CAPACITOR OVERCURRENT PROTECTION FOR

INDUSTRIAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

Copyright Material IEEE
Paper No. PCIC-94-33

S . R.Mendis

M. T. Bishop

J. C. McCall

W. M. Hurst

Member, IEEE

Senior Member, IEEE

Member, IEEE

Member, IEEE

Cooper Power Systems

McGraw-Edison Power Capacitors
Greenwood, South Carolina

Cooper Power Systems

Systems Engineering Group
Franksville, Wisconsin
Absrracr - Many industrial facilities apply power factor
correction capacitors to enhance their electrical system
efficiency. Power factor improvement, power loss reduction,
release of system capacity, and voltage improvement can all be
achieved by applying capacitors in industrial plants. Protection
of these capacitor banks against excessive overcurrents is a
critical part of the safe and reliable operation of the bank.
This paper reviews different considerations in the selection
of capacitor fuse applications and the philosophies behind them.
Individual and group fusing are discussed. Continuous current,
transient current, fault current, tank rupture curve
coordination, voltage on good capacitors during a fault, energy
discharged into a failed unit, outrush current, and coordination
with unbalance detection schemes are topics covered. Examples
of actual applications of capacitors in industrial distribution
systems are presented throughout the paper.

I. ~TRODUCTION
Capacitor banks applied in industrial distribution
systems are an important electrical component of the
industrial facility due to a variety of reasons, including:
The capacitors improve the power factor of the
1)
system, and thus power factor billing penalties
imposed by the electric utility are avoided. The cost
of the capacitors can be justified in a short period of
time in these situations.
System losses are reduced thereby improving the
2)
electrical system efficiency.
System voltage is improved, aiding power transfer to
3)
some loads, such as induction motors.
System capacity may be increased due to the supply
4)
of reactive power from the capacitors, allowing the
power system to supply only real power.
In spite of all the benefits of installing capacitors in
industrial plants, they can also contribute to power quality
problems when specified and installed improperly. Capacitors
installed in a harmonic environment are susceptible to
harmonic resonances. These harmonic resonances can lead to
catastrophic failures of the capacitor bank, or failures of surge
arresters due to sustained overvoltages. If the capacitors are
used in a system where many high magnitude transients are

possible, then the potential for nuisance fuse blowings could

be high. All of these possible conditions can lead to the loss
of the capacitor bank benefits, and in some cases loss of
production and down time in plants. Therefore, it is critical
that the capacitors installed in industrial plants be protected
properly.
The primary justification for the application of power
capacitors in industrial facilities is to improve the electrical
system power factor. Voltage improvement is normally
associated with power factor correction as well. Many
industrial loads such as induction motors,fumaces, and power
converters operate at low power factor [l]. The capacitors
could also be a part of a harmonic filter in some installations.
In this case, the capacitors are applied with filter reactors to
filter harmonics produced by non-linear loads served by the
industrial distribution system, and also provide power factor
correction.
The power capacitors in industrial facilities can be
installed in pole-mounted racks, metal enclosures, and/or in
substation banks. In many cases available space is a
consideration in locating the bank. The magnitude and type
of plant load will generally be used to determine the capacitor
kvar requirements. The system voltage will then be a factor in
the bank design as far as the number of series groups. The
method of connection of the bank (delta or wye connected)
and grounded and ungrounded for wye connected banks is
also a consideration. The economics and system operating
concems such as harmonic concems will generally be
deciding factors in the selection of the connection method.
The voltage ratings (terminal-to-terminal) of capacitor units
can vary from 2.4 kV to 24.0 kV. Individual capacitor units
are generally available in sizes of 50, 100, 150,200,300,400,
and 500 kvar. According to the ANSVIEEE standard 18-1992
[2] "IEEE Standard for Shunt Power Capacitors" and IEEE
standard C37.99-1990 [3] "IEEE Guide for the Protection of
Shunt Capacitor Banks", capacitors should be capable of
continuous operation provided that none of the following
limitations are exceeded: (i) 110% of rated voltage rms,
provided that the crest voltage, including all harmonics, does
not exceed 1.2 42 times rated voltage rms, (ii) 135% of
nameplate kvar, (iii) 180% of rated current rms, including
fundamental and harmonic currents. Capacitor tolerances up

