Control and interlocking schemes
Medium voltage switchgears are used for switching medium voltage loads
through associated control, measuring, protective and regulating equipment.
This operation also involves considerable manual intervention which therefore
necessitates the fulfilment of safety requirements laid down in International
Standards.
Standard tripping schemes and trip circuit supervision schemes for MV
switchgear (on photo:: Medium voltage switchgear type GHA; credit: Bertus de
Ruijter - Teamleader Field Services at Schneider Electric)
A variety of control and interlocking schemes are used to achieve the above
stated objectives. This technical covers following schemes in detail:
1. General
2. Tripping schemes
1. Shunt Tripping Scheme
2. Series Tripping Schemes
1. Using Relays
2. Using Summation CT
3. Using Motor Protection Circuit Breaker (MPCB)
4. Using Time Limit Fuses
3. Capacitor Tripping Scheme
3. Trip circuit supervision schemes
1. How it works? (VIDEO)
These schemes are the frequently used and are provided in most medium
voltage switchgear applications.
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1. General – Functional Requirements
A protection relay is usually required to trip a circuit breaker (CB). The power
required by the trip coil of the CB may range from 50 W for a small distribution
CB to 3000 W for a large EHV CB. Where such appreciable current-carrying
capacity is required, interposing contactor type elements will normally be
used.
This interposing contactor type element is connected in any of the three
arrangements discussed below.
Even though the functional requirements of schemes remain the same, there is
always a variation from project to project depending upon the following factors:
1. Distribution philosophy of AC, DC supply
2. System/bus configuration
3. Number of breaker trip coils
4. Grouping of alarm signals and trip/non-trip segregation and
5. Tripping logic
The above aspects are generally finalized in agreement with the customer and
based on experience gained over a period of time.
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2. Tripping Schemes
2.1 Shunt Tripping Scheme
This is the most commonly used tripping scheme. The protective relay
(PR) contact is arranged directly to trip the circuit breaker and it simultaneously
energises an auxiliary unit X which then reinforces the contact that is
energising the trip coil. The scheme is shown in Figure 1.
All the above-mentioned tripping schemes envisage the use of separate DC
supply for tripping. An alternative scheme using the fault current to trip the
circuit breaker is called a series tripping scheme.
Figure 1 – Shunt tripping scheme
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2.2 Series Tripping Schemes
These schemes operate by using different components as discussed below.
2.2.1 Using Relays
Here the series trip coil is normally kept shorted through the NC contacts of the
series tripping relays. The trip coil comes into the circuit and trips the circuit
breaker when the relay contact opens at fault.
The circuit is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 – Series tripping scheme
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2.2.2 Using Summation CT
This scheme is similar to the one using relays but here a summation CT is used
to summate the current of all the three phases, thereby minimising the
requirement of three series trip coils to one.
The summation CTs are LT CTs which sum up the secondary current
output of HT CTs of three phases and provide a proportional single-phase
output.
The series trip coil is connected to the output of the summation CT and
normally shorted through relay NC contacts. The scheme is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 – Series tripping
using summation CTs
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2.2.3 Using Motor Protection Circuit Breaker (MPCB)
MPCBs are manual motor starters with thermal and electromagnetic trip
features. Normally the trip coil is kept shorted through the MPCB. The MPCB
blows off during a fault, and thereby pushing the fault current through the trip
coil which, in turn, trips the circuit breaker.
This process is shown in Figure 4 below.
Figure 4 – Series tripping using MPCBs
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2.2.4 Using Time Limit Fuses
This is similar to the MPCB scheme. Here, in the place of MPCBs, fuses with
definite time characteristic are connected across the trip coil.
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2.3 Capacitor Tripping Scheme
For installations where DC supply is not available or where it is uneconomical to
provide battery / battery charger for DC supply or where the stations are
unattended and battery maintenance cannot be guaranteed, a circuit using
capacitor banks is employed to provide tripping energy to the breaker trip coil.
It employs a three-phase full wave rectifier bridge with diodes for DC output
and capacitive circuit for storing energy. The diode rectifier bridge is powered
by the secondary of the HT PT.
In normal service, tripping on faults is done through the diode bridge rectifier’s
dc supply. In abnormal conditions of failure of HT PT supply, the tripping
energy is derived from energy stored in the charged capacitor banks. Normally
the capacitors are rated to store energy for two trip and one close operation.
The scheme is shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 – Capacitor trip circuit
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3. Trip Circuit Supervision Schemes
The trip circuit extends beyond the relay enclosure and passes through more
components such as fuses, links, relay contacts, auxiliary switch contacts and
so on, and in some cases, through a considerable amount of circuit breaker
wiring with intermediate terminal boards. These complications, coupled with the
importance of the circuit, have directed attention to the need for its supervision.
The simplest arrangement contains a healthy trip lamp, as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6 – Supervision
while circuit breaker is closed
The resistance in series with the lamp prevents the breaker from being tripped
by an internal short-circuit caused by failure of the lamp. This provides
supervision while the circuit breaker is closed.
Figure 7 shows how, by the addition of a normally closed auxiliary switch
and a resistance unit, supervision can be undertaken while the breaker is
both open and closed.
In either case, the addition of a normally open push button contact in series with
the lamp will make the supervision indication available only when required.
Figure 7 – Supervision
while circuit breaker is open or closed
The supervision relay type TCS is intended for a continuous supervision of
circuit breaker trip circuit and gives an alarm for loss of auxiliary supply, faults
on the trip coil or its wires independent of the breaker position.
Schemes using a lamp to indicate continuity are suitable for locally controlled
installations, but when control is exercised from a distance, it is necessary
to use a relay system.
Figure 8 illustrates such a scheme, which is applicable wherever a remote
signal is required.
Figure 8 –
Supervision while circuit breaker is open or closed with remote alarm
Scheme working principle
Under healthy conditions with the circuit breaker closed relays A and C are
energized. If the trip circuit opens or the trip supply fails, relay A drops off and
opens contact A1 to de-energize relay C. When the circuit breaker is
open, relay B is also energized via the normally closed auxiliary switch of the
circuit breaker and relay C is held in by contact B1.
Relay B will detect trip circuit abnormalities with the circuit breaker open in a
similar manner as relay A with the circuit breaker closed.
Relay C is time delayed on drop-off by means of an RC circuit for a total time
of 350 to 800 milli-seconds, to prevent a false alarm due to voltage dips
caused by faults in other circuits or during a normal tripping operation, when
relay A is momentarily short-circuited by the self re-set tripping relay contact.
If the trip relay fails to re-set, possibly due to the failure of the circuit breaker
tripping mechanism, the alarm is initiated.
The alarm supply should be independent of the tripping supply so that an indication will be
obtained in the event of the failure of the tripping battery.
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3.1 Trip circuit supervision scheme (VIDEO)
In a protection system the tripping of circuit breaker is crucial. Should an
interruption occur in trip circuit, possible network fault would not be
disconnected and the fault would have to be cleared by another upstream
protections in the power system.
The supervision function is particularly important when there is only one
tripping coil and CB tripping is vital or important circuit breaker in
distribution networks.
The supervision relay type TCS is intended for a continuous supervision of
circuit breaker trip circuit and gives an alarm for loss of auxiliary supply, faults
on the trip coil or its wires independent of the breaker position.