Busbar Protection

Alan Wixon
Senior Applications Engineer

p:/applics/Powerpoint Cabinet/Training Courses/APPS1

January 2004
 Without Busbar Protection (1)

F1 F2

There are fewer faults on busbars than on other parts of the power system.
▶ No dislocation of system due to accidental operation of busbar
protection.
▶ Slow fault clearance.
Busbar faults at F1 and F2 are cleared by remote time delayed
protection on circuits feeding the faults:
Time Delayed Overcurrent or Time
Delayed Distance Protection
> Busbar Protection – January 2004 3
 Without Busbar Protection (2)

BUSBAR
ZONE

F1 F2

▶ Fast clearance by breakers at the busbars

▶ Where busbars are sectionalised,
Protection can limit the amount of system
disruption for a busbar fault

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 4

 Busbar Faults Are Usually Permanent

CAUSES :
▶ Insulation failures
▶ Circuit breaker failures
▶ Falling debris
▶ Isolators operated outside their ratings
▶ Safety earths left connected
▶ Current transformer failures

THEREFORE :
Circuit breakers should be tripped and locked
out by busbar protection

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 5

 Busbar Protection must be:

▶ RELIABLE
 Failure could cause widespread damage to the
substation

▶ STABLE
 False tripping can cause widespread interruption
of supplies to customers

▶ DISCRIMINATING
 Should trip the minimum number of breakers to
clear the fault

▶ FAST
 To limit damage and possible power system
instability

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 6

 Methods of Providing Busbar Protection

▶ Frame to Earth (Leakage) Protection

▶ Differential High Impedance

Protection : Low Impedance

▶ Directional Comparison (Blocking Schemes)

Protection

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 7

 Frame Leakage Protection

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 8

 Frame Earth Protection Scheme

▶ Only an earth fault system

▶ Involves measuring fault current from switchgear frame to earth

▶ Switchgear insulated by standing on concrete plinth

▶ Only one earthing point allowed on switchgear

▶ C.T. mounted on single earth conductor used to energise

instantaneous relay

▶ All cable glands must be insulated

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 9

 Current Distribution for External Fault
Outgoing Switchgear
feeder Switchgear frame bonding
Frame- bar
IF = I1 + current
leakage frame
transformer
I2
Generat
or

Syste
Earth m
earthin
bar g
resisto
r
I1 +
I2
I1 I2
Frame I1
Earthing
resistance to
insulation electrode
earth (> 10) resistance (<
1)
> Busbar Protection – January 2004 10
 High Impedance Protection

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 11

 High Impedance Protection (1)

This is a versatile and reliable protection system

applied to many different Busbar configurations.

If CT requirements are met, scheme performance

may be predicted by calculation without heavy
current conjunctive tests.

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 12

 High Impedance Protection (2)

Simple system to apply

and extend.

High sensitivity for

phase and earth faults.

Extremely stable for

external faults.

CT requirements:
Equal ratios
RST
METROSIL Class ‘X’
8
7 May require stabilising
resistors, RST.

May require non-linear

resistors (Metrosils).
> Busbar Protection – January 2004 13
 Effective Setting

Since in each zone of protection there are several CT’s

in parallel with the relay and each other, the combined
CT magnetising currents will increase the primary
operating current (P.O.C).

P.O.C. = CT ratio (IR + nIM)

+ INLR
where :-
IR = Relay setting current
IM = CT magnetising current (one CT
at relay setting voltage)
= n Number of paralleled CT’s
= Non linear resistor current at relay setting
INLR
voltage

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 14

 Primary Operating Current (P.O.C)

The value of primary operating current should be

around 30% of minimum fault current available.
This ensures sufficient relay current during internal
fault conditions for high speed operation.

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 15

 Through Fault Stability

Busbar protection stability limit is based on

maximum through fault current.

Generally this value is derived from the rating of

the associated switchgear irrespective of existing
fault level, since it can be expected that system
will develop up to limit of rating.

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 16

 Check Feature

Usually provided by duplication of primary protection using

second set of CTs on all circuits other than bus section and
coupler units. Check system forms one zone only, covering
whole of busbar systems and not discriminating between
faults on various sections.

Zone
A
87 87 Zone
A A B
Check
zone

87A

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 17

 Current Transformers

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 18

 CT Wiring Supervision (1)

Open circuit connections between CT’s and relay circuit

result in unbalance currents which may operate the
protection.

Supervision is applied by a voltage relay across differential

relay circuit.

Supervision relay is time delayed, gives alarm and also

shorts out bus wires to protect differential relay circuit.

Typical effective setting is 25 primary amps or 10% of lowest

circuit rating, whichever is greater.

