Load

To the DC system, a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) can be a source or a load. When a UPS is
connected to an energized input AC bus and it does not have an auction diode (the Auction Diode option
in the Rating page of the UPS Editor is not checked), it is considered as a source to the DC system.
When a UPS is not connected to an energized AC input bus, it becomes a load to the DC system.
When a UPS is connected to an energized input AC bus, but it has an auction diode, the diode prevents
the flow from entering into the DC system, so the UPS will not be a source to the DC system. In this case,

either the DC system or the AC input bus may provide the power to loads connected to the UPS output
AC bus, depending on the voltage values of the AC input bus and the DC bus. After converting to the
UPS AC output terminal using the UPS rated voltage ratio, if the DC bus voltage is higher than the AC
bus voltage, the DC system will provide the power to the UPS output load; otherwise, the AC input bus
provides the power to the load.
UPS as Source to the DC System

A UPS behaves very similarly to a charger when operating as a source to the DC system. It can be
represented in one of three models: constant voltage source model, constant current source model, and
inactive mode model.
As a source, a UPS is normally operating as a constant voltage source, maintaining its terminal bus
voltage at its rated voltage. However, when the current drawn from the UPS is more than Imax, the
maximum current it can provide while keeping its terminal voltage constant at the same time, it becomes
a constant current source. The current drawn from the UPS is then kept at Imax, while the terminal voltage
drifts, depending on system loads and other sources.
Whenever the terminal bus voltage is lower than the regulated voltage of a UPS, it will try to raise the
voltage to the regulated value, until the UPS current reaches Imax. On the contrary, if for some reason,
such as other sources being connected to the same buses, the terminal bus voltage is higher than the UPS
regulated voltage, the UPS becomes inactive as if it is switched off from the system.
Constant Voltage Source Operating Mode

As a constant voltage source, a UPS can operate in either the Constant Vdc mode or the Fixed Firing
Angle mode, depending on the selections made in the Rating page of the UPS Editor.
In the Constant Vdc mode, the UPS output voltage is regulated at its rated DC voltage.
In the Fixed Firing Angle mode, the output voltage depends on the firing angle and the input bus voltage
value. When the load to the UPS varies, its output voltage should change accordingly. However, since the
internal voltage drop of a UPS is not considered in the calculation, the UPS output voltage is assumed to
be constant in Load Flow Studies.
UPS as Load to the DC System

When a UPS is a load to the DC system, it is a constant kW load. The loading category load is used in
Load Flow Studies.
Battery
Under normal operation conditions, a battery serves as a backup source. It actively provides power to
loads only when other sources, such as chargers, become de-energized or fail to maintain system voltage
at the required level.
In DC load flow analyses, a battery can be represented in one of two models: a constant voltage source
model or an inactive mode model. When the terminal bus voltage is higher or equal to the rated voltage of
a battery, it is in the inactive mode and is not supplying any power to the system. A battery that has just
been discharged is actually a load to the DC system. Due to the complexity in determining quantitatively
the load for a charging battery, it is not considered as a load in the DC load flow analysis. It is considered
in the battery sizing calculation.

When the terminal bus voltage of a battery is lower than its rated voltage, the battery becomes an active
source. It is represented by a constant voltage source (at battery rated voltage) behind battery resistance.
DC Converter
A DC converter can change DC voltage from one level to another, either increasing or decreasing the
voltage value. It has the capability of regulating the output voltage as long as it is not overloaded. It is
unidirectional in terms of power flow, allowing the current flowing from the input terminal to the output
terminal only.
In DC load flow calculations, a DC converter can be represented in one of three models: constant voltage
source model, constant current source model, and inactive mode model.
A DC converter is normally operating as a constant voltage source, maintaining its terminal bus voltage at
the regulated value specified in the DC converter editor. However, when the current drawn from the DC
converter is more than Imax, the maximum current it can provide while keeping its terminal voltage
constant at the same time, it becomes a constant current source. The current drawn from the DC converter
is then kept at Imax, while the terminal voltage drifts, depending on system loads and other sources.
Whenever the terminal bus voltage is lower than the regulated voltage of a DC converter, it will try to
raise the voltage to the regulated value, until the DC converter current reaches Imax. On the contrary, if for
some reason, such as other sources being connected to the same buses, the terminal bus voltage is higher
than the DC converter regulated voltage, the DC converter becomes inactive as if it is switched off from
the system.
When a DC converter is operating as a source, either a constant voltage source or a constant current
source, it is a constant power load to its input bus, with a load equal to output power plus converter losses.
DC Cable and Impedance

ETAP automatically doubles the R and L values of DC Cable and DC Impedance for calculations to
represent both the positive and negative conductors.

Photovoltaic Panel
Inverter and PV Array Model is based on the connection scenarios:
PV Array &
# Element Model Comment
Inverter Connection
1 Inverter No PV Array Constant Load Same as existing inverter
Connection
2 Inverter Has PV Array Variable Voltage Source 1. Inverter becomes a constant
Connected DC Voltage Source
Only absorbs real power 2. MPPT control based on
Inverter editor selection
3. If MPPT at inverter, it adjusts
DC bus voltage to maximize
the DC input power to inverter
and take all the slack power
4. The voltage operating range
will be limited by the MPPT
voltage range.
5. If MPPT at PV Array, it will
fix DC voltage per AC bus
rating converted to DC voltage
and it will take all slack power.
3 PV Array No inverter Source by curve 1. PV Array modeled by curves
connected without MPPT control.
2. One PV array behaves as
voltage source and others as
constant current source. The
voltage and current source
values are iteratively
determined.
4 PV Array Has inverter Source by curve 1. PV Array modeled by its
connected and MPPT curves and terminal voltage.
at inverter They are handled as constant
current sources with current
values based on calculation
terminal voltage.
5 PV Array Has inverter Constant Power Load PV Array is modeled as constant
connected, MPPT at power source.
PV Array

35.4.2 Factors Considered in DC Load Flow Calculations

Load Flow Convergence
DC load flow may have convergence problems for some ill-conditioned systems and some special
operating conditions due to the iterative process used for solving load flow and the Newton-Raphson
Method used.
You should consider a system that contains motor loads and a charger (or a UPS) as the only source in the
system. If the source is overloaded and it changes to a constant current source, there may be problems in
reaching a solution. This is because when the source switches to a constant current source, it provides less
current than it would as a constant voltage source. For a constant power load, its terminal voltage
increases when it is drawing less current in order to maintain a constant power. It can lead to abnormally
high voltage values and causes the calculation process to fail to converge.
In the real world, at such high voltage values, the motor loads actually behave as constant impedance
loads. In order to resolve this situation, the DC load flow study case provides you with the opportunity to
set a voltage range for motor loads to be modeled as constant power loads. In the DC Load Flow Study
Case Editor, you can check the option of “Constant kW if V within Range” and properly set the VMin
and VMax values. Once the motor terminal voltage is outside this range, the motor will be modeled as a
constant impedance load. However, inverter or UPS loads are always modeled as constant power loads.

DC Load Flow Analysis Required Data
35.5 Required Data

35.5.1 Source
Charger
Info Page
Charger ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
All data in this page are required for DC load flow calculations
UPS
Info Page
UPS ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
All data in this page are required for DC load flow calculations
Loading Page
Loading data. If a UPS is a load to the DC system, that is, when it is not connected to an energized
AC input bus or the Auction Diode option in the Rating page is checked, the data entered is used to
determine the UPS load to the DC system.
Battery
Info Page
Battery ID
Bus connection data
Number of strings
Battery Library type data. The resistance per positive plate (Rp) is used to calculate battery internal
resistance.
Rating Page
Number of cells
Rated voltage
SC Page
External resistance R

35.5.2 Load
DC Motor
Info Page
Motor ID
Bus connection data
Demand factor
Quantity
Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data
Lumped Load
Info Page
Lumped load ID
Bus connection data
Demand factor
Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data
Static Load
Info Page
Static load ID
Bus connection data
Demand factor
Quantity
Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data
CCSD Load
Info Page
CCSD load ID
Bus connection data

Rating Page
Rating section data
Load category data
Inverter
Info Page
Inverter ID
Bus connection data
Demand factor
Rating Page
AC rating section data
DC rating section data
Loading Page
Loading Category data
35.5.3 Branch
DC Cable
Info Page
Cable ID
Bus connection data
Cable length
Impedance Page
Cable resistance
Units section data
Base and maximum operating temperature
DC Impedance
Info Page
DC impedance ID
Bus connection data
Impedance resistance
Tie PD (CB, Fuse, Single-Throw, and Double-Throw Switches)
Info Page
ID
Bus connection data

DC Converter
Info Page
DC converter ID
Bus connection data
Rating Page
Rating section data
Operating Vout
35.5.4 Bus
DC Bus
Info Page
ID
Nom. V
Initial Voltage
35.5.5 Study Case

Similar to any other study, you are always required to run a DC load flow calculation. When a DC load
flow calculation is initiated by the user, ETAP uses the study case currently showing in the Study Case
Editor for the calculation. Every field in a study case has its default value. However, it is important to set
the values correctly in the study case to meet your calculation requirements.

DC Load Flow Analysis Output Reports
35.6 Output Reports

The DC load flow calculation results are reported both on the one-line diagram and in the Crystal Reports
format. The graphical one-line diagram displays the calculated bus voltages, branch flows and voltage
drops, load power consumption, etc. You can use the Display Options Editor to specify the content to be
displayed. It also flags abnormal operating conditions, such as overloaded cables and over or under
voltage buses, in different colors.
The Crystal Reports format provides you with detailed information for a DC Load Flow Analysis. You
can utilize the DC Load Flow Report Manager to help you view the output report.
35.6.1 DC Load Flow Report Manager

To open the DC Load Flow Report Manager, click on the View Report File button on the DC Load Flow
toolbar. The editor includes four pages (Complete, Input, Result, and Summary) representing different
sections of the output report. The Report Manager allows you to select formats available for different
portions of the report and view it via Crystal Reports. There are several fields and buttons common to
every page, as described below.
Output Report Name

This field displays the name of the output report you want to view.
Project File Name

Help
OK/Cancel
Viewer and File Options

checkbox.

Complete Page
On this page there is only one format available, Complete, which opens the complete report for the DC
Load Flow Study. The Complete Report includes Input Data, Results, and Summary Reports.
Format, or Excel format. If you wish this selection to be the default for reports, click the Set As Default
checkbox.

Input Data Page

This page allows you to select different formats for viewing input data, grouped according to type. They
include:
Battery
Branch
Bus
Cable
Charger
Cover
DC Converter
Impedance
Inverter
Loads
UPS

Result Page
This page allows you to select formats to view the load flow result portion of the Output Report.

