Performance Evaluation of GeneratorTransformer Unit Overall Differential Protection
Performance Evaluation of GeneratorTransformer Unit Overall Differential Protection
(3)
ISSN Print (2314 – 7318) and Online (2314 – 730X) July 2018
Power Generation Engineering and Department of the Electrical Electrical Power and Machines Department,
Services Company, PGESCO Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University
Menoufia University
Abstract-This paper investigates the performance of the machinery subcommittee and the power system relaying
Generator-Transformer unit overall differential protection committee recommended that the coordination between the
function (Relay 87O). The Relay 87O is often required for generation unit protections, system protection, excitation
large power generation as a backup protection for Generator, control, and generator capability should be enhanced [7-8].
Generator Step-Up Transformer (GSUT), and Unit Auxiliary
The differential relay is a reliable method for protecting
Transformer (UAT) differential protection systems. Three
generators, transformers, large motors, buses, cables, and
different methodologies of the relay settings covering all
transmission lines against the effects of internal faults. The
possible design concepts are evaluated. Also, the relay setting
main benefits of this relay are the reliability and the speed for
increasing the power generation stability and reliability of
isolating the faulty region. Large power generation protection
Egyptian grid is recommended. The performance evaluation
scheme needs adding a backup differential protection for
of the relay has been conducted by using a dynamic model of
Generator, GSUT, and UAT including buses. The Generator-
ATP/EMTP software for a large steam turbine synchronous
Transformer unit overall differential protection is designed to
generator. The parameters of the selected generator are
be a backup protection for generator and transformers.
obtained from the real data in Egyptian power generation
Consequently, it requires being coordinated with a generator,
station. The performance of the relay is tested under major
GSUT, and UAT differential relays by a time delay, pickup
system disturbances and abnormal operating conditions from
current, and/or slop of restrained curve. Therefore, the
dependability, security, and reliability point of view. The
blinding of the relay during internal faults may occur. On the
sample results of the assessment are declared and discussed.
other hand, the relay may unnecessarily trip in the normal
operating conditions or external system disturbances such as
Keywords- ATP/EMTP, Differential Protection, Power
synchronization, Full Load rejection, external faults, transient
Transformer, Protective Relay, Synchronous Generator,
system faults, reverse power, and power swing [9-13]
Thermal Power Plant.
Generally, several researchers carried out a performance
I. INTRODUCTION evaluation for differential protection relay when it separately
protects the power transformer, transmission lines, and bus
The large thermal power generating units are a crucial bars [14-20]. In [14] the performance evaluation of busbar’s
source for producing electric power in any power system grid. differential protection relay under different fault scenarios
Therefore, various protective devices protect the thermal was presented via representing the relay with a combination
power generation plant to minimize the possibility of of biased differential protection algorithm with fast Fourier
occurring a damage, minimize the frequency and duration of algorithm. An experimental evaluation of power differential
unwanted outages, and then increase the power system relay for transmission line protection was presented in [15].
stability [1-2]. However, Different real problems still The evaluation was accomplished at a different power level
encounter the protection system of the power plant [3]. (changes in active and reactive power). The relay setting
During a North American grid blackout in 2003, 13 types of values were determined from the line rating and parameters.
generating units’ relays were unnecessarily tripped. This mal- The performance evaluation and analysis of power
operation leads to lost 290 units which are around 52.7 GW transformer differential protection relay were presented in
[4-5]. Also, during a major system disturbance in western [16-20] using different methodologies under mal-operation
American in 1996, 22.9 GW are lost due to tripping different cases such as current transformers (CT) saturation, over
protective devices of the generation units. The cause of the excitation, magnetizing inrush, and nonlinear load switch. Up
tripping were 22 cases for power plant problems, 6 cases for to date, the evaluation of the Generator-Transformer unit
excitation control/Field problems, and around 35 cases of overall differential protection performance is not covered.
load rejection/power swing [6]. As a result, The IEEE rotating
This paper presents the performance analysis of the Tests based on synchronized PMU measurements have shown
generator-transformer unit overall differential protection from glimpses of electromechanical wave propagation in the USA
dependability, security, and reliability point of view using the [3-4].
