Low Voltage Distribution Board and ACB -MBKHEP System: Low Voltage

Low Voltage Distribution System

DESIGN DOCUMENT SYSTEM: Low Voltage

EQUIPMENT: Low Voltage Distribution Board and ACB
MIDDLE BHOTE KOSHI CODES & PRACTICES REFERRED: IEC 157-1-1964, IEC
HYDRO ELECTRIC PROJECT
158-1-1970
ELECTRO-MECHANICAL DESIGN DISCUSSION DOCUMENT REF. NO.: Discussion Document
ELECTRICAL PART – LVDB

I) Service Voltage:

In Nepal, the standard service voltage is 400V (line to line) for three phase supply.

II) Capacity Ratings (Estimation of total power consumption):

Each bus shall be rated for the maximum of the station service transformer which is 500 kVA.

III) Fault Level:

The calculated fault level at 400 V is 14.5 kA but the standard value of 16 kA is selected.

IV) Station Service Switchgear:

Metal enclosed switchgear with 600 V drawout air circuit breakers are selected for station service
transformer switching. Two incomer breaker panels will be located at the far two ends of LVDB and
the bus coupler will be at the middle. This will ensure the protection of LVDB in case catastrophic
failure of one breaker occurs.

V) Operation and Interlock Concepts:

The operation of the station service supply will be done through two buses and two station
transformers, both supplying power to half of the auxiliary equipments. Appropriate interlocking
between the circuit breakers, bus coupler and the contactors of the DG will be made for the proper
and continuous station supply.

VI) Indication and Monitoring System:

Indication and monitoring system for Incomer Panel:

- Indicator lamps (On, Off, Trip, Service Position)

- Selector switch (Local/Remote, Auto/Manual)

Indication and monitoring system for Feeder Panel:

- Indicator lamps (On, Off, Trip, Service Position)

- Selector switch (Local/Remote, Auto/Manual)

Appropriate indication and monitoring system described above should be designed.

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VII) Protection System:

Basically, the protection system in low voltage is divided into the protection of incomers and the
protection of feeder panels.

Protection of Incomers:

- ACB for station transformer protection and bus fault

- Protection (Fast tripping relay 86, Under voltage relay 27, Over current / Earth fault relay 51/51N,
CT, PT )

Protection of feeder circuits:

- MCCB for individual feeder protection

The protection system will be designed in such a way that no part of the station service system is left
unprotected. Cascading of the fault will be avoided by fast protection action and proper interlocking
between the circuit breakers.

VIII) Main Distribution Board:

The main distribution board supplies power to sub distribution boards and to some feeders directly. It
consists of four incomers, incomer 1 and incomer 2 from station transformers, incomer 3 from DG
and incomer 4 from emergency transformer situated outside the power house. For incomer 1 and
incomer 2, ACB is switching device used. For incomer 3 from DG, Isolator, MCCB and two contactors
are used for supplying power from DG to two buses. The emergency supply is fed to one of the bus
through the isolator and MCCB. Each feeder panel is protected by appropriated rating MCCB and
necessary auxiliary devices like indicator lamps, selector switches, push buttons etc. For important
feeders like unit sub distribution board, cooling waters, battery charger etc. two feeder panels are
located, one from each bus, for the reliability and uninterruptible supply to the feeders. Two feeder
cables run from main distribution board to the sub distribution board in case of important feeders.

IX) Sub Distribution Boards:

Important consumers such as Unit Control Board, governor, excitation panel etc. have feeder control
crucible from both the LV buses. Contactor will be used for each incoming feeder and they will
interlock with one another. There will be provision for Main and Stand by selection. This ensures
operation of only one feeder at the time of supply resumption. It also helps in the load balancing of
both the station transformer. When the feeder designated as main fails, the standby feeder is operated
automatically. The supply will be detected using voltage relays.

X) Diesel Generator Supply:

During station supply interruption, DG should start automatically. When the voltage build up is
normal in the DG, the ACB at the DG end should be ON automatically. The dual contactors at the
LVDB end will be ON with an interlock check with the 3 ACBs (2 incomers and 1 Bus-coupler) and
its own voltage being normal. The protection relays of the DG feeder shall trip the ACB only and the
contactor will be OFF only when the DG supply is OFF. The Incomer ACB operation will be
interlocked with the status of the DG contactors also.

For emergency standby supply one 250 kVA diesel generator will be installed near the power house
and another one will be installed in the head works site.

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 Low Voltage Distribution Board and ACB -MBKHEP System: Low Voltage

XI) Feeder Panels and Motor Control Centers (MCC):

Most of the loads of the power plant are motor loads which may be in the form of Cooling water
pumps, governor oil pumps, ventilation motors etc. Majority of the motors used are of induction type.
Depending upon their size and their operation requirement they need different types of starters and
protection system.

Types of starters:

- Direct on line contactor starter

- Reversing contactor starter
- Star-delta contactor starter

Protection of Induction motors:

In general two basic protections are provided for every motor which are:

- Thermal overload protection

- Short-circuit protection

Switchgear used for motor control falls in two distinct classes:

- Contactor starters with HRC fuse and thermal over current relays
- Circuit-breakers and associated protective relays.