Summary Page
This page allows you to select different portions of the load summary to view. Note that some portions of
the summary are available only when you selected specific options in the study case, such as Critical and
Marginal Voltage options.
Branch Flow Summary

Overvoltage & Undervoltage Buses
Summary
Total Sources and Demands


This is a shortcut for the Report Manger. When you click on the View Output Report button, ETAP
automatically opens the Output Report, which is listed in the Study Case toolbar with the selected format.
In the picture shown below, the output report name is DCLoadFlow and the selected format is Cable.
35.6.3 Input Data

Input data are grouped together according to element type. The following are some samples of input data.
Bus Input Data

Cable and Impedance Input Data
Charger, UPS and DC Converter Input Data

Load Input Data
35.6.4 Load Flow Results

The result section of the output report includes the calculated results of a DC Load Flow Analysis,
including bus voltage, bus loading, and branch flows.

35.6.5 Summary Reports

The load flow summary portion of the output report includes the Branch Flow Summary, the bus over-
/undervoltage summary, and the summary of total system sources and demands.

Chapter 36
Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis

Batteries are an essential part of a critical DC power system, serving as the backup power source under
emergency conditions. During normal operating conditions, a DC system is generally powered by AC
sources through chargers or other AC-DC interface components. However, the battery has to provide
power to the system under one of the following conditions:
1. Load on the DC system exceeds the maximum output of the battery charger
2. Output of the battery charger is interrupted
3. Auxiliary AC power is lost
The battery should be sized to meet the most severe of these conditions, which most likely is the third
condition. When the AC power is lost, batteries will provide power to critical loads and control circuits
for a specified time period so that the AC power source can be recovered or the critical equipment can be
adequately shut down. For example, in U.S. nuclear power plants, it is required that batteries have
sufficient capacity to supply the required load during a loss of AC power for field flashing, control
circuits, DC fuel oil booster pumps, and DC lube oil pumps for a period of four hours. In order to meet
this requirement, battery sizing calculations need to be carried out to determine the appropriate battery
size.
The ETAP Battery Sizing Module provides you with a powerful tool to accomplish this task. In
complying with IEEE Standard 485, it determines the number of strings, number of cells, and cell size of
a battery for a designated duty cycle. The number of cells is determined to satisfy the maximum system
voltage during the battery charging period and the minimum system voltage during the battery
discharging period. The number of strings and cell size is determined to provide sufficient power to the
load cycle considering the minimum system voltage and the minimum operating temperature. It also
considers different factors that affect battery performance, such as design margin, aging compensation,
initial capacity, and temperature, etc.
The duty cycle for the battery can be a summation of the duty cycles of all the loads that the battery is to
supply power for. It can also be calculated using DC load flow, which considers different characteristics
of constant power load and constant impedance load, their variations to voltage changes, branch voltage
drops and losses.
The battery duty cycle includes both random load and non-random load from individual loads. In
compliance with IEEE Standard 485, the load impulses in the battery duty cycle that are less than one
minute are automatically extended to one minute.
ETAP also provides a Battery Discharging Analysis Module to verify the performance of an existing or a
sized battery. The module calculates the battery capacity, voltage, current, and output power as the battery
discharges through a duty cycle. The battery duty cycle can be calculated from either load current
summation or load flow calculations. When the battery duty cycle is calculated from load flow, the
Battery Discharging Analysis also provides bus voltage and branch power along with battery output

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Overview
results. Several correction factors used in battery sizing calculation, such as battery temperature, aging
and initial capacity, can also be considered in the battery discharge calculations.

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Battery Sizing Toolbar
36.1 Battery Sizing Toolbar

The Battery Sizing Study toolbar will appear on the screen when you are in Battery Sizing Study Mode.
Run Battery Sizing Study
Run Battery Discharge Calculation
Battery Sizing Display Options
View Output Report
View Battery Sizing Plots
Get Online Data
Get Archived Data
Run Battery Sizing Calculation

Click on this button to initiate a battery sizing calculation. If the battery size is determined, a battery
discharging calculation will automatically follow to verify the battery capability. An error message
indicating missing information will appear if you have not entered all of the data required for the
calculation.
Run Battery Discharge Calculation

Click on this button to initiate a battery discharge calculation on an existing battery using the method
specified in the Battery Study Case. Just like in battery sizing, ETAP will give you an error message if
any required data is still missing.
Display Options
diagram in Battery Sizing Mode.
Battery Sizing Report Manager

Click on this button to open the Battery Sizing Report Manager. You can also view output reports by
clicking on the View Output Report button on the Study Case toolbar.
Battery Sizing Plots

Click on this button to view output plots.

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Battery Sizing Toolbar

Click on the Stop Sign button to halt the current calculation. The icon button is normally disabled. When
running a DC Load Flow Study, this button becomes enabled. Clicking on this button will terminate the
current calculation. The one line diagram display will not be available if you terminate the calculation
before it completes the output report will be incomplete.
Get Online Data

Get Archived Data


Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Study Case Editor

The Battery Sizing Study Case Editor contains parameter settings required to perform a battery sizing
calculation. The calculation results are dependent on these settings. When a new study case is created,
ETAP provides the default parameters. However, it is important to set the values correctly in the study
case to meet your calculation requirements.
The Battery Sizing Study Case Editor includes six pages: Information, Sizing, Discharge, Adjustment,
CSD, and (when the Report CSD Voltage Drop Results box is checked) Alert. You specify the battery to
be sized on the Information Page, select the duty cycle to be considered, and enter the diversity factor that
allows you to globally adjust system load.
On the Sizing page you specify sizing requirements and correction factors for the calculation.
The Discharge page contains parameters for battery discharging calculations.

The Adjustment page allows you to specify modification of equipment and device parameters, such as
resistance adjustment for operating temperature and length tolerance for cable and wire, etc.
On the CSD page, select the options related to Control System Diagrams.
The Alert page allows you to specify options for alerts on Control System Diagrams. This page becomes
enabled only when you have clicked the check box to report voltage drop calculation results in the CSD
page.

36.2.1 Info Page
Study Case ID
Enter a unique alphanumeric ID with a maximum of 12 characters. ETAP automatically assigns a unique
ID for a new Study Case.
Battery
ID
Select a battery to be sized from the drop-down list.
Battery Characteristic Curve

In the battery discharge calculation, the battery voltage at a given time is calculated based on the battery
characteristic curves entered in the battery library. As the battery characteristics are represented by a

limited number of discrete points in the library, interpolation and extrapolation of the battery
characteristic curves are needed in battery voltage calculations. This group provides you with different
options for extracting data from battery characteristic curves. In the previous version of ETAP, these
options were provided as ETAP INI file entries.
Use Time-Amp Curve – Interpolate at Fixed Amp

With this option, the Time vs. Amp type curves from battery library will be used directly for interpolation
and extrapolation, and they are always done at fixed ampere value.
Use AH-Amp Curve – Interpolate at Fixed AH

With this option, the Time vs. Amp type curves from battery library will first be converted to AH vs.
Amp curves and the converted curves are then used for interpolation and extrapolation. The interpolation
and extrapolation is done at fixed AH value.
Use AH-Amp Curve – Interpolate at Fixed Amp

With this option, the Time vs. Amp type curves from battery library will first be converted to AH vs.
Amp curves and the converted curves are then used for interpolation and extrapolation. The interpolation
and extrapolation is done at fixed Amp value.
Calculation Method
In this group, you specify the method used for determining the battery duty cycle based on duty cycle of
individual loads.
Load Summation
Select this option to determine the battery duty cycle by using the load summation method. The battery
duty cycle will be equal to the sum of the load duty cycles for all the loads powered by the battery. This
method treats all loads as constant current type loads.
Load Flow Calculation

Select this option to determine the battery duty cycle by performing DC load flow calculations. This
method considers branch losses and voltage drops in determining battery duty cycle. When this option is
selected, the Load Model section will be enabled to allow you to specify how to model a load for its duty
cycle.
Load Model
In this group, you specify how to determine load types, such as constant power, constant impedance, or
constant current, for each duty cycle section of a load. This group is applicable only when the Load Flow
Calculation option is selected in the Calculation Method group, since when the Load Summation is
chosen all loads are considered as constant current loads.
Based on Type of Elements

When this option is selected, a load (of the same type) is modeled for the whole duty cycle and the type is
the same as determined in a DC Load Flow Study. For example, a DC motor will be modeled as a
constant power load and a static load will be modeled as a constant impedance load for the whole duty
cycle. The Type specified in the Duty Cycle page of a load editor is ignored when this option is selected.
Based on Duty Cycle Type

When this option is selected, the Type specified for each section in the duty cycle of a load will be used to
represent the load for that section. For example, as shown in the picture below, load section “stage1” will

be modeled as constant current load, load section “stage2” will be modeled as constant power load, and
load section “stage3” will be modeled as a constant impedance load.
Report
Skip Tabulated Plots

This checkbox is used to skip tabulated plots for battery and bus in output report. This option is included
to reduce the calculation time. If this option is checked, then the battery and bus tabulation results will not
appear in the output report.
Load
Duty Cycle
Select the duty cycle from the drop-down list for battery sizing. Every load has five different duty cycles.
The name of the duty cycles are defined in “Duty Cycle Category” in the Project/Setting menu bar.
Duration
Select either the Hours or Duty Cycle Span option to specify the length of time to size the battery. If the
Hours option is selected, you must specify the length of duration (number of hours) by either selecting a
value from the drop-down list or entering a value.
If the Duty Cycle Span option is selected, the Duration will be the longest time span of individual load
duty cycles from all loads involved in the calculation.
Diversity Factor
Specify the load diversity factor in percent. The load used in battery sizing will be multiplied by this
diversity factor.
Correction Factor
Battery Min. Temperature

Click on this option to use the battery minimum temperature from the Battery Editor for battery
temperature correction factor calculation.
User-Defined Temperature
Click on this option to specify a temperature to be used for battery temperature correction factor
calculation.
Aging Compensation
Use this field to enter the aging compensation correction factor in percent to be used in sizing and
discharge calculations.

Initial Capacity
Use this field to enter the initial capacity correction factor in percent to be used for the battery sizing and
discharge calculations.
Study Remarks
You can enter up to 120 alphanumeric characters in this remark box. Information entered here will be
printed on the second line of every Output Report page header. These remarks can provide specific
information regarding each study case. The first line of the header information is global for all Study
Cases and entered in the Project Information Editor.

36.2.2 Sizing Page
Voltage Requirements
Max. System Voltage Deviation

Specify the maximum system operating voltage as a percentage based on the nominal voltage of the
terminal bus of the battery selected for sizing.
Min. System Voltage Deviation

Specify the minimum system operating voltage as a percentage based on the nominal voltage of the
terminal bus of the battery selected for sizing.
Battery Charge Voltage

Specify the required voltage in V/Cell to charge the battery to be sized.