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94-CH3451-2/94/0000-0285
$03.00 8 1994 IEEE

to 15% are also taken into account when specifying the kvar
size of a bank.
This paper focuses on issues associated with the
overcurrent protection of capacitor banks in industrial
facilities. The paper is written primarily for the application of
high voltage capacitors (2.4 kV and higher). Only wyeconnected capacitor banks are discussed. Delta-connected
capacitor banks are not addressed in this paper as they are not
commonly applied in large capacitor banks used for power
factor correction and harmonic filters. Selection and cost
associated with proper fusing is a factor in delta connected
capacitor banks not been used commonly in larger
installations.
The main form of overcurrent protection for a capacitor
bank is the fuse. The selection of appropriate fuses becomes
a critical part in the overall protection scheme, as several
different objectives are to be satisfied depending on the
application.

on that phase. Group protection is generally used for

protecting pole mounted distribution capacitor racks. The
fuse links are normally installed in cutouts and mounted on a
cross arm above the capacitor rack in this type of application.

I1 FUSE TYPE SELECTION

The basic objectives in selecting capacitor fuses are:
1. The fuse must be capable of withstanding steady state
and transient currents in order to avoid spurious fuse
operations.
2. The fuse must effectively remove a failed or failing
capacitor unit from service without causing further
damage or disruption to the capacitor and the system.
These objectives are accomplished through the proper
selection of a fusing scheme. In some situations expulsion
fuses are adequate, and in others, current limiting fuses are
required to meet the basic objectives. The application
engineer may also have to consider the advantages and
disadvantages of group fusing versus individual unit fusing.
Through the entire process, equipment cost must also be
considered.
Once the decision of whether to use expulsion or current
limiting fuses has been made, the next decision is the selection
of an appropriate fuse rating. In many cases the decision is
based upon past practice, or the manufacturer's
recommendations. Standard tables developed by engineering
groups within the company are also used in some cases. The
following sections present an overview of the criteria for
either group fusing or individual fusing resulting in a much
more suitable selection of the overcurrent protection scheme.

Fig. 1: A Group Fusing Arrangement in a Wye-Connected

Ungrounded Capacitor Bank With Four Capacitor Units Per
Phase.

IV INDIVIDUAL FUSING
Individual fusing can be described as each capacitor in a
bank being protected by an individual fuse as shown in Fig. 2.
This type of protection is generally used in outdoor substation
capacitor banks and metal enclosed banks. Fuses are normally
the bus mounted type.

I11 GROUP FUSING

Group fusing can be described as one fuse protecting
more than one capacitor. As shown in Fig. 1, this usually
involves one fuse on each phase protecting all the capacitors

Fig. 2: An Individual Fusing Arrangement in a Wyeconnected Ungrounded Capacitor Bank With Four Capacitor
Units Per Phase.

- 286 -

The protection scheme for a capacitor bank installed in

an industrial facility will depend on various factors related to
the location of the bank. The following items should be
considered when selecting a group or individual fusing
arrangement for capacitor overcurrent protection [4] :

completed properly, with no assumptions about the multiplier.

In a group fuse application, a large fuse size will be required
in order to carry the continuous current of several units. This
may make it difficult to provide coordination with individual
unit tank rupture curves shown later. The user must then
choose between coordination and the expense of additional
fuses.

1.

The continuous current carried by the fuse

2.

The transient current carried by the fuse

3.

The available fault current at the bank

Transient Current

4.

Tank rupture curve coordination

5.

