WORKSHOP

ON
POWER SYSTEM PROTECTION
16th to 20th April 2018
Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam

INTRODUCTION TO
PROTECTIVE RELAYING

By
Zulkarnain Ishak
TNB Grid Div.
Malaysia

Contents
1. Unit and Non-Unit Protection

2. Overcurrent Phase & Earth

Fault Protection

3. Differential Protection

4. Distance Protection

1
Unit and Non-Unit Protection

INTRODUCTION TO PROTECTIVE RELAYING

Unit and Non-Unit Protection

Unit Protection
– Apply Current Kirchhoff Law Principle.
– Mainly used as Main Protection i.e. Inst. time operation
– Have clear defined for zone coverage
– Commonly using single measuring criteria – i.e. current
differential method

The current entering any junction is equal to the current leaving

4
that junction. i2 + i3 = i1 + i4

2
 Unit and Non-Unit Protection
Example of Unit Protection

1 1

2 3

1 Busbar Differential Protection

2 Current Differential Protection

3 Transformer Differential Protection

5

Unit and Non-Unit Protection

Characteristics of Unit Protection

• Discriminative / Selective - Zone of protection is clearly defined

within the unit boundary.
• Fast operation – no time coordination required
• Sensitive – Immune to external disturbance such as , external
fault, PSB.
• Not influence by change of fault level.

3
 Unit and Non-Unit Protection
Characteristics of Unit Protection
– Generally need identical CT parameters ( ratio, magnetizing
characteristic) to avoid mismatch differential current
• Sometime maybe use matching devices
– Interposing CT for ratio correction, phase shift correction .
– With numerical / computer relay, correction can be program inside the relay.

– For long distance coverage, require communication media for exchange

of local and remote end currents.
• Pilot wire, Optical Fiber Direct or Optical Fiber with PCM equipment.

Unit and Non-Unit Protection

Non-Unit Protection
• Example
– Stand alone Distance Protection
– Overcurrent Protection – (Directional or Non-Directional)
– Earth Fault Protection - (Directional or Non-Directional)

• Protection area is dynamically change with influence of

– Fault Level / fault current magnitude
– Source in-feed effect
– Mutual coupling effect and etc.
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4
 Unit and Non-Unit Protection
Example of Non-Unit Protection

Distance Protection
A B C
Rbc
Rab Zone 1

Zone 2
Zone 3

Distance Protection Zones for Relay Rab

Distance Protection Zone coverage is depend on the fault impedance
measured by the relay.

Unit and Non-Unit Protection

Example of Non-Unit Protection
Overcurrent Protection
Rab Rbc
A B C

Rba Rcb

Typical: Overcurrent Protection Zone

Overcurrent Protection zone coverage is depend on the

fault current magnitude measured by the relay. 10

5
 Unit and Non-Unit Protection
Attributes of Non-Unit Protection

– Provide local or remote backup protection operation.

– Area coverage- base on the detection sensitivity (pickup setting)
– Simple scheme and considerably economic.
– Can operate independently without aid of communication signal
for remote backup operation.
– Slow/Delayed operation - Require operating time coordination i.e.
to coordinate with main and other backup protections.
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Overcurrent Phase & Earth Fault Protection

INTRODUCTION TO PROTECTIVE RELAYING

6
 Overcurrent Earth Fault Protection
DB

Application mcb1
s2

s12
– Can be found installed on almost all mcb2 F2
s3 F3
mcb3
power system equipment at all voltage F1 mcb4

levels.
– Basic and simplest protection s45

• Fuse
• MCB / ELCB
• Relay
– Main protection for domestic or low
voltage level
– Backup protection for HV system.
13

Overcurrent Earth Fault Protection

Operating Principle
– Measure the magnitude of current that pass Iprim.
through the protected equipment.
– Measure phase current – Phase Overcurrent
Relay (OC)
– Measure earth current – Earth Fault Relay Isec.
(EF)
– Pickup to trip if the measured current
exceeded the pickup setting value

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7
 Overcurrent Earth Fault Protection
Pickup Setting
 Phase overcurrent pick-up setting Iset normally is
set based on the equipment full load current
rating, e.g.

