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ELK412 - Distribution of Electrical Energy Lab. Notes v1.0

2012 Spring

Overcurrent and Ground Fault Protection

Announcement: You are not supposed to prepare a pre-report. But there will be an oral examination, so you are strongly advised to study this note regarding to the pre-study questions below. After the lab, you will need to deliver a post-report which contains what you have done in the lab, data, related graphs and answers of the questions.

Pre-Study Questions 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Why do we use relays in the power systems? What are the ANSI/IEEE codes of overcurrent relays? What type of relay is overcurrent relay? What is pick-up current? How can it be selected regarding to fault current and load current? How many types of overcurrent relays are there? What are the differences between the types of overcurrent relays? What is the purpose of using time delay in the overcurrent relays? What are the types of inverse time overcurrent relay? What is meant by time dial setting? How the directionality of current flow can be found in a power system? Which types of overcurrent relays can be used for ground fault protection? What are the meanings of DMT and IDMT?

1. Objective To study the principles of overcurrent and ground fault protection. 2. Theory [1, 2] Relays are used to detect abnormal conditions in the power systems. After detection of a fault, relays close circuit breakers and disconnect faulty circuits from the general supply system in order to minimize the damage. There is a list of ANSI/IEEE codes of different types of protection relays as follows [3, 4]:
ANSI /IEEE Standard Device Numbers
2 - Time Delay Starting or Closing Relay 21 - Distance Relay 25 - Synchronizing or Synchronism-Check Device 27 - Undervoltage Relay 30 - Annunciator Relay 32 - Directional Power Relay 37 - Undercurrent or Underpower Relay 38 - Bearing Protective Device 40 Field (over/under excitation) Relay 46 Rev. phase or Phase-Bal. Current Relay 47 - Phase-Seq. or Phase-Bal. Voltage Relay 49 - Machine or Transformer Thermal Relay 50 - Instantaneous Overcurrent 51 - AC Time Overcurrent Relay 59 - Overvoltage Relay 60 - Voltage or Current Balance Relay 63 - Pressure Switch 64 - Ground Detector Relay B Bus F - Field G Ground or generator N Neutral T Transformer 67 - AC Directional Overcurrent Relay 68 - Blocking or out of step Relay 69 - Permissive Control Device 74 - Alarm Relay 76 - DC Overcurrent Relay 78 - Phase-Angle Measuring Relay 79 - AC-Reclosing Relay 81 - Frequency Relay 85 Pliot Comm., Carrier or Pilot-Wire Relay 86 - Lockout Relay 87 - Differential Protective Relay 94 - Tripping or Trip-Free Relay

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ELK412 - Distribution of Electrical Energy Lab. Notes v1.0

2012 Spring

2.1. Overcurrent Protection Overcurrent protection is practical application of magnitude relays since it picks up when the magnitude of current exceeds some value (setting value). Overcurrent relays can be used to protect practically any power system elements, i.e. transmission lines, transformers, generators, or motors. As an example, a radial transmission line can be used. For a fault within the zone of protection, the fault current is smallest at the end of the line and greatest at the relay end. If the minimum fault current possible within the zone of protection is greater than the maximum possible load current, it would be possible to define the operating principle as follows:
| | | | fault zone, trip no fault in zone, do not trip.

where is the current in the relay and

is the pickup setting of the relay.

should be selected as:

B
current
Ifault Iload max. location
(b)

R
(a)

Figure 1. Overcurrent protection of transmission lines. (a) Radial system protection. (b) Fault current magnitude as a function of fault location.

There are four types of overcurrent relays; instantaneous, definite time, inverse time and directional overcurrent relays. 2.1.1. Instantaneous Overcurrent Relays Its operation criterion is only current magnitude (without time delay). This type is applied to the outgoing feeders.

time

no trip

trip

Ip

current
Figure 3. Connection diagram of instantaneous overcurrent relays

Figure 2. Characteristic of instantaneous overcurrent relays

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ELK412 - Distribution of Electrical Energy Lab. Notes v1.0

2012 Spring

2.1.2. Definite Time Overcurrent Relays In this type, two conditions must be satisfied for operation (tripping), current must exceed the setting value and the fault must be continuous at least a time equal to time setting of the relay. Modern relays may contain more than one stage of protection each stage includes each own current and time setting.
time
T3 T2 T1 I1 I2 I3 current
Figure 4. Characteristic of definite time overcurrent relays

Definite time overcurrent relay is the most applied type of over current. It is used as: 1. Back up protection of distance relay of transmission line with time delay. 2. Back up protection to differential relay of power transformer with time delay. 3. Main protection to outgoing feeders and bus couplers with adjustable time delay setting.

