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LBB & BB Protection GER-3178 PDF
LBB & BB Protection GER-3178 PDF
MULTILIN
GE Power Management
Local Back-up
Protection for an
Electric Power System
LOCAL BACK UP PROTECTION FOR AN
ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM
J. BERDY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Single-Bus Arrangement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Ring-Bus Arrangement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Single-Bus Arrangement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Relay Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Breaker Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Relay Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Breaker Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Relay Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Breaker Backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The basic purpose of this article is to present the b. Operate fast enough (consistent with
current ideas and practices used in providing coordination requirements) to maintain
backup protection on modern electric utility system stability, prevent excessive
systems. Consideration is given to the back-up equipment damage, and maintain a
protection of transmission lines, high voltage prescribed degree of service continuity.
busses, generating stations, and transformers.
In the discussion which follows, a local back-up
Each year as line and system loadings increase and system is presented which meets all of the
more operating companies superimpose higher above requirements and which closely
voltage transmission systems on existing approaches ideal back-up relaying. This
facilities, the need for high speed fault clearing, proposed scheme is designed so that no single
particularly in the face of a relay or circuit breaker failure in either the a-c circuits, the relays or in
failure, is accentuated. In such instances, the the d-c control and trip circuits (except station
answer is invariable local back-up protection for battery failure) can nullify all protection.
circuit breaker failure and, in many cases, local
back-up protection for relay failure. In some In essence, the proposed local back-up system
instances, the need for positive, high speed provides two separate back-up functions: it
clearing of all faults is so acute that two separate provides relay backup with an entirely separate
sets of primary relaying have been employed, with group of relays from that used for front-line
one set arbitrarily designated as back-up. protection, and it provides breaker backup with
the necessary time delay and auxiliary relay
The general philosophy of the protective schemes components. The basic plan of the proposed
described in this paper has been used by many scheme is the same for any breaker position,
large and small utilities over the last five years to regardless of the bus arrangement being used.
meet their protective system requirements. Only the details of the breaker back-up
protection are changed for different bus
TRANSMISSION LINE BACK-UP PROTECTION arrangements.
1
For faults on the protected line, both the In addition to the above coverage, this scheme
primary and the back-up relays will operate to is designed to that no single failure in the d-c
trip the line breaker. Relay backup does not control circuits (except station battery failure)
require any added time delay, and hence may be can nullify all protection. Auxiliary relays are
just as fast as the frontline relays. When either used where necessary to separate the d-c
of these relays operates to trip the line breaker, circuits and all d-c control and trip circults are
it also energizes a timer to start the breaker fused separately. It is assumed that only a
back-up function. If the breaker on the line fails common battery is available and that a separate
to clear, these relays will remain picked up, battery cannot be justified.
permitting the time to time out and trip the
remaining breakers off the bus. Double Bus - Double Breaker Arrangement
It should be noted that the breaker back-up Figure 2 shows a functional diagram of the
function requires that the relay contacts remain proposed scheme for lines connected to a
closed for the duration of the fault, whether the double bus-double breaker arrangement. It
fault is in the first or second zone, so that the should be noted that the basic plan remains the
breaker back-up timer is allowed to time out same, except for the addition of an extra timer
when required. Hence, if the primary or back-up and two selector relays.
relays are distance relays, the second-zone trip
contact of the distance-relay timer must be The operation of the primary protection and the
maintained. relay backup are the same as for the single bus
arrangement. They operate to trip breakers #1
The relay designated as S is an overcurrent and #2 for faults on line A, and they energize the
relay which performs the following functions: it breaker back-up function. The breaker back-up
prevents inadvertent operation of breaker function consists of a timer for each bus and
backup either by test personnel, or when a line two selector relays for each line. The selector
breaker is tripped manually. The protective relays are used to indicate which line breaker
system for each line has an S relay connected has failed to clear so that only the necessary
as shown in Figure 1, and a contact from each breakers are tripped to clear the fault. Without
S relay would be in parallel with the S the selector relays, both buses would be cleared
contact in the output of bus timer. for a failure of one of the line breakers.
The coverage provided by this scheme is as The operation of these selector relays and the
follows. If the primary relays (or current supply, breaker back-up function can be illustrated by a
etc.) fail, the backup relays will operate to clear simple example. For instance, if breaker #1 fails
the fault with no intentional time delay (relay to clear for a fault on line A, the line relays will
backup). Likewise if the relay backup is remain picked up and the timer circuits will be
inoperative, the primary relays continue to energized. The timer for Bus X will not start,
provide their primary relaying function. If the however, since the timer coil is in series with a
failure is beyond the relays (trip coil, trip contact of selector relay S2 (relay S2 will be de-
mechanism, etc.) both sets of relays will operate energized since breaker #2 has opened). On the
the breaker back-up timer, which isolates the other hand, the timer for bus Y will start to time
fault by tripping all necessary breakers in the out since selector relay S1 is still picked up.
minimum possible time. After a short time delay this timer will trip all
breakers on bus Y.