• 150% of Transformer current rating Iset

• 150% of Overhead Line current rating
• 100% of Cable current rating

 Earth Fault overcurrent pick-up setting Iset is much

more sensitive - more than system natural
unbalance current with consideration error on the
CT and relay.

 E/F Pickup setting Iset normally more than 10% of

the equipment full load current rating. Load current Fault current
15

Overcurrent Earth Fault Protection

Two type of operating time characteristic
normally used by overcurrent protection
– Instantaneous
– Time Delay – characteristic (IEC60255-151)
• Definite time
• Inverse Definite Minimum Time (IDMT)

Operating time shall be coordinated with the

adjacent overcurrent relay with adequate
coordination margin t.

8
Differential Protection

INTRODUCTION TO PROTECTIVE RELAYING

Differential Protection
Application
– Mainly used as a Main protection,
• Instantaneous time operation

– Installed on almost all power system equipment at all

voltage levels.

• Generator Overall Differential Protection

• Busbar Differential Protection
• Line Differential Protection
• Transformer Bias Differential Protection

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9
 Unit and Non-Unit Protection
Example:

G
G
G

19

Differential Protection
Operating Principle

– This scheme measures the differential current I which is the

product from summation of currents measured at every point
of the protected zones.

– Healthy system - product from summation of currents

measured at every point of the protected zones is zero.
Following Kirchhoff Current Law

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10
 Differential Protection
Operating Principle

The current entering any junction is equal to the

current leaving that junction. i2 + i3 = i1 + i4

Internal Protected Zone Fault

External Protected Zone Fault
Iin Iout
Iin Iout
Protected
Protected
Object
Object
F
F
I=Iin + Iout I=Iin + Iout
Iin = Iout Iin ≠ Iout
I=0 I≠0 21

Differential Protection
Operating Principle
– The Differential Protection relay will operate if the
calculated differential current exceeded the given pick-up
I setting or within the operating area of the relay
characteristic.
I I

Operation Area Operation Area

Iset Iset
Restrain Area
Area Restrain Area

|Iin|+ |Iout| Bias Current IB

Differential Characteristic 1 Differential Characteristic 2

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11
 Differential Protection
Pickup Setting / Operating Characteristic
– Possible errors need to be considered for the Differential pickup
setting. Example,

• CT Ratio
• Current Phase Shift
• CT Saturation
• System Grounding (Solid / Impedance Grounded)
• Feeder charging current

– Minimum Differential setting commonly set at 10% - 50% of In.

23

Differential Protection
Pickup Setting / Operating Characteristic

• There are two types of pickup setting characteristic

– Un-Biased Differential Characteristic

– Bias Differential Characteristic

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12
 Differential Protection
Un-Biased Differential Operating Characteristic
I

Operation Area
Iset
Restrain Area
Area

• Relay will operate if the measured differential current exceeded the differential current
setting, Iset.
• There is no Restrain/Bias element - the operation is not affected by restrain/ bias element.

• Un-Biased Differential Characteristic is applied by High Impedance Differential Protection

Scheme e.g.
– Busbar High Impedance Differential Protection
– Restricted Earth Fault Protection
25

Differential Protection
Bias Differential Operating Characteristic
I

Operation Area
Iset
Restrain Area

Bias Current IB
• Apply the restrain/ bias element – cater for current measurement mismatch during
normal load or through fault conditions.
• Relay will operate if the measured operating point is in the operating region of relay
characteristic.
• Bias Differential Characteristic – Normally apply by Medium and Low Impedance
Differential Protection Scheme e.g.
– Line Current Differential Protection
– Busbar Med / Low Imp. Protection
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– Transformer Bias Differential Protection

13
Distance Protection

INTRODUCTION TO PROTECTIVE RELAYING

Distance Protection
Distance Protection Application

• Commonly used as Main and Backup protection for long overhead line
feeder (OHL).
• Can works independently without tele-protection or remote protection
relay (stand-alone)
• A stand-alone distance relay does not satisfy the conditions for a unit
protection system because the zone is not clearly defined.
• A stand-alone distance relay nominally responding only to faults within
their setting zone.
• For some conditions, the setting of a stand-alone distance relay may
extend outside of the protected zone. 28

