DATE: 18/07/2013

DOC.MIE11170

REV. 6.5.2

DISTANCE RELAY AUTOMATIC TESTING

APPLICATION GUIDE

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REVISIONS
N.
PAG.
1
All

SUMMARY

VISA

DATE
15/02/2010

Preliminary

Lodi

All

17/10/2012

Issued

Lodi

All

18/07/2013

Revised

Lodi

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1 SAFETY AT WORK ............................................................................. 7

2 TESTING A DISTANCE RELAY .................................................. 11
2.1 FOREWORD .................................................................................... 11
2.2 DISTANCE RELAY CONNECTION ................................................... 12
2.2 STARTING THE TEST PROGRAM ................................................... 15
2.3 THE DISTANCE RELAY IS IN THE RELAY LIBRARY ...................... 16
2.4 THE DISTANCE RELAY IS NOT IN THE RELAY LIBRARY .............. 21
2.4.1 The file is available ................................................... 22
2.4.2 The file is not available: Z - design ................. 23
2.5 TEST OF THE RELAY CHARACTERISTIC ...................................... 24
2.5.1 Click and test ................................................................ 24
2.5.2 Repeat a test ................................................................. 32
2.5.3 Test a new relay characteristic.......................... 37
2.6 VERIFY NOMINAL VALUES ............................................................ 42
2.7 SEARCH THE R/X CHARACTERISTIC ........................................... 45
2.8 SOME MORE GENERAL FUNCTION SELECTIONS ......................... 47

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Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to make this material complete, accurate, and up-to-date. In
addition, changes are periodically added to the information herein; these changes will be
incorporated into new editions of the publication. ISA S.R.L reserves the right to make
improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this
document without notice, and shall not be responsible for any damages, including but not
limited to consequential damages, caused by reliance on the material presented,
including but not limited to typographical errors.

Copies, reprints or other reproductions of the content or of parts of this publication shall
only be permitted with our prior written consent.
All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Copyright 2013 ISA S.R.L. Italy All rights reserved.

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SHORT FOREWORD
Dear ISA automatic relay test set user,
I often wondered why the users manual is not very much used,
even if it includes valuable information. As me too I am a user of
such manuals, the answer I have given myself is that valuable
information are concealed somewhere in the thick thing, and I do
not have time to waste to find it. So, either the manual is actually
of help, or I ignore it.
This is why I decided to split the automatic relay test set manuals
in three: specification, with all performance details; introductory
guide, with the device description; application manual, with
instructions about how to use it once its operation is understood.
The idea is that you may read once the introductory guide or the
specification, while you need to follow application examples more
than once; so, why not to split the manual in three?
Also, while the specification and the introductory guide change
with the specific automatic test set: UTB, UTS, ART 3, BER 3,
DRTS, DRTS 3, DRTS 6, DRTS 66, the application does not
change, unless for few instances: for instance, transformer
differential relays can be tested with six currents only with DRTS
6, unless you have an external three-currents option.
This application guide is specially devoted to beginners, as it
provides basic information about how to use the instrument
when testing the key relay types, so that you can get acquainted
of the test set plus the TDMS software. Once key relay testing is
understood, you should refer to the various program manuals for
more details.
Last but not least: with the test set, you got a set of documents,
that includes this one: however, you cannot find the software
manuals: where are they? Well, first of all they are in the HELP of
each software: it is always at hand to explain about what you are
doing; use it. Next, in the CD ROM that you got with the TDMS
program, are also recorded all manuals, in all languages: so, it is
a good idea that you copy them into your PC: you can find it
when you need it.

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Have a good work with ISA test sets!

Luca Biotti
Q&A Manager

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1 SAFETY AT WORK

The Product hereafter described is manufactured and tested

according to the specifications, and when used for normal
applications and within the normal electrical and mechanical
limits will not cause hazard to health and safety, provided that
the standard engineering rules are observed and that it is used
by trained personnel only.
The application guide is published by the Seller to be used
together with the Product described in the corresponding
document. The Seller reserves the right to modify the guide
without warning, for any reason. This includes also but not
only, the adoption of more advanced technological solutions and
modified manufacturing procedures, and also the addition of
other features, not available in the first release.
The Seller declines any difficulties arising from unknown technical
problems. The Seller declines also any responsibility in case of
use beyond the Specifications, modification of the Product
or of any intervention not authorized by the Seller in
writing.
The warranty includes the repair time and the materials
necessary to restore the complete efficiency of the Product; so, it
does not include other burdens, such as the transport and
customs fee. Under no circumstances the warrantee includes
any cost that the User may have suffered because of the Product
unavailability and downtime.
The Product is CE marked, and has been tested to operate
according to EN 61010-1, with the following operating conditions:
. Pollution degree 2: normally, non conductive pollution occurs;
. Measurement category 2, for measurement inputs.
Would the Product be used beyond these limits, its safety
could be impaired.

