2019

OVER CURRENT
RELAY
51/67
Edition-1

APPLICATION GUIDE

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Application Guide: Over Current Relay

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Research and Development Consultants Pvt. Ltd., or one of its subsidiaries.

EDITION INDEX

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1 1 MARCH - 2019

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Application Guide: Over Current Relay

CONTENTS
1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 1
2 Application .......................................................................................................................................... 1
2.1 Data Requirement ..................................................................................................................... 1
2.2 Grading Principles ..................................................................................................................... 2
2.3 Inverse Definite Minimum Time Over current Relays ....................................................... 5
2.4 Instantaneous Over Current Relays .................................................................................... 10
2.5 Two Stage Over Current Relays ........................................................................................... 12
2.6 Phase and Earth Over Current Protection ......................................................................... 13
2.7 Directional Over Current Relays .......................................................................................... 14
2.8 Over Current Relay Application to Parallel/Interconnected System ............................ 17
3 Relay Setting Guidelines................................................................................................................. 19
3.1 Pickup Current Setting ........................................................................................................... 20
3.2 Discrimination Time (Time Grading) Requirement ........................................................... 21
3.3 Recommended Grading Intervals ......................................................................................... 22
3.4 Time Setting (TMS/TDS) ........................................................................................................ 24
3.5 Definite Time Relay Setting .................................................................................................. 28
3.6 Other Considerations in Earth Relay Setting ..................................................................... 29
4 Relay Setting Examples................................................................................................................... 30
4.1 Typical Industrial System ....................................................................................................... 30
References and Further Reading .......................................................................................................... 42
Appendix – 1 (Data Requirement) ........................................................................................................ 43

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1 INTRODUCTION
The primary objective of power system is to maintain a very high level of continuity of service
and when abnormal conditions occur, minimize the extent and time of the outage, loss of
power and voltage dips that will occur. Occurrence of abnormalities in a power system is
inevitable owing to occurrence of natural calamities, human error & equipment failures and
hence it becomes vital to isolate the faulty section from the healthy section without affecting
the power supply in healthy section.
This is achieved by the use of protective relaying, which senses abnormalities in the system
and clears them by means of a breaker action. Relays are to be coordinated in a fashion such
that only the faulty section of the power system is isolated.
Relays should be coordinated such that no zone of the power system is left unprotected and
every zone must have a primary level of protection along with a backup level.
One of the frequent types of abnormalities observed in any power system is occurrence of
faults, which results in flow of very high current in the system and can cause damage of
equipment if it is not cleared. Many types of protections are available for clearing of faults,
depending on the following factors such as, location of fault, system configuration and the
equipment being protected. This document describes protection against occurrence of faults
in system, specifically on over current protection. The overcurrent protection is directed
mainly for the clearance of faults, although with the settings adapted some degree of
overload protection may be obtained.
This Application Manual describes the concept behind the application of overcurrent relays
both directional and non-directional for the protection of power systems. It comprises of the
following main sections:
 Application of Overcurrent Relays
 Relay Setting Guidelines
 Relay Setting Examples

2 APPLICATION OF OVERCURRENT RELAYS

Application of overcurrent relays requires a detailed study to set the relay in a way such that,
fault clearance is achieved in a coordinated manner, while isolating the faulty section in the
fastest possible time. This section covers the theoretical aspects of the various concepts
typically encountered while carrying out such a study.

2.1 DATA REQUIREMENT

A pre-requisite for carrying out the relay coordination study is the knowledge of system fault
level at each bus and its contributions. It is impractical to get this data (for entire system)
from site measurements and long hand calculations. Software programs capable of computing
the system fault levels are generally used. Hence, the data requirements for application of
overcurrent relays are governed by computation of fault levels, calculation of settings and are
as follows:
 Single line diagram of the power system showing the connectivity of various
components.
 Knowledge of various operating configurations of the power system.

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 Name plate rating (MVA, voltage and impedance) of all power transformers, rotating
machine. In case of feeders, line length and number of circuits are also required. Refer
Appendix 1 for typical data required for some of the common equipment.
 Maximum load current through protection devices.
 Maximum and minimum values of short circuit currents that are expected to flow
through each protection device (Obtained through short circuit studies).
 Transformer inrush current, thermal withstand and damage characteristics
 Motor starting current, locked rotor/stalling times of induction motors.
 Capacitor energising current.
 Location and type of relay used along with the associated instrument transformer data.
 Performance curves of current transformers

2.2 GRADING PRINCIPLES

For the fault location shown in Figure 2.2.1, relays R1, R2 and R3 will sense the fault current
and pickup. In order to achieve effective coordination, relay R1 should operate faster than R2
and R2 should operate faster than R3. The principle adapted for achieving this coordination is
known as discrimination/grading.

Figure 2.2.1: Radial system for understanding of discrimination/grading principles

Correct grading can be achieved by using the principles of time discrimination, current
discrimination or combination of both. The common aim of all three methods is to give
correct discrimination. That is to say, each one must isolate only the faulty section of the
power system network, leaving the rest of the system undisturbed.
2.2.1 DISCRIMINATION BY TIME
In this method, an appropriate time setting is given to each of the relays to ensure that the
breaker nearest to the fault operates first. In the system shown in Figure 2.2.1, each relay is
equipped with a definite time delay element. As long as the fault current is above the set
pickup value, relay will clear the fault with a fixed time delay. Here, it is the time delay
element which provides the grading and hence it is some time termed as an “independent
definite time delay relay”.
Being the first relay, R1 is set with a short time delay (t1). The operating time of the
subsequent upstream relay R2 is increased with a margin of t (discrimination time1) seconds
and will operate in t2= (t1+t) seconds. Similarly relay R3 is set to operate in t3= (t2+t)
seconds. For the fault considered, relay R1 operates after time delay t1 has elapsed. If the
breaker fails to operate, relay R2 operates after time delay t2, thereby achieving effective
coordination. The time interval between each relay time setting must be long enough to

1
Detailed discussion on “discrimination time” is provided in section 3.2.

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ensure that the upstream relay do not operate before the circuit breaker at the fault location
has tripped and cleared the fault.
For the given relay settings, the effectiveness of the coordination (grading) can be analysed
by plotting the coordination graphs. Coordination graphs are plotted with respect to current
on X-axis and time on Y-axis. It depicts the operating time of the relay for a given value of
fault current. Figure 2.2.2 shows the coordination graph for the example considered.

Figure 2.2.2: Coordination graph for discrimination by time

As the operating time increases with increasing levels of relays, it eventually so happens that
the relay close to the source will have highest time delay. The main disadvantage of pure time
based discrimination is its high operating time, and may not be acceptable from the
perspective of system security and equipment thermal capability
2.2.2 DISCRIMINATION BY CURRENT
Discrimination by current relies on the fact that the fault current varies with the position of
the fault because of the difference in impedance values between the source and the fault.
Hence, typically, the relays controlling the various circuit breakers are set to operate at
suitably tapered values of current such that only the relay nearest to the fault trips its
breaker.
For the fault shown in Figure 2.2.1, the fault current can be computed as follows:

With (at 11kV level, 100 MVA base) = 5249A

Hence, if relay R1 set to operate at 19800 A, it theoretically covers all faults within Bus 2 to
Bus 1. However, the following practical considerations affect this coordination:
 Depending on the system operating configuration, the source fault level may decrease.
The decrease in fault level might limit the current seen by the relay to significantly
lower values than the set pickup current of 19800 A.

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 Faults can occur with significantly high resistance, thereby reducing the fault current.
Under such a scenario, the fault current might be below the set threshold, thereby
rendering the relay inoperative.
 The relay R2 will not be able to distinguish between fault at bus 2 and fault just after
the relay R1. Hence, it is not possible to achieve effective grading between R1 and R2
with pure current based discrimination.

For the above reasons, current based discrimination may not be a feasible approach for
grading of relays where the fault current change between primary and backup relay is not
appreciable.
The concept of current grading is best suited at locations where appreciable impedance is
present between the primary and backup relay. This can be explained with coordination of
relay R2 and relay R3.
The current seen by relay R2 and R3 for fault at bus 2 can be computed as follows:

With (at 66kV level) = 875A

Current seen by relay R3 for a fault at bus 3 can be computed as follows:

It can be seen that the current seen by relay R3 for a fault at bus 2 is considerably less than
the current seen by R3 for fault at bus 3. Hence, if relay R3 is set higher than 3500 A (with
sufficient safety margin) it will not pickup for a fault at bus 2 and hence can be set to operate
instantaneously. With this setting, relay R3 will easily operate for a fault at bus 3 even under
the condition of reduced system fault level and fault resistance. Such a method of
discriminating between relays is termed as discrimination by current and can be generally
employed when high impedance is associated between the primary and backup relay.

2.2.3 DISCRIMINATION BY BOTH TIME AND CURRENT

The two methods of discrimination discussed so far using independent time and current
principles cannot provide effective coordination under all circumstances. In case of
discrimination by time, as the number of levels of coordination increases the operating time
increases. Hence, relays closer to source will have longest operating time. Discrimination by
current can only be applied where appreciable difference in impedance exists between the
primary and backup relay.
The above issues can be effectively overcome by use of relays having inverse time
characteristics, i.e., operating time is inversely proportional to the current seen.