2
The selector relays can generally be high possibility of a false trip, and also provides a
dropout overcurrent relays. The setting of these cleaner solution to the problem.
relays is not critical since their primary function
is to drop out rapidly when current no longer Breaker-and-One-Half Bus Arrangement
flows in their associated breakers. However, if
the selector relays are set so that they can be The functional diagram of the proposed scheme
picked up by load current, it is important that a for this bus arrangement is shown in Figure 3.
relay be chosen which is capable of such As for the double bus-double breaker case, the
operation. basic plan is the same, and the only change is in
the details of the breaker back-up function.
In the above scheme, one timer could be used to
perform the breaker back-up function if In this case, the following components are
automatic reclosing of breakers is not used or if required to provide the breaker back-up
automatic reclosing is prevented until there was function:
some indication that both breakers have opened
to clear the fault. If automatic reclosing is I. Two Selector relays per line
permitted without such indication, there is
danger of tripping both buses in case one of the 2. A timer for each bus
line breakers fails to clear.
3. A timer for each breaker adjacent to the bus
The following example will illustrate this point. (breakers #1 and #3 in Figure 3).
When one timer is used, the only change in the
circuit of Figure 2 would be that the selector relay As explained in the preceding section, the
contacts S1 and S2 would be in parallel coming selector relays are used to indicate the failure of
out of the one timer. For this case, assume a breaker to open. The bus timers are required
breaker #1 has failed to open. The line relays to clear the buses when either breakers #1 or #3
would remain picked up and would start the fail to clear. The timers on breakers #1 or #3 are
timer. After a short time delay, the timer would required to clear these breakers in backup for
operate through the contacts of S1 to initiate the breaker #2.
tripping of the breakers on bus Y. However, if
breaker #2 recloses just as the timer operates, The operation of this scheme is as follows: If for
the S2 contacts would close (since fault current is a fault on line A, breaker #1 fails to open, the
still flowing) and the breakers on bus X would bus Y timer is energized and it will clear the bus
also be tripped. As mentioned previously, to after a short time delay. The timer for breaker #3
prevent such an occurrence, some means would will not be energized since the selector relay S2
have to be used to prevent reclosing until there drops out when breaker #2 clears.
was some indication that both breakers had
opened. This could be performed electrically by Now assume for a fault line A, that breaker #2
means of contacts on the selector relays, or by fails to clear. In this case, breaker #3 timer will
circuit breaker b switches. This would either be energized and after a short time delay
delay a normal reclosing shot or would breaker #3 will be tripped. To completely clear
complicate the control circuits. the fault, the remote end of line B will have to be
tripped. If ordinary distance relays are being
The use of two timers separates the control used, the remote end of line B will be tripped in
circuits for the two buses eliminating any second-or third-zone time. if some form of pilot
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relaying is used, the breaker #3 timer can be However, if for example, breaker #2 fails to clear,
used to stop the blocking signal on line B, thus the timer on breaker #3 will continue to time
permitting the remote end to trip at a second- out and will trip breaker #3 through the S2
zone time level. This unblocking feature has contacts. The remote terminal of line B would be
decided advantages since it permits backup tripped by one the methods described in the
relaying at one lower time level. preceding section. Similarly, breaker #4 and the
remote end of line D will trip in case breaker #1
For faults on line B, and for a failure of either fails to clear.
breakers #2 or #3, the same sequence of events
would occur to trip either breaker #1 or bus X. Breaker #3 also backs up breaker #4 and
breaker #4 backs up breaker #3. Hence, breaker
In this scheme, one timer per line could be used #3 timer will be energized by the primary and
instead of the number listed above, if automatic back-up relays of line D and breaker #4 timer
reclosing is not permitted or if automatic will be energized by the relay on line B. The
reclosing is prevented until there was some timers on breakers #1 and #2 also serve dual
indication that both breakers had opened to functions. Breaker #1 timer backs up breakers
clear the fault. The reason for this is the same as #2 and #4 for faults on lines B and C,
for the double bus-double breaker case. respectively, while breaker #2 timer backs up
breakers #1 and #3 for faults on lines D and C,
Ring-Bus Arrangement respectively.
4
provides backup protection for everything but Bus-tie breaker backup can be provided with
the station battery and is a good example of selector relays and a timer as shown in Figure 6.
nearly complete duplication of all elements. In this scheme, if one of the bus-tie breakers
fails to clear for a fault on bus B, the differential
For uncleared bus ground faults, the local relay will remain picked up and the timer will
generation is cleared by a ground back-up relay trip the necessary breakers to isolate the fault.
in the main transformer neutral as shown in Selectivity for the scheme is provided by the
Figure 5. Two-step time operation can be selector relays S3 and S6. These relays indicate
obtained by means of one instantaneous which bus-tie breaker has failed and channel the
overcurrent relay and a timer or by means of timer tripping function to the proper breakers.
two time-delay overcurrent relays.
