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HOME > CONTENT > SWITCHGEAR BATTERY SIZING BY HAND

SwitchgearBatterySizingbyHand
Arefresheronhowtosizebatteriessanssoftware
AaronJ.Hall,P.E.,CH2MHILL,Inc.|ElectricalConstructionandMaintenance
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Apr1,2006
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Sizing battery banks for switchgear and control applications is commonly performed using software
designed specifically for that purpose. Just input the required load profile, and the program selects the
optimum battery configuration. Although this is quite simple, an engineer should be capable of performing
a straightforward hand calculation either to confirm the results of a software-generated solution

Sizingbatterybanksforswitchgearandcontrol
applicationsiscommonlyperformedusingsoftware
designedspecificallyforthatpurpose.Justinputthe
requiredloadprofile,andtheprogramselectstheoptimum
batteryconfiguration.Althoughthisisquitesimple,an
engineershouldbecapableofperforminga
straightforwardhandcalculationeithertoconfirmthe
resultsofasoftwaregeneratedsolutionortoserveasan
accuratedesignforasimplebatterysystem.
Doyouknowhowtoperformthesecalculationsbyhand?Ifnot,thenreadon.Thisarticle
willhelpyouunderstandthebasicpremiseofsizingswitchgearbatterysystemsand
provideanexamplecalculationforclarificationoftheconcept.IEEEStandard4851997,
RecommendedPracticeforSizingLeadAcidBatteriesforStationaryApplications,also
providesdetailedguidelinesforbatterysizing.

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1,000VDCSystems

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lastreplybyAnthonyBasdeninSolar&

Numberofcells

Batterybanksforswitchgearandcontrolapplicationsaremadeupofmanycells.These
cellsaretypicallywiredinseriestoachieveadesiredvoltageandmayalsobewiredin
paralleltoachieveadditionalamperecapacity.Sizingofthesebatterybanks,therefore,
includesselectingthenumberandtypeofcellstobeused.
Theterminalvoltagepercellvarieswiththebattery'schemicalcomposition.Therequired
numberofserieswiredcellstoachievethemorecommonDCcontrolvoltagesfor
switchgearcontrolisshowninTable1.Selectionofthetypeofcellisbasedonthe
requiredpeakampereoutputandtotalAmperehour(Ah)outputcapacityfortheload
andduration.
http://ecmweb.com/content/switchgearbatterysizinghand

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synchronizeparallelgenerator

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1437580451345.374 SizingBatteryBanksforSwitchgearandControlApplicationsbyHand|contentcontentfromElectricalConstruction&Maintenance(EC&

Loadtype

IEEEStandard4851997classifiesindividualDCloadsascontinuous,noncontinuous,
andmomentary.Typicalcontinuousloadsincludelighting,continuouslyenergizedcoils,
andpowertoprotectiverelayandcommunicationssystems.Noncontinuousloadsare
lesscommonandincludecriticalventilationsystemmotorsandvalveactuatorswith
operatingtimesexceeding1minute.Momentaryloadsdonotexceed1minuteinduration
andincludeinrushcurrentsandcircuitbreakeroperations.

involvedincalculating
TCOandtheelements
thataffectit....
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Thedutycycleimposedonswitchgearbatteriesusuallyconsistsofmomentaryhigh
ampereloadingduringchargingoftherespectivetrippingorclosingsprings,inaddition
tothesmallcontinuousloadofpoweringprotectiverelaysandlights.

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WhilebothmotorsforchargingthetrippingorclosingspringscanbeDC,themore
commonswitchgeardesignusesanACclosingmotorandaDCtrippingmotor.Sucha
designreducesthetotalDCloadbecausetrippingisoftheutmostimportance
particularlywhenafaultoccurs.However,thisonlyallowsonefulloperationalcycle
followingapowerfailurebecausethereisnoACtochargetheclosingspring.

