Find economical solution for the network

[HassanShalby]

I am working on a Commercial Complex project. I want to know how I can optimize the cost while selecting the equipment for my project in Ecodial?

[Genghiz]

Thanks for your query on this subject of “finding an economical solution”

Introduction      :

This can be achieved during the ‘electrical network design’ with the help of the ‘selection of protection devices’ by considering the coordination called ‘Cascading.’

This is specific property between the “Schneider Electric” protection devices. This is lab tested and tabulated.

Principle             :

Cascading between two circuit breakers is achieved by using the tripping of the upstream circuit breaker (A) to help the downstream (load side) circuit breaker (B) to break the current. This allows the selection of downstream devices with lower breaking capacities, and therefore lower cost.

In other words, the upstream circuit breaker helps downstream devices break short circuit currents that are greater than the highest short circuit currents that they can break.

This can be explained from the following example(s); 

Example 01:

In the following example The network design “without cascading” leads to the selection of “circuit breakers with high breaking capacities.”

  * Icc =   the prospective short circuit current

Example 2 : 

Whereas in the following example; 

The network design “with cascading” leads to the selection of “circuit breakers with less breaking capacities at the feeder level.”

This is how the cost of the project is saved by considering the ‘Cascading property between the circuit breakers’.

* Icu = The ultimate short circuit ‘breaking capacity’ of the ‘circuit breaker.’

* Icu reinforced = The enhanced ‘breaking capacity’ received due to the ‘cascading effect’ of the upstream circuit breaker.