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 19

 CT Wiring Supervision (2)

I1

CT1 I2 I3 I4
RST
V R
ZM2 ZM3 ZM4
Supe
r RR
visio
n
relay I1

Voltage measured by supervision relay

V  1 (R // ZM2 //
ZM3 // ZM4 )
If supervision relay setting  VSP
Out - of - balance current to operate
R
the supervision relay
Z Z Z M2 M3 M3
> Busbar Protection – January 2004 20
 Differential Relay Circuit
A
B
C Zone bus
N wires

95
X Bus wire short
95 contacts
X
95 9 Supervisio
X 5 n relay

Metrosi Stabilisin
l g
resistor v v v resistors
s 8 8 8
7 7 7

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 21

 Current Transformer Wiring

Lead burdens between various sets of CT’s must be

kept low. Usually buswires are run in closed ring
between breaker control panels.

Typical route is :-
 CT’s to marshalling kiosk
 Marshalling kiosk to isolator auxiliaries
 Loop between marshalling kiosks

Conductor size :-
 Normally 2.5mm2

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 22

 Effect of C.T. Location on
Busbar Protection Performance

Interlocke
Circuit d
protectio overcurre
n nt relay

Circuit Circuit
protectio protectio
n n
Busbar Busbar
protectio protectio
n n
Busbar
protectio Interlocke
n d
overcurre
nt relay
Overlapping All C.T.s on line All C.T.s on Busbar
side of circuit side of circuit
C.T.s breaker breaker

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 23

 Busbar Arrangements

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 24

 Typical Double Busbar Arrangement

60MW
Generators

75MVA
132/13.8kV
Transformer
s

132k
V

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 25

 Zones of Protection for Double Bus Station

Zone
Zone G H
BS

BC BC

Zone
J

Typical Feeder
Circuits
> Busbar Protection – January 2004 26
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches

M
Auxiliary switches should :
A B C D
1) Close before the isolator
closes
2) Open after the isolator
a c opens
b d
In order to maintain stability
on switching.
r
m
Buswires

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 27

 Tripping Circuits

One tripping relay (device 96) is required for each

feeder breaker and 2 for each bus section or bus
coupler breakers. Both main and check relays
must be energised before tripping relays trip all
breakers associated with zone.

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 28

 Typical Trip Relay Arrangement

Double Busbar System

+ -
In M1 M2R 87CH -
87M1 -
Out 96D 1
1 1
CSS - 96D
M1 87M2 - a 2
1 1 96E
CSS - c
M2 87R -
1
1
CSS - R 96F
1

96F
b1 2
96
G
c2

96H
1

9
6
H
2

D.C. Buswires

80T
> Busbar Protection – January 2004 29
 Double Busbar with Transfer Facilities

Mai
n

Reserve /
Transfer

By- By-
pass pass
Isolato Isolato
r r

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 30

 Triple Busbar

Mai
n

Reserv
e
Transfe Transfe
r CB r CB
Transfe
r

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 31

 1½ Breaker Scheme

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 32

 1½ Breaker Bus Protection

8
7

8
7

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 33

 Mesh Busbar
F1 F3

T T
1 3

T T
4 2

F4 F2

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 34

 Mesh Busbar Protection

F1 F3
87 87
R1 R3

T T
1 3

T T
4 2

87 87
R4 R2
F4 F2

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 35

 Busbar Protection and Breaker Fail

Where breaker fail protection is applied to a system, back

tripping of associated breakers is required in the event of
a breaker failure.

Often, breaker fail protection is arranged in conjunction

with busbar protection tripping circuits to initiate tripping of
breakers on a busbar zone associated with the failed
breaker.

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 36

 Low Impedance Protection

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 37

 Low Impedance Busbar Protection
Fast
Modular scheme design allows relays to relate to each circuit and
function of the protection. This enables the user to easily understand the
principles of application.
High sensitivity for phase and earth faults. Protection for each phase can
be relatively independent.
Earlier schemes were less stable than high impedance schemes. Modern
schemes incorporate saturation detectors and are extremely stable.
Duplicate measuring circuits are included.
Current transformers can be :
of different ratio
of relatively small output
shared with other protections
Current transformer secondary
circuits are not switched.
Continuous supervision of CT circuits and constant monitoring of vital
circuits are included.
> Busbar Protection – January 2004 38
 Single Bus Protection

Z Z
1 2
F1 F2 BS F3 F4

F F BSM F F
M M M M
1 2 3 4

Z1 Z2
ZCK ZCK

Z1 ZCK Z2

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 39

 Double Bus Protection

BS
Z Z
1
Z 2
Z
3 4

BC1 F2 F3 F4 BC2
F1

BCM FM FM BSM FM FM BCM

1 1 2 3 4 2

Z1 Z
Z3 Z
2
ZCK ZCK
4

Z Z ZCK Z Z
1 3 2 4

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 40

 Blocking Schemes

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 41

 Busbar Blocking Protection

Incomer
BLOCK
O/C Relay

IF2

O/C Relay O/C Relay O/C Relay O/C Relay

IF1

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 42

 Directional Comparison Busbar Protection

▶ Bus zone protection and unit protection of

feeders

Forward Forward Forward

DOC F1 DOC BS
DOC F2

OC OC OC OC
F3 F4 F5 F6

> Busbar Protection – January 2004 43