Retrofitting of Existing Bus Transfer Systems

In Thermal Power Station

To
BTS 2000
Microprocessor Based Fast Bus Transfer System

What is the Need and Motivation?

Author: Amit Raje AARTECH (R&D)

Abstract

A Bus Transfer System (BTS) touches the heart of a thermal power station. It controls the
continuity of power supply to the vital auxiliaries of the plant, whose continuous and smooth
running is critical to the overall performance. The efficacy of a BTS directly affects the
operations, revenue and short-term as well as long-term performance parameters of the plant.
Modern technologies have significantly enhanced the scope of a bus transfer system to provide
intelligent system level solutions and benefits; compared to previously employed schemes. This
paper examines the need and motivation for a utility to retrofit existing bus transfer schemes (if
employed, in various configurations) with Aartech’s modern microprocessor based, intelligent
fast bus transfer systems by discussing in detail, several considerations relevant to a successful
bus transfer system implementation.

Introduction

A Bus Transfer System (BTS) is designed to provide process continuity to the loads attached to a
motor bus while transferring the bus from one source to another. Such systems find immense use
and importance in several critical situations in continuous process industries (petrochemical
plants, chemical plants, semiconductor manufacturing plants, paper mills, textile mills etc.), and
fossil fuel fired as well as nuclear power generation stations. The BTS directly contributes to
saving revenue loss, avoiding large capital losses associated with material wastages on a break in
process continuity, and avoiding large operation and maintenance costs and delays

associated with process restarts. A BTS also safeguards against potential safety hazards that relate
to sudden process interruptions.

Bus Transfer System Retroffiting Rev 3 1/1

Bus transfer is best appreciated by virtue of its automatic operation on the contingency of the old
source currently servicing the plant motor load, such that the old source gets disconnected from
the motor bus, and the healthy alternate available source gets connected to the motor bus. Such an
action that avoids the loss of process continuity is extremely desirable, provided it does not
compromise the safety features of the entire system.

Bus transfer has been employed in various power generation and process industry scenarios using
different philosophies and methods. Considerable research and survey work has been done in this
field in the past [1][2]. Traditionally, bus transfer has been included in the switchgear package of
a typical medium voltage installation for power generation utilities and continuous process
industries. However, its sphere of influence transcends the electrical systems of the plant, because
the efficacy of a BTS directly affects the operations, revenue and short-term as well as long-term
performance parameters of the plant.

A bus transfer operation reflects on two vital parameters of the plant from the operation and
maintenance point-of-view. The duration of open-circuit condition of the motor bus, and, the
electrical and mechanical stress endured by the motors and associated equipments during the bus
transfer. While the first parameter decides the speed with which power feed is restored for plant
operations, the latter parameter affects the safety and reliability aspects of the plant. These
considerations merit an in-depth understanding and judicious implementation of such systems.

Understanding Bus Transfer Systems

This technical content, while extremely relevant, requires a high degree of technical detailing,
which is beyond the scope of this paper. For in depth description on the same, please refer to our
paper [13], “Bus Transfer Systems – Requirements, Implementation and Experiences” presented
at IEEE’s PPIC conference in Toronto, Canada (June 2002) and further selected by the IEEE
review committee [14] for due publication in IEEE’s prestigious Transactions on Industry
Applications in Jan-Feb 2003. Various topics such as Bus Configuration, Bus Transfer Methods,
Initiation Techniques, Integrated Requirements and various implementations and experiences are
rigorously covered in the same.

Bus Transfer System Retroffiting Rev 3 2/2

Important Considerations for Bus Transfer Systems

A common response on the question of retrofitting the existing bus transfer system is “I have a
changeover system that works fine for me. Why would I need to retrofit it with new technology
?”

A bus transfer system is not merely a product; it is a SYSTEM SOLUTION. To better

understand this, it is necessary to analyse what “working fine” actually means. Although several
versions are usually implied, it commonly means:-

1. I can transfer my loads manually, usually by momentarily paralleling the two sources.

2. During auto changeover, my loads get automatically transferred to the healthy alternate
source. To avoid paralleling, the old source breaker trips first, and the new source
breaker closes immediately afterwards.

Notwithstanding the importance of the above two statements, the vital issues that may not be
effectively addressed in such an approach are many. The following discussion aims to engage the
reader into a dialogue wherein various important considerations relevant to bus transfer systems
are discussed and detailed. The reader is urged to openly apply his/her understanding to this
discussion, and evaluate the present bus transfer scheme with respect to the issues discussed
herein, which may be of varying relevance to the respective case in point.