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Mains supply characteristics is: from 85 to 265 V AC; 50-60 Hz.

Power consumption: 100W at rest; up to 2000 W with the
maximum output power.
At the end of its life, the test set should be disposed in a waste
dedicated to electric and electronic equipment.
The Product deals with voltages and currents that may be lethal
to the unadvertised user. Besides, in order to avoid any danger in
case of fault inside the Product, the device under test should have
the following characteristics:
. Connection sockets must be not accessible;
. Input circuits must have an isolation degree at least equal to the
one of the Product.

. The symbol
is related to dangerous output, and is
located close to AC and DC voltage outputs.
. The symbol

. The symbol
protection fuse.

is located close to the ground socket.

is located close to the mains supply

The following table lists a number of situations that are

potentially hazardous to the user and/or to the Product. Please
consider this list, and refer to the introductory manual for
further details.
SITUATION

CAUSE OF RISK

CONTROL

TEST SET NOT

GROUNDED

Capacitor dividers take the case

at 110 V.
The unit is not protected against
common mode noise.
See below for details.
The test set ground and the
neutral ground are connected to
very distant points of the grid.
There is a voltage differential

Ground
connection

VOLTAGE (OR
CURRENT)
NEUTRAL
CONNECTED TO

VN (IN)
connected
to ground

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GROUND

between the grounds; in case of

fault, there is an heavy risk for
the test set and for the operator.
Besides, it is likely that
transient spikes occur during
the test; their value can
exceed the rated isolation
limits.
The frequency and amplitude
variations and the superimposed
noise have caused the damage
of the front-end circuit on DRTS
test sets unless DRTS 66.
The contact can be dangerous to
the user or even the plant. The
test set voltage outputs are
protected only prior to the first
test.
Possible danger of over-heating
components, specially with high
ambient temperature

STAND-BY
GENERATOR

OUTPUT
CONTACTS A
LIVE WIRE
LONG
GENERATION
OF ALL
CURRENTS
VERY OLD
RELAY, WITH
HEAVILY
INDUCTIVE
LOAD

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Spikes as the relay switches the

measuring circuits

Supply
waveform

Test
before
connecting
Check
burden
and
duration
Check
burdens

Of these points, the first three are very hazardous, both for the
user and the test set. THESE TYPES OF FAULT ARE NOT
COVERED BY THE WARRANTY.
Other information about the test set, coping with the Standard
EN61010-1, paragraph 5.4.

The USB and ETHERNET ports are isolated with respect to

the ground and all the internal circuitry at 1 kV AC, 50 Hz.
Cleaning of the display can be done using a dry (or slightly
wet) cloth. Do not use solvents, as they would
penetrate the display, and cause a permanent
damage.

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As soon as the mains supply plug is fit, the test set is

powered-on and goes to a stand-by status. Removing the
power supply cable is an emergency intervention: so,
leave room around it so that it is possible to remove
it.
The test set is to be operated with the handle below
it, and with the rear at least 0.1 m far from the wall.
In fact, the cooling air flows from the rear, where it is
sucked, to below the test set. If this flow is barred, the
test set would increase its temperature, at the detriment
of its expected life.

