KEY COMPONENTS

OF A PROTECTION
SYSTEM
• A typical power protection system consists of the following components
Current transformer
Voltage transformer
Protective Relay
Circuit breaker
Circuit Breaker

The circuit breaker is an electrically operated switch, which is capable of

safely making, as well as breaking, short-circuit currents. The circuit breaker
is operated by the output of the associated relay.
 When the circuit breaker is in the closed condition, its contacts are held
closed by the tension of the closing spring. When the trip coil is energized,
it releases a latch, causing the stored energy in the closing spring to bring
about a quick opening operation.
 Trip Circuit of a CB
Consider that the circuit breaker contacts are in a closed position by the force of
a spring. Energy is stored in the spring during the closing operation.
In order to trip the circuit breaker, it is necessary to release a latch either
manually or by energizing the trip-coil of the circuit breaker.
 The trip-battery supplies energy to the trip-coil for this operation. The relay
output contact is wired in series with the trip-battery and the trip-coil. Thus
when the relay operates, the trip-coil gets energized and the circuit breaker
quickly parts its contacts.
The figure below shows the typical layout of the circuit.
A typical trip circuit layout of
Circuit breaker
 When the CT secondary current exceeds
a specified ‘‘pickup’’ value, the relay
operating coil causes the
 normally open trip contacts to close.

 When the relay trip contacts close, the

trip coil of the circuit breaker is
energized, which then causes the circuit
breaker to open.

 Note that the circuit breaker does not

open until its operating coil is
energized, either manually or by relay
operation.

 Based on information from instrument

transformers, a decision is made and
‘‘relayed’’ to the trip coil of the breaker,
 Instrument
transformers
(Current transformers and
Voltage transformers)
• Instrument transformers are necessary for

Isolating the protection, control & measurement

equipment from the high voltages of a power system
Supplying the equipment with the appropriate values
of current and voltage
 Instrument
transformers
There are two basic types of instrument transformers: voltage transformers
(VTs), formerly called potential transformers (PTs), and current transformers CTs).
Figure below shows a schematic representation for the VT and CT.
 Voltage Transformers
The voltage transformer steps down the high voltage of the line to a level safe
enough for the relaying system and personnel to handle.
The standard secondary voltage on line-to-line basis is 110 V. This helps in
standardizing the protective relaying equipment irrespective of the value of the
primary EHV adopted.
-A PT primary is connected in parallel at the point where a measurement is
desired, unlike a CT whose primary is in series with the line in which current is to
be measured.
Installed VT (Outdoor and
Indoor)
 VTs cont’d
The transformer primary is connected to or into the power system and is
insulated for the power system voltage.

 The VT reduces the primary voltage to much lower, standardized levels suitable
for operation of relays

Ideally, the VT secondary is connected to a voltage-sensing device with infinite

impedance, such that the entire VT secondary voltage is across the sensing
device.

 In practice, the secondary voltage divides across the high impedance sensing
device and the VT series leakage impedances. VT leakage impedances are kept
low in order to minimize voltage drops and phase-angle differences from
primary to secondary
 • Current Transformer
The current transformer has three jobs to do.
Firstly, it steps down the current to such levels that it can be easily handled by
the relay current coil. The standard secondary current ratings used in practice
are 5 A and 1 A.
 Secondly, it isolates the relay circuitry from the high voltage of the EHV
system.
Permit the use of standard current ratings for secondary equipment
Circuit diagram of CT
Installed CT’s in substation (Outdoor and
indoor)
Current Transformer Construction
Current Transformer Construction
 Current Transformer
operation
• Like any other transformer, a current transformer has a primary winding, a
magnetic core and a secondary winding
• The primary winding of a current transformer is connected in series with the
power circuit The impedance is negligible compared with that of the power
circuit
• The alternating current flowing in the primary produces a magnetic field in
the core & induces a current in the secondary winding
• The CT's primary circuit consists of a single 'turn' of conductor, with a
secondary of many tens or hundreds of turns
• The primary winding may be a permanent part of the current transformer,
with a heavy copper bar to carry current through the magnetic core
 CT Terminologies
• Rated transformation ratio. The rated transformation ratio is defined as
the ratio of the rated primary current to the rated secondary current.