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The typical characteristic of inverse time over current is as shown in Figure 2.2.3. For a given
relay, as the relay current and operating time can be in a wide band, coordination graphs are
plotted on logarithmic scale to provide better visibility for complete range of operating
current and time.
In Figure 2.2.3, it can be observed that for lower values of fault currents the operating time is
high. This can provide fault clearing for faults in adjacent sections to relay. For faults close to
the relay, the current will be sufficiently high and hence the inverse time relay can provide
faster operating time. The characteristic of inverse time over current relay is a function of
current and time setting (time multiplier setting).

Figure 2.2.3: Characteristic of typical inverse time overcurrent relay

The procedure to set an inverse time over current relay will be dealt with greater detail in
section 2.8 of the application manual. For the example considered in Figure 2.2.1, inverse
time relay settings (for R1 and R2) are computed and the coordination graphs is as shown in
Figure 2.2.4.

Figure 2.2.4: Coordination curve for R1 and R2 with use of inverse time characteristics

2.3 INVERSE DEFINITE MINIMUM TIME OVER CURRENT RELAYS

The operating time follows an inverse relationship with respect to current measured by the
relay. The inverse relationship is valid until a point at which the operating time reaches the
minimum possible value. Hence, the characteristic of the over current relay is termed as
Inverse Definite Minimum Time (IDMT) over current relay. The sample characteristic of IDMT

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relay is shown in Figure 2.3.1. The point beyond which the relay operates as definite time is
commonly known as “Relay Saturation2” and is typically around 20 times the value of relay
pickup current. It should be noted that the point of relay saturation is purely dependent on
make and model of the relay.
Depending on the inverse relationship between the relay current and operating time, IDMT
relays are available with different characteristic curves. The various curves available are
discussed in the next section.

Figure 2.3.1: Sample IDMT relay characteristic

2.3.1 STANDARD IDMT CURVES

The current/time tripping characteristics of IDMT relays may have to be changed according
to the tripping time required and the characteristics of other protection devices used in the
network. The commonly found characteristics and their characteristic equations are given in
Table 2.3.1.
Table 2.3.1: Standard relay characteristics

Characteristic Constants
Standard Curve Name
Equation C1 C2 C3

Normal Inverse 0.14 0.02 -

IEC
Very Inverse 13.5 1 -
60255
Extremely Inverse 80 2 -
Moderate Inverse 0.0515 0.02 0.114
IEEE
( ) Very Inverse 19.61 2 0.491
C37.112
Extremely Inverse 28.2 2 0.1217
3 Second Curve 3 - -
EM* Relays
1.3 Second Curve 1.3 - -
*EM: Electromechanical Relays
Ir is the ratio of relay current by pickup current

2
The term “relay saturation” should not be linked to “CT saturation”.

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The characteristic curves for the curves types given in Table 2.3.1 is provided in Figure 2.3.2.
The curves are shown for a common pickup current and TMS of 1 second.

(a) IEC curves (b) IEEE curves

(c) Electromechanical relay Curve

Figure 2.3.2: Standard IDMT characteristics

2.3.2 EFFECT OF VARIATION OF TMS AND PICKUP CURRENT

Effective coordination can be achieved with IDMT characteristics by suitable selection of
pickup current and TMS. Figure 2.3.3(a) shows the characteristic curve of an IEC Normal
Inverse relay for different values of TMS with same value of pickup current. It can be seen

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that for a same value of fault current, the operating time of the relay increases with an
increase in the TMS setting. This property of the IDMT relay makes it suitable for
coordination of relays.

(a) Variation in TMS (b) Variation in pickup current

Figure 2.3.3: NI Characteristic curve for different TMS and pickup current

For the example shown in Figure 2.2.1, assume relay R1 has a TMS of 0.1 and R2 has a TMS
of 0.3. The operating time of relay R1 and R2 at a current 20 times that of the pickup current
(from Figure 2.3.3) is found to be 0.23s and 0.68s respectively. This implies that relay R2 will
operate 0.45s after relay R1 and is called as discrimination time between R1 and R2. From
analysis of the relay characteristics at TMS of 0.1 and 0.3, it is observed that the available
discrimination time increases with a decrease in fault current. This property of IDMT relay
forms a crucial consideration while performing coordination studies and is discussed in
greater detail in Section 2.8.
Figure 2.3.3(b) shows the characteristic curve of NI relay with different values of pickup
current for same value of TMS. Increase in pickup current, shifts the characteristic curve
towards the right. For small variations in pickup current (around a reference pickup current)
no considerable change in operating time is achieved and it can be observed that the
characteristics curve nearly overlap one above the other. However, higher increase in pickup
current, results in substantial difference in the characteristic curve. At times, intentional
increase in pickup current may be required to achieve effective coordination. However, too
high pickup current will sacrifice the equipment protection during overload and under such
conditions care should be taken to provide adequate thermal overload protection.

2.3.3 APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT IEC CURVE TYPES

IEC normal inverse curve provides satisfactory coordination in majority of the cases and is
the most widely used characteristic curve. However, if it is not possible to obtain effective
coordination, other curve types may be considered.

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Very Inverse Curve

Very inverse overcurrent relays are particularly suitable if there is a substantial reduction of
fault current as the distance from the power source increases, i.e. there is a substantial
increase in fault impedance. The VI operating characteristic is such that the operating time is
approximately doubled for reduction in current from 7 to 4 times the relay current setting.
This permits the use of the same time multiplier setting for several relays in series.
Figure 2.3.4 provides a comparison of the SI and VI curves for a relay. The VI curve is much
steeper and therefore the operation time increases much faster for the same reduction in
current compared to the SI curve. This enables the requisite grading margin to be obtained
with a lower TMS for the same setting current, and hence the tripping time at source can be
minimised.

Figure 2.3.4: Comparison of SI and VI relay characteristics

Extremely Inverse Curve

For extremely inverse curve, the operation time is approximately inversely proportional to
the square of the applied current. This makes it suitable for the protection of distribution
feeder circuits in which the feeder is subjected to peak currents on switching in, as would be
the case on a power circuit supplying refrigerators, pumps, water heaters and so on, which
remain connected even after a prolonged interruption of supply.
The long-time operating characteristic of the extremely inverse relay at normal peak load
values of current also makes this relay particularly suitable for grading with fuses. Figure
2.3.5 shows typical curves to illustrate this. It can be seen that use of the EI characteristic
gives a satisfactory grading margin, but use of the VI or SI characteristics at the same settings
does not.

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Figure 2.3.5: Comparison of relay and fuse characteristics

2.3.4 INDEPENDENT (DEFINITE) TIME OVER CURRENT RELAYS

Normally, overcurrent relays are also provided with elements having independent or definite
time characteristics. These characteristics provide a ready means of co-ordinating several
relays in series in situations in which the system fault current varies very widely due to
changes in source impedance, as there is no change in time with the variation of fault current.

2.4 INSTANTANEOUS OVER CURRENT RELAYS

An instantaneous over current relay is a definite time relay set to operate with no time delay.
It is normally set to act for nearby faults. The reach is dependent on the variations in the
short-circuit Level. Constant short circuit level increases the possibility of using the
instantaneous function also in networks which have moderate impedance.

2.4.1 TRANSIENT OVERREACH OF INSTANTANEOUS OVER CURRENT RELAYS

A relay is said to overreach when it operates for a fault lying outside its zone of protection.
An instantaneous overcurrent relay operates in a very quick time and hence can be
influenced by presence of DC component in fault current. Due to presence of DC
component, relay may see fault current higher than the fundamental component and hence,
may operate for a case where the fundamental components is below the set value but total
(AC + DC) fault current in above the set value. Therefore, adequate margin is to be
considered while arriving at the relay setting. The digital filters in numerical relays can
remove the DC component and therefore they can be set much more sensitive. Transient
overreach of an overcurrent relay is defined as the following:

Where:
I1 = RMS steady state pickup current
I2 = Steady state RMS current which when fully offset just causes relay pickup.

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For the system shown in Figure 2.2.1, consider a bolted three phase to ground fault at Bus 2.
The X/R ratio of the system up to the fault point is 6 and fault occurs at 0˚ inception angle.
The faults currents (as seen at HV side of transformer) are shown in Figure 2.4.1.

(a) Instantaneous current (b) True RMS current

Figure 2.4.1: Transformer HV side currents for fault at bus 2

Figure 2.4.1 shows the pure AC component and combined (AC+DC) components of the fault
current. For the purpose of explanation, it is considered that the relay operates based on true
RMS component (a very pessimistic approach). From Figure 2.4.1 (b), it can be seen that the
true RMS component (at 1cycle time) for the AC only and combined AC+DC current is
around 3500A and 4700A respectively. This basically implies that due to the presence of DC
component and the measurement principle of the relay, the fault current measured is 4700A
instead of 3500A.
If the instantaneous relay setting is considered to be 4700A, the relay can just pick up even
though the steady state AC component is much lower than the set value. The transient over
reach for this condition is calculated to be 25.5%.
Here, it should be noted that the RMS component of the combined current measured by a
relay purely depends of its design. The DC current that appears during the fault depends on
the X/R ratio of the system and the fault inception angle (with 0˚ being the worst case
scenario). It is customary for manufacturers to provide data of % transient overreach of the
relay as a function of system X/R ratio. One such typical curve is as shown in Figure 2.4.23.
While deciding on the safety margin to be considered for setting an instantaneous relay,
manufacturer provided data for % transient over reach should be considered.

