Basics of Substation Protection

Said Salim Palayi

AEE,
Electrical Division, KSEB Limited, Manjeri, Kerala,
South India
sspalayi@yahoo.com
 Protection - Why Is It Needed?
All Power Systems may experience faults
at some time.

FAULT
• Short circuit produced by failure of insulation.

PROTECTION IS INSTALLED TO :
• Detect fault occurrence and isolate the faulted equipment.

SO THAT :
• Damage to the faulted equipment is limited;
• Disruption of supplies to adjacent equipment is minimized.
• Danger to staff or the public is avoided
Faults Are Mainly Caused By Insulation
Failure
Underground Cables

Diggers
Overloading
Oil Leakage
Ageing
Faults Are Mainly Caused By Insulation
Failure
Overhead Lines

Lightning
Kites
Trees
Moisture
Salt
Birds
Failure of discs
Broken Conductors
Faults Are Mainly Caused By Insulation
Failure
Machines

Mechanical Damage
Unbalanced Load
 Types of Fault
a
b
Ø/E
c

a
b
Ø/Ø/E
c
e

a
Ø/Ø b
c

a a
3Ø b b
c 3Ø/E c

e
 BREAKER
EQPT / FEEDER

INSTRUMENT
RELAY
TRANSFOR
MERS
BATTERY
Types Of Protection - Principles

Most of the protective relays in

substation works in the following
principle.
1. Over current Protection
2. Differential Protection
3. Pilot wire protection
4. Distance Protection
1. Overcurrent Protection
IF
IF'

51

DC SHUNT
BATTERY TRIP COIL

Requires secure DC auxiliary

 No trip if DC fails
 1. Overcurrent Protection
Earth Fault Relay Connection - 3 Wire System

E/F OC OC OC E/F OC OC

 Combined with OC relays  Economise using 2x OC

relays
Over current protection Parallel Feeders
Consider fault on one feeder :-
I1 + I2
I1

51 A C 51
I2 LOAD

51 B D 51

Relays ‘C’ and ‘D’ see the same fault current (I2). As ‘C’ and
‘D’ have similar settings both feeders will be tripped.
 Parallel Feeders
Solution:- Directional Control at ‘C’ and ‘D’

I1 + I2
I1

C
51 A I2 67 LOAD

51 B D 67

Relay ‘D’ does not operate due to current flow in the

reverse direction.
Establishing Direction:- Polarising
Voltage
The DIRECTION of Alternating Current may only be
determined with respect to a COMMON REFERENCE.

The most convenient reference quantity is POLARISING

VOLTAGE taken from the Power System Voltages.
 Polarizing Voltage for Directional
Over current Relay
MAX SENSITIVITY
OPERATE LINE
IA
VA VA IA FOR MAX
RESTRAIN
45° SENSITIVITY
90° 45°
VBC VBC
135°

VC VB

RELAY CURRENT VOLTAGE

A IA VBC
B IB VCA
C IC VAB
 Residual Voltage for E/F Relay
May be obtained from ‘broken’ delta V.T. secondary.

A
B
C

VA-G VB-G VC-G

VRES

VRES = VA-G + VB-G + VC-G = 3V0

 Application of Overcurrent
Protection
Overcurrent & Earth fault Protection is used.
•HT lines
•Transformers
•Generators
•Reactors
•Capacitor Banks
•Motors
•Neutral displacement relays in capacitor banks
•EHT lines (Directional overcurrent &E/F)
•Breaker failure Protection
 2. Differential Principle

It works on the principle of comparing the current

entering and leaving a protected object.
If there is a difference, It is assumed that there is some
internal fault and relay operates according to the setting

Protected object

Relay
 Differential Protection Principle (1)
P1 P2 P2
Protected P1
Circuit
S1 S2 S2 S1

External fault - Current circulates between the HV & LV CTs;

no current thro’ the relay No Trip
 Differential Protection Principle (2)

P1 P2 Protected P2 P1
Circuit
S2 S1
S1 S2

For an internal fault the unbalanced current flows thro’

the relay So Relay operates
Application of Differential Relay

Differential Relays are used for

Transformers
Generators
Restricted Earthfault Protection
 Uses differential principle
 Increased sensitivity for earth faults
 REF elements for each transformer winding

 CTs may be shared with differential element

64

64
64
Restricted Earthfault Protection

REF Case I : Normal Condition

Stability level : usually maximum through fault level of transformer
P1 P2
S1 S2
P1 P2
S1 S2
P1 P2
S1 S2

P1 S1

P2 S2

Under normal conditions no current flows thro’ Relay

So
No Operation
,
Restricted Earthfault Protection
REF Case II : External Earth Fault

