Recent project snapshots
These figures are taken from the executive summaries of sealed PowerSafe reports. Client names are confidential. These are the kinds of findings a study is for.
Distribution center · Georgia · arc flash & coordination
Generator ground-fault settings that would have dropped the whole standby system
This was a high-level coordination study of the main devices at a 62-location distribution center with a 1.25 MW standby generator. The recorded ground-fault settings on the transfer switch main, the main switchboard and the generator breaker meant that one ground fault on the main switchboard would disconnect the entire standby supply. We issued new phase and ground-fault settings. The model also showed two panels whose breakers were rated 14 kA and 18 kA against roughly 22 kA and 24.5 kA available.
62
Arc flash locations labeled
2
DANGER locations, both fed directly by the utility transformer
91.00 cal/cm²
Worst case: service line side, 2 s arc duration
Retail redevelopment · Georgia · short circuit, coordination & arc flash
One 157 cal/cm² compartment, and every 480 V panel but one under 1.2
This building had a 2,500 kVA utility service. The line side of the main breaker can only be cleared by the utility's primary fuse, which put it at 157.39 cal/cm², a de-energize-only location. At our recommended settings, every 480 V panelboard except one fell below 1.2 cal/cm². Feeder breakers serving single panels were set at minimum to cut incident energy downstream.
157.39 cal/cm²
Main breaker line side (utility-fuse cleared)
< 1.2 cal/cm²
All 480 V panels but one, at recommended settings
2.26–10.06
cal/cm² range at most 208Y/120 V panels
Water reclamation facility · Georgia · five studies, one model
Short circuit, coordination, voltage drop, motor starting and arc flash for a plant expansion
We were the design engineer's studies subconsultant on this project. We modeled the plant's 12.47 kV primary and 480 V systems from the project drawings and contractor field data, under normal operation and with each transformer out of service. No under-rated equipment was found. Static-trip settings were revised for coordination, and the new VFD pumps passed a sequential-start motor starting check.
20.24 kA
Maximum three-phase bolted fault current
0
Under-rated devices found
3
Operating scenarios modeled (normal, loss of each transformer)
Poultry processing plant · Alabama · arc flash & coordination
Refrigeration compressor switchboards, with no DANGER labels
This study covered 14 locations at a food-processing plant's compressor and refrigeration switchboards. The schedule meant we used an infinite-bus utility assumption, which is conservative because it gives the highest fault current. The worst case was 16.89 cal/cm², and no location exceeded 40 cal/cm².
16.89 cal/cm²
Highest incident energy
0
Locations above 40 cal/cm²
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