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Sincethemomentaryloadonaswitchgearbatterybankismuchhigherthanthe
continuousload,therequired1minute(peak)ampereratetypicallydeterminesthe
batterycelltype.HowevertheAmperehourrateshouldalsobechecked.Thebatterycell
typethatmeetstheworstcaseconditionbetweenthetwoshouldbeselected.
Theseratesaretabulatedinthemanufacturer'sstandardliteratureatseveralfinal
voltages.Usetheratespublishedatafinalvoltageof1.75voltspercellforleadacidcells
or1.14voltspercellfornickelcadmiumcells.Asanexample,thedatainTable2on
page43isexcerptedfromamanufacturer'sWebsite.(Themodeldesignationsare
fictitious.)

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Tocalculatetherequired1minuteampererate,assumethepeakratetobeequaltothe
sumoftheloads(i.e.inrushcurrentforallbreakerchargingmotors,loadcurrentsforall
relaysandotherloads,andignorepilotlights).

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Althoughmomentaryloadsusuallyexistformuchlessthanaminuteperhapsonlya
fractionofaseconditiscommonpracticetousethefullamperevalueforanentire
minute.Assignarequired1minuterateequaltothispeakratedividedbytheambient
temperaturederatingfactor,thebatteryagingfactor,andadesignmarginaslistedin
Table3onpage43.
TocalculatetherequiredAmperehourrate,computetheaveragecontinuousloadand
dividebytheambienttemperaturederatingfactorandbatteryagingfactor,aslistedin
Table3.Usethemanufacturer'sdatatoselectthebatterycelltypethatmeetsboththe
ampereandAmperehourrequirements.
Samplecalculation

Touseahypotheticalrealworldexample,calculatethebatterysizeforthe69kV
substationloadslistedinTable4.Thebatterytypeshallbeleadacid,operatethegiven
loadsfor8hoursat125VDC,andbehousedinaclimatecontrolledbuilding.
Step1:Calculatetherequired1minutedischargerate.
AscanbeseeninTable4,thepeakdischargerateis96.2A.Dividethisnumberbyan
ambienttemperaturefactorofonefora77Froom,bya0.8batteryagingfactor,andby
0.85forthedesignmargin.

EC&MLearningCenter
Understandingthe2014NEC,
Volume1(Articles90to480)
Thisresourcehasprovenitselfinthe

Required1minutedischargerate=96.2A0.80.85=141.5A
Step2:CalculatetherequiredAmperehour(Ah)rate.

fieldandintheexamroom.Thislatest
editionwillprovideyouwitharocksolid
foundation...

AscanbeseeninTable5,thetotalAmperehourrateis27.1Ah.Dividebyanambient
temperaturefactorofonefora77Froom,andbya0.8batteryagingfactor.

UnderstandingNECRequirements
forGroundingvsBonding

RequiredtotalAhrate=27.1Ah0.8=33.9Ah

tradecontinuestobegroundingand

Oneofthemostconfusingareasofthe
bonding,whichiswhythisbookneedsto

Step3:Selecttheappropriatecellfromthemanufacturer'sliterature.

beinthehands...

ReferringbacktoTable2,aModelAbatteryhasa1minutedischargerateof177Aand
an8hourAhrateof180Ah,downto1.75V.Thistypeofbatteryis,therefore,morethan

ChangestoTheNEC2014

http://ecmweb.com/content/switchgearbatterysizinghand

Don'tletthescaleofthecodechangesintimidateyou,
thisbookwillgetyouuptospeedonthemostessential...

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1437580451845.942 SizingBatteryBanksforSwitchgearandControlApplicationsbyHand|contentcontentfromElectricalConstruction&Maintenance(EC&

sufficientforthisparticularload.The125VDC,180Ahbatterybankwouldbecomposed
of60ModelAcells.
Backtobasics

Sowhetheryou'reoneofthosepeoplethatrefusestotrustacomputerfartherthanyou
canthrowitoryousimplyfeelmorecomfortabledoublecheckingcalculationsbyhand
possessingtheknowledgetosizebatterybanksforswitchgeartheoldfashionedwayis
agoodskillforanyengineertomaster.Notonlywillyouimpressyourpeers,butyou'll
alsofeelmoreconfidentaboutrecommendingarocksolidswitchgearsolution.