Figure 2.4.2: Typical graph of %overreach Vs system angle (system X/R ratio)

3
C. R. Mason, “The Art and Science of Protective Relaying”, General Electric

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2.5 TWO STAGE OVER CURRENT RELAYS

Two stage overcurrent relay comprise of an IDMT characteristics and definite time over
current relay. Definite time over current relays have a fixed operating above its pickup value.
It can be recollected from discussion in section 2.2.2 that discrimination by current is only
possible where there is significant impedance involved between the primary and backup
relay. In case of two stage characteristics, the principle of coordination is governed by use of
current discrimination to achieve high speed operation (using definite time relays) for faults
close to relay. IDMT characteristic provide backup protection for downstream relay.
In the example system shown in Figure 2.2.1, consider the coordination of relay R3 with R2.
The coordination curve for relays R2 and R3 using single stage normal inverse characteristic
is shown in Figure 2.5.1(a). The maximum current seen by relay R2 and R3 for a fault at Bus 2
is 3500A referred to 66kV side. As the two relays are in series and see the same fault current,
relay R3 is set by providing adequate time discrimination at 3500A current point, Point A in
Figure 2.5.1(a). For fault close to R3, as the transformer impedance does not get involved, the
fault current is significantly higher and is found to be 21000A. For this fault current, relay R3
operates in around 0.55s. This operating time may not be acceptable, as relay R3 is the
primary protection for the transformer.
From the analysis of the current seen by relay R3 for fault at Bus 2 and Bus 3, it is established
that currents above 3500A can only occur for faults close to relay R3. This also implies that
there is no need for coordinating relay R3 with relay R2 for currents above 3500A. Hence, by
use of an instantaneous (definite time set to operate with no time delay) over current relay
with a current setting above 3500A, fast tripping can be achieved for faults close to relay R3
and coordinated tripping between R2 and R3 can be achieved for faults at Bus 2. The
coordination graph with use of two stages over current relay is shown in Figure 2.5.1(b).

(a) Only IDMT OC relay (b) Two stage OC relay

Figure 2.5.1: Coordination graph for relay R2 and R3

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As shown in Figure 2.5.1(b), one of the advantages of the instantaneous elements is to

reduce the operating time by the shaded area below the IDMT curve. The most widely used
application of this principle is at HV side of transformer.
Use of two stages over current relay provides flexibility to the protection engineer in
coordinating the upstream relays. It can help in reducing the operating time of upstream relay
while still maintain effective coordination between the relays. The possible methods of
coordination are explained in section 3.4.

2.6 PHASE AND EARTH OVER CURRENT PROTECTION

The foregoing discussion focuses towards understanding of characteristics and grading
concepts adopted in overcurrent protection. In order to provide satisfactory protection for all
the types of faults (LG, LL, LLG and LLL), over current relay is set to measure phase currents
as well as the neutral currents and commonly referred to phase over current and earth over
current relays.

2.6.1 PHASE FAULT OVER CURRENT PROTECTION

As the phase overcurrent relay is set to measure the phase currents, its pickup setting is
governed by the maximum current that can flow during normal and stressed/overloaded
condition. Thus the pickup setting is generally 1.1 to 1.2 times the rated current of the
protected equipment. In case of a high impedance fault involving ground (LG or LLG) the fault
current can be lower than the rated current of the equipment and hence will go undetected
by a relay only measuring phase currents.
2.6.2 EARTH FAULT OVER CURRENT PROTECTION
As significant neutral currents are only observed during ground faults, more sensitive
protection against earth faults can be obtained by using a relay set to measure neutral
current (residual current). Here, the only limiting factor is the expected worst case unbalance
during normal system operation and unbalanced leakage currents to earth. The low settings
permissible for earth fault relays are very useful, as earth faults are not only by far the most
frequent of all faults, but may be limited in magnitude by the neutral grounding impedance, or
by earth contact resistance. The measurement of neutral currents is generally achieved by
connecting the line Current Transformers (CT’s) in residual connection (connecting the line
CT in parallel). Earth over current protection is achieved by connecting an over current relay
in the residual path, as shown in Figure 2.6.1.

Figure 2.6.1: Residual connection for earth over current protection

2.6.3 COMBINED PHASE AND EARTH OVER CURRENT PROTECTION

Combined phase and earth over current protection can be achieved by connecting over
current relays in the all the phase CT paths and residual path, as shown in Figure 2.6.2(a).

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Another alternate for providing combined phase and earth over current protection is by
providing only two over current relays in the phase CT paths and one in residual path, as
shown in Figure 2.6.2(b). This combination can also detect all types of faults and is very
common in electromechanical relays. Current day numerical relays normally provide
protection for all three phase currents.

(a) 3 Phase +1 Earth (b) 2 Phase + 1 Earth

Figure 2.6.2: Combined phase and earth over current protection

2.7 DIRECTIONAL OVER CURRENT RELAYS

A basic over current relay operates by comparing the magnitude of current against the set
threshold. These types of relays are referred to as Non directional over current relays. Use of
non-directional relays cannot provide adequate grading under all conditions. In the system
shown in Figure 2.7.1, for a fault at location F1 (on Bus 1) and considering use of non-
directional relays, the expected sequence of operation would be R1->R2->R3->R4. This
implies that the TMS setting for relays should be in the order of, R1TMS<R2TMS<R3TMS<R4TMS.

Figure 2.7.1: Sample system with fault feed from both ends

Consider the case of fault at F2 (Bus3), the expected sequence of operation considering
application of non-directional would be R4->R3->R2->R1. This implies that the TMS setting
for relays should be in the order of, R4TMS<R3TMS<R2TMS<R1TMS.
With change in fault location, the TMS requirement for effective coordination gets affected
and becomes contradictory to achieve. In such conditions where fault currents can flow in
both directions, effective coordination can be achieved by making the over current relay
directional, by adding a directional control. In the system shown in Figure 2.7.1, if all the
relays are made directional to look into the protected element, relay R1 and R3 will not
pickup for fault F1 and hence coordination is to be achieved between relays R2 and R4.
Similarly for fault at F2, coordination is to be achieved only between R3 and R1.

2.7.1 RELAY CONNECTIONS

By definition, it is said that directional over current relays detect the direction of fault
current. However, in practice it detects the direction of power flow by measuring the power

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factor angle. A simple directional control can be achieved by measuring the angular
difference between the voltage and current (of the faulted phases) at relay location. As fault
currents are generally reactive, a lagging current measured at relay location can be termed as
“Forward” direction.
As over current relays measure current at secondary side of CT, the CT polarity connection is
vital in defining the criteria adopted by relay for direction detection. With current
transformer connections (note that the CT ground point is towards the protected equipment)
as shown in Figure 2.6.2, lagging current in primary side will be reflected as lagging current is
secondary side and hence the criteria of “lagging current implies forward direction” can be
adopted. In case the CT polarities are reversed, a lagging current in the relay would indicate
reverse direction.
Though the concept of measuring the angular difference between the voltage and current of
faulted phases appear satisfactory, it fails in conditions when the faulted phase voltage
magnitude is too low. At too low voltages, the voltage appearing at secondary side of
instrument transformer is highly erroneous and hence can result in incorrect direction
detection. To overcome this issue, quadrature voltages (polarising voltage) are used for
direction detection.

2.7.2 QUADRATURE CONNECTION FOR PHASE FAULTS

In this connection, Phase A relay element is supplied with Ia current and Vbc voltage. The Line
to Line voltage Vbc lags the phase voltage Va by 90° and hence is termed as quadrature
voltage. Figure 2.7.2 shows the vector diagram of a quadrature connection directional over
current relay. The quadrature voltage Vbc is displaced by certain angle and the resultant
voltage is V’bc, this voltage is used for direction detection. The displacement of the voltage
Vbc is required so that V’bc appears nearly in phase with the fault current, thus ensuring
maximum forward torque is established during forward fault condition. The angle by which
Vbc is displaced is known as Relay Characteristic Angle (RCA).

Figure 2.7.2: Quadrature connection for directionality detection

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Depending on the application, 30°, 45° and 60° RCA are commonly used. For a numerical
relay, it is common to allow user-selection of the RCA angle within a wide range. RCA of 30°
is used for protection of feeders when the zero sequence source is behind the relay. For
protection of feeders where zero sequence source is in front of the relay, RCA of 60° is
generally recommended. The value RCA selected also depends on the X/R ratio of the system
being protected.

2.7.3 RELAY CONNECTION FOR DIRECTIONAL EARTH FAULT

Residual voltage is used as polarising voltage in case of directional earth fault relays. This
voltage can either be derived within the numerical relay by summing up the three phase to
neutral voltages or can be directly fed to relay input from potential transformer connected in
residual formation (open delta).
The residual voltage will be zero for balanced phase voltages. For simple earth-fault
conditions, it will be equal to the depression of the faulted phase voltage. In all cases the
residual voltage is equal to three times the zero sequence voltage drop on the source
impedance and is therefore displaced from the residual current by the characteristic angle of
the source impedance. The residual quantities are applied to the directional element of the
earth-fault relay.
The residual current is phase offset from the residual voltage and hence angle adjustment is
required. Typically, the current will lag the polarising voltage. The relay connection for
directional earth fault is shown in Figure 2.7.3.

Figure 2.7.3: Directional earth fault relay with voltage polarisation

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The method of system earthing also affects the Relay Characteristic Angle (RCA), and the
following settings are usual:
 Resistance-earthed system: 0° RCA
 Distribution system, solidly-earthed: -45° RCA
 Transmission system, solidly-earthed: -60° RCA

The different settings for distribution and transmission systems arise from the different X/R
ratios found in these systems.

