Power Transformer Characteristics and

Their Effects on Protective Relays

Fahrudin Mekić
Ramsis Girgis
Zoran Gajić
Ed teNyenhuis
ABB Inc.

1
Purpose of the Paper

„ Comparison between old and newly developed more

accurate calculation of the inrush current
„ Design and system parameters (winding connection,
short-circuit network capacity) which influence
magnitude, wave-shape of inrush current
„ Impact of transformer design & performance
parameters and new development in the Transformer
technology
„ Impact of new development in the transformer
technology on protective relays

2
Transformer inrush current calculation

v = Vm sin(ω (t − t m ))

di
L + Ri = Vm sin( ω (t − t m ))
dt
Vm ⎧ R
− ( t −tm) ⎫
i= ⎨sin( ωt − ϕ ) − e L
sin( ωt m − ϕ )⎬
(ω L ) + R ⎩
2 2 2
⎭
ωL
ϕ = ωt m + arctg
R 3
Transformer inrush current calculation

BR

tm t0

IN = Rm Φ
4
Transformer inrush current calculation

2V ⎛ 2 ⋅ BN + BR − BS ⎞
I pk = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟
(ω ⋅ L) + R 2 ⎝
2 BN ⎠

„ Inrush current estimation enhancement considers:

„ Transformer core geometry
„ Winding configuration (1 phase vs 3 phase)
„ Winding connection (Wye vs. Delta)
„ Grounded vs. ungrounded Wye winding
„ The inductance of the air-core circuit adjusted by the inrush
current
„ Subsequent oscillations throughout the duration of the inrush
transient
„ Impedance and short circuit capacity of the system
5
Transformer inrush current calculation

2000

1800

1600

1400
Current [Amperes]

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1
Time [s]

6
Transformer inrush current calculation

„ A comparison between industry used and enhanced

method for inrush current estimation

Example 1 Example 2
Simplified Equation 4941 1755
Modified Equation 1984 1094

7
Transformer inrush current calculation

Inrush
Inrushcurrent
current
4500
4500

4000
4000 Peak
Peakof
ofInrush
Inrush
3500
3500

3000
3000
Peak current amps
Peak current amps

2500
2500

2000
2000
Peak
Peakof
ofsecond
secondharmonic
harmonic
1500
1500

1000
1000

500
500

0
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Voltage angle °
Voltage angle °

8
Transformer design effect on inrush current

„ Design Flux Density

„ Modern transformer operate at higher flux density values since
higher grain steels are used more
„ Peak inrush current increases as the design induction level
increases
„ % of 2nd harmonic decreases as the design induction level
increases

9
Transformer design effect on inrush current

Ratio
Ratioof
ofPeak
PeakInrush
InrushCurrent
Current/ /Rated
RatedCurrent
Current
36
36MVA,
MVA,33Phase
PhaseTransformer
Transformer
4.5
4.5
4.0
4.0
Current
Current/RatedCurrent

3.5
3.5
3.0
3.0
InrushCurrent/Rated

2.5
2.5
2.0
2.0
1.5
1.5
Inrush

1.0
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.0
0.0
11 1.1
1.1 1.2
1.2 1.3
1.3 1.4
1.4 1.5
1.5 1.6
1.6 1.7
1.7 1.8
1.8 1.9
1.9
Flux
Flux Density[T]
Density [T]

10
Transformer design effect on inrush current

Minimum
Minimum%%2nd
2ndHarmonic
Harmonic/ /Peak
PeakInrush
InrushCurrent
Current
36
36MVA,
MVA,33Phase
PhaseTransformer
Transformer
30%
30%

25%
Inrush

25%
PeakInrush

20%
Harmonic/ /Peak

20%
2ndHarmonic

15%
15%

10%
Min%%2nd

10%
Min

5%
5%

0%
0%
11 1.1
1.1 1.2
1.2 1.3
1.3 1.4
1.4 1.5
1.5 1.6
1.6 1.7
1.7 1.8
1.8 1.9
1.9
Flux
Flux Density[T]
Density [T]

11
Transformer design effect on inrush current

„ Effect of Core material

„ Modern transformer use Hi-B and D electrical steel type
materials with higher saturation flux densities and lower
remanence than Regular Grain Oriented (RGO) materials

Steel IInrush IInrush/IRated %2nd harmonic

HI-B / D 2389 3.41 6.1%
RGO 2447 3.5 5.3%

12
Transformer design effect on inrush current

„ Effect of Core Joint type

„ Non step-lap type joint used in older transformer designs (~10
years ago)
„ Modern transformer design uses step-lap type joint
„ Step-lap joint have higher magnitudes of inrush and lower 2nd
harmonic

