X/R Ratio

Learn more about the x/r ratio as part of short circuit studies
Background of X/R
Short circuit calculations are actually just an elaborate version of Ohm’s Law. One of the key components in
the calculation process is to determine the total impedance of the circuit from the utility/source, through the
transmission system, transformers, conductors, down to the point in question such as a panel or switchboard
location. The impedances of the various circuit elements, have both resistance and reactance and is often
referred to as the “complex impedance” or “polar notation”. A complex impedance value can be represented
graphically by plotting the resistance along the horizontal axis and the reactance along the vertical axis. The
total magnitude of the impedance is the hypotenuse of the resulting triangle. The X/R ratio is the amount of
reactance X divided by the amount of resistance R which also happens to be the Tangent of an angle created by
reactance and resistance in a circuit.
When calculating short circuit currents, there are usually many impedances that must be added together. Last
month we determined how to calculate the equivalent source impedance and add it to a transformer’s
impedance. I kept it simple by adding only the magnitudes. i.e. we added 5.75% of the transformer and 0.97%
of the source and ignored the angles and individual X and R components. However, each of these impedances
has a specific amount of reactance and resistance and an X/R ratio (even when calculated as a percent value).
The problem with adding only the magnitudes of impedances is the total impedance will be artificially high
leading to a lower (and incorrect) calculated short circuit current. This has the potential of creating a dangerous
condition if an incorrect short circuit calculation leads to a mis-application of overcurrent protection. The
diagrams below illustrates a comparison of adding impedances including magnitude and angle vs. adding the
magnitudes only.

Source of X/R Data

Let’s take the following example where we want to add the source impedance of 0.97% and an X/R ratio of 15
to the transformer impedance of 5.75% and an X/R ratio of 7. Before we begin, where did these X/R ratios
come from? Quite often the X/R ratios are difficult to obtain. The transformer X/R ratio is usually not available
unless you have good test data obtained when the transformer was originally built and tested. In the absence of
actual test data, a good source of “reasonable” X/R data is from IEEE Std. 242 – IEEE Recommended Practice
for Protection and Coordination of Industrial and Commercial Power Systems. This book contains a table of
suggested X/R ratios based on transformer kVA size and voltage. The values are based on ANSI C57 which is
the predominant standard for transformers. According to IEEE Std. 242, a 1500 kVA transformer with a
secondary voltage < 600 Volts and a primary voltage of up to 15,000 Volts, the suggested X/R ratio is 7.0.
This means that there is 7 times more reactance than resistance in the transformer impedance.
The source X/R ratio can be even more elusive. Many utility companies can provide short circuit currents,
impedances and X/R ratios and this makes the calculation effort easier. However, many utilities might only
provide the short circuit current. Last month our problem stated the source short circuit current (from the
utility) was 6,740 Amps at 13.2 kV and no X/R ratio was provided. How should we handle the source X/R
ratio when it is not provided? A very common assumption is to use an X/R ratio of between 12 and 15. The
inverse tangent (Tan-1) of 15 is 86.1859 degrees which is almost 90 degrees. This is generally considered a
conservative assumption since adding an impedance with a steep angle to an impedance with a shallow angle
will yield an overall impedance with a smaller magnitude.

Example Calculation
In another article we calculated a short circuit current of 26,845 Amps. This month we will revisit that example
and include the X/R and angles. The new short circuit current results will be slightly higher. The main
formulas for this example are:
Θ = Arctan X/R
X = Sin θ * Z
R = Cos θ * Z or X / (X/R)
Source R and X
%Z = 0.97 and X/R = 15
Inverse Tangent 15.00 = 86.1859°
X = Sin 86.1859 * 0.97% = 0.9978 * 0.97% = 0.9679%
R = Cos 86.1859 * 0.97% = 0.0665 * 0.97% = 0.0645%
Transformer R and X
%Z = 5.75 and X/R = 7
Inverse Tangent 7.00 = 81.8699°
X = Sin 81.8699* 5.75 % = 0.9899 * 5.75 % = 5.6919%
R = Cos 81.8699* 5.75 % = 0.1414 * 5.75 % = 0.8131%
Total Resistance R of the Source and Transformer
Rtotal = 0.0645% + 0.8131%
Rtotal = 0.8776%
Total Reactance X of the Source and Transformer
Xtotal = 0.9679% + 5.6919%
Xtotal = 6.6598%
Total Impedance Z of the Source and Transformer

