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CLiP Current Limiting Commutating Current Limiters
Protectors
AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE FOR HIGH CURRENT PROTECTION
PAF Power Assisted By John S. Schaffer, G&W Electric Company
Fuses
High Current Limiters SECTIONS
Introduction to CCL (Commutating Current Limiters)
Typical Solutions
CCL Capabilities
CCL Users
Application and Performance Installation Photo
CCL Operation
Application Examples - Graphics
Operation - Graphics

INTRODUCTION
A good place to start is with a problem statement. This may best be expressed by relating
experiences that you may commonly encounter. Do you ever run into these conditions?

SECTIONS
Upgrade of a Service Entrance or Substation pushes the available fault currents beyond
your system limits. What are the options to replacing all of the underrated switchgear?
One could avoid a service entrance upgrade and improve system regulation if you could
simply Close the Tie Breakers (now open due to excessive fault current).
A Cogenerator Addition yields fault contributions beyond system limits. Replacement of all
the impacted gear or reactor regulating voltage makes the cogenerator addition far less
attractive.
The regulating voltage across a Current-Limiting Reactor prevents startup of a large new
motor, or its startup causes a voltage sag that disrupts other equipment on the system. Also,
what about the continual losses which can be tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Energy Limitation is required to prevent catastrophic tank rupture of a failed transformer or
other equipment. While current-limiting fuses are commonly applied on lower rated units,
how about the larger transformers?

What if these typical problems did not exist as a major barrier for system engineers? Solutions of
all are in the domain of G&W's CLiP® Current Limiting Protector and PAF® Power Assisted Fuse.
These will be referred to hereinafter as Commutating Current Limiters (CCL), sometimes called
Triggered Current Limiters. They fill a unique over-current protection role in the higher continuous
current range of medium voltage (1-38kV) equipment where traditional, meltable element fuses
generally do not exist. Most of this discussion will be oriented toward the CLiP.

TYPICAL SOLUTIONS
What are the more common options? What are the typical benefits and drawbacks of each? It
should be noted that there is a role for each, and that any one may be the best solution for a
particular system configuration and user need.

1. Replace or upgrade all of the circuit breakers and upgrade system bracing throughout.
This is often the most expensive solution. It meets the overall goals. If the speed of
interruption is not improved, however, it will not limit the greater fault energy level which is
related to the square of the current.
2. Open the tie between multiple sources. This may work well with double-ended substations
as applied by many plants. It is a simple and effective solution but often undesirably
affects system regulation. If the system is not well balanced, one of the transformers may
be overloaded. If a cogenerator is added on one bus, its benefits can not be transferred to
the adjacent bus without closure of the tie.
3. Apply current limiting reactors to limit the fault. This permits usage of the existing
equipment and will reduce the fault energy. It results in a continual operating energy loss
due to the resistance (not reactance) of the reactor. This is often neglected and for larger
reactor banks may be tens of thousands of dollars per year. It imposes a regulating
voltage drop on the system which often prevents startup of larger motors. It may also
impose an unwanted phase shift to the system or impede the supply of vars from a
cogenerator.
4. Apply a Commutating Current Limiter. This will limit faults within the momentary and
interrupt fault duty on the existing equipment. It will also permit the equipment to interrupt
lower level faults, within its capabilities, without operating a Limiter. If it operates, however,
the Limiter's interrupter must be replaced. This is the least well recognized option
presented. The Commutating Current Limiter will be explored in greater detail below.

CCL CAPABILITIES

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Lets explore the most common questions. Why do these devices exist? Why will traditional
meltable-element fuses not work? What capabilities for system voltage, continuous current and
maximum interrupt are available?

These products were developed in the late 1970's as part of an EPRI-funded project. They cover
a need where meltable fuses reach their practical limit. For example, at 15.5kV, the meltable
element fuses are generally available to 200A continuous (but are already in a double-barrel
design) with some manufacturers reaching up to 300A continuous (in four-barrel designs). For
these traditional fuses heat rejection becomes a major consideration. Also, the very high let-thru
current may be in excess of the crests of many systems. In other words, it may not limit current to
a usable range if it limits peaks at all for the corresponding available current.