The voltage on good capacitors during andor after a

unit failure

Fuses can be damaged due to high magnitude, high

frequency currents. If possible, it is desirable to minimize
spurious fuse operations by selecting an appropriately large
fuse link so as to withstand these transient currents. The two
main sources of transient currents in industrial plants are
capacitor bank switching and lightning surges.
Switching is typically only a concern when capacitor
banks are switched on the same bus, i.e., back-to-back
switching with little impedance between banks[5]. In this
case, a capacitor bank is energized with another bank already
in service at that same bus. This is seldom the case for polemounted capacitors. But, it is a concern in some industrial
applications, where two or more capacitor banks may be
installed and operated on the same bus. The magnitude and
frequency of a transient inrush current resulting from a backto-back switching depends on various factors such as: the
applied voltage (point on the voltage wave at closing), the
circuit capacitance, the circuit inductance (bus inductance
between the banks and any other reactors in the circuit), any
trapped charge on the bank at the instance of closing, and any
damping due to closing resistors or other circuit resistance [6].
Smaller industrial plants that have capacitors switched in
blocks should utilize reactors to limit switching transient
currents. In larger installations the complexity and cost of
closing resistors is more easily justified. Fig. 3 shows a
transient inrush current waveform during back-to-back
switching of capacitor banks. This example exhibits a
switching transient fiequency of approximately 5000 Hz.
Capacitor fuses are also subject to high frequency
transients due to lightning surges on pole-mounted racks. To
minimize spurious fuse operations due to lightning surges,
type T-tin links are typically recommended for low ampere
ratings through 25 amps for group fuses, and type K-tin links
above 25 amps. The T link can withstand a higher surge
current than the K link, and this general recommendation has
resulted in good performance for areas of significant lightning
activity.

6 . Harmonic concerns

7. The energy discharge into a failed unit in a large

parallel group
8.

High energy concerns

9.

Outrush current

10. Coordination with unbalance detection schemes

Continuous Current
The fuse selected to protect the capacitor should have a
continuous current capability equal to or greater than 135% of
the rated capacitor current. This over-rating is required for
possible overvoltage conditions (1 OYO),capacitance tolerances
(15%), and harmonics (10%). This is consistent with all
internationally recognized capacitor standards. In general, a
factor of 135% is used for grounded-wye banks a factor of
125% is used for ungrounded-wye connected banks.
The minimum size fuse link is dictated by the continuous
current and is calculated as follows:

Fuse Link Continuos Current Rating 2 1.35 X

k Var,,,
K

In the selection of a fuse link, the protection engineer must

know the actual link continuos rating. Since some fuses are
100% of rating and some are 150% of rating, this must be

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6000
A

TABLEI
FAULTCURRENT
LIMITATIONS

inc:
1000

Capmaitor rmting

Phase A

-woo
6000
A
~

so, L loo kvar

mas t h M 9 kV

inc:
1000

2600

3000

2500

Greater than 9 kV

3100

2200

1900

1800

men using 38 LV Cutout8

2000

1700

1500

1400

8400 5900
7900 5600
6300 4400
5700 4000
3200 2300
4100 3400

5100
4800
3800
3400

4800

80

50

100'
65

40

2000

4600
3600
3300
1900

3100

1900

65 BX

mase e

-6000
6000

-6000

150, zoo, 300 s 400 war

mea thM 9 kV
I..68 t h M 9 W
Greater than 9 W
Greater than 9 kV
Greater thM 9 W
m e n using 38 W Cutout.

vvly

Fig. 3: Transient Inrush Current Waveform During Back-toBack Switching of Capacitor Banks.

Unlike pole-mounted capacitors that are generally

mounted on incoming overhead service lines, substation
capacitor banks are generally not subject to significant high
magnitude, high frequency lightning surges. This is due to
good substation shielding, and having many units in parallel
to share the transient current. A bank using individual
capacitor unit fusing has smaller fuses sharing a small portion
of the total transient current. A group fused bank has ?ne fuse
carrying all of the transient current. In both cases the I t of the
eFergy of the surge current must be compared to the fuse melt
It.

