Protection of Generator

Classification of Generator faults

Stator faults
 Phase to earth faults ( These faults mainly occur in the armature slots. )
 Phase to phase faults (short circuit between two phase windings.)
 Stator inter turn faults (short circuit between the turns of one coil may occur which is called an inter-
turn fault.)
Rotor faults
 Field Overloading
 Field Winding Grounding
 Heating of Rotor
 Rotor Earth fault
Abnormal running conditions
 Over voltage
 Overloading
 Over speeding
 Unbalanced loading
 Failure of prime mover
 Loss of excitation
 Cooling system failure
 Generator Protection-Stator faults

If the stator winding fault is not cleared quickly, it may lead to

• Burning of stator coils
• Burning and welding up of stator windings

(a) Phase to Earth Fault Protection

• Normally occurred due to armature slots
• Fault current to be limited to between 200A and 250A
• Maximum Value of resistance is given by
106
𝑅=
6𝜋𝑓𝑁 2 𝐶

(b) Phase to Phase Fault

• Due to Overheating & Insulation Failures

Biased Protection Scheme

Merz Price Protection

This is most commonly used protection scheme for the alternator stator windings. The scheme is
also called biased differential protection and percentage differential protection.

In this method, the currents at the two ends of the protected section are sensed using current
transformers. The wires connecting relay coils to the current transformer secondaries are called
pilot wires.

Under normal conditions, when there is no fault in the windings, the currents in the pilot wires fed
from C.T. secondaries are equal. The differential current i1 - i2 through the operating coils of the
relay is zero. Hence the relay is inoperative and system is said to be balanced.

When fault occurs inside the protected section of the stator windings, the differential current i1 -
i2 flows through the operating coils of the relay. Due to this current, the relay operates. This trips
the generators circuit breaker to isolate the faulty section. The is also disconnected and is
discharged through a suitable impedance.

The differential relay gives protection against short circuit fault in the stator winding of a generator.
The C.T.s are connected in star and are provided on both, the outgoing side and machine winding
connections to earth side. The restraining coils are energized from the secondary connection of
C.T.s in each phase, through pilot wires. The operating coils are energized by the tappings from
restraining coils and the C.T. neutral earthing connection.
Star Connected CT

Delta Connected CT
In addition to the tripping of circuit breaker, the percentage differential relay trip a hand reset
multicontact auxiliary relay. This auxiliary relay simultaneously initiates the following
operations,

1. Tripping of the main circuit breaker of generator

2. Tripping of the field circuit breaker
3. Tripping of the neutral circuit breaker if it is present
4. Shut down of the prime mover
5. Turn on of CO2 gas if provided for safety of generator under faulty conditions.
6. Operation of alarm and / or annunciator to indicate the occurrence of the fault and the
operation of the relay the field must be opened immediately otherwise it starts feeding the fault.

The advantages of this scheme are,

1. Very high speed operation with operating time of about 15 msec.
2. It allows low fault setting which ensures maximum protection of machine windings.
3. It ensures complete stability under most severe through and external faults.
4. It does not require current transformers with air gaps or special balancing features.

(c) Stator Interturn Fault

The Merz-Price protection system gives protection

against phase to phase faults and earth faults. It does
not give protection against interturn faults. The
interturn fault is a short circuit between the turns of the
same phase winding. Thus the current produced due to
such fault is a local circuit current and it does not affect
the currents entering and leaving the winding at the two
ends, where C.T.s are located. Hence Merz-Price
protection cannot give protection against interturn
faults.

Under normal operation conditions, when the two paths

are sound then currents in the two parallel paths S1 and
S2 are equal. Hence currents in the secondaries of the
current transformers are also equal. The secondary
current flows round the loop and is same at all the
points. Hence no current flows through the relay and
the relay is inoperative.
If the short circuit is developed between the adjacent turns of the part S1 of the winding say then
currents through S1 and S2 no longer remain same. Thus unequal currents will be induced in the
secondaries of the current transformers. The difference of these currents flows through the relay
R. Relay then closes its contacts to trip the circuit breaker which isolates the generator from the
system.

Such an interturn fault protection system is extremely sensitive but it can be applied to the
generators having doubly wound armatures.

Protection of Generator- Rotor

Rotor Earth Fault Protection

Method 1 : In this method a high resistance is connected across the rotor circuit. It is provided
with centre tap and the centre tap point is connected to the ground through a sensitive earth fault
relay as shown in the Fig

Except the centre point, the earth fault relay detects the earth faults for most of the rotor circuit.
Thus most of the rotor winding part is protected against the earth faults.

