1 Bus bar for panel-size calculation

Calculate Size of Bus bar having Following Details

 Bus bar Current Details:

 Rated Voltage = 415V,50Hz ,

 Desire Maximum Current Rating of Bus bar =630Amp.

 Fault Current (Isc)= 50KA ,Fault Duration (t) =1sec.

 Bus bar Temperature details:

 Operating Temperature of Bus bar (θ)=85°C.

 Final Temperature of Bus bar during Fault(θ1)=185°C.

 Temperature rise of Bus Bar Bar during Fault (θt=θ1-θ)=100°C.

 Ambient Temperature (θn) =50°C.

 Maximum Bus Bar Temperature Rise=55°C.

 Enclosure Details:

 Installation of Panel= Indoors (well Ventilated)

 Altitude of Panel Installation on Site= 2000 Meter

 Panel Length= 1200 mm ,Panel width= 600 mm, Panel Height= 2400 mm

 Bus bar Details:

 Bus bar Material= Copper

 Bus bar Strip Arrangements= Vertical

 Current Density of Bus Bar Material=1.6

 Temperature Co efficient of Material Resistance at 20°c(α20)= 0.00403

 Material Constant(K)= 1.166

 Bus bar Material Permissible Strength=1200 kg/cm2

 Bus bar Insulating Material= Bare

 Bus bar Position= Edge-mounted bars

 Bus bar Installation Media= Non-ventilated ducting

 Bus bar Artificial Ventilation Scheme= without artificial ventilation

 Bus bar Size Details:

 Bus bar Width(e)= 75 mm

 Bus bar Thickness(s)= 10 mm

 Number of Bus Bar per Phase(n)= 2 No

 Bus bar Length per Phase(a)= 500 mm

 Distance between Two Bus Strip per Phase(e)= 75 mm

 Bus bar Phase Spacing (p)= 400 mm

 Total No of Circuit= 3 No.

 Bus bar Support Insulator Detail:

 Distance between insulators on Same Phase(l)= 500 mm

 Insulator Height (H)= 100 mm

 Distance from the head of the insulator to the bus bar center of gravity (h)= 5 mm

 Permissible Strength of Insulator (F’)=1000 Kg/cm2

1.1 Solution –
1.1.1 De rating Factors for Bus bar:
Total De rating Factor= K1XK2XK3Xk4Xk5Xk6Xk7Xk8

1) Per Phase Bus Strip De rating Factor (K1):

2) Bus bar Insulating Material De rating Factor (K2)
3) Bus bar Position De rating Factor (K3)
4) Bus bar Installation Media De rating Factor (K4)
(5) Bus bar Artificial Ventilation De rating Factor (K5)
6) Enclosure & Ventilation De rating Factor (K6)
(7) Proxy Effect De rating Factor (K7)
8) Altitude of Bus Bar installation De rating Factor (K8)

1) Per Phase Bus Strip De rating Factor (K1):

 Bus bar Width(e) is 75mm and Bus bar Length per Phase(a) is 500mm so e/a is 75/500=0.15

 No of Bus bar per phase is 2 No’s.

 From following table value of de rating factor is 1.83

Number of Bus Bar Strip per Phase (K1)

No of Bus Bar per Phase
e/a
1 2 3
0.05 1 1.63 2.4
0.06 1 1.73 2.45
0.08 1 1.76 2.5
0.1 1 1.8 2.55
0.12 1 1.83 2.6
0.14 1 1.85 2.63
0.16 1 1.87 2.65
0.18 1 1.89 2.68
 0.2 1 1.91 2.7

(2) Bus bar Insulating Material De rating Factor (K2)

 Bus bar having No insulating material. It is Bare so following Table

 De rating Factor is 1.

Bus Bar Insulating Material (K2): De rating Factor

Bare 1

PVC Sleeving 1.2

Painted 1.5

 3) Bus bar Position De rating Factor (K3)

 Bus bar Position is Edge-mounted bars so following Table

 De rating Factor is 1

Bus Bar Position(K3): De rating Factor

Edge-mounted bars 1

1 bar base-mounted 0.95

several base-mounted bars 0.75

 4) Bus bar Installation Media De rating Factor (K4)

 Bus bar Installation Media is Non-ventilated ducting so following Table

 De rating Factor is 0.8

Bus Bar Installation Media(K4): De rating Factor

Calm indoor atmosphere 1

Calm outdoor atmosphere 1.2

Non-ventilated ducting 0.8

 (5) Bus bar Artificial Ventilation De rating Factor (K5)

 Bus bar Installation Media is Non-ventilated ducting so following Table

 De rating Factor is 0.9

Bus Bar Artificial Ventilation Scheme (K5): De rating Factor

without artificial ventilation 0.9

with artificial ventilation 1

 6) Enclosure & Ventilation De rating Factor (K6)
 Bus bar Area per Phase = Bus width X Bus Thickness X Length of Bus X No of Bus bar per Phase

 Bus bar Area per Phase = 75x10xX500X2= 750000mm

 Total Bus bar Area for Enclosure= No of Circuit X( No of Phase + Neutral )X Bus bar Area per Phase

 Here we used Size of Neutral Bus is equal to Size of Phase Bus

 Total Bus bar Area for Enclosure=3X(3+1)X750000mm

 Total Bus bar Area for Enclosure=9000000 Sq.mm

 Total Enclosure Area= width X Height X Length

 Total Enclosure Area=1200x600x2400=1728000000 Sq.mm

 Total Bus bar Area for Enclosure / Total Enclosure Area =9000000/1728000000

 Total Bus bar Area for Enclosure / Total Enclosure Area=0.53%

 Bus bar Artificial Ventilation Scheme is without artificial ventilation so following Table

 De rating Factor is 0.95

Volume of Enclosure & Ventilation De rating Factor (K6)

cross Section area of

Indoors ( Panel is Indoors ( Panel is
Bus bar/Total Bus Bar Outdoor
well Ventilated) Poorly Ventilated)
Area

0% 0.95 0.85 0.65

1% 0.95 0.85 0.65

5% 0.9 0.7 0.6

10% 0.85 0.65 0.5

 (7) Proxy Effect De rating Factor (K7)

 Bus bar Phase Spacing (p) is 400mm.

