GENERATOR OPERATION &

PROTECTION PHILOSOPHY
Atis Kumar
ELM-01

SASAN Ultra Mega Power Project

(6*660 MW)
Index
S No. Index

1 Introduction

2 Gen Operation

3 Excitation System

4 Capability Curve

5 AVR Limiter

6 Generator Relay Panel

7 Trip Classification

8 Generator Protection Working Principles

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 Introduction:

The first electromagnetic generator, the Faraday disk, was

invented in 1831 by British scientist Michael Faraday.
A normal generator has two major parts – Stator and Rotor.
Stator is static and carries armature winding whereas rotor
rotates with grid frequency and carries field winding.
Excitation current ( DC ) is fed into the field windings of
generator. Due to this excitation, magnetic flux is
established inside generator air gap. This flux interacts with
the armature windings of stator and by Faraday’s laws of
electromagnetic induction an emf is induced in the armature
winding. The moment generator synchronizes with the grid
the mechanical energy gets converted into electrical energy
and electrical power is transmitted to the grid.

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 Active and Reactive Power Generation:

Flow of Active
Steam Valve
Power ( MW )

Flow of Reactive
AVR
Power ( MVAR )

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 Active Power ( MW ):

For flow of MW load angle difference is always required. When turbine

valve opens load angle increases and vice versa.
MW = (EV/X)Sinð, where
V = Grid Voltage, E = Induced emf in stator, X = Total Reactance between
gen and reference.

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 Reactive Power ( MVAR ):

When grid is heavily loaded inductance in the grid is high so

it will absorb reactive power and voltage of grid will start
falling down. To maintain voltage generator will draw more
excitation. This excitation will be converted into reactive
energy and generator will supply MVAR to the grid
( Q = +ve). Generator operates at lagging pf.
When grid is lightly loaded capacitance of transmission lines
dominates over the load inductance so grid will eject
reactive power. Generator may absorb reactive power
( Q= -VE). Generator operates at leading pf.
MVAR and voltage are closely related to each other. So by
controlling the voltage we can control flow of MVAR.
Voltage in the generator is controlled by AVR( Automatic
Voltage Regulator ).

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 Generator Excitation System :

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 Generator Capability Curve :

 The capability curve is

drawn in PQ plane, for that
˩3 V/X has to be multiplied
to the vectors of phazor
diagram.

 IX Cos ø * (˩3 V/X) = P

 IX Sin ø * (˩3 V/X) = Q

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 Generator Capability Curve:

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 AVR Limiters:

Max Field Current Limiter

When generator loading increases (lagging pf), terminal voltage starts
falling and to maintain that falling voltage the excitation drawn by field
windings increases. This increased current in rotor may create thermal
damage to the rotor. So for that we are having field current limiter in the
AVR settings. Max Field Current Limiter do not allow the excitation
current to increase beyond the limiting value.
PQ Limiter ( Min Field Current Limiter)
During leading pf due to superimposition of stator and rotor magnetic
field the leakage flux at the end iron zone of stator increases. This
exceeding flux may create eddy currents which may damage the stator
end region core. There are also chances of out of step. The PQ limiter is
coordinated in such a way that it will act before action of LOE relay
characteristics.

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 AVR Limiters:

Stator Current Limiter

The stator winding has some thermal limitations according to the
capability curve. So the stator current limiter is set to prevent the
generator to operate beyond that stator current limit.

V/F Limiter
N< Ns or Over voltage for eg. Turbine trip, GCB trip but FCB ON.

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 AVR Limiters:

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 Generator Protection Classification:

A I trip :
EHV CB, GCB, FCB, Turbine, UT LV trip simultaneously. This
tripping is used to protect GT, UT and also it gets initiated in
very few conditions of generator.

A II Trip :
FCB, GCB, Turbine trip simultaneously. This tripping is used
to protect generator mainly. So, the GT and UT remain in
unloaded condition and do not trip unlikely in A1 trip.

B trip :
Turbine trips followed by generator trip on reverse power
protection. This tripping is used to protect turbine and also
it gets initiated in very few conditions of generator.

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 Generator Protection Panel-A:

In GRP-A the major

devices present are:
7UM6225, 7UM6115,
7SJ6235, 7XT71,
7XR5004

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 Generator Protection Panel-B:

In GRP-B the major

devices present are:
7UM6225, 7UM6115,
7SJ6235, 7XT33,
7XT34

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 Generator Protection Trip Classification:

AII Trip AI Trip B trip from GRP

95% St EF Voltage controlled OC Under Freq Stage-1

Rev Power Inadvertent Energization Over Freq

Over voltage GCB Breaker failure Backup Impedance

Over fluxing Negative Seq Current

100% St EF Pole Slip

Differential Cooling water loss

Loss of Excitation

Rotor EF

Under Freq Stage-2

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 7UM6115 Protection Functions:

7UM6115 GRP-A 7UM6115 GRP-B Trip Class

95% St EF 95% St EF A II

Rev Power Rev Power A II

Under voltage Under voltage Alarm

Over voltage Over voltage A II

Stage-1 Class B
Under Freq Under Freq Stage -2 Class AII

Over Freq Over Freq B

A II, Stage-1 to reduce

Over fluxing Over fluxing excitation

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 7UM6225 Protection Function:

7UM6225 GRP-A 7UM6225 GRP-B Trip Class

NA 100% St EF A II

Gen Diff Gen Diff A II

Thermal Overload Thermal Overload Alarm

Backup Impedance Backup Impedance B

Negative Seq Negative Seq B

Voltage Controlled OC Voltage Controlled OC AI

Loss of Excitation Loss of Excitation A II

Inadvertent Energization Inadvertent Energization AI

Pole Slip Pole Slip B

GCB Failure GCB Failure AI

Rotor EF Rotor EF A II

Cooling Water Loss Cooling Water Loss B

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 7SJ6235 Protection Function:

7SJ6235 GRP-A 7SJ6235 GRP-A Trip Class

Excitation Trafo OC Excitation Trafo OC A II

Inter turn Fault Inter turn Fault Alarm

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 Transformer Protection A I Trip:

Sl. No. Name of Protection

1 GT Differential Protection
2 UT Differential Protection
3 WTI and OTI of UT Transformers
4 WTI and OTI of GT Transformers
5 Buchholz Trip of GT and UT
6 PRV Trip of GT and UT
7 SPR Trip of GT and UT
8 OSR Trip of UT
9 REF Protection of UT
10 Over Current Protection of GT
11 GT Over Hang Differential Protection

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 Power Protection:

•Low Forward Power Protection

Sett – 0.5% , 3 s
In UV & Low forward condition it will not operate
Turbine trip feedback required.

•Reverse Power Protection

Sett – 0.5% , 15 s (without stop valve)
& 2 s ( with stop valve)

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 Frequency Protection:

Freq Sett Relay Action

47 Hz A II Trip

47.5 Hz B Trip

51 Hz Alarm

51.5 Hz B Trip

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 Voltage Protection:

Voltage Sett Relay Action

130 % A II Trip

80% Alarm

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 Voltage Restrained Over current Protection:

•Normal Inverse curve.

• Ip or pick up value depends upon voltage magnitude.

Lower voltage less pickup value and faster operation.

•Sett:
6 A, tms – 0.25

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 Negative Sequence Over current Protection:

•It is a very vital protection for rotating machines.

•Negative sequence component induces flux opposite to the
main flux.
•Eddy currents can cause thermal damage to the rotor.
•Op time of relay is inversely proportional to the I2
component.

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 Differential Protection:

•It acts for the internal short circuits.

• Terminal Side and Neutral Side CT currents are always
equal in a healthy generator.
•During internal fault Ph-Ph or Ph-E near terminal side,
differential current sensed by the relay crosses the sett
value.
•Sett-
25%, 50 ms
400%, 50 ms
Slope 1 – 0.25
Slope 2 – 0.5

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 Differential Protection:

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 95% Stator Earth Fault Protection:

•It follows zero sequence over voltage principle.

•Sett is 5 V @ 500 ms.
•It can not sense the earth faults which are very close to the
neutral part of generator star winding, because the fault
level at neutral is very less so zero seq voltage sensed is also
negligible.

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 100% Stator Earth Fault:

•As some voltage is required to pickup the 95% E/F relay, approximately
5% of winding remains unprotected. Some time ground faults may occur
very near to the neutral due to mechanical damage and thus 100%
protection to stator winding is required.

• The basic principle is that an external low frequency is injected into the
generator star point. Maximum of 1% of rated generator voltage is
injected.

•The voltage/current check unit is used to prevent mal-operation of the

relay at the generator standstill condition.

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 100% Stator Earth Fault Protection( continues):

 Sett :
 Alarm at 5 kΩ
 Trip at 1 kΩ, Inst

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 Rotor Earth Fault Protection:

• It protects rotor winding from high resistance and low

resistance earth faults.

•First earth fault do not cause any damage, second earth

fault will lead to winding short circuit.

•The imbalanced magnetic field can cause extreme

mechanical forces which may destroy the machine.

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 Rotor Earth Fault Protection :

 Sett :
 Alarm at 5 kΩ
 Trip at 1 kΩ, Inst

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 Abnormal Operation of Generator :

P = +VE P = +VE
Q = -VE Q = +VE

Normal operation
Induction Generator / lead
pf

P = -VE P = -VE
Q = -VE Q = +VE

Induction motor Synchronous motor

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 Loss of Excitation Protection:

•Generator absorbs reactive power from grid to meet the excitation.

•Generator gains speed and behaves as induction generator.

•Chances of pole slip.

•Eddy currents are induced over rotor surface due to the slip.

•The relay sett are :

•Char-1 : 80 deg, 10 s
•Char-2 : 90 deg, 10 s
•Char-3 : 100 deg, 0.5 s

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 Loss of Excitation Protection :

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 Pole Slip Protection:

•It can be caused due to sudden line tripping, governor

failure or loss of excitation.

•P is directly proportional to load angle.

•Load angle starts oscillating resulting swing in the active

power.

•The relay sett are :

I1-110%, I2-17%, Za-1.8 ohm, Zb-4.2 ohm, Zc-2.03 ohm, Angle
-90d, Int slip -2, Ext slip -4

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 Pole Slip Protection :

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 Inter turn Fault Protection:

•Measured from broken delta output of VT-3.

• VT-3 primary winding is connected to generator neutral for
measuring the longitudinal zero seq. voltage.

•Relay sett –
3 V, Alarm only

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 Inadvertent Energization Protection:

• To protect generator during shutdown from back charging

condition either from UT side or GT side.
• It gets disabled after excitation ON condition.
• Under voltage condition is included for protection action.
• Relay sett –
6 A & 77 V , 5 s

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 Over excitation Protection:

• To protect generator from over fluxing .

• APML motoring case.
• E = 4.44*f*N*Φm
• E/f ratio of rated values = 1 pu
• Relay sett –
115% of 1 pu, 10s
120% of 1 pu, 2s

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Thank You………