Power System Protection

Necessity of Power System Protection

A H Chowdhury, PhD
Professor
Dept. of EEE, BUET

4 July 2021
 Simple Power System
Power Plant Transmission
Substation

Distribution
Substation
 Objective of System Protection

• The function of protective relaying is to cause prompt removal from service of an

element of a power system when it suffers a short circuit or when it starts to
operate in any abnormal manner that might cause damage or otherwise interfere
with effective operation of the rest of the system
 Objective of System Protection

• Protection equipment cannot prevent faults and equipment failures, or anticipate

trouble
– Act only after an abnormal or intolerable condition has occurred, with sufficient indication to
permit their operation

• Protection does not mean prevention

– Minimize duration of trouble and limit damage, outage time, and related problems
Blackout, 1 Nov. 2014
 Power Blackouts in Bangladesh

• All records not publicly available

• 6 blackouts in last 7 years
Year Date Comment
2007 November 16 1st Failure during restoration after
Hurricane Sidr, 07:57 Hrs
November 16 2nd Failure during restoration, 17:27 Hrs
December 14 Fault at Ghorashal power plant
2014 November 1 Power interruption at Bheramara DC link,
11:28 Hrs
November 1 1st Failure during restoration, 15:23 Hrs
November 1 2nd Failure during restoration, 16:20 Hrs
 Whose Fault?

System failures are result of multiple failures of following components

• Design

• Equipment

• Procedures

• Operators

• Supplies and materials

• Environment
 Faults and Abnormal Conditions

Faults
Type of electrical failure that causes
greatest concern is the short circuit or
‘fault’

• Three phase fault

• Single line to ground fault
• Line to line fault
• Double line to ground fault
• Open circuit fault
 Faults and Abnormal Conditions

Abnormal conditions

• Under/over voltage

• Under/over frequency

• Voltage and current unbalance

• Power reversal

• Power swing

• Temperature rise

• Instability (rotor angle, frequency, voltage)

 Abnormal Conditions in System

Grid voltage at Haripur 132 kV

May 1 and 2, 2014
142

140

138

136
Voltage, kV

134

132

130

128

126
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Sample no.
 Abnormal Conditions in System
Grid voltage at Haripur 132 kV
December 4, 2014
135

134

133

132

131
Voltage, kV

130

129

128

127

126

125

124
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Sample no.
 Abnormal Conditions in System

Frequency variation at Haripur 132 kV

May 1 and 2, 2014
52

51.5

51
Frequency, Hz

50.5

50

49.5

49

48.5
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Sample no.
 Abnormal Conditions in System
Frequency variation at Haripur 132 kV
December 4, 2014
51.5

51

50.5
Frequency, Hz

50

49.5

49
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Sample no.
Abnormal Conditions in System
 Faults in a System

Equipment Causes of fault

Generator 1. Stator faults
2. Rotor faults
3. Abnormal conditions
4. Faults in associated equipment
5. Faults in protective system
Transformer 1. Insulation failure
2. Faults in tap-changer, bushing
3. Faults in protection circuit
4. Overloading, over voltage
Overhead lines 1. Lightning strike, storms, earthquake, icing
2. Birds, trees, kites, aeroplanes etc.
3. Internal over-voltages (switching, line charging etc.)
 Faults in a System

Equipment Causes of fault

Underground cable 1. Physical damage (during laying, digging etc.)
2. Insulation failure due to temperature rise
3. Joints failure
Bus bar
CT, PT 1. Over voltage
2. Insulation failure
3. Wrong connection
Switchgear 1. Insulation failure
2. Mechanical defect
3. Leakage of air/oil/gas
4. Inadequate rating
5. Lack of maintenance
 Mechanical Fault

• 230 kV transmission
tower collapses at
Bhairab, Kishoreganj
on 1 May 2017
• Shutdown of 25
power plants, 540
MW power import
from India disrupted
• 37 districts including
effected
• 30% consumers
without electricity
for 5 hours
 Design to Prevent Fault

• Features of design and operation aimed at preventing fault

– Adequate insulation

– Coordination of insulation strength with capabilities of lightning arresters

– Overhead ground wires and low tower-footing resistance

– Design for mechanical strength to reduce exposure

– Design to minimize likelihood of failure causable by animals, birds, insects, dirt, sleet, etc.

– Proper operation and maintenance practices

 Design to Prevent Fault
• Adequate insulation
Design to Prevent Fault
Design to Prevent Fault
Design to Prevent Fault
 Design to Prevent Fault
A vacuum circuit breaker A burnt vacuum circuit breaker
Design to Prevent Fault
Fire in a ready made garment factory
Fire in a ready made garment factory
State of Electrical Systems in RMGF
State of Electrical Systems in RMGF
State of Electrical Systems in RMGF
State of Electrical Systems in RMGF
State of Electrical Systems in RMGF

Loose and
messy cabling

CB without
enclosure

Wooden board
State of Electrical Systems in RMGF
 Mechanical Fault

• 230 kV transmission
tower collapses at
Bhairab, Kishoreganj
on 1 May 2017
• Shutdown of 25
power plants, 540
MW power import
from India disrupted
• 37 districts including
effected
• 30% consumers
without electricity
for 5 hours
 Birds on a Transmission Tower
Barapukuria, Dinajpur