ATP/EMTP software. The evaluation of the protection relay
(87O) functions is accomplished using mass simulations A. The Algorithm
based on real technical parameters for large thermal power
A percentage differential function is applied to the
generation plant [21]. The results illustrate the behavior of the
fundamental component of the currents to decide whether an
protection functions against a wide variety of normal
internal fault occurs or not. The difference between the
operation and short-circuiting situations using the three
operating and restraining currents is a small value under
different relay settings (sensitive, balanced, and secure). The
normal operating conditions and external faults, while it
aim of this evaluation is providing the appropriate choice and
becomes a significant value under internal faults. The relay
better understanding of the differential protection settings of
with harmonic restraint is the most used protective scheme for
generator-transformer unit overall differential protection.
the generator, transformer, and generator-transformer unit
overall protection.
II. FUNDAMENTAL OF GENERATOR-TRANSFORMER
UNIT OVERALL DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION
The operating current (Id) of current differential protection
can be obtained by:
The recommended unit overall differential zone covers both
the GSUT and the UAT as shown in Figure (1)[9-10]. In
some cases, the UAT may be excluded from the overall
differential scheme as in the alternate connection [22]. This
approach may introduce a blind spot in the protection of the (1)
UAT [9-10]. In this evaluation, the UAT consider within the
unit overall differential zone. The algorithm and settings of
the unit overall differential relay are illustrated in the where: N is the number of current transformers
following subsections. The restraining current (Ir) can be obtained by:
System Grid
(2)
HV BREAKER
where: k is a compensation factor, usually taken as 1 or 0.5.
The differential relay generates a tripping signal if the
operating current (Id) is greater than a percentage of the
restraining current (Ir) as follows:
GSUT
Tripping Area
GCB
UAT Iins
GENERATOR
Tripping Area
Alternative
with restrain
Id/Iref
87O
Auxiliary
Ir/Iref
Recently the spreading of disturbances in the power system
has been viewed by modeling the system as a continuum. Figure (2): Percentage Differential Curve
PercentageSlopes (SLP):
The relay protection has a possibility of using two slopes
(m1, m2). The first one is used to lower levels of the operating
currents and the other is used to higher levels of the operating
currents. First slope’s setting is set to ensure the sensitivity
against the internal faults at normal operating current and
should be sufficiently high to treat the CT mismatch, errors
due to the accuracy of the CTs, current variation due to tap
changer operation, CT saturation in case of external faults, the
accuracy error of the relay, generator field current, and the
generator/transformer excitation current. Further, it should be
greater than the pickup setting of the generator’s and
transformers’ differential protection. The recommended
setting range is 15:30% of full load current. Second slope’s
setting is activated in the infinite region beyond the knee
point and should be set to ensure the stability under heavy
external fault conditions which could lead to high differential
currents as a result of CT saturation. The recommended
setting range is 50:80% of full load current. When using CT
with high saturation point, the same percentage of the slope
one can be used. Figure (3):Single Line Diagram of the Studied System
generator terminals by a (22/0.96 kV, 9000 kVA) excitation Balanced Setting (S2):
transformer as illustrated in Figure(3). The generator is
simulated using a universal synchronous machine with It uses a setting between two above cases for pickup, slope
manufacturers data input (UMSYN) subroutine in and harmonic to provide a balanced protection system for
ATP/EMTP. The generator is connected to the Generator security and stability as shown in Table (1).
Circuit Breaker (GCB) through isolated phase bus to both High Secure Setting (S3):
(22/500 kV, 861 MVA) Delta/Star-earthed GSUT and
(22/6.6/6.6 kV, 42 MVA) delta/star-earthed/star-earthed It uses a maximum recommended setting for pickup and
UAT. System parameters are given in the Appendix and full slope with Minimum harmonic restraint to provide a
detailed data are presented in [21]. The Differential protection maximum security for the system as shown in Table (1).