Ztotal = Sqrt ( Rtotal2 + Ztotal2)

Ztotal = Sqrt ( 0.8776%2 + 6.6598%2)
Ztotal = 6.7174%
In another article we only added the magnitudes of the impedances and the result was:
6.72% = 0.97% + 5.75%
Breaking the impedance into R and X components, the correct impedance is 6.7174%. This is so close the
original 6.72% from last month, you might think this isn’t really worth the extra effort. For the case where the
X/R ratios give angles that are close, there is little difference between the two methods such as our case where
we have an X/R of 15 which is 86.1859° and 7 which is 81.8699°. In most cases, however, there is usually a
greater difference in angles such as when factoring in smaller transformers and low voltage conductor.

It is quite often the case that adding an impedance of a high X/R and angle with an impedance of a low X/R
and angle can introduce serious error and lead to artificially low calculated short circuit values. This is a
potentially dangerous situation so factor in the X/R ratio! The X/R ratio is also used to determine how much
asymmetry there is in a short circuit waveform which is important in conducting short circuit tests.

How do you find the source impedance?

In practise any source has an internal or Thevenin Resistance RTh called the Source
Impedance. The perfect voltage source is equivalent to the no load or open circuit
Voltage. To calculate Source Impedance connect a known resistor to the source and
measure the current

Why does impedance change with frequency?

Impedance is more complex than resistance because the effects of capacitance and
inductance vary with the frequency of the current passing through the circuit and this
means impedance varies with frequency. The effect of resistance is constant
regardless of frequency
What is impedance and How Is It Measured?
Impedance is the resistance to the flow of alternating current. It is the total opposition
that a circuit offers to the flow of current at a particular frequency. Impedance (Z) is
expressed as a combination of Resistance (R) and Reactance (X) and is measured in
ohms (Ω)

How do you find the impedance of a series?

To calculate impedance, calculate the resistance and reactance of the circuit, then
label resistance as R and reactance as X. Square both R and X, and add the two
products together. Take the square root of the sum of the squares of R and X to
get impedance. Display the answer in ohms

How do you calculate resistance in a parallel circuit?

The sum of the currents through each path is equal to the total current that flows from
the source. You can find total resistance in a Parallel circuit with the following
formula: 1/Rt = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3 +... If one of the parallel paths is broken, current will
continue to flow in all the other paths

How do you calculate impedance of an RLC circuit?

For a series RLC circuit, and impedance triangle can be drawn by dividing each side
of the voltage triangle by its current, I. The voltage drop across the resistive element is
equal to I*R, the voltage across the two reactive elements is I*X = I*XL – I*XC while the
source voltage is equal to I*Z

What is the value of J in impedance?

j is the square root of negative one, and 1/j = -j. j is the imaginary number, used in this
case to sort out reactance and impedance from pure resistance. This is because the
reactance of a capacitor is a leading reactance. That means that the current leads the
voltage across it by 90 degrees

Is LCR and RLC circuit same?

A RLC circuit (also known as a resonant circuit, tuned circuit, or LCR circuit) is an
electrical circuit consisting of a resistor (R), an inductor (L), and a capacitor (C),
connected in series or in parallel. This configuration forms a harmonic oscillator

What is XL and XC?

as you know XL = XC = Reactance R. in case of your example. XL = 7.666 M ohms is
the Inductive ractance which is equal to XC = R. XC = 1/2∏fC
What is series resonance in RLC circuit?
The resonance of a series RLC circuit occurs when the inductive and capacitive
reactances are equal in magnitude but cancel each other because they are 180 degrees
apart in phase. The sharp minimum in impedance which occurs is useful in tuning
applications.

What is LCR series circuit?

In LCR circuits both internal (inductor) resistance, and external resistance are present
in the complete circuit. Therefore, it will be easier to consider that the voltage VR is the
voltage across the TOTAL circuit resistance, which comprises the internal resistance of
L, added to any separate fixed resistor

How does a LCR circuit work?

RLC Circuit. This is an RLC circuit, which is an oscillating circuit consisting of a
resistor, capacitor, and inductor connected in series. ... The voltage in the capacitor
eventually causes the current flow to stop and then flow in the opposite direction. The
result is an oscillation, or resonance