Figure 5. Connection diagram of definite time overcurrent relay with internal timer

2.1.3. Inverse Time Overcurrent Relays In this type of relays, operating time is inversely changed with current. So, high current will operate overcurrent relay faster than lower ones. There are standard inverse, very inverse and extremely inverse types.

inverse very inverse extremely inverse

time

current
Figure 6. Characteristic of inverse time overcurrent relays

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ELK412 - Distribution of Electrical Energy Lab. Notes v1.0

2012 Spring

The operating time of an overcurrent relay can be moved up (made slower) by adjusting the time dial setting. The lowest time dial setting (fastest operating time) is generally 1/2, and the slowest is 10.
10

Operating time in seconds

10 8 6 4 3 2

0.1

1 1/2 10 Multiples of pickup setting (If/Ip) 40

Figure 7. A typical commercial time overcurrent relay characteristic

2.1.4. Directional Overcurrent Relays When the power system is not radial (source on one side of the line), an overcurrent relay may not be able to provide adequate protection. This type of relay operates in on direction of current flow and blocks in the opposite direction. Three conditions must be satisfied for its operation: current magnitude, time delay and directionality. The directionality of current flow can be identified using voltage as a reference of direction.

Figure 8. Connection diagram of directional overcurrent relay

2.2. Ground Fault Protection Ground fault currents are dependent upon system grounding and they produce zero sequence currents whereas there is very little zero-sequence current during normal operation. Thus the pick-up settings of the ground fault relays can be made more sensitive than those of phase fault relays. A separate relay responding to the zero sequence current is provided for ground fault protection. Types of ground fault relays are similar to overcurrent relays but with only one coil for current in the case of instantaneous, definite time or inverse time ground fault types. One voltage coil is added in the case of directional ground fault relays.

Time dial setting

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ELK412 - Distribution of Electrical Energy Lab. Notes v1.0

2012 Spring

There are different connection types of current circuits: Current coil may be connected to return path (neutral) of a current transformer Current coil may be connected to the secondary side of current transformer which is installed at the star point of power transformer Current coil may be connected to secondary side of ring type current transformer installed at power cables

Figure 9. Ground fault relay connected at the neutral point of current transformer

Figure 11. Ground fault relay connected to ring type current transformer

Figure 10. Ground fault relay connected star point of power transformer

Figure 12. Connection diagram of directional ground fault relay

3. Practical Information In this lab, the overcurrent functions (50, 51) of SIPROTEC Compact 7SJ80 Multifunction Protection Relay will be used. Order number is as follows: 7SJ8031-1EB90-1FC1 Order number includes many information about the relay, such as; housing, binary inputs and outputs, measuring inputs, language settings and its functions. It can be seen in the catalog of the relay[5]. In the relay, three definite time over current (DMT) protection elements are available both for the phase and ground elements. The current threshold and delay set time can be set. Inverse time overcurrent protection characteristics (IDMT) can also be selected and activated.

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ELK412 - Distribution of Electrical Energy Lab. Notes v1.0

2012 Spring

4. Procedure You dont need to set up any connection. Only study the connection scheme. In the lab, you will measure several current values and related time delays in the context of overcurrent protection. 5. Connection Scheme
SIPROTEC Compact 7SJ80

-S2 190V AC (L-L)

LA N P1 +

IL1
F1 F2

IL2
F3 F4

IL3
F5 F6 F7

IE
F8

Circuit Breaker

P1 -

A1

K1

A2

B01
C9-NO C10-NC C11-COM

31

NC

32

Circuit Breaker

CB off
KE KE

BI1
C3 C4

BI2
C5 C6 51

NC
52

-S4 24V DC
2L+ 2L-

PS
C1(+) C2(-)

Figure 13. Connection scheme of the test set-up

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ELK412 - Distribution of Electrical Energy Lab. Notes v1.0

2012 Spring

6. References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Ahmed Safie Eldin, Practical Introduction to Power System Protection and Control, 2005 Arun G. Phadke, James S. Thorp, Computer Relaying for Power Systems, John Wiley & Sons, 1988 IEEE Standard C37.2-2008 : IEEE Standard for Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact Designations http://www.ee.uidaho.edu/ee/power/EE525/Lectures/L9/RelayDeviceNumbers.pdf Catalog of SIPROTEC Compact 7SJ80 Multifunction Protection Relay IEC 60255-151:2009 : Functional requirements for over/under protection

7. Questions for the Post-Report 1. What do you understand by Primary relay? Secondary relay? Auxiliary relay? 2. What is meant by Pick-up current? Drop out current? Dropout ratio? 3. What are the equations of IEC normal inverse, very inverse and extremely inverse overcurrent relays?