Protection of Transmission

line
• What is the Principle of Distance Protection?
• Distance Protection is a Non-unit System of Protection, which measures
the Impedance between the Relay Location and the point where the
fault is incident and compares it with the Set Value. If the measured
Impedance is less than the Set Value , the Relay operates and Isolates
the Faulty Section.
• Since, the Line Impedance is directly Proportional to Line Length, we get
the exact Location of the Fault in Kms.
• Since it protects a certain Length of Transmission Line, it is called a
Distance Relay.
• If, the Measured Impedance < Setting Impedance, the Relay Operates.
• Depending upon the Distance Relay Characteristics, there are following types of
Distance Relays:
1. Impedance Relay:- It is mostly non directional type .Used for short transmission/
distribution line protection.
2. Reactance Relay- Partly directional and suitable for medium transmission lines.
3. Mho Relay:- It is directional relay. Used for the protection of long transmission
lines.
• Distance protection relay principle differs from other forms of protection because their
performance does not depend on the magnitude of the current or voltage in the protective circuit
but it depends on the ratio of these two quantities.  It is a double actuating quantity relay with one
of their coil is energized by voltage and the other coil is energized by the current. The current
element produces a positive or pick-up torque while the voltages element has caused a negative and
reset torque.
• The relay operates only when the ratio of voltage and current falls below a set value. During the
fault the magnitude of current increases and the voltage at the fault point decreases. The ratio of the
current and voltage is measured at the point of the current and potential transformer. The voltage at
potential transformer region depends on the distance between the PT and the fault.
• If the fault is nearer, measured voltage is lesser, and if the fault is farther, measured voltage is
more. Hence, assuming constant fault impedance each value of the ratio of voltage and current
measured from relay location comparable to the distance between the relaying point and fault point
along the line. Hence such protection is called the distance protection or impedance protection.
• Reach of Distance Relay:
• A distance relay is set to operate up to a particular value of impedance;
for an impedance greater than this set value the relay should not
operate. This impedance, or the corresponding distance is known as
the Reach of Distance Relay.
• The tendency of a Reach of Distance Relay to operate at impedance
larger than its setting value is known as overreach and similarly the
tendency to restrain at the set value of impedance or impedances lower
than the set value is known as underreach.
• Transmission lines are long length conductors mostly affected by phase to earth
and phase to phase short circuits.
• These lines are laid between two substations. The faults on radial type TL are
detected either using 3 step current characteristic or 3 step time characteristic.
• In 3 step time characteristic, time setting of relays is so graded that in the event of
fault , the smallest possible part of the system is isolated.
• As shown in the diagram, the fault near section C, relay C must operate first. After
some time interval, relayB will check the current and operate if relay C has not
responded.
• If fault current still continues even after certain time interval then relay A
operates.
• This time interval is generally 0.2 sec for relay B and 0.5 sec for relay A.
 Overreach and Under reach of a Relay
• What is Meant by Over Reach?
• To understand the meaning of over reach, let us take an example of double circuit line in which one
line is out of service and earthed at both end by Earth Switch. In the figure below, the distance relay is
supposed to protect the line 1 due to its impedance setting. Now suppose a fault take place in line 3 at
a distance x as shown. In this case distance relay 21 is not expected to trip but if proper care is not
taken then 21 may operate. This is called Over Reach. Mind the word over reach, the word itself means
that the relay has actuated beyond its reach setting.
• Thus a distance relay is said to over reach if the impedance measured by the relay is less than the
apparent fault impedance.” Over reach is often expressed in percentage as below.
• % Over Reach = (ZF – ZR)x100 / ZR
• ZF = Effective Reach
• ZR = Impedance Setting of Relay
• n above example, effective reach of relay = (L+x). Effective reach means the length of line up to
which the impedance measured by relay is under impedance setting.
• Here, percentage over reach is (x/L)x100 %. Mind that we used length of line and distance of point
of fault as impedance of line is proportional to length.
• Cause of Over Reach
• This phenomena is mostly observed in double circuit line. In double circuit line, when one of the
line is taken out of service and earthed ad both ends, then due to mutual coupling between the in-
service line and out of service line, the impedance measurement of distance relay of in-service line
do not remain accurate.
• Thus whenever one line of double circuit line is taken out and earthed for maintenance or other
activity, distance relay setting is reduced by this over reach percentage i.e. 16.4% by some
authorities. In other words, distance relay setting is reduced to 85.6 %. After normalization of line,
the setting is again changed to 100 %. This practice is usually not adopted in India due to rare
chance of fault in the first section of other line 3.
• A distance relay may underreach because of the introduction of fault
resistance as illustrated in Fig. (5.21). Relay at O is set for protection
up to P. Now if a fault at P occurs such that fault resistance (PP’) is
high and by adding this resistance the impedance seen by the relay is
OP’ such that P’ lies outside the operating region of the relay, then the
relay does not operate.
• Occasionally a fault may occur in the zone 1 and the relay may begin
to operate. If the fault impedance now increases due to the arc
resistance the total impedance seen by the relay will be the sum of the 
line impedance up to the fault and the arc impedance. This sum may
be more than the impedance setting of the relay in which case the 1st
stage operation will stop and the fault will be cleared as if it is located
in the second or third zone. In order to prevent this impedance relays
are locked once they begin to operate on the basis of the true
impedance up to the fault. Any increase in impedance due to are will
not affect the relay once it is locked.
