Panel Data

Uniquely identifies the equipment item. The program automatically assigns a name, but you can change it, if needed. The name can be up to 16 characters long.

For panels, the program automatically assigns the names PNL-1, PNL-2, PNL-3, and so on.

The base kV of the panel.

The service for the panel. Select from 3 Phase - 3 Wire, 3 Phase - 4 Wire, 1 Phase - 2 Wire, or 1 Phase - 3 Wire.

See Panel Row Behaviors for more information on how the service selection affects the panel rows.

Note: To use the Single Phase Panel Schedule Template on the panel, select either of the 1 Phase options. See File-Specific Templates for more information.

The minimum amp rating of equipment that is upstream from the panel (such as breakers, transformers, or cables). This information is for reference in certain specific configurations of EasyPower and is not generally visible.

See Configuring the Spreadsheet View for information about these options.

Choose either U.S., Metric, or CSA.

Bus Rating

These are all user-defined fields.

Use this text field to describe the panel manufacturer.

Use this text field to further describe the panel manufacturer model.

The current rating of the main bus.

The rating of the bus used in calculating the short circuit duties for SmartDuty™.

Bus Data

Area numbers are used to uniquely define different areas of the electrical system. These areas can then be used for creating specific text reports from analysis operations that represent subsets of the system. For example, typical paper plant areas may be the power house (Area 1), caustic plant (Area 2), pulp mill (Area 3), and paper machine (Area 4). Area numbers are positive integers between 1 and 999.

A zone number is simply a sub-area. This enables even more specific reporting. You may want to define the pulp mill as Area 3 and the digester electrical equipment as Zone 2. Specific reports can then be generated for this combination without including the entire pulp mill or the other digesters.

The mounting for the panel. Select from flush, surface, or free standing.

The enclosure for the panel. If the panel units are set to metric, this represents the International Protection Code.

ANSI: Select from NEMA 1, NEMA 3R, NEMA 4, NEMA 7, NEMA 9, or NEMA 12. If the panel units are set to metric, you can manually enter the enclosure or code by typing it.

IEC: You can manually enter the enclosure or code by typing it.

You can select the type of incoming protective device type for the panel. The choices available are:

• Main Lug Only: No protective device is present.
• Main Breaker: LV breaker protects the panel bus. You can select the breaker in Incoming Device Settings.
• Main Fuse: Fuse protects the panel bus. You can select the fuse in Incoming Device Settings.

You can select from three types of load:

• Load: Specify loads in kW and kVARs.
• Motor: Specify motor HP or kW and X/R ratio.
• Sub-Panel: Specify the ID Name of the connecting cable and the sub-panel.

Calculates the total load on the panel, taking into account the connected load, demand factors, and NEC code factors.

Total of the of (VA_A * PF)

Total of the of (VA²_A - W²_A)^1/2  

Total of the of (VA_B * PF)

Total of the of (VA²_B - W²_B)^1/2  

Total of the of (VA_C * PF)

Total of the of (VA²_C - W²_C)^1/2  

Total of the of (VA_A * PF) * DF

Total of the of (VA²_A - W²_A)^1/2   * DF

Total of the of (VA_B * PF) * DF

Total of the of (VA²_B - W²_B)^1/2   * DF

Total of the of (VA_C * PF) * DF

Select the method used to determine the kilovolt-ampere for power flow analysis. Choose between:

• Connected: The kVA is determined by the load defined on the Description tab of the panel.
• Demand: The kVA is determined by the demand factor. Demand factor is calculated as the maximum loading conditions divided by the total connected load. This is specified on the Description tab of the panel.
• Code: The kVA is determined by the code factors. Code factors are derived from the factors set up in the database File Properties on the Code Factors tab which reference NFPA 70 (NEC) article 220.40. You can view or edit the codes on the Description tab of the panel.
• Design: The kVA is determined by the design factor in combination with the code factors. Design factor is set up in Tools > Options on the Equipment tab. You can view or edit the design factor on the Description tab of the panel.

