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PILOT PROTECTION Pilot protection is a type of protection that compares electrical quantities at the two ends of the protected line. It employs a communication channel(s) to ascertain whether a fault is within the protected zone or external to it. There are four basic types of channels used for the pilot relaying. - pilot wire - microwave channel - power line carrier - fiber optics Pilot Wire - pilot wire uses a twisted pair of copper wire in a telephone type cable to directly connect the terminals of the protected line. The communication is by audio tones with frequencies from 200 Hz to 3000 Hz. Pilot wire is usually used for either blocking or tripping type of protection on transmission lines up to 10 miles in length. Microwave Channel 150 MHz to 20 GHz - microwave signal is propagated through the atmosphere between line of sight antennas. The basic microwave channel is usually multiplexed so that it can be used for several functions at the same time. Microwave channels may be affected by atmospheric conditions and subject to occasional fading. For this reason they are better suited to tripping schemes than to blocking schemes. Power Line Carrier 10 kHz to 490 kHz - The pilot carrier signal is coupled directly to the power line. It is contained by wavetraps to the line that is being protected. The transmitter and the receiver are coupled to the power line through line tuning equipment and the coupling capacitor. The rf (radio frequency) choke presents a low impedance to the 60 Hz power but a high impedance to the carrier frequency. This protects the equipment from high voltage.

Functional Diagram of a Power Line Carrier

Fiber Optic Link - the signal is transmitted by light through pure fibers of plastic or glass. Part of the transmitter in a fiber optic communication channel is a device for

conversion of the electric signal into light, and part of the receiver is a device that converts light into an electric signal. Operating frequency for transmission is in the range of 300 THz. The fiber optic link can be either a separate fiber optic cable, either buried or aerial, or the optical fibers can be incorporated into phase conductors or overhead ground conductors. All three types of channels function in one of two ways: On/Off Operation either provides a pilot signal or there is no signal. The presence or absence of the pilot signal is used to determine whether the fault is inside or outside the protected zone. Frequency Shift Operation provides a pilot signal at all times. If a fault is detected, the frequency of the signal is changed. The pilot signal can be used either to prevent (block) tripping, or it can be used to initiate tripping. According to this the pilot relaying is classified as blocking pilot protection or tripping pilot protection. Protective Schemes There are four basic pilot relaying schemes 1. Directional Comparison 2. Phase Comparison 3. Remote Tripping 4. Current Differential

Directional Comparison Directional comparison is a blocking pilot protection scheme. Each terminal has a transmitter, a receiver, a set of directional relays that are set to detect faults inside of the protected zone, and a set of directional relays that are set to detect faults external to the protected zone. A signal is sent to the other terminal if an external fault is detected. In order to trip a breaker at a given terminal, it is necessary for the protection relays set to detect a fault inside the protected zone to operate, and to receive no signal from the other terminal.

LEGEND T trip relay = relay set to detect faults for faults inside of the protected zone CS carrier start relay = relay set to detect faults outside of the protected zone R receiver relay = relay operated by the receiver. Its contacts are normally closed. When the receiver receives pilot signal from the other side, the contacts open and block the tripping
FAULT LOCATION CARRIER TRANSMISSION CARRIER RECEIVED

F1 F2 F3

A NONE B

A&B NONE A&B

Directional Comparison Relaying Using a Power Line Carrier Channel

Phase Comparison Phase comparison is another type of blocking pilot protection scheme. This scheme compares the phase angle of the current entering a terminal with the phase angle of the current leaving the terminal. If it finds that current is entering on one end and leaving on the other end of the protected line, there is a blocking signal send between the two terminals. If it finds that both currents are entering the line, the blocking signal is removed.

Principle of Phase Comparison Relaying

Current Differential Current differential relaying is used only over pilot wire channel. An example of this type of protection is the HCB relay

R OP

restraint coil operating coil Simplified Connection of HCB Relays

The sequence filters at each end of the line convert the phase currents into a single voltage approximately 20 V rms. The voltages are then compared via a pair of wires to determine if the fault is inside the protected line. Under normal conditions or on a through fault current, the current circulates through the pilot wire and the restraint coils are energized. The operating coils receive no current. If there is a fault inside the protected line, the voltages on both sides have the same polarity, and current is pushed through the operating coils.

Remote Tripping In remote tripping relaying schemes the signal from the other terminal must be received in order to trip the line breaker. During normal operating conditions the transmitters send out a continuous guard signal. When the protection relays operate, the frequency of the signal is changed from guard frequency to trip frequency. There are two main types of remote tripping: 1. Direct Transfer Tripping - receipt of a trip signal trips the local breaker independently of the local protection relays 2. Permissive Transfer Tripping - local protection relays must operate in order for the transfer trip signal to trip the breaker

RU T G

directional underreaching relay; when it detects a fault, it trips breakers at both ends trip contact, closes when transfer trip is received guard contact, closed if communication channel is functioning; opens when the communication channel is down Functional Diagram of a Direct Underreaching Transferred Tripping Scheme

RU RO T G

directional underreaching relay; when it detects a fault, it trips breakers at both ends directional overreaching relay trip contact, closes when transfer trip is received guard contact, closed if communication channel is functioning; opens when the communication channel is down

For faults between A and B, relays RU operate and trip the breakers. For faults at the ends of the line, relays RU at the closer terminal see the fault, trip the breaker and send trip signal to the other side. Overreaching relays RO at the other side see the fault and permit tripping.

Functional Diagram of a Permissive Underreaching Transferred Tripping Scheme

RO T G

directional overreaching relay trip contact, closes when transfer trip is received guard contact, closed if communication channel is functioning; opens when the communication channel is down

Overreaching relays RO see a fault anywhere on the line and also past the line. Tripping occurs only if a trip signal is also received from the other end of the line.

Functional Diagram of a Permissive Overreaching Transferred Tripping Scheme