Generator Protection

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 Generator Protection

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 Generator Protection
Outlines
 Overview
 Theory
 Wiring

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 Overview

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 Typical Parts of a Power Plant
Substation
Busbar in Substation

HV - Breaker
Power plant

Main Transformer Auxiliary Transformer

Generator Breaker

Excitation Transformer

Excitation System
Turbine valve

Turbine - Generator G Field Circuit Breaker

Earthing System
HYBRID SYSTEM
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Possible Faults

 Stator Earth Faults

 Rotor Earth Faults
 Stator Short Circuits
 Stator/Rotor Interturn faults
 External faults
 Generator Protection

System
Ground
Stator
Ground
Exciter
The
"Wild"
G Power
System

Stator
Phase
System
Phase

Internal and External Short Circuits

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 Abnormal operating conditions
Some of the abnormal conditions that must be dealt
with are the following:-
1. Winding faults: stator – phase and ground fault
2. Overload
3. Over-speed
4. Abnormal voltages and frequencies.
For generators we must consider the following:-
1. Under-excitation
2. Motoring and startup

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 Generator Protection Review
 Abnormal Operating Conditions
 Loss of Synchronism
 Abnormal Frequency
 Over excitation
 Field Loss
 Inadvertent (Accidental) Energizing
 Breaker Failure
 Loss of Prime Mover Power
 Blown VT Fuses
 Open Circuits

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 Abnormal Operating Condition
Abnormal conditions that may occur with generator include the
following .

1- Faults in the windings (Stator, rotor )

2- Overload
3- Overheating of windings and bearings
4- Over-speed
5- Loss of excitation
6- Motoring of generators
7- Single - phase or unbalanced current operation
8- Out of step

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Abnormal Operating Condition
 overcurrent/overload
 unbalanced load
 Over-temperature
 over- and under-voltage
 over- and under-excitation
 over- and under-frequency
 over-fluxing
 asynchronous running
 out of step
 generator motoring
 failures in the machine control system
(i.e. AVR or governor failure)
 failures in the machine cooling system
 failures in the primary equipment (i.e.
breaker head flashover)
 open phase
 Protection Functions
Protection Functions Include:
• Generator Stator Differential
• Backup Distance Protection
• 100% Stator Ground
• Generator Unbalance
• Loss of Excitation
• Accidental Energization
• Breaker Fail
• Phase Overcurrent – Voltage Restraint
• Neutral Inst. / Timed Overcurrent
• Neg. Sequence Overcurrent
• Under / Over Voltage
• Under / Over Frequency
• Generator Thermal Model
• RTD Temperature
• Overexcitation – Volts/Hertz
 Following are the various protections recommended for the generator and
generator transformer protection:
Type of fault ANSI Device Protection Functions
No.

GENERATOR STATOR

Short Circuits 87G Generator differential

87GT Overall differential
21G Minimum impedance (or alternatively
51 / 27 G Over current / under voltage)

Asymmetry 46G Negative sequence

Stator overload 51G Overload
Earth fault stator 64G1 95% stator earth fault
64G2 100% stator earth fault

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 Loss of excitation 40G Loss of excitation
Out of step 98G Pole slip
Monitoring 32G / 37G Low forward power / reverse power
(double protection for large generators)
Blade fatigue 81G Minimum frequency
Inter turn fault 95G Over voltage or over current
Mag. Circuits 99G Overfluxing volt / Hz
Higher voltage 59G Over voltage
Accidental 27 / 50 G Dead machine
energisation
Monitoring 60 G PT fuse failure

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 GENERATOR ROTOR
Rotor ground 64F Rotor earth fault
GENERATOR TRANSFORMER

Short Circuits 87GT Overall differential

51GT Overcurrent
87T Transformer differential
Ground fault 51NGT Earth fault over-current
87NT Restricted earth fault
Overhang 87HV HV winding cum overhang differential
UNIT AUXILIARY TRANSFORMER
Short circuit 87 UAT Transformer differential
51 UAT Over-current
Ground fault 51 UAT Restricted over-current
64 UAT Restricted earth fault

