XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX TRANSMISSION AND FACILITIES STUDY Short Circuit Analysis

System Operations Department System Planning Section March 2001

I.

Introduction

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (XXXXX) has proposed the addition of a 250 MW generator near Newman 345 kV Substation or near Rio Grande 115 kV Substation in the year 2003. In the first proposed interconnection scenario, the new generator would interconnection to EPE's Newman 345 kV bus. In the second scenario, the interconnection would be on EPE's Diablo-Rio Grande 115 kV lines. In either case, the available fault currents on the EPE system will increase and consequently a fault analysis study was performed to determine if EPEs existing substation circuit breakers (in the substations electrically near the new generation) have adequate short circuit interruption duties.

II.

Short Circuit Study

One alternative is to place a 250 MW generator at a new switching station (Newbus 115 kV) near Rio Grande 115 kV Substation and connect from the new generator site to this new switching station by two short 115 kV transmission lines. Also, the two existing Rio Grande-Diablo 115 kV lines will be tapped into the new switching station. Another alternative is to place a 250 MW generator near Newman 345 kV Substation and connect from the new generator site to the Newman 345 kV bus by two short 345 kV transmission lines. Although the transmission line distances are unknown at this time, a nominal conductor length of approximately 2500 feet was used, consisting of 954 kCmil 45/7 ACSR Rail, 2-conductor bundles per phase. The positive sequence impedance of each of these lines is: Z1= 0.00002571 + J0.00023722 per unit (100 MVA base) EPE determined an estimated zero sequence impedance, based on standard construction and spacing, for these lines of: Z0 = 0.00022195 + J0.00079049 per unit (100 MVA base) The proposed generator will be connected to the 115 kV or 345 kV transmission system through a 330 MVA, 21/115 kV (or 21/345 kV) step-up transformer, with rated short circuit impedances of 15% each at a 330 MVA base. The following

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El Paso Electric Company March 2001

impedances were modeled in the short circuit analysis for the step-up transformer: Z = 0.00090 + J0.04545 per unit (100 MVA base) The new generator is defined as 270 MVA with the following reactance values on the generator MVA base: Xd = Direct Axis Synchronous Reactance = 1.95 per unit Xd = Direct Axis Transient Reactance = 0.200 per unit Xd = Direct Axis Subtransient Reactance = 0.150 per unit These reactance values were converted to a 100 MVA base and used to model the new generators in the short circuit study. Maximum fault currents were then determined at the Newman 345 kV Substation and the substations immediately connected to it for the new Newman 345 kV generation scenario. Following that, maximum fault currents were determined at the Newbus 115 kV Substation and the substations immediately connected to it for the Rio Grande 115 kV area new generation scenario. In addition, maximum fault currents were determined for the Newman 115 kV, Rio Grande 115 kV, and Rio Grande 69 kV buses for both scenarios. The resulting maximum fault currents were then compared to the circuit breaker interruption ratings of the breakers at each of the above mentioned substations.

III.

Results of the Short Circuit Analysis

The size of the circuit breakers used by EPE at the 345 kV, 115 kV, and 69 kV levels vary between the substations. The following is a list of the existing circuit breakers, along with the interruption rating, at each of the pertinent substations: Substation Newman Breaker Voltage 345 345 345 345 115 115 Breaker Voltage Breaker Number 2448B 6018B 8378B 0538B 11950 11101 Breaker Number
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Interruption Rating (Amps) 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 50,000 Interruption Rating (Amps)
El Paso Electric Company March 2001

Newman

Substation

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Newman

115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 345 345 345 345 345 345 345 345 345 345 345 345 345 Breaker Voltage 345 345

15601 N-115-1 11951 11401 N-115-7 11957 N-115-8 N-115-2 11952 11601 N-115-3 11953 15501 N-115-19 11967 N-115-20 N-115-21 11968 N-115-22 N-115-23 11969 N-115-24 2418B 2458B 4348B 3018B 5428B 7548B 2098B 1828B 3928B 0428B 4178B 4688B 01982 Breaker Number 02182 03082
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40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 43,000 43,000 43,000 40,000 40,000 50,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 50,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 Interruption Rating (Amps) 40,000 40,000
El Paso Electric Company March 2001

Arroyo

Caliente

Luna Substation Luna

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345 345 345 345 345 Rio Grande 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 115 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 115 115

09682 08582 10682 11782 15082 1516B 3316B 4456B 4616B 1766B 2296B 2426B 5146B 1126B 2186B 3856B 5376B 5009 5003 5907 5005 5006 5007 5701 5501 1254B 5601 5918 5401B 5010 5032 6066K 1586B

40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000* 23,000 23,000 40,000 40,000 23,000 23,000 40,000 40,000* 23,000 23,000 40,000 40,000* 40,000* 24,000 40,000 40,000 26,000 31,500 31,500 31,500 31,500 40,000 31,500 40,000 40,000 40,000 40,000

