EEG413: Power System Protection

Chapter 6
Differential Protection

Dr. Fadhel Albasri

Department of Electrical & Electronics
Engineering
University of Bahrain

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 Outline
• Why differential protection
• Applications
• Principle of operation of Differential
protection
• Issues of affecting differential protection
• Solutions
• Design example
• Examples of protection schemes
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 Drawback of Overcurrent Protection

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 Drawback of overcurrent protection
• Fault current at particular location depends on:
– Fault Type
– Source impedance
• Thus, simple OC protection lacks the following:
– can’t provide a distinct (definite) zone of protection.
– can’t provide instantaneous protection for entire protected zone.
• Operating time varies depending on fault location, fault type, system
condition (source impedance).
– More difficult to set and coordinate for complex network i.e.
coordination problems & excessive operating time.
• As a result, OC relay can’t be relied upon as primary means of
protection for transmission systems.

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 Why differential Protection?
• Why needed?
– Overcomes the application difficulties of OC relays when applied to complex
networks, i.e. coordination problems and excessive fault clearance times.
– Provides instantaneous protection for entire protected zone (speed).
– Absolute Selectivity: Exactly defined protection zone
• Thus, it is also called unit protection.
– Sensitivity: Pickup current is set at lower than nominal current
• In Transformers: pickup setting at 20% of In
• In Generators: pickup setting at 5% of In
– Can applied for different applications
• Drawback:
– Unit protection can’t provide backup protection for adjacent zones. Separate
backup protection is required.
– High accuracy of CT (High ALF)
– Higher price

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Applications of Differential Protection
Transformer windings
Stators windings of Generators and rotating machines (eg. large motors)
Feeders (transmission and distribution)
Generator and its unit transformer - overall
Busbars
Shunt Reactors

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 Components of a differential
Protection
52 CT1 CT1 52
Protected
circuit/equipment

I1 Deferential I2
relay (87)

• Relay compared I1 and I2. Relay operate (Tip CB) if I1-I2>setting

• It is common practice to use a separate set of CT’s for differential protection
and not shared by other protection

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 Differential Protection

• Zone of protection is well defined by two CT’s,

• Faults between CT’s are considered “internal faults”, and
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others faults are “external faults” or “through
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 Differential Protection

Differential current
(spill current)=0

Through Fault Condition

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 Issues that need to be considered
Difference in CT magnetizing characteristics
CT ratio mismatch
CT saturation
Transformers inrush current
Transformer winding connection (vector group)
Tap changer

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 Issues
• Magnetizing V

Characteristics of CTs
IB
–No two CTs are alike (CT
ratio mismatch). IA

– as through fault
increases→ the voltage
increases → difference in
Ie
magnetizing current IOB IOA

increases

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 Issues
• CT Saturation

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 Issues
• Leakage/charging currents of the protected
lines/ cables
• Distance between the two CT’s
– Relays are not at the electrical centre
– Burden on CT’s are not identical

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 Issues
• Leakage/charging currents of the protected
lines/ cables
• Distance between the two CT’s
– Relays are not at the electrical centre
– Burden on CT’s are not identical

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 Solutions
• Two methods are used to improve through
fault stability of the differential protection
1. Stabilizing resistors:
– also called High impedance differential protection
2. Biased Relays:
– Also called Biased differential protection

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High Impedance Differential Protection

Id=|I1-I2|

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 Principle of High Impedance Differential Protection

Rst>>RCT

During saturation,
Rct provide low
impedance path to
the spill current

[Source: ALSTOM Application Guide]

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 Unbiased differential protection
Causes of false differential current
Id
Required trip
characteristic Safety margin
ULTC
Id=I1-I2 CT error (mag)
CTR mismatch
I primary
Operating signal (differential current) External fault
Id = |I1-I2| Id characteristic
Relay operate
Relay operate if : (Id>Is)
Id>Is Is
where Is=relay pickup setting Relay restrain
I primary
Problem: High Is compromises
the relay sensitivity Ifmax
10/23/2018 Dr. Fadhel Albasri Ifmax=Max through fault current
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 Biased differential protection
Stability is provided by biasing
External fault
Id characteristic
Relay operate
Id>Ir and Id>K.Ir
B B

Id=I1-I2 Is Relay restrain I primary

Ifmax

Operating signal (differential current) External fault

Id = |I1-I2| Id characteristic
Restrain Signal (Bias Current) Relay operate
Ir =(|I1|+|I2|)/2 Id>Is+K.Ir
Relay operate if :
Id>Is and Id> K. Ir
where Is=relay pickup setting Is Relay restrain I primary
K= bias constant (slop) Ifmax
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 Biased Vs Un-biased
Idiff (Id) Id
Slop=bias constant (K)

Ir
Ibias (Ir)

Relay operate if: Id>K*Ir + Is

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 Biased Differential Characteristic
Id Id

k2

operate operate
K1 (slop)
k1

Is Is
Restrain Restrain

Isb Ib Ib2
Ir Ir

(a) Single slop characteristic (b) Dual slop characteristic

Settings: Is=min. operating current > charging current, Isb, k1, k2 (for dual slop)
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 Biased differential Protection-
summary
CT1
CT2
Protected circuit
Measurements
1. Differential Current:
Operating current is defined as:
I1 I2
Differential Relay Id=|I1-I2|
I1, I2 phasors of the fundamental
component of the sec. currents

