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EE 3043 Power Systems III

Power System Protection

Relay Coordination
by

Dr. Lidula N. Widangama Arachchige

Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Outline
Relay coordination

Types of Over-current relays

Discrimination by time, current, time and current
Inverse characteristics
Discriminative grading
Earth fault detection
Theory and operation of directional over current

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Over-current Protection
Over-current Relays:
Most common form of protection
Use to deal with excessive currents due to faults in the
power system
Use the current level to detect faults
Primarily intended to operate under faults
Not designed to protect systems against overloads

Types of Over-current relays

Instantaneous
Definite Time
Inverse Time

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Instantaneous Over-current Relay

Named as Definite current relay as well
Operate instantaneously when the current reaches a
predetermined value
Characteristic curve
t

iPickup

i
5

Coordination of Instantaneous Relays

Based on the fact:
Fault current varies with the position of the fault

Calculate the fault currents at Bus-bars A, B, C and D

j 0.24

j 0.485
Vs/3

j 2.12

j 0.04
B

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Coordination of Instantaneous Relays

Relay furthest away from the source will operate for
a low current value
Relay operating currents are progressively increased
towards the source
t

D CB A

Drawbacks of having only Instantaneous Protection

Little selectivity at high values of fault currents
Difficult to distinguish between the fault currents at
two points when the impedance between the two
points is small compared to the impedance back to
the source

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Definite-Time Over-current Relay

Allows adjustment of operating time according to the
current level
Relay can be adjusted to trip the breaker nearest to
the fault in the shortest time
t

tSet
iPickup

i
9

Different Settings of Definite-Time Over-current Relays

Current Setting (Pickup Setting, Plug Setting, Tap
Setting)
To select the value of current at which the relay will start
responding

Time-dial Setting
To obtain the exact timing of the relay operation

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Coordination of Definite-Time Over-current Relays

The time interval between each relay should be long
enough to ensure the upstream relays do not
operate before the fault is cleared by the nearest
circuit breaker to the fault
t

D CB A
Discrimination
margin

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Drawbacks of Definite-Time Over-current Relays

Longest fault clearance time occurs for the section
closest to the source, where the fault current is the
highest

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Inverse-Time Relay
Relay operating time is inversely proportional to the
fault current
Also referred to as Inverse Definite Minimum Time
(IDMT) relays
For very high currents, much shorter tripping times
can be achieved without the risk of protection
selectivity
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Categorization of IDMT Relays

Inverse
Very Inverse
Extremely Inverse

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Coordination of IDMT Relays

For a fault beyond A, Relay at A should operate

before the Relay at B operates
Relay characteristic curves can be adjusted by
selecting two parameters
Pick-up current or plug setting
Time dial or time multiplier setting
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Pickup Setting
Referred to as plug setting or tap setting as well
Defines the pick-up current of the relay

Plug Multiplier Setting (PMS)

Fault current is expressed as multiples of the pickup setting
in the characteristic curves
PMS

Fault current in the secondary of the current transformer

Pick - up current
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Time Dial Setting

Adjust the time delay before the relay operates
whenever the current reaches a value equal or
greater than the relay current setting

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Costruction of an Induction Disc Relay

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Inverse Current Relay Characteritics

For a given relay, a set of
characteristic curves can
be generated for different
time multiplier settings
(TMS)
Current axis is given as
multiples of the pick-up
current
In most relays, continuous
adjustment of TMS is
possible
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Relay Characteristics for Proper Coordination

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Inverse-Current Relay: Standard Characteristics

IEC Standard

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Inverse-Current Relay: Standard Characteristics

ANSI/IEEE Standards

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Connection of Phase and Earth Fault Over-current Relays

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Setting Over-current Relays

Over-current relays are normally supplied with both
Instantaneous element
Time delay element

Setting of the relay involves

Selecting parameters that defines the required time/current
characteristics

The process has to be carried out twice for:

Phase relays using 3 phase short circuit fault currents
Earth fault relays using phase-to-earth fault currents

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Coordination of Over-Current Relays

Selection of the correct characteristics

Choice of relay current settings
Choice of grading margins
Selection of time settings

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Setting Instantaneous Over-Current Units

Instantaneous units are useful for:
Reducing the operating time of the relays for severe
system faults
Avoiding loss of selectivity in a protection system with
relays having different characteristics

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Criteria for setting Instantaneous Units

Criteria differ depending on the
location
Type of system element being protected

Criteria is defined separately for

Lines between substations
Transformers
Distribution lines

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Setting Instantaneous Over-current Units

Lines between substations
Iset = 125% of the maximum symmetrical fault current at the next
downstream substation
Setting is started from the substation furthest from the source
and proceeded backward towards the source
The 25% margin avoids overlapping with the downstream
instantaneous unit when a dc off set is present
In HV systems operating at 220kV or above, higher margin
should be used
High X/R ratio result in higher dc offsets

When the coordination of time delay units is lost due to crossing

of characteristics, the instantaneous unit of the downstream
substation is set at a lower value to avoid the loss of
coordination
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Setting Instantaneous Over-current Units

Distribution lines supplying MV/LV transformers

One of the following criteria can be used

50% of the maximum short circuit current at the point of CT
supplying the relay
Between 6 to 10 times the maximum circuit rating

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Setting Instantaneous Over-current Units

Instantaneous over-current relay installed at the primary
(HV) side of a transformer

125-150% of the short circuit current at the bus bar on the LV

side, referred to the HV side
Higher margin is required to avoid lack of coordination with the high
inrush currents

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Setting Time-delay Over-current Relays

Definite time relays and inverse time relays can be
adjusted by selecting the pick-up setting and time
dial or time multiplier setting

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Pick-up Setting of Phase Over-current Relays

Where,
OLF = overload factor
CTR = CT ratio

Recommended OLF values

Motors = 1.05
Lines, Transformers, Generators = 1.25 1.5
Distribution feeders = up to 2
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Pick-up Setting of Earth Over-current Relays

Where,
UBF = unbalanced factor

Recommended UBF values

Typical = 0.2
HV lines = 0.1
Distribution feeders = 0.3
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Procedure for calculating the time dial setting

Step-1 : Determine the required operating time t1 of
the relay furthest from the source
Use the lowest time dial setting
Consider the pick-up current of the instantaneous relay
Raise the time dial setting if the following conditions apply
Necessary to coordinate with devices (eg. Fuses) installed
downstream
Load current during re-energizing (cold load pick-up) is high

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Procedure for calculating the time dial setting

Step-2 : Determine the operating time of relay at the
next substation towards the source
t2a=t1+tmargin
Use the fault current used to determine the timing t1 of
the previous relay for this calculation

Step-3 : With the same fault current as in the

previous step, knowing t2a and the pick-up current
for relay 2, calculate the time dial setting for relay 2
Use the closest available time dial setting whose
characteristics is above the calculated value
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Procedure for calculating the time dial setting

Step-4 : Determine the operating time t2b of relay 2
but now using the fault current just before the
operation of instantaneous unit
Step-5 : Continue the procedure with the sequence
starting from the second step

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Time Discrimination Margin

Typical values: 0.25 s 0.4 s
This value avoids loss of selectivity due to one or more of
the following:
Breaker opening time
Relay overrun time after the fault has been cleared
In numerical relays there is no overrun and margin could be
selected as low as 0.2s
Variations in fault levels, deviations from the characteristics
curves and errors in the current transformers

Single phase faults on star side of a Dy transformer are

not seen on the Delta side.
When setting earth fault relays, the lowest available time dial
setting can be applied to the relays on the Delta side
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