Auto-reclose Scheme

ZULKARNAIN BIN ISHAK

TECHNICAL EXPERT
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
TNB TRANSMISSION
1.0 Auto-reclose
Benefits of Auto-Reclosing

Fault Types

Auto-Reclose Terminology

Single Shot or Multi-Shot?

System Stability

3ph or 1ph A/R

Choice of Scheme

Synchronizing Check
 Autoreclose
AUTO-RECLOSING

DISTRIBUTION

Generally <66kV

Mainly Applied on
Radial Systems

Continuity of Supply TRANSMISSION

Interconnected Supply
Sources

Stability
System Synchronism
 Benefits of Auto-Reclosing

X Improved continuity of supply

Š Supply restoration is automatic (does not require human

intervention)
Š Shorter duration interruptions
Š Less hours lost to consumer

X Less frequent visits to substations

Š More unmanned substations

Š Reduced operating costs
 Fault Types

¾Permanent Faults\

¾Self Clearing Faults

•Semi-Permanent Fault
•Transient Faults
 Permanent Faults

Affected part of system that cannot be successfully re-

energised until fault has been rectified and damage
equipments has been repaired.

Transformers
Machines Most faults are
permanent
Cables (Underground)
Overhead Lines

Broken Conductors
Broken Insulators
 Self Clearing Faults

No permanent damage to system.

Once cleared, the affected part of power system can be safely re-
energised.
Transient Faults
Cleared by immediate isolation of fault by circuit breaker.
X Insulator flashover due to transient overvoltage
Š Switching
Š Lightning

X Conductor clashing

Semi-Permanent Fault
Cleared within a few seconds of fault current interruption.
X Tree branches blown onto O/H Line
 Fault Occurrence

Auto-reclose is confined to overhead lines and feeders.

Transient faults 80 to 85%
Semi-permanent faults 5 to 10%
Permanent 10%

Transient faults :- E.H.V. > H.V.

Semi-Permanent faults :- E.H.V. < H.V.
 Auto-Reclose Terminology

High speed - C.B. reclose in less than 1 sec.

Low speed (delayed) - Reclose after more than 1 sec.

Repetitive scheme - Resets automatically after

successful A/R
Non-repetitive - Requires manual reset.

Single shot - Only 1 reclose attempt / fault

incidence
Multi shot - 2 or more reclose attempts
Single-shot Auto-reclose Scheme Operation
For A Transient Fault
Single-shot Auto-reclose Scheme Operation
For A Permenent Fault
 Choice of Scheme

Need to consider :

X Dead Time
X Reclaim Time
X Number of Shots
 Dead Time

Need to consider :

X Load
X Circuit Breaker
X Protection Reset Time
X Fault De-ionization Time
X System Stability
X System Synchronism
 Dead Time – Circuit Breaker

X Minimum dead time = mechanism reset + closing time

May be as high as 0.5 secs.

Only significant for High Speed Auto-Reclose.
 Dead Time - Load

Dead time has to be long enough to allow motor circuits to trip out on lost of
supply.

Sync: Minimum 0.3 secs.

Motors
Induction: not greater than 0.5 sec.

Usually 3 - 10 secs. (to allow all motors to be

disconnected)

Street Lighting : 1 - 2 secs.

Domestic : 10 secs - 3 minutes

 Dead Time – Protection Reset

X Protection must fully reset during dead time.

X For high speed A/R :- Instantaneous reset required.
 Dead Time – Fault De-ionization

X Time for ionised air to disperse imposes minimum system dead time.

X Time required depends on :-

Š System voltage
Š Cause and nature of fault
Š Weather conditions
Š Fault clearance time

X Difficult to calculate accurately

Approximately :-
De-ionising time = (10.5 + KV/34.5) cycles
For 66kV = 0.25 secs. (50Hz)
= 0.21 secs. (60Hz)
For 132kV = 0.29 secs. (50Hz)
= 0.24 secs. (60Hz)

X On distribution systems effect generally less important than C.B. operating

times.
 Fault Clearance Time

Minimised by :- (i) Fast protection (< 30msec)

eg. Distance
Pilot Wire
(ii) Fast circuit breakers
<50msec

Fast fault clearance reduces required fault arc de-ionising

time
 Reclaim Time

Requirement:- A/R relay should not reset before

protection has had time to operate.
(Following reclosure for a permanent
fault).

