Protection Skills

For Electricians

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .....................................................................................................2

Learning Tasks

1-Describe Instrument Transformers ..........................................................3

2-Describe Protective Relays .....................................................................7
3-Describe Auxiliary Tripping Relays ...............................:....................:....8
4-Describe the Use of Communications by Protection Schemes ..............9
5-Describe the Role of the Circuit Breaker in Protection ...........................11

Self Tests
Self Test Questions .....................................................................................13
Self Test Answers ........................................................................................14

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 INTRODUCTION
This unit introduces the major elements of a protection system. These elements include
instrument transformers, protective relays, auxiliary tripping relays, communications and
circuit breakers. Not every protection system will employ all of these elements.

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 LEARNING TASK 1

DESCRIBE INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS

Protective relays detect faults and abnormal system conditions by monitoring

system currents and voltages. The purpose of an instrument transformer is to
step down power system currents and voltages to provide low magnitude
quantities to protective relays. This reduces the safety hazard to personnel and
allows for reasonable relay insulation and current carrying capacity. It would be
impractical, for example, to design a relay that could withstand a voltage of 500
kV and several thousand amperes of current.

There are three types of instrument transformers used in protection current

transformers (CTs), voltage transformers (VTs) and capacitive voltage
transformers (CVTs).

CURRENT TRANSFORMERS

The purpose of a current transformer is to provide relays, meters and control

circuits with a low current value, proportional to system current. The standard
secondary rating in North America is five amps. A typical ratio for a CT used
on a 500 kV line is 2000:5. If there was a fault with 4,000 amps flowing in the
line, 10 amps would flow in a protective relay connected to the secondary
winding of the CT as shown in Figure 1.

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 Fig I Current Transformer

Most CTs are located on the bushings of circuit breakers and power
transformers but they may also be free standing.
For proper relay operation, it is important that CTs do not produce any
significant ratio or phase shift errors. CTs are rated according to their
accuracy. For relays to operate properly, CTs must be able to handle 100
amps of secondary current for specified burden without exceeding the
specified error. As shown in Figure 2, a CT with an accuracy class of 10L400
must produce 400 secondary volts at a secondary current of 100 amps
without exceeding the 10% ratio error. In other words, this CT can handle a
burden of 4 ohms. If the burden was 8 ohms and the secondary current was
100 amps, this CT would not be able to produce the required 800 volts
without saturating. Once the CT saturates, it can no longer accurately reflect
system current.

Fig 2 CT must produce 4 0 0 secondary volts

As shown in Figure 3, two CTs are sometimes connected in series to effectively

increase the burden that can be handled without saturating. If each CT was a
10L400, the combination results in a 10L800 accuracy rating.

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 To relays
Fig 3 Two CTs are sometimes connected in series to
increase capacity

CT secondary circuits must never be open circuited when primary current is flowing
because voltage pulses as high as 5000 volts can result. These are dangerous to both
personnel and equipment.

For relays that detect faults in only one direction, it is critical that the relay is connected
to the CT with the correct polarity. If a relay intended to detect line faults in a forward
direction was connected with the wrong polarity, it would detect faults in the reverse
direction.

VOLTAGE TRANSFORMERS

Formerly called PTs or potential transformers, voltage transformers or VTs are used to
provide relays, meters and control circuits with a low value of voltage proportional to
system voltage. Figure 4 shows a VT used to step down a voltage of 138 kV to 120 volts
for relay sensing.

Fig 4 VT steps down voltage from 138 kV to 120 volts

Standard secondary ratings include 120 and 69 volts.

As with current transformers, it is critical that voltage transformers accurately

reflect system quantities for correct relay operation. It is also important that
directional relays are connected to the VT with the correct polarity.