13
Transformer design effect on differential protection

„ Inrush detection by harmonic analysis

„ Older transformers operate with a lower rated flux density
(~1.3T)
„ Second harmonic content in the range of (20-25)%
„ Modern transformers operate with a higher rated flux density
(~1.75T) => lower 2nd harmonic (~10%)
„ Relays using the 2nd harmonic setting as blocking criteria
during the transformer inrush, needs a setting change to lower
value (~10%)

MMinimum
inimum%
%2nd
2ndHarmonic
Harmonic/ /Peak
PeakInrush
InrushCurrent
Current
36
36MVA,
MVA,33Phase
PhaseTransformer
Transformer
30%
30%

25%
Inrush

25%
PeakInrush

20%
Harmonic/ /Peak

20%
2ndHarmonic

15%
15%

10%
Min%%2nd

10%
Min

5%
5%

0%
0%
11 1.1
1.1 1.2
1.2 1.3
1.3 1.4
1.4 1.5
1.5 1.6
1.6 1.7
1.7 1.8
1.8 1.9
1.9
Flux
FluxDensity
Density[T]
[T]

14
Transformer design effect on differential protection

„ Inrush detection by waveform analysis

„ Determine duration of the intervals during which change of
differential current are low
„ If changes are low for at least one-quarter cycle => Inrush
detected Inrush current

t
ta

15
Transformer design effect on differential protection

„ Inrush detection by adaptive techniques

„ Second harmonic restraint/blocking provides stability during
inrush => Positive side of using 2nd harmonic
„ Internal faults in transformer followed by CT saturation increase
clearance time => Negative side of using 2nd harmonic
„ Adaptive use of 2nd harmonic
„ Conditional
„ Employ 2nd harmonic and waveform to detect inrush condition
„ Disable 2nd harmonic detection part after power transformer has been
energized
„ Temporarily enable 2nd harmonic when external fault has been detected
„ Always
„ 2nd harmonic detection is active all the time
„ No benefits in terms of speed for internal faults followed by CT
saturation

16
Transformer design effect on differential protection

„ Internal fault in transformer followed by CT saturation

„ Distorted CT secondary current contain high level of 2nd
harmonic
„ Delayed operation of protection

Phase C Currents - ECEPA Lab

20

10
Current [pu]

10

20
270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400
Time [ms]
Ic_500
Ic_250
Id_C
Trip

17
Transformer design effect on differential protection

„ Negative sequence fault discriminator – Novel approach

„ Reference current direction is towards the power transformer

Wye Wye
IW1 IW2

Z1S1 Z1S2
E1S1 E1S2

IW1 IW2

18
Transformer design effect on differential protection

„ Negative Sequence current for external fault

„ Relative phase between them is 180 degrees

19
Transformer design effect on differential protection

„ Negative Sequence current for internal fault

„ Relative phase between them is 0 degrees

Wye Wye
INSS1 INSS2

ZNSS1 ZNSS2

NS

INSS1 INSS2
Negative Sequence
Zero Potential

20
Transformer design effect on differential protection

If one or 90 deg
the other 120 deg
of currents Internal / external
is too low, fault boundary.
then no
measurement NegSeqROA
is done, and (Relay
120 degrees Operate
The directional is mapped Angle)
characteristic
is defined by 180 deg 0 deg
the settings:
******************
1. IminNegSeq IminNegSeq
2. NegSeqROA

External Internal
fault fault
region region

270 deg
21
Transformer design effect on differential protection

22
Transformer design effect on 87N

IA

IB

IC

IG
87G

23
Transformer design effect on Relay

Operate current (pu)

„ 87N balance neutral current with residual current from

transformer bushings
24
Transformer design effect on Relay

I0

I0

I0

IG
87G

25
Transformer design effect on Relay

„ Additional directional criteria between IG and 3I0

ensures stability during the CT saturation and
transformer inrush

26
Transformer design effect on Relay

„ Stability of Relay insured using directional criteria:

„ External phase-to-phase faults may give rise to zero sequence
current due to CT saturation
„ External ground fault
„ Transformer energization

27
Transformer design effect on Ground OC

„ The inrush current may have residual current

„ The inrush current in the transformer neutral point has a
large second harmonic content
„ Sensitive ground OC can be restrained if the level of 2nd
harmonic reaches a value above set point

28
Conclusion

„ Today’s power transformer design differ from those of

older design
„ Old formula for calculation of inrush current provides
magnitudes as much as twice that calculated using
more accurate equation developed by ABB
„ The magnitude of the second harmonic of the inrush
current has dropped (~7%)
„ Transformer protection relay settings (87T) need to
consider the latest transformer design improvements
„ While modifying relay setting to the new transformer
designs, internal faults followed by CT saturation needs
to be handled by the relay

29
Conclusion

„ Negative sequence transformer protection is an ideal

solution
„ A Relay can be made stable using the combination of
percentage restraint and directional protection
„ Ground over-current protection can be set sensitive if
CT from the neutral are used

30