In relation to overcurrent protection, what does "coordination study" mean?

A coordination study in the context of overcurrent protection refers to an analysis that ensures protective devices, such as circuit breakers and fuses, operate correctly during a fault condition. The main objective of this study is to ensure that the protective devices adequately isolate faults while minimizing the impact on the rest of the electrical system. This involves calculating the necessary settings for the protective devices to ensure they will trip for fault conditions but will not trip for normal operating conditions.

During a coordination study, the time-current characteristics of all the protective devices in a system are compared and analyzed. This helps in determining the best sequence in which devices will react during a fault, allowing upstream devices to remain operational while the devices closest to the fault trip and isolate the issue. Overall, this study is crucial for enhancing system reliability and ensuring safety in electrical installations by preventing unwanted outages and damage.