Battery Min. Discharge Voltage

Specify the minimum discharge voltage in V/Cell for the battery to be sized.
Correction Factor
Use this group to specify the correction factors to be considered in battery sizing calculations.
Temperature
Click on this checkbox to use the temperature correction factor in battery sizing calculations. The
temperature value specified in the Info page is displayed here.
The temperature correction factor is applied according to the IEEE Method described in standard 485 for
correcting cell size in sizing calculations. IEEE provides values between – 4 C and +52 C. Any value
outside of this range is curve fitted using the IEEE recommended curve-shifting method (ETAP checks
the temperature value and provides a user message indicating that the entered temperature is out of
normal range). When the box is not checked, the temperature correction factor is assumed to be 100%.
Aging Compensation
Click on this check box to use the aging compensation correction factor specified in the Info page.
Initial Capacity
Click on this check box to use the initial capacity correction factor specified in the Info page.
Design Margin
Click on this check box to use the design margin correction factor specified in the edit box.
Battery Library
Use Sizes Given in Library Only

Select this option to use only the sizes given in the library. For example, if the library has battery curves
for 11, 13, and 21 plates, then only these three sizes will be considered in the battery sizing calculation.
Use Sizes in Library as Min/Max Range

Select this option to use the sizes given in the library as the maximum and minimum limits. For example,
if the library has battery curves for 11, 13, and 21 plates, then it is assumed that batteries with 15, 17, and
19 plates are also available and the characteristic curves of these sizes are assumed to be the same as that
for the 21-plate battery.
Options
Desirable Number of Cells

When the battery sizing calculation box is checked, , the value entered in the edit box will be the number
of cells for the battery, if this number is within the acceptable range of voltage requirements. In case this
number is outside the acceptable range, the number of the cells will be selected so that the battery rated
voltage is closest to the terminal bus rated voltage.
Update Battery Size

When this box is checked, the battery size will be replaced by the new calculated battery size. This option
is only enabled when the Use Sizes Given in Library Only option has been selected in the Battery Library
group.

36.2.3 Discharge Page
Vd Calculation Parameters
The battery discharge calculation uses the information included in these fields to determine how the
voltage drop calculation will be performed.
Time Step
The Time Step parameter is the time interval at which a plot point is to be generated. A plot point is also
generated at the times when load changes occur. This value will affect time of calculations, especially in
the case that the battery duty cycle is obtained by the load flow method.
Vmax Limit
This feature allows the user to specify the maximum voltage value at the battery terminal. The default
value is 100% of the battery rated voltage. The calculated battery voltage will be limited at this value.

Duty Cycle Span Option

The duty cycle for a battery is an aggregation of all the loads connected, including DC motor, static load,
and control system diagram load. These loads can show variations within seconds or even intervals less
than a second. Considering battery discharging characteristics, IEEE Standard 485 requires that when
sizing a battery, if a discrete load sequence can be established, the load for a one-minute period should
assume the maximum current at any instant within that minute. Hence, the maximum load is expanded to
the whole minimum time span of one minute.
ETAP provides three options for duty cycle span with different features and they may give different
calculated battery and load terminal voltage values. It is recommended that the “One-minute Span for
Battery Only” option be used, as it is consistent with IEEE-485 standard and provides conservative
battery voltage and more accurate load terminal bus voltage.
Figure 1 show 3 loads in a duty cycle: 40 amperes for 5 seconds, 80 amperes for 10 seconds and 30
amperes for 20 second. Figure 2 is the one-minute span of the duty cycle. 80 amperes is spanned to the
whole minute.
Actual Time Span of Duty Cycle
One-Minute Span for Battery and Load

If this option is selected, in ETAP calculations of battery discharge and load flow, the one-minute span
will be applied to the battery duty cycle as well as load duty cycles used for load flow. This option
performs a load flow calculation with a frequency equal to the time step. Load changes occurring within
a given time step (and specifically within a given minute) do not result in an interim load flow calculation
with this option. The worst (highest) coincident loading within a given time step is summed up internal to
ETAP. The load flow calculation for each time step is performed at the instant within the time period
when the battery coincident loading is greatest. The battery terminal voltage at this instant is determined
based on this amp value (and the cumulative amp hrs removed). The voltages at this instant are reported
for the entire time step.
It should be noted that, since the worst (highest) coincident loading within a given time step is used to
represent system operating condition for the whole time step, it does not guarantee to give the worst
voltage in the time step for all load terminal buses in the system even though this option gives the worst
battery voltage for the time step,

The figure below shows the one-minute span of the duty cycle. Eighty amperes spans the entire minute.
One-minute Span of Duty Cycle
Note: The above figure is the one-minute span of the duty cycle, eighty amperes is spanned to the whole
minute
Load Duty Cycle - No One-minute Span

If this option is selected, in ETAP calculations of battery discharge and load flow, the one-minute span
will be applied for both battery duty cycle as well as load duty cycles used for loads.. This option gives
the most conservative voltage results.. Therefore, this option results in a load flow calculation with a
frequency equal to the time step plus an additional load flow calculation every time the loading changes
within a given time step. As part of the load flow calculation, the battery terminal voltage is recalculated
based on the amps and amp-hours removed at the instant of the load change. Thus, the battery voltage
will change as frequently as the load current changes.
It should be noted that IEEE-485 standard dictates that the battery current used for sizing the battery
within a one minute time period is equal to the highest coincident load current within that minute. This
approach is conservative as it results in the maximum expected battery load current for a given minute
even though the load current can change throughout the minute. The battery voltage will change within a
given minute as the current increases and decreases and as amp-hours are removed from the battery.
However, there is a limit to how quickly the battery terminal voltage will respond to a step change in
load. For example, an instantaneous decrease from 500A to 50 amps may not result in a corresponding
instantaneous increase in cell voltage to a value corresponding to 50A of load assuming the same amp-
hours removed value. The voltage will eventually increase to this value, but the change is not
instantaneous due to the chemical process with the cells.
One-minute Span for Battery Only

If this option is selected, in ETAP calculation of battery discharge, the one-minute span will be applied to
the battery duty cycle, while the actual load time span of the duty cycle will be used for system load flow
calculation. This option is a hybrid of the previous two options. The battery terminal voltage in this
option is fixed within a given minute even if the load current changes within that minute. The battery

terminal voltage is based on the maximum coincident load current within a given minute similar to the
“One-minute Span for Battery and Load” option.
This method is consistent with IEEE-485 standard for sizing and does not model instantaneous battery
terminal voltage changes resulting from load changes. It performs a load flow every instant that the load
current changes similar to the “Load Duty Cycle - No One-minute Span” option. Thus, the battery
terminal voltage is fixed for a given time step, but the load flow is performed every time the load current
changes using actual load currents.
Note: For battery sizing calculations, the one-minimum span is always applied on battery duty cycle.
Correction Factors
This group of the battery discharge page provides a set of correction factors to be used during the battery
discharge cycle. Similar to battery sizing calculations, the correction factors have either a positive or a
negative effect on the battery AH capacity (Amp Hour) or the battery duty cycle. With these features, the
user is able to simulate the effect of temperature, battery maintenance conditions, and aging factor on the
battery. The user has the choice of applying the correction factors to the battery duty cycle or to the
battery initial AH capacity. The program calculates a total correction factor by multiplying the
temperature CF and the Aging Compensation CF and then dividing by the initial Capacity CF.
Adjust Battery Duty Cycle Only

This option determines the battery terminal voltage using battery amps multiplied by the total correction
factor in the same manner as in the "Adjust Load Duty Cycle" option. However, when performing the
load flow calculations, the actual uncorrected load currents are used. Thus, the battery terminal voltage is
determined consistent with IEEE 485, however, the load terminal voltages are not unnecessarily low due
to load currents in modeled in excess of the actual load currents
Adjust Load Duty Cycle

If you select this option, the correction factor is applied directly on the duty cycle of individual loads
when carrying out load flow calculations. Based on the load flow calculation results, the battery duty
cycle is formulated and used to discharge the battery without any further correction.
This method reflects the method outlined in IEEE 485 standard, Annex C. The adjusted load currents are
used to determine the voltage drop across the cables throughout the system
Note: This is equivalent to applying diversity factor to the loads. The load diversity factor field is located
in the Info page of the DC Battery Sizing Study Case Editor.
Adjust Battery Capacity

When this option is selected, the correction factors are used to modify the battery capacity. This option
imposes a penalty on the battery by removing a certain amount of amp hours from the battery prior to
performing the discharge calculation. The amount of amp hours removed is equal to the amp hour rating
of the battery minus the amp hour rating of the battery divided by the total correction factor. For
example, for a total correction factor of 1.396 and a battery with a 900AH rating, the amp hours removed
from the battery is calculated as 900AH – 900AH/1.369 = 255.4 AH.
This method of determining a battery volt/cell value from the fan curve is not contained within IEEE 485
standard, Annex C, however, the bus and node voltages throughout the system are calculated based on
actual currents and not corrected currents. This method provides more realistic system voltages.

Temperature
Click this checkbox if you want the temperature correction factor to be used in battery discharge
calculations. This factor has the effect of either increasing or decreasing battery capacity. The temperature
correction factor is applied according to the IEEE method described in standard 485 for correcting cell
size in sizing calculations. The same standard applies for discharge calculations. IEEE provides values
between – 4 C and +52 C. Any value outside of this range is curve fitted using the IEEE recommended
curve-shifting method. (ETAP checks the temperature value and provides a user message indicating that
the entered temperature is out of normal range). When the box is not checked, the temperature correction
factor is assumed to be 100%.
Aging Compensation
Click this checkbox if you would like to use the aging compensation correction factor in battery discharge
calculations. When this factor is applied, the battery discharge simulation includes a decrease in battery
capacity due to aging. When the box is not checked, the aging correction factor is assumed to be 100%.
Initial Capacity
Click this checkbox to use the initial capacity correction factor percent specified in the Information page.
When the box is not checked, the initial capacity correction factor is assumed to be 100%.
LF Parameters (Newton-Raphson)
This group of the Discharge page becomes active if the Load Flow duty cycle calculation method is
selected form the Info page. If the Current Summation method is used, this group remains grayed out.
Max. Iteration
Enter the maximum number for iterations. If the solution has not converged before the specified number
of iterations, a message will appear to flag the user.
Precision
Enter the value for the solution precision to be used to check for convergence. This value determines how
precise you want the final solution to be. A load flow solution is reached if, between two iterations, the
maximum bus voltage difference in per unit is less than the specified precision value.
Initial Condition
Similar to the LF Parameter group, this part of the discharge page only has an effect if the Load Flow
Method for battery discharge is selected from the Info page. If the load flow method is indeed selected,
then the information entered in this area is used to initialize the Newton-Raphson load flow calculation.
Use Bus Voltage

The Newton-Raphson calculation method is highly dependent on initial conditions. If this radio button is
selected, the initial bus voltage will be set according to the bus nominal voltage multiplied by the initial
voltage entered in the Bus editor. It should be noted that the DC Load Flow calculation performed for
battery discharge does not update the initial bus voltage values. If initial bus voltage values are required,
then the user should run a DC Load Flow study to update the initial bus voltages, and then select this
option to run the discharge calculation using bus initial voltage values.
Use Fixed Value

When this option is selected, the voltage values used to initialize the Newton-Raphson calculation are
equal to the flat fixed voltage percent value specified here.