Panels can be modeled for the power flow solution in several different ways.

• Constant kVA: This is the most common model. It is conservative, and will result in slightly lower voltage values than would be measured on an actual system.
• Constant Current: This model alone is generally not used for power flow simulation.
• Constant Impedance: This model is for loads such as incandescent lighting, ranges, and resistance space heaters.

SCADA data can be modeled in the power flow solution in several different ways. SCADA load type is set in the ASCII file, and can be changed by you.

• Constant kVA: This is the most common model. It is conservative, and will result in slightly lower voltage values than would be measured on an actual system.
• Constant Current: This model alone is generally not used for power flow simulation.
• Constant Impedance: This model is for loads such as incandescent lighting, ranges, and resistance space heaters.

The default is Linear, indicating the equipment does not produce harmonics. Choosing Harmonic makes the item an harmonic source and makes other fields in this tab available to edit.

Note: For an adjustable frequency drive (AFD), the Load Type is always Harmonic.
For motors, the Load Type is Harmonic if the With Adjustable Frequency Drive (AFD) check box is selected on the Specifications tab of the motor; otherwise, it is always Linear.

Use to set the fundamental amps. The options are as follows:

• Equipment Rating sets Fundm Amps to the equipment rating of the item described in the Specifications tab. 
• User Specified activates the Fundm Amps field, enabling you to specify a value. 

To use fundamental current calculated by power flow, select Calculated from Power Flow in the Summation Fundamental Voltage area of the Harmonics Options > Control dialog box.

Use the spreadsheet to enter the harmonic spectrum produced by this item. You can enter up to 30 different harmonics in each equipment item. In the spreadsheet, enter the Harmonic Number (such as 5 for the 5^th harmonic), the Harmonic Current in percent of the Fundamental Amps, and the Current Angle. By indicating the current angle, you can simulate transformer phase shift effects on rectifiers so appropriate canceling can take place. The harmonic may be integer or non-integer.

Common harmonic spectra may be entered from the device library. For instructions on how to enter your own spectra information, see Harmonics with Spectrum™. After selecting a particular device library spectrum from the Mfr and Type lists, click Import, and that spectrum is entered into the harmonic spreadsheet.

You can specify how you would like arc flash results determined for this bus using AF for this Bus.

Calculated: When the bus is faulted, EasyPower the performs arc flash hazard analysis using the calculation method specified in Short Circuit Options. EasyPower uses other settings on this tab as part of the calculations.

Excluded: Select to exclude the bus from arc flash reports. An example of when you might select this option is for a bus that is required to model the electrical parameters of the system but does not actually represent a piece of electrical equipment. Other applications include nodes and tap-offs (junctions), where energized work is not required.

Forced To: When you select this option, you can enter the incident energy and arc flash boundary for this bus. The incident energy and arc flash boundary values are shown on the one-line and in reports and work permits. This can be used for instances where you need to apply a calculation that is outside the scope of the industry standard calculations.

You can specify whether to display results on the line side or the load side of the Main protective device of the bus equipment. If the arc flash hazards output for this bus needs to be different from the global option, use this field. The choices are:

• <<Use Global Option>>: Use the option specified in Short Circuit Options.
• Including Main: Always display the arc flash hazard results on the load side of the Main protective device for this bus equipment regardless of what options are selected in the Short Circuit Options.
• Excluding Main: Always display the arc flash hazard results on the line side of the Main protective device for this bus equipment regardless of what options are selected in the Short Circuit Options.
• Both (Incl & Excl Main): Always display the arc flash hazard results on both the line side and the load side of the Main protective device for this bus equipment regardless of what options are selected in the Short Circuit Options.