20

30
30

.z

20

(10.

100.

40 82

In substation banks with multiple series groups,

maximum available system fault current will not flow through
a failed unit unless other units experience simultaneous
failures or external flashovers occur in other parts of the
capacitor bank. Since simultaneous failures occur rarely, it is
usually assumed that maximum available system fault current
will not flow for a single failure in capacitor banks of more
than one series group. Consequently, expulsion fuses are
commonly used rather than current limiting fuses in banks
with multiple series groups.
The advent of high energy all-film capacitors has
resulted in improved capacitor unit fault current capabilities.
Table I1 shows the available fault current limitations for one
manufacturer's high energy capacitors utilizing extended foil
mechanical crimp internal construction.

Fault Current
The available fault current at the capacitor bank location
is an important factor in the selection of the fuse type. When
capacitors are grounded-wye connected in a single series
group substation bank application (or grounded-wye
connected in a pole-mounted rack), a capacitor failure
(terminal-to-terminal) will cause the available system fault
current to flow. The capacitor must be able to withstand the
fault current until the fuse interrupts the circuit. Additionally
the fuse must be able to successfully interrupt the available
fault current. For typical all-film capacitors, the available
fault current should not exceed the limits shown in Table I
below. If these levels are exceeded or the maximum
interrupting rating of the fuse is exceeded, current limiting
fuses should be applied.