Motor Load
A motor normally behaves as a constant power load when its terminal voltage is close to its rated voltage.
However, as the battery terminal voltage deviates considerably from its rated voltage, its behavior
becomes similar to a static load. This group allows you to set the voltage range within which you want a
motor to be modeled as a constant power load.
Similar to the LF Parameter group, this part of the Discharge page only has an effect if the Load Flow
Method for battery discharge is selected from the Info page.
Constant kW if V is within Range

Click on this checkbox for setting Vmin and Vmax. When the motor terminal voltage is within this
range, it is represented as a constant power load. However, once the voltage is outside this range, it is
automatically converted to a constant impedance load.
If this box is not checked, all of the motor loads will be modeled as constant power loads regardless of
their terminal voltage. When there are only constant current sources in the system, this may prohibit load
flow calculations from reaching a solution.
Vmin
Enter the minimum voltage as a percentage, below which the motor load will be modeled as a constant
impedance load.
Vmax
Enter the maximum voltage as a percentage, above which the motor load will be modeled as a constant
impedance load.
Report
Similar to DC Load Flow Calculations, if at any point during the specified battery discharge cycle (using
DCLF method) a bus voltage falls below the percent value specified in the Under Voltage field, this
information will be flagged in the one-line diagram. The same is true for buses exceeding the over voltage
limit.
Critical Voltage
flagged. The buses violating the critical voltage limits will be flagged in red color in the one-line diagram.
Marginal Voltage
flagged as a marginally undervoltage or overvoltage bus. The buses violating the marginal voltage limits
will be flagged in pink color in the one-line diagram.
Bus Voltage
Calculated bus voltages displayed in the plot and one-line diagram can be given in kV or in percent of the
bus nominal voltages. Select your preference by clicking on Percent or V options.

36.2.4 Adjustment Page

In this page, you select the options for equipment adjustment. Some of the options are for equipment in
the DC system and others are for devices in a Control System Diagram, which are applicable only when a
Control System Diagram is involved in the calculations. These options include resistance temperature
correction for wires and cables, length tolerance adjustment for wires and cables, resistance tolerance for
control relays and solenoids, and resistance for contacts, circuit breakers, fuses, switches, and push
buttons located in a Control System Diagram.
Resistance Temperature Correction

Equipment resistance varies according to temperature, normally increasing as the temperature elevates.
You specify the temperature used for equipment resistance correction in this group.
Wire / Cable
Check this box to apply temperature correction on resistance of wires and cables. Once this box is
checked, you can specify the temperature used for the correction. There are two choices available. You

can select to use the individual maximum temperature entered in the Wire or Cable editor, so that each
wire or cable uses its own operating temperature for correction. Alternatively, you can also specify a
global temperature applied to all wires and cables.
Tolerance
Wire / Cable Length

When the length of a wire or a cable is not certain, the length tolerance can be used to account for this
uncertainty in the calculation. In Battery Sizing and Discharge calculation, ETAP considers wire and
cable tolerance as a positive value, so that a non-zero length tolerance will increase the length and hence
the resistance of a wire or cable.
Check the box to apply length tolerance on wires and cables. Once this box is checked, you can specify
the tolerance to be used. There are two choices available. You can select to use the individual tolerance
entered in the Wire or Cable editor, so that each wire or cable uses its own length tolerance for correction.
Alternatively, you can also specify a global length tolerance applied to all wires and cables.
Control Relay / Solenoid Burden

This option allows you to adjust the burden of a control relay or solenoid located in a Control System
Diagram. The burden of control relay or solenoid is specified by a power rating under the device rated
voltage. In order to obtain conservative calculation results, this tolerance is considered to be a positive
value. For example, a non-zero tolerance value will give a higher burden power than you entered in the
device editor.
Check the box to apply a burden tolerance on control relays and solenoids. Once this box is checked, you
can specify the tolerance to be used. There are two choices available. You can select to use the individual
tolerance entered in the Rating page of Control Relay editor or Solenoid editor. Alternatively, you can
also specify a global burden tolerance applied to all control relays and solenoids.
Resistance for CSD Elements

This group provides you with options on including in calculation the resistance of contacts, push buttons
and other switching devices in a Control System Diagram. Since the resistance value for these devices are
normally very small, you can select to include or exclude them in the calculation. If you decide to include
them in the calculation, you can specify the resistance value for these devices as well.
Contact
Check the box to include contact resistance in the calculation. Once this box is checked, you can specify
the resistance to be used. There are two choices available. You can select the individual contact resistance
entered in the Contact page of the Control Relay or Solenoid editor, so that each contact uses its own
resistance. Alternatively, you can also specify a global resistance to be applied to all contacts.
CB, Switch, Push Button
Check the box to include resistance values for circuit breakers, switches, and push buttons in a Control
System Diagram in the calculation. Once this box is checked, you can specify a global resistance value
for all these devices.
Fuse
Check the box to include resistance values for circuit fuses in a Control System Diagram in the
calculation. Once this box is checked, you can specify a global resistance value for all these devices.

36.2.5 CSD Page

Similar to the AC system representation, ETAP uses a layered model to represent DC systems and
Control System Diagrams. A Control System Diagram (CSD) contains a number of devices and wires.
These devices are connected in a certain way between the positive and negative DC buses. In ETAP, all
these devices are modeled in a Control System Diagram View, in which you set up a control system
similar to an AC system in a One-Line View. In a DC System, a Control System Diagram is aggregated
by a Composite CSD element. The Composite CSD element sums up the total load for all devices in a
Control System Diagram. It also serves as an equivalent source to all the devices in the Control System
Diagram. In a sense, the Composite CSD element makes a link between the Control System Diagram and
the DC system. Since a Composite CSD element can also be a simple DC load, to make a distinction, a
Composite CSD element that serves as an equivalent source in a Control System Diagram is called a
composite CSD element in ETAP. If there are composite CSD elements in the DC system, you can use
this page to set up options related to Control System Diagrams.
Duty Cycle of Composite CSD Elements

The duty cycle displayed in the Duty Cycle page of a composite CSD element (Composite CSD element)
represents the total load for all devices in the Control System Diagram that the composite CSD element is

associated. The duty cycle can be entered from the Duty Cycle editor. It can also be updated
automatically by ETAP based on calculations from the Control System Diagram. This group allows you
to specify options for the duty cycle of composite CSD elements.
Calculate and Update Duty Cycle Based on Individual Element Inside CSD
When this option is selected, the duty cycle of a composite CSD element will be calculated based on the
individual element inside the Control System Diagram that the composite CSD element is linked to. The
calculation is carried out according to the sequence defined in the duty cycle entered in all devices in the
Control System Diagram. The total load will be summed up and updated to the composite CSD element
and used in the Battery Sizing or Discharge calculation.
When this option is selected, the other sections on this page are enabled.
Use Duty Cycle of Composite CSD Elements

When this option is selected, the duty cycle displayed in the Duty Cycle page of a composite CSD
element will be used in the Battery Sizing or Discharge calculation.
Note: The duty cycle can be entered from the Duty Cycle editor directly, or automatically updated by
ETAP from a previous study.
When this option is selected, the other sections on this page are not applicable and are hidden.
Report CSD Voltage Drop Results

When you checked the option of Calculate and Update Duty Cycle Based on Individual Element Inside
CSD for the duty cycle of composite CSD elements, the checkbox of Report CSD Voltage Drop Results
becomes enabled. If you check this option, ETAP will report voltage drop results for all devices for the
whole duty cycle based on the calculated battery voltage during discharging calculation.
Note: This check box will enable the Alert tab in the study case editor.
Device Model
There are two ways provided in the device editor to model the behavior of a device: burden and inrush
rating model and duty cycle model. This section allows you to specify the model type to use in the
calculation.
Burden & Inrush Rating

When this option is selected, the burden and inrush rating model will be used in calculation for all
devices, disregarding the model type selected in the Info page of individual devices.
Duty Cycle
When this option is selected, the duty cycle model will be used in calculation for all devices, disregarding
the model type selected in the Info page of individual devices.
Note: In the current version of ETAP, if the duty cycle model is used for a device, the control logic
between the device and the controlled contacts will not be simulated in the simulation.
Individual Editor
When this option is selected, the model type used for each device in calculation is dependent on the
Calculation Model selected in the Info page of individual device editor.

Note: In the current version of ETAP, if the duty cycle model is used for a device, the control logic
between the device and the controlled contacts will not be simulated in the simulation.
Pickup Voltage
Pickup voltage of a device is a limit of minimum voltage value across the device in order for it to
successfully change the state of controlled contacts from normal state to off-normal state. After a device
become energized, if the voltage across the device remain equal to or higher than the pickup voltage for a
time duration equal to or longer than the operating time of a controlled contact, the contact will switch to
its off-normal state. This voltage limit is used in simulation of sequence operation of a control system as
well as alert checking. This section allows you to specify pickup voltage for control relay, solenoid, and
general load. For a general load, the pickup voltage is only used for alert checking.
Individual Vpickup
When this option is selected, the pickup voltage for a control relay or a solenoid will be the value defined
in the Rating page of device editor.
Global V if Individual Vpickup = 0

When this option is selected, the pickup voltage for a control relay or a solenoid will be the value defined
in the Rating page of device editor, if this value is greater than zero. For devices with this value being
zero in the editor, the global value for pickup voltage will be used. This option is useful for cases where
some of devices are lack of pickup voltage values from manufacturer.
Global Vpickup
When this option is selected, the global value for pickup voltage will be used for all control relays and
solenoids. The global Vpickup can be entered in the edit box next to the selection and is defined in
percent of device rated voltage.
Dropout Voltage
Dropout voltage of a device is a limit of voltage across the device. While a device has been energized, if
the voltage across a device is below this voltage limit, the device will not be able to keep its controlled
contacts at off-normal state. Under this condition, a controlled contact will return to its normal state if the
voltage across the device remains below Vdropout for a time duration equal to or longer than the release
time of the contact. This voltage limit is used in simulation of sequence operation of a control system as
well as alert checking. This section allows you to specify dropout voltage for control relay, solenoid, and
general load. For a general load, the dropout voltage is only used for alert checking.
Individual Vdropout
When this option is selected, the dropout voltage for a control relay or a solenoid will be the value defined
in the Rating page of device editor.
Global V if Individual Vdropout = 0

When this option is selected, the dropout voltage for a control relay or a solenoid will be the value defined
in the Rating page of device editor, if this value is greater than zero. For devices with this value being
zero in the editor, the global value for dropout voltage will be used. This option is useful for cases where
some of devices are lack of dropout voltage values from manufacturer.
Global Vdropout
When this option is selected, the global value for dropout voltage will be used for all control relays and
solenoids. The global Vdropout can be entered in the edit box next to the selection and is defined in
percent of device rated voltage.