The Comutating Current Limiters cover a continuous current range from 200A to 5000A.
Available voltages are from 2.8kV to 38kV. Higher voltages are projected for the future. Interrupt
ratings are 40kA rms, symmetrical for all ratings with most having an optional 120kA rms,
symmetrical interrupt rating. While not common, there are a surprising number of applications of
what seem to be unbelievable available fault currents of 65, 80, 95 and even 115kA rms,
symmetrical. These devices have literally interrupted 311kA rms, symmetrical at 15.7kV. The
formidable current-limiting capability at extreme fault levels adds a whole realm of possibilities to
the overcurrent protection spectrum. Energy rejection is minimal with a 15.5kV, 3000A unit
rejecting approximately 140 watts per phase.

Another factor to consider with a CLiP® type of Commutating Current Limiter is that the
continuous current is, for all practical purposes, completely independent of the current-limiting
performance of the device. These are electronically sensed and triggered units whose operating
criteria is preset and not dependent on time versus temperature, element size (or melting I2t) or
preconditions. They are catastrophic protection devices that allow circuit breakers and other lower
rated devices to clear faults within their capabilities. The Commutating Current Limiters described
in this paper are intended to operate at more severe overcurrent levels, typically beyond the limits
of the existing equipment.

CCL USERS
Users come in many forms. Utilities account for approximately 25% of the users, primarily
applying the limiters as a substation or generating station device. They have been used in the
protection scheme of nuclear plants. Government bases and research facilities account for
approximately 7%. Universities, office complexes and medical centers account for about 8%. The
mainstay of the users, say 60%, are in the industrial sector.

CCLs are presently applied on 5 continents and on oil well processing ships offshore. These
devices may be placed indoors or out, from -40 °C to +40 °C and beyond. They do not require
enclosures for use outdoors and are often suspended from steelwork or crossarms. Units are
commonly enclosed in switchgear lineups and have been adapted to busduct arrangements. They
have also been adapted to circuit breaker trucks for simple insertion/removal.

In the industrial sector the users vary widely from pulp & paper, petroleum and chemical
processors to automotive plants, steel mills and gold mines. They provide protection to the
reportedly 1st and 2nd largest steel mills in the world (in Korea and Brazil), the world's largest
paper pulp facility (in Brazil), newsprint mill (Canada) and highest volume wellhead in the
southern hemisphere (Indian Ocean). They are applied to protect cogenerators on test by their
manufacturer as well as at installations in the field. Lets look more specifically at how they are
applied to resolve those issues listed in the problem statement.

APPLICATION AND PERFORMANCE Installation Photo

The general philosophy of these Commutating Current Limiters is to act as catastrophic protection
for the system. In other words, let the overloads and lower level faults be cleared by downstream
devices operating within their capabilities. Clear the major faults with the Limiter.

Lets first look at the system limits. We will have set the limiter so that the equipment will not be
overexposed from interrupt or long term thermal standpoints. How do we determine whether or
not we will exceed the short term or momentary conditions?

If you originally have breakers rated for 20kA rms, symmetrical interrupt at 5 cycles (I will avoid k-
factors etc. in this work), the downstream breakers will typically be able to handle 2.7 times this
amount as a peak, asymmetrical value on the first 1/2 cycle. Remember that the instantaneous
peak of a 20kA rms, symmetrical wave will be Ö2 (or 1.414) times that value giving 28.28kA inst.
When fully asymmetrical or offset (due to a fault initiation on that phase of zero degrees on the
voltage wave), the crest can theoretically be double that magnitude (2 x Ö2) or 2.828 times that
number for an infinite circuit X/R. From a practical standpoint it is uncommon to find general
substation circuit X/R values greater than 30 which would yield a multiplier of 2.69 for that system.
For generator circuits, where it is not uncommon for the circuit X/R to be 75 or higher, this value
approaches 2.8. [As a side note, CCLs perform very well interrupting the very high X/R circuits
since they introduce a high resistance to the circuit during the interrupt process which is
discussed later.] This leads to the fact that the peak asymmetrical crest that the circuit breaker is
capable of is typically in excess of 2.7 times the rms symmetrical interrupt rating during the first
peak. A maximum of 2.5 times the rms symmetrical rating is typically applied as a limit (which is in
agreement with certain standards). The actual value should be verified by the circuit breaker
manufacturer.

