IEC 63522-40:2025

Electrical relays - Tests and measurements - Part 40: Short circuit testing

IEC 63522-40:2025 This document is used for testing along with the appropriate severities and conditions for measurements and tests designed to assess the ability of DUTs to perform under expected conditions of transportation, storage and all aspects of operational use. This document defines a standard test method for short circuit testing.

Relais électriques - Essais et mesurages - Partie 40: Essais de court-circuit

IEC 63522-40:2025 Le présent document traite des essais ainsi que des sévérités et conditions appropriées pour les mesurages et essais destinés à évaluer l'aptitude de DUT à fonctionner dans des conditions prévues de transport, de stockage, et de tous les aspects d'utilisation opérationnelle.
Le présent document définit une méthode d'essai normalisée pour les essais de court-circuit.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 16-Apr-2025
• ICS: 29.120.70 - Relays
• Technical Committee: TC 94 - Electrical relays
• Drafting Committee: WG 3 - TC 94/WG 3
• Current Stage: PPUB - Publication issued
• Start Date: 17-Apr-2025
• Completion Date: 07-Mar-2025

Standards Content (Sample)

IEC 63522-40 ®
Edition 1.0 2025-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Electrical relays – Tests and measurements –
Part 40: Short circuit testing

Relais électriques – Essais et mesurages –
Partie 40: Essais de court-circuit
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IEC 63522-40 ®
Edition 1.0 2025-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Electrical relays – Tests and measurements –

Part 40: Short circuit testing

Relais électriques – Essais et mesurages –

Partie 40: Essais de court-circuit

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 29.120.70  ISBN 978-2-8327-0349-6

– 2 – IEC 63522-40:2025 © IEC 2025
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Test procedure . 6
4.1 Purpose . 6
4.2 Procedure . 6
4.2.1 General. 6
4.2.2 Preconditioning . 7
4.2.3 Test circuit calibration . 7
4.2.4 Test procedure and/or sequence . 7
4.3 Test conditions . 8
5 Evaluation . 8
5.1 General . 8
5.2 Test report . 9
Bibliography . 10

Figure 1 – Standard short circuit capacity test circuit . 6

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ELECTRICAL RELAYS –
TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS –
Part 40: Short circuit testing

FOREWORD
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IEC 63522-40 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 94: Electrical relays. It is an
International Standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
94/1057/FDIS 94/1116/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.

– 4 – IEC 63522-40:2025 © IEC 2025
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
A list of all parts of IEC 63522 series, published under the general title Electrical relays – Tests
and measurements, can be found on the IEC website.
This International Standard is to be used in conjunction with IEC 63522-0:– .
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn, or
• revised.
___________
Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: IEC CDV 63522-0:2024.

ELECTRICAL RELAYS –
TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS –
Part 40: Short circuit testing

1 Scope
This part of IEC 63522 is used for testing along with the appropriate severities and conditions
for measurements and tests designed to assess the ability of DUTs to perform under expected
conditions of transportation, storage and all aspects of operational use.
This document defines a standard test method for short circuit testing.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 63522-0:– , Electrical relays – Tests and measurements – Part −0: General and guidance
IEC 63522-4, Electrical relays – Tests and measurements – Part 4: Dielectric strength test
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 63522-0 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
short circuit protective device
SCPD
protective device, specified by the manufacturer, which has to be installed in the circuit in series
with the device under test in order to protect it against short circuits only to cut the current
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-442:2019, 442-05-12, modified – modification of the definition.]
3.2
control switch
CS
device which is capable of connecting and disconnecting the short circuit under safe conditions
to ensure full disconnection
___________
Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: IEC CDV 63522-0:2024.

