POWER SYSTEM

PROTECTION
Glossary
● ANSI – American National Standards Institute
● HV, MV, LV – High, Medium, Low Voltage
● IEC – International Electrotechnical Committee
● IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
● MCCB – Molded Case Circuit Breaker
● ACB – Air Circuit Breaker
● TCC – Time Coordinated Curves
● VT – Voltage Transformer
● CT – Current Transformer
● IED – Intelligent Electronic Devices

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Definition - Protection
● Primarily to protect equipments/assets connected directly
or indirectly to power system network from:
 Faults (large currents)
 Voltage drops or increase overtime
 Frequency changes

● Protection consideration include:

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Tools of Protection
● First line of protection is by means of
protective devices such as relays, fuses
and MCCB

● Before implementing any protection, a short circuit study

● With these fault levels, the different type of protective

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Protective Devices
● Relays
 Electromechanical (obsolete) and
Numerical also known as IED
 Widely used in HV and MV network
 Measures current and/or voltage of
network with a CT or VT
 Implementation of both phase and earth fault protection in
one device
 Fast tripping signals (<30 ms)
 Require preset threshold levels (relay settings) to operate
 Settings do not allow network to operate beyond the
specified threshold.
 Send trip signals to trip coils in circuit breakers

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Relays

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Protective Devices
● Fuse
 Implemented by ampere ratings depending on load current
 Only for phase faults
 When current flowing through the
fuse is over the rated limit, the fuse
element melts and created an open
circuit
 Need to be replaced after each operation
● Tripping Unit (LV)
 Implemented by ampere ratings depending on load current
 Similar operation of fuse; operates when current flowing
through is above rated limit and circuit breaker trip
 Typically embedded with ACB or MCCB
 Can be reused again after each operation
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Types of Protection - Overcurrent
● Overcurrent (Phase and Earth)
 Most common type of protection for feeders and small
transformers
● ANSI standard device number: 50/51, 50N/51N, 50G/51G
● Principle of operation is by:
 Comparing measured current with the preset threshold
current (setting in relay)
 If measured current is greater than setting, sends a trip
signal to open breaker
●Coordination is important as purpose is to isolate only
faulty section and leave rest of system undisturbed
 Achieved by discrimination of current and time

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Types of Protection - Overcurrent
● Inverse Time Overcurrent Relay Characteristic
 Time is inversely proportional to current
 TCC curves (ANSI/IEEE or IEC standards)

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Curve Characteristics – ANSI/IEEE

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Curve Characteristics – IEC 6025

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Example – Overcurrent Protection
● Simple feeder overcurrent protection
 Coordination required between OC Relay 1 to
LV CB 4 is required

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Example – Overcurrent Protection
● Correct Implementation
 Breakers trip
sequentially

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Example – Overcurrent Protection
● Correct Implementation
 Breakers do not
trip sequentially

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Types of Protection - Distance
● For long overhead lines and underground cables
● ANSI standard device number: 21
● Principle of operation is by:
 Division of voltage at relaying point by current (Apparent
Impedance)
 Compares with Reach Impedance (input parameter to the
relay)
 If Apparent Impedance is smaller than Reach Impedance,
corresponding relay will send a trip signal to open breaker

A Apparent
Impedance B Reach Point
Reach Point
seen by Impedance
Impedance
Relays for RA
for RB

RA RB
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Types of Protection - Distance
● Relay setting consist of zones (1 to 3) typically. These
zones are percentage of protected line impedances
● Distance relays use R-X Diagrams
 The protected lines R and X values are
plotted on axis
 Zone settings are set based on this line
impedance
● Two types of R-X Diagrams characteristics:
 Mho Characteristic – used widely for phase
protection
 Quadrilaterial characteristic – used
mainly for earth faults due to large
resistive reach (x-axis)

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 Example 1 – Distance
● 3 Zone + 1 Reverse Zone protection Zone Coverage Op.
(%) Time (s)
Fault Relay Op. Zone Op. Time 1 80-85 <0.1
RAA 1 <0.1 2 110 0.5
F1
RAB 2 0.5 3 170 3
*R 30 3
*R = Reverse Zone