One does not want to exceed this value as the electro-mechanical forces resultant from the

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square of the current may fracture insulating supports, bend bus, disengage contacts or cause
"popping" at the contact surfaces due to the repelling forces overcoming the contact spring force.
Since most equipment on the system will have a one second or three second rating equalling the
rms symmetrical interrupt rating of the breaker, there should be plenty of thermal capability if we
stay within its instantaneous peak capability. In other words, the thermal limits are generally not
an issue since the fault duration will only be a fraction of a cycle.

Let's consider the first problem, Upgrade of the Service Entrance or Substation in Example 1.
We will assume a dual transformer supply. We will also assume that the original transformers are
replaced by ones which yield an available fault current of 15kA for a total of 30kA rms symmetrical
versus the 20kA rms symmetrical rating of all downstream equipment.

Example 1 Circuit Diagram Example 1 Plot

The first plot depicts the interruption of one transformer under fully asymmetrical conditions. The
operating point had been selected as 14kA instantaneous amperes. We will not explore the
methodology of trigger level selection as that is a very lengthy topic, but instead, will provide
appropriate selections. The point of peak let-thru (after triggering, commutation and shunt fuse
melt of the limiter) is 17.5kA instantaneous. The available current is the full dashed outline. The
shaded area is the projected current through the Limiter. The point of peak let-thru is well before
the point of current extinction. This characteristic is described in greater detail in the operating
sequence. A symmetrical wave would have reached its point of limitation at a much earlier time
and final extinction would have occurred at 1/4 cycle. The fully asymmetrical fault will be depicted
throughout the examples as this is typically the worst case for momentary duty as well as energy
let-thru.

The removal of the one transformer source will keep the circuit breakers within their interrupting
range. One can show that the instantaneous (momentary) current capabilities of the gear will also
not be exceeded. This can be accomplished by a more traditional means of using let-thru curves
and adding to the other sources but with an accommodation for the timing of the peaks. An
improved method, by computer generation, is depicted in the second plot for the tie closure
problem.

In Example 2 we depict the Closure of a Tie within the system. We have also added a
cogenerator as this is increasingly common. Lets assume that a fault occurs at the location
shown. We have 16kA rms symmetrical available thru the limiter for a total of 25 but with the
equipment limit at 20. Available currents on both sides of the tie are shown on the plot as well as
the total to the fault.

Example 2 Circuit Diagram Example 2 Plot

The Limiter's current profile is depicted by the shaded area. If we add the instantaneous current of
this shaded area to the "residual current" from the faulted side of the tie (which does not flow
through the Limiter), we can project the total instantaneous currents to the fault with reasonable
accuracy. You will note that the peak does not occur at the time of peak fuse let-thru in this
example. Also, it is not equivalent to the peak let-thru of the Limiter added to the crest of the
"residual current" wave. In some other cases the peak let-thru condition will occur at the peak let-
thru point of the Limiter. These conditions are more difficult to project with traditional meltable
element fuses. With the aid of a computer these plots are readily generated for virtually all users
of the CLiP® Commutating Current Limiter. It permits them to visualize what is occurring without
much guesswork.

Following CCL clearing, the buses are separated and the downstream breaker can safely
interrupt the "residual fault," which is still supplied by the left source transformer. While load
shedding may be necessary as a temporary measure to sustain the left bus, critical processes or
operations will usually not be dropped. Not shown on the Example 2 circuit diagram is a
disconnect switch to the left side of the Limiter. Opening this and the tie breaker will enable
replacement of the expended Limiter without de-energizing either bus.