36.2.6 Alert Page

CSD simulation generates two groups of alerts. The first group includes pickup and dropout voltages for
control relays and solenoid. The second group provides current alerts for control relays, solenoids,
contacts, switch devices, and wires.
Marginal
Two checkboxes in this page allow for device marginal alerts, one for device voltage alerts and another
for device current alerts. Check these boxes if you want ETAP to generate marginal alerts.
Note: If the Marginal box is not checked, the corresponding percentage fields for marginal limit will not
be editable.
Pickup Voltage
For this selection group, specify the pickup voltage alert limits for the control relay, solenoid, and general
load. The pickup voltage alert check is applied to devices that are to be energized to execute a given task,

such as changing the state of a controlled contact. Since pickup voltage alerts are under-voltage alerts, the
limit for a marginal alert must be higher than for critical alerts.
Control Relay
Check the box to enable alert checking on pickup voltage for control relays. Once it is checked, the
critical voltage limit will show a value of 100 percent, which cannot be changed. In order to enter a
percentage value for marginal voltage limit, the Marginal alert box above must also be checked.
The limits are percentages based on the control relay pickup voltage previously specified for Vpickup
option on the Model page. For example, if the global Vpickup was specified at 80% and you entered
110% for the Marginal Limit for Control Relay pickup voltage, the voltage limit for a marginal alert is
88% of the rated voltage of control relays. When a control relay becomes energized and the voltage across
it is less than 88% of its rated voltage, a marginal alert on pickup voltage will be generated for the control
relay.
Solenoid
Check this box to enable alert checking on the pickup voltage for solenoids. Once checked, the critical
voltage limit will show a value of 100 percent, which cannot be changed. In order to enter a percentage
value for marginal voltage limit, the Marginal alert box above must also be checked.
These limits are percentages based on the solenoids pickup voltage specified for Vpickup option on the
Adjustment page. For example, if the global specification for Vpickup was 80% and a percentage of
100% for the Critical Limit for solenoid pickup voltage was set, the voltage limit for a critical alert will be
80% of the rated voltage of the solenoids. When a solenoid becomes energized and the voltage across it is
less than 80% of its rated voltage, a critical alert on pickup voltage will be generated for the solenoid. In
such an instance, the solenoid will not be able to execute the task it is supposed to accomplish.
General Load
This checkbox enables alert checking on pickup voltage for general loads. Once checked, the critical
voltage limit will show a value of 100 percent, which cannot be changed. In order to enter a value for
marginal voltage limit, the Marginal alert box above must also be checked. The limits are a percentage
based on the general load pickup voltage previously specified for Vpickup option on the Adjustment
page.
Dropout Voltage
In this selection group you can specify the dropout voltage alert limits for the control relay, solenoid, and
general load. The dropout voltage alert check is applied to a device that is energized. If the voltage across
the device is below the dropout voltage limit, the device will not be able to continue its normal function,
such as keeping a controlled contact in a certain state. Since dropout voltage alerts are under-voltage
alerts, the limit for the marginal alert should be higher than that for critical alerts.
Dropout Voltage Limit for Control Relay

Check this box to enable alert checking on the dropout voltage for control relays. Once checked, the
critical voltage limit will show a value of 100 percent, which cannot be changed. In order to enter a
percentage value for marginal voltage limit, the Marginal alert box must also be checked.
These limits are percentages based on the control relay dropout voltage previously specified for the V
dropout option on the Adjustment page. For example, if a global percentage for Vpickup of 30% and a
percentage of 100% were specified for the Critical Limit for Control Relay dropout voltage, the voltage
limit for a critical alert is 30% of the rated voltage of control relays. When a control relay is energized and

the voltage across it is less than 30% of its rated voltage, a critical alert on dropout voltage will be
generated for that control relay. In this instance, the control relay will not be able to execute the task it is
supposed to accomplish.
Dropout Voltage Limit for Solenoid

Check this box to enable alert checking on the dropout voltage for solenoids. Once checked, the critical
voltage limit will show a value of 100 percent, which cannot be changed. In order to enter a percentage
value for marginal voltage limit, the Marginal alert box above must also be checked.
The limits are percentages based on the solenoids dropout voltage specified previously for the V dropout
option on the Adjustment page. For example, if it was specified to use a global V dropout of 30% and
110% was entered for the Marginal Limit of the solenoid dropout voltage, the voltage limit for a marginal
alert is 33% of the rated voltage of solenoids. When a solenoid is energized and the voltage across it is
less than 33% of its rated voltage, a marginal alert on pickup voltage will be generated for the solenoid.
General Load
Check this box to enable alert checking for dropout voltage on general loads. Once checked, the critical
voltage limit will show a value of 100 percent, which cannot be changed. In order to enter a value for
marginal voltage limit, the Marginal alert box above must also be checked. The limits are a percentage
based on the general loads pickup voltage specified previously for the Vdropout option on the Adjustment
page.
Loading
In this selection group, specify the critical and marginal alert limits for device overload alerts.
Control Relay
Enter the critical limit and marginal limit for control relay overload alerts. The limits are a percentage
based on the rated burden current entered on the Rating page of the Control Relay Editor.
Solenoid
Enter the critical limit and marginal limit for solenoid overload alerts. The limits are a percentage based
on the rated burden current entered on the Rating page of the Solenoid Editor.
Contact
Enter the critical limit and marginal limit for contact overload alerts. The limits are a percentage based on
the rated inductive current entered on the Contact page of the Control Relay Editor or Solenoid Editor.
Switching Device
Enter the critical limit and marginal limit for switching devices, such as circuit breakers, fuses, and
switches. The limits are a percentage based on the rated inductive current entered on the Contact page of
the Control Relay Editor or Solenoid Editor.
Wire / Cable
Enter the critical limit and marginal limit for wires and cables. The limits are a percentage based on the
rated continuous current of the wire or cable.
Auto Display
This is a two-state button that can be clicked on or off. When Auto Display is activated the Alert View
will display automatically after a simulated sequence-of-operation is completed.

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Display Options

The Battery Sizing Display Options consist of a Results page and three pages for AC, AC-DC, and DC
info annotations. The colors and displayed annotations selected for each study are specific to that study.
36.3.1 Results Page

Voltage
Bus Display Unit

Select whether to display the bus voltage as a percentage or in volts from the drop-down list.
Battery
Click on this checkbox to show the battery voltage in the one-line diagram.
Bus
Click on this checkbox to show the bus voltage in the one-line diagram.
Note: Bus voltage results are available for display only when the Load Flow Calculation Option is
selected for Calculation Method in the Info page of the DC Battery Sizing Study Case.
Show Units
Click this checkbox to show units along with results in the one-line diagram.
Power Flows
Power flow results are available for display only when the Load Flow Calculation Option is selected for
Calculation Method in the Info page of the DC Battery Sizing Study Case.
Power Flow Display Units

Select the power flow to be displayed in kW or MW.
kW and Amp
Select kW to display power flow or select Amp to display the current in amperes.
Show Units
Check this box to show the unit with calculation results displayed on the one-line diagram.
Flow Results
Click on these checkboxes to display load flow results for different types of elements, including Branch,
Battery, Composite Motor, and Composite Network. These results are available for display only when the
Load Flow Calculation Option is selected for Calculation Method in the Info page of the DC Battery
Sizing Study Case.

36.3.2 AC Page
This page includes options for displaying information annotations for AC elements.
ID
diagram.

Rating
line diagram.
Device Type Rating

Motor HP/kW
Load kVA/MVA
Panel Connection Type (Number of Phases - Number of Wires)
Transformer Impedance in %
Cable/Line Number of Cables - Number of Conductor/Cable - Size
Bus kA Bracing
kV
line diagram.
A
line diagram.
Z

Motor % LRC
Transformer Positive Sequence Impedance (R + j X per unit length)
D-Y
one-line diagram.

Composite Motor
Click on this checkbox to display the AC Composite Network IDs on the one-line diagram, then select the
Use Default Options

Click on this checkbox to use ETAP’s default display options. The checkboxes on this page will be
grayed out.

36.3.3 AC-DC Page

This page includes options for displaying information annotations for AC-DC elements and composite
networks.
ID
line diagram.

Rating
one-line diagram.
Device Type Rating

UPS kVA
VFD HP/kW
kV
A
one-line diagram.
Device Type Amp

UPS Input, Output, & DC FLA
Composite Network
Click on this checkbox to display the composite network IDs on the one-line diagram, then select the
For cables, click the checkboxes to display the cable/line and the size, length and type on the one-line
diagram.
Use Default Options


36.3.4 Colors Page

This page includes options for assigning colors to annotations for elements and results on the one-line
diagram.
Color Theme
whenever the Theme option is selected in the Annotation section.
Theme

Theme Editor
The Theme Editor allows you to select existing color themes or define a new color theme.

Note: Color themes are applied globally within a project file. Changes made on a color theme displayed
on this page may also affect other modes and presentations if the Set Global option has been previously
selected.
Annotations
Theme
theme is also displayed in a box at the right of the button
User-Defined

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Calculation Methods

The ETAP Battery Sizing and Discharging calculations comply with IEEE Standard 485-1997, the IEEE
Recommended Practice for Sizing Large Lead Storage Batteries for Generating Stations and Substations.
Based on the characteristic curves from the Battery Library, it determines the number of strings, number
of cells, and cell size of a battery for a designated duty cycle.
36.4.1 Battery Duty Cycle

The duty cycle of a battery is the combination of the duty cycles of all the loads supplied by the battery.
The duty cycle of a battery can be determined by two different methods: load duty cycle summation and
load flow calculation. The first method simply sums up duty cycles for all the loads, with the conversion
of load current from the load rated voltage to the nominal voltage of the battery terminal bus. The load
flow calculation method runs a series of load flow calculations to determine battery load that considers
system losses and branch voltage.
Individual Load Duty Cycle

The individual load supplied by a battery can generally be classified into continuous and non-continuous
loads. Continuous loads are the ones that last for the whole duty cycle. Typical continuous loads include
lighting, continuously operating motors, inverters, indicating lights, continuously energized coils, and
annunciator loads, etc.
Non-continuous loads are on only during a portion of the duty cycle. Typical non-continuous loads
include emergency pump motors, critical ventilation system motors, communication system power
supplies, and fire protection systems, etc. Some of the non-continuous loads can occur repeatedly in a
duty cycle but are of short duration, less than one minute in any occurrence. These loads are called
momentary loads. Typical momentary loads include switchgear operations, motor-driven valve
operations, isolating switch operations, field flashing of generators, motor starting currents, and inrush
currents, etc.
If the time of occurrence of a non-continuous load cannot be predetermined, it is called a random load.
The random loads should be shown at the most critical time of a duty cycle. In battery sizing calculations,
these loads are treated differently from non-random loads.
In order to explain how the program determines the battery duty cycle, let us consider a sample case, in
which a battery supplies power to two loads: “Load 1” and “Load 2”. The following two tables list the
load duty cycle as entered in the Duty Cycle page of the Load editor. Notice that the tables have two
columns: Non-Random Load and Random Load. The Non-Random Load includes continuous, non-
continuous, and momentary loads.
Load Items for “Load 1” Duty Cycle (Time in Seconds)
Non-Random Load Random Load

Item Name Amp St Time Duration Item Name Amp Duration
L1 280 0 12 Ld 100 60
L2 60 60 7140
L3 80 1800 1800