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 Distance Protection
Operating Principle
Operation based on calculated impedance (from measured current and voltage)

Fault Loop Impedance Calculation

– Known that : Impedance of OHL  Length of OHL
– For the identical line or cable (type and size) between substations,
the total impedance measured is equal to its total length.
– Fault in the protected zone,
• the calculated impedance  total impedance of the protected line or cable.
– Thus, we can differentiate the fault location either in the protected
line section or on the adjacent feeder. 29

Distance Protection
Operating Principle
Fault Loop Impedance Calculation
Distance relay continuously calculate/measure the loop impedance using the
input form Voltage (VT) and Current (CT) signals.

• Loop Impedance
– A-N
– B-N
– C-N
– A-B
– B-C
– C-A

• Distance relay will operate if calculated impedance is less than the set value
given to it.
– Z calculated < Z setting.
30

15
 Distance Protection
Operating Principle

Impedance Directional
• Protecting a line with impedance measurement
only, may cause loss of discriminative operation.

• Without directional element, fault on the reverse

adjacent line may cause unwanted operation of
the distance relay for the protected line.
31

Distance Protection

Rf
F1 F2
F4 A s/s F3 B s/s
Relay A C s/s
Relay B
xl
B s/s F2
• Distance should only operate for forward
Line impedance
F3 fault direction to protect the line AB.
F1
A s/s ϕ˚ • Without direction check, distance relay
Rl will operate at any fault direction within
F4
its reach setting.

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 Distance Protection
Impedance Directional
Simplified Distance Element Block Diag.

VT
Impedance + DC
Measuring
Element
&
Directional Distance
CT Element
Operation
(Foward)
jX

ZL

φ R

IMPEDANCE PLAN

Distance Protection
Pickup Setting
• Normally there are at least 3 zones provided by the Distance Protection
relay.

• Zone setting generally

– Zone 1 = 80% - 90% of line impedance (Used as Main Protection)
• Note: Not 100% due to consideration on error (Instrument transformers and relay
measuring error)
– Zone 2 = 120% of line impedance
(Used as Remote Backup Protection for One Busbar Away)
– Zone 3 = 100% of protected line + 120% of longest adjacent line
(Used as Remote Backup Protection for Two Busbar Away
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17
 Distance Protection
Pickup Setting
A B C
Rbc
Rab Zone 1

Zone 2
Zone 3
jX Overlapping Zone.

D Z3A

C Z2A
B
Z1A

Zone coverage using impedance plane.

A
R

Distance Protection
Operating Time Setting
– Operating Time of individual zone is set based on the Main and
Backup functions. Following are typical time setting for Distance
Protection zones;

• Zone 1 time = Instantaneous (< 40ms)

• Zone 2 time = 300ms to 500ms

• Zone 3 time = 1sec. to 3 sec.

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18
 Zones of Protection
Time

T3 Z3A Z3C
1000ms –
3000ms

T2 Z2A Z2C
300ms –
450ms

T1 Z1A Z1C
<15ms –
<40ms
21ZA 21ZC
A C

21ZA
B 21ZD D
T1 Z1B
Z1D
<15ms –
<40ms

T2 Z2B
300ms – Z2D
450ms

T3 Z3B
Z3D
1000ms –
3000ms

Distance Protection
Operating Characteristic

• There are several operating characteristic used in by

Distance Protection.
1. MHO
2. Offset MHO
3. Lenticular
4. Reactance
5. Quadrilateral
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 Distance Protection
Operating Characteristic
MHO Characteristic

1. The characteristic of the mho relay is a circle

whose circumference passes through the
origin.
2. The relay operates if the measured
impedance falls within the circle

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Distance Protection
Operating Characteristic
Lenticular Characteristic
The lenticular relay is similar to the mho
relay, except it is lens-shaped rather than
circular, thus providing less sensitivity to
load.

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 Distance Protection
Quadrilateral Characteristic

The quadrilateral relay characteristic can be

achieved by combining directional and reactance
characteristics with two resistive reach control
characteristics.

41

THANK YOU

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