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 50/51

Unit aux.
transformer

64F

Field winding
ground-fault
RAGRA
(RXNB4)

1) Instruments

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 Generator Protection
Abnormal Operating Conditions

Overexcitation
Over Open
Power Loss of Field
Loss of Field Circuits
Overexcitation
Overexcitation

Exciter
The
"Wild"
G Power
System
Abnormal
Inadvertent Frequency
Abnormal Energizing,
Frequency Pole Flashover
Loss of
Reverse Breaker Synchronism
Power Failure

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 Small Machine Protection
IEEE Buff Book

32 Reverse Power
40 Loss of Excitation
51V voltage restraint
51G Ground overcurrent
87 Differential

Small – up to 1 MW to 600V, 500 kVA if >600V

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 Small Machine Protection
IEEE Buff Book

32 Reverse Power
40 Loss of Excitation
46 Negative Sequence
51V voltage restraint
51G Ground overcurrent
87 Differential

Medium – up to 12.5 MW
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 Small Machine Protection
IEEE Buff Book

32 Reverse Power
40 Loss of Excitation
46 Negative Sequence
49 Thermal Overload
51V voltage restraint
51G Ground overcurrent
64 Ground Relay
87 Differential

Large – up to 50 MW
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 Large Machine Protection
IEEE C37.102

 Unit Connected,
 High Z Grounded

32 Reverse Power
40 Loss of Excitation
46 Negative Sequence
49 Thermal Overload
51V voltage restraint
51G Ground overcurrent
64 Ground Relay
87 Differential

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 Stator Protection
1-Phase and Ground Fault .

Generator differential connection with over current relay

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Three phase connection diagram for longitudinal
biased differential protection of a generator

(a) three phase connection (b) Typical characteristic of

diagram for longitudinal biased differential relay
protection of a generator.
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 Connection diagram for transverse
differential protection of a generator

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 Generator differential using percentage differential relay

The relay operating equation

|I -I | ≥ P |I +I |0.5
1 2 1 2

P: percentage of restrain coil winding to operating coil winding

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 Sensitive earth fault current relay

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 Restricted earth fault protection of the stator
windings.
It is used when the generator connected to delta/star transformer
The high impedance relay detects only earth faults in stator winding

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 2- Stator Inter - Tur n Faults

Generator inter- turn fault protection

using harmonic restrained relay.

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 (3) Stator over heating

Overheating of the stator may result from:

 Failure of the machine's cooling system

 Overloading
 Short circuit in some of the stator laminations
 Failure of core bolt insulation

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 Stator overheat protection using resistance
temperature detector

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 (4) Over voltage

(a) Connection diagram ,

(b) Relay characteristic for steam sets ,
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(c) Relay characteristic for hydro sets. 34
FIELD GROUND-FAULT PROTECTION

Because field circuits are operated ungrounded, a

single ground fault will not cause any damage or affect
the operation of a generator in any way

Thus, the probability of a second ground occurring is increased.

Should a second ground occur, part of the field winding will be
by-passed, and the current through the remaining portion may be
increased.
By-passing part of the field winding will unbalance the air-gap
fluxes, and this will unbalance the magnetic forces on opposite
sides of the rotor.

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 Rotor Protection
(1) Ground Faults
Rotor earth fault detection using d.c. injection method.

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 (2) Loss of Excitation ( Field Failure ) Protection

When a synchronous generator loses excitation, it

operates as an induction generator, running above
synchronous speed. Round-rotor generators are not
suited to such operation because they do not have
windings that can carry the induced rotor currents

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 (3) unbalanced stator cur rents
The system conditions that would cause
these harmful unbalanced conditions are :

 The open - circuit of one phase a line or the failure

of one contact of circuit breaker;
 An unbalanced fault near the station which is not
cleared promptly by the normal relays;
 A fault in the stator windings.

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 Typical negative current withstand levels of
generators with different forms of cooling.