25

50

4300

TABLEI1
FOR HIGH ENERGY
FAULTCURRENT LIMITATIONS
CAPACITORS
~~~~

Haximum L i n k

Current (RMS ampa)

Ratinq
Coordinates With
Available Fault
Curront

mm

up

to
25 LEV
cutouts
38 kV
cutouts

- 288 -

Maximum Synrnatric Fault

X/R is:

%
12,000

8,500

7,400

7,100

lOOEK

80ET

Tank Rupture Curve Coordination

The maximum clearing TCC (Time Current
Characteristic) curve for the fuse link must coordinate with
the tank rupture curve for the capacitor. This coordination is
necessary to insure that the fuse will clear the circuit when an
intemal fault develops prior to tank rupture occurring. The
fuse maximum clear TCC must fall to the left of the tank
rupture TCC curve up to the maximum at and below the level
of available fault current. In the case of high system available
fault currents, the tank rupture curve should be compensated
for asymmetry.
Tank rupture curves available from manufacturers may
be probabilistic or definite in nature. Probability type tank
rupture curves are usually supplied as 10% probability curves,
though both 50% and 90% curves may be available. A
probability curve indicates that rupture may occur at a timecurrent level to the left of the curve according to the
probability percentage associated with that curve. Therefore a
10% curve signifies that there exists a 10% chance of not
achieving coordination when using that curve. For this
reason, achieving the largest coordination margins possible
when using probability curves is highly advantageous.
Comparison of the 10% curve with 50% and 90% curves is
sometimes performed to ascertain the degree of spread
associated with the underlying data. Today, many electric
utilities will not accept capacitor units which exhibit
probability tank rupture curves.
Fig. 4 shows a coordination example. A 25 ampere type
T-tin fuse link TCC curves are shown with capacitor tank
rupture TCC curves for a 200 kvar unit with 0% (definite) and
10% probability TCC curves of various manufacturers.

Definite tank rupture curves indicate that there is

effectively no chance of capacitor tank rupture if a fuse or
protective device coordinates with the curve. They may be
termed 0% probability curves. This type of curve is exhibited
by capacitor designs that have very consistent faulted
impedance characteristics. The user may find that a family of
curves must be employed to properly represent the rupture
characteristics of all voltage and kvar size capacitor units.

Voltage on good capacitors during anaVor afrer a unitfailure

For ungrounded-wye connected capacitor banks with
one series group, the voltage on the good capacitor units,
when one is shorted, is equal to system line-to-line voltage,
i.e., 1.732 times it's rated voltage. If the failed unit is not
cleared from the circuit quickly, this high overvoltage
condition could lead to a second capacitor failure resulting in
a phase-to-phase fault. For this reason, it is desirable to apply
a fuse with the fastest clearing time possible so as to minimize
the possibility of obtaining a second unit failure. This
criterion requires a fast clearing fuse, such as a K-link, while
the transient current criterion dictates a slow clearing fuse,
such as a T-link. Faster fuse clearing is possible with an
individual fuse design since smaller ratings can be chosen.
In the case of large banks with multiple series groups,
when a capacitor unit goes to a complete short, other series
groups within the capacitor banks are subject to a fundamental
frequency overvoltage until the fuse clears. The fuse should
clear fast enough so as not to damage the unfailed units due to
this overvoltage. Table I11 summarizes the voltage on the
other series groups in the bank when a capacitor unit is
shorted on phase A [7].

lo00
I 1

\\

100

\\

TABLEI11
PER UNIT VOLTAGE ON UNFAILED CAPACITORS.

s
Ln

10

I-

\I

0.10

0.010
10

100

lo00

loo00

CURRENT (A)

Fig. 4: Time-Current Characteristic Curve Plot of Tank

Rupture Curve Coordination.

1.25 11.00 11.00

I 1.15 11.04 I 1.04

Harmonic Concerns
An important consideration in the application of
capacitors on industrial distribution systems today is the effect
of harmonic producing loads on systems with shunt capacitors
installed for the benefits listed in the introduction. Capacitors
do not produce harmonics, however, the addition of capacitors
to the electrical system will change the frequency response
characteristics of the system, and in some cases can result in
magnification of the voltage and current distortion in the
system. The increase in harmonic distortion is usually due to
a resonant condition. Fig. 5 shows the resonant characteristics
of an industrial plant where a capacitor bank is installed.

increases, the impedance of the capacitor will decrease

according to the equation Xc = 1 / (2nfc). Therefore, a small
amount of harmonic voltage applied on a capacitor will cause
a large harmonic current to flow through it. A detailed
harmonic analysis can determine harmonic currents and
voltages in a system and lead to specification of proper
capacitor installations.

Energy Discharge into a failed unit

#en a capacitor failure occurs in a large bank, all of the
stored energy of the parallel connected capacitors can
discharge through the failed capacitor and its fuse. Fig. 6
