Introduction to Power System

Protection

Harold Fischer
Robinson Sales, Inc.
SEL Representative
March 25, 2014
 Introduction to Protection

• Power system review

• Protection system purpose
• Protection system components
• Protection system measures
• Types of protective relays
 Objectives

• Understand what protective

relays are and how the basic
types work
• Know the “terms” used in power
system protection
• Relate SEL products to their
typical applications
 Power System Elements

• Generators
• Transformers
• Power Lines
• Buses
• Capacitor Banks
Power System Elements
SX SY

Single Bus
Generator
Ring
GS Bus

Generator

Transmission Line
Circuit
Step Up Breaker
Transformer

Transformer

Bulk Power
Substation
Sub-Transmission

Distribution
Line
SZ

Distribution
Substation Wholesale
Capacitor
Customer
Zones of Protection
 Protective Relay Functions

• Detect Faults
• Short circuits
• Detect abnormal operating conditions
• Overloads, unbalances, low voltage or
frequency
• Control and supervision
• Automatic reclosing, bus transfer,
synch-check
Components of a Protection
System
 Protective Relaying System
Current Transformers
Circuit Breaker
52

Voltage
Transformers
Communications
Relay
Channel

DC Supply
 Protection System Elements

• Protective Relays
• Circuit Breakers
• Current and Voltage Transformers
• Communication Channels
• DC Supply System
• Control Cables
 Instrument Transformers

• CT – Current Transformer
• Current scaling
• Isolation from primary voltage

• VT – Voltage Transformer
• Voltage scaling
• Isolation from primary voltage
Measures Applied to Relays

How do relay engineers

evaluate and classify relays;
and decide which ones to use?
Protection Operation Classification

• Correct Operation
• Incorrect Operation
• Failure to trip
• False tripping
 Power System Protection
Requirements
• Measures of Reliability
• Dependability – ability of relay to
always trip for a fault in its protected
zone
• Security – ability of relay to never
trip for a fault outside its protected
zone
 Power System Protection
Requirements
• Measures of Performance
• Sensitivity – ability of relay to
determine a faulted power system
from a normal power system
• Selectivity – ability of a relay to
determine what part of the power
system is faulted
 Power System Protection
Requirements
• Measures of Performance (cont.)
• Dependability – ability of relay to
always trip for a fault in its protected
zone
• Security – ability of relay to never trip
for a fault outside its protected zone
• Speed – how fast can the relay
determine that there is a fault in its
zone
 Power System Protection
Requirements
• Simplicity
• Economics
• Protection costs
• Equipment costs
• Outage costs
 General Relationships

• Higher selectivity allows higher speed

• Dependability is generally
proportional to sensitivity and speed
• Security is generally proportional to
selectivity
• Higher speed and selectivity
generally means higher cost and
complexity
Types of Protective Relays
 IEEE C37.2 Device Numbers

• 50 – Instantaneous Overcurrent Relay

• 51 – Time Overcurrent Relay
• 67 – Directional Overcurrent Relay
• 21 – Distance Relay
• 87 – Differential Relay
 Overcurrent Relays

• Detect current above normal

and trip
• Two types
• Instantaneous (ANSI Code 50)
• Inverse Time (ANSI Code 51)
 Overcurrent Relay Types
• Instantaneous (50, 50N)
• Time-Delayed (51, 51N)
T
Inverse
Time
Definite
Time

IPU I
Inverse Time OC (ANSI Code 51)

• Works like a fuse

• Trip fast for high overcurrent
• Trip slow for small overcurrent

• Desirable attribute for many

protection problems
 Application of OC Relays

• Commonly used for:

• Primary fault protection for radial
feeders
• Backup fault protection for more
sophisticated relay schemes
• Supervisory elements for more
sophisticated relay schemes
• Overload protection
Overcurrent Application
Overcurrent Application
Overcurrent Application
Overcurrent Application
Summary for Overcurrent Relays