External earth fault - Current circulates between the phase & neutral
CTs; no current thro’ the relay
So, No Operation
 Restricted Earthfault Protection

REF Case III : Internal Earth Fault

For an internal earth fault the unbalanced current flows thro’ the relay

So, Relay Operates

 Bus bar protection Relay
• Bus bar protection works on the differential
principle.
 Single bus - Busbar Protection
BUSBAR
ZONE

F1

• Fast clearance by breakers at the busbars

 3. Pilot wire Protection
using OFC communication
PGCIL Areakode S/S
A B
Communication
Channel

Relaying Relaying
Point Point
R R

Trip A Trip B

Relay at End ‘B’ measures current and transmits the value to Relay
at end ‘A’ thru optical fibre cable. Relay ‘A’ compares measured
value and the value recived from ‘B’.
If both values are same, relay keeps restraint state.
If there is difference in values. Relays operates.
 Pilot wire protection
Used for
– EHT cables
– short distance EHT transmission lines
4.Distance
• . Distance
For : Transmission and Sub-Transmission Circuits
Also used as Back-up Protection for Transformers
and Generators
 Impedance Relay
jIX
IF zF

IZ
V1
V2
VF V3

IR

Trip TRIP STABLE

Spring

Restrain Voltage to Relay = V

Operate
Current to Relay = I
Replica Impedance = Z
Trip Condition : S2 < S1
Ampere Turns : VF IZ
where : S1 = IZ ≈ Z
Trip Conditions : VF < IFZ
S2 = V ≈ ZF
Increasing VR has a Restraining Effect ∴VR called Restraining Voltage
Increasing IR has an Operating Effect
Basic Principle of Distance Protection

Relay
ZS PT.
IR ZL

Normal
VS VR ZLOAD
Load

VR
Impedance measured ZR = = Z L + Z LOAD
ΙR
The relay is set based on the line impedance.
The measured ZR is more than the relay setting Z ,
hence relay restrains
Basic Principle of Distance Protection
ZL

ZS IR ZF

VS VR ZLOAD Fault

 Impedance Measured ZR = VR/IR = ZF

 Relay Operates if ZF < Z where Z = setting
 Increasing VR has a Restraining Effect ∴VR called
Restraining Voltage
 Increasing IR has an Operating Effect
 Distance Protection - Zones
• It is assumed that there will be an error up to 20% in
distance relay measurements.
• Hence distance relay setting is divided into Zones
• Normally 3 zones are for dist. Relay
• Zone-1 is instantaneous and covers 80% of protected
line.
• Zone- 2 covers 120% of line & is normally with 0.4 s
time delay
• Zone -3 covers next line from the substation also &
0.75 seconds timedelay.
 Zones of Protection

jX

D Z3A

C Z2A
B
Z1A

A
R
 Zones of Protection

Time

Z3A Z3C
T3

Z2A Z2C
T2

Z1A Z1C

A Z1B B C D
T2
Z2B

Z1A = 80% of ZAB

Z2A = 120% of ZAB
Z3A(FORWARD) = 120% of {ZAB + ZCD}
 Distance Relay -features

POWER SWING BLOCKING Provides Stability during

Power swing.

VT SUPERVISION Blocks tripping of Distance Relay

when VT supply fails.

SOTF (Switch- On-To-Fault.) Function enables high

speed tripping when line is energized to a persisting
fault.
Distance Protection- features

AUTORECLOSING
MAINTAINS STABILITY AND SUPPLY BY FAST
RECLOSING OF THE TRIPPED FEEDER.
CARRIER INTERTRIPS are provided for fast
clearance of faults for entire line.
 Distance Relay Applications
• Transmission lines
• Sub transmission line
• Backup protection for generators
Other type of relays used in
substation
 1.Under / Over Voltage Relays

– Used for protection of capacitor banks.

– Under voltage relays are also used for interlocking of line
Earth switches.
2.Under Frequency Relays

– Monitors the frequency of Power system

– Initiates commands for load shedding if system goes
below specified value.
 3.DC supervision
DC supervision relay
– Indicates the failure of DC supply to the panel.
– DC source holds the flag in reset condition
– When DC fails, the flag drops.
– N/C contact is wired to the annunciator for alarm.
– N/O contact is wired to the SCADA
 4.AC supervision relay
• Indicates the failure of AC to the panel.
• AC is necessary for the operation of space
heaters.
 5.Overfluxing Relay

Over fuxing = V/F

Causes
 Low frequency
 High voltage
 Geomagnetic disturbances
 Overfluxing Relay
Effects