You can select the method for determining trip times for this bus by choosing from the following:

• Pre-defined Fixed Times: Obtains arc clearing time for the bus from the library default values. This is not the same as the trip times calculated form the TCC curves of the upstream trip device. The values stored in the library are simply predefined approximate trip times. This is a legacy method and is not recommended.
• User-defined Times: With this option you can specify the protective device clearing time for each bus. The details of arcing time for the bus can be specified in the fields Device ID, Relay Function and Time (s). When this option is selected, a time must be specified.
• TCC Times (Automatically Calculated): Arc flash incident energy are calculated based on time characteristic current curves specified in each protective device data dialog box. The trip clearing time of the equipment where the device is a relay controlled breaker is the sum of the breaker mechanism opening time (for example, 3, 5, or 8 cycle), the relay trip time, and any time entered into the Relay Data, System, and Aux Time data fields.
• User-defined and TCC Times: Provides results for both user-defined times and TCC times as described above.
• User-defined One-line Device: With this option, you can specify which device you want to use for the TCC time, and the program will obtain the trip time automatically. You can select a device type (relay fuse, or low voltage breaker) and device ID. If you select a relay, you also select the relay function.

Note: When a user-defined time is specified and the calculation method is set to use the integrated method, only the upstream device setting is used. The time is considered as the maximum length of the simulation. See The Integrated Method for more information.

You can specify the working distances shown on the one-line and in reports and work permits.

• Default from Options: When selected, the program uses the workings distances from the Default Working Distances spreadsheet in the Arc Flash Hazard Options.
• User Specified: Selecting this option enables you to enter the working distance for this item.

The units displayed are based on the units selected in Arc Flash Hazard Options on the System tab. For inches, the range is 1-1000. For meters, the range is 0.1 to 1000.

You can specify the electrode gap shown on the one-line and in reports and work permits.

• Default from Library: When selected, the program uses the electrode gap from the device library.
• User Specified: Selecting this option enables you to enter the electrode gap for this item. The range is between 0.1 and 25,000 mm.

You can specify the electrode configuration shown on the one-line and in reports and work permits.

• Default from Library: When selected, the program uses the electrode configuration from the device library.
• User Specified: Selecting this option enables you to select the electrode configuration for this item. The options available are based on the orientation of the electrodes, whether they are inside an enclosure, and in one instance, whether they terminate into a barrier.

Electrodes in Enclosures:

• VCB: Vertical electrodes inside an enclosure.
• VCBB: Vertical electrodes terminating in an insulating barrier inside an enclosure.
• HCB: Horizontal electrodes inside an enclosure.

Electrodes in Open Air:

• VOA: Vertical electrodes in open air.
• HOA: Horizontal electrodes in open air.

You can select more than one configuration to represent the multiple types of conditions that can occur for the equipment. EasyPower evaluates each configuration and then provides values for the highest incident energy based on the existing electrode configurations. Annex C in the IEEE 1584-2018 standard describes examples where you might use more than one electrode configuration.

Tip: To change the electrode configuration for multiple items on the one-line, select the items in the Database Edit focus and then on the Home tab, click Change > AF Bus Electrode Configuration.

Electrode configurations are only applicable to the IEEE 1584-2018 standard. For more information, see Electrode Configuration.

You can specify the enclosure size shown on the one-line and in reports and work permits.

• Default from Library: When selected, the program uses the enclosure size from the device library. The library provides typical values based on the equipment type and voltage.
• User Specified: Selecting this option enables you to enter the enclosure size for the item. This enables you to get more accurate calculation results, assuming the correct dimensions are entered.

The units displayed are based on the units selected in Arc Flash Hazard Options on the System tab. For inches, the range is .01-1000. For millimeters, the range is 0.1 to 25,000.

The enclosure dimensions affect arc flash.

• Arc flash is greatest for a 20 in. x 20 in. x 20 in. enclosure.
• Arc flash decreases as the height or width dimensions increase.
• In low voltage equipment with a height and width of less than 20 inches, arc flash decreases if the depth dimension is less than or equal to 8 inches.

Enter the number of labels you want to print for arc flash hazard analysis. If you enter "0," no labels will print.