 Bus bar Width (e) is 75mm and Space between each bus of Phase is 75mm so

 Total Bus length of Phase with spacing =75+75+75+75+75=225mm

 Bus bar Phase Spacing (p) / Total Bus length of Phase with spacing = 400 / 225 =2

 From following Table De rating factor is 0.82

Proxy Effect (K7): De rating Factor

1 0.82

2 0.82

3 0.82
 4 0.89

5 0.95

6 0.99

7 1

 (8) Altitude of Bus Bar installation De rating Factor (K8)

 Altitude of Panel Installation on Site is 2000 meter so following Table

 De rating Factor is 0.88

Altitude of installation site (Meter) (K8) De rating Factor

2200 0.88

2400 0.87

2500 0.86

2700 0.85

2900 0.84

3000 0.83

3300 0.82

3500 0.81

4000 0.78

4500 0.76

5000 0.74

1.1.2 2) Bus bar Size Calculation:

 Desire Current Rating of Bus bar (I2) =630 Amp

 Current Rating of Bus bar after De rating Factor (I1)= I2 X De rating Factor or I2 / De rating Factor

 Current Rating of Bus bar after De rating Factor (I1)=630×0.9

 Current Rating of Bus bar after De rating Factor (I1)=697Amp

 Bus bar Cross Section Area as per Current= Current Rating of Bus bar / Current Density of Material

 Bus bar Cross Section Area as per Current= 697 / 1.6

 Bus bar Cross Section Area as per Current= 436 Sq.mm

 Bus bar Cross Section Area as per Short Circuit= Isc X√ ((K/( θtx100)x(1+ α20xθ) xt

 Bus bar Cross Section Area as per Short Circuit= = Isc X√ ((K/( θtx100)x(1+ α20xθ) xt


Temperature rise of Bus Bar Bar during Fault------- θt

Temperature Co efficient of Material Resistance at 20°c(α20)= 0.00403
Material Constant(K)= 1.166
Operating temperature ----θ-----85
t---fault duration

 Bus bar Cross Section Area as per Short Circuit= 50000X√ ((1.166/( 100×100)x(1+ 0.00403×85) x1

Bus bar Cross Section Area as per Short Circuit=626 Sq.mm

 Select Higher Size for Bus bar Cross section area between 436 Sq.mm and 626 Sq.mm

 Final Calculated Bus Bar Cross Section Area =626 Sq.mm

 Actual Selected Bus bar size is 75×10=750 Sq.mm

 We have select 2 No’s of Bus bar per Phase hence.

 Actual Bus bar cross section Area per Phase =750×2= 1500 Sq.mm

 Actual Cross Section Area of Bus bar =1500 Sq.mm

 Actual Bus bar Size is Less than calculated Bus bar size.

1.1.3 Forces generated on Bus Bar due to Short Circuit Current

 Peak electro-magnetic forces between phase conductors (F1) = 2X(l/d)X(2.5xIsc)2/100000000

 Peak electro-magnetic forces between phase conductors (F1) =

2X(l/d)X(2.5xIsc)2/100000000

I----------- Distance between insulators on Same Phase(l)= 500 mm=(50 cm)

d----------- Bus bar Phase to Phase Distance(cm)

 Actual Forces at the head of the Supports or Bus Bar (F)=F1X(H+h/H)

Insulator Height (H)= 100 mm

Distance from the head of the insulator to the bus bar center of gravity (h)= 5 mm

 Total width of Bus bar per Phase(w)=75+75+75=225mm =2.25cm

 Bus bar Phase to Phase Distance (d)=400+225=625mm=6.25cm

 Peak electro-magnetic forces between phase conductors (F1) =2x(50/63)x(2.5×50000)2/100000000

 Peak electro-magnetic forces between phase conductors (F1)=250 Kg /cm2

 Peak electro-magnetic forces between phase conductors (F1)=2.5 Kg /mm2

 Actual Forces at the head of the Supports or Bus Bar (F)=F1X(H+h/H)

 Actual Forces at the head of the Supports or Bus Bar (F)=2.5x(100+5/100)

 Actual Forces at the head of the Supports or Bus Bar (F)= 3 Kg /mm2

 Permissible Strength of Insulator (F’) is 10 Kg/mm2

 Actual Forces at the head of the Supports or Bus Bar is less than Permissible Strength

 Forces on Insulation is in within Limits

1.2 Point to remember in bus bar

calculation
According to the Formula as per IEC 62271 - I

 Adequate minimum required clearance between Phases and Phase to Earth.

 Selection of Adequate Busbar Insulator Standoffs.
 Bolting Arrangements for Continuous Busbar Connections.
 Thermal Effects on Busbar and Insulator Standoffs under normal and Fault
conditions.
 Electrodynamic Forces applied to Busbars and Insulator Standoffs under Fault
Conditions.
 Avoidance of mechanical resonance under normal operating and Fault
Conditions.

 The more popular thumb rule being followed in India is to assume current density of 1.0 Amps / Sq.mm for
Aluminium and 1.6 Amps for Copper for any standard rectangular conductor profile.