“Load 2” Duty Cycle (Time in Seconds)
Non-Random Load Random Load

Item Name Amp St Time Duration Item Name Amp Duration
Stage1 40 0 1800 Ld1 50 120
Stage2 140 1800 5400
Stage3 40 7200 3540
Stage4 120 10740 60
The load duty cycle for “Load 1” is plotted in the following figure. In figure A, it is plotted in load items
as entered in the Load Editor, while in figure B it is the combination of all load items plotted as a function
of time. Notice that the random load is also displayed in the curve.
Duty Cycle Diagram for “Load 1”
Duty Cycle Diagram for “Load 2”

Battery Duty Cycle – Current Summation Method

When using the summation method, the battery duty cycle is the sum of all load currents at every time
moment in the duty cycle, with the current value converted from the load rated voltage to the bus nominal
voltage of the battery terminal bus. This is equivalent to assume that the all loads are constant current
loads. The non-random loads and random loads are summed up separately, as shown in the figure below.
Battery Duty Cycle Diagram – “Load 1” Plus “Load 2”
Battery Non-Random Load

The summation of non-random loads for the battery duty cycle is very straight forward, as seen in the
battery duty cycle diagram. It should be noted that at the beginning of the duty cycle, the duration for the
320-ampere load section is extended from 12 seconds to one minute. According to IEEE Standard 485,
the load for a one-minute period shall be assumed to be the maximum current at any instant. After
summing up the non-random loads from individual loads, ETAP searches through the duty cycle for
current peaks. If the duration for any peak is less than one minute, the peak current value will be used as
the load for the one-minute period from the beginning of the peak.
Battery Random Load

The summation of random loads for the battery duty cycle is different from that of non-random loads. The
duration of the battery random load is equal to the longest duration of all random loads from individual
loads. The random loads from individual loads are summed up so that they are aligned at the end of the
duration of the battery random load. This ensures that the maximum random load value occurs at the end
of the duration, to produce the severest duty cycle for the battery.

After summing up random loads, if there is any peak with duration less than one minute, it will also be
extended to a one minute time period, similar to the process applied on the non-random load.
Battery Combined Duty Cycle

In the battery sizing calculation, the non-random and random loads are handled separately. The battery
total capacity is equal to the sum of the capacity that can provide power to the non-random load and
random load respectively. However, in the battery discharge calculation, the load applied on the battery is
the combined duty cycle, in which the random load is add on top of the non-random load. Per IEEE
Standard 485, to consider the worst case, the random load should be added to the non-random load at the
time where the battery has the lowest voltage value. In the example case, assuming that at 120 minutes the
battery has the lowest voltage value when the load consists of only the non-random load, the combined
battery duty cycle will be constructed by adding the random load backward at the 120-minute time, as
shown below.
Battery Combined Duty Cycle Diagram

Battery Duty Cycle – Load Flow Method

When using the load flow method to determine battery duty cycle, the load current at each moment is
determined by the DC load flow calculation, with the battery being the only constant voltage source. In
the battery sizing calculation, since the parameters are not available, the battery is modeled as a constant
voltage source at the nominal voltage of the terminal bus. In the battery discharging calculation, the
battery voltage is calculated based on the battery characteristic curves and duty cycle in previous steps.
The battery duty cycle determined based on the load flow method will give more accurate representation
of the actual load. With the load flow calculation, the load can be modeled as constant power or constant
impedance load depending on the load type. As the responses of these two types of load with respect to
voltage variations are very different, correctly modeling these loads provides more accurate battery load
current. In the load flow calculation, the battery load can also include losses on cables and other branches.
Additionally, when the load flow method is used in the discharge calculation, ETAP calculates bus
voltages and loads and branch flows for the whole system along with battery results.
36.4.2 Battery Library Data

The battery sizing calculation is based on the battery characteristics from the library of the battery to be
sized. Therefore, in order to size a battery, the battery has to be linked with the Battery Library, which is
done from the Battery Editor by clicking on the Library button in the Rating page and selecting a battery
from the Battery Library Quick Pick Editor. Once you have selected a battery from the library, the battery
is linked to the Battery Library and the battery type information appears in the Battery Type section in the
editor. The battery type information includes manufacturer, voltage per cell, resistance per positive plates,
etc. The same section also displays information on the selected size for the battery including number of
plates, cell capacity, and one-minute-discharge rate.
In the battery sizing calculation, ETAP retrieves the battery characteristic curves according to the battery
type information. Since this link between the battery and the library is dynamic, any changes you make on
the battery characteristics in the library may affect the battery sizing results afterward.
The ETAP Battery Library provides two types of battery characteristic curves: Time vs. Amp type and
Time vs. Kt type. The following figure displays sample curves for both types, taken from IEEE Standard
485. On the left is the Time vs. Amp type and on the right Time vs. Kt type. The Time vs. Amp type
curves provide values for Rt, which is the number of amperes that each positive plate can supply for a
specified time, at 25 C and to a definite end-of-discharge voltage. Time vs. Kt type curves provide
values for Kt, which is the ratio of rated ampere-hour capacity (at a standard time rate, at 25 C, and to a
standard end-of-discharge voltage) of a cell, to the amperes that can be supplied by that cell for a
specified time, at 25 C and to a definite end-of-discharge voltage.

In the above sample curves, the set of curves may apply to batteries of different sizes or to only one size.
In ETAP, you specify a set of characteristic curves for a given size. If you want to use a given set of
curves for batteries of different sizes, you can indicate this in the Battery Sizing Study Case Editor. Please
see the Study Case Editor section for more information.
Estimated Battery Characteristic Curves

In Battery Sizing calculation, according to IEEE Standard 485, a battery is sized so that at end of the duty
cycle, the battery terminal voltage will not be less than the battery minimum discharge voltage. In ETAP,
this minimum discharge voltage is specified in the Sizing page of the Battery Sizing Study Case. During
calculations, the battery characteristic curve, that has end-of-discharge voltage equal to this minimum
discharge voltage, will be used to size the battery.
When you size a battery to a specific end-of-discharge voltage, i.e. 1.75V per cell, your battery library
should normally contain characteristic curves at an end-of-discharge voltage at 1.75V. In case the battery
library does not contain the characteristic curve at 1.75V, ETAP will estimate a characteristic curve at
1.75V based on curves in the library for other end-of-discharge voltage values. Since the behavior of
battery discharging is very nonlinear, this estimation can only provide approximate results.
Several methods for battery characteristic estimation have been developed and the best one has been used
in ETAP to match actual manufacturer curves more accurately. However, the estimated curve is always
an approximation of the actual battery behavior. When estimated battery characteristic curves are used for
battery sizing calculations, the results may be different from that obtained from manufacturer provided
battery characteristic curves. Various tests have been conducted on estimation of battery characteristic
curves from a limited number of manufactures. In each of the test, a manufacture curve at a specific end-
of-discharge voltage was first removed from the battery library and ETAP is used to estimate the curve
based on the rest manufacturer curves. The ETAP estimated curve was then compared against the

manufacture curve removed. It should be pointed out that noticeable differences have been observed, and
in some cases the estimated curves were less conservative.
In order to obtain accurate battery sizing results, we suggest that when you size a battery, make sure that
the battery library contains a battery characteristic curve with end-of-discharge voltage equal to the
Battery Min. Discharge Voltage you have entered in the Battery Sizing Study Case.
It should be stressed that estimation of battery characteristic curves is needed only when the calculation
performed is Battery Sizing, and the battery library used does not contain a characteristic curve of end-of-
discharge voltage equal to the Battery Min. Discharge Voltage value that you have specified in the
Battery Sizing Study Case. If you perform battery discharge calculation for an existing battery,
estimation of battery characteristic curves will not be required at all.
36.4.3 Battery Sizing Method

The battery sizing calculation includes determining the number of cells to meet the system voltage
requirement and determining the battery size and number of strings to meet the load duty cycle
requirement.
Number of Cells
The number of cells should be determined to satisfy system minimum and maximum voltage
requirements:
1. When charging the battery, the voltage to be applied to the battery should not be greater than the
maximum system voltage.
2. When discharging the battery, the battery minimum discharge voltage should not be smaller than the
minimum system voltage.
Let N be the number of cells. The voltage requirements can be given in the following equation
V sys, min V sys, max

V cell, disch V cell, ch
Where
Vsys,min is the minimum system voltage that is equal to the nominal voltage of the battery terminal bus
multiplied by the minimum system voltage deviation entered in the Battery Sizing Study Case editor.
Vsys,max is the maximum system voltage that is equal to the nominal voltage of the battery terminal bus
multiplied by the maximum system voltage deviation entered in the Battery Sizing Study Case editor.
Vcell,ch is the battery charge voltage in V/Cell entered in the Battery Sizing Study Case editor.
Vcell,disch is the battery discharge voltage in V/Cell entered in the Battery Sizing Study Case editor.
It is clear that the number of cells of the battery is dependent on the four values for voltage requirement
entered in the Battery Sizing Study Case editor. It can happen that for some incompatible values, we
cannot determine a value for N to satisfy the above equation. When this situation occurs, ETAP will
display a message indicating that it cannot determine the number of cells.
In practical cases, there is often a range of values that N can take to satisfy the above equation. In this
case, ETAP will select the value for N that results in the battery rated voltage being closest to its terminal
bus nominal voltage.

Cell Size
In determining the battery size, ETAP will find the smallest size that can provide sufficient power for the
specified duty cycle. The capacity of a battery can be increased either by using a larger size or by adding
more strings. Since ETAP allows you to enter different characteristic curves for different sizes of
batteries, in the battery sizing calculation, the program starts with one string and the smallest size
available for the calculation. If it fails to meet the load requirement, the program first increases the size
and performs calculations with the characteristic curves for the new size. When no available sizes can
meet the load requirement for the given number of strings, it then increases the string number and
performs the calculation with the smallest size again. This process continues until a battery size and a
string number are found to meet the load requirement.
Load Sections in Battery Duty Cycle

A battery duty cycle generally can be represented as a square waveform. It consists of a number of time
periods, with a constant current value during a period. The figure below shows a sample duty cycle for a
battery. It consists of six periods, designated as P1, P2, … P6. A load section Si is a combination of a
number of load periods, defined as:
i
S i P j
j 1

In the sample duty cycle there are six load sections.
Load Sections for a Sample Battery Duty Cycle
Determination of Cell Size Based on Battery Characteristic Curves

Based on a given set of battery characteristic curves, we can determine the required battery size for a
specified duty cycle. Let F represent cell size. It is equal to:
F= Max Fi i=1,..Sm
where Sm is the total number of load sections and Fi is the size calculated for the ith load section. The
calculation of Fi depends on the type of battery library curves.
For the Time vs. Amp type battery library, the cell size Fi is the number of positive plates, which is
calculated as:
P i A p A P 1
F i
P 1 R t

where Ap is the load current value in period P. RT is the value obtained from the battery characteristic
curve, which is the number of amperes that each positive plate can supply for t minutes, at 25 C, and to
the end-of-discharge voltage specified in the Study Case.
For the Time vs. Kt type battery library, the cell size Fi is the capacity in ampere-hours, which is
calculated as:
P i
Fi Ap AP 1 Kt
P 1
where Ap is the load current value in period P. Kt is the value obtained from the battery characteristic
curve, which is the ratio of rated ampere-hour capacity (at a standard time rate, at 25 C and to a standard
end-of-discharge voltage) of a cell, to the amperes that can be supplied by that cell for t minutes, at 25 C,
and to the end-of-discharge voltage specified in the study case.
Random Load and Non-Random Load

In general, the duty cycle for a battery consists of random loads and non-random loads. ETAP determines
the cells for random and non-random loads separately in the same way as described in the previous
section. The sum of the two cell size values is the uncorrected cell size for the given duty cycle.
Adjusting Factors
In the Battery Sizing Study Case Editor, you can select several adjusting factors to be considered in
calculating battery size. These factors include temperature factor, design margin factor, aging
compensation factor, and initial capacity factor. The uncorrected battery size is adjusted by multiplying
the first three factors and dividing that value by the initial capacity factor.
Calculation Cycle
It is clear from the equations for determining cell size that the cell size is calculated based on a given set
of battery characteristic curves, which is for a given cell size. If the calculated cell size is different from
the one corresponding to the characteristic curves used, we have to do the calculation again with the
battery characteristic curves for the calculated cell size, which may again result in a new size because of
different characteristic curves used. This process continues until the calculated size matches with the
curves used in the calculation. Sometimes the calculation may get into a cycle of changing cell size and
characteristic curves, especially if the curves were not entered correctly. ETAP has implemented a
scheme to break the cycle.

