Distance Protection: Earth-Faults in

Isolated and Resonant

grounded Systems
Power Transmission
and Distribution

©
Siemens AG 2006
Distance protection: Earth fault in system with solid,
isolated or compensated system neutral earthing

D A B C

ZT Z2...
Z1
G
D

Neutral Earthing with

Peterson Coil or Isolated or Solid

During single phase earth fault:

The short circuit current magnitude depends on

the neutral earthing method.
©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 2 Power Transmission and Distribution
Distance protection: Earth fault in system with isolated
system neutral earthing

A
B Remaining
System
C
A A

Fault Protected
N N Line

C B B
C
CAL CBL CCL CAS CBS CCS

IAL IBL ICL IAS IBS ICS

In Unfaulted system - due to symmetry:

IAL + IBL + ICL = 0 and IAS + IBS + ICS = 0
©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 3 Power Transmission and Distribution
Earth Fault in:
Isolated / Compensated neutral earthing system

Zero sequence current in faulted feeder includes capacitively

coupled earth current from interconnected system
©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 4 Power Transmission and Distribution
Distance protection: Earth fault in system with isolated
system neutral earthing
A
VAN Fault A-Ground

VCN A, G
N, G
C B VBG
VBN
VCG

Unfaulted N, G
C B

In faulted system:
IAL = - ( IBL + ICL + IAS + IBS + ICS )
©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 5 Power Transmission and Distribution
Sensitiv directional earth fault: Earth fault in system with
isolated system neutral earthing
A
VAN IAL, IBL, ICL Fault A-Ground
U0
IB
VCN IAL A, G

N, G IC
C B VBG
VBN
VCG

Unfaulted N, G
C B
In faulted system:
IAL = - ( IBL + ICL + IAS + IBS + ICS )
U0 = 1/3 (UA + UB + UC)
Zero sequence current lags voltage by approx 90ْ on faulted feeder
Siemens AG 2006
©

Page 6 Power Transmission and Distribution

Distance protection: Earth fault in system with
resonant system neutral earthing (Petersen Coil)

IA
A
IB
N B
IC
C
ING ICG IBG IAG

LN RN CC CB CA IFault

Fault

In faulted system:
IFault = IAG = - ING - ( IBG + ICG )
100% compensation: Im( ING ) = - ( IBG + ICG )
©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 7 Power Transmission and Distribution
Transient after earth fault inception in systems
with:
Compensated earthing of system neutral

Parameter:
1206: T3I0 1PHASE
Delays distance pick-
up until transient
disappears

After fault inception a large, typically 100 – 500 A, transient earth fault current
flows. The frequency ranges from 100 Hz in large networks to 1kHz in small
networks.
The distance protection must be stabilised to prevent unwanted tripping of single
phase earth faults.
©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 8 Power Transmission and Distribution
Double earth fault in isolated/resonant grounded system

A
B Remaining
System
C

A A

N N Fault 1 Fault 2

C B B
C
CAL CBL CCL CAS CBS CCS Protected
Line
IAL ICS

The fault current is a true short circuit current so that the

capacitively coupled currents can be neglected. At least one
of the two faults must be switched off
Siemens AG 2006
©

Page 9 Power Transmission and Distribution

Ph-Ph voltage symmetry

UL3-L1 UL3-L1
Unfaulted UL3
UL3
Ph-E Fault

UL1
UL1
E
E

UL1-L2 UL1-L2
UL2-L3 UL2-L3
UL2
UL2

UL3

For optimal detection of 2 Ph –E UL3-L1

fault the symmetry of the Ph-Ph E UL1

voltage is monitored UL2-L3
UL1-L2

max U ph  ph 1
 UL2
Ph-E +Ph-E Fault

min U ph  ph 1 k

„k“ is setting parameter 1223, preset = 25%

Siemens AG 2006
©

Page 10 Power Transmission and Distribution

Phase Preference for systems with non-earthed
systems neutral

acyclic L3 before L1 before L2 L3 (L1) ACYCLIC

acyclic L1 before L3 before L2 L1 (L3) ACYCLIC

acyclic L2 before L1 before L3 L2 (L1) ACYCLIC

acyclic L1 before L2 before L3 L1 (L2) ACYCLIC

acyclic L3 before L2 before L1 L3 (L2) ACYCLIC

acyclic L2 before L3 before L1 L2 (L3) ACYCLIC

cyclic L3 before L1 before L2 before L3 L3 (L1) CYCLIC

cyclic L1 before L3 before L2 before L1 L1 (L3) CYCLIC

All loops are measured All loops

©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 11 Power Transmission and Distribution
Example of loop selection during double earth fault in
system with non-earthed neutral

D
Example: Double earth fault in phase L1 and L2:
With setting A, B and D the relays that have L1-E in a tripping zone will trip.
With setting C the relays that have L2-E in a tripping zone will trip
©
Siemens AG 2006
Page 12 Power Transmission and Distribution