Types of Electrical Protection Relays or Protective

Relays
June 8, 2019 by Electrical4U

Definition of Protective Relay

A relay is automatic device which senses an abnormal condition of electrical
circuit and closes its contacts. These contacts in turns close and complete the
circuit breaker trip coil circuit hence make the circuit breaker tripped for
disconnecting the faulty portion of the electrical circuit from rest of the
healthy circuit.
Now let’s have a discussion on some terms related to protective relay.
Pickup Level of Actuating Signal:
The value of actuating quantity (voltage or current) which is on threshold
above which the relay initiates to be operated.
If the value of actuating quantity is increased, the electromagnetic effect of the
relay coil is increased, and above a certain level of actuating quantity, the
moving mechanism of the relay just starts to move.

Reset Level:
The value of current or voltage below which a relay opens its contacts and
comes in original position.

Operating Time of Relay:

Just after exceeding pickup level of actuating quantity the moving mechanism
(for example rotating disc) of relay starts moving and it ultimately closes the
relay contacts at the end of its journey. The time which elapses between the
instant when actuating quantity exceeds the pickup value to the instant when
the relay contacts close.
Reset Time of Relay:
The time which elapses between the instant when the actuating quantity
becomes less than the reset value to the instant when the relay contacts return
to its normal position.

Reach of Relay:
A distance relay operates whenever the distance seen by the relay is less than
the pre-specified impedance. The actuating impedance in the relay is the
function of distance in a distance protection relay. This impedance or
corresponding distance is called the reach of relay.
Power system protection relays can be categorized into different types of
relays.

Types of Relays
Types of protection relays are mainly based on their characteristic, logic, on
actuating parameter and operation mechanism.

Based on operation mechanism protection relay can be categorized as

electromagnetic relay, static relay and mechanical relay. Actually, a relay is
nothing but a combination of one or more open or closed contacts. These all or
some specific contacts the relay change their state when actuating parameters
are applied to the relay. That means open contacts become closed and closed
contacts become open. In an electromagnetic relay, these closing and opening
of relay contacts are done by the electromagnetic action of a solenoid.
In the mechanical relay, these closing and opening of relay contacts are done
by mechanical displacement of different gear level system.

In static relay it is mainly done by semiconductor switches like thyristor. In

digital relay on and off state can be referred as 1 and 0 state.
Based on Characteristic the protection relay can be categorized as:

1. Definite time relays

2. Inverse time relays with definite minimum time(IDMT)
3. Instantaneous relays.
4. IDMT with inst.
5. Stepped characteristic.
6. Programmed switches.
7. Voltage restraint over current relay.
8.
Based on of logic the protection relay can be categorized as-

1. Differential.
2. Unbalance.
3. Neutral displacement.
4. Directional.
5. Restricted earth fault.
6. Over fluxing.
7. Distance schemes.
8. Bus bar protection.
9. Reverse power relays.
10.Loss of excitation.
11.Negative phase sequence relays etc.

Based on actuating parameter the protection relay can be categorized as-

1. Current relays.
2. Voltage relays.
3. Frequency relays.
4. Power relays etc.

Based on application the protection relay can be categorized as-

1. Primary relay.
2. Backup relay.
Primary relay or primary protection relay is the first line of power system
protection whereas backup relay is operated only when primary relay fails to
be operated during a fault. Hence backup relay is slower in action than
primary relay.

Any relay may fail to be operated due to any of the following reasons,
1. The protective relay itself is defective.
2. DC Trip voltage supply to the relay is unavailable.
3. Trip lead from relay panel to the circuit breaker is disconnected.
4. The trip coil in the circuit breaker is disconnected or defective.
5. Current or voltage signals from Current Transformers (CTs) or Potential
Transformers (PTs) respectively is unavailable.
As because backup relay operates only when primary relay fails, backup
protection relay should not have anything common with primary protection
relay.
Some examples of Mechanical Relay are:

1. Thermal
● OT trip (Oil Temperature Trip)
● WT trip (Winding Temperature Trip)
● Bearing temp trip etc.
2. Float type
● Buchholz
● OSR
● PRV
● Water level Controls etc.
3. Pressure switches.
4. Mechanical interlocks.
5. Pole discrepancy relay.
List Different Protective Relays are used for Different Power
System Equipment Protection

Now let’s have a look on which different protective relays are used in
different power system equipment protection schemes.

Relays for