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TESTING A DISTANCE RELAY

2.1 FOREWORD
Distance relays behave as follows:
. Measure the fault impedance, and
. Trips with a different timing, according to the fault impedance
value.
On the R-X plane, zone 1 is a surface which includes all
impedances that make the relay to trip with a delay equal
to T1; the zone limit is a line that divides two zones. Testing a
zone limit always involves two tests: one in zone A, the other
one in zone A+1. As
a consequence, there is always an
approximation in finding a zone limit: it is the difference between
the two impedances for which:
. With fault Z(A), fault time is T(A), and
. With fault Z(A+1), fault time is T(A+1).
What the software does is to compute currents, voltages,
angles corresponding to ZA and to Z(A+1); then, the test set
applies the computed values to the relay and measures the
corresponding timings. We dont know where the limit actually
is, and we dont care, provided that the difference Z(A+1) Z(A)
is small enough, compared to the average (Z(A) + Z(A+1))/2,
that is the test result. The following sketch shows the situation.

TIME
T(A+1)
T(A)
IMPEDANCE
Z(A)
Z(A+1)
AVERAGE = TEST RESULT
The above implies that key test parameters are zone timings:
if they are wrong, test results will be meaningless. This is why,

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prior to start the automatic test, we suggest to verify that timings

are correct. If timings are correct and zone limits are wrong, our
test programs will automatically find the actual limits, with search
algorithms that minimize the search time.
2.2 DISTANCE RELAY CONNECTION
The connection of the distance relay to the test set involves the
following minimum set of connections:
. Three voltage outputs: they are V1, V2, V3 and VN. If you have
six voltage inputs, connect among them the three zero
references, and connect them to VN.
. Three current outputs: they are I1, I2, I3 and IN. If you have
six current inputs, connect among them the three zero
references, and connect them to IN.
. One trip contact. The connection follows the type of contact: if it
is voltage free, connect one end of the contact to the C socket,
and the other one to the C1 socket. If it is with voltage, connect
C to the zero voltage reference, and C1 to the polarized contact.
Other possible basic connections:
. Power supply the relay by connecting the auxiliary voltage input
to the test set V DC output.
. Over-reach command. This command comes from the external
Recloser logic, and it is typically connected to the auxiliary
supply. So, connect the C socket of A1 to the supply positive, and
the N.O. socket to the over-reach relay input.
The following figures shows the connection to DRTS6 and to DRTS
66.

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CONNECTION TO DRTS 6

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CONNECTION TO DRTS 66

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Before continuing, consider that:

. There is no problem of the test set power when testing
electronic or numeric relays;
. In case of electro-mechanical relays, the problem of power can
arise. Please refer to the test set introductory guide, where this
problem is dealt. An idea to solve problems is that distance relays
compute the impedance, i.e. the ratio of voltage vs. current.
This means that if you halve both of them, you can perform the
test at the expanse of a moderate accuracy reduction: this
usually solves the power issue. In this situation, if the general
starter is of the over-current type, you should temporarily halve
the settings.
2.2 STARTING THE TEST PROGRAM
The test of a distance relay is performed starting TDMS, and then
pressing DISTANCE RELAYS: the following window is displayed.

PRESS HERE

The simplest testing situation is that you have a table with a

number of impedance settings to be tested: in this situation,
press Distance 21 and go to the Verify nominal values
paragraph.

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If you wish to test the complete relay characteristic, the problem

of inputting the relay setting is simplified if the relay is listed in
the relay library: in this situation, the program accepts the relay
settings as they are, and adapts them to the test program. The
heavier alternative is to start the program and to design it by the
editor provided.
Other possibility: you have the nominal settings, and you want to
have a look at the complete characteristics, without having to
design it, also because you dont know all relevant parameters. In
this instance, go to the search the R/X characteristic paragraph.
2.3 THE DISTANCE RELAY IS IN THE RELAY LIBRARY
For revision 6.5.2, the following relays are available in the library
list. NOTE: we keep on adding the newest relays and
manufacturers to our library; so, you could find some more
relays.
MANUFACTURER
ABB
AREVA
GENERAL
ELECTRIC
HITACHI
ICE
LANDIS & GYR
MITSUBISHI
NXT-PHASE
PROTECTA
SCLUMBERGER
SEL
SIEMENS
SIFANG
TOSHIBA
VATECH
XelPower

MODELS
RAZFE, RAZOA, REL300, REL316, REL511,
REL516, REL670, REZ-1, LZ92, LZ96
EPAC3000, LFZR, MICROMHO, OPTIMHO,
P441-442-4442, P438, QUADRAMHO, P439,
P443-445-446
ALPS, URD60, DLP21, TLS1B
DMP-02XL
PDZI-N
DAM385, RN1
MDT-H
L-PRO
DV7036
RXAP33, ZDS8N, PXLP3000
SEL421, SEL321, SEL311
7SA511, 7SA513, 7SA522, 7SL24, 7SL27,
7SL32, 7SA611-612
CSL-101A
GRZ-100, MXL1E
OHMEGA
KYD2X1

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If the relay to be tested is in the library, after pressing it, the

manufacturer list is displayed.