 Transient Over fluxing - Tripping of differential element

 Prolonged Over fluxing - Damage to transformers

 Over flux relay measures V/f ratio and in it gives alarm in

stage-1 (usually set at 110%)
 It gives trip signal in stage-2 (set at 120%)
 6.Master Trip Relay
• It will transfer the actuation of trip signal from
relays to the circuit breaker
• A circuit breaker normally open (52a) contact
is used to interrupt trip coil current. This
saves trip coil from burning out due to
continuous current flow.
• Burning of trip coil may happen if this
contact is faulty.
 7.Trip circuit supervision
• It gives supervision of trip circuit healthiness
• Pre close supervision checks the
healthiness of CB when the CB is open
condition. (It is wired through the Normally
Closed ( 52b) auxiliary contact of the CB).
• Post close supervision checks the healthiness
of CB when the CB is in Closed condition. (it is
wired though Normally Open ( 52b) auxiliary
contact of the CB)
 8.Pole discordance relay
• Used in CBs with single pole tripping
• This relay confirm whether all poles are
Opened or Closed, if not it will generate a trip
signal.
pole discordance relay scheme
 9.Breaker Failure Protection (LBB)
A PROTECTION WHICH IS DESIGNED TO CLEAR A SYSTEM
FAULTY BY INITIATING TRIPPING OTHER CIRCUIT BREAKER(S) IN
THE CASE OF FAILURE TO TRIP OF THE APPROPRIATE CIRCUIT
BREAKER.

IN MODERN NETWORKS THE CRITICAL FAULT CLEARING

TIME MAY BE LESS THAN 200ms. HENCE, IF THE FAULT IS NOT
CLEARED DUE TO FAILURE OF THE PRIMARY PROTECTIVE
RELAYS OR THEIR ASSOCIATED CIRCUIT BREAKER, A FAST
ACTING BACK-UP PROTECTIVE RELAY MUST CLEAR THE FAULT.
 LBB/BFR FLOW CHART
MAIN RESET
TRIP FAULT
PROTECTION YES YES BREAKER
MAIN
OPERATED CLEARED FAILURE
BREAKER
SCHEME

NO

YES WAIT FOR

INITIATE FAULT AND
BFR CLEARENCE

TRIP
BACK-UP
BREAKERS
 10.Low SF6 alarm/lockout
Stage-1 : Alarm
•Alarm stage indicates the inadequate gas
pressure inside CB.
Stage-2 :Lockout.
•Lock out stage blocks the operation of CB. No
tripping or closing will happen then.
 11.Control Relays

• Auto-Reclose Relay
Used to auto reclosing of EHT feeders

• Tap change control Relay

Used for regulating the output voltage of
transformer by raising/lowering the tap
 12. Transformer Accessories
• 1) Buchholz Relay.
• 2) Oil Temperature Indicator.
• 3) Winding Temperature Indicator.
• 4) Magnetic Oil Level Gauge ( MOLG).
• 5) Pressure relief device ( PDR).
 Oil temperature Indicator.
• Indicates the temperature of the oil inside
transformer.
• Gives alarm/Trip signal
 Capilary
tube

Temperature
indicator

Sensing device

Monday, August 3, 2015

Oil Temperature Indicator
Fitted on the
Thermometer pocket.
 Winding Temperature relay
• Give indications about the temperature of
winding temperature of oil.
WTI with
HOT spot
simulation
CT
arrangeme
nt.
 FAN CONTROL CUBICLE

Winding temperature indicator

S1=alarm S2=trip

S4=cooler control 2
S3=cooler control 1
 12.2 Pressure Relief Device (PRD)
• When pressure inside transformer exceeds
the PRV will operate to release excessive
pressure inside the transformer.
• It issues a trip command and visual indication
by operation of a liver (from horizontal
position to vertical position)
Spring Operated Pressure relief device
 12.3 Buchholtz relay
• Mechanical relay which has two mercury
switches.
• When gas enters the chamber the position of
switches deflects and it will make alarm in
stage-1 and trip in stage-2 in Main tank
Buchholz relay.
• Only trip signal is provided in OLTC buchholz
relay.
 Buchholz Relay Installation
3 x internal pipe
Conservator
diameter (minimum)
5 x internal pipe
diameter (minimum)

Oil conservator
3 minimum

Transformer
Buchholtz Relay arrangement.
 12.4 MAGNETIC OIL LEVEL
GAUGE (MOLG)
• Mounting 15 0 Inclination.
• The movement of the float is transmitted to
the pointer by using a magnetic coupling.
• The follower magnet follows the driving
magnet.
• The driving magnet remains inside the
conservator and the other magnet out side
the conservator.
 1/2
1/4 3/
4

FU
BEARING

PTY

LL
EM
FLOATING MEMBER

MOLG
PERMANENT MAGNET

Monday, August 3, 2015