POWER SYSTEM PROTECTION
[Link] KUMAR
PROF/SELECT
VIT CHENNAI
CONTENTS
• Power system protection concepts and relaying;
• Electromagnetic and static relays;
• Overcurrent and differential protection;
• Distance protection;
• Relay coordination.
NEED FOR PROTECTIVE SYSTEMS
• An electrical power system consists of generators, transformers, transmission and
distribution lines, etc. Short circuits and other abnormal conditions often occur on a
power system. The heavy current associated with short circuits is likely to cause
damage to equipment if suitable protective relays and circuit breakers are not
provided for the protection of each section of the power system. Short circuits are
usually called faults by power engineers. Strictly speaking, the term ‘fault’ simply
means a ‘defect’. Some defects, other than short circuits, are also termed as faults.
• For example, the failure of conducting path due to a break in a conductor is a type
of fault.
• A protective system includes circuit breakers, transducers (CTs and VTs), and
protective relays to isolate the faulty section of the power system from the healthy
sections. A circuit breaker can disconnect the faulty element of the system when it is
called upon to do so by the protective relay.
PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF FAULTS
ZONES OF PROTECTION
PRIMARY AND BACK UP PROTECTION
• If a fault occurs in a particular zone, it is the duty of the primary relays of that zone
to isolate the faulty element. The primary relay is the first line of defense. If due to
any reason, the primary relay fails to operate, there is a back-up protective scheme
to clear the fault as a second line of defence.
• The back-up relays are made independent of those factors which might cause
primary relays to fail. A back-up relay operates after a time delay to give the
primary relay sufficient time to operate. When a back-up relay operates, a larger part
of the power system is disconnected from the power source, but this is unavoidable.
As far as possible, a back-up relay should be placed at a different station.
Sometimes, a local back-up is also used. It should be located in such a way that it
does not employ components (VT, CT, measuring unit, etc.) common with the
primary relays which are to be backed up. There are three types of back-up relays:
CLASSIFICATION OF PROTECTIVE RELAYS
• Protective relays can be broadly classified into the following three categories,
depending on the technology they use for their construction and operation.
(i) Electromechanical relays
(ii) Static relays
(iii) Numerical relays
ELECTROMECHANICAL RELAY
INDUCTION TYPE OVERCURRENT RELAY(NON-DIRECTIONAL):
INDUCTION TYPE OVERCURRENT RELAY(NON-DIRECTIONAL):
• The upper electromagnet has a primary and a secondary
winding. The primary is connected to the secondary of a C.T.
in the line to be protected and is tapped at intervals. The
tappings are connected to a plug-setting bridge by which the
number of active turns on the relay operating coil can be
varied, thereby giving the desired current setting.
• The secondary winding is energized by induction from primary
and is connected in series with the winding on the lower
magnet. The controlling torque is provided by a spiral spring.
INDUCTION TYPE OVERCURRENT RELAY(NON-DIRECTIONAL):
• The driving torque on the aluminium disc is set up due to the
induction principle. This torque is opposed by the restraining
torque provided by the spring. Under normal operating
conditions, restraining torque is greater than the driving torque
produced by the relay coil current. Therefore, the aluminium
disc remains stationary.
• However, if the current in the protected circuit exceeds the pre-
set value, the driving torque becomes greater than the
restraining torque. Consequently, the disc rotates and the
moving contact bridges the fixed contacts when the disc has
rotated through a pre-set angle. The trip circuit operates the
circuit breaker which isolates the faulty section
PLUG SETTING MULTIPLIER(P.S.M)
• It is the ratio of fault current in relay coil to the pick-up current i.e.
P.S.M. =Fault current in relay coil/Pick - up current
=Fault current in relay coil/Rated secondary current of CT × Current setting
• For example, suppose that a relay is connected to a 400/5 current transformer and set at
150%.With a primary fault current of 2400 A, the plug-setting multiplier can be
calculated as under :
• Pick-up value = Rated secondary current of CT × Current setting
= 5 × 1·5 = 7·5 A
• Fault current in relay coil = 2400x(5/400)= 30 A
• ∴ P.S.M. = 30/7·5 = 4
DIRECTIONAL STATIC OVERCURRENT RELAY
STATIC RELAY USING NPN TRANSISTOR
AC STATIC OVERLOAD PROTECTION CIRCUIT FOR VOLTAGE
STABILIZERS
NUMERICAL RELAYS VS STATIC RELAYS
INDUCTION TYPE DIRECTIONAL OVER CURRENT RELAY
IMPEDANCE RELAY
REFERENCES
• [Link] PRINCIPLES OF POWER SYSTEMS, [Link] AND CO