Distance

Protection

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DISTANCE PROTECTION

VR  I R Z set VR  I R Z set VR  I R Z set

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Distance Relay Application
Measurement units

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 Simple Impedance/Distance Relay

The operating characteristic is a circle with its centre at

the origin, and hence the relay is non-directional.
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DIRECTIONAL PROPERTY EXHIBITED BY
SIMPLE DISTANCE RELAY

Simple distance relay is non-directional. 5

 REACTANCE RELAY

The relay is sensitive only to the reactance part

of the impedance seen!
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 Reactance Relay

The relay is most suitable to detect earth faults

where the effect of arc resistance may render other
types of relays to detect faults with difficulty. 7
DIRECTIONAL PROPERTY EXHIBITED BY REACTANCE RELAY

Reactance relay
does not exhibit
any directional
property

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 CHARACTERISTIC of Mho Relay

This is a directional impedance relay. Its characteristic

on R-X diagram is a circle whose circumference passes
through the origin. The relay is inherently directional
and it only operates for faults in the forward direction.
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 UNIVERSAL TORQUE EQUATION
It is possible to synthesize many types of distance
relays using the generic torque equation,
2 2
T  k I  k 2V  k 3VR I R cos(   )  k 4
1 R R

Torque due
Torque due Ang between V&I
Net torque to spring
to voltage
Torque due Torque due to power Max torque ang
to current (Directional unit) for dir unit (MTA)

The torque which tends to close the trip contacts

is the operating torque.
The torque which tends to oppose the closing of
the trip contacts is the restraining torque. 10
 Comparison between Distance Relay
(S.I.R) Simple Reactance relay Mho relay
impedance relay
Operating Current Current Directional element
Quantity
Restraining Voltage Directional Voltage
quantity element
Directional No No Yes
Property
Performance Restrains Trips Restrains
On Load
Effect of Fault Under-reaches Reach unaffected Under-reaches more
Resistance than S.I.R
Effect of power Maloperates Maloperates Maloperates, effect is
swing less than S.I.R
Area occupied on Moderate Very large Smallest
the R-X plane
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 Mho Relay
Consider the universal torque equation below,

2 2
T  k I  k 2V  k 3V R I R cos(   )  k 4
1 R R

The operating torque is the torque due to

directional unit and the restraining torque is the
torque due to voltage, where K1 is zero, K2 is

negative, K3 is positive and K4 is negligible when

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the relay is on the verge of operation.
 Mho Relay
k V  k3 VR I R cos   
2 R
2

VR
2
k3 VR k3
 cos     cos   
VR I R k 2 IR k2

Defines a circle whose

Z R  Z set cos    circumference passes
through the origin.

If Z R  Z set cos(   ) then Trip else restrain

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 DIRECTIONAL PROPERTY EXHIBITED
By Mho RELAY

Mho relay is a directional relay with voltage restraint.

The directional property makes it useful in long Tx line.
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 Distance Relay Application
Since the distance relays are fed from the
secondaries of line CTs and bus PTs / line CVTs,
the line parameters are to be converted into
secondary values to set the relay as per
requirements.
CTR CTR
Z sec  Z pri Z Re lay  Z flt
PTR PTR
Mho Relay𝒁
setting
𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉
𝒁 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 =
cos ( 𝜃 − 𝜏 ) 15
Distance Relay Application

𝑪𝑻𝑹
𝒁 𝒔𝒆𝒄 = 𝒁 𝒑𝒓𝒊 ×
𝑷𝑻𝑹

𝒁 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉
𝒁 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 =
cos ( 𝜃 − 𝜏 )

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 Distance Relay Application
A distance relay is either 3 zones to 5 zones to
provide protection. To ensure proper coordination
between distance relays in power system, it is
customary to choose relay ohmic setting as follows:

The zonal timings will be carefully selected to

properly grade with the relays on adjoining
sections. 17
 Distance Relay Application

The zone-1 reach is limited to 80% of ZL to

provide a reasonable margin against a
possible overreach due to errors in CTs, PTs,
relay measurement, line parameters, etc.