The Addition of a Cogenerator has been depicted in Example 2 as well. In many cases the
system engineer will decide to place the Limiter in the cogenerator supply bus instead of at the
tie. This will (for Example 2) permit the breakers and other equipment to operate within their
ratings while providing exceptional protection to the generator itself. Should a fault in a generator
winding occur, the fault energy as supplied by the utility transformers is greatly reduced. Let-thru
I2t values (approximately proportional to fault energy) are typically one-half % of that through a
five cycle breaker. A winding meltdown may be reduced to little more than a puncture. Given the
value of the cogenerator unit, it is excellent insurance. From an operating perspective, the
triggering and let-thru characteristics are similar to the tie-position application.

If we consider the reactor, this certainly has a solid place in the protection world. A few drawbacks
were previously listed. These can, however, be mitigated by Bypassing the Reactor with a
Commutating Current Limiter. The secret here is that this combination maintains the benefits of
the reactor without the operational drawbacks. It is a more costly scheme than some of the others
but can avoid the operation shutdown since the sources are only limited and not interrupted. Very
simply, the Limiter carries virtually all of the continuous current. Therefore the continual losses
and regulating voltage imposed by the reactor are avoided.

If a fault should occur in Example 3, the Limiter operates and thereby commutates the reactor into
the fault circuit. This in-turn limits the magnitudes within the ratings of the downstream equipment.
The lessened fault level is then cleared by that downstream equipment. After the fault is cleared,

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the reactor continues to conduct load current to the system such that the critical processes are
not shut down or otherwise compromised. Power is not lost to the critical loads as would happen
with the Limiter itself. The bypass switches are then opened to isolate the Limiter and change the
expended interrupter. Following replacement, the bypass switches are closed to re-bypass the
reactor.

Example 3 Circuit Diagram Example 3 Plot

The Plot 3 projection is an approximation. The Limiter will commutate the fault into the reactor
well before the system's voltage zero point due to the reactor voltage which will be far less than
system voltage. The actual time is highly dependent on reactor characteristics, distance from the
Limiter, cable/bus runs etc. A typical range is 0.5 to 1.0 millisecond. Reactor bypass accounts for
approximately 25% of the Limiter applications.

The last problem suggested at the start of this paper is Energy Limitation. This was discussed in
the cogeneration analysis above. Since the Commutating Current Limiters are so effective at
limiting energy, we enter a realm where we begin to look at the possibilities of keeping the lids on
faulted transformers. The circuit breakers may be capable of interrupting the circuit but not
necessarily in time to prevent the catastrophic tank rupture. This applies to catastrophic failure of
other equipment as well. Particularly for the transformer, the sensing of the fault is often difficult.
The first indication may not come from current sensing relays, but from instantaneous
overpressure or change of pressure relays. Protection becomes feasible from the standpoint of
remote triggering of the Limiter in response to these other inputs such that the fault is cleared at
an early stage. Discussion of how this is performed at such speed follows.

CCL OPERATION
The essence of the operating procedure will be given below. It will not go in technical depth but
rather into an overview, seeking a generalized understanding of the process.

These devices can be characterized by a primary conduction path which electrically parallels a
special current limiting fuse of very high energy absorption capability and low melting I2t. Upon
incident of a fault meeting the triggering criteria, the primary current path is opened - essentially a
high-speed switching operation. This causes commutation of the fault current into the current-
limiting fuse and its rapid interruption. The interrupt process of this fuse is typical of the traditional
current-limiting fuse with 1/4 cycle interruption of symmetrical and 1/2 cycle interruption of
asymmetrical faults.