• Current error (ratio error). The percentage error in the magnitude of

the secondary current is defined by the following formula:

• Ratio error = (KnIs - Ip)/ Ip x 100%

• Ip, Is = primary and secondary winding currents respectively,

• Kn = turns ratio
 CT Terminologies cont’d

• Accuracy class. Accuracy class tells you how accurate the current transformer
is. Accuracy class shall be 0.2, 0.5, 1, 3 or 5.

• Phase displacement. The difference in phase between the primary and the
secondary current phasors, the direction of the phasors being chosen such
that the angle is zero for a perfect transformer.

• Rated secondary current. The value of rated secondary current shall be 5 A

or 1 A. In some cases, 2A may also be used .

• Rated burden. The product of current and voltage at the secondary side of
the CT is called the rated burden. It is measured in volt ampere (VA)
 Current Transformer categories
Current transformers are categorized into two;
Metering CTs
Protection CTs

Metering CTs
A metering core is designed to work more accurately within the rated
current range designated.

When current flow exceeds that rating, the Metering core will become
saturated, thereby limiting the amount of current level within the device
 Metering CTs
This protects connected metering devices from
overloading in the presence of fault level current flows.

Metering CTs need perform very accurately but only

over the normal range of load up to, say, 120% full load
current.
 • Protection CTs

A protection core is designed to transform a distortion-free signal even well

into the overcurrent range.
This enables the protective relays to measure the fault current value
accurately, even in very high current conditions.

Relays are required to perform in fault current type situations

Moderate accuracy over a wider range
More core material is needed
 CT Classes
Both Metering and Protection CTs Classes are defined differently .

In other words, the class of the CT dictates its accuracy (variation of calculated
secondary current from actual secondary current i.e accuracy “class”)

Protection CTs are usually defined as,

• The 10P10, 5P20, 5P10
• For “5P10”. Stands for;
5 is the accuracy or ratio error and is specified as a percentage
P stands for protection class type CT
10 is for Accuracy Limiting factor (ALF)
Accuracy Limiting Factor (ALF)
multiple of rated current (IN) up to which declared accuracy will be
maintained with rated burden connected
Example; for a CT whose ratio is 200/5A with ALF 20, means that CT
will maintain it’s accuracy certification up to 200*20= 4000A

In general, a protection CT specified as 5P10 means;

It indicates 5% accuracy (ratio error) at 10 times rated fault
current at rated burden. In other words, the CT will give
ratio error of only 5% even if the fault current reaches 10
times the nominal value (IN) after which the CT will start to
saturate
 CT Saturation and Knee Voltage
• CΤ errors result from excitation current, so much so that, in order to
check if a CT is functioning correctly, it is essential to measure or
calculate the excitation curve.
• The magnetization current of a CT depends on the cross section and
length of the magnetic circuit, the number of turns in the windings,
and the magnetic characteristics of the material.
• for a given CT, the voltage across the magnetization impedance is
directly proportional to the secondary current.
• when the primary current and therefore the secondary current is
increased, these currents reach a point where the core commences
to saturate and the magnetization current becomes sufficiently high
to produce an excessive error.
CT Excitation Curve
The excitation curve is a curve of the CT secondary voltage against the
excitation current.
The CT saturation begins at the point when the Knee point is reached
at which point we can determine the Knee voltage and Knee current.

The Knee Point is defined as the point at which an increase in the

voltage of 10% produces an increase in the excitation current of 50%

The ‘Knee Point Voltage’ (Vkp) is defined as the secondary voltage at

which an increase of 10% produces an increase in magnetizing current
of 50%. It is the secondary voltage above which the CT is near
magnetic saturation.
 Safety Precaution
The secondary of a current transformer should never be disconnected
from its load while current is flowing in the primary

The transformer secondary will attempt to continue driving current

across the effectively infinite impedance.
 This will produce a high voltage across the open secondary
 This high peaks of voltage may not be measured by conventional
voltmeter. But these high peaks of induced voltage may breakdown the
CT insulation, and may case accident to personnel