Contactors and fuses are used for motors up to150 h.p. For larger motors, circuit breakers are used. In
general contactors can be used where current to be interrupted is limited to about six times rated
current. The rated current is a little higher than the full load current of the motor. Air break type
circuit-breakers are more popular. The closing mechanisms are manually operated or solenoid
operated or spring closing type. Solenoid closing is suitable for remote controlled motors and larger
motors. Generally overload trip devices operated direct on the tripping mechanisms form an integral
part of the circuit-breakers.

Motors rated upto 1000V are usually protected by HRC Fuses. Motors rated between 660 V and 2200
V are protected by direct acting overcurrent trip devices associated with circuit-breaker. Differential
protection is applied to motors rated above 3.3 kV, 1500 hp.

XII) MBKHEP LV Distribution Board:

In case of MBKHEP, two station transformers each of 500 kVA is provided to supply auxiliary power
to the auxiliary equipments. The auxiliary power is distributed through Low-Voltage Distribution
Board (LVDB). The LVDB will be fed from two station transformers of 500 kVA each and each
transformer will have its own separate bus-bars. The bus-bars will be separated b a bus coupler
breaker. This ensures partial loading of the two transformers while any one can take up full load as a
back-up. At the same time, the two buses are separated electrically so disturbances due to motor start-
up and feeder short-circuit or bus fault does not interrupt supply in the other bus. Hence, important
consumers such as Unit Control Board, Governor, Excitation Panel, OPU and Cooling water, battery
charger and control panels are fed from both the bus-bars.

XIII) Operation:

Both the bus 1 and bus 2 will be ON normally feeding 50% of the load each. Failure of supply in any
one due to transformer or incomer or ACB failure, the respective ACB will be switched off by voltage
relays. There will be an interlock with the bus coupler, which will allow it to be ON when either of

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 Low Voltage Distribution Board and ACB -MBKHEP System: Low Voltage

the incomer ACB fails and there is supply at the other bus. In case of bus fault, the bus coupler shall
not be ON. In such a case, less important loads will be off where as important loads will switch over
to another bus through incomer selection at their respective SDB. The bus coupler will be OFF as
soon as the supply resumes and the respective incomer will be ON with a safe time delay of 4 to 6
seconds.

The interruption time (during the time Bus coupler is OFF and incomer is ON or Incomer is OFF and
Bus coupler is ON), the important feeders shall not be shut down. Supply interruption detection in
the consumers such as cooling water, governor etc. should all for the switching delay (approx. 4
second).

XIV) Tripping Matrix for Air Circuit Breakers (Refer to SLD of MBKHEP):
ACB 3 Contactors
ACB 1 ACB 2 ACB 4
S. No. (Bus K1 and K2 Remarks
(UAT 1) (UAT 2) (DG)
Coupler) (DG)
1 ON ON OFF OFF OFF Normal condition.
Fault at UAT 2 or Incomer
2 ON OFF ON OFF OFF
2
Fault at Bus 2. Important
loads connected to Bus 2
3 ON OFF OFF OFF OFF shall now switch over to
Bus 1 through supply
selection in SDB
Fault at UAT 1 or Incomer
4 OFF ON ON OFF OFF
1
Fault at Bus 1. Important
loads connected to Bus 1
5 OFF ON OFF OFF OFF shall now switch over to
Bus 2 through supply
selection in SDB
Fault at both UAT or
6 OFF OFF OFF ON ON
Supply Failure
XV) Air Circuit Breaker:

Three air circuit breakers, two for station supplies and one for diesel generator; should be provided for
switching low voltage supply.

Ratings:

1. Rated Voltage:

The rated voltage of 400V is selected for the air circuit breaker.

2. Rated normal current:

The rated secondary current of the station transformer is 722 A. Hence, the rated normal current of
800 A is chosen for the ACB.

3. Rated frequency:

The rated frequency of service is 50 Hz.

4. Rated short-circuit making current:

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Low Voltage Distribution Board and ACB -MBKHEP System: Low Voltage

The rated short-circuit fault current at station transformer secondary side is 14.5 kA. So, the rated
short-circuit breaking current of 16 kA is chosen. From table 1, the value of n=2 is chosen. Hence the
rated short circuit making capacity of the ACB is 32 kA.

5. Rated short-circuit breaking current:

As the rated symmetrical short-circuit current at low voltage side of station transformer is 14.5 kA,
the rated short-circuit breaking current of 16 kA is selected.

6. Rated short-time current:

The rated short-time current for the ACB is 16 kA and the duration of short-circuit selected is 1
second.

7. Rated operating duty:

The rated operating duty of O –0.3s – CO – 3 min – CO is selected.

8. Rated supply voltage and frequency for control circuits:

The supply voltage of 110V DC is selected for control circuits as it is reliable when supplied by the
battery banks.

9. Type of releases:

Instantaneous over-current release and under-voltage opening release is selected for the protection of
station transformer and interlocking between the ACBs

10. Nameplates:

The standard data mentioned in discussion document should be marked on the nameplate of ACB.

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