Scribd
Upload
227 views

Protection of Alternators

The document summarizes various types of protection needed for alternators, including protection from failure of the prime mover, failure of the field, overcurrent, overspeed, overvoltage, unbalanced loading, and stator winding faults. It describes differential protection using a circulating current principle, and modified differential protection schemes to protect alternators during earth faults by using phase and earth relay elements along with a balancing resistance.

Uploaded by

Vaira Perumal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
227 views

Protection of Alternators

The document summarizes various types of protection needed for alternators, including protection from failure of the prime mover, failure of the field, overcurrent, overspeed, overvoltage, unbalanced loading, and stator winding faults. It describes differential protection using a circulating current principle, and modified differential protection schemes to protect alternators during earth faults by using phase and earth relay elements along with a balancing resistance.

Uploaded by

Vaira Perumal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

Protection

of
Alternators
Protection of Alternators

1) Failure of Prime-Mover
2) Failure of Field
3) Overcurrent
4) Overspeed
5) Overvoltage
6) Unbalanced Loading
7) Stator Winding Faults
Failure of Prime-Mover
 When input to the prime-mover fails, the
alternator runs as a synchronous motor
and draws some current from the supply
system. This motoring conditions is
known as “Inverted running”.
Failure of Field
 The chances of field failure of alternators
are undoubtedly very rare. Even if it does
occur, no immediate damage will be
caused by permitting the alternator to
run without a field for a short-period.
 It is sufficient to rely on the control room
attendant to disconnect the faulty
alternator manually from the system bus-
bars.
Overcurrent
 It occurs mainly due to partial breakdown
of winding insulation or due to Overload
on the supply system.
Overspeed
 Overspeed is the sudden loss of all or the
major part of load on the alternator.
 Modern alternators are usually provided
with mechanical centrifugal devices
mounted on their driving shafts to trip
the main valve of the prime-mover when
a dangerous overspeed occurs.
Overvoltage
 The field excitation system of modern
alternators is so designed that
overvoltage conditions at normal running
speeds cannot occur.
 However, overvoltage in an alternator
occurs when speed of the prime-mover
increases due to sudden loss of the
alternator load.
Unbalanced Loading
 Unbalanced loading means that there are
different phase currents in the alternator.
 Unbalanced loading arises from faults to
earth or faults between phases on the
circuit external to the alternator.
 The unbalanced currents, if allowed to
persist, may either severely burn the
mechanical fixings of the rotor core or
damage the field winding.
Unbalanced Loading

Under normal operating conditions - Algebraic sum is zero.


Under abnormal operating conditions - Unbalancing occurs
Stator Winding Faults
 These faults occur mainly due to the
insulation failure of the stator windings.
 The main types of stator winding faults, in
order of importance are :
1) Fault between phase and ground
2) Fault between phases
3) Inter-turn fault involving turns of the
same phase winding
Differential Protection of
Alternators
 The most common system used for the
protection of stator winding faults
employs circulating-current principle.
 Also called as Merz-Price circulating
current scheme.
Differential Protection of
Alternators
Differential Protection of
Alternators

Resistances are
usually adjustable in
order to obtain the
exact balance.
Differential Protection of
Alternators
 Limitations.
 The two circuits for alternator
protection shown above have their own
limitations.
 It is a general practice to use neutral
earthing resistance in order to limit the
destructive effects of earth-fault currents.
 In such a situation, it is impossible to protect
whole of the stator windings of a star-
connected alternator during earth-faults.
Modified Differential
Protection for Alternators

phase elements (PC


and PA) and balancing
resistance (BR) are
connected in star and
the earth relay (ER)
Balanced Earth-fault
Protection
Stator Inter-Turn Protection
 Under normal conditions, the currents in
the stator windings S1 and S2 are equal
and so will be the currents in the
secondaries of the two CTs.
 The secondary current round the loop
then is the same at all points and no
current flows through the relay R1.
Stator Inter-Turn Protection
Thank You

You might also like