36.4.4 Battery Discharging Calculation Method

The purpose of battery discharge calculation is to determine battery performance for a specified duty
cycle. One of the key parameters for battery performance is the battery terminal voltage. When the battery
is supplying the load as the sole source, it should be able to maintain voltage level for the whole period of
the specified duty cycle.
Battery Characteristic Curves for Voltage Interpolation

The terminal voltage of a battery is dependent on the current drawing from the battery and the ampere-
hour capacity contained in the battery. This relationship is described by the battery characteristic curve
and is very nonlinear. In ETAP, the battery characteristics are described in the battery library as discrete
points. Because no closed form equation is available to describe the battery characteristics, numerical
interpolation methods have to be used to find the points missing in the curves. Apparently, the more
curves that are entered in the battery library, the more accurate the calculated results will be. The
minimum number of the characteristic curves entered in the library is two. ETAP will post an error
message if the number of curves in the library for the battery to be discharged is less than two.
In this release of ETAP, the discharge calculation is performed only when the battery is linked to the
“Time vs. Amp” type library. The library data required by the discharge calculation for the characteristic
curves is described in section 35.5.1. The battery characteristic curves can be used to interpolate voltage
values in different ways. Because of the nonlinearity of battery characteristics and often limited curves
available, voltage values interpolated from battery curves sometimes may not seem reasonable. For
example, the interpolated voltage value for a very small current at the beginning of discharging could be
larger than the rated battery voltage. The method used in ETAP first converts the curves from “Time vs.
Amp” curves to equivalent “AH vs. Amp” curves, and then interpolates for voltage values at a fixed
current value. This method is chosen for ETAP due its consistent results for a constant discharging
current.
Battery Combined Duty Cycle

When the load powered by the battery includes random load, the random load should be added to the non-
random load at the worst point, or when the battery has the lowest voltage value when only the non-
random load is considered. To identify this time moment, ETAP first performs a battery discharge
calculation excluding the random load. It then determines the worst point, adds the random load to the
non-random load and performs discharge calculation from the time when the random load takes effect all
the way to the end of the battery duty cycle.
Battery Voltage Calculation

An iterative process is conducted to calculate battery discharge voltage values. A battery voltage value is
reported at each time step specified in the battery sizing study case and at each moment when there is a
change in the load duty cycle. By changing the step size from the battery sizing study case, the user can
adjust the level of detailed information on discharge calculation to be reported.
If the battery duty cycle is calculated by the load current summation method, the battery current will
change only when there is a change in any load duty cycle. When the load flow method is selected in the
study case, even if there is no change in the load duty cycle, the battery current will change due to
decrease in the battery voltage. In this case the battery current is calculated by a full load flow calculation,
considering different types of loads and system losses. In this load flow calculation, the battery is
modeled as a constant voltage source with the voltage calculated in the previous step. The calculated
battery current will be used in the current step for battery voltage calculation.

Along with battery voltage and current, the battery discharge module also calculates battery discharge
capacity. When there is change in the load current, two values of voltage and current are calculated, at t -
and t+, one for before the load change and one for after the load change.
When the battery is calculated using the load flow method, the battery discharge calculation also provides
considerable information on the system performance, including bus voltage, bus loading, branch power
and current, etc.
36.4.5 CSD in Battery Sizing and Discharging Calculation

ETAP provides options to integrate Control System Diagram with DC system in battery sizing and
discharge calculations. Hence, it extends DC system calculation down to the control system device level.
The involvement of CSD in the calculation has two aspects: calculation of CSD duty cycle and simulation
of CSD sequence of operation with battery discharge voltage. Both apply the Load Flow Method to
simulate CSD sequence of operation.
Calculating and Updating CSD Duty Cycle

If, the “Calculate and Update duty Cycle Based on Individual Element Inside (CSD)” option is selected in
the CSD page of the DC Battery Sizing Study Case, ETAP will simulate sequence of operation for each
CSD powered by the battery under consideration. As results of these simulations, duty cycles for all
composite CSD elements are calculated and automatically updated to the Composite CSD element in the
DC system. The updated duty cycle is separated into constant power, constant impedance, and constant
current groups in order to accurately represent CSD devices at any voltage level. This duty cycle will be
used for battery sizing and discharge calculations.
In calculating CSD duty cycle, the sequence of operation simulated is dependent on other options in the
CSD page of DC battery Sizing Study Case, as well as the logical set up in the CSD. These options
include Device Model, Pickup Voltage and Dropout Voltage. Different options selected can result in very
different sequence of operation and therefore different duty cycles.
Calculating CSD Voltage Drop

If, the “Report CSD Voltage Drop Results” option is selected in the CSD page of DC Battery Sizing
Study Case, as part of the battery discharge calculation, Voltage Drop calculation will be carried out for
each CSD with DC bus voltage calculated from battery discharge. This process allows the CSD voltage
drop calculation to be integrated into battery discharge calculation to simulate control operations in real
system under emergency conditions. Using this tool, you can accurately size the battery and predict
system behavior down to the control system diagram level.
The voltage drop calculation results for all CSDs are placed in a single output report, which can be open
from any CSD view involved in the calculation. The CSD Events View and Alert View are also provided
for you to verify operation sequence and identify abnormal conditions.

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Required Data
36.5 Required Data

36.5.1 Source
In battery sizing calculation, the only source is the battery to be sized. Batteries may only be
sized/discharged one at a time as specified in the study case. A UPS may be considered as a load to the
system when its input bus is not connected to an energized bus.
Battery
ID
Bus connection data
Battery library type data. This information is used to retrieve library data for calculations.
If only the battery discharge calculation is conducted, the following additional information is also
required:
Battery number of plates and capacity

Number of cells
Number of strings
SC page battery external resistance
36.5.2 Load
UPS
When a UPS is not connected to an energized input AC bus, it is considered a load in battery sizing
calculations.
ID
Bus connection data
DC rated voltage
kW and kVA
Duty Cycle page
(If duty cycle data is not entered, this load will be assumed to be zero.)
DC Motor
ID
Bus connection data
Quantity
Rated voltage
kW or HP and efficiency
Duty Cycle page

Lumped Load
ID
Bus connection data
Rated voltage
kW Rating
Duty Cycle Page
Static Load
ID
Bus connection data
kW rating
Rated voltage
Duty Cycle page
Composite CSD (CCSD) Load

ID
Bus connection data
Rated voltage
kW rating
Duty Cycle page
Inverter
ID
Bus connection data
DC rated voltage
kVA, PF, DC kW rating
Duty Cycle page
Control System Diagram

When you select the option to include CSD simulations in the study case, all the data for CSD elements is
required for a simulation of sequence of operation when using the Load Flow Method.

36.5.3 Branch
DC Cable
ID
Bus connection data
Cable length
Resistance and inductance and cable length units
DC Impedance
ID
Bus connection data
Resistance and inductance impedance information
Tie PD (CB, Fuse, Single-Throw and Double-Throw Switches)

ID
Bus connection data
DC Converter
ID
Bus connection data
kW rating and rated kV input and output
36.5.4 Bus
DC Bus
Info Page
ID
Nom. V
Initial Voltage
36.5.5 Other
Library
Library type data
Battery characteristic curve data
36.5.6 Study Case

When you initiate a battery sizing calculation, ETAP uses the study case currently selected from the
Study Case toolbar. Every field in the Study Case editor is set to its default value. However, it is
important to set the values in the study case correctly to meet your calculation requirements.

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Output Reports
36.6 Output Reports

The battery sizing calculation results are reported graphically on the one-line diagram, in plots and in the
Crystal Reports format. The graphical one-line display shows the number of cells, number of strings, cell
size, etc. You can use the Display Options editor to specify the content to be displayed.
The Crystal Reports format provides you with detailed information for a battery Sizing Study. You can
utilize the Battery Sizing Report Manager to help you view the output report.
36.6.1 Battery Sizing Report Manager

To open the Battery Sizing Report Manager, click on the View Output File button on the Battery Sizing
Study toolbar. The editor includes four pages (Complete, Input, Result, and Summary) representing
different sections of the output report. The Report Manager allows you to select formats available for
different portions of the report and view it via Crystal Reports. There are several fields and buttons
common to every page, as described below.
Output Report Name

This field displays the name to the output report you want to view.
Project File Name

Help
OK/Cancel
Viewer and File Options

checkbox.

Complete Page
In this page there is only one format available, Complete, which opens the complete report for the battery
sizing study. The complete report includes input data, results, and summary reports.
checkbox.

Input Page
This page allows you to select categories to view different input data, grouped according to type. These
include the following available categories:
Battery Characteristics
Branch
Bus and Connected Load
Cable
Cover
DC Converter
Impedance
Inverter
Load Duty Cycle
UPS
You can view these reports in the Crystal Reports viewer, or save the report in PDF, MS Word, Rich Text
check box.

Result Page
This page allows you to select formats to view the result portion of the output report, including
Calculation Results, Battery Load Profile, Battery Characteristics, Battery Tabulation, Bus Tabulation,
and Sizing Results. The Calculation Results portion prints the uncorrected cell size for each load section
in non-random load and random load. The Battery Load Profile is the battery duty cycle generated based
on load duty cycles. The Battery Characteristics are mostly data entered by the user. However, if the
characteristic data does not contain a curve corresponding to the minimum discharge voltage specified in
the Battery Sizing Study Case Editor, the calculation program will generate a new curve based on data
entered by the user. Therefore, the Battery Characteristics portion is placed in both the Input and Results
lists of the report manager. The Battery Tabulation and Bus Tabulation are battery discharge calculation
results. The Sizing Results show the results of battery sizing stages in the same format as given in the
IEEE Standard 485.
checkbox.