– 6 – IEC 63522-40:2025 © IEC 2025
4 Test procedure
4.1 Purpose
The test shall evaluate the relay short circuit capacity.
IEC
Z : Impedance
L
L: Inductance
R: Resistance
NOTE 1 SCPD means short circuit protective device (e.g. fuse). The cut off could be more sensitive than the main
SCPD (defined by the application or by the manufacturer).
NOTE 2 The optional SCPD and cos φ/time constant are used by application standards or defined by the
manufacturer.
NOTE 3 Measuring the arcing time could be helpful information for the relay manufacturer.
Figure 1 – Standard short circuit capacity test circuit
4.2 Procedure
4.2.1 General
The relay shall withstand the stress generated from the short circuit current under the conditions
specified by the manufacturer.
The relay under test (DUT) shall be in a new and clean condition, mounted as in service or
specified by the manufacturer. The test arrangement is shown in Figure 1.
The details of the specified short circuit protective (SCPD) device shall be stated by the
manufacturer.
The test shall be performed under reference conditions given in IEC 63522-0:─, 4.4.
The operating energization of the test coil shall be at rated operating value unless otherwise
stated by the manufacturer. Any deviation shall be stated in the manufacturer documentation
for example test report, datasheet and so on.
The wiring of the short circuit shall have at least the cross-section for the nominal current in
accordance with IEC 63522-0:─, 4.7. If the resistance of the short circuit loop is too high to
reach the requested short circuit current, a higher cross-section value shall be chosen.
The short circuit protective device (SCPD) of the power source (including the primary and
secondary protective devices) shall ensure that the short circuit prospective current can flow
uninfluenced at least for four half waves for AC, or 20 ms for DC for the calibration shot.

4.2.2 Preconditioning
The relay can be preconditioned several times before test, at no load or at any current not
exceeding the rated current. The preconditioning, if any, shall be mentioned in the test record.
4.2.3 Test circuit calibration
For the circuit calibration, the DUT shall be bridged as close as possible to the DUT. However,
the bridge shall have the same length and cross-section as the bridged wiring path.
The current form shall be recorded and shall be part of the test record.
4.2.4 Test procedure and/or sequence
The procedure or sequence, or both, shall be selected in accordance with the application.
However, the DUT shall be operated and monitored in accordance with IEC 63522-0:–,
Figure A.2.
Examples for typical sequences are given as follows:
Procedure 1: SCPD is used:
• Sequence A
i) CS is closed.
ii) DUT makes into fault condition.
iii) SCPD breaks the short circuit current.
• Sequence B
i) DUT is closed.
ii) Make (start the fault condition) is carried out by CS.
iii) SCPD breaks the short circuit current.
Procedure 2: No SCPD is present:
• Sequence A
i) DUT is closed.
ii) Make and break are carried out by CS for a specific time.
• Sequence B
i) DUT makes into fault condition.
ii) Break is carried out by control switch after a specific time
• Sequence C
i) DUT is closed.
ii) Make is carried out by control switch.
iii) Break is carried out by DUT after a specific time.
Procedure 3: DUT has SCPD functions:
• Sequence A
i) DUT makes into fault condition.
ii) DUT break fault condition.
• Sequence B
i) DUT is closed.
ii) Make is carried out by control switch.
iii) DUT with SCPD function break.

– 8 – IEC 63522-40:2025 © IEC 2025
As well as combinations of these.
Unless otherwise specified, the short circuit current shall be applied at least 3 times on the
same DUT, and the time between each shoot shall be not less than 60 s.
If a SCPD is used and renewed for the next shoot, the time can potentially be much longer.
For each new test sequence new DUT can be used.
4.3 Test conditions
The product (or applicative) standard specifies the following conditions:
– test sequence;
– number of test samples;
– energization conditions, if different from the rated coil voltage;
– polarity of contact;
– test voltage;
– test current;
– short circuit current time;
– number of applied short circuit current shots;
– used SCPD (specification of the SCPD), if applicable.
5 Evaluation
5.1 General
After the short circuit test, the relay shall fulfil the requirements given by the application
standard or defined by the manufacturer.
As an example, after the short circuit test is performed, the DUT shows no functions like operate
or release anymore and the enclosure is undamaged, i.e. no live parts are touchable.
In case of bas
...