1. Do all the motors remain un-tripped after transfer?

A proper bus transfer maintains process continuity by keeping all the motors alive, at HT as
well as LT levels. If motors are tripping on bus under-voltage, then the bus transfer is not fast
enough. However, if motors are tripping on protection, it is quite likely that the bus transfer is
not smooth, and substantial voltage difference and/or phase difference due to considerable
flux decay in the motor during spin-down causes high in-rush currents that operate the bus
transfer. A poor bus transfer can cause huge damage to plant auxiliaries!!
BTS 2000 performs simultaneous fast bus transfers with dead bus times less than 2
cycles. Due to very little loss of synchronism of the motor bus during this short dead bus
time, HT as well as LT motors experience a very smooth bus transfer, and motor tripping
can be successfully avoided.

2. Do the motors take a beating during the transfer, or is the transfer smooth?

The real efficacy of a bus transfer is reflected in the amount of beating each motor takes
during changeover. The stress experienced on an out-of-phase changeover is of a very high
order, and not normally provided for by the manufacturer designs. In several cases, the
damage reflects not in terms of immediate failures, but long-term effects such as end-winding
failures of plant auxiliaries. Monitoring the instantaneous currents of the motors is an
effective means of determining the stress that the motors are subjected to.

BTS 2000 performs simultaneous fast bus transfers under supervision of software based
high-speed digital sync-check element with dead bus times less than 2 cycles. Due to
very little loss of synchronism of the motor bus during this short dead bus time, the bus

Bus Transfer System Retroffiting Rev 3 3/3

 transfers are very smooth in nature, and the motors undergo minimum stress. In the
instance, where the bus transfer is required to be blocked due to high phase difference,
e.g. on a fault during transfer, BTS 2000 blocks the bus transfer thus avoiding any
compromise on the safety of the unit auxiliaries. BTS 2000 also provides for monitoring
of currents of up to 4 motor feeders/breakers (in any one phase) so that the effect of
bus transfer on the system can be effectively monitored.

3. Is the scheme based entirely on timers, with no regard to the bus dynamics?

Several transfer schemes are based entirely on timer logics. Bus spin down characteristics
during transfer is influenced by a variety of parameters, such as integrity before tripping,
motor load, motor inertia etc. Since these parameters are essentially dynamic in nature, it is
improper to employ any empirical timer based logics without supervising the dynamic
conditions of the bus such as voltage, phase difference between the motor bus and the
incoming source, healthiness of the new source etc.

Due to the inherent dynamic nature of bus transfer, BTS 2000 does not employ un-
supervised timer based logics based on pre-calculated logics, models or fixed
assumptions. BTS 2000 performs high-speed digital signal processing algorithms to
determine the real-time characteristics of the bus dynamics to determine its control
actions.

4. Is the phase difference between the motor bus and the incoming source monitored and
used in supervision logic for breaker closing?

As the motor bus spins down with respect to the alternate healthy source, it loses
synchronism, due to decaying voltage magnitude and increasing phase difference. Based on
the motor load and inertia, the combined back emf of the motor bus exhibits different kinds of
such spin down characteristics. It is important to supervise the phase difference for the
closing of the new source breaker, because an out-of-phase bus transfer can cause a lot of
stress and potential damage to all the motors on the motor- bus.

BTS 2000 performs high- speed digital signal processing algorithms to determine
the real-time characteristics of the bus dynamics. Not only is the phase difference
monitored, the first and second rate of change of the phase difference is used to estimate
the phase difference at the time of closure of the new source breaker.

5. Is the phase difference supervision done using a fast sync check element, or a slow sync
check element?

Fast bus transfer schemes that employ slow sync check elements will permit a changeover
under conditions where the phase difference is drifting at a very large rate. Such conditions
can critically occur during instances such as Class A unit trips, electrical fault conditions or
extremely low inertia motor loads. Since this is highly undesirable, fast sync check elements
are a must for the supervision of phase difference for the closure of the new source breaker.

BTS 2000 performs high-speed digital signal processing algorithms to determine

the real-time characteristics of the bus dynamics. Not only is the phase difference
monitored and processed, the first and second rate of change of the phase difference is
used to estimate the phase difference at the time of closure of the new source breaker.
Thus, a bus transfer event with a very rapidly drifting phase difference is blocked, as
desirable.