Considerations:-
Š Supply continuity
Š Fault incidence / past experience
Š Switchgear duty (rating)
Š Switchgear maintenance
 Reclaim Time for use with High Speed
Protection

When high speed protection is used to clear all faults :

Reclaim Time < 1 sec adequate

but, rarely used in practice, to relieve the duty on the circuit

breaker.

Reclaim Time < 5 secs

To relieve circuit breaker duty
 Number of Shots (1)

Note:- Shots = reclose attempts

Usually :-
Transmission 1 shot

Additional shots not justified due to :-

Š Maintenance
Š System Disturbance
Š Damage

Sub-Transmission 1 or 2 shots
(2 or 3 if radial circuits)

Distribution 1, 2, 3 or 4 shots
Single Shot or Multi-Shot?
 One Shot Scheme
X Relatively provides greatest improvement in supply
continuity.

X ∼ 80% of faults are transient.

X Minimum trip duty on circuit breakers.

X Important when high frequency of circuit breaker

maintenance required, eg. Oil C.B.

Circuit breaker duty cycle may prevent > 1 reclose attempt.

 Multi-Shot Schemes

X Improved supply continuity.

-- > justified for distribution A/R.

X Helps prevent lockout due to successive flashovers

during severe thunderstorms.

Systems having relatively high levels of semi-permanent

faults.

Inst Trip
First shot A/R - Unsuccessful
IDMT trip - Fault Burns Clear
Second shot A/R - Successful
System Stability
 Fault Shunts (1)

Z1 F1

E ZF

N1

ZF = Fault shunt
= Combined Impedance of -ve and zero sequence
network impedances for particular fault.
 Fault Shunts (2)

Ø/E ZF = Z2 + Z0

Ø/Ø ZF = Z2

Ø/Ø/E ZF = Z2 . Z0
Z2 + Z0

3Ø ZF = 0 (short circuit)

Healthy ZF = ∝ (open circuit)

 Power Angle Curves

A graph of P against δ, plotted from the above expression is known as a

Power/Angle curve.

Its amplitude is inversely proportional to the transfer reactance, which in

turn depends on system conditions.

Power
E E sin δ
Power Flow = 1 2
X

Load
Angle (δ)
 Comparative Power Angle Curves

The effect of various system conditions, including different types of fault, can be
estimated using the concept of interconnected positive, negative and zero
sequence networks.

Power 3Ø Healthy

2Ø Healthy
1Ø Tripped

Ø/E Fault

Ø/Ø/E Fault

3Ø Fault
3Ø Tripped

Load Angle (δ)

 Steady State

Initial operating conditions are at point A on curve.

Po represents the surplus of locally generated power at the sending end,

and the corresponding deficit at the receiving end.

Power

Normal
X Y Healthy
Operation
A
Sending end P0

Phase
δ0 Angle
Difference
 During Fault

If a fault occurs, curve 2 applies, the operating point moves to B, with a lower power transfer
level P1.

Therefore a surplus of power P0-P1 at the sending end, and a corresponding deficit at the
receiving end.

The sending end machines start to speed up, and the receiving end machines
start to slow down, so phase angle δ increases, and the operating point moves
along curve 2 until the fault is cleared, when the phase angle is δ1.

Power

X Y
Normal
A
P0
P0 - P1 Ø/Ø/E Fault
P1 C
B
δ0 Phase Difference
δ1
 Increased Power Level

The operating point now moves to point D on curve 3. There is still

a power surplus at the sending end, and deficit at the receiving end,
so the machines continue to drift apart and the operating point
moves along curve 3.
Power

Normal

Curve 3
X Y
P0 A E Faulted Feeder
Disconnected
D
P2
Ø/Ø/E Fault
C
B
δ0 Phase Difference
δ1
 Increased Power Level
When operating point passes E, the transmitted power is more than generated sending end, so
there is a nett deficit at the sending end and a nett surplus at the receiving end.

