ELECTRICALFLASHREPORT

LESSONSLEARNTONTRANSFORMERRESTRICTEDEARTHFAULT(REF)PROTECTIONAPPLICATION
February18,2015,Issue001

OverviewofTransformerREFprotection:
RestrictedEarthFault(REF)protectionisprovidedinelectricalpowertransformers
forsensinginternalearthfaultofthetransformerwindings.InthisschemetheCT
secondaryofeachphaseofelectricalpowertransformerareconnectedtogetheras
showninthebelowFig.1.Thencommonterminalsareconnectedtothesecondary
ofaNeutralCurrentTransformerorNCT.

TheREFCTsareconnectedtotheprotectionRelayinsuchawaythattheresultant
oftheLineCTcurrentopposestheneutralcurrentundernormaloperationand
externalearthfaultcondition,hencetheresidualcurrentflowthroughtheREF
protectionrelaywillbeZero.RefertoFig.1and2.

IncaseofTransformerinternalfault,thefaultcurrentwillnotbedetectedbyLine
CTssothecurrentflowthroughneutralCTwillnotbecancelledbyLineCTs.The
earthfaultcurrentwillfollowthroughRelayandsendtripcommandtotransformer
Circuitbreakertoclearthefault.RefertoFig.3

GASCORuwaisNGL3plantREFIssues:
InJanuary2013,NGL3ProcesssubstationSub.10B,11KVswitchboardboth
IncomersweretrippedduetoactivationofRestrictedEarthfaultprotection.
Therewasearthfaultin11KVoutgoingfeedercabletoAdminBuilding,causedby
damagetoundergroundcable,duringtheexcavationworksintheproject
constructionarea.

Eventhough,Adminoutgoingfeederand11KVSwitchboardboth11KVIncomers
(A&B)EarthFaultprotectionpickedup,eventuallybothIncomersto11KV
switchboardtrippedonREFduetowrongREFprotectionschemeimplementation.

ActivationofREFprotectionduringexternalearthfaultsisagainstdesignintent.
RootcauseofthenuisancetripwasfoundthatCurrenttransformer(CT)locatedat
neutralearthcircuitwasphysicallymountedinreversedirection.Withthechangein
orientation,P1andP2werereversed,causingtheoperationofREFduringexternal
earthfault.

AsaPreventiveaction,NGL3allHV/MV/LVtransformersREFrelays,primary
injectiontestcarriedoutandfindingsare:
1.Inall11KVand3.3KVswitchboards(SameOEM)REFneutralCTphysically
installedinreversedirection(P1andP2reversed)
2.REFCTswiresinterchangedwithStandbyearthfaultCTsintwotransformers.

Fig.1:NormaloperatingconditionNocurrentflowsthroughtheRelay64

Fig.2:ExternalearthfaultForanexternalearthfault,thecurrentcirculates
betweenthephase&neutralCTs;Nocurrentthroughtherelay.

Fig.3:InternalearthfaultForaninternalearthfaulttheunbalancedcurrent
flowsthroughtherelay

ModelofREFneutralCT

NecessarycorrectivewasdoneandREFschemeretestedbyprimarycurrentinjection.

GASCORuwaisNGL4plantREFIssues:
AsProactiveapproach,Train4HV/MV/LVtransformersREFProtectionschemeverified
byprimaryinjectionaspartofelectricalintegrityverificationstrategy.

Thereareseveraldeviationsnoticedandfollowingarethemajorones:

REFandStandbyEarthfaultprotectionCTsecondarywiresfoundinterchanged
attransformermarshallingcabinet.AlsoWrongpolaritywasnoticedforREF
CTs.
InABBprotectionrelaysoftwaresettingsandconfiguration,followingerrors
noticed:

o WrongCTratiosareassignedforREFCT.
o CurrentanaloginputsassignmentfoundinterchangedbetweenREFand
SEFCT,resultisREFprotectionbecomespronetospuriousoperation.
Necessarysoftwareandsettingchangescarriedoutandprimaryinjectiontestdoneto
ensureproperoperationofREFprotection.

Conclusion:
ComprehensivetestingprocedureofREFfunctiontocoverallaspectsofthe
protectionschemetobefollowedwhilecommissioning.
ForTransformeralreadyinserviceREFschemetobeverifiedbyprimarycurrent
injectiontest.
ForAnychangesintheCTwiringordisconnectionwithoutproperidentification,
itismandatorytorepeatstabilitytestusingprimarycurrentinjection.
REFrelayconfigurationandassignmenttobereviewedandapprovedbyOEM,

OutZoneSimulationusingPrimaryInjection

InZoneSimulationusingPrimaryInjection

duringdesignphase,toensureproperoperationofREFprotection.

LessonLearnt:InsistonPrimaryinjectiontestonallelectricalinstallationsduringcommissioning
Formoreinformation,pleasecontacttheElectricalsectionORMCE