Bus Transfer System Retroffiting Rev 3 4/4

6. How ‘fast’ is the fast transfer scheme?

A simultaneous fast transfer scheme sends simultaneous tripping and closing signals to the
old source breaker and the new source breaker respectively. Thus the difference in the closing
of the new source breaker and the tripping of the old source breaker, which is typically of the
order of 20-40 ms becomes the dead bus time for the bus transfer. It is advisable, as such to
have a minimum dead bus time, to avoid the risk of paralleling due to sluggish breaker
tripping; as also to avoid the transient and sub-transient dynamics of the motor bus due to
opening of its old source. A sequential fast transfer scheme on the other hand sends a closing
command to the new source breaker only on the confirmation of the tripping of the old source
breaker. This increases the dead bus time to 5-10 cycles. Some schemes, especially popular in
North America; use the early ‘b’(N.C.) contact in switchgear that indicates the confirmation
of the process of tripping of the old source breaker to actuate the closing command to the new
source breaker
.
While simultaneous fast bus transfers are generally recommended and used, BTS 2000
provides for optional sequential as well as early ‘b’ contact fast bus transfer logic modes
as well.

7. If fast transfer conditions are not available, is it imperative, for lack of choice, to go in
for a slow transfer and undergo a loss of process continuity by tripping vital unit
auxiliaries?

Fast transfer conditions may not be available at the time of bus transfer due to various
reasons such as loss of synchronism due to loss of a tie, transmission line trip, instantaneous
phase difference between the residual emf and the incoming source due to the tripping of the
old source breaker. Conventionally, if fast transfer fails, the only option is that of a slow
transfer, wherein motor auxiliaries are tripped and the bus voltage is allowed to decay to 20%
before closure of the new source breaker.

However, the in-phase technique provides for a means to take advantage of the high inertia
auxiliaries such as F.D. Fan, I.D. Fan etc. typically employed in thermal power stations, due
to which the bus spin down is very gradual. By constantly monitoring the dynamic condition
of the bus spin down, the in-phase transfer method sends an advanced closing command to the
new source breaker, based on 2nd order Taylor’s expansion calculations on the instantaneous
phase difference and its first and second derivates; such that the new source breaker closes
when the bus completes its first slip cycle. Thus, the main advantage of the in-phase transfer
method is the ability to safely transfer the motor bus to the alternate source, even if the fast
transfer is blocked, without necessarily having to shed load. In many situations, this may also
justify addition of suitable loads such as synchronous generators, high inertia flywheels,
voltage supporting capacitor banks to assure smooth in-phase motor bus transfers.

BTS 2000 provides for Fast, In-Phase, Slow (Residual Voltage) as well as
Momentary Paralleling transfer options. Typically, by employing the Fast-In-Phase-
Slow order of bus transfer methods; the best system performance for any bus transfer
operation can be availed of.

8. What is the extent of circulating currents during parallel transfers?

A parallel transfer, a popular manual transfer method, takes place by first closing the new
source breaker and then tripping the old source breaker – either manually or automatically;

Bus Transfer System Retroffiting Rev 3 5/5

 preferably under supervision of a sync-check element. Due to system designs, dynamic power
flows, unit generation level and system conditions there usually is a steady state voltage and
phase difference between the sources. During a parallel transfer, the two transformers of the
respective sources, each of high and possibly different capacities (for instance, a station
transformer is usually rated much higher combined to unit auxiliary transformer (UAT));
generate high circulating currents within them causing unacceptable phase angle difference,
particularly on or near full load condition of the unit.

BTS 2000 provides for manual transfers in Fast, In-Phase, Slow (Residual Voltage)
as well as Momentary Paralleling modes. By using Fast transfer mode backed up by In-
Phase and further backed up by Slow transfer mode option, the risk associated with
paralleling can be effectively avoided.

9. What about the situation of a fault during a parallel transfer?

A fault during a parallel transfer is not accommodated for; in typical switchgear design
considerations and the interrupt ratings of the faulted feeder circuit breaker would normally
be violated in such an event. Thus, a known risk is undertaken, on every occasion of a
parallel transfer that was taken up historically as it was not possible to effect a reliable and
safe transfer, during station to unit planned transfers.

BTS 2000 provides for Fast, In-Phase, Slow (Residual Voltage) as well as
Momentary Paralleling transfer options. By using Fast transfer mode backed up by In-
Phase and further backed up by Slow transfer mode option, the risk associated with
paralleling can be effectively avoided.