shows a diagram of this scenario. The total calculated parallel
stored energy should not exceed the energy capability or joule
rating of the capacitor unit and fuse. Exceeding their ratings
may result in a fuse failure andor a rupture of the capacitor
unit.

Harmonic Number

Fig. 5: System Harmonic Resonance Tuned Near the 5th

harmonic with Capacitors in an Industrial System.

Capacitors are designed to withstand a fair amount of

harmonics without detrimental effects. A good indication of
excessive harmonics at the capacitor is an increase in the
capacitor failure rate or spurious fuse blowing. When fuses
blow in a capacitor bank the resonant frequency will shift or
the system will be tuned to another frequency, possibly
resulting in a stable operating condition. Problems may reoccur when the blown fuses are replaced, thereby re-tuning
the system to the original resonant frequency which caused
the initial fuse blowing.
Harmonic currents will .generally flow from the
harmonic source towards the utility substation. Loads usually
appear as a large impedance to the harmonic currents. The
source impedance is typically 20-50 times less than the load
impedances. A capacitor can alter the normal current
harmonic path. As the frequency of the applied voltage

Fig. 6: Parallel Energy Discharge into Failed Capacitor Unit.

(only one phase shown)

Historically, the calculated value of energy should not

exceed 10,000 joules (i.e., 3100 kvar in parallel) for
papedfilm capacitors and 15,000 joules (i.e., 4650 kvar in
parallel) for conventional all-film capacitors. However, recent
advancements in capacitor technology have resulted in
capacitors with much higher energy handling capability.
Some available capacitors today can be applied in banks with
up to 30,000 joules of stored energy (i.e., 9300 kvar in
parallel) with expulsion fuses. The mechanical and electrical
characteristics of these capacitors are such that they require
significantly more energy to achieve rupture, while at the
same time significantly reducing the rate at which energy is
absorbed, hence the increased capabilities.

- 290 -

When the calculated value of the parallel energy exceeds

the limitation of the expulsion fuse, there are two possible
solutions:
1 . Redesign the bank to reduce the amount of parallel
stored energy. This involves adding additional series
groups or re-connecting the bank in a split-wye
configuration. Either of these changes to the capacitor bank
design will result in an increase in the cost of the bank. In
addition, converting the bank to a split-wye arrangement
may require the use of up to 75% more substation space
depending on the bank's layout.
2. Utilize current limiting fuses. This solution will also
increase the cost of the bank. Another consideration in
applying current limiting fuses is that the power losses due
to this type of fuse are usually equal to or greater than the
power losses of the capacitor units they are protecting. This
doubling of power losses should be included in the
evaluation of this alternative.
Energy discharge is not a consideration as far as fusing is
concerned with group fuse designs. In these situations the
fuse is not subject to the discharge current. The capacitor
units are still subject to the limits.

High Energy Concerns

Another consideration in applying capacitors involves

the energy levels that may exist if a capacitor unit failure
occurs during a system overvoltage. This is frequently taken
into consideration when designing series capacitor banks, but
is usually overlooked in more common shunt applications.
The parallel stored energy stored in a capacitor unit is defined

as:

1
2

E = -cV'

kJ

where:
c = capacitance
V = voltage in per unit

The energy limitations for expulsion fused capacitor

units given in the previous section assumed that the failure
occurred at 1 10% of rated voltage. This is in accordance with
all intemationally recognized standards. However, should a
failure occur while the voltage on the capacitors is greater
than 1 lo%, possible fusing problems may exist. Typical
overvoltage situations may be those accompanied by normal
bank energization, remote switching surges, and lightning
induced surges.

The stored energy in a group of parallel connected

capacitors at any per unit voltage may be calculated from the
following formula:
kJ

where:

Q=
V=
f=

parallel connected kvar at 1 .O pu (per unit).

voltage in per unit
frequency of system in hertz

From this formula, we see that if a capacitor unit with a

30 kJ energy handling capability is applied with 4650 kvar in
parallel at rated voltage, then a capacitor unit failure at
voltages as high as 1.56 pu (i.e., 1.10 * 42 pu) will still be
within the 30 kJ energy limitation of the capacitor/fusing
system. The application of a conventional 15 kJ capacitor unit
will have exceeded its energy handling ability at any voltage
higher than 1.10 pu. Frequently, capacitor units with higher
energy handling capabilities are considered to be an advantage
only due to the elimination of the need to use current limiting
fuses. Here it can be seen that even under lower applied
parallel energy situations, capacitors with higher energy
handling capabilities have significant application and safety
advantages. It should be noted that the capacitor unit's peak