• This is another example of time graded protection of radial feeder. Time graded
protection is suitable only for feeders with supply at one end only.
• It is not suitable for important long distance transmission lines.
• Ring main system protection-
• The Translay scheme for the protection of a 3-phase line is shown in Fig. The relays used in the scheme are
essentially overcurrent induction type relays. Each relay has two electromagnetic elements. The upper element
carries a winding (11 or 11 a) which is energized as a summation transformer from the secondaries of the line
CTs connected in the phases of the line to be protected. The upper element also carries a secondary winding (12
or 12 a) which is connected is series with the operating winding (13 or 13 a) on the lower magnet. The
secondary windings 12, 12 a and operating windings 13, 13 a are connected in series in such a way that voltages
induced in them oppose each other.. Note that relay discs and tripping circuits have been omitted in the diagram
for clarity.
• Operation: When the feeder is sound, the currents at its two ends are equal so that the secondary currents in
both sets of CTs are equal. Consequently, the currents flowing in the relay primary wind­ing 11 and 11 a will be
equal and they will induce equal voltages in the secondary windings 12 and 12a. Since these windings are
connected in opposition, no current flows in them or in the operating windings 13 and 13a. In the event of a
fault on the protected line, the line current at one end must carry a greater current than that at the other end. The
result is that voltages induced in the secondary windings 12 and 12 a will be different and the current will flow
through the operating coils 13, 13a and the pilot circuit. Under these conditions, both upper and lower elements
of each relay are energised and a forward torque acts on the each relay disc. The operation of the relays will
open the circuit breakers at both ends of the line.
• Suppose a fault F occurs between phases R and Y and is fed from both sides as shown in Fig. 11. This will
energise only section 1 of primary windings 11 and 11a and induce voltages in the secondary windings 12
and 12a. As these voltages are now additive, therefore, current will circulate through operating coils 13,
13a and the pilot circuit. This will cause the relay contacts to close and open the circuit breakers at both
ends. A fault between phases Y and B energises section 2 of primary windings 11 and 11a whereas that
between R and B will energise the sections 1 and 2.
• Now imagine that an earth fault occurs on phase R. This will energize sections 1, 2 and 3 of the primary
windings 11 and 11a. Again if fault is fed from both ends, the voltages induced in the secondary windings
12 and 12a are additive and cause a current to flow through the operating coils 13, 13a. The relays,
therefore, operate to open the circuit breakers at both ends of the line. In the event of earth fault on phase
Y, sections 2 and 3 of primary winding 11 and 11a will be energised and cause the relays to operate. An
earth fault on phase B will energise only section 3 of relay primary windings 11 and 11a.
• Advantages
• The system is economical as only two pilot wires are required for the protection of a 3-phase line.
• Current transformers of normal design can be used.
• The pilot wire capacitance currents do not affect the operation of relays.
 Transley Relay Protection
• It is the latest wire pilot system which employs solid state technology. It operates
on the circulating current principle. Phase comparators are employed for
measurements.
• An induction relay is used at each end of the protected line section. The secondary
windings of the relays are interconnected in opposition as a balanced voltage
system by pilot wires.
• The upper magnet of the relay carries a summation winding to receive the output
of CT.
• Under normal conditions and for external faults, no current circulates through the
pilot wires and hence through the lower magnet of the relay.
• In case of internal fault, current flows through the pilot wires and the lower
electromagnet. Torque is produced due to interaction of current and flux.
• This scheme is suitable for fairly long pilot wires .
• Coupling capacitor
• It is a high voltage capacitor which is connected between the power line and the LMU. This capacitor will block the
power signal entering the PLCC and it allows to pass the carrier signal so its capacitance is kept in a way that it is
negligible for the power signal frequency and significant for carrier signal frequency. A coupling capacitor exhibits low
impedance to the carrier signal and high impedance for the power signal. in the absence of the coupling capacitor, high
voltage signal will enter the PLCC panel and destroys the modulator and demodulator circuitry.
• Lightning arrestor
• It is used in the system to protect the system from the damages caused by the lightning and from high voltage spikes
from the transmission line. Lightning arrestors are connected to the ground by low resistance cables so whenever high
voltage spikes strike to the lightning arrestor it goes to the ground through ground wire and thus it prevents the LMU
from high voltage AC spikes
• Line matching unit
• It is used for the proper impedance matching between the power line and the PLCC panel. Line matching unit is
connected between the CC and PLCC panel. Coaxial cable is used for interconnection between PLCC and LMU. If a
high-frequency wave is not terminated then the terminating load is not equal to the characteristic impedance, reflection
occurs and it will cause power loss in a circuit and to avoid this impedance matching is done.
• Wave trap
• It is a parallel combination of coil, tuning device and lightning arrestor. It offers negligible impedance to the power
signal and at the same time high impedance to the carrier signal. The output of the wave trap is given to yard, out-put
of the yard is internally connected to PLCC panel.
• Applications of PLCC
• Information can be transmitted at a fast rate
• Voice message can be transmitted
• Home automation and control
• Telecommunication
• Current and voltage can be checked from distant locations
• PLCC can be used as a security system it can be done by
monitoring houses or business through surveillance camera