10. If manual transfer from station to UAT is done in parallel mode only, then is the manual
transfer permissible only when the generator is having a low load?

If the station board is used to supply power to the unit auxiliaries, then the phase difference
between the unit board and the UAT varies with different unit generation levels due to system
designs and the power flows taking place. Since the parallel transfer is performed under
supervision of the sync check element, the transfer is not permissible. Thus, there is a restraint
to changeover from station to UAT once the unit generation is increased to its nominal
ratings, which is quite undesirable.

BTS 2000 provides for Fast, In-Phase, Slow (Residual Voltage) as well as
Momentary Paralleling transfer options. By using Fast transfer mode backed up by In-
Phase and further backed up by Slow transfer mode option, the problems associated with
paralleling can be effectively avoided.

11. Switchgear performance is vital to good bus transfer operations. Are these continually
monitored for their operation and healthiness characteristics? Can the operator derive
feedback from or analyse the actual switchgear operations in situ?

Switchgear operations are vital to the healthy performance of the bus transfer system. The two
important components of switchgear performance are its electrical system and its mechanical
system. The electrical system of the switchgear relevant to the bus transfer system can be
checked using a continuous supervision of its trip and close circuits; checking the status of the
breaker (test/in-service) and monitoring the direct drum NO/NC contacts of the breaker. The
mechanical system of the switchgear can of course only be checked in situ by a measurement
and analysis of the breaker operation – its timings, NO/NC contact travel, bouncing and

Bus Transfer System Retroffiting Rev 3 6/6

 make/break performance. These can give important feedback to the operator to avert the
possible mal-operation of the breaker in service. Needless to say, the consistency of these
contacts are vital to the operation of several protection as well as operation logics of the
plant.

BTS 2000 continuously and directly monitors the trip and close circuits of the breakers
electrically by passing a small mili ampere current in the respective coils thus checking
their overall in circuit continuity. On breaker operation, BTS 2000 measures and updates
the breaker trip/close timings at a resolution of 1/16 of a cycle. Further, oscillographic
logs of the Breaker Operation Plots from the event record of BTS 2000 also indicate
contact travel, bouncing and make/break performance. These are very successful
in revealing troublesome contacts, so that proactive action can be done to rectify/service
such problems.

12. What happens if there is a switchgear malfunction, such as breaker failing to trip or
failing to close? Can the bus transfer system avert a potentially dangerous generator
back feed condition due to breaker malfunction during changeover?

A switchgear failing to operate can happen due to problems in its electrical and/or
mechanical components. This may result in a dead bus / permanent paralleling depending
upon the failure of closing of new source breaker, or, opening of old source breaker
respectively. Such a situation may be detected from the monitoring of the breaker NO/NC
status inputs (52a, 52b) and/or the current flowing in the old source breaker and the new
source breaker. In the event of a permanent paralleling condition, the recently closed new
source breaker is tripped. If this breaker fails to open as well, further upstream breaker(s)
may be sent tripping commands. Such an extreme event, which resulted in a dangerous
generator back feed condition for a 210 MW thermal power generation unit with a Main-Tie
BTS configuration, has also been experienced. This consideration also needs to be carefully
taken into account before deciding on the type of switchgear for backup measures. In this
situation, the station tie is preferred to be a breaker rather than an isolator; along with
incorporation of corresponding control logics to trip the station tie breaker if both the UAT
incomer and TIE breaker do not open on their respective tripping commands.

In the event of a dead bus condition, the bus exhibits spin down characteristics
Correspondingly, depending on the detection time for the dead bus condition, it may be
possible to re- close the old source breaker (provided it is healthy) in the fast/in-
phase/residual voltage mode. The in-phase mode is most likely in this situation, since the
phase drift would normally be expected to be significant before new source breaker closure
failure is detected. A successful closing of the old source breaker using the in-phase method
can keep the bus energized. This can help increase the operator confidence for opting for
safer open circuit condition based fast transfers even for manual/planned bus transfers,
wherein parallel transfers were used earlier.

BTS 2000 provides for comprehensive Breaker Failure Detection and Corrective
Action logics using intelligent software processing of such dynamic conditions. In the
event of a permanent paralleling condition, the recently closed new source breaker is
tripped. If this breaker fails to open as well, further upstream breakers may be sent
tripping commands to avert a potentially dangerous generator back-feed condition. In the
event of a dead bus condition, in the case of a healthy old source; BTS 2000 takes
intelligent decisions to evoke the in-phase transfer mode if available to keep the bus
energized.