2.8 OVER CURRENT RELAY APPLICATION TO PARALLEL/INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM

The discussions in section 2.7, highlights the need of directionally sensitive relays for
achieving adequate coordination in system which are fed from multiple sources on either
ends. Specific scenarios and system interconnection may require special consideration while
selecting the type of relay to be employed.

2.8.1 APPLICATION TO PARALLEL FEEDERS

[Link] PARALLEL LINES FEEDING RADIAL LOAD
The system shown in Figure 2.8.1, depicts a typical configuration where in parallel
transmission line is used to feed radial load. As there is only one source of fault current, it
may appear adequate to employ non directional relays. Hence, when using non directional
relays (Figure 2.8.1(a)), relays R2 and R3 will be coordinated with relay R1, relays R4 and R5
will be coordinated with relays R2 and R3 respectively. Accordingly, relays R2 and R3 will
have same settings and relays R4 and R5 will have same settings.

(a) All non-directional relays

(b) Directional relays at receiving end

Figure 2.8.1: Parallel feeders with radial load on receiving end

For a fault at location F1, both the feeder will carry equal fault currents. Relay R1 will be first
relay to operate and R2, R3 will backup relay R1. On failure of relay R1 to clear the fault, fault
will be cleared by simultaneous tripping of relay R2 and R3. This is in accordance with the
protection philosophy. For a fault at location F2, no fault contribution exists from the load

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side and hence, the fault current seen by relay R2 and R3 will be equal. With same setting for
relay R2 and R3, both the feeders will be lost simultaneously and is not acceptable.
The coordination can be improved by enabling directional sense in relays R2 and R3 and
direction set towards the protected line, as shown in Figure 2.8.1(b). For fault at location F1,
relay R2 and R3 will not pickup and hence coordination between R1, R2 and R3 is not
required. Relay R1 can be coordinated with relays R4 and R5. For fault at location F2, relay
R3 is the first relay to operate and relay R2 does not pickup. Hence, relay R3 acts as primary
protection and backed up by relay R4. Similarly, for fault on first line, relay R2 will be the
primary protection, backed up by relay R5. Hence, by introducing directional relays at the
receiving end, the problem of losing both the feeders can be effectively mitigated.
[Link] PARALLEL LINES FEEDING RADIAL LOAD AND GENERATION ON RECEIVING END
In system shown in Figure 2.8.2, parallel lines are employed to feed a substation comprising
of radial loads and some generation. This is a typical configuration encountered in majority of
the big process industries. Process industries generally comprise of large amount of radial
loads and some in house generation connected near the main receiving substation of the
process industry. In such a system configuration, the setting of relays on parallel incoming
lines depends on the fault current fed by the generation on receiving end.

Figure 2.8.2: Parallel feeders with radial load and generation on receiving end

One of the straight forward approaches for achieving effective coordination is to set relays
R2, R3, R4 and R5 directional and looking towards the protected line. However, coordination
can also be achieved by use of non-directional relays.
Relay R2, R3, R4 and R5 are all set to be non-directional. The current seen by relay R3 is sum
of current seen by relay R2 and current fed from generation at receiving end. Hence, current
seen by relay R3 will be higher than the current seen by relay R2. As the relay R3 sees higher
current than relay R2, the operating time of relay R3 will be faster than the operating time of
relay R2. If the current in feed (from generation at receiving end) in sufficiently high to result
in adequate discrimination time being maintained between relay R2 and R3, non-directional
relays can be employed.
If the current in feed is low, directional relays have to be employed at R2 and R3 to achieve
effective coordination. In such scenario, the pickup setting of relay R2 and R3 should be
carefully set. Depending on the impedance involved, there exists possibility that the current
I2r is lower than the rated current of the feeder and hence the pickup setting of the
directional over current relay can be set lower than the rated current.

2.8.2 APPLICATION TO PARALLEL TRANSFORMERS

The applications discussed in case of parallel feeders are also applicable for parallel
transformers. However, in case of parallel transformers feeding radial load, it is possible to

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provide acceptable coordination with use of non-directional relays. Sample system

comprising of two parallel transformers is shown in Figure 2.8.3.

Figure 2.8.3: Parallel transformers feeding radial load

As discussed in section [Link], relays R2 and R3 will have same setting and hence will
operate in same time for fault at location F1. For power transformers, transformer differential
protection acts as primary protection for all internal faults and hence fault F1 will be cleared
by transformer differential protection in instantaneous time. Failure to clear the fault by
differential protection will results in operation of relay R2 and R3 simultaneously. This may be
considered acceptable as both the transformers will trip on backup protection. Use of non-
directional relays may not be acceptable if bushing CTs are used for differential protection.
Use of bushing CT will result in some portion of the system being primarily protected by only
over current relay.

3 RELAY SETTING GUIDELINES

The coordination philosophy adapted for the calculation of over current relay setting can vary
based on network configuration of the system. However, the following basic rules can be
stated with respect to the coordination:
 Coordination should always be started from deepest portion of the system and
eventually move upwards.
 The relay pickup current is to be set higher the than the current flowing through the
protected element during worst case operating scenario.
 The pickup current of the primary relay is generally lower than or equal to that of the
backup relay.
 The discrimination time between the relays is to be carefully selected so as to obtain
effective coordination.
 Whenever possible, use relays with the same operating characteristic in series with
each other.
 The TMS value of the relay usually increases as one moves from downstream relay
towards upstream relay.
 For arriving at relay setting for a given relay, the settings of all the relays for which it
provides backup protection needs to be first arrived at.
 Relay coordination is performed for maximum fault currents and then validated for
minimum expected fault current.
 When the operating characteristics of all the over current relays in series are plotted on
a common graph, the operating characteristics should not overlap.

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 When plotting operating characteristics for relays in series at different voltage levels,
the current scale should be represented based on common MVA and kV base.

Over current relay setting calculation mainly deals in arriving at the following setting:
 Characteristic type to be employed
 Pickup current of the relay
 TMS/time delay of the relay

3.1 PICKUP CURRENT SETTING

Pickup current of over current relay is the current above which the relay operates and can
issue trip command after elapse of required time duration.

3.1.1 PHASE FAULT RELAYS

As over current relays are primarily employed to provide protection against fault conditions,
they are not intended to operate for over load that can occur on the protected equipment
during change in network operating conditions/system transients. At the same time, they
should operate for the minimum expected fault current in the system. Hence, the pickup
current should be above worst case loading condition and below the minimum expected fault
current.
Conventional power flow computation tools available in commercial software products (like
MiPowerTM) can be used to obtain the current during worst case loading condition. However,
it is customary to set pickup current by just providing some overload margin over the rated
current. The information regarding acceptable overload margin (short time rated current) can
be obtained from respective equipment manufacturer. Over current relays are not intended
to provide complete over load protection and hence use of thermal over load protection may
still be essential based on requirement.
In general it can be stated that the pickup current (Ip) is:

Equation 3.1.1

3.1.2 EARTH FAULT RELAYS

The pickup current of the earth fault relay is governed by the following factors:
1. Expected worst case unbalance current during system operation
2. CT ratio error at low current setting

The current setting of phase fault relays is generally set close to the CT secondary rating. At
this setting, the relay burden appearing on CT is low and results in lower excitation currents
drawn by the magnetisation branch. Thus, the CT maintains sufficient accuracy ratio and the
primary setting will be directly proportional to secondary referred relay setting. This may not
be true for earth relay.
When electromechanical earth fault relays are used, it places a high burden on the CT and
results in higher magnetisation current and high voltage drop appearing across one CT. This
high voltage appears across the other CT’s connected in parallel and results in a considerable

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magnetisation current drawn by them. The total magnetisation current is three times the
magnetisation current of single CT. The effective secondary side pickup current is the sum of
relay current plus the total magnetisation current. The effective setting current for variation
in earth fault relay setting is shown in Figure 3.1.14. For very low values of relay setting
current, the effective setting is very high. For relay setting greater than 20%, the effective
setting varies linearly with increase in relay setting. Therefore in case of electromechanical
relays it is not recommended to set the pickup value of earth fault relay very low.

Figure 3.1.1: Earth-fault relay effective setting

When static, digital or numerical relays are used, the relatively low value and limited variation
of the relay burden over the relay setting range results in the effective setting being close to
the relay setting.

3.2 DISCRIMINATION TIME (TIME GRADING) REQUIREMENT

When coordinating overcurrent relays, it is expected that the upstream relays operate only if
the downstream relays fails to operate. This can be achieved by providing sufficient time
margin between operation of the two adjacent relays for a given fault. The time margin is
known as discrimination time. Insufficient/incorrect grading can lead to uncoordinated
tripping thereby affecting larger portion of the network.
The main factors which affect the grading margin are:
1. Circuit breaker interrupting time
2. Relay errors
3. CT errors
4. Overshoot time of relay
5. Relay reset time
6. Safety Margin

3.2.1 CIRCUIT BREAKER INTERRUPTING TIME

The time taken by the breaker to successfully interrupt the fault current after energisation of
the trip circuit is known as circuit breaker interrupting time. For a given breaker, the
operating time varies based on the fault current magnitude, DC component etc. and hence
generally the maximum guaranteed interrupting time specified by the breaker manufacturer is
considered. The circuit breaker operating time to be considered is of the breaker associated
with the primary relay.