current relay with harmonic restraint is simulated using The performance evaluation of the three different settings is
(W1RELAY87T) in ATP/EMTP with three different settings. conducted via evaluating the reliability of each one. The
A model before the relay is used to calculate the phasor in reliability can be defined as the ability to “not to fail” in its
real and imaginary parts of a time domain signal by Fourier function. The % reliability is 100 % if there no an incorrect
transform algorithm. trip and number of correct trips are equal to a number of the
Different settings are used to evaluate the performance of desired trips. Thus, the % reliability of each relay setting can
the unit overall differential protection of the power generation be calculated as;
unit as shown in Figure(4) and Table (1). Based on the level
of differential current, three levels of the settings are
considered as follows: %
thenumber of the incorrecttrips is equal to zero. Therefore, the Figure(6.a). Figure(6.b) and Figure(6.c) shows that the relay
% security can be estimated as; using the balance setting (S2) and secured setting (S3) are does
not sense this fault. Consequently, the balance and the
secured settings are the best setting for external fault and grid
disturbances as the setting values are very high and relay
avoiding to operate.
(6)
500
0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
Restraint Current (A)
72 Internal Fault 4 11 48
30 Normal Operation 18 0 0
V. CONCLUSION
This paper mainly focuses on the performance evaluation
of all possible settings of unit overall differential protection.
The investigation is accomplished under normal and
abnormal operating conditions. The results showed that the
sensitive setting suffered from the unnecessary trip under
certain normal operations and external faults conditions. On
the other hand, the secure and balanced settings suffered from
Figure (11): Relay Response (Load Rejection to House Load) both disability in avoiding faulty blocking and low-speed
a) High Sensitive Setting b) Balanced Setting tripping under certain internal fault conditions.
c) High Secure Setting The high sensitive setting provides high sensitivity for the
Figure(11) illustrates the performance of the relay using relay with 94.44 % dependability percentage, whereas it is
(S1, S2, and S3) under full load rejection occurred after the unit accurate with 77.3% accuracy and it is reliable with 66.67 %
run back to house load. In this case, the voltage increase up due to lowing the security percentage. The balanced setting
to 140% of rated voltage until generator excitation control can avoid the mal-operation cases of the high sensitive setting
system as shown in Figure(10). Under this condition, a false under external or normal operation conditions, whereas it
tripping is recorded for high sensitive setting (S1) as suffered from mal-operation under other internal fault cases
illustrated in with 92.6% accuracy recording % dependability equal to
Figure(11). Consequently, the balanced and secured settings 84.72 %. The secured setting can also avoid all mal-operation
are the best setting for normal operation and system under external or normal operating conditions but with less
disturbance condition as the setting values are very high and accuracy (68%) and dependability (33.33 %) percentages
relay avoiding to operate. under internal fault conditions compared with the balanced
setting. Finally, the engineering relay setting designer can use
The dependability, security, and reliability evaluation are accuracy percentage presented in this paper as a guideline to
performed based on (4), (5), and (6) and recorded in Table (5) understanding the advantage and disadvantage of each
under all studied cases. The % dependable of the three setting. Coordinating the unit overall differential protection is
settings S1, S2, S3 is 94.44, 84.72, and 33.33 %, respectively. the main future prospective work.
On the other hand, % security of the three settings S1, S2, S3 is
69.38, 100, and 100 %. Consequently, the % reliability of the VI. REFERENCES
three settings S1, S2, S3 is 66.67, 84.72, and 33.33 %. Finally, [1]
the engineering relay setting designer can use accuracy, Das, A., Dhar, S., Royburman, S., &Sanyal, A., The
dependability, security, and reliability percentage in Table (5) Efficacy of Generator Protection under Sudden Loss
as a guideline to understanding the advantage and of Excitation using Offset-type MHO-relay. Journal
disadvantage of each setting. of the Institution of Engineers (India): Series B,
98(1), 115-120, 2017
Table (5): Summary of Simulation Results [2]
S. Patel et al., Performance of generator protection
No. of Mal-Operation during major system disturbances, IEEE Trans.
N Fault Type
S1 S2 S3 Power Deliv., vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 1650–1662, 2004
48 External Fault 12 0 0 [3] G. Roger Bérubé, Les M. Hajagos, Coordination of
Under Excitation Limiters and Loss of Excitation