Section
6 System design - Protection
6.1 General
6.1.1 Installations
are to be protected against overcurrents including short-circuits,
and other electrical faults. The tripping/fault clearance times of
the protective devices are to provide complete and co-ordinated protection
to ensure:
-
availability of
essential and emergency services under fault conditions through discriminative
action of the protective devices; as far as practicable the arrangements
are also to secure the availability of other services;
-
elimination of the
fault to reduce damage to the system and hazard of fire.
6.1.2 Short-circuit
and overload protection are to be provided in each non-earthed line
of each system of supply and distribution, unless exempted under the
provisions of any paragraph in this Section.
6.1.3 The protection
of circuits is to be such that a fault in a circuit does not cause
the interruption of supplies used to provide emergency or essential
services other than those dependent on the circuit where the fault
occurred. For circuits used to provide essential services which need
not necessarily be in continuous operation to maintain propulsion
and steering but which are necessary for maintaining the vessel's
safety, arrangements that ensure that a fault in a circuit does not
cause the sustained interruption of supply to healthy circuits may
be accepted. Such arrangements are to ensure the supply to healthy
circuits is automatically re-established in sufficient time after
a fault in a circuit.
6.1.4 Protection
systems are to be developed using a systematic design procedure incorporating
verification and validation methods to ensure successful implementation
of the requirements above. Details of the procedures used are to be
submitted when requested. An approved copy of the details required
by Pt 16, Ch 2, 1.2 Documentation required for design review 1.2.5 and Pt 16, Ch 2, 1.2 Documentation required for design review 1.2.6 is to be retained on board and
made available to the Surveyor on request. Access to protection relays
setpoints is to be restricted, such that they will generally only
be adjusted by authorised personnel to avoid accidental operation.
A record is to be kept of the initial setpoints and any subsequent
changes made to them. These details are to be made available to the
Surveyor on request.
6.1.5 Short-circuit
protection is to be provided for each source of power and at each
point at which a distribution circuit branches into two or more subsidiary
circuits.
6.1.6 Where
protection for generator power circuits is provided at the associated
switchboard, the cabling between generator and switchboard is to be
of a type, and installed in a manner such as to minimise the risk
of short-circuit.
6.1.7 Protection
for battery circuits is to be provided at a position external and
adjacent to the battery compartments. Where arrangements comply with Pt 16, Ch 2, 12.3 Location 12.3.5, the protection may be installed
at a suitable location in the battery compartment
6.1.8 Protection
may be omitted from the following:
-
Engine starting
battery circuits.
-
Circuits for which
it can be shown that the risk resulting from spurious operation of
the protective device may be greater than that resulting from a fault.
6.1.9 Short-circuit
protection may be omitted from cabling or wiring to items of equipment
internally protected against short-circuit or where it can be shown
that they are unlikely to fail to a short-circuit condition or it
is impractical for operational reasons (e.g. within battery compartments),
and where the cabling or wiring is installed in a manner such as to
minimise the risk of short-circuit.
6.1.10 Overload
protection may be omitted from the following:
-
one line of circuits
of the insulated type;
-
circuits supplying
equipment incapable of being overloaded, or overloading the associated
supply cable, under normal conditions, and unlikely to fail to an
overload condition.
6.2 Protection against short-circuit
6.2.1 Protection
against short-circuit currents is to be provided by circuit-breakers
or fuses.
6.2.3 The prospective
fault current is to be calculated for the following set of conditions:
-
all generators,
motors and, where applicable, all transformers, connected as far as
permitted by any interlocking arrangements;
-
a fault of negligible
impedance close up to the load side of the protective device.
6.2.4 In the
absence of precise data, the prospective fault current may be taken
to be:
-
for alternating
current systems at the main switchboard: 10 x f.l.c. (rated full load
current) for each generator that may be connected, or, if the subtransient
direct axis reactance, X”d, of each generator is
known, for each generator and 3 x f.l.c. for motors simultaneously
in service;
The value derived from the above is an approximation to the
r.m.s. symmetrical fault current; the peak asymmetrical fault current
may be estimated to be 2,5 times this figure (corresponding to a fault
power factor of approximately 0,1).
-
battery-fed direct
current systems at the battery terminals:
-
15 times ampere hour rating of the battery
for vented lead-acid cells, or of alkaline type intended for discharge
at low rates corresponding to a battery duration exceeding three hours,
or
-
30 times ampere hour rating of the battery
for sealed lead-acid cells having a capacity of 100 ampere hours or
more, or of alkaline type intended for discharge at high rates corresponding
to a battery duration not exceeding three hours and,
-
6 x f.l.c. for motors simultaneously in
service, if applicable.
6.3 Protection against overload
6.3.1 Fuses,
circuit breakers and other protective devices provided for overload
protection are to have fusing/tripping characteristics ensuring the
protection of cabling and electrical machinery against overheating
resulting from mechanical or electrical overload.