4
Network Protection and Automation Guide, Alstom Grid, May 2011.

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3.2.2 TIMING ERRORS

Due to Relay Errors
Relay timing error is the difference between the actual operating time of the relay (for a given
fault current) and the expected operating time based on the type of characteristic curve used.
The relay timing error is not fixed and is dependent on the actual operating time.
Due to CT Errors
Due to the phase and ratio error associated with current transformers, the secondary
currents may not be the exact scaled replica of the primary side current. This can lead in
incorrect operating time of the relay. The error in operating time can be severe during CT
saturation conditions. CT errors are not relevant when independent definite-time delay
overcurrent relays are being considered.
The timing error of both primary and backup relay is important for obtaining the correct
discrimination time.

3.2.3 OVERSHOOT TIME OF THE RELAY

In case of electromechanical relays, the induction disc may still continue to be in motion even
after the current through the circuit is interrupted. This is due to the stored kinetic energy
which needs to be dissipated. If adequate overshoot time is not provided, the backup relay
may operate after clearing of fault by the primary relay. Overshoot is generally applicable for
electromechanical relays. The overshoot time of the backup relay is to be considered.

3.2.4 SAFETY MARGIN

Over and above the margin provided to account for the above discussed errors it is a general
practice to consider some safety margin in order to guarantee non operation of the backup
relay for successful clearing by primary relay.

3.3 RECOMMENDED GRADING INTERVALS

The following sections discuss the generally adopted overall grading margins for coordination
between different protection devices.

3.3.1 GRADING: RELAY TO RELAY

The various factors discussed in selection of the discrimination time margin are mainly
dependent on the technology of the circuit breaker and relay used. Olden day circuit breakers
have higher interrupting time than the modern day breakers and hence require higher grading
margin. Similarly, the timing error due to relays and over shoot related errors are very low in
case of modern day numerical relays when compared to that of the electromechanical/static
relay technology.
It is a general practice to use fixed discrimination time. However, as the relay timing error is
dependent on the operating time of the relay, it may not be suitable to have fixed
discrimination for all cases. Especially at lower fault currents, where the operating time of the
relay is large, the errors associated also can be high and lead to incorrect coordination. For
relay timing error it is a general practice to consider twice the error that occurs at the primary
relays operating time. The suitable minimum grading margin can be calculated as given
bellow. The typical error times and discrimination time is provided in Table 3.3.1.

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Variable Discrimination Time:

[ ]
Equation 3.3.1

Fixed Discrimination Time:

Equation 3.3.2

Where:
= relay timing error (IEC 60255-4)
= allowance for CT ratio error (%)
= operating time of relay for a fault close to the relay (close in operating time)
= CB interrupting time (s)
= relay overshoot time (s)
= safety margin (s)
= total time error due to relay and CT (s)
When definite time relays are used, the timing error due to CT error can be omitted and
hence the discrimination time requirement (considering fixed discrimination) is

Equation 3.3.3

Where:
= total time error due to relay (s)
Table 3.3.1: Typical discrimination time for relay to relay coordination

Electromechanical
Component Static Relay Numerical Relay
Relay

Breaker Operating Time (s)

0.10 0.10 0.10
(5 cycle Breaker)
Relay Overshoot Time (s) 0.10 0.00 0.00
Typical Timing Error (s)
0.08 0.08 0.08
(about 7.5% at 0.5s)
Safety Margin 0.10 0.10 0.10
Total (s) 0.38 0.28 0.28
With use of faster interrupting breakers (3 cycles), the discrimination time can be reduced by
0.04s
For numerical relays, the timing errors can be much lower.
With present day technology of numerical relays and breakers, discrimination time of 0.2s is
commonly adopted.

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3.4 TIME SETTING (TMS/TDS)

3.4.1 COORDINATION AT MAXIMUM FAULT CURRENT
Computation of the time setting is the most involved part in any over current relay setting
calculation. Consider relay R1 and R2 shown in Figure 3.4.1. Assume that the setting for relay
R1 is 100A pickup TMS 0.1 and IEC Normal Inverse curve, and we need to compute the TMS
setting for relay R2. The numerical value above the bus is the value of current for a fault on
the respective bus.

Figure 3.4.1: System for understanding of TMS calculation

The first step in arriving at setting for relay R2 would be computing the close-in operating of
relay R1. Close-in operating time is defined as the operating time of the relay when a fault
occurs just after the CT associated with the relay. From Figure 3.4.1, the close-in fault
current is 1000A and using the operating time equation of IEC Normal Inverse curve:

The operating time can be calculated as follows:

( )

For a fault close to relay R1, R1 will operate in 0.3s. In case of failure of R1 to clear the fault,
relay R2 should operate. As discussed, this is achieved by providing adequate discrimination
time (t). Hence, for adequate coordination of relay R2, it should operate in time
seconds for the remote fault current. Remote fault current is the current seen by the
backup relay for fault location close to primary relay. In the example considered, the remote
fault current is same as the close-in fault current (as it is a simple series branch). With
discrimination time of 0.2s, the required remote fault operating time for relay R2 is
(0.3s+0.2s) = 0.5s. With the required operating time for remote fault current being
established, the TMS setting can be computed using the operating time equation of IEC
Normal Inverse curve and is as given below:

( )

The calculated value of TMS for relay R2 is found to be around 0.116. Commercially available
relays have a predefined steps in which the TMS can be set in the relay and this varies from

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make and model of the relay used. Hence, it is important to round of the calculated value of
TMS to the next settable value in the relay. In this example, the value of TMS can be rounded
off to 0.12.
The general procedure for calculating the TMS setting can be summarised as follows:
1. Find the operating time of primary relay for close-in fault current.
2. Add discrimination time to the primary relay operating. This is the required operating
time of backup relay (for remote fault current) for fault close to the primary relay.
3. Compute the TMS of backup relay

3.4.2 RELAY PAIRS

As discussed, relay coordination involves computation of backup relay TMS with respect to
operating time of primary relay for fault close to primary relay. Relay pair can be defined as
the pair of primary relay and back relay to be coordinated. One backup relay can have
multiple primary relays and hence those many number of relay pairs can be formed. In order
to achieve satisfactory coordination, coordination is to be carried out with respect to relay
pairs.
For the example considered in Figure 3.4.1, the following relay pairs can be formed:
1. R1 (Primary) – R2 (Backup)
2. R2 (Primary) – R3 (Backup)

The importance of performing coordination with respect to relay pairs can be demonstrated
with respect to relay R3 in Figure 3.4.1.
[Link] CASE 1: R3 COORDINATED FOR FAULT NEAR RELAY R1 (NOT CONSIDERING RELAY PAIR)
In this option, relay R3 is set considering fault is close to relay R1 and is coordinated to
operate on failure of relay of both relay R1 and R2 to clear the fault.
The first step would be to arrive at the required operating time for relay R3 for fault near R1.
As R3 should operate on failure of relay R2, required operating time for R3 is, operating time
of R2 + discrimination time. As the set TMS of relay R2 was rounded off the next higher
available TMS, the operating of relay R2 is to be recalculated and is found to be 0.513.
Hence, the required operating time of relay R3 (for fault near R1) is 0.713s. Using the
procedure adopted in section 3.4.1, the TMS can be calculated to be 0.13.
Even though the coordination appears to be correct, it does not provide effective
coordination for all fault scenarios. With the calculated setting, for fault occurring near relay
R2, the operating time of R2 and R3 is calculated to be 0.366s and 0.47s respectively. It can
be seen that the available discrimination margin is only about 0.1s and is not adequate. The
main issues in this kind of coordination practice can be explained graphically by plotting the
characteristic curves (Figure 3.4.2(a)) for relay R1, R2 and R3. In Figure 3.4.2(a), it can be seen
that for current of 1000A, discrimination time is greater than 0.2s. However, for a current of
2000A (R2 close-in fault current), discrimination times reduces. This is because of the fact
that the operating time of IDMT relays reduce exponentially with increase in fault current
magnitude. This results in reduced coordination margin. This also emphasises that
coordination should be ideally done for close-in fault currents at primary relay.

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(a) Case 1 Coordination (b) Case 2 Coordination

Figure 3.4.2: Curves of relay R1, R2 and R3 for example in Figure 3.4.1.

[Link] CASE 2: R3 COORDINATED FOR FAULT NEAR RELAY R2 (AS PER RELAY PAIR)
In this option, relay R3 is set considering fault is close to relay R2 and is coordinated to
operate on failure of relay of both relay R2 to clear the fault.
The first step would be to arrive at the required operating time for relay R3 for fault near R2.
As R3 should operate on failure of relay R2, required operating time for R3 is, operating time
of R2 + discrimination time. The operating time of relay R2 is to be calculated and found to
be 0.356. Hence, the required operating time of relay R3 (for fault near R2) is 0.556s. Using
the procedure adopted in section 3.4.1, the TMS can be calculated to be 0.16. The
coordination curve for this option is shown in Figure 3.4.2(b).
In Figure 3.4.2(b), it can be seen that adequate discrimination time is available for all fault
scenarios. It can also be observed that as we move closer towards the source relay, the
operating time for close-in fault at source relay increases considerably. In the considered
example, the close-in operating time of relay R3 is around 0.48s.
By adopting the principle of IDMT coordination on “Instantaneous Setting Current”, it is
possible to achieve faster close-in operating time while maintain the required discrimination
time.
3.4.3 COORDINATION AT DEFINITE TIME RELAY CURRENT SETTING
In example shown in Figure 3.4.1, consider the definite time setting for relay R1 to be 750A
pickup and 0.05s operating time. The guideline for calculation of definite time/instantaneous
setting on transformer primary is discussed in section 3.5. The coordination curve for this
coordination is shown in Figure 3.4.3.