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Generator unbalance stator current protection
using negative phase sequence current relay

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 Over-speed Protection

Over-speed protection is recommended for all prime-mover-

driven generators. The over speed element should be responsive
to machine speed by mechanical, or equivalent electrical,
connection

However, a direct-connected centrifugal switch is preferred. The

over-speed element should usually be adjusted to operate at
about 3% to 5% above the full-load rejection speed.

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 (4) Over-speed Protection
Generator over-speed protection using wattmetric
relay

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 (5) Protection Against Generator Motoring
Motoring protection is for the benefit of the prime mover
or the system, and not for the generator.

Diagram showing power and current locus of A. C. machine under various

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 Reverse power relay setting for different
types of drive systems

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 Schematic connections for Anti - Motoring protection of a
generator using reverse power relay

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 Desirable Attributes - Generator
 Reverse Power (32)
Should be sensitive to 0.05 pu to properly detect motoring in large steam turbines


 Existing E/M and Static relays not sensitive enough

 May cause shutdown difficulties

 Negative Sequence (46)

 Should be sensitive to low values to detect open poles/conductors on system after
GSU
 Existing E/M and Static relays not sensitive enough

 Long time low level events may cause excessive rotor heating, thermal tripping and
damage rotor
 100% Stator Ground (59N / 59D)
 Protects all of the stator winding

 Existing schemes typically only see 90%

 Stop low level fault near neutral from degrading into a high level fault and
causing large amounts of damage
 Very secure

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 Desirable Attributes - Generator
 Inadvertent Energizing (50/27)

 High speed tripping of unit after breaker accidentally closed

on dead machine, also pole flashover prior to syncing
 Most existing schemes do not incorporate

 Many schemes fail due to complexity (reliance on breaker

auxiliary switches, yard distance relays, etc.
 If breaker is not tripped rapidly, mechanical and electric
damage can occur to machine in fractions of a second!
 Pole flashovers must be cleared by high speed breaker
failure, as the breaker is open!

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 Protection Functions Summary
Generator Stator Differential
• Stator Phase Differential
• Dual Slope Percent Restraint Operating
Characteristic
• Directional Supervision under saturation
conditions

Distance Backup Protection

• 2 or 3 Zone Mho Distance Protection Dual Slope Phase Differential

• Backup for primary line protection

• Configurable Reach and Angle Distance
Characteristic

100% Stator Ground Protection

• 95% Fundamental OverVoltage
• 15% Third Harmonic UnderVoltage Two Zone Distance Backup
 Protection Functions Summary
Voltage Protection
• Phase Overvoltage
• Phase Under voltage
• Neutral Overvoltage (fundamental)
• Neutral Under voltage (3rd Harmonic)
• Voltage Phase Reversal
Voltage Restraint Overcurrent
Current Protection
• Phase, Ground and Negative Sequence
Overcurrent Tripping
• IEC, ANSI , IAC and Customizable
Overcurrent Curves
• Voltage Restraint increasing sensitivity under
low voltage conditions

Frequency Protection
• Overfrequency
• Underfrequency Undervoltage Trip Curves
 Protection Functions Summary
Thermal Protection
• Generator Thermal Model
• RTD Alarming and Tripping
• RTD Biased Thermal Model

Inadvertent Energization
• Prevents Accidentally Closing a Stopped
Generator onto a Live Line
• Armed when Generator is Offline and Voltage is
Thermal Model – Voltage
below a pre-set level Dependant Overload Curves

Loss of Excitation (show Training CD)

• Uses Impedance Circle for loss of excitation
detection
• 2 Zones for fault detection and control

Volt/Hertz (Overexcitation)
• Detects changes in the Volts/Hertz ratio of the
generator or associated transformer Loss of Excitation
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 Wiring

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 Generator Protection

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 Generator Protection with GSU Wrap
PTs on Low Side

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 Generator Protection with GSU Wrap
PTs on High Side

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 Generator Protection
PTs on Low Side

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