Arrange circuits, control

and
protection
for
general electrical installations
Week 2: Fault Loop Impedance
All writing in BLUE is examinable

All writing in RED

is
NOT examinable.

Slide 2 of 33
 The cable selection process
Glossary:
MD = Maximum Demand
CB = Circuit Breaker
CCC = Current Carrying
Capacity
VD = Voltage Drop
FLI = Fault Loop Impedance
PFC = Prospective Fault Current
SCTR = Short Circuit
Temperature Rise

Slide 3 of 33
1) Calculate MD Consumer mains (Table C1, C2, C3)
(AS/NZS 3000) Sub mains (Table C1, C2, C3)
Final sub circuits (Table C4, C8)

2) Select Circuit Breaker

(Standard sizes Table 8.1 AS/NZS 3000) IB ≤ IN ≤ IZ
MD ≤ CB ≤ CCC
2.5.3.1 AS/NZS 3000

3) Select cable based on Current Carrying Capacity

(Table C5 and C6 AS/NZS 3000, Section 3 AS/NZS 3008)

4) Check Voltage Drop

(3.6, Table C7 AS/NZS 3000, Section 5 AS/NZS 3008)

5) Check Fault-Loop Impedance

(5.7, Appendix B AS/NZS 3000)
Slide 4 of 33
6) Calculate Prospective Fault Current
(2.5.4 AS/NZS 3000) However no guidance is offered in
AS/NZS 3000

7) Check Short Circuit Temperature Rise

(2.5.4 and Section 5 AS/NZS 3008)

This course covers FLI, SCTR and PFC, however these are
only topics inside the much greater cable selection
process.

Slide 5 of 33
 Fault-Loop Impedance
What you need to know about Fault-Loop Impedance

1) What is it? Describe the loop

Why it is an issue

2) How to select cables so that maximum lengths are not

exceeded: Lmax
Table B1

3) How to test it: Table 8.1 (live)

(Zmax) Table 8.2 (dead)

Slide 6 of 33
 Circuit breakers
If not enough current We calculate this
flows this Solenoid using another
wont trip during a application of Ohms
short. law.

Slide 7 of 33
Thermal trip Magnetic trip

(Bi-metal Strip) (Solenoid)

(Conventional (Instantaneous
trip Trip)
Time)
(Fault-Loop
(IB ≤ IN ≤ IZ) Impedance)

Slide 8 of 33
Not all circuit breakers trip the same

Type B – 4 x overload 20A x 4 = 80A to trip instantly

Type C – 7.5 x overload 20A x 7.5 = 150A to trip instantly
Type D – 12.5 x overload 20A x 12.5 = 250A to trip instantly
(B4.5 AS/NZS 3000)

Type B – Where a fast trip time is required

or to protect a sensitive load
Type C – All common CB’s
Type D – Used for high start up current
applications such as Direct On Line (DOL)
motors

The letter is idicated on CB’s C20

= Type C 20A CB
Slide 9 of 33
Type B: 4 x

Slide 10 of 33
Type C: 7.5 x

Slide 11 of 33
Type D: 12.5 x

Slide 12 of 33
Glossary:
FLI = Fault-Loop Impedance
TX = Transformer
CM = Consumer Main
MSB = Main Switch Board
SM = Sub-Main
DB = Distribution Board
FSC = Final Sub-Circuit
Load = Load
P/E = Protective Earth
M/E = Main Earth
MEN = Main Earth Neutral
PEN = Protective Earth Neutral

Slide 13 of 33
 The Fault Loop

TX MSB DB LOAD
CM SM FSC
PEN
MEN
P/E P/E
M/E
Slide 14 of 33
 Need 150A (20A x 7.5)
z
z z z
z
z z

All the impedances C20A CB

added together makes
the Fault-Loop Impedance
Uo V
5.7.4 AS/NZS 3000 Zs ×I a ⩽U o = ZS= or (Zmax= )
gives the formula: Ia Ia
Ia – Is the current required to trip the circuit breaker. (Ia is
Amps rated on the circuit breaker times the class)
Slide 15 of 33
 z
z z z

PEN z z
TX E
M/E

Barely any current runs through the

ground as the impedance is much
higher than the PEN conductor

Slide 16 of 33
 Need 150A (20A x 7.5)
z
z z z
z
z z

Zmax C20A CB

V 230
Zmax= = =1.533 Ω
I a (7.5×20)