The sending end machines start to slow down and the receiving end machines start to speed
up.

However, the sending end machines are still running faster than the receiving end, so the
phase angle continues to increase, though at a decreasing rate.

Power
Normal

P2' F
Curve 3
X Y A E Faulted Feeder
P0 Disconnected
P2 D

Ø/Ø/E Fault
C
B
δ0 δ2 Phase Difference
δ1
 Increased Power Level

Eventually, at point F, the machines are again rotating at the same

speed, so the phase angle stops increasing. According to the
“Equal Area Criterion”, this occurs when area 2 is equal to area 1.

Power
Normal

P2' F
Curve 3
X Y A E Faulted Feeder
P0 Disconnected
P2 D

Ø/Ø/E Fault
C
B
δ0 δ2 Phase Difference
δ1
 Increased Power Level

At F there is still a nett sending end power deficit and receiving end power surplus, so
the sending end machines continue to slow down, and the receiving end machines
continue to speed up.
Phase angle starts to decrease, and the operating point moves back towards E.

Power
Normal

P2' F
X Y Curve 3
A E Faulted Feeder
P0 Disconnected
P2 D

Ø/Ø/E Fault
C
B
δ0 δ1 δ2 Phase Difference
 Increased Power Level

As the operating point passes E, the nett sending end deficit again becomes a surplus, and the
receiving end surplus becomes a deficit, so the sending end machines begin to speed up and the
receiving end machines begin to slow down.
After some time, due to losses the oscillation is damped, and the system eventually settles at
operating point E. The system is therefore stable

Power
Normal

P2' F
X Y Curve 3
A E Faulted Feeder
P0 Disconnected
P2 D

Ø/Ø/E Fault
C
B
δ0 δ1 δ2 Phase Difference
 Equal Area Criteria

With higher initial power transfer level Po' at such a value that the area enclosed by curve 3
above the Po' line is only just greater than the area enclosed by the locus of the operating point
below the Po' line.
In this case, the two sets of machines have the same speed just before the operating point
reaches G, and the operating point then starts to return along curve 3, with the system
eventually settling to stable synchronous operation at point E.

Power
Normal
Curve 3
Faulted Feeder
Disconnected
E G
P0'
P0 A
D

C Ø/Ø/E Fault
B

δ2 Phase Angle
Difference
 Equal Area Criteria

If the initial power transfer level is above Po’, the area enclosed by curve 3 above the Po’’ line is
less than the area enclosed by the locus of the operating point below the Po’’ line, so when the
operating point passes G, the phase angle difference is still increasing.
The local sending end power deficit becomes a surplus, causing the machines to speed up, and
the local receiving end power surplus becomes a deficit, causing the machines to slow down;
therefore the two sets of machines continue to drift out of synchronism and the system has
become unstable.

Power
Normal
Curve 3
Faulted Feeder
P0’’ G Disconnected
E
P0'
P0 A
D

C Ø/Ø/E Fault
B

δ3 Phase Angle
Difference
 Transient Fault – Successful A/R
At higher power transfer level, it is assumed that after a certain time following fault
clearance, the faulted feeder is successfully reclosed, restoring the system to its
original healthy state, so curve 1 applies and the operating point moves from E to G.

The maximum level of Po'' for the system to have transient stability, is that value
which will make area 2 on Figure 5 just greater than area 1.

it is clear that the application of high speed auto-reclosing enables the system to
operate at a higher power level while retaining transient stability.
Power Normal
G

P0'' A H
F
E Faulted Feeder
D
X Y Disconnected

B C Ø/Ø/E Fault
Phase Angle
Difference
3ph or 1ph A/R
 Single Feeder – 3ph A/R
For single circuit interconnector, the power transfer level is zero while the feeder
is open, i.e. curve 3 lies along the ‘δ’ axis, and the limiting power transfer level for
transient stability is zero if auto-reclosing is not applied.

