Over-current and Earth Fault Protection

 Introduction

As the fault impedance is less than load impedance, the fault current is
more than load current. If a short circuit occurs the circuit impedance is
reduced to a low value and therefore a fault is accompanied by large
current.

Over-current protection is that protection in which the relay picks up

when the magnitude of current exceeds the pickup level.

The basic element in Over-current protection is an Over-current relay.

The Over-current relays are connected to the system, normally by
means of CT's.

Over-current relaying has following types:

1. High speed Over-current protection.
2. Definite time Over-current protection.
3. Inverse minimum time Over-current protection.
4. Directional Over-current protection (of above types).

Over-current protection includes the protection from overloads. This is

most widely used protection. Overloading of a machine or equipment
generally) means the machine is taking more current than its rated current.
Hence with overloading, there is an associated temperature rise. The
permissible temperature rise has a limit based on insulation class and
material problems.
Over-current protection of overloads is generally provided by thermal
relays.

Over-current protection includes short-circuit protection. Short circuits

a be phase faults, earth faults or winding faults. Short-circuit currents are
generally several times (5 to 20) full load current. Hence fast fault clearance
is always desirable on short-circuits.

When a machine is protected by differential protection, the over-current

is provided in addition as a back-up and in some cases to protect the
machine from sustained through fault.
Several protective devices are used for over-current protection these
include:
1. Fuses
2. Circuit-breakers fitted with overloaded coils or tripped by over-
current relays.
3. Series connected trip coils operating switching devices.
 4. Over-current relays in conjunction with current transformers.

The primary requirements of over-current protection are:

 The protection should not operate for starting currents,
permissible over-current, and current surges. To achieve this,
the time delay is provided (in case of inverse relays). If time
delay cannot be permitted, high-set instantaneous relaying is
used.
 The protection should be coordinated with neighboring over-
current protections so as to discriminate.

 Applications of Over-current Protection

Over-current protection has a wide range of applications. It can be applied
where there is an abrupt difference between fault current within the
protected section and that outside the protected section and these
magnitudes are almost constant.

The over-current protection is provided for the following:

 Motor Protection
Over-current protection is the basic type of protection used against
overloads and short-circuits in stator windings of motors. Inverse time and
instantaneous phase and ground over-current relays can be employed for
motors above 1200 H.P. For small/medium size motors where cost of CT's
and protective relays is not economically justified, thermal relays and HRC
fuses are employed, thermal relays used for overload protection and HRC
fuses for short-circuit protection.
 Transformer Protection
Transformers are provided with over-current protection against faults, only,
when the cost of differential relaying cannot be justified. However, over-
current relays are provided in addition to differential relays to take care of
through faults. Temperature indicators and alarms are always provided for
large transformers.
Small transformers below 500 kVA installed in distribution system are
generally protected by drop-out fuses, as the cost of relays plus circuit-
breakers is not generally justified Line Protection.
The lines (feeders) can be protected by
(1) Instantaneous over-current relays.
(2) Inverse time over-current relays.
(3) Directional over-current relay.
Lines can be protected by impedance or carrier current protection also.

Protection of Utility Equipment

The furnaces, industrial installations commercial, industrial and domestic
equipment are all provided with over-current protection.
 Relays used in Over-current Protection
The choice of relay for over-current protection depends upon the Time /
current characteristic and other features desired. The following relays are
used.
1. For instantaneous over-current protection. Attracted armature type,
moving iron type,
permanent magnet moving coil type and static.
2. For inverse time characteristic. Electromagnetic induction type,
permanent magnet
moving coil type and static.
3. Directional over-current protection. Double actuating quantity induction
relay
with directional feature.
4. Static over-current relays.
5. HRC fuses, drop out fuses, etc. are used in low voltage medium voltage
and high voltage distribution systems, generally up to 11 kV.
6. Thermal relays are used widely for over-current protection.

Not: Now Digital Numerical Relay you can used for all types

 Characteristics of relay units for over current protection

There is a wide variety of relay-units. These are classified according to their
type and characteristics. The major characteristic includes:
1. Definite characteristic
2. Inverse characteristic
3. Extremely Inverse
4. Very Inverse

In definite characteristic, the time of operation is almost definite i.e.

I0 * T = K
Where:
I = Current in relay coil
T = Relay lime
K = Constant.
In inverse characteristic, time is inversely proportional to current i.e.