Now check this against Table 8.1

Slide 17 of 33
 Need 150A (20A x 7.5)
z
z z z
z
z z
What if there was 5Ω
in the fault loop?
C20A CB
Transposed = V 230 V
Ia = = =46 A
Z 5Ω
46 A
=2.3×Overload
20 A
How long will it take to trip the CB

Slide 18 of 33
Not fast enough (60
seconds) we need 7.5 x
overload to turn the
power off in 0.4
seconds max.
5.7.2 AS/NZS 3000

2.3 x Overload

Slide 19 of 33
 Need 150A (20A x 7.5)
z
z z z
z
z z
What if there was 50Ω
in the fault loop?
C20A CB

V 230 V
Ia = = =4.6 A
Z 50 Ω
4.6 A=0×Overload

How long will it take to trip the CB

Slide 20 of 33
A circuit breaker may
never trip with a 50Ω
Fault-Loop

Don’t leave the MEN out

or you will render your
circuit breakers
useless!

0 x Overload

Slide 21 of 33
 Need 150A (20A x 7.5)
z
z z z
z
z z
What if there was 0.5Ω
in the fault loop?
C20A CB
V 230 V
Ia = = =460 A
Z 0.5 Ω
460 A
=23×Overload
20 A
How long will it take to trip the CB

Slide 22 of 33
Easily faster than the
minimum disconnection
time or 0.4 seconds

23 x Overload

Slide 23 of 33
7.5 x overload is the
minimum current
required to cause
automatic
disconnection of
supply, (in 0.4 s)
therefore 1.53Ω is the
maximum fault-loop
impedance for a C20A
CB
V 230
Zmax= = =1.533 Ω
I a (7.5×20)

Slide 24 of 33
 Need 30mA!
z
z z z
z
z z

What if the CB is an RCD? C20A CB

230 V
RCD= =7667 Ω
30 m A

You can have almost 8kΩ in the fault loop and it will still
trip (if the RCD is faulty, we are back to needing 150A)
Slide 25 of 33
 Live testing
(Table 8.1)
“Live”
test
FLI Tester
1.02Ω
Plug in the FLI tester A N E
(safely).

Press the test button.

The value must be less

than those in table 8.1
(Zmax for live test)
Slide 26 of 33
 Dead testing
Disconnect MEN or
Main Neutral at DB LOAD
Dead test.
Ohm meter.

Bridge Active/s Ω
to Earth
Connect a sensitive
Ohm meter
A method accepted by
The value must be less AS/NZS 3000 that does
than those in table 8.2 not require an
(Zmax for dead test) expensive meter
Slide 27 of 33
 20% (bigger cables) 80%

LOAD
Dead test.
Ohm meter.

And the copper is cold

However this method when tested and could
does not test 20% of have a higher resistance
the circuit when operating at 75o

Slide 28 of 33
 20% (bigger cables) 80%

LOAD
Dead test.
Ohm meter.

Int/Ext Temp
Therefore we use
the following V 0.8×0.8
Zmax= ×0.8×0.8
modified formula: Ia =0.64

Slide 29 of 33
 V 230
Zmax= I ×0.64= =0.98 Ω
a (20×7.5)

Now check this against Table 8.2 (Rphe)

(Resistance Phase to Earth)

Slide 30 of 33
 Max Circuit length
(So as not to have FLI issues)
Lmax – Maximum length
B5.2.2 AS/NZS 3000 Use Table B1 for most
0.8×Uo ×S ph ×S pe cases
Lmax=
I a ×ρ×(Sph +S pe )

Uo – Nominal phase volts (230V)

Sph – Cross section area of the active conductor in mm2
Spe – Cross section area of the protective Earthing in mm2
Ia – Trip setting x Rating of Circuit Breaker (e.g. 20 x 7.5)
ρ – Resistivity at normal working temperature in Ω-mm2/m
Cu – 0.0225Ω
Al – 0.036Ω
Slide 31 of 33
What is the max length of cable protected by a C20A CB
with a 2.5mm Active and a 2.5mm Earth
0.8×Uo ×S ph ×S pe
Lmax=
I a ×ρ×(Sph +S pe )
0.8×230×2.5×2.5
Lmax=
7.5×20×0.0225 x 5
1150
=
16.875
=68.15 metres

Now check against table B1

Slide 32 of 33
Why are slabs bonded under wet areas?

No Earth? Ω?

Bonded Slab

FLI < much lower

Slide 33 of 33