and short circuit current handling limitations must still be
observed.

Outrush Current
The fuses connected to unfailed capacitor p i t s should be
capable of withstanding the high frequency I t discharge of
their capacitors into the failed one. When a capacitor failure
occurs, the remaining units will discharge energy into the
failed capacitor. The fuses on the unfailed capacitors should
be able to withstand this high frequency discharge in order to
avoid multiple fuse operations. Proper consideration of thp
criteria requires the knowledge of a fuSels high frequency I t
withstand capabilities, as well as the I t outrush capacity of the
capacitor. This is data which is typically known only as a
result of extensive testing. The most common effect that this
phenomena has in fuse link size selection is associated with
the choice of link speed.
In general, the fastest link size available is chosen for
any given application. This will result in the maximum
coordination margin between the fuse's maximum clear TCC
and the capacitor's tank rupture TCC. Therefore K speed links
are usually chosen. However the faster the fuse link, the

lower the I't withstand. With lower ampere size fuse links,
coordinatioq of the capacitor's outrush and the fuse's high
frequency I t withstand is frequently lost, forcing the change
to slower T speed links. Most of the time this change is
sufficient. In some circumstances though, a change in both
link size a;r well as speed may be required to achieve
sufficient I t withstand in the fuse. If this phenomena is
suspected to be causing spurious fuse operations, it is
recommended that the manufacturer of the capacitor be
consulted.

A careful examination of the capacitor bank protection

objectives and the system application is necessary to select the
type and rating of the fusing for the bank. Individual fusing
can provide adequate margins when compared to tank rupture
curves if the available fault current and parallel energy
permits such a selection. Current limiting fuses may be
required in some situations to meet all of the protection
objectives.
Trade-offs may be needed with the best
engineering judgment to design the appropriate protection
scheme taking all the concerns into account. Careful thought
given to these concerns will lead to the proper protection and
smooth operation of capacitor banks in industrial distribution
system.

Coordination with Unbalance Detection Schemes

When a fuse operates in a capacitor bank, an increase in
the fundamental frequency voltage occurs on the remaining
units in that series group. An unbalance detection scheme is
employed to monitor such conditions and to take action as
required. Usually the operation of the first fuse, which should
result in an overvoltage on the remaining energized capacitors
of no more than 1lo%, should cause an alarm. When the loss
of a sufficient number of fuses occurs causing the overvoltage
to exceed 1 lo%, the bank should normally be tripped off-line.
Harmonic resonances are also a factor in determining when a
bank should be removed from service due unit failures in the
case of a harmonic filter capacitor bank. Load break type
switches or circuit breakers are normally used to switch
capacitor banks on and off.
Unbalance detection scheme settings should be
coordinated with fuse TCC's so that the fuse will be allowed
to clear a failed capacitor unit before the unbalance detection
scheme trips the capacitor bank. If the bank is tripped before
the fuse operates, there will be no visible indication of the
cause of the problem that resulted in removing the bank from
service. Note that if a capacitor unit has failed to a complete
short circuit, before the fuse operates the relay scheme will
sense an unbalance equal to the loss of an entire series group,
almost surely resulting in a trip signal unless a proper time
delay has been selected.

V CONCLUSIONS
There are many considerations involving the operation
of a capacitor bank that effect the selection of protection for
the bank. The electric power industry has developed a variety
of protection scheme alternatives that address a particular
aspect of bank protection. The variety of fuse types and
ratings supplied by electrical manufacturers is one example of
this.

REFERENCES
[ 11 Porter, G. A., and McCall, J. C., "Application and

[2]
[3]
[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

Protection Considerations in Applying Distribution

Capacitors", Pennsylvania Electrical Association
System Planning Committee, Hershey, PA, Fall 1990.
ANSI/IEEE standard 18-1992, "IEEE Standardfor
Shunt Power Capacitors".
IEEE std. C37.99-1990 "IEEE Guidefor the Protection
of Shunt Capacitor Banks".
Power Capacitor Workshop Notes - Cooper Power
Systems.
Vilcheck, W.S.,
and Gonzalez, D.A., Guidelines for
Applying Shunt Capacitors on Industrial Power
Systems", IASA&CPS Technical Conference, Denver,
CO., May 1985.
ANSIAEEE C37.012-1979 "IEEE Application Guide
for Capacitance Current Switchingfor AC HighVoltage Circuit Breakers Rated on a Symmetrical
Current Basis".
McCall, J. C., and Hurst, W. M., "Practical
Considerations of Individual Capacitor Fusing",
Canadian Electrical Association, Inc. Fall Engineering
and Operating Meeting, Victoria, BC Canada,
November 1990.
It