I1 * T = K
In more inverse characteristic

In * T = K

Where n can be between 2 to 8 the choice depends on discrimination

desired.
Instantaneous relays are those which have no intentional time lag sod
which operate in less than 0.1 second, usually less than 0.08 second. As
suck they are not instantaneous in real sense.

The relays which are not instantaneous are called Time Delay Relay'. Such
relays are provided with delaying means such as drag magnet, dash poss.
bellows, escape mechanisms, back-stop arrangement, etc.

The operating time of a relay for a particular setting and magnitude

actuating quantity can be known from the characteristics supplied by
the manufacturer. The typical characteristics are shown in (Fig. 1)

An inverse curve is one in which the operating time; becomes less as

the magnitude of the actuating quantity is increased. However for higher
magnitudes of actuating quantity the time is constant. Definite time curve is
one in which operating time is little affected by magnitude of actuating
current. However even definite time relay has a characteristic which is
slightly inverse

The characteristic with definite minimum time and of inverse type is also
called Inverse Definite Minimum Time (IDMT) characteristics (Fig.1).
 (Fig.1) Inverse Definite Minimum Time (IDMT)
characteristics

Principle of trip circuit

Referring to (Fig. 2) the three current transformers and relay coils connected
in star and the star point is earthed. When short circuit occurs in the
protected zone the secondary current of CT's increases.

These current flows through relay coils and the relay picks-up, the relay
contacts close, thereby the trip circuit is closed and the circuit breaker-
operates The over-current protection scheme with three over-current relays
(Fig. 2) responds to phase faults and earth faults including single-phase to
earth fault.
Therefore such schemes are used with solidly earthed systems where phase
to phase and phase to earth faults are likely to occur.

For proper functioning of over-current and earth fault protection, the choice of
CT's andpolarity connections should be correct.

Fig.2) Over Current protection

with three phase OC relays

Methods of CT Connections in Over-current Protection of 3-Phase

Circuits

 Connection Scheme with Three Over-current Relays

Over-current protection can be achieved by means of three over-current
relays or by two over-current relays (See Table 1).
Table 1
Fig Description Note
 1 One OC with For balanced
one CT for over load only.
load
protection.

2 Two OC relays
with two CT's
for phase to
phase fault
protection.

3 Three OC EF current >

relays with two time
three CT's for pick-up
phase to phase phase current
fault
protection.

4 Three OC EF setting
relays with less than
three CT's for phase fault
phase to phase setting
fault protection
and phase to
earth fault.
5 Two OC and
one EF relays
for phase to
phase and
phase to earth
fault protection

 Earth-Fault Protection

When the fault current flows through earth return path, the fault is called Earth
Fault. Other faults which do not involve earth are called phase faults. Since
earth faults are relatively frequent, earth fault protection is necessary in most
cases. When separate earth fault protection is not economical, the phase
relays sense the earth fault currents. However such protection lacks
sensitivity. Hence separate earth fault protection is generally provided. Earth
fault protection senses earth fault current. Following are the method of earth
fault protection.
 Connections of CT's for Earth-fault Protection

1. Residually connected Earth-fault Relay

Referring to Fig. 3 In absence of earth-fault the vector sum of three line

currents is zero.Hence the vector sum of three secondary currents is also zero.

IR+I Y +I B =0

The sum (IR+I Y +I B ) is called residual current

The earth-fault relay is connected such that the residual current flows
through it (Figs.3 and Fig. 4), in the absence of earth-fault,
Therefore, the residually connected earth-fault relay does not operate.
However, in presence of earth fault the conditions is disturbed
and (IR+I Y +I B ) is no more zero. Hence flows through the earth-fault
relay. If the residual current is above the pick-up value, the earth-fault
relay operates.
In the scheme discussed here the earth-fault at any location near or
away from the location of CT's can cause the residual current flow.
Hence the protected
zone is not definite. Such protection is called unrestricted earth-fault protection

(Fig.3) Earth-fault Relay connected in

Residual Circuit.
(Fig.4) Earth fault protection combined with
phase fault protection

2. Earth-fault Relay connected in Neutral to Earth Circuit (Fig. 5).

Another method of connecting an earth-fault relay is illustrated in Fig 5. The

relay is connected to secondary of a CT whose primary is connected in neutral
to earth connection. Such protection can be provided at various voltage levels
by connecting earth-fault relay in the neutral-to-earth connection of that voltage
level. The fault current finds the return path through the earth and then flows
through the neutral-to-earth connected. The magnitude of earth fault current is
dependent on type of earthing (resistance, reactance or solid) and location of
fault. In this type of protection,

The zone of protection cannot be accurately defined. The protected area is

not restricted to the transformer/generator winding alone. The relay senses
the earth faults
beyond the transformer/generator winding hence such protection is called
unrestricted earth-fault protection. The earth-fault protection by relay in
neutral to earth circuit depends upon the type of neutral Earthing. In case
of large generators, voltage transformer is connected between neutral and
earth

(Fig. 5) Earth-fault protection by earth-

fault-relay connected
in neutral-to-earth circuit.