Summary Page
This page allows you to select available formats to view the result summary portion of the report. The
summary portion contains the final result for battery sizing calculations.
check box.


This is a shortcut for the Report Manger. When you click on the View Output Report button, ETAP
automatically opens the output report that is listed in the Study Case toolbar with the selected format. In
the example shown below, the output report name is BattSizing and the selected format is Complete
36.6.3 Input Data

Input data are grouped together according to element type. The bus and branch connection data for battery
sizing are similar to DC load flow input data. The following are some samples of input data specific for
battery sizing calculations.
Load Duty Cycle

In battery sizing calculations, the load comes from the duty cycle of all the connected loads. In order for a
load to be considered in the study, you must enter load duty cycle data in the Duty Cycle page of the Load
editor.
In the sample below, there are duty cycles for a lump load, a static load, and a CSD load. The lump load
and the static load are continuous load, maintaining constant load current over the whole duty cycle. The
CSD load has both non-random and random loads. Notice that in the report the non-random load is the
combination of all load items entered in the Duty Cycle page, shown as a series of square waveforms as a
function of time. The random load is printed in load items, each with different load duration. If you have
entered two random load items that have the same load duration, they will be summed up and shown as
one item in the report.


Battery Duty Cycle

The battery duty cycle is the total load used to size the battery. In this page, the battery name (ID) is
shown, the method used for obtaining the battery duty cycle, and the battery duty cycle. Notice that for
the battery duty cycle, both the non-random and random load profiles are printed as a function of time. In
the load profiles, any peaks that last less than one minute have been extended to one minute.
Depending on the options you selected in the Correction Factor section of the Discharge page of the DC
battery Sizing Study Case, the battery duty cycle used for battery sizing and discharge calculation may
not be the same. For example, if you selected the option of Adjust Battery Duty Cycle in the section, the
correction factors for temperature, aging and initial condition will be used to change the battery duty
cycle used in the battery discharge calculation. In the report, ETAP prints the duty cycle lists for both
sizing and discharge calculations, if you run the battery sizing calculation. When you run the discharge
calculation, only one duty cycle will be reported.

Battery Characteristics
In this page, the information from the Battery Library is printed. It starts with the library type information
including battery manufacturer, model, characteristic curve type, base temperature, V/Cell, resistance per
positive plate, etc. It is then followed by the information for the final battery size used. In the Battery
Library there may be a set of characteristic curves for each battery size, but only one set of curves is
printed in the report, and it is the one used to determine the cell size. In this sample, curves for the battery
size with 21 plates are printed, including four curves with final discharge voltages at 1.75, 1.91, 1.84, and
1.88 volts, respectively. This page also prints the option you selected in the Battery Sizing Study Case
editor on how to use the battery library data: as Sizes Given in Library Only or as Min/Max Ranges. In
this case, the Min/Max ranges option was selected.

36.6.4 Results Report

The cell sizes for each load section are printed on this page. There are two columns, one for non-random
load, and one for random load. The maximum value from each column is selected and the sum of the two
values is the uncorrected cell size.
It can be seen that for some load sections, such as sections 2 and 4, the cell size is printed as zero. This is
because the calculation skipped these sections. If the load current for the last load period of a load section
is less than the current of the next load period, the calculation for the load section is skipped, because its
size is surely smaller than the size for the next load section. In this sample case, it can be seen from the
Battery Load Profile in the Battery Duty Cycle section above that, for load periods 2 and 4, their load
currents are smaller than their next load period. Therefore, the calculation for load sections 2 and 4 are
skipped and the report prints zero for those sections.
36.6.5 Battery Sizing Summary

This page summarizes the results of a battery sizing calculation. It shows the battery to be sized, the
requirements applied, and the final results.
The Correction Factors group prints the individual and total adjusting factors used in the calculation. If
you have indicated in the Study Case Editor not to use one or more adjusting factors, they will be printed
as 100 in this section.
The Cell Size group prints the curve used in the calculation. In this sample case, the curves for cell size 21
were used in the calculation. It also prints the cell sizes for maximum non-random and maximum random
load, as well as the uncorrected and the recommended sizes. When the curves used are the Time vs. Amp
type, the first three values are the number of positive plates, while the last is the total number of plates.
When the curves used are the Time vs. Kt type, all four values are capacity in ampere-hour.


Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis One-Line Diagram Displayed Results
36.7 One-Line Diagram Displayed Results

ETAP’s Battery Discharge module displays the results from a battery discharge calculation on the one-
line diagram. The Battery Discharge Time Slider is a tool that may be used to change the displayed results
as they change throughout the discharge cycle. The user may click or move the time slider to any desired
position, and the results corresponding to that particular time are displayed on the OLV. The range of the
time slider is set from the beginning to end of the simulation time duration. If the pointer position is
clicked and dragged, the numerical time displayed is updated throughout the motion. The numerical value
displayed has units of minutes.
If the Current Summation Method for battery discharge is used, the displayed results are the discharged
Battery AH Capacity, Terminal Current (Amps), and the Terminal Voltage. These three results vary with
the time slider. When the time is equal to zero, the capacity displayed in the one-line diagram as the
sizing result is the rated capacity. Furthermore, ETAP will also display the number of positive plates,
strings, and cells it used for the discharge calculation. The following diagram provides an example of how
the parameters are displayed in the one-line diagram. The Battery Discharge Time Slider displays the
results at time equal to 59 minutes.

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis One-Line Diagram Displayed Results
If the DCLF Method of Battery Discharge is used, branch flow results along with bus voltages may be
displayed on the one-line diagram. Branch flows displayed are Current (Amps) and Power (kW or MW).
Bus Voltage may be displayed in terms of kV or %Nominal Voltage.

Battery Sizing & Discharge Analysis Plots
36.8 Plots
ETAP’s Battery Discharge Module provides Simulation Plots for the purpose of examining calculation
results graphically. To view the Battery Discharge plots, click on the Battery Sizing Plots icon located on
the Battery Sizing toolbar. This will open a Battery Sizing Plot selection window. You can select the
Device by its ID and chose from one of several plots generated by the program. The device types
currently plotted by the program are Batteries, Battery Duty Cycles, Battery Characteristics, Branches and
Buses.
Modifying Plot Parameters

Plots generated for the battery includes:
Battery voltage, amp, and discharged AH

Battery duty cycle for non-random load, random load, and combined duty cycle
Battery characteristic curves used for the discharge calculation
If the load flow method is used to generate battery duty cycle, ETAP also generates a plot for system bus
and branch, including:
Bus voltage and load

Branch load current
Plot parameters such as the plot line type, axis, legend, and text may be modified directly from the plot
view. For example, to modify the attributes of the line, double-click on the plot line to open the Plot
Parameter Editor and click in Line Attributes and change the attributes.
To modify the plot axis, double-click on the axis (horizontal or vertical) to open the editor where you can
specify several parameters, such as values range, ticks, grids, etc. Also, clicking on the button attributes
will display an editor where you can specify the line color, type and width.

Unless it is for axis labels, the annotations of the plot are Text boxes. To modify the textbox double-click
on the Textbox to display the editor where you can specify a new text sentence, font type, color size and
style.

To modify the Label Axis (horizontal or vertical) double click on annotation axis to display the Label
Editor as shown in the figure below, where you can specify label position, format (decimal, scientific,
date, etc.), date parameters, etc.. Also clicking on the Text Parameters button will display the Text
Parameter Editor where you can specify the font, type, color, size and style.

Chapter 37
Panel Systems
Panel Systems are an integral part of ETAP used for representing power and lighting panels in electrical
systems. ETAP provides a comprehensive model for designing and scheduling AC panel systems
including 3-Phase and 1-Phase panels. 3-Phase panels can be either 3-Wire or 4-Wire panels. 1-Phase
panels can be set up as 2-Wire or 3-Wire.
A panel is a collection of branch circuits feeding system loads. ETAP supports an unlimited number of
circuits within a panel. A branch circuit in a panel is modeled with complete details, which includes
connected load information, protective device ratings, and feeder data. The ETAP panel model is
supported by comprehensive breaker, fuse, and cable libraries. Default and typical data are provided to
save you time and money when designing and scheduling panels. ETAP allows you to graphically
connect subpanels to upstream panels. There is no limit to the number of subpanels you can connect.
In ETAP, a panel branch circuit load can be modeled as an internal or external load. If the load is
connected physically to a panel on the one-line diagram, for example the motor BLR-MTR in the diagram
below, it is considered an external load. Loads that are not connected physically to the panel are referred
as Internal Loads.
The total load fed by branches connected to a panel circuit are calculated and displayed on the panel
schedule. The system connected to a panel circuit may itself represent a complete subsystem with all
ETAP elements. For example, in the diagram below, one of the Main-Panel circuits is connected to the
Panel-67 through a cable and a transformer. In this case, ETAP calculates the total load of the Panel-67
and displays it on the corresponding circuit in the Main-Panel schedule. ETAP performs the calculation to
include all downstream loads. Connections forming loops between branches emanating from panel
circuits are not allowed.

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Chapter 33

ETAP 33-1 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 33-2 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.1 Study Toolbar

Run DC Short-Circuit Analysis

DC Short-Circuit Display Options

DC Short-Circuit Report Manager

Halt Current Calculation

Get Online Data

Get Archived Data

Run DC Short-Circuit Analysis

DC Short-Circuit Report Manager

Halt Current Calculation

Get Online Data

Get Archived Data

ETAP 33-3 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.2 Study Case Editor

33.2.1 Info Page

TCC Clipping Current

ETAP 33-4 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 33-5 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.2.2 Source Model Page

Charger Contributions Based on

Battery Contributions Based on

ETAP 33-6 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Constant Current (K*1-Min-Rating*String)

Voc Behind Battery Impedance

Motor Internal Voltage

100% of Motor Rated Voltage

Percent of Motor Rated Voltage

Short-Circuit Contributions Based on

Load Status Only

Load Category Only

Use Both Above Options

ETAP 33-7 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.3 Display Options

33.3.1 Results Page

ETAP 33-8 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Bus Voltage Unit Selection

Display Faulted Bus

Fault Current Rise Time-Constant

Converter, Battery, & Load

ETAP 33-9 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 33-10 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Device Type Rating

Device Type Impedance

ETAP 33-11 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Use Default Options

ETAP 33-12 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.3.3 AC-DC Page

ETAP 33-13 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

Device Type Rating

Device Type Amp

Use Default Options

ETAP 33-14 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.3.4 Colors Page

ETAP 33-15 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

ETAP 33-16 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.4 Calculation Methods

33.4.1 Procedure for DC Short-Circuit Calculation

33.4.2 Short-Circuit Current Rise Time Constant Calculation

ETAP 33-17 ETAP 16.0 User Guide

33.4.3 Device Rating Evaluation

Constant Current (K1-Min-RatingString)