Power System Protection_6

Transformer Protection
 A number of fault conditions can arise

within a power transformer. These
include:
 Earth fault on a transformer winding.
 Core faults due to insulation breakdown
which sufficient eddy current to flow
causing over heating.
 Inter-turn faults occur due to winding
flashover caused by line surges.
 Phase to phase faults. This are rare in
occurrence but will result in a substantial
currents of magnitude similar to earth
faults.
Tank faults due to loss of oil which
produces abnormal temperature rises.
External abnormal conditions such as
overloading, overvoltages due to
transient core losses and corresponding
temperature rise.
Transformer Size
Fuses usually protect transformer with capacity
less than 500 KVA in industry and 2500 KVA in
residential areas. With ratings up to 5000 KVA in
residential areas, instantaneous and time delay
over current relays may be more desirable. For
industrial loads greater than 1500 KVA and for
transformers that are part of the bulk power
system it is recommended to use differential
protection on harmonic restraint percentage
differential relays. Also, higher voltage leads to
more sophisticated and costly the protective
device.
1. Differential Protection
The protection of transformers is usually performed by
differential protection. The differential protection responds
to the vector difference between two similar quantities. The
C.T. connected on the transformer windings should be
arranged so that the same current is flowing between the two
sides.
A General Rule Is To Connect the CTs on Any Star
Windings in Delta and In Any Delta Windings Connect CTs
in Star
Two basic requirements that the relay connection must
satisfy are:
The relay must not operate for loads or external faults.
The relay must operate for internal faults.
Fig. 1 represents differential protection of Delta-Star
transformer
Fig. 2 shows a star-star transformer to which circulating
current protection has been applied. Here it will be noted that
the current transformers on both sides are connected in delta.
Next development was the use of kick of fuses to shunt
the relay coils as shown in fig. 2. These fuses are of the
time limit type that do not operate in the time of
switching under sustained fault conditions, the fuses
operate and the current then passes through the relay coil
and trip the C.B. This also is a slow protection and may
cause some problems. It also depends on the fuse.
The next development was to desensitizing the relay for a
short period of 0.1 to1 sec during switching. After this
time the shunt across the relay coil is removed. This
method can lead to switching on a transformer for long
period during faults. The latest method adopted is
harmonic current restraint.
The overload fuses shown in fig.2 provide a form
of back up protection. In the event of sustained
through fault, damage may be caused to the
transformer. One or more of the overload fuses
will operate; leaving the relay to be fed from one
of CTs and thus causing relay operation.
Fig. 3 (a) is included to show how had the current
transformers been connected in star, operation of
the protective relay would occur on a fault outside
the protected zone which we wish to avoid while
Fig 3 (b) shows how this can be avoided by
connecting the current transformer secondaries in
delta.
2. Frame leakage protection
3. Restricted earth fault protection
(differential protection )
Earth faults on secondary side are not reflected on
primary side when the primary winding is delta
connected or has unearthed star point. In such
cases, an earth fault relay connected in residual
circuit of 3 CTs on primary side operates on
internal faults in primary windings only. Because
earth faults on secondary side do not produce zero
sequence currents on primary side, restricted earth
fault protection may then be used for high speed
tripping for faults on star connected earthed
secondary winding of power transformers.
Figure 5 shows the connections of the earth fault
relays connected in the residual circuit of the line
CTs. Figure 6 shows the connection of the
restricted earth fault protection relay in the
secondary side and earth fault protection in the
primary side.
If the fault F1 is beyond the transformer windings,
I1 and I2 will flow so that the current in the earth
fault relay is negligible. For earth fault within the
transformer star connected windings, I 2 flows and
I1 is negligible. Hence I2 causes the relay to trip the
.circuit
When fault occurs very near the neutral point of
the transformer, the voltage available for driving
the earth fault current is small and the fault
current would be low. If the relay is adjusted to
sense such small currents, it may operate under
normal unbalance conditions. It is common to set
the relay to pick up at about 15% of the rated
current. Such setting leaves a portion of the
windings unprotected. Therefore it is called
unrestricted.
Busbar Protection
Busbars are important and need special attention
due to:
Fault level at busbars is very high.
The faults at busbars cause disconnection of
power to large portions of the system.
Busbars faults should be cleared in very
short time (  50 ms ) to avoid damage to
insulation.
Stability of the system is affected by busbars
faults.
It’s desirable to include the following in busbar
protection:
High speed.
Stability for external faults.
Freedom from unwanted operation.
No operation due to CT saturation.
Interlock with generators for over current.
Use main and check protection to assure
disconnection only when desirable.
Methods of busbar protection
Overcurrent relays of connected circuits.
Directional interlock.
Differential protection.
Frame leakage earth fault.
1. Overcurrent Relays
The fault in bus A can be sensed by R 5 and R4. In
this type of protection, all the circuit breakers of
the busbar zone are disconnected. These are C 1, C2,
C3, C4 & C5. R6 & R7 will act as backup protection
if C4 and C5 do not clear the fault.
For fault in bus B, R8 will sense the fault and C6,
C7 and C8 will open.
This type of protection is slow and evolves
complicated control system to discriminate faults
within the zone. Also, the zone of the busbar is not
clearly identified.
2. Directional Interlock
It uses directional relays in source circuits
and over current relays in load circuits. It
makes the discrimination between internal
and external faults possible.
The contacts of the relays are interlocked in
such a way that if power flows the busbar is
sufficiently low, all the circuit breakers on
the source side and the load side are tripped.
3. Differential Protection
For normal conditions, the vector sum of
currents entering the bus zone is equal to
the vector sum of currents leaving the bus
zone. That is,
 Ii = zero
During internal faults, the vector sum of
currents in the circuits connected to bus bar
is equal to fault current, that is,
 Ii = If
Disadvantages
Large number of circuits having different current levels.
Saturation of CT cores due to d.c. component in s.c. current.
Sectionalizing of bus makes the circuit complicated.
4. Frame leakage Earth Fault
One of the famous connections for
busbars: 2 out of 3
Only 2 of the 3 circuit breakers can operate at the same
time. The circuit breakers on the transformers are normally
closed but the circuit breaker in the centre of the busbar is
normally open.

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Transformer Protection

 A number of fault conditions can arise

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