Measure Rating
Sensitivity Poor
Selectivity Poor
Speed Depends
Simplicity Best
Cost Best
Directional Overcurrent Relays

• ANSI Code 67
• Two criteria
• Determine that current is flowing
in a particular direction
• Detect current above normal and
trip
• More selective
How do we determine direction?
• Which way did he go?
• AC current reverses direction every
half cycle!
How do we determine direction?
• We need a reference
• Called a polarizing quantity

• Phase angle of current with respect to

voltage for example
 Application of Directional Relays

• Twice as selective as 50/51 relays

• Used in applications that need
more selectivity such as:
• Networked lines with fused loads
• Bus mains and ties
• Supervisory elements for more
sophisticated relay schemes
Directional Relay Application
Summary for Directional Relays

Measure Rating
Sensitivity Depends
Selectivity Good
Speed Good
Simplicity Moderate
Cost Higher
 Distance Relays
• ANSI Code 21
• Determines:
• Not only the direction of the fault
• But, also how far away it is

• Set the reach of the relay in ohms

(Resistance and Reactance)
• Line has characteristics ohms/mile
• Measured ohms = distance
 Types of Distance Relays

• Two types in general use today

• Mho (used in the US)
• Quadrilateral (Common in Europe)
Mho Relay Characteristic

M3

M2

B
M1

A R
 Application of Distance Relays

• Even more selective that 67 relays

since they only respond to faults
within their reach
• Used where more selectivity is
required
• Networked lines with critical clearing
times
 Distance Relay Application
Bus A Bus B Bus C

Zone 1
(Instantaneous)

Zone 2
(15-30 cycle delay)

Zone 3
(> 30 cycle delay)
 Improving Distance Relay
Selectivity
• Distance relays are not accurate
enough to reach exactly 100% of
the line
• Use pilot (communication aided)
protection
• POTT, PUTT, DCB, DCUB
 Pilot Protection

Relay Relay

XMTR RCVR

RCVR XMTR

XMTR = Transmitter RCVR = Receiver

 Pilot Protection

If each end of the line tells the

other if the fault is forward or
reverse, they can compare notes
and determine if the fault is inside
the protected zone
Distance Relay Application (POTT)
Distance Relay Application (DCB)
Summary for Distance Relays

Measure Rating
Sensitivity Good
Selectivity Better
Speed Better
Simplicity Poor
Cost Higher
 Differential Relays

• ANSI Code 87
• Simple concept:
• Measure current in vs. current out
• If they are not equal, then trip

• Operates on the difference in

current – not the total current, thus
sensitivity is good
Differential Relay Zone
Protected zone is precisely
determined by location of CT’s
connected to relay

Internal
Fault

87
 Types of Differential Relays

• Differential Overcurrent
• Operates on magnitude of difference
• Percent Restrained Differential
• Difference must be a percentage of
the total current
• Automatically adjusts sensitivity
 Types of Differential Relays

• Line Current Differential

• Communicate current at remote and
of each zone through communications
channel
• High Impedance Bus Differential
Differential Relay Application

HV LV

800/1 2000/5

3 3
100/5
(REF)
Differential Relay Application
 Line Current Differential
L IL IR R

T Communications T
Relays Relays
R Channel R

Exchange of current data

across high speed channel
 Differential Protection is Even
Used in the Home!
• GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupter)
• Compare the current going to an
appliance to the current returning
• Trips for a very small difference
• High sensitivity to keep you safe
 Application of Differential Relays

• Applied anywhere that high speed,

high sensitivity, and high selectivity
is required:
• Transformers
• Generators
• Bus Sections
• Lines
Summary for Differential Relays

Measure Rating
Sensitivity Best
Selectivity Best
Speed Best
Simplicity Moderate
Cost Depends
 Summary
• There are four main relay types for
detecting faults
• 50/51, 67, 21, 87
• We decide on which types of relays
to use based upon several factors
• Sensitivity, selectivity, speed, cost,
simplicity
• There are two measures for reliability
• Dependability, security
Any Questions?