Reverse
Zone 3

Zone 2
Zone 1

Apparent Fault
A Impedance seen by
B
Zone 3 F1
Relays
RAA RBA RBC

Zone 2 Reverse
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 Example 2 – Distance
Zone Coverage Op.
(%) Time (s)
Fault Relay Op. Zone Op. Time 1 80-85 <0.1
RAA 2 0.5 2 110 0.5
F2 RAB R 3 3 170 3
RBC R 3 *R 30 3
*R = Reverse Zone
Reverse
Zone 3

Zone 2
Zone 1

A B
Zone 3 F2
RAA RBA RBC

Zone 2 Reverse
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Types of Protection – Line Differential
● Can be applied for overhead lines and underground
cables
● ANSI standard device number: 87L
● Principle of operation is by:
 Comparing currents flowing into the line to the currents flowing
out of the same line
 Relay at one end communicates with other relay the measured
current through communication channel such as fibre, pilot wire
 When fault occurs, current measured by one relay will be
different from current measured by relay at other end
 Relays send trip signal to open corresponding breakers

Zone of protection

A B Interface MUX to
Communication Channel dedicated fibre
RA RB optics, etc
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Types of Protection – Line Differential
● Current comparison technique in relay
 Differentiates between faults in the protected zone (internal fault)
F1 and outside of protected zone (external fault) F2
IL IR

A B
F1
Communication Channel F2
RA RB

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Types of Protection – Line Differential
● Tripping characteristics used by relay
 Idifferential. - Differential current is calculated for tripping. If Idifferential is
greater than minimum set value, relay sends trip signal
 Irestraint. – Restraint current is calculated to prevent nuisance
tripping (load current, communication error, etc..)

K=constant

Operating criteria:

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Example – Line Differential
● Internal Fault, F1

IL IR

A B
F1
Communication Channel
RA RB

Internal Fault

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Example – Line Differential
● External Fault, F2
IL IR

A B
Communication Channel F2
RA RB

External Fault

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 Types of Protection – Transformer
Differential (Phase)
● Applied for transformers greater than 5 MVA
● ANSI standard device number: 87T
● Principle of operation is by:
 Intake 2 sets of currents, computes differential and bias current
for differential tripping
 Similar to Line Differential Protection
 For internal faults only
Transformer
CT1 i1 i2 CT2

  I1 I2
Differential Current: Id  I 1  I 2
 
I 1 I 2
Restraint Current: Ir  Id>
2
I1 I2

Zone of protection

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 Types of Protection – Transformer
Differential (Restricted Earth Fault)
● Applied for transformers with neutral grounded
● ANSI standard device number: 87REF/87N
● Principle of operation is by:
 Intake phase currents and neutral currents, computes differential
and bias current for differential tripping
 Similarly for internal earth faults only

   
I1E  I L1  I L 2  I L 3
 
Differential Current: Id  I1E  I 2 E

 
Biased Current: Ib  MAX ( I1E  I 2 E )

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Types of Protection - Others
● Under/Over Volatege Protection
 ANSI standard device number: 27/59
 Applied together with other protection such as distance or
overcurrent
 To limit system voltage swings within certain band to
prevent equipment damage connected to power systems
 Relays trip when measured voltage exceeds present
voltage band limit
● Under/Over Frequency Protection:
 ANSI standard device number: 81U/81O
 Applied to monitor overall system frequency; especially for
generator protection.
 Under/Over frequency in power system may lead to
network collapse and eventually blackout!
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Types of Protection - Others
● Directional Overcurrent Protection
 ANSI standard device number: 67
 Applied when current can flow in both directions through
relay locations
 For fault shown in figure,fault current can flow in reverse
direction through CT R’1 (infeed from line 2)

Direction protection
applied
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Protection Design Considerations
● Adequate protection coverage
 Ensure no area is unprotected as fault in that area may not
be isolated fast
 Type and location of CT are important for different
protection (furthest CTs used for differential protection)
● Do not complicate protection but do not compromise on
protection
● Use multifunction relays to implement various functions in
single relay -> less space on panels!
● If required, provide redundant protection with different
relay manufacturers to eliminate common mode failure
● Remember: Protection is ART and SCIENCE! As long as
protection is adequate, there is no right or wrong
protection.
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Thank you for your attention

Questions / Answers

Life Cycle
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