40Z – Generator Under Excitation Protection Introduction

This is another type of protection

which operates on the positive
sequence impedance plane. Lets
start with the basics of this type of
protection. We first look at the
electrical quantity that changes most
when a generator losses
synchronism. This is none other than
the system impedance measured at
the generator stator terminals. When
the generator losses its field/
excitation, the first occurrence will be
the terminal phase voltages decrease
and the stator currents increase in
time. On the impedance plane, this effect causes a decrease in the system impedance and also a
change in power factor while the generator losses its synchronism.

Under this condition, the generator could operate in an asynchronous condition. The magnetic flux on
the rotor poles dies away slowly and the rotor angle of the unit gradually increases. The system
impedance on the impedance diagram (measured by the generator protection relay) will travel from the
load point in a synchronous condition to move along a locus with an progressively increased rotor angle
into an anti-phase position. This operating point will finally reach an impedance value equal to the
machine reactance in the opposite plane.

Due to this apparent change in impedance impedance, a protection can be designed to have zoned
characteristics of mho type to observe the change and provide a comprehensive coverage of the system
impedance under asynchronous condition. With these protection features in place, the action of the
relay can be configured to provide either an alarm or trip to the system.

For a proper protection against generator asynchronous operation, the phase mhos must operate to
cover the expected travelling orbit corresponding to the generator asynchronous condition as complete
as possible on the impedance plane. This requires the considerations for the protection settings based
on the expected slip values of the generator and the travelling orbit under the asynchronous condition.
Given the the usual locus of travel, a mho characteristic centred on the negative reactance -Xd, offset by
’
50 to 70% of the generator transient reactance –Xd is considered adequate.

The basic parameters of the

generator and system that influence
the reach settings that shape and
gives the diameter of phase mho
zones are as follow:

1. Generator direct axis reactance

Xd in secondary ohms.
 ’
2. Generator transient reactance Xd in secondary ohms.

3. And if a positive offset is required, the information of unit transformer reactance X T and system
reactance XS are also required.

Positive offset (on +ve X plane of R/X diagram) is required when the protection considers the initial
effect of excitation loss that causing the load point to travel into the opposite phase plane.