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Figure 3.4.3: Coordination curves for coordination at definite time relay current setting

With instantaneous setting for relay R1 starting from 750A, the IDMT element in relay R1
will be effective only for currents less than 750A. Hence relay R2 is coordinated with relay
R1 for fault current of 750A. The operating time of relay R1 for 750A can be calculated to be
0.34s. Therefore keeping discrimination time to 0.2s, the relay R2 should operate after 0.54s
for fault current of 750A. The required TMS value of R2 is calculated to be 0.11.
A definite time element can also be enabled for relay R2 with pickup current equal to or
greater than that of R1. However, the operating time of R2 definite time element should be
time coordinated with that of R1. Discrimination time of 0.15s is considered for definite time
element coordination. Hence, the setting of definite time element at R2 will be 800A pickup
and 0.20s operating time.
IDMT element of relay R3 is coordinated with the IDMT element of relay R2 at current of
800A. The required TMS setting can be calculated to be 0.11.
With coordination at definite time relay setting, relay R3 will operate in 0.35s for close in
fault against 0.475s for the normal coordination approach. Also the TMS setting of relay R3
IDMT element is lower and hence operating time of R3 is faster with this coordination
approach.

3.4.4 CONSIDERATION TO RELAY SATURATION

As discussed in section 2.3, IDMT relay saturates at some value of fault current and operates
as definite time relays beyond that. It is important to consider this in setting calculation, as
this leads to higher operating time than that calculated without considering relay saturation.
For example, consider a relay with pickup current of 100A, 0.1 TMS and saturates at 20 times
the plug setting. If the close-in fault current is 3000A, the operating time without considering
saturation is 0.2s. However, as relay saturation occurs at 2000A (20 times plug setting), the
actual operating time of the relay for current of 3000A will be operating time calculated for
2000A, i.e. 0.23s.

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Similarly calculation of backup relay TMS setting can be erroneous if saturation is not
considered in setting calculation. Consideration to relay saturation can be mathematically
expressed as

Equation 3.4.1

For the purpose of calculating the operating time, if the value of I r is greater than the
saturation limit of the relay, Ir is fixed to its saturation limit value. For currents greater than
saturation limit, the Inverse curve is no longer valid.
3.4.5 EARTH RELAY SETTING
The neutral current seen at relay location for a single line to ground fault is used in earth fault
relay setting calculation. The TMS setting can be arrived in similar manner as that discussed
for phase relay. When electromechanical relays are used, the CT ratio error may be high (due
to high relay burden as low earth fault current setting) and hence appropriate discrimination
time margin is to be considered.

3.5 DEFINITE TIME RELAY SETTING

Setting calculation for definite time relay is primarily based on the concept of current
discrimination discussed in section 2.2.2. Coordination of definite time relays generally starts
from the high voltage side of transformer.
3.5.1 PICKUP SETTING
As discussed is section 2.3.4, the pickup current for definite time element in two stage over
current relay is arrived so as to ensure that the element does not operate for fault on remote
bus. Considering infinite source strength at transformer HV side, the pickup current required
for relay on HV side can be computed as given in Equation 3.5.1

Equation 3.5.1

Where,
IP> = pickup setting of definite time element in A
Z = Transformer impedance in pu
Irated = rated current of the transformer (at relay location) in A
k = setting margin
Typical value of setting margin considered is around 1.3. Safety margin (k) is to be considered
to account for:
1. Variation of transformer impedance due to change in operating tap
2. Transient reach of relay due to DC component in fault current
3. Safety margin

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If the definite time relay is to be set with instantaneous time, the pickup setting computed
using Equation 3.5.1 should be verified to be above the transformer energisation current and
large motor starting current.
In order to guarantee operation of the definite time element under all operating scenario, the
pickup current of definite time element should be above the minimum expected fault current
at the relay location.
On the transformer incomer feeders, the definite time element pickup setting can be set
marginally higher than the pickup setting of the relay on transformer HV side. For these
relays, adequate time grading is to be provided.

3.5.2 TIME SETTING

It is a general practice to set the relay at transformer HV side to instantaneous operation.
For large power transformers, the transformer energisation current (typically 10 times rated
current) can be very close to the bus fault current. Under such conditions, the use of
numerical relays with digital filters and harmonic restrain feature can be employed.
For other upstream relays, time settings will be chosen to allow suitable grading margins, as
discussed in section 3.3.

3.6 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN EARTH RELAY SETTING

Flow of earth fault (neutral) current largely depends on the type of system grounding
employed at the relay location. As calculation of TMS setting largely depends on the remote
fault current seen by the relay, the type of grounding can influence the TMS computation.
The following special considerations are applicable for coordination of earth fault element.

3.6.1 TRANSFORMER WINDING GROUP

Consider the system shown in Figure 3.6.1. Due to the winding configuration of the
transformer, ground fault in star ground side does not result in neutral current in the delta
side of the transformer. Hence, no coordination is required between earth element of relays
R1 and R2. However, ground faults in delta winding or close to relay R2 will result in neutral
currents and hence the requirement of earth element for relay R2 still exists. As coordination
is not required, the TMS of earth relay at R2 can be set to minimum available in the relay.
Similar consideration applies for Yyn and YNd transformers.

Figure 3.6.1: Typical delta-star grounded transformer

The pickup current setting for definite/instantaneous time (earth) element at R2 will be
depended on transformer energisation current.

3.6.2 NEUTRAL GROUNDING RESISTANCE FOR YNyn TRANSFORMER

For transformers with star ground – star ground winding configurations, earth fault
coordination between LV side and HV side relay depends on the value of neutral grounding

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resistance (NGR). For the system in Figure 3.6.2, depending on the value of NGR, the
following two scenarios are possible.

Figure 3.6.2: Typical Star grounded -star grounded transformer with NGR

[Link] LOW IMPEDANCE GROUNDING

Considering 20% of rated current as pickup for earth fault relay on R2, the pickup current is
90A. With NGR value of 2Ω, the neutral current for ground fault in LV side will be limited to
around 2000A. The HV side reflected current (fault on LV side) will be around 420A. The
earth relay at R2 will pick up for this fault current and hence TMS of R2 should be
coordinated with R1.
[Link] HIGH IMPEDANCE GROUNDING
With NGR value of 10Ω, the neutral current for ground fault in LV side will be limited to
around 400A in LV side and the HV side reflected current is around 84A. The earth relay at
R2 does not pickup for this fault current and hence TMS of relay R2 can be set to minimum
available TMS.

4 RELAY SETTING EXAMPLES

This section provides explanation for performing relay coordination for commonly
encountered scenarios. The case studies are demonstrated by considering use of typical
systems configuration and parameters.

4.1 TYPICAL INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM

Typical industrial systems comprises of a main receiving substation which receives power
from the utility grid at high voltages and steps down to around 11kV for further distribution
to various plant loads. The 11kV voltage received at the plant load bus will be stepped down
to 0.415kV for feeding of loads. In some cases, voltage levels of 6.6kV may also be present.
In large industries is it common to find bulk motors connected directly at 11kV and 6.6kV.
One such typical system considered for coordination is as shown in Figure 4.1.1.
For the system shown in Figure 4.1.1, the problem is to perform coordination study and
arrive at suitable settings. All the relays employ IEC normal inverse type curve. The relay
considered for study has the following range of settings available:

Setting Type Minimum Maximum Step Rated

0.10 4.00 0.01 1
Stage 1: I> (A)
0.50 20.00 0.05 5
Stage 1: t> TMS 0.05 3.20 0.01 -
IEC Curves: NI, VI, EI
Stage 1: Curve types
ANSI Curves: MI, VI, EI
Stage 2: I>> (A) 0.10 35.00 0.01 1

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0.5 175.00 0.05 5

Stage 2: t>> (s) 0.00 60.00 0.01 -
Additional Data:
1. Stage 1 IDMT element has a reset to pick up ratio is 0.95
2. Stage 1 IDMT element saturates at 20 times the pickup current

Figure 4.1.1: Sample Industrial System

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The relay setting at 11kV side of the 11/0.415kV transformer is assumed to be correctly
coordinated with the downstream relay/ fuse/ breakers and is considered as base for
coordinating all the other upstream relays. The existing TMS setting of relay R1 and R4 is set
to 0.2.
The maximum expected short time overload capacity of the transformer is considered to be
115% of the rated current. It is expected that the relay drops off for currents below this. The
drop off to pick up ratio of the relay is 0.95 and hence, the pickup setting of the phase
elements should be set to 115/0.95 = 121% of the rated current.
Note: It is a practice in many industries to just set the pickup current to rated current of the
equipment without considering for overload factor and drop off to pick up ratio. This may be due to
the fact the actual running load would typically be quite lower than the rated current. In such cases
it may be acceptable to retain the existing pick up setting as it is (unless there has been some
instances of incorrect operation.
As discussed in relay setting guidelines, the coordination should always start from deepest
portion of the system. In this case, the coordination should start from relay R1.
One of the most important inputs for performing coordination study is the knowledge of
short circuit levels at each bus. Also the contribution from each of the feeder for the bus fault
is to be known. The three phase fault levels (in kA) for the system shown in Figure 4.1.1, is
computed using MiPower® software tool and is shown in the same figure. The current value
shown next to each bus is the total bus fault current (in kA). The current displayed near
feeder/transformer is its contribution to the fault. For instance, for a three phase fault at bus
“Ld1*5+”, the total fault current is 20.83kA, the contribution from incoming feeder is 20.83kA
and contribution from 2MVA transformer is 0A (as it feeds a radial load).