For instance, the above is the selection of 7sa511 of SIEMENS.

With the selection above, the following window is opened.

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PRESS THIS BUTTON

AT THE END OF
PROGRAMMING

The screen shows:

. To the left, the distance relay setting parameters;
. To the right, the corresponding characteristic diagram for the
selected type of fault.
The left part changes for each relay type, following the different
settings of each distance relay (we have never found two equal
settings, even from the same manufacturer!). At this point:
- If you have the setting program of the relay, you can copy
these settings into the window;
- Same thing if you have these settings printed on some
document;
- Else, it is possible to read the settings from the relay itself. To
do this, the relay needs to be supplied; now, may be you can
feed it from the local auxiliary supply, or may be you cant. In
this last instance, you can use the DC voltage supply of the test
set, as follows.
. Go to TDMS and start DISTANCE 21: the following window is
displayed.

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1 SET HERE THE AUXILIARY

DC VOLTAGE SUPPLY

2 PRESS HERE TO
GENERATE THE DC
VOLTAGE

. Connect the auxiliary DC supply of your relay to the VDC

sockets.
. Press Switch V DC on: the relay is powered-on; you can read
the settings.
. Return to the relay settings page, and key in all parameters.
. When you have finished, return to the DISTANCE 21 screen and
exit.
. Come back to the relay settings page, and press the Distance 21
button: the following message can be displayed, if the relay has
different settings for LLL and LLn faults.

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If you answer No, two windows are opened: Z Design and

Distance 21; else, only Distance 21 is opened. We will deal with
Z-Design later on; let us continue with Distance 21, that now
opens up as follows.

THIS IS THE RELAY

CHARACTERISTIC TO
BE TESTED

The relay characteristic has been transferred to the Distance 21

program: now the actual testing can be performed. Prior to this,
you can save the setting as a .MDB file, pressing File and then
Save.

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After Save has been pressed, the common dialogue window is

opened: you can save in the selected directory.

Pressing Save, the file is saved for future uses.

2.4 THE DISTANCE RELAY IS NOT IN THE RELAY LIBRARY
If the relay to be tested is not in the library, press Distance 21
and select: FILE Open; the common file dialog window is opened.

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FILES THAT CAN BE

OPENED

There are four types of files that can be used to load the
characteristic curve:
. MDB files, that are relay test results;
. SET files, that are generated by Z Design;
. RIO files, that use a standard format, adopted by ABB and
SIEMENS;
. BPR files, that are generated by the former X.TEST 2000
programs.
2.4.1 The file is available
In this instance you have to open the file: after this, the
corresponding diagram is opened. If you open an .MDB file, you
will have both the characteristic curve and test results; else, you
only have the characteristic curve, as the one you have got from
the library.

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2.4.2 The file is not available: Z - design

This is a difficult situation, because it is necessary to edit the
relay characteristic curve. To this purpose, it is available an
editor, Z design, that eases very much the task.
First of all, go to File and select it:

Z-DESIGN SELECTION

The following window is opened:

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For the description of how to perform the editing, please refer to

the Distance 21 manual.
2.5 TEST OF THE RELAY CHARACTERISTIC
Now you have the relay characteristic, and you want to test it.
Prior to this, it is advisable to perform a short test that confirms
that connections and settings are right: to this purpose, the Click
and test selection is the right choice: performing few tests you
avoid to waste time in case something is wrong.
2.5.1 Click and test
. Select Network: the following window is displayed.

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GO TO TEST WINDOW

Here, you can select many things. However, unless you have
used Z design to draw a new curve, these parameters are
already set, and you can press Generate prefault to continue.
Otherwise, you have to input parameters that you can find in the
setting table. Few notes for some selections: for details, call Help
or go to the Distance 21 manual.
. Test mode: the easiest way to perform the test is to select I
constant: the selected test current is used for all tests.

