A short circuit is an unintended path of low resistance between two points in an electrical circuit. This can occur due to various reasons such as faulty wiring, loose connections, or damage to insulation.
To perform a short circuit analysis, we need to calculate the short circuit current (SCC) and the short circuit voltage (SCV) at various points in the circuit. The SCC is the maximum current that would flow through the circuit in the event of a short circuit, while the SCV is the voltage that would be present across the short circuit.
The formula to calculate the short circuit current is:
SCC = (Vsup / Rtotal) * (1 – (RSC / Rtotal)^2)
where:
- Vsup is the supply voltage
- Rtotal is the total resistance of the circuit
- RSC is the resistance of the short circuit path
The formula to calculate the short circuit voltage is:
SCV = Vsup – (RSC * SCC)
Once we have calculated the SCC and SCV, we can use them to determine the severity of the short circuit and the potential damage it could cause to the circuit.