4.1.1 RELAY R1, R2 AND R3 (ONE INCOMING FEEDER SUPPLYING ONE FEEDER)
First, the section of the system from bus “Plant*4+” to bus “Ld1_4*6+” is considered for
coordination. This is a typical configuration where in a feeder is used to transfer power from
the main board to the transformer located near the load and a dedicated overcurrent relay is
available at the transformer HV side and the feeders. Such a configuration is normally
employed when provision is to be provided for connecting additional loads on the feeder.
Otherwise, only one relay is provided at the feeder incomer (as in case of relay R4), to
protected both transformer and feeder.
As discussed, the TMS setting (t>) of relay R1 is fixed at 0.2 based on the downstream
coordination requirements.
The rated current of the transformer is 105A. Hence, the pickup current (I>) of the relay is
1.21*105 = 127.05A. When referred to CT secondary side, the pickup setting is 5.082A. The
nearest available setting value is 5.1A (127.5A referred to primary).
At the transformer HV side, an instantaneous setting can be enabled by adopting the
principle of current discrimination as discussed in section 3.5. The calculation given by
Equation 3.5.1 can be used when accurate data regarding the maximum expected fault
currents are not available. In this case, the actual maximum short circuit currents can be
found using short circuit study, and hence the same can be used. A three phase to ground
fault is simulated at LV side (bus “Ld1_4*6+”) of the transformer. The results are shown in
Figure 4.1.2(a).

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(a) Fault at bus “Ld1_4*6+” (b) Fault at bus “Ld1*5+”

Figure 4.1.2: Short circuit study results

The pickup setting for instantaneous element can be set to greater than, 1.3 times of the
remote reflected fault current or transformer energisation current. 130% of the remote
reflect current is 1.937kA (1.49kA*1.3) and the inrush current is calculated to be 630A (6
times rated current). Hence, the pickup setting for stage 2 (I>>) can be set to 2kA or 16 times
the CT secondary rating. The setting of relay R1 is summarised in Table 4.1.1
Table 4.1.1: Phase setting for relay R1

Stage 1 (IDMT – NI Curve) Stage 2 – (Instantaneous)

I> (A) 127.5 (5.1) I>> (Factor) 16
t> (TMS) 0.2 t>> (s) 0.05

The close in fault current for relay R1 is same as that for a fault at bus “Ld1*5+” and is as
shown in Figure 4.1.2(b). It can be verified that the instantaneous element provides coverage
for a wide range of the fault current.
Relay R2 is to be coordinated with relay R1 with a discrimination time of 0.2s. With
instantaneous element enabled for R1, the coordination with relay R2 can be achieved at
instantaneous current pickup point (as discussed in section 3.4.3). First step in this

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coordination is to obtain the IDMT operating time of relay R1 for the current of 2kA (I>>
setting). The operating time can be calculated as follows:

( )

The rated current of the feeder from bus “Plant*4+” to “Ld1*5+” is 260A. The pickup setting of
IDMT element can be set to 1.21*270 = 326.7A. The current referred to CT secondary is
5.445A, pickup setting (I>) is set to the nearest available value of 5.45A. The IDMT element
of relay R2 is to be set to operate at 0.7s for a current of 2kA. The TMS setting to achieve
this can be computed as follows:

( )

Definite time element can be enabled at relay R2 and set to coordinate with the
instantaneous element of relay R1. The pickup of the R2 definite time element can be set
with 5% margin over the pickup of R1 instantaneous element. Hence, the pickup setting is
2000*1.05 = 2100A or 7 times the CT secondary rating. The time can be set to 0.25s (200ms
margin over relay R1). The setting of relay R2 is summarised in Table 4.1.2.
Table 4.1.2: Phase setting for relay R2

Stage 1 (IDMT – NI Curve) Stage 2 – (Instantaneous)

I> (A) 327 (5.45) I>> (Factor) 7
t> (TMS) 0.18 t>> (s) 0.25

Relay R3 acts as a primary protection for fault on the feeder and backup protection for relay
R2. Relay R3 can be set with a minimum discrimination with respect to relay R2, typically
0.05s can be considered. However, for scenarios were the coordination requirements are
very stringent (as in cases involving many levels of coordination), the setting of the relay on
either ends of radial feeders can be set same. For this example, a discrimination time of 0.05s
will be considered.
By making use of the philosophy explained for setting relay R2, the setting for relay R3 can
be computed and is summarised in Table 4.1.3. The coordination plot for relay R1, R2 and R3
is shown in Figure 4.1.3.
Table 4.1.3: Phase setting for relay R3

Stage 1 (IDMT – NI Curve) Stage 2 – (Instantaneous)

I> (A) 327 (5.45) I>> (Factor) 7
t> (TMS) 0.21 t>> (s) 0.3

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Figure 4.1.3: Coordination plot for relay R1, R2 and R3

4.1.2 RELAY R5 AND R6 (INCOMING FEEDER SUPPLYING MULTIPLE OUTGOING FEEDERS)

Relay R5 should backup relay R3 and R4 with a minimum time discrimination of 200ms. For
coordination of relay which is meant to back up more than one relay, the backup calculation
is to be with the outgoing relay having highest operating time for a close in fault. For a fault
close to relay R3 and R4 (bus “Plant*4+”) the fault current is computed to be 22.51kA.
Settings of relay R3 is computed in section 4.1.1. Setting for relay R4 is computed by
adopting the philosophy explained for relay R1 and is given in Table 4.1.4. The operating time
of relay R3 and R4 is obtained using the computed setting and is given in Table 4.1.5.
Table 4.1.4: Phase setting for relay R4

Stage 1 (IDMT – NI Curve) Stage 2 – (Instantaneous)

I> (A) 64.5 (4.3) I>> (Factor) 13.6
t> (TMS) 0.2 t>> (s) 0.05

Table 4.1.5: Close in operating time for relay R3 and R4

Stage Relay R3 (s) Relay R4 (s)

1 0.47 0.45
2 0.3 0.05

As relay R3 has a higher operating time for close in faults, coordinating relay R5 with relay R3
will automatically provide adequate discrimination between R4 and R5 as well. While
calculating setting for relay R5, the following questions needs to be answered:
1. Can a Definite time element be enabled without compromising the coordination?

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2. Should the grading between relay R3 and R5 be achieved at close in fault current point
or at instantaneous setting point of relay R3?

If a definite time element is to be provided for relay R5, the pickup current should be set
marginally above (1.05 times) the I>> setting of relay R3 and the operating time should be set
to coordinate with t>> setting of relay R3. Hence, the required setting would be 2200A (4.4
times the CT rating) and 0.5s. With definite time setting being enabled, the IDMT element
will have to be coordinated at the instantaneous point of relay R3. From Figure 4.1.3, the
operating time of relay R3 at 2000A is 0.8s. Hence, the IDMT setting for relay R5 should be
set such that it operates in 1.0s for a current of 2000A. With rated current of feeder being
400A, the pickup current should be set to 485A (1.21 time rated current). The TMS setting
can be calculated using the IEC NI equation and is found to be 0.2. The combined graph of
only IDMT and IDMT+DT element for these setting is shown in Figure 4.1.4.

Figure 4.1.4: Interim setting coordination plot for relay R3

With the setting computed considering definite time element, for fault current above 10kA,
the IDMT element operates faster than the definite time element. Hence, adequate
discrimination will not be available between the definite time element of relay R3 and IDMT
element of R5. Therefore TMS setting for IDMT element of relay R5 needs to be increased. It
can therefore be concluded that the definite time element does not provide any appreciable
benefits and hence can be disabled for relay R5. The setting of relay R5 is now computed by
considering only IDMT element.
The IDMT element of relay R5 should be coordinated with IDMT and DT elements of relay
R3. At first the IDMT element is coordinated with DT element for close in fault currents.
Definite time element of relay R3 operates in 0.3s for a close in fault current and hence the
IDMT relay is expected to operate after 0.5s. Using the procedure already discussed, the

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TMS setting is computed to be 0.23. The coordination plots for relay R3 and relay R5 is
shown in Figure 4.1.5.

Figure 4.1.5: Coordination plot for relay R3 and R5

It can be seen that with this setting, adequate coordination is available for the entire range of
fault currents. In some scenarios, there may be a possibility that adequate margin (t2) is not
available at the definite time setting point between upstream and downstream relays. In such
cases, coordination is to be achieved at definite time setting point.
Setting for relay R6 can be computed by coordinating relay R5 and R6 with a discrimination
time of 0.05s. The final computed settings for relay R5 and R6 are given in Table 4.1.6
Table 4.1.6: Phase settings for relay R5 and R6

Stage 1 (IDMT – NI Curve) Stage 2 – (Instantaneous)

Relay I> (A) 485 (4.85) I>> (Factor) Disabled

R5 t> (TMS) 0.23 t>> (s) Disabled

Relay I> (A) 485 (4.85) I>> (Factor) Disabled

R6 t> (TMS) 0.26 t>> (s) Disabled

4.1.3 R7 AND R11 (PARALLEL INCOMING FEEDERS AND MULTIPLE OUTGOING FEEDERS)
The required pickup current of relay R7 and relay R11 is calculated by considering the rated
current of transformer with a margin of 1.21. With this, the pickup currents of relay R7 and
relay R11 are set to 1602A. When referred to CT secondary side, the pickup setting is 0.89A.
Relay R10 is coordinated with its downstream relay (not discussed in detail here) and is set to
I> = 485A and t> (TMS) = 0.28.