The Zs constant selection provides a much more accurate

simulation of the fault; however, it asks for more test data, and
causes the deformation of MHO curves: so, this is not for
beginners.

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The CT side selection is obvious; however, dont forget it: a lot of

test time has been lost before understanding that the direction
was wrong!

About Line parameters, and in particular the earth factor KE,

what I can say is that distance relay manufacturers have applied
all their fantasy to make things as difficult as possible. We have
foreseen all possible ways of defining the earth coefficient, so that
you can find whatever is your relay definition for this parameter:
remember that it applies to single phase faults only. If you find
errors when testing your relay, in 99% of instances the error
comes from this parameter.

For more details, use Help or the Distance 21 manual.

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THIS IS THE FIRST

ZONE....

AND THIS IS THE FIRST

ZONE TIMING

THIS IS THE NO TRIP

TIMING

As explained in the introduction, key parameters are time delays:

if they are too wrong, test result is impaired. ATTENTION: if you
have four zone limits to test, you have to program five timings,
the last one being greater than the biggest timing.
About tolerances, it can be expressed either in absolute value or
in percentage: the bigger one applies. Dont select a tight
tolerance, as it wound increase test time at no actual benefit: if
you repeat tests with 0.5% tolerance on the same relay, you
dont get exactly the same result, because of different behaviour
of the distance relay itself.
As you see, it is even possible to program different timings for
different faults: un-check the Same time delay for all faults box,
select faults and program timings.
Some more selections, that could confusing:

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- Use current zero crossing means that at test start the current is
zero. This is a good choice for single phase and phase to phase
faults, while with three phase faults it is not relevant. Check it.
- Divide the characteristic by Inom: this is in case that settings
are referred to the nominal current.
- Apply V DC with a ramp. Most relays have a big capacitor on the
auxiliary supply input: this serves to avoid loosing data in case of
short duration supply drops. Sometimes, the capacitor is quite
exaggerated, so the test set understands that there is a short
circuit. In this instance, you can check this selection: generates a
slow ramp on the supply, the capacitor is slowly charged and the
test can continue.
- Last, a comment about this: other selections are self-explaining
(I hope; else, Help is there).

Z t DIAGRAM

AT THIS ANGLE
What does it mean? Clever
relay behaviour in the Z-t
angle at which you want
changing angle changes the
get the following image.

boy, you got it: you can display the

plane, once you have selected the
the characteristic to be displayed:
Z t diagram. If you click on it, you

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NO TRIP FROM
HERE ON
NO TRIP IN THIS
AREA...
ZONE 3 TIMING..

ZONE 3 LIMIT

ZONE 2TIMING..

ZONE 2 LIMIT..

ZONE 1 TIMING..

ZONE 1 LIMIT..

AT THIS ANGLE
You have impedance on the X axis, and time on the Y axis. To the
left of the Y axis, we are in the reversed direction, that in this
instance is a no trip area: the displayed timing is the maximum
time.
To the right of the Y axis, you are in zone 1: you can read the
timing, and the zone limit impedance, after which we have zone
2, and then zone 3; then there could be the general starter, and
eventually the no trip zone. If you change the selected angle,
zone limits change, but not zone timings.
Once you have finished with settings, press the Generate prefault button. As you do, the test set generates pre-fault values.
From now on, dont disconnect the relay unless after having
pressed the Reset pushbutton. The Test selection window
is opened.

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There are two folders: General Functions and Advanced

Functions. Let us consider here only the basic functions: for the
advanced ones, please refer to the software users manual.
After selecting Click and test, press Confirm:

The following window is displayed. If you move the mouse on the

diagram, two cursors show up; to the left, the window shows the
corresponding R,X coordinates, and Z, ; it displays also the
corresponding fault voltages and currents vectors. You can select
the type of fault: the characteristic usually changes, and also
currents and voltages.
Move the cursors to a point inside zone 1, and click on it: the test
is started, and when the relay trips you see to the left the test
result: it is the last line after those you have opened.

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Let us have a better look at test result.

THIS IS THE FAULT

IMPEDANCE...

AND THIS IS THE

TRIP TIME: OK

As mentioned in the foreword, it is important to verify timings;

so, move the cursor inside other zones, and click there, until all
timings are verified.

