LV Motor ground faults and time delays
LV Motor ground faults and time delays
(OP)
Hello!
I'm trying to coordinate ground fault protections for several low voltage motors (2, 5 and 11 kW) that are protected by a C441 Motor Insight (Eaton). About the pickup current, I'm considering 3% of Full Load Current of the motor but for the instantaneous region I'm having trouble as the delay settings vary from 1-60 seconds and the upstream protection has an earth fault time delay of 300 ms (Incoming of the Motor Control Center - NGH800 Eaton), which is the maximum setting.
What I'm doing wrong? I'm considering both protections directly from ETAP's library and re-checked those delay ranges from both of their catalogues.
I'm trying to coordinate ground fault protections for several low voltage motors (2, 5 and 11 kW) that are protected by a C441 Motor Insight (Eaton). About the pickup current, I'm considering 3% of Full Load Current of the motor but for the instantaneous region I'm having trouble as the delay settings vary from 1-60 seconds and the upstream protection has an earth fault time delay of 300 ms (Incoming of the Motor Control Center - NGH800 Eaton), which is the maximum setting.
What I'm doing wrong? I'm considering both protections directly from ETAP's library and re-checked those delay ranges from both of their catalogues.
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
My opinion is that trying to detect a low current ground fault on a solidly grounded system is pointless because any insulation failure results in a phase to ground short.
I expect that specific C441 protection feature is for resistance grounded systems.
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
Thanks!
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
The ground fault protection in this relay is only for low current faults that may not require to be coordinated with the switchboard incomer protection. This also explains why Alarm-No-Trip option is provided with this function.
The time delay is a necessity as the ground fault protection is using phase CTs and may maloperate during motor starting.
I haven't used this relay but this is my understanding from what I find in the manual.
R Raghunath
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
Because low intensity ground faults simply don't happen on solidly grounded systems. An insulation failure immediately results in a phase to ground short.
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
In this case beware of setting a ground element on a solidly grounded system. The starter is likely not rated to interrupt full short circuit ground fault current, and if you set a fast ground element you’ll overduty the starter and it will fail under ground fault conditions. I wonder if Eaton doesn’t give you the option of an instantaneous ground to prevent this from happening.
I ran into this doing arc flash mitigation on 4160 MCCs. I almost overdutied those starters doing arc flash mitigation by speeding up the GE relays.
RE: LV Motor ground faults and time delays
Just to double check, you're saying the transformer low side winding is grounded wye?