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The coordination is achieved by considering the bus coupler to be in service. Relays R7 and
R11 provide backup protection for relays R6 and R10. As a first step in the coordination, the
relay having highest operating time for a close in fault is to be identified. The close in fault
current for relays R6 and R10 can be obtained by simulating a three phase to ground fault at
bus “MRSS_11*3+” or “CPP*2+”. The short circuit result is shown in Figure 4.1.6.

Figure 4.1.6: Short circuit study results for fault on bus “MRSS_11*3+”

For a close in fault current of 23.85kA, the operating time of relays R6 and R10 can be
calculated as follows:

( )

( )

*For a pickup current of 485A, the relay saturates after 9700A.

Relay R10 has a higher operating time and hence relays R7 and R11 are to be coordinated
with relay R10. With two transformers in parallel, the total fault current of 23.85kA is shared
by two transformers. While performing coordination for this case, the operating time of relay
R10 (for a current of 23.85kA) is to be coordinated with relays R11 and R7 (for a current of
11.925kA) with a discrimination time of 200ms. As calculated above, the close in operating
time of relay R10 is 0.64s and hence setting of relays R7 and R11 are to calculated such that
the backup operating time is 0.64+0.2 = 0.84s. TMS setting required is calculated as follows:

( )

The coordination plots for relays R6, R7, R10 and R11 are shown in Figure 4.1.7. The settings
are summarised in Table 4.1.7.

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Figure 4.1.7: Coordination plot for relay R7 and R11

Table 4.1.7: Phase setting for relay R7 and R11

Stage 1 (IDMT – NI Curve) Stage 2 – (Instantaneous)

Relay I> (A) 1602 (0.89) I>> (Factor) Disabled

R7 t> (TMS) 0.25 t>> (s) Disabled

Relay I> (A) 485 (0.89) I>> (Factor) Disabled

R11 t> (TMS) 0.25 t>> (s) Disabled

As the coordination of relays R7 and R11 is carried out with bus coupler in service, it is
important to check the validity of the coordination with bus coupler made out of service. The
three phase fault current seen by relays R10 and R11 for fault on bus “CPP*2+ is shown in
Figure 4.1.8.

Figure 4.1.8: Short circuit study result for fault on bus “CPP*2+” with bus coupler OFF

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The operating time of relays R10 and R11 for this case is calculated as follows. It can be seen
that the required grading of 200ms is available even when the bus coupler is out of service
and hence, the calculated setting is acceptable.

( )

( )

4.1.4 RELAYS R8 AND R12 (TRANSFORMER PRIMARY SIDE RELAYS)

Relays R8 and R12 are backup relays for relays R7 and R11 respectively. As both primary and
backup relays are on the same equipment, a discrimination time of 0.05s can be considered.
The pickup setting of IDMT for relays R8 and R12 is calculated by considering a margin of
1.21 over the rated current. The pickup setting of IDMT element can be set to 1.21*131.21 =
158.7. The current referred to CT secondary is 0.882A, pickup setting (I>) is set to the
nearest available value of 0.89A (160.2A referred to primary).
The fault current seen by relays R7 and R11 is higher when the bus coupler is out of service
(compare Figure 4.1.6 and Figure 4.1.8) and hence the coordination of relays R8 and R12 is
achieved with bus coupler OFF. The operating time of relays R7 and R11 for a current of
12.5kA is calculated to be 0.84s and hence the required backup operating time of relays R8
and R12 is 0.84+0.05 = 0.89s. With a backup fault current of 1.25kA (see Figure 4.1.8), the
required TMS is calculated as follows:

(( ) )

As relays R8 and R12 are on primary side of the main power transformer, an instantaneous
element can be enabled by adopting the principles of current discrimination. The setting of
the instantaneous element for R8 and R12 is computed using the philosophy discussed for
relay R1. The reflected fault current for a fault on secondary side is found to be 1.25kA (see
Figure 4.1.8) and the inrush current of the transformer is calculated to be 1050A (8 times
rated current). Hence, the pickup setting of instantaneous element is set to 1638A or 9.1
times the CT secondary rating. The coordination plot for relays R8 and R12 is shown in Figure
4.1.9 and the settings are summarised in Table 4.1.8.
Table 4.1.8: Phase settings for relays R8 and R12

Stage 1 (IDMT – NI Curve) Stage 2 – (Instantaneous)

Relay I> (A) 160.2 (0.89) I>> (Factor) 9.1

R8 t> (TMS) 0.27 t>> (s) 0.05

Relay I> (A) 160.2 (0.89) I>> (Factor) 9.1

R12 t> (TMS) 0.27 t>> (s) 0.05

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Figure 4.1.9: Coordination plot for relay R8 and R12

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REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

[1] Technical Guide “Network Protection and Automation Guide”, Alstom Grid, May 2011
[2] John Horak, “Directional Overcurrent Relaying (66) Concepts”, Basler Electric
[3] Working group report 34.01, “Reliable Fault Clearance and Backup Protection”, CIGRE,
April 1999.
[4] C. R. Mason, “The Art and Science of Protective Relaying”, General Electric

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APPENDIX – 1 (DATA REQUIREMENT)

Feeder data
Connection Data
Sl. No. Feeder Name From Bus To Bus Conductor/Cable Type Distance (m/km)

Conductor Data
Sl. No. Conductor Type R1 X1 B1/2 R0 X0 B0/2 Rated Current (A)

Resistance and Reactance in Ω/km/circuit. Susceptance in Ʊ/km/circuit

Two Winding Transformer Data

Connection Data
Transformer Parameter Primary NGR Secondary NGR
Sl. No. Transformer Name Primary Bus Secondary Bus Set Tap
No. (Ω) (Ω)

Transformer Parameters
Sl. MVA Primary Voltage Secondary Voltage Z1 Z0 X/R Vector No. of. Min Tap Voltage Max Tap Voltage
No. rating (kV) (kV) (pu) (pu) Ratio Group Taps (kV or pu) (kV or pu)

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Three Winding Transformer Data

Connection Data
Transformer Primary Secondary
Tertiary NGR
Sl. No. Transformer Name Primary Bus Secondary Bus Tertiary Bus Parameter NGR NGR Set Tap
(Ω)
No. (Ω) (Ω)

Transformer Parameters
Sl. MVA Primary Secondary Tertiary Z1 Z0 X/R Vector No. of. Min Tap Voltage Max Tap Voltage
No. rating Voltage (kV) Voltage (kV) Voltage (kV) (pu) (pu) Ratio Group Taps (kV or pu) (kV or pu)

Zps- Zps-
Zst- Zst-
Zpt- Zpt-

Zps- Zps-
Zst- Zst-
Zpt- Zpt-

Generator Data
Parameter Description Generator 1 Generator 2
Name
Connected Bus
MVA Rating
MW Rating
Voltage Rating (kV)
Ra (pu) Armature Resistance

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Parameter Description Generator 1 Generator 2

Xd (pu) Direct Axis Reactance
Xd' (pu) Direct Axis Transient Reactance
Xd" (pu) Direct Axis Sub- Transient Reactance
Xq (pu) Quadrature Axis Reactance
Xq' (pu) Quadrature Axis Transient Reactance
Xq" (pu) Quadrature Axis Sub- Transient Reactance
X2 (pu) Negative Sequence Reactance
X0 (pu) Zero Sequence Reactance
T"d0 (pu) Direct Axis Transient Open Circuit Time Constant
T'd0 (pu) Quadrature Axis Transient Open Circuit Time Constant
T"q0 (pu) Direct Axis Sub - Transient Open Circuit Time Constant
T'q0 (pu) Quadrature Axis Sub - Transient Open Circuit Time Constant
Inertia (s) (Generator+Exciter+Turbine)

Shunt Capacitor (with reactor) Data

Shunt Capacitor
Sl. No. Connected Bus Rated MVAr Rated kV Rated Current

Reactor
Sl. No Rated Kvar Rated kV Rated current in A Impedance in ohm

Power Research and Development Consultant Pvt Ltd 45

 MiPower
®

empowering power system engineers

Power Research and Development Consultants Pvt. Ltd., is one of the

pioneers and a global leader in the Power System sector since 1994. Over the
last 25 years, PRDC has gained the acumen, hands on expertise and
applications built on niche technologies to handle over current relay
coordination.

PRDC stands extremely blissed in sharing the knowledge, experience, and

technology to the global industry personnel through publishing the first
edition of the “Application Guide” on “Over Current Relay Coordination”.

This Edition discusses the main concepts of over current protection and its
applications.

· Basic concepts of over current relay

· Grading concepts for application of Inverse definite minimum time
relays and definite time relays
· Relay setting guidelines
· Relay setting example for typical scenarios

We believe that Knowledge is power and hope our application guide helps
you in expanding the same.

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