POWER SYSTEM COMMISSIONING AND

MAINTENANCE PRACTICE
DET310/3

CHAPTER 10

PROTECTIVE RELAY
INTRODUCTION
 Power systems and their components need protection from natural
hazards as well as human error.

 Lightning, wind, ice, switching surges, resonance, trees, animals and

humans are some of the causes of faults.

These faults produce overcurrents and/or overvoltages at various locations

in a power system and must be cleared before they cause before they
damage any machines, transformers, lines etc.

 This is generally accomplished by isolating the faulted portion (as small a

portion as possible) of the system so that the remainder of the system can
serve without interruption.
-continue:
 In low-voltage distribution systems, lightning (surge) arresters are
used for over-voltage protection and fuses and slow-acting circuit
breakers are employed for over-current protection.

 In high-voltage transmission systems reliable sensors, fast-acting

relays and circuit breakers are needed to clear the fault quickly so that
the stability of the remaining system is secured.

 In short, the protection, stability and security of a power system are

affected by the ability of the protection devices to detect and respond to
system abnormalities like over-voltages and over-currents
Protection Components

Protection systems have three basic components:

 Sensors (transducers, detectors) to detect system

abnormalities

 Relays (activators) to provide signals to activate the

protection devices.

 Circuit breakers (interrupters) to open (disconnect) the

circuits.
Figure 5.0
CLASSIFICATIONS OF RELAYS

Relays may be classified according to the technology

used:

a. electromechanical
b. static
c. digital
d. numerical
10.4 Protection principles

The best and common protection techniques can be

classified into 4 categories:

a) Over-current/earth fault-distance protection

b) Differential protection

c) Carrier current protection

d) Distance protection
10.4.1 Overcurrent and Earth-fault Protection

A protective relay which operates when the load current

exceeds a preset value is called an overcurrent relay.
The value of preset current above which the relay operates is
known as pick up value.
An overcurrent relay is used for protection of distribution lines,
large motors and power equipment.
An overcurrent scheme may include one or more overcurrent
relays.
A wide variety of time-current characteristics is available for
overcurrent relays
10.4.1.1 Definite time overcurrent relays

This type of relay operates after a predetermined time when

the current exceeds its pick-up value. The operating time is
contant, irrespective of the magnitude of the current above
the pick-up value.
10.4.1.2 Instantaneous Overcurrent Relay

This type of relay operates in definite time when the current

exceeds its pick up value. The operating time is constant,
irrespective of the magnitude of current.
There is no intentional time delay. It operates in 0.1 sec or
less.
10.4.1.3 Inverse time overcurrent relay
Generally, it can be divided into three (3) categories
a) Inverse Definite Minimum Time Overcurrent (I.D.M.T)
b) Very Inverse-time Overcurrent
c) Extremely Inverse-time Overcurrent relay
Ir = (I/Is), where Is = relay
setting current
TMS = Time multiplier Setting
TD = Time Dial setting
The tripping
characteristics for
different TMS settings
using the SI curve
10.4.1.2 Standard Inverse Relay

In most cases, use of the standard SI curve proves

satisfactory, but if satisfactory grading cannot be achieved, use
of the VI or EI curves may help to resolve the problem.

The tripping characteristics for different TMS settings using the

SI curve are illustrated in Figure 9.5.
10.4.1.3 VERY INVERSE (VI) OVERCURRENT RELAYS

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 curve is much steeper and therefore the operation

increases much faster for the same reduction in current
compared to the SI curve
10.4.1.4 EXTREMELY INVERSE (EI) OVERCURRENT RELAYS

With this characteristic, 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.
RELAY CURRENT SETTING

 An overcurrent relay has a minimum operating current,

known as the current setting of the relay.

 The current setting must be chosen so that the relay does
not operate for the maximum load current in the circuit being
protected, but does operate for a current equal or greater to
the minimum expected fault current.
Testing and Commissioning of IDMTL
Typical secondary injection commissioning tests for this type of
relay consists of the following:
 A check should be made of the minimum operating current

with the plug inserted into the nominal setting (i.e 100% plug
setting) and the TMS is set to 1.
 The injected current is incrementally increased, and the disc
must not creeping at current less than 100%.
Testing and Commissioning of IDMTL

 Full travel of disc must occur, and relay flag must have
dropped with an injected current less than 130% of setting.

 The current should be then incrementally reduced to enable

the disc to reset, which occur at a current less than 70% of
the pick-up current
Testing and Commissioning of IDMTL(continue)-

 A timing tests is required with the PMS at 130% setting and

TMS equal to 1. This is usually carried out with a stop
watch. The tests is carried out with setting of 200% and
300% of PMS.