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AND THIS IS THE

TRIP TIME: OK

Verify that measured timings match with the programmed

ones; then, delete these preliminary tests pressing the Delete
all tests button. After this, you can continue with the automated
characteristic test.
Let us consider two instances: you have to repeat a test, or you
have a new characteristic to test.
2.5.2 Repeat a test
In this instance you have to open the former .MDB test result of
the relay you want to test: the following window is displayed. In
this instance, we have loaded the result of the verification of an
ABBs REL511 distance relay.

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The diagram shows the nominal curve (black line) and the
tolerance limits (coloured band). Yellow dots are the former test
results.
To the left, are reported all tests performed and the
corresponding results. If you want to repeat the same tests, go to
Test selection, select Sequence.

SELECT
SEQUENCE...

Press Confirm: the Test window is displayed.

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Move the mouse on N. 1, click it, keep it pressed, and move it

down until all tests have been selected: as you release it, the
window is now as follows.

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The dialogue window gives you a number of choices: as you want

to repeat tests, select Repeat selected tests: the window
becomes the following, and the test starts immediately.

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The test is executed by verifying one setting after the other,

following the test sequence table to the left. When a result is
obtained, the tested point is displayed in red. The test proceeds
on all selected points, until the last one is finished.
Note that the display shows only test results for faults selected in
the Fault window; so, if you have selected more types of fault,
you can access them by changing the fault selection.
If you press now Store all tests, you can save test results in the
location you want.

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2.5.3 Test a new relay characteristic

In this instance you have opened a distance relay characteristic,
and you want to test it: the following window is displayed. In this
instance, we have loaded the 7SA511 characteristic.

The diagram shows the nominal curve (black line) and the
tolerance limits (coloured band). Now, you have to press Select
Network, and proceed as explained in the Click and test
paragraph.
Now, come back to Test selection, and select Verify R/X
characteristic: the following window is opened.

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What does it mean? It means that the test is performed as

follows:
. It verifies the zone limit settings at a given angle;
. It measures zone timings, with faults that are the average of
two zones;
. Once an angle has been tested, the test proceeds with the next
one, until all tests have been performed.

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Let us have a better look at test selections.

- Fault: you can choose which faults you want to test, single
phase, two phase, three phase, all of them. Test time grows if
you select all tests. Note that, once a test has been selected, you
can come on this window again, and select another test: it will
add to the former one. A good choice could be:
. Select the complete test of one single-phase fault, and of one
two-phase fault;
. For other zones, program the test at 0, 80 and 90, checking
Test at this angle only.
- Start angle, stop angle and step angle are self-explanatory.
Usually, default values are a good choice, unless you want a more
accurate test of corners.
- It is also possible to define a different impedance as a starting
point of the search, by setting the Offset Z and Offset phZ values:
this is useful for the Loss of field generator protection. The
following pictures give the idea.
Offset Z=

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- You can select the zone limits to be tested: last zone is the
general starter.
- 1-EXT selection refers to the test of first extended zone: if you
check it, you can choose the auxiliary output to which the overreach command is connected.
- Last, if you check Perform border test, the test will also verify
that at tolerance limits the relay behaves correctly.
This message box, if not disabled, reminds you that time settings
are the most important parameters for the automatic testing.

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In case of doubt, please follow the Click and test sequence of

the former paragraph.
Now, once everything has been selected, you are on the Test
window: all selected test points are displayed.
Press the START button: tests are executed one after the other,
until all tests have been performed.

To the left, the table lists test results.

The Error column tells the test result error: have a look at it, and,
in case some result is beyond the tolerance limits, you can repeat

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it by clicking the mouse on the test you wish to repeat: the

following window is opened.

PRESS HERE TO
REPEAT THE TEST..

AND THEN
HERE

As you press Repeat selected test, the test is repeated, and the
new result is displayed.
When you are happy with your test results, press Store all
tests: you can save test results in the location you want.

2.6 VERIFY NOMINAL VALUES

This is the case when you have the settings, typically: line angle,
0, 90, and you want to test them. Your R-X plane is blank.

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Now, on the Network selection, you can program the first set of
test parameters: the former paragraph deals about it.
Next, go to Test selection, and select Verify nominal values:
the selection is the following.

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You have to arm yourself with patience, and to program the

settings. Once the first programming for one (or more) fault is
performed, click on OK: the following message is displayed.

Now you can proceed adding tests at different angles on the

same fault(s), and then changing faults and programming again
fault angle and fault values, until all your settings have been
input. Select the Test window: it will display like this.

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SETTINGS TO BE
TESTED

NOMINAL VALUES

PRESS START FOR

THE TEST

To the right, dots correspond to your settings; the table on the

left summarizes the details. Pressing Start, all selected points are
verified, in the programmed order, until all results have been
obtained. When you are happy with your test results, press
Store all tests: you can save test results in the location you
want.
2.7 SEARCH THE R/X CHARACTERISTIC
You want to know more about the distance relay characteristic,
but you dont know its shape, or you dont want to spend time
designing it. In this case, you can take advantage of the Search
R/X characteristic selection.
First steps are as above; then, go to the Test selection window,
and select Search R/X characteristic: the window becomes the
following.

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PROGRAM SEARCH
ANGLES

As you see, there is no characteristic curve on the R-X diagram:

instead, there are a number of lines, that are those along which
zone limits will be looked for. Thanks to our clever search
algorithm, the test will not take too long: after first test results,
we learn where settings are, and next tests are much faster.
The time is a function of the tolerance you have programmed in
Network; so, program no less than 2%!.
You can change angles at will: the program accepts any step
angle, but the default is a reasonable compromise.
Press Start: the program will start looking for zone 1 at the first
test angle, then zone 2 and so on, until it is finished.
The following is a test result obtained on an ABB REL511. As you
can see, lines are not perfectly straight, because of minor
differences around the zone limit; however, the shape is clear,
and zone limits are correct, both forwards and backwards.

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2.8 SOME MORE GENERAL FUNCTION SELECTIONS

The first selection we will consider is verify blinders.
Blinders are lines, at a
certain angle, which are
normally used in distance
relays to clearly separate the
forward zones from the
reverse. They are normally
used
with
quadrilateral
characteristics. Example of
blinders is in the graph here
on the right hand side. The
test can be performed either
with or without a nominal
characteristic.

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If the nominal
characteristic is
available, the programs
detects all blinders for
each individual zone
and type of fault. Then
they are presented in a
table where the user
must select the blinders
to be checked. For the
example above, the
table on the right is
processed.

Select the blinder

to test: just double
click on the Check
column of the one
you want to test
Unselect a
previous selection
just double click
again
As you may see, in
order to help you
choose the right
blinder, the selection is
made according to:
Zone number
Type of fault
Blinder angle
The user must choose which digital contact is associated with the
blinder search, as different fault types may trigger different
contacts.
IF THE NOMINAL
CHARACTERISTIC IS
NOT AVAILABLE YOU
HAVE TO ENTER THE
BLINDER VALUES BY
YOURSELF.
Zone nr: Select the

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zone number (this will

establish the maximum
testing time)
Test at: Select the
Impedance value for
the test it must be
within the above Zone
number selection.
Fault type: single
phase, phase to phase
Blinder location: here
you select
o the relative blinder
value
o the position
O and the zone
number

Max Error: this is the maximum acceptable error in degrees

when searching for blinders.
When all selection are done, press ok to confirm and prepare the test
table.
The button Set digital Inputs
contact page.

opens the Digital Inputs

The second function is the Automatic zone test (Z / t). With this
selection, the window is the following.

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TEST VALUES

You better select the Z-t window: now it shows the following.

TEST VALUES

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Dots mark the fault impedances where the time response will be
tested. Pressing Start, tests are performed, and test results are
displayed, until the last result is obtained.

The last selection we wish to mention is the menu choice Show

waveform.

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First select here

then here

Voltages and currents waveforms that the instrument has

generated in order to reproduce the test are displayed.

The window has two cursors, that are positioned with the right
and left click of the mouse. When cursors are located on the fault,

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timers on the line below show the corresponding timings. To the

right, displayed values are the voltage and current values pointed
by cursors.
You can magnify as follows:
. Press the Zoom + button;
. Locate the left cursor at the beginning of the area of interest,
and keeping the mouse button pressed;
. Drag the mouse to cover all the area to zoom
As you release the mouse button, the selected area covers all the
screen.
This is all for distance relay testing: it is a good push towards
their understanding.