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 Distance Relay Application
The zone-2 reach is set to cover up to 40-50% of
adjoining line so that this will definitely cover the
balance 20% of main line (after zone-1 reach)
and provides backup to adjoining line relay.
Zone-2 setting shall not be less than 120% of ZL
in order to ensure definite coverage of 100% of
main line.

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 Distance Relay Application
The zone-3 & zone-4 reaches will be suitably set
to provide backup for relays on adjacent lines
with proper time gradation.

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IMPEDANCE SETTING OF DISTANCE RELAYS

 The impedance reach ZR of the first zone is

set to 80% to 90% of the line to be protected.

 The impedance reach ZR of the second zone is

set to at least 120% of the line to be protected.
 Both, the zone 1 and zone 2 provide
distance protection for the whole length of
the line to be protected.
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 TIME SETTING OF DISTANCE PROTECTION
 The zone 1 is set to operate instantaneously
(i.e. without intentional time delay) to provide
fast fault clearance.
 Zone 2 setting has to be time-delayed to
assure grading with the primary protection on
the adjacent transmission lines.
 This method of implementing distance
protection is referred to as time-stepped
distance protection. 22
SETTING OF DISTANCE PROTECTION

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SETTING OF DISTANCE PROTECTION

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RESPONSE OF STEPPED DISTANCE PROTECTION

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 SETTING OF DISTANCE RELAYS
Recall: Line impedance on the primary side is
seen by the relay through CT and PT. The actual
ohms of primary side should be converted to
secondary side as seen by the distance relay:
𝑪𝑻𝑹
𝒁 𝒔𝒆𝒄 = 𝒁 𝒑𝒓𝒊 ×
𝑷𝑻𝑹

Where Zsec is impedance referred to the

secondary side of CT and PT, as seen by
the distance relay.
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Zpri is line impedance in ohms
 SETTING OF DISTANCE RELAYS
Consider Line impedance, ZL=2.5+j5.0.
CTR = 400/1 A and PTR = 33 kV/110 V.
(a) Plot line characteristic on the R-X plane
referred to secondary side.
(b) Plot characteristic of a mho relay having
45º maximum torque angle to protect 80% of
the line length.

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 SETTING OF DISTANCE RELAYS
Consider Line impedance, ZL=2.5+j5.0.
CTR = 400/1 A and PTR = 33 kV/110 V.
(a) Plot line characteristic on the R-X plane
referred to secondary side.

=7.45 Ω
Draw on the R-X plane line impedance equal to
7.45 Ω at an angle of 63.43°.

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 SETTING OF DISTANCE RELAYS

(b) Plot characteristic of a mho relay having

45º maximum torque angle to protect 80% of
the line length.

Its characteristic on R-X diagram is a circle

whose circumference passes through the origin
and at 80% of the line length.

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REFERENCE
Fundamentals of Power System Protection, by
Y.G. Paithankar and S.R. Bhide

STUDY: Chapter 6: Distance Protection of

Transmission Lines; Section 6.1 to 6.13.

RECOMMENDED READING
Protection of Electricity Distribution Networks,
3rd Edition, Juan M. Gers and Edward J. Holmes

Switchgear and Protection by Sunil S. Rao

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 References
[1] Y.G. Paithankar, S.R. Bhide Fundamentals of Power
System Protection, 2nd Edition.
[2] Juan M. Gers, Edward J. Holmes, Protection of
Electricity Distribution Networks, 3rd Edition.
[3] Stanley H. Horowitz, Arun G. Phadke, Power System
Relaying, 4th Edition.
[4] J. Lewis Blackburn, Thomas J. Domin, Protective
Relaying Principles and Applications
[5] Walter A. Elmore, Protective Relaying Theory and
Applications, 2nd Edition.
[6] Switchgear and Protection by Sunil S. Rao

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