 Combined Earth-fault and Phase-fault Protection

It is convenient to incorporate phase-fault relays and earth-fault relay in a

combined phase-fault and earth-fault protection. (Fig. 4) The increase in
current of phase causes corresponding increase in respective secondary
currents. The secondary current flows through respective relay-units
Very often only two-phase relays are provided instead of three, because in
case of phase faults current in any at least two phases must increase.
Hence two relay-units are enough.

 Earth-fault Protection with Core Balance Current Transformers. (Zero

Sequence CT)
In this type of protection (Fig. 6) a single ring shaped core of magnetic
material, encircles the conductors of all the three phases. A secondary
coil is connected to a relay unit. The cross-section of ring-core is
 (Fig.6) Principle of core-balance CT
for earth fault protection

Ample, so that saturation is not a problem. During no-earth-fault condition,

the components of fluxes due to the fields of three conductors are
balanced and the secondary current is negligible. During earth faults, such
a balance is disturbed and current is induced in the secondary. Core-balance
protection can be conveniently used for protection of low-voltage and
medium voltage systems. The burden of relays and exciting current are
deciding factors. Very large cross-section of core is necessary for
sensitivity less than 10 A. This form of protection is likely to be more
popular with static relays due to the fewer burdens of the latter.
Instantaneous relay unit is generally used with core balance schemes.

 Theory of Core Balance CT

. Let Ia, Ib and I c , be the three line currents and Φa, Φb and
Φc be corresponding components of magnetic flux in the core. Assuming
linearity, we get resultant flux Φ as,

Φ=k (Ia + Ib + I c )

where k is a constant Φ = K * Ia. Referring to theory of symmetrical

components

(Ia + Ib + I c )= 3 I c= I n
Where, Io is zero sequence current and In, is current in neutral to ground
circuit. During normal condition, when earth fault is absent,

(Ia + Ib + Ic) = 0
 Hence Φr = 0 and relay does not operate
During earth fault the earth fault current flows through return neutral path.
For example for single line ground fault,

If = 3Iao = In

Hence the zero-sequence component of I o produces the resultant

flux Φr in the core. Hence core balance current transformer is also called
as zero sequence current transformers (ZSCT).

 Application for Core Balance CT's with Cable Termination Joints

The termination of a three core cable into three separate lines or bus-bars is
through cable terminal box. Ref. (Fig. 7), the Core Balance Protection is used
along with the cable box and should be installed before making the cable
joint.

The induced current flowing through cable sheath of normal healthy cable
needs particular attention with respect to the core balance protection.

The sheath currents (Ish) flow through the sheath to the cover of cable-
box and then to earth through the earthing connection between cable-box.
For eliminating the error due to sheath current (Ish) the earthing lead
between the cable-box and the earth should be taken through the core of the
core balance protection.
Thereby the error due to sheath currents is eliminated. The cable box should
be insulated from earth.
1. Cable terminal box
2. Sheath of 3 core cable connection to (1)
3. Insulator support for 1
4. Earthing connection passing through 5
5. Core balance CT
Fig (7) Mounting of Core
Balance CT with Cable
Terminal Box

 Frame-leakage Protection

The metal-clad switchgear can be provided with frame leakage protection.

The switchgear is lightly y insulated from the earth. The metal-frame-work or
enclosure of the switchgear is earthed with a primary of a CT in between
(Fig. 8).

The concrete foundation of the switchgear and the cable-boxes and

other conduits are slightly insulated from earth, the resistance to earth being
about 12 ohms. In the event of an earth fault within the switchgear, the earth-
fault current finds the' path through the neutral connection. While doing so,
it is sensed by the earth fault relay.
(Fig. 8) Principle of frame-leakage protection
of metal-clad-switchgear

Circulating current differential protection also responds to earth-faults

within its protected zone.

 Earth-fault protection can be achieved by following methods:

1. Residually connected relay.

2. Relay connected in neutral-to-ground circuit.
3. Core-balance-scheme.
4. Frame leakage method.
5. Distance relays arranged for detecting earth faults on lines.
6. Circulating current differential protection.