Double-Bus Arrangements
Large power transformers are cleared from a
faulted bus by time overcurrent or distance-type Relay Backup. Relay back-up protection for
relays if there is a source of generation on the double-bus arrangements, using either double-
unfaulted side of the transformer. breaker or breaker-and-a-half schemes, is
usually provided by remote relays on lines and
In the foregoing discussion, the remote line by back-up relays on equipment connected to
relays and the relays on the local equipment the buses. This relay backup will disconnect all
provide both relay and breaker backup for the lines and equipments from the buses in the
single-bus arrangement. In most instances, this event of a bus-differential relay failure. This type
form of back-up protection will be entirely of relay backup may be slow in operation and
adequate even though the back-up clearing will invariably cause the shutdown of a large
times will be rather long. system area. If it is necessary to have highspeed
back-up operation to maintain stability or if it is
In those instances where high-speed back-up desirable to limit the extent of a system outage,
relaying is necessary to maintain system duplicate bus-differential relays can; be used as
stability, consideration has been given to the described earlier.
use of duplicate bus-differential relays. In this
scheme, each differential relay operates from a Breaker Backup. Breaker back-up protection for
separate set of current transformers and both double-bus arrangements requires the use of
relays are set to operate without time delay for both local and remote back-up relaying if the the
bus faults. unfaulted bus is to remain in service in the event
of a breaker failure. An illustration of this form of
Sectionalized Single-Bus Arrangement back-up protection for a double-breaker scheme
is shown in Figure 7. If it is assumed breaker #1
As for the single bus, back-up protection for the fails to clear for fault on bus Y, both breaker #2
sectionalized single bus is provided by remote and the remote breaker on line A must open to
line relays and by relays on the equipment clear the fault. With breaker #2 open, bus X will
connected to the bus. In addition to this remain in service. To accomplish this purpose,
protection, some form of local back-up relaying instantaneous overcurrent selector relays,
is required if the maximum number of unfaulted marked S1, S3, and S5 are used to detect a
bus sections is to be kept in service in the event breaker failure on bus Y and selector relays S2,
of a bus-tie breaker failure. S4, and S6 detect the failure of a breaker on bus
X. Again, if it is assumed that breaker #1 fails to
5
operate for a fault on bus Y, selector relay S1 obtained on large steam-turbine generators
remains picked up and breaker #2 is tripped from the ground relay. The single-turn coil, bar-
after a short time delay as shown in Figure 7. winding construction of these units practically
The time delay is required to permit reset of assures that phase-to-phase faults will also
selector relays S3 and S5. involve ground.
The remote end of line A would be opened by With high-resistance grounding, the ground
second or third zones of distance relays or by relay is the only protection against internal
unblocking if some form of pilot-relaying is generator ground faults. If the ground relay fails,
used. Remote back-up relays on all other circuits the fault will not be cleared unless it spreads
connected to bus X are selective with the local and becomes serious enough to operate the
back-up relays and bus X remains in service. differential relays.
6
types, are often thought of as generator back- relay back-up protection for moderate to severe
up relays. This is not strictly correct since these internal transformer faults.
relays are for back-up protection against
uncleared bus faults, as has been described. Breaker Backup
They would more correctly be called system-
fault or bus back-up relays. However, these To provide breaker backup, a primary relay plus
relays do provide some measure of backup timer scheme, similar to that shown in Figure
protection for both the generator and main 10(b), could be used. Again, it is noted that
transformer. selector relays are not adequate but may be
used in addition to breaker a switches for
BACK UP PROTECTION OF selection of the proper back-up breakers to trip.
TRANSFORMERS
If the transformer of Figure 10(a) is connected in
Relay Backup a line without a line-side breaker, the remote
breaker would be tripped by transferred-trip
The primary protection for large transformers, signal initiated by the transformer-differential
almost without exception, is high-speed relays. If the remote breaker failed to trip for any
differential relaying. Relay back-up protection, reason, the transformer fault would not be
when provided, usually consists of a fault- cleared. However, at least one installation is
pressure relay, a tank-to-ground relay, time planned in which a second transferred-trip
overcurrent relays or distance relays. See Figure channel will be used to trip the remote bus if the
10(a). The time overcurrent relay is provided for remote line breaker does not operate.
system fault back-up protection but gives some
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*(3RZHU0DQDJHPHQW
215 Anderson Avenue
Markham, Ontario
Canada L6E 1B3
Tel: (905) 294-6222
Fax: (905) 201-2098
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