The maximum limiting power transfer for transient stability for a particular fault
will be obtained when the area enclosed by the locus of the operating point below
the power transfer line is as small as possible. This may be achieved by clearing
the fault as quickly as possible, and reclosing the circuit in a short a time as
possible

Power
Normal
X Y

P3Ø(A/R)
Ø/E Fault

Line
Open 3Ø Phase
Angle
δ Difference
 High Speed 1Ø A/R Single
Interconnector
Power transfer is zero when all three poles of a single circuit interconnector are open. Fast three-
pole tripping and auto-reclosing allows a substantial power transfer limit, while retaining
transient stability for single phase to ground faults, which are the most common type of fault on
overhead transmission circuits.

However, if only the faulted pole is tripped and then reclosed, a higher power transfer limit can
be obtained, due to the power transfer through the two healthy poles. This is illustrated in
Figures below.

Power Normal Power

Normal

P1Ø(A/R)

1Ø Open
P3Ø(A/R)

Ø/E Fault
Ø/E Fault

Line Open 3Ø
Phase
Angle
δ Differen
Phase Angle δ
Difference

Power transfer limit for stability following Power transfer limit for stability following
successful high speed 1Ø auto-reclose. successful 3Ø auto-reclose.
 1Ø Auto-Reclose Advantages (over 3Ø A/R)

1. Higher power transfer limit.

2. Reduced power swing amplitude.

3. Reduced switching overvoltages due to reclosing.

4. Reduced shock to generators.

Sudden changes in mechanical output are less
Choice of Scheme
 Choice of Scheme (1)
High Speed Auto-Reclose

1. Single transmission links.

2. 3Ø A/R.

3. 1Ø A/R for 1Ø-E/Fs

3Ø A/R for multiphase faults.

4. 1Ø A/R for 1Ø-E/Fs

Lockout for multiphase faults.
 Choice of Scheme (2)
Delayed 3Ø Auto-Reclose

1. Densely interconnected systems.

Ð
Minimal power transfer level reduction
during dead time

2. Allow power swings due to fault and

tripping to decay
Ð
Less shock to system than with high
speed A/R
 1Ø Auto-Reclose Factors Requiring
Consideration

1. Separate control of circuit breaker poles.

2. Protection must provide phase selection.

3. Mutual coupling can prolong arcing and require

de-ionising time.

4. Unbalance during dead time

(i) Interference with communications
(ii) Parallel feeder protection may maloperate

5. More complex and expensive than 3Ø A/R

High Speed Auto-Reclose (H.S.A.R.) (1)

Protection
High speed < 2 cycles

Fast clearance at each line end.

ŠCurrent Differential
ŠDistance schemes with signalling
ŠDirect intertrip

Phase selection required for 1Ø A/R – important

of Fault Detector / Phase Selector element if
using Distance Protection.
 High Speed Auto-Reclose (H.S.A.R.) (2)

Dead Time (short as possible)

Circuit breaker minimum ‘open - close’

time
∼ 200 - 300 msecs.

Same dead time at each line end.

De-ionising time
1Ø A/R longer → special steps
 Delayed Auto-Reclosing (D.A.R.) (1)

Protection
High speed not critical for system stability
↓
desirable to limit fault damage
↓
improves probability of successful A/R

Dead Time
Allow for power swings and rotor oscillations to
die down.
Different settings for opposite feeder ends.
Typically 5 to 60 secs.
Synchronizing Check
 Synchronism & Voltage Check

Radial single feeder, 3Ø tripping caused lost interconnection between both

line ends. Re-closing require voltage check on the least dead time end and
synchro check on the other end.

On interconnected systems - little chance of complete loss of synchronism

after fault and disconnection of a single feeder.

Phase angle difference may change to cause unacceptable shock to system

when line ends are re-connected.

VB
VL VB
VL

VL = 0 Dead time = 3.0 sec. Dead time = 3.5 sec. VL = live

VB = live VB = live
∴ Dead Line Charge ∴ Synch Check
 Check Synchronising

Used when system is non radial.

Check synch relay usually checks 3 things:

1) Phase angle difference

2) Voltage
3) Frequency difference