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Level Detection Magnitude Comparison Differential Comparison Phase Angle Comparison Distance Measurement Pilot Relaying Harmonic Content Frequency Sensing

Simplest of all operating principles. Fault Current magnitude is always greater then the normal load current. Example of 2000HP Motor Connected to 4kV power system. Full load current of motor is 245A.Emergency overload capability allowed is 25 percent. Hence 306 A level is set as a safety margin for faults inside the zone of protection.

4 KV R

2000 HP Motor

The Relay should operate and trip the circuit breaker for all currents above the setting. In case of manual operation of circuit breaker, the relay may be connected to sound an alarm. The level above which the relay operates is called pickup setting of relay. For currents smaller than the pickup value, the relay takes no action.

However viceversa is also possible as in undervoltage relay. Operating Characteristics of Overcurrent Relay.(I/Ip vs Operating time) I/Ip is known as normalized current. I/Ip< 1.0, then operating time is infinite. I/Ip> 1.0, then relay operates.

This operating principle is based upon the comparison of one or more quantities with each other. Example of current balance relay which compares the current in one circuit with the current in another circuit. These currents are equal in normal operation. The relay will operate when these currents vary by given tolerance.

If |Ia|>|Ib|+E (where E is tolerance) and line B is not open,the relay will declare a fault in line A and trip it. Similar logic is used to trip line B.

Most sensitive and effective method to provide protection against faults.

Example of a generator winding. Since winding is electrically continuous that is current entering one end is equal to current leaving at another end in normal operation. For abnormal operation the currents are no longer equal and relay has now current equal to difference of them.

Both level detection and magnitude comparison techniques are used in it and protection is termed as differential protection. Differential protection is capable of detecting very small magnitudes of current. Its drawback is that it requires current from the extremities of a zone of protection which restricts it to power apparatus such as generators, transformers, motors etc.

This relay compares the relative phase angles between two A.C quantities. It is used to determine the current direction with respect to reference quantity. For Example In a normal power flow, the phase angle between voltage and current varies around its power factor angle ( 30).

When power flows in opposite direction, then the angle will be 180 30. For fault in forward or reverse direction, the phase angle of current with respect to voltage is - or 180. where is the impedance angle.

The most reliable and positive type of protection compares the current entering the circuit with the current leaving it. But on transmission lines and feeders, the length, voltage and configuration of line may make this principle uneconomical. Instead of comparing the local line current with the far end line current, the relay compares the local current with the local voltage. This gives the impedance measurement of line.

An impedance relay relies on the fact that the length of the line for a given conductor diameter and spacing determines the impedance.

Certain relaying principles are based on the information obtained by the relay from a remote location. The information is usually in the form of contact status.(open or closed) The information is sent over a communication channel using power line carrier, microwave, telephone circuits.

Current and Voltages usually have sinusoidal waveform of fundamental power system frequency. There are deviations from pure sinusoid such as third harmonic voltages and current produced by the generators during normal operation. During abnormal operation, odd harmonics associated with transformer saturation or transient component caused by energization of the transformers.

These abnormalities are detected by sensing the harmonic content through filters in electromechanical or solid state relays.

Normal power system operation is at 50 or 60 Hz. Any deviation from these values indicates a fault. Frequency can be measured by filter circuits. Frequency sensing relays are used to take corrective actions which will bring the system frequency back to normal.