Method 2 : The modern method of providing earth fault protection includes D.C. injection or A.C.
injection.

A small d.c. power supply is connected to the field circuit. A fault detecting sensitive relay and the
resistance are also connected in series with the circuit. This high resistance limits the current
through the circuit.

A fault at any point on the field circuit will pass a current of sufficient magnitude through the
relay to cause its operation. The d.c. supply is preferred and simple to use and it has no problem
of the leakage currents. In case of a.c. injection, the high resistance is replaced by a capacitor.
Protection against Loss of Excitation

The loss of excitation of the generator may result in the loss of synchronism and slightly increase
in the generator speed. The machine starts behaving as an induction generator. It drawn reactive
power from the system which is undesirable. The loss of excitation may lead to the pole slipping
condition. Hence protection against loss of excitation must be provided.

The equivalent generator impedance locus traces a path from first quadrant of R-X diagram to the
fourth quadrant. The distance relay is used which covers the portion of the fourth quadrant where
impedance locus path exists. Thus when the impedance takes value in the region covered by the
relay characteristics, the relay operates. The relay operates when generator first starts to slip poles.
Then relay trips the field circuit breaker. And it disconnects the generator from the system, too.
When the excitation is regained and becomes normal, the generator can then be returned to service
instantly.
Refer: Negative Sequence Relay for Protection against loss of excitation
 PROTECTION OF MOTOR

• Based on control action i.e. starting, stopping or reversal various control elements
known in electrical terms as switchgear are employed for the protection of induction
motor.
• By using HRC fuse and thermal overload relays along with circuit breakers
• Rating of motor up to 150kw –Contactor & fuses can be used
• Rating of motor beyond 150kw –Circuit Breaker are used.

Abnormal condition and failure

• Motor loaded beyond its capacity draws heavy current simultaneous rise in
temperature of winding insulation failure
• Overload protection circuit (thermal overload relays) is employed for preventing
mechanical overloading in machines
• Due to rotor locked condition (long duration for start)- Thermal relay or overcurrent
relays are used.

Abnormal Conditions
• Loss of supply voltage -
• Unbalanced supply voltage –Excessive heating
• Voltage reversal  correct phase sequence motor run in one direction if change in
phase leads to change in direction
• Over voltage
• Under voltage
• Under frequency

The performance of the motor is affected

• Due to excessive temperature rise, insulation may get damaged , it leads to earth fault or
phase to phase fault  Differential protection may be used.

• Due to blowing of fuse in any phase or open circuit in one phase results in single
phasing. In such case motor continues to rotate , if loaded heavily it draws heavy
current which will damage the rotor. single phase preventer may be used.

Abnormal condition

S.No Abnormal Condition Choice of prevention

 1 Mechanical overload Over current relay , thermal overload relay

2 Prolonged starting of motor Thermal overload relay, instantaneous overcurrent

relay
3 Under voltage Under voltage release, Under voltage relay

4 Unbalanced voltage Negative phase sequence relays

5 Reverse phase sequence Phase reversal relay

6 Phase to phase fault or earth to phase HRC fuse, instantaneous overcurrent relays,
fault differential protection
7 Single phasing Thermal overload relays, single phase preventer.

Protection circuit for Induction Motor

The three phase supply is given to the motor through various elements such as fuse, switch,
contactor and thermal overload relay. The control circuit of contactor consists of energizing coil,
start and stop buttons. The start (ON) push button is normally open green switch while the stop
(OFF) push button is normally closed red switch.

When the start button is pressed then the conductor coil is energized as it gets supply voltage. The
coil attracts the plunger when excited and the main contacts are closed along with the auxiliary
contact. Even if the ON push button is released, the contactor coil remains energized as it gets
supply through auxiliary contacts. Thus motor starts running.

The OFF push button which is normally closed when passed cuts the supply of the contactor coil
and hence the main as well as auxiliary contacts are open so motor eventually stops. If supply
voltage fails, control coil is de-energized which opens the contactor and motor stops.

During overload condition, the thermal overload relay operates. Thermal overload relay consists
of bimetallic strips. Because of bending of one or more bimetallic strip results in operation of
common lever which operates the trip contacts to de-energize the coil and disconnects the supply
to the motor.
 PROTECTION OF TRANSFORMER

The following are the safety devices available with transformer,

 Buchholz relay
 Differential protection scheme
 Oil level gage
 Sudden pressure relay
 Oil temperature indicator
 Winding temperature indicator

The various possible transformer faults are:

• Over heating due to overload and short circuits
• Winding faults such as phase to phase, earth fault and inter turn fault
• Open circuits –manually disconnected
• Through fault occurring outside the protected zone
• Over fluxing due to V/f ratio
• Other faults such as tap-changer faults, high voltage surges, incipient faults, etc.

