Busbar Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

1 05/02/03
08/02 Rev. A JM, September 2004 1
 Without Busbar Protection

F1 F2

Argues

There are fewer faults on busbars than on other parts of the
power system.

No risk of dislocation of system due to accidental operation of
busbar protection.

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 Without Busbar Protection

F1 F2

Drawbacks

Slow fault clearance.
Busbar faults at F1 and F2 are cleared by remote time
delayed protection on circuits feeding the faults:
Time Delayed Overcurrent or
Time Delayed Distance Protection
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 With Busbar Protection

BUSBAR
ZONE

F1

Fast clearance by breakers at the busbars

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 With Busbar Protection

BUSBAR
ZONE

F1 F2

Where busbars are sectionalised,

Protection can limit the amount of system
disruption for a busbar fault

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 With Busbar Protection

1/2
SS SS SS
1 87BB 2 3
87BB

21 21

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 With Busbar Protection

2/2

87BB
87BB

21 21

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 With No Busbar Protection

1/2

21 21 21

21 21

8 05/02/03
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 With No Busbar Protection

2/2

21 21 21

21 21

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 With Burbar protection

87BB
87BB

21 21

With No Burbar protection

21 21 21

21 21

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 Busbar Faults Are Usually Permanent

Causes of Busbar Faults :

Falling debris

Insulation failures

Circuit breaker failures

Current transformer failures

Isolators switchs operated on load or outside their ratings

Safety earths left connected

Therefore :
Circuit breakers should be tripped and locked out by busbar
protection

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 Busbar Protection must be :

RELIABLE
– Failure to trip could cause widespread damage to the substation

STABLE
– False tripping can cause widespread interruption of supplies to
customers / possible power system instability

DISCRIMINATING
– Should trip the minimum number of breakers to clear the fault

FAST
– To limit damage and possible power system instability

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 Methods of Providing Busbar Protection

Frame to Earth (Leakage) Protection

>I

Insulation

Blocking Scheme Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

Differential Protection : High Impedance

Low Impedance

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 Frame Leakage Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

1405/02/03
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 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I

Insulation

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 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I

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 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I

1705/02/03
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 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I >I

1805/02/03
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 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

Can detect only earth faults

Switchgear must be insulated from earth (by standing on

concrete plinth)

Only one single earth conductor allowed on switchgear

All cable glands must be insulated

Switchgear sections must be insulated

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 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection
Neutral Check

False Operation
because induced
loop

>I

>I

No operation
prevents from
2005/02/03
08/02 false trip 20
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

Neutral Check

>I

>I

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 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

Neutral Check

>I

>I

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 Blocking Scheme Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

2305/02/03
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 Blocking Scheme Busbar Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

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 Blocking Scheme Busbar Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

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 Blocking Scheme Busbar Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

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 High Impedance Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

2705/02/03
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 Single Bus Substation

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 Single Bus Substation

P1 S1 P1 S1 P1 S1

P2 S2 P2 S2 P2 S2

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 Single Bus Substation

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 Single Bus Substation

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 Single Bus Substation

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 Double Bus Substation

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

P1 S1

P2 S2

P1 S1 P1 S1 P1 S1 P2 S2

P2 S2 P2 S2 P2 S2 P1 S1

a Current
b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

Current
a
b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a Current
b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

Current
a
b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a Current
b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a Current
b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Tripping switching
Bus A

Bus B

Tripping a
b
a
Current b

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 Interposing CT are not acceptable

Main CT must be identical

Current switching via auxilliary relay is not acceptable.

Requirement of number of position contact (Disconnector

switch) is high

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A Bus A

Bus B Bus B

a a
Current b Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

Current a
b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer

Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer

Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus A

Trip Bus B
Zone A
Zone B

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus A

Trip Bus B
Current
switching
failure

Zone A
Zone B

False
Tripping

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus A

Trip Bus B
Zone A
Zone B

Check
Zone
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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus A

Trip Bus B
Zone A
Zone B

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 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus A

Trip Bus B
Check
Zone
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 One Breaker and a Half
Substation

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 S1 P1

S2 P2
Bus A Bus
B
P1 P2 P2 P1

S1 S2 S2 S1

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 Bus A Bus
B

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 Bus A Bus
B

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 Bus A Bus
B

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 Bus A Bus
B

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 Bus A Bus
B

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 Bus A Bus
B
P1 P2 P2 P1

S1 S2 S2 S1

P1 P2 P2 P1

S1 S2 S2 S1

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