1. The Normal Operating Condition - The primary current path is a busbar with precision-
machined notches. This forms the basis of the high-speed switching portion of the unit.
The current limiting fuse, being a higher impedance path, carries a minuscule portion of
this continuous current.
2. Triggering Logic Senses a Fault and Responds - As the fault is initiated the current begins
to rise. At the point where the fault conditions meet the operating criteria, the triggering
process begins. These units use a threshold-level sensing system, not a rate-of-rise
sensing system. The current must actually reach a preset level and be held for 80
microseconds. The intention is to refrain from triggering in response to transients and
harmonics where the rate-of-rise of the current may be quite high, but a fault does not
exist. Also, the maximum rate-of-rise of an asymmetrical fault will occur half way to its
crest. We will generally want to have operated and be in the clearing mode before that
time. With the threshold level sensing system, these units are not limited to bus and line-
up protection. These CCLs are also effectively applied in capacitor bank and harmonic
filter switch protection schemes. Upon meeting the triggering criteria the triggering logic
sends a pulse the actuator.
3. The Actuator is Initiated - This begins the interrupt process. The actuator in-turn operates
a high-speed cutting charge which literally cuts through the notched section of busbar.
This is the basis of the high-speed switching process. Note that while the drawings
indicate a single switch, there are actually a multiplicity of cuts in the bus. For example,
there are four cuts or switching points in the 15.5kV bus. The switch opening time
following the cutting process is approximately 13 microseconds. The tube surrounding the
bus remains in tact, capturing the ionized gases. No blast of these gases occurs outside of
the tube.
4. The Switch Opens, Fuse is Commutated into Circuit - The actuator opens the high-speed
switch which draws an arc and yields the corresponding arc voltage. This is multiplied by
the number of cuts. The effective commutating voltage is accordingly higher for multiple
cuts than with a single cut. This provides for a more rapid commutation of the fault current
to the shunt fuse and improved dielectric withstand. As commutation is completed, the
current-limiting fuse carries the full magnitude of fault current and is in the melting
process.
5. The Fuse Melts and Interrupts - While the fuse is in the melting process the high-speed
switch must recover dielectrically so that it will withstand the arc voltage of the current-
limiting fuse. With the low arc times at the switch and therefore a low ionization level, the
dielectric recovery of the switch is very rapid, in as little as 50 microseconds.

Upon completion of the melting process, the arcing of the fuse begins. The arc voltage
caused by the inductively driven current through the resistance of the fuse yields an
instantaneous fuse voltage greater than the system voltage. This is responsible for the
rapid reduction of fault current. Interruption is not instantaneous however. Though the
current falls quickly it will not be fully extinguished until nearly at the voltage-zero point.

Note that this is not the current-zero, the point of interruption for circuit breakers, expulsion
type fuses and other interrupters. The fuse is absorbing much energy in melting the
element and the surrounding quartz sand interrupt media. This is a high resistance that is

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now being introduced into what is typically a highly reactive fault circuit. Consider that the
current and voltage may initially be as much as 90 electrical degrees out of phase. During
the interrupt process a phase shift occurs which brings the current and voltage back in
phase with each other. This yields an ultimate clearing at the zero point for both. It occurs
at 1/4 cycle for the symmetrical fault and 1/2 cycle for the fully asymmetrical fault (with
varying asymmetries in between). The characteristics of the current-limiting fuse in this
paragraph are typical of any current-limiting fuse clearing a heavy fault.
6. The fault has been cleared - The fuse quickly cools and recovers into a non-conducting
mode. The fault has been cleared.

Conceptually, in simple terms, the device contains a high-speed switch that carries the continuous
current. Upon sensing of a fault by the electronic triggering logic, the switch is opened and the
current is forced into a current-limiting fuse that interrupts the circuit. In this way the Commutating
Current Limiter provides an effective means of protection without costly equipment replacements
or introducing unwanted performance characteristics to the system.

Biography:
John S. Schaffer, an employee of the G&W Electric company since 1982, is General Manager of
the System Protection Division and was previously employed by Allis-Chalmers Corporation. He
has BSEE, BSME and MBA degrees and is a registered PE. John is a Senior Member of IEEE
and is a member of the High Voltage Fuse Subcommittee, the Pulp & Paper Industry Committee
and the NEMA High Voltage Fuse Technical Committee and TAPPI.

Example 1: Circuit Diagram

Example 1: Plot

Example 2: Circuit Diagram

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Example 2: Plot

Example 3: Circuit Diagram

Example 3: Plot

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The Normal Operating Condition

Triggering Logic Senses a Fault and Responds

The Actuator is Initiated

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The Switch Opens, Fuse is Commuted into Circuit

The Fuse Melts and Interrupts

The Fault has been Cleared

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Installation - 38KV, 2500A Continuous

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