 The data obtained is then compared to calculation using

corresponding mathematical formulation.

 An error of 10% is usually acceptable.

Example:
Determine the magnitude of fault current, secondary current and tripping
time at 130%, 200% and 300% for a standard inverse relay having a
parameters as shown below:
PSM = 100%, CT ratio 500/5; TMS= 0.1
Solutions:
Fault current: 100% = 500 A;
130 % = 1.3 x 500 A = 650 A
200 % = 2 x 500 A = 1000 A
300 % = 3 x 500 A = 1500 A
Secondary Current: 130% = 1.3 x 5 = 6.5 A
200% = 2.0 x 5 = 10 A
300 % = 3.0 x 5 = 15 A
Example (continue)-

Tripping time:
0.14
For Standard Inverse = time, t = TMSx
I r0.02  1
0.14
At 130 % , t = 0.1x  2.66 sec
(6.5 / 5) 0.02
1
0.14
At 200 %, t = 0.1x  1.00 sec
(10 / 5) 0.02
1

0.14
At 300 %, t = 0.1x  0.63sec
(15 / 5) 0.02
1
10.4.2 Differential Relay
10.4.2.1 Introduction

The graded overcurrent systems previously described though attractively

simple in principle, do not meet all the protection requirements of a power
system.

Application difficulties are encountered for two reasons:

1) satisfactory grading cannot always be arranged for a complex network,

2) the settings may lead to maximum tripping times at points in the system
that are too long to prevent excessive disturbances occurring.
10.4.2.1 Introduction (continue)-

These problems led to the concept of 'Unit Protection', where by sections of

the power system are protected individually as a complete unit without
reference to other sections.

One form of ‘Unit Protection’ is also known as ‘Differential Protection’, as the

principle is to sense the difference in currents between the incoming and
outgoing terminals of the unit being protected.
Principle of Operation

Differential protection, as its name implies, compares the

currents entering and leaving the protected zone and
operates when the differential between these currents
exceeds pre-determined magnitude.

The difference between the currents may be in magnitude or

in phase angle or in both. For healthy operation, magnitude
and angle differences must be zero. If there is a difference
and that difference exceeds some value (setting valued, the
relay will operate and associated circuit breaker will trip .
During external Fault, SPILL CURRENT = I1 – I2 = 0
During Internal Fault:
Radial line: I2s = 0; SPILL CURRENT = I1S
TWO Source feeding: SPILL CURRENT = I1S+I2S
In reality, CTs will subjected to ratio and phase angle error.
This will results in spill current when through fault increases.
Spill Current = Is1  Is2
Where:
Ip
Is1 
Ip
 1 Is2   2
n1 n2
BIASED/PERCENTAGE DIFFERENTIAL RELAY

• Large external fault may cause false operation of simple

differential relay.
• To make the differential relay more stable to external
faults and improve relay quality, its respectively to
operation was increased by inserting restraining coils.
• Two restraining (Biasing) coils and one operating are
used as shown in figure below. Restraining coils will
opposite the operation of operating coil. The relay will
operate only when the operating force is higher than
restraining force.
PERCENTAGE/BIAS DIFFERENTIAL RELAY

 (I I ) 
Re straining_ Torque  M  N r 1 2 
 2 

Operating_ torque  M N 0 ( I1  I 2 )

Relay trips if operating torque is greater them restraining torque

The relay will be on verge of operation when the operating torque just
balances out restraining torque, when:
operating torque = restraining torque

M N0 ( I1  I 2 )  M  N r 1 2 
(I I )
 2 

Or can be written :

I I 
I1  I 2  K  1 2 
 2 
Where K=Nr/No
Thus, the operating characteristics of the relay will be a straight line
with a slope of Nr/No (K).
SPILL current must be greater than a definite percentage of the
through fault current for the relay to operate.
The slope of the relay is customarily expressed as a percentage. Thus a
slope of 0.4 is expressed as 40% slope
PERCENTAGE DIFFERENTIAL RELAY APPLICATION
- TRANSFORMER
Several consideration
 Transformer vector group
 the effects of the variety of earthing and winding
arrangements (filtering of zero sequence currents)
 correction for possible unbalance of signals from
current transformers on either side of the windings
(ratio correction)
 the effect of magnetising inrush during initial
energisation.
 the possible occurrence of overfluxing
Transformer vector Group
Transformer vector Group
Example:
Example: Transformer , S=30MVA, 33/11 kV delta star transformer.
1. Calculate the spill current on differential relay during normal operation.
2. Calculate the spill current when interposing CT is included.
3. Determine the stability of relay if percentage restrained torque is set at
30%