Zone of differential protection

BUCHHOLZ RELAY

• The Buchholz relay is a gas operated relay used for the protection of oil immersed
transformers against all the types of internal faults and makes use of the fact that faults
decompose oil thus generating gases.

• It uses the principle that due to the faults, oil in the tank decomposes, generating the
gases. The 70% component of such gases is hydrogen which is light and hence rises
upwards towards conservator through the pipe. Buchholz relay is connected in the pipe,
 as shown in the Fig. 1. Due to the gas collected in the upper portion of the Buchholz
relay, the relay operates and gives an alarm.

 There are many types of internal faults such as insulation fault, core heating, bad switch
contacts, faulty joints etc. which can occur. When the fault occurs the decomposition of oil in
the main tank starts due to which the gases are generated.
 The major component of such gases is hydrogen. The hydrogen tries to rise up towards
conservator but in its path it gets accumulated in the upper part of the Buchholz relay. Through
passage of the gas is prevented by the flap valve.
 When gas gets accumulated in the upper part of housing. The oil level inside the housing falls.
Due to which the hollow float tills and close the contacts of the mercury switch attached to it.
This completes the alarm circuit to sound an alarm.
 Due to this operator knows that there is some incipient fault in the transformer. The transformer
is disconnected and the gas sample is tested. The testing results give the indication, what type
of fault is started developing in the transformer. Hence transformer can be disconnected before
grows into a serious one. The alarm circuit does not immediately disconnect the transformer
but gives only indication to the operator. This is because sometimes bubbles in the oil
circulating system may operate the alarm circuit through actually there is no fault.

Advantages
The various advantages of the Buchholz relay are,
1. Normally a protective relay does not indicate the appearance of the fault. It operates when
fault occurs. But Buchholz relay gives an indication of the fault at very early stage, by
anticipating the fault and operating the alarm circuit. Thus the transformer can be taken out of
service before any type of serious damage occurs.
2. It is the simplest protection in case of transformers.

Limitations
The various limitation of the Buchholz relay are,
1. Can be used only for oil immersed transformers having conservator tanks.
2. Only faults below oil level are detected.
3. Setting of the mercury switches cannot be kept too sensitive otherwise the relay can operate
due to bubbles, vibration, earthquakes mechanical shocks etc.
4. The relay is slow to operate having minimum operating time of 0.1 seconds and average time
of 0.2 seconds.
Applications
1. Local overheating
2. Entrance of air bubbles in oil
3. Core bolt insulation failure
4. Short circuited laminations
5. Loss of oil and reduction in oil level due to leakage
6. Bad and loose electrical contacts
7. Short circuit between phases
8. Winding short circuit
9. Bushing puncture
10. Winding earth fault.

Various types of CT connections

Power Transformer connections C.T.Connections

Primary Secondary Primary Secondary
Star Delta Delta Star
Delta Delta Star Star
Star Star Delta Delta
Delta Star Star Delta
Merz-price protection of star delta power transformer

The restraining coils are connected across the C.T. secondary windings while the operating coils
are connected between the tapping points on the restraining coils and the star point of C.T.
secondaries.

With the proper selection of turns ratio of C.T.s the coils are under balanced condition during
normal operating conditions. The C.T. secondaries carry equal currents which are in phase under
normal conditions. So no current flows through the relay and the relay is inoperative.
 Merz-price protection of Star- Star power transformer

With an internal fault in power transformer windings, the balance in the C.T.s gets disturbed.
The operating coils of differential relay carry currents proportional to the difference of current
between the two sides of a power transformer. This causes the relay operation which trips the main
circuit breakers on both the sides of the power transformer.

The basic requirements of the differential relay are,

1. The differential relay must not operate on load or external faults.

2. It must operate on sever internal faults.

The relay satisfying these requirements is used in Merz-Price protection.

Frame leakage protection scheme for transformer

The metal clad switchgear is lightly insulated from the earth.

 The frame of the switch i.e. enclosure is grounded. This is done through a primary of
current transformer in between.
 The concrete foundation of switchgear and the other equipment’s are lightly insulated
from the ground. The resistance of these equipment’s with earth is about 12 ohms.
 When there is an earth fault, then fault current leaks from the frame and passes through
the earth connection provided. Thus the primary of C.T. senses the current due to which
current passes through the sensitive earth fault relay. This operates the relay.
 Such a protection is provided only for small transformers. For the large transformers, the
differential protection is enough to sense and operate for the earth fault.