EXPERT WORKSHOP SERIES

Session 2: Distance Protection

on short lines and cables
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Zone Setting
for Short Lines

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Example: Setting for a Short Cable

x This shape of zone 1

cable 240mm2, 1km with Rzone1/Xzone1 = 10
110kV/20kV r‘ = 0.125/km
may lead
uk=12% x‘ = 0.128 /km
to measurement issues!

Shape of zone 1 with X

Xzone1 = 80% XL = 0.1
and
Rzone1 = 1:
ZC
1
R

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Zone Setting: Influence of the Angle Error

X To visualize the problem, a high angle

1.1%
error of 5 is shown
X
ZL,F
9%
Measured impedance
with 5 angle error

Measured impedance
ZC,F with 5 angle error

R R

For a metallic fault on a transmission line (L=85), For a metallic fault on a cable (C=45), the resulting
even this high angle error will only lead to a small measuring error for the reactance is higher.
measuring error for the reactance
Example: ∆meas = 1 → ∆X/X = 0,14% Example: ∆meas = 1 → ∆X/X = 1,7%

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Zone Setting: Issues with High R/X-Ratios

X ∆X/X = 14%
RF

ZC,F ZF
7 1
Measured impedance R
with 1 angle error

To avoid problems from these reactance measuring errors,

we recommend
• To limit the setting ratio Rzone1/Xzone1 < 3, or
• To set a slope for the upper limit of zone 1, which avoids wrong trips

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Zone Setting: How to Avoid Wrong Trips

X X
∆X/X = 6%

ZF ZF

R R

Limit the Rzone1/Xzone1 ratio to 3: Tilting the upper limit of the zone can give additional
Example: cable feeder; Rzone1/Xzone1 = 3 security against wrong trips

∆meas = 1 → ∆X/X = 6%

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High Source Impedance Ratio

ZS ZL,F I
A
x  
cable 240mm2, 1km
110kV/20kV
uk=12%
r‘ = 0.125/km
x‘ = 0.128 /km
 Umeas

ZS
A high source impedance ratio (SIR) leads SIR = = 18,8
ZL
to a low measuring voltage at the zone limit:
100𝑉 𝑍𝐿,80% 100𝑉 0.1024Ω
Umeas = ∙ = ∙ = 2.4V
3 𝑍𝐿,80% +𝑍𝑆 3 0.1024Ω+2.4Ω
Calculation shown for 3 phase
Recommendation: The measured voltage at the zone faults and secondary values
limit should not be less than 1V (SIR < 60)

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Systems with Earth
Fault Compensation
or Isolated Neutral

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Systems with Earth Fault Compensation or Isolated Neutral:
Phase to Ground Faults

Single phase-to-ground faults are no short circuits.

The distance protection does not react on single phase-to-ground faults:

L1
L2 Fault inception:
L3 Transient currents after fault inception
Petersen Ires
may lead to a pickup of the distance
coil protection: This is normally supressed
by a time delays

Earth fault compensation

Single phase earth faults must be detected by other protection functions

Consequence
(sensitive directional earth fault protection)

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Systems with Earth Fault Compensation or Isolated Neutral:
Double Earth Faults (1)

During an earth fault situation, the ph-e-voltages of the healthy phases

increase by 3. The ph-ph-voltages are not affected.

This leads to an increased risk for a second earth fault

• On a different phase
• At a different location
Result: Double earth fault (cross country fault → short circuit)

→ Special treatment of double earth faults required

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Systems with Earth Fault Compensation or Isolated Neutral:
Double Earth Faults (2)

Double earth fault situation leads Double earth fault situation only leads
to a phase-phase-earth pick up to a single phase-to-earth pickup

It is sufficient to trip only one earth fault! In this case, a trip on a persistent single
• Operation can be continued with one earth fault phase-to-ground pickup is required
• The remaining earth fault must be detected Time delay for single phase-to-ground pickup
by the sensitive earth fault function should be cancelled.
Problem: Which earth fault should be tripped?
→ Phase preference
setting required

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Mixed Lines
(Overhead Lines & Cables)

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Example: Mixed Feeder (Cable & Overhead Line)

x x
Overhead line Cable
6km 2km

Topic 1: setting of distance zone 1 Topic 2: blocking of auto reclosing for cable faults
• Total impedance from the relay Options:
to the end of zone 1 must be calculated • Blocking by the fault locator
• Residual compensation factors must be calculated • Use of a differential protection across the cable
for the same point (without circuit breaker at the connection point
to the overhead line; CT required at this point)

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Mixed Feeder (Cable & Overhead Line): Setting of Distance Zone 1

r‘1,OHL, x‘1,OHL r‘1,Ca, x‘1, Ca

r‘0,OHL, x‘0,OHL r‘0, Ca, x‘0, Ca
x x
Overhead line Cable
6km 2km

Xzone1 setting (grading factor 80%)

• Total positive impedance of the feeder: Xfeeder = 6km  x‘1,OHL+ 2km  x‘1,Ca
• Xzone1 = 0.8  Xfeeder; caution: the zone reach is not 80% of the feeder length!
Residual compensation factors kx, kr
• Residual compensation factors must be calculated for the zone limit
• Zone limit (in km behind OHL end): lZL= (Xzone1 - XOHL) / x‘1, Ca
• Total zero sequence reactance inside zone 1: X0,Zone 1= 6km  x‘0,OHL+ lZL  x‘0, Ca
1 𝑋
• kx=3 ∙ 𝑋0,𝑍𝑜𝑛𝑒1 − 1 ; similar calculation for kr
𝑧𝑜𝑛𝑒1

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Mixed Feeder (Cable & Overhead Line): Blocking of Auto Reclosing for Cable
Faults

x x
Overhead line Cable
6km 2km

Option 1: Blocking by fault locator Option 2: Use of a differential protection

• The “fault locator plus” can be used to block • Use of a differential protection across the cable
the auto reclose function for cable faults (without circuit breaker at the connection point
• The use of the double-ended fault locator function to the overhead line)
increases the accuracy. This requires a protection • This requires a device installation
communication interface and a communication at the connection point and communication links.
channel

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 Conclusion:
For distance protection on short or mixed lines
and in systems with earth fault compensation,
some additional considerations are required.

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Contact/Disclaimer
Published by Siemens 2025
Smart Infrastructure
Electrification & Automation
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© Siemens 2025
Subject to changes and errors. The information given in this
document/video only contains general descriptions and/or performance
features which may not always specifically reflect those described,
or which may undergo modification in the course of further development
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