Trip condition: 2. Restrain current:

Id >k*Ir & Id>Is Most common ways for Ir
representation are
k=slop (in % of Ir) =10 to 40%
Is=pickup setting (usually very low) Ir =(|I1|+|I2|)/2
Generator: Is  5%In=0.05x5= 0.25A, or
Transformer: Is 20%In=0.2x5=1A Ir=max(|I1| , |I2|)
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 Examples of biased differential relays
• Numerical relay
– Implemented using software
– Relay operate if the following are satisfied:
• Id>Is and Id>K*Ir
Where
Id=|I1-I2|
Ir=(|I1|+|I2|)/2
Setting are: K=bias constant setting
Is=min. pickup current setting

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 Transformer Differential Protection
• Factors to be considered
– Transformer turn ratio
• Iprimary ≠ Isecondery
• Solution: use different ratios for the two CT’s
– Transformer connections
• For ΥΔ connection, 30° phase shift between Ip & Is
• Solution: Use CT connection as replica of transformer
connection or compensate the phase shift in the relay
(Numerical)

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 Transformer Differential Protection
• Factors to be considered… cont.
– Tap changer:
• Transformer ratio vary by the tap changer
• Differential protection should have tolerance range as it is not
practical to vary CT ratio
– Inrush current
• Occurs during transformer energisation or during voltage recovery
on clearing of an external faults.
• Causes a current flow in the primary winding with no
corresponding current in the secondary winding
• Fact: inrush current rich of harmonics where as internal faults
consists of only fundamental + dc

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 Transformer Differential Protection
• Factors to be considered… cont.
– Methods to distinguish inrush from faults
1. Using a time delay unit to delay differential relay
action during inrush for the period of inrush current
2. Harmonics restrain unit or supervisory unit with
differential relay

Id>K1.Ir+Is
& trip
Ih2/Ih1>K2

3. Inhibit differential relay during energizing of the

transformer

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 CT ratio and Phase Correction for 3-phase
Transformer Differential Protection

Correct application of differential protection requires CT ratio and

winding connections matches those of the transformer.

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 Need for interposing CT (old relay)

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 Need for interposing CT (old relay) a
A

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 Conventional Differential Relays with ICT
Main CT’s

Matching
Vector
Groups for
phase angle
correction

Interposing CT
(ICT)

• Interposing CT provides vector phase correction & ratio correction

• If CT’s connections used to correct phase, then ICT is used for ratio correction
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 Vector & Ratio correction in µp relays

Eliminates the need for Physical Interposing CT

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Example 1

• Consider a 30MVA,11.5k/69kV, Dy11 transformer as shown in the single-

line diagram. Determine the current transformer ratios and connections
required in order to set the differential relays. CTs with ratios in steps of
50/5 up to 250/5, and in steps of 100/5 thereafter, should be used. Use an
electromechanical relays with a variable-percentage characteristic. The
available current tap setting are: 5-5, 5-5.5, 5-6.6,5-7.3,5-8, 5-9,5-10A.

Dy11

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Solution:
In=1506A
1600/5 11.5kV 300/5 In=251A
Nominal currents:
4.71A

CT Ratio selection:
LV: 1600/5 (Y connected)
HV: 300/5 (delta connected)

Relay currents: Dy11

LV: IRX=(1506x5/1600)x√3=8.15A
HV: IRH=251x5/300=4.18A 8.15A Tap=5:10 4.18A

Relay Tap Ratio:

Since 8.15/4.18=X/5 → X=9.75
Therefore 5:10 ratio is selected
Three-phase connection diagram of Example 1
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Solution: Relay operation for bias setting of 40% (K=0.4)
In=1506A
1600/5 11.5kV 300/5 In=251A

4.71A

Dy11

8.15A Tap=5:10 4.18A

Three-phase connection diagram of Example 1

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Solution: Relay operation for bias setting of 40% (K=0.4)
1600/5 11.5kV 300/5

If(HV)

Dy11

324.8A Tap=5:10 0A

Three-phase connection diagram of Example 1

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 Example 2:
For the transformer shown in the Figure below, determine the
transformation ratios and the connections required for the compensation
transformers (ICT), which will be used for both phase and ratio
correction. Use the differential relays of the same type as for Example1.
Draw the complete schematic for the three-phase connections and
identify the currents in each of the elements.

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Solution:
Dy1

Three-phase connection diagram of Example 2

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Example 3
A biased differential protection scheme is required for a 45MVA, 11/66kV, Y-
transformer. Determine the CT ratios and ICT ratio required to minimize the spill
current in relay. The design should allow a transformer overload of 25%. The
phase error should be corrected using the main CTs and the magnitude error is
corrected by the conventional interposing CT.
What is the minimum spill current at which
the relay trip for the following trip
characteristics:
(i) percentage differential (Id ≥kIr),
(ii) Id≥Is+kIr
(iii) Id ≥ Is and Id ≥kIr.
Assuming that the bias setting is 40% and
the current plug setting is 20% (for ii and iii
case).

Repeat when the ICT is not used.

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 solution

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 solution

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 87N

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 Busbar Differential Protection

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 Transformer Differential Protection
Schemes

ALISTOM relay

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 Generator-Transformer unit
differential protection scheme

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63 – Pressure Switch
49 – Thermal Relay
46 – Reverse-phase or Phase-Balance Current Relay

[Source: Siemens]

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[Source: Siemens]

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