Rio Grande

Diablo

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Substation

Breaker Voltage 115 115 115 115 115

Breaker Number 1636B 2876B 4326B 1806B 1706B

Interruption Rating (Amps) 40,000 40,000 31,500 40,000 40,000

*Currently, these breakers are rated in the neighborhood of 20,000 amperes but are expected to be replaced with 40,000 ampere rating breakers as part of the normal breaker replacement program. The short circuit analysis was first performed with no new XXXXX generation. This gave the benchmark fault duties of the circuit breakers. Following this, the new generator was added to the modeling and the short circuit study was executed again. The incremental between these two studies gave the impact of the new generator on the existing circuit breakers in the EPE system. The short circuit (fault) currents for each case at all of the possibly impacted substations are: Three Phase Line to Ground: Substation Faulted Newman 345 kV Bus Newman 115 kV Bus Luna 345 kV Bus Arroyo 345 kV Bus Caliente 345 kV Bus Rio Grande 115 kV Bus Rio Grande 69 kV Bus With New Generation No New Generator Interconnected @ Newman Fault Current (Amps) Fault Current (Amps) 6,568.9 8,187.3 22,202.8 24,367.0 7,193.6 7,610.8 5,227.2 5,943.4 5,259.7 6,079.4 18,555.7 19,529.6 18,197.5 18,687.4

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El Paso Electric Company March 2001

Single Phase Line to Ground: Substation Faulted Newman 345 kV Bus Newman 115 kV Bus Luna 345 kV Bus Arroyo 345 kV Bus Caliente 345 kV Bus Rio Grande 115 kV Bus Rio Grande 69 kV Bus With New Generation No New Generator Interconnected @ Newman Fault Current (Amps) Fault Current (Amps) 6,884.0 8,981.7 26,617.6 29,119.4 6,110.2 6,335.4 4,735.2 5,256.0 5,381.2 6,083.4 20,163.7 21,404.6 21,525.9 21,976.8

Three Phase Line to Ground: Substation Faulted Rio Grande115 kV Bus Diablo 115 kV Bus Rio Grande 69 kV Bus Newman 115 kV Bus With New Generation No New Generator Interconnected @ Rio Grande Fault Current (Amps) Fault Current (Amps) 18,555.7 23,135.4 17,086.4 21,327.3 18,197.5 20,039.0 22,202.8 23,734.1

Single Phase Line to Ground: Substation Faulted Rio Grande115 kV Bus Diablo 115 kV Bus Rio Grande 69 kV Bus Newman 115 kV Bus With New Generation No New Generator Interconnected @ Rio Grande Fault Current (Amps) Fault Current (Amps) 20,163.7 25,633.0 17,623.1 22,051.9 21,525.9 23,501.6 26,617.6 28,057.6

Comparing these fault currents to the appropriate existing circuit breaker interruption ratings shows that the interconnection of the new generator on EPEs system will cause certain circuit breakers to operate outside their design ratings (see below).

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El Paso Electric Company March 2001

V. Results and Conclusions

A short circuit study was performed on the EPE system comparing the maximum fault current on the system at various substations. The results of this study show that with the Rio Grande 115 kV Substation area new generation scenario, six 115 kV breakers at Rio Grande Substation will need to be replaced. The maximum fault current at the Rio Grande 115 kV bus, under this scenario, will be 25,633 amperes. Consequently, the following existing breakers will need to be replaced: Substation Rio Grande Breaker Voltage 115 115 115 115 115 115 Breaker Number 3316B 4456B 2296B 2426B 2186B 3856B Interruption Rating (Amps) 23,000 23,000 23,000 23,000 23,000 23,000

For the scenario where new generation is to be located near the Newman 345 kV Substation, all circuit breakers have adequate fault current capability and no replacements will be necessary.

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El Paso Electric Company March 2001

V. Certification
This Short Circuit Study was performed pursuant to the Agreement for a Transmission and Facilities Study dated July 7, 2000, between El Paso Electric Company Transmission & Distribution Division (EPE T&D) and XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (XXXXX). This Study analyzes the EPE circuit breaker interruption ratings with the addition of new generation as per the Transmission and Facilities: Study Scope (Study Scope) dated July 20, 2000. This Study Scope was later verbally amended by XXXXX, primarily with regards to study scenarios and generator sizes. As per XXXXX, the data representation for the new XXXXX area generator was based on data previously used in other studies conducted by EPE T&D. Please note that if the actual generation parameters and technical constants of the generator(s) actually constructed by XXXXX are different than from what was utilized in this Study, the Short Circuit analysis must be re-done at XXXXX expense. This study analyzed the addition of one 270 MVA (250 MW) gas turbine/generator with output at 21 kV and depending on location, either a 21/115 kV or 345 kV, 330 MVA step-up transformer. EPE performed these short circuit studies. Name: Title: Signature: Date: Dennis H. Malone Supervisor, System Planning

Dennis H. Malone
March 27, 2001

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El Paso Electric Company March 2001