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13. Can the operator confidently ensure the healthiness of the scheme periodically by
performing fictitious test transfers and self-tests in a routine manner for verification?

Since the mal-operation of a bus transfer can result in tripping of a generation unit; it
deserves a lot of care and attention. There is also a need to assert the confidence of the
operator before conducting a manual transfer, by checking the healthiness of the entire bus
transfer system. The most thorough way of performing this check is by conducting a fictitious
test transfer, wherein the entire scheme goes through exactly the same operation as that
during the actual transfer; including the assertion of the respective tripping and closing
contacts. Including high resistances in series with the tripping and closing circuits such that
actual operation does not take place enforces the only restraint to the actual operation of the
transfer. By providing suitable feedback to the operator on the operation of the actual tripping
and closing contacts of the respective breakers, the operator can be assured that the bus
transfer system is healthy and ready to perform an actual transfer. Further, the bus transfer
system should conduct continuous self-tests to determine any violation of its basic operating
parameters and alert the operator in case any such exigency occurs.

With BTS 2000, it is possible to operate, monitor and consequently report the operation
of the respective breaker tripping and closing contacts, after the insertion of a high
resistance in series to these contacts during this test mode. This fictitious bus transfer
gives the operator the highest degree of confidence, before actuating a planned manual
bus transfer under the existing system conditions. BTS 2000 also conducts continuous
self tests on its microprocessor based system RAM, ROM, Power Supply, Real Time
Operating System (RTOS), Temperature etc. and blocks and alarms the operator in case
any parameters violate the operating criteria.

14. Is the bus transfer system continuously ensuring vital system readiness checks for
conducting a bus transfer ? Can the bus transfer system indicate and isolate the reason
for system non-readiness, in an operator friendly manner ?

Since the BTS performs system critical activities, it is typically recommended to continuously
monitor the status of certain system conditions as a precondition to ascertaining its readiness
to conduct bus transfer. These usually include: Breaker Status (52a, 52b consistency), Valid
System Breaker Configuration State, Breaker in Service Condition (75S), PT Fuse Failure
Condition (98X), PT Cubicle in Service Position (75S), In Circuit Monitoring of Breaker
Trip/Close Circuits, Breaker Over-Current Condition (86A), New Source Voltage / Frequency
Healthiness.

BTS 2000 continuously monitors all the system readiness conditions. In case, any
readiness condition is not met, it places the system in a BTS NOT READY condition on
which the operator is guided to the actual reason of non-readiness using a user-friendly
LCD menu-driven operator interface. This information is also available through the
communication network (RS-485/ModBus) to a SCADA MIMIC at an operator PC
console for easy identification and rectification of the condition.

15. Can the bus transfer system determine an unhealthiness of the normal supply
automatically and transfer the load to an alternate supply?

Modern microprocessor based protection systems offer the digital processing capabilities
required to do continuous intelligent system monitoring in real-time. Apart from the protective
transfer inputs coming to a bus transfer system from protection relays, such as Class A trip,

Bus Transfer System Retroffiting Rev 3 8/8

 Class B trip commands, transformer trips etc., which are used to perform an automatic
changeover from unit to station; it is desirable for the bus transfer system to continuously
monitor the bus parameters such as voltage, frequency, df/dt etc. and under contingent
circumstances of the normal supply, transfer the load to an alternate supply.

The Auto transfer initiation logics of BTS 2000 use the high-speed real-time digital
processing capabilities on the bus PT voltage inputs in order to determine the healthiness
of the bus. Thus, auto transfer initiation criteria are established based on under-
voltage, over-voltage, under-frequency, over-frequency, (df/dt) limits etc. or
many combinations thereof. The ultimate choice of the auto initiation criteria is
determined by the speed and reliability of its response to detect contingencies and its
immunity to non-contingency system transients.

Conclusions

In light of the several advantages of Aartech’s BTS 2000 Microprocessor Based Intelligent
Fast Bus Transfer System discussed in-depth in the paper, the reader is urged to compare and
evaluate the benefits of retrofitting existing bus transfer systems with Aartech’s BTS 2000. It is
urged that for such a system critical product, wherein a single successful operation is
enough to payback the investment – due importance should be given to every aspect of the
bus transfer system operation.

References

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th
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