CAPACITOR VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER (CVT)

Like the VT, this device provides relays with a low voltage quantity proportional
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to system voltage. In addition, it may also provide coupling between power line
carrier communication equipment and the power line. It is also used with the
FLAR fault locating system used to locate faults on the 500 kV system. The CVT
is generally less expensive than a VT but may be inferior in performance. As
shown in Figure 5, the voltage for the relay is obtained from a capacitor divider
and a voltage transformer.

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 Fig 5 Capacitor Voltage Transformer

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 LEARNING TASK 2
DESCRIBE PROTECTIVE RELAYS
Protective relays monitor system current and voltage to detect faults or abnormal
conditions and initiate tripping to clear the fault or remedy the abnormal condition.

Until the 1960s, all relays were electromechanical and many of these remain in
service today. Some of the older models have been removed from service because
replacement parts are no longer available.

In the late 1960s came the introduction of solid state relays. As power systems
became more complex, electromechanical relays did not respond fast enough. Some of
these early solid state relays were unreliable and utilities were reluctant to adopt them
on a large scale.

In late 1980s, microprocessor-based relays were introduced. Today, most new line
and feeder protections are equipped with microprocessor-based relays. It is
anticipated that microprocessor-based relays will replace many of the existing relay
systems over the next few years. Some of the major advantages of microprocessor
relays include:

smaller packaging
self-checking
event reporting
fault locating .
less expensive

Regardless of whether relays are electro-mechanical, solid sate or microprocessor

based, the protective relaying application remains basically the same.

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 LEARNING TASK 3

DESCRIBE AUXILIARY TRIPPING RELAYS

Generally, protective relays do not directly trip the circuit breaker. Instead the
protective relay operates auxiliary DC relays, usually rated at 125 VDC, which in
turn initiate and maintain a breaker trip signal for a set time. They may also
initiate other action such as automatic reclosing and breaker failure protection.
A typical protection circuit with auxiliary DC relays is shown in Figure 1.

ICS __ Co

'Gs
95X

T
95

Fig I Auxiliary DC relays

Fewer auxiliary relays are required with microprocessor-based relays

because they have multiple outputs and built-in timers.

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 LEARNING TASK 4

DESCRIBE THE USE OF COMMUNICATIONS BY PROTECTION

SCHEMES

Some protection schemes require communication signals between

substations for the following purposes:

to speed up tripping
to provide tripping of a remote breaker .

Let's look at two examples of how communications signals are used by

protection.

Example 1
A directional relay at X sees the fault but can't determine if the fault is in
the line or beyond. Likewise, the directional relay at Y sees the fault but
can't determine if the fault is in line. However, by communicating with one
another, they can determine that fault is in line and initiate tripping

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Example 2

Transformer protection sees the fault and initiates tripping of breaker X. To clear
the fault, the breaker at Y must also be tripped. Transformer protection cannot trip the
breaker at Y directly because it is at another substation. However, it can be tripped
using communications.

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Page 14

U n i t 13-3 Describe Elements of Protection

 Protection Skills for Electricians Page
15

Fig. 2 by communicating, a remote breaker can be tripped,

METHODS OF COMMUNICATION

There are three main methods of transmitting communications signals.

microwave
power lines carrier (PLC)
telephone pair

U n i t 13-3 Describe Elements of Protection

 LEARNING TASK 5
DESCRIBE THE ROLE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN
PROTECTION

The circuit breaker is a crucial part of the protection scheme. It is the critical
final link in the chain. If it fails to trip, the rest of the protection system is for
naught.

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 SELF TEST QUESTIONS

1. Name the three types of instrument transformers used in protection

2. What may happen to a CT during a high magnitude fault if its

secondary is overburdened?

3. Why is it important that CT secondary circuits not be open circuited

when primary current is flowing?

4. Why is communications sometimes used in protection schemes?

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 SELF TEST ANSWERS

1. CTs, VTs and CVTs.

2. It may saturate

3. Voltage pulses as high as 5,000 volts, which can be dangerous to

equipment and personnel, may result.

4. To speedup tripping to provide tripping

of a remote breaker

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