6.3.2 Fuses
of a type intended for short-circuit protection only (e.g. high-voltage
fuses or fuses complying with IEC 60269-1: Low-voltage fuses –
Part 1: General requirements, of type ‘a’) are not to
be used for overload protection.
6.4 Protection against earth faults
6.4.1 Every
distribution system that has an intentional connection to earth, by
way of an impedance, is to be provided with a means to continuously
monitor and indicate the current flowing in the earth connection.
6.4.2 If the
current in the earth connection exceeds 5 A there is to be an alarm
and the fault current is to be automatically interrupted or limited
to a safe value.
6.4.3 The rated
short circuit capacity of any device used for interrupting earth fault
currents is to be not less than the prospective earth fault current
at its point of installation.
6.4.4 Insulated
neutral systems with harmonic distortion of the voltage waveform,
which may result in earth fault currents exceeding the level given
in Pt 16, Ch 2, 6.4 Protection against earth faults 6.4.2 because of capacitive
effects, are to be provided with arrangements to isolate the faulty
circuit(s).
6.5 Circuit-breakers
6.5.1 Circuit-breakers
for alternating current systems are to satisfy the following conditions:
-
the r.m.s. symmetrical
breaking current for which the device is rated is to be not less than
the r.m.s. value of the a.c. component of the prospective fault current,
at the instant of contact separation (i.e. first half cycle, or time
of interruption where an intentional time delay is provided to ensure
suitability);
-
the peak asymmetrical
making current for which the device is rated is not to be less than
the peak value of the prospective fault current at the first half
cycle, allowing for maximum asymmetry;
-
the power factor
at which the device short circuit ratings are assigned is to be no
greater than that of the prospective fault current; alternatively
for high voltage, the rated percentage d.c. component of the short-circuit
breaking current of the device is to be not less than that of the
prospective fault current.
6.5.2 Circuit-breakers
for d.c. systems are to have a breaking current not less than the
initial prospective fault current. The time constant of the fault
current is not to be greater than that for which the circuit-breaker
was tested.
6.5.4 Circuit-
breaker selection is, and ratings are, to be in accordance with the
relevant requirements of IEC 60092- 202: Electrical installations
in ships – Part 202: System design – Protection.
Alternative methods acceptable to LR of selecting suitable circuit-breakers
may be considered.
6.6 Fuses
6.6.1 Fuses
for a.c. systems are to have a breaking current rating not less than
the initial r.m.s. value of the a.c. component of the prospective
fault current.
6.6.2 Fuses
for d.c. systems are to have a d.c. breaking current rating not less
than the initial value of the prospective fault current.
6.7 Circuit-breakers requiring back-up by fuse or other device
6.7.1 The use
of a circuit-breaker having a short-circuit current capacity less
than the prospective short-circuit current at the point of installation
is permitted, provided that it is preceded by a device having at least
the necessary short-circuit capacity. The generator circuit breakers
are not to be used for this purpose.
6.7.2 The same
device may back-up more than one circuit-breaker provided that no
essential or emergency service is supplied from there, or that any
such service is duplicated by arrangements unaffected by tripping
of the device.
6.7.3 The combination
of back-up device and circuit-breaker is to have a short circuit performance
at least equal to that of a single circuit-breaker satisfying the
requirements of Pt 16, Ch 2, 6.5 Circuit-breakers.
6.7.4 Evidence
of testing of the combination is to be submitted for consideration;
alternatively, consideration may be given to arrangements where it
can be shown that:
-
the takeover current,
above which the back-up device would clear a fault, is not greater
than the rated short-circuit breaking capacity of the circuit-breaker
and;
-
the characteristics
of the back-up device, and the prospective fault level, are such that
the peak fault current rating of the circuit-breaker cannot be exceeded
and;
-
the Joule integral
of the let-through current of the back-up device does not exceed that
corresponding to the rated breaking current and opening time of the
circuit-breaker.
6.8 Protection of generators
6.8.2 Generators
not arranged to run in parallel are to be provided with a circuit-breaker
arranged to open simultaneously, in the event of short-circuit, overload
or under-voltage, all insulated poles. In the case of generators rated
at less than 50 kW, a multiple linked switch with a fuse, complying
with Pt 16, Ch 2, 5.3 Isolation and switching 5.3.2, in each insulated
pole will be acceptable.
6.8.3 Generators
arranged to operate in parallel are to be provided with a circuit-breaker
arranged to open all insulated poles simultaneously in the event of
a short-circuit, an overload or an under-voltage. This circuit-breaker
is to be provided with reverse power protection with time delay, selected
or set within the limits of two per cent to 15 per cent of full load
to a value fixed in accordance with the characteristics of the prime
mover. A fall of 50 per cent in the applied voltage is not to render
the reverse power mechanism inoperative, although it may alter the
amount of reverse power required to open the breakers.