Signuptoreceiveourfreenewsletters

HallisanelectricalengineerbasedintheLasVegasofficeofCH2MHILL,Inc.
Table1.Stringtogether37individualNiCadbatteriesinseriestoachieveacontrolvoltageof
48V.
BatteryType
ControlVoltage

eTrain(BiWeekly)ViewSample
ProductNewsWire(Monthly)View
Sample
ElectricalZone(Weekly)ViewSample

NiCad

Leadacid

48VDC

37cells

24cells

125VDC

92cells

60cells

250VDC

184cells

120cells

MROInsider(BiWeekly)ViewSample
PQNewsBeat(BiWeekly)View
Sample
IlluminationInsider(BiWeekly)View
Sample

Table2.Amperehourandampereratesforfourdifferentbatterymodelsofferedbyone
manufacturer.
NominalRatesat77F(25C)
Final
AmpereHours(Ah)
Models
Volts
8hr

1.75V

BROWSEALLTITLES

4hr

GBiz(Varies)ViewSample
ElectricalTesting(Monthly)View
Sample

Amperes(A)
3hr

CodeWatch(BiWeekly)ViewSample

30
min

1.5hr 1hr

15
min

EMAIL*

1min

180

142

132

65

81

109

134

177

250

210

195

98

126

172

219

303

330

280

260

130

168

230

292

404

410

350

326

163

204

285

362

500

COUNTRY*

UnitedStates

Enteryouremailabovetoreceivemessagesabout
offeringsbyPenton,itsbrands,affiliatesand/orthird
partypartners,consistentwithPentonsPrivacyPolicy.

Table3.DesignfactorstobeusedwhencalculatingAmperehourratesforNiCadandlead
calciumbatteries.
BatteryType
DeratingFunction
NiCad

LeadCalcium

77F

1.0*

1.0*

32F

0.7

0.67

0F

0.5

0.8

Batteryagingfactor

0.8*

0.8*

Designmargin

0.85*

0.85*

ConnectWithUs

Ambienttemperature
TwitterFacebook
LinkedRSS
In

*PerIEEEStd.485recommendedpractice
Table4.Peakdischargerateforahypothetical69kVsubstationload.
125VDCLoad
Description

Quantity

Current(A)

Subtotal(A)

69kVcircuitswitchers 2

15.0

30.0

69kVsubstation
relays

0.2

1.6

5kVvacuumbreakers

7.0

63.0

5kVswitchgearrelays

0.2

1.6

5kVswitchgear
indicatinglights

Ignore

0.0

0.0

Total

96.2A
Table5.RequiredAmperehourrateforahypothetical69kVsubstationload.

125VDCLoad
Description

Quantity

Current(A)

Hours(h)

Subtotal(Ah)

69kVcircuit
switchers

15.0

0.016*

0.5

69kVsubstation

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1437580452816.732 SizingBatteryBanksforSwitchgearandControlApplicationsbyHand|contentcontentfromElectricalConstruction&Maintenance(EC&
relays

0.2

8.0

12.8

5kVvacuum
breakers

7.0

0.016*

1.0

5kVswitchgear
relays

0.2

8.0

12.8

5kVswitchgear
indicatinglights

Ignore

0.0

8.0

0.0

Total

27.1Ah

*0.016hours=1minute
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DiscussthisArticle

onJul14,2012

AliAhmadArshad(notverified)

Whilecalculatingmomentaryloadofsubstationswitchgear,someengineerssuggesttotake
intoaccounttheloadatstartandendofthecycle.Myconcernisthatduringtrippingitisa
matteroffewmillisecondstomax1sec.Itisdifficulttodifferentatethetimingofrelays
etc.Waitingforengineerstoreply.
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