6.8.4 The generator
circuit-breaker short-circuit and overload tripping arrangements,
or fuse characteristics, are to be such that the machine's thermal
withstand capability is not exceeded.
6.8.5 All high-voltage
generators and low-voltage generators having a capacity of 1500 kVA
or above are to be equipped with a protective device which, in the
event of a short-circuit in the generator or in the cables between
the generator and its circuit-breaker, will instantaneously open the
circuit-breaker and de-excite the generator.
6.8.6 The voltage and time delay settings of the under-voltage release
mechanism(s) required by:
are to be chosen to maintain the discriminative action detailed in Pt 16, Ch 2, 6.1 General 6.1.1
6.9 Load management
6.9.1 Arrangements
are to be made to disconnect automatically, after an appropriate time
delay, circuits of the categories noted below, when the generator(s)
is/are overloaded; sufficient to ensure the connected generating set(s)
is/are not overloaded:
-
non-essential circuits;
-
circuits feeding
services for habitability, see
Pt 16, Ch 2, 1.6 Definitions 1.6.2;
-
in cargo craft,
circuits for cargo refrigeration.
Note For emergency generators see
Pt 16, Ch 2, 3.2 Emergency source of electrical power in passenger craft and for yachts that are 500 gt or more 3.2.12, with Pt 16, Ch 2, 3.3 Emergency source of electrical power in craft required to comply with the HSC Code 3.3.1 or Pt 16, Ch 2, 3.4 Emergency source of electrical power in cargo craft, patrol and pilot craft, workboats and other similar
craft of 500 tons gross tonnage and above; and cargo craft, patrol and pilot craft, workboats and other similar craft less
than 500 tons gross tonnage 3.4.1 where applicable.
6.9.2 If required,
this load switching may be carried out in one or more stages, in which
case the non-essential circuits are to be included in the first group
to be disconnected.
6.9.3 An alarm
is to be provided to indicate when such switching has taken place.
6.9.4 Consideration
is to be given to providing means to inhibit automatically the starting
of large motors, or the connection of other large loads, until sufficient
generating capacity is available to supply them.
6.9.5 When the
electric generating plant is fitted with automatic or remote controls
so that under normal operating conditions it does not require any
manual intervention by the operators, it is to be provided with audible
and visual alarms for:
-
Busbar voltage;
high or low.
-
Busbar frequency;
low.
-
Operating of load shedding.
-
Generator cooling
air temperature high; closed air circuit machines only.
6.10 Feeder circuits
6.11 Motor circuits
6.11.1 Motors
of rating exceeding 0,5 kW and all motors for essential services are
to be protected individually against overload and short circuit. For
motors which for essential services are duplicated, the overload protection
may be replaced by an overload alarm; arrangements for steering unit
motors are to comply with Pt 16, Ch 2, 15.1 Steering systems.
6.11.2 Protection
for both the motor and its supply cable may be provided by the same
device, provided that due account is taken of any differences between
ratings of cable and motor.
6.11.3 Where
operation of an item of equipment is dependent upon a number of motors,
consideration may be given to the provision of a common means of short-circuit
protection.
6.11.4 For
motors for intermittent service, the characteristics of the arrangements
for overload protection are to be chosen in relation to the load factor(s)
of the motor(s).
6.11.5 Where
fuses are used to protect polyphase motor circuits, means are to be
provided to protect the motor from unacceptable overcurrent in the
case of single phasing.
6.12 Protection of transformers
6.12.1 Short
circuit protection for transformers is to be provided by circuit breakers
or fuses in the primary circuit and in addition, overload protection
is to be provided either in the primary or secondary circuit.
6.12.2 Arrangements
are to be made to prevent the primary windings of transformers being
inadvertently energised from their secondary side when disconnected
from their source of supply.
6.13 Harmonic filters
6.13.1 Harmonic filters’ final sub-circuits are to be protected individually and
individually on each phase against overload and short-circuit. The activation of the
protection arrangement in a single phase shall result in automatic disconnection of
the complete filter.
6.13.3 An alarm is to be initiated in the event of protective device operation or current
unbalance that could lead to failure of a harmonic filter.
6.13.4 Current imbalance circuits are to be ‘fail safe’. The characteristics of the ‘fail
safe’ operation are to be evaluated on the basis, not only of the system and its
associated machinery, but also the complete installation, as well as the ship.
6.13.5 The reconnection of harmonic filters is to require manual intervention.
6.13.6 Individual harmonic filter capacitors are to be provided with a pressure relief valve
or overpressure disconnector to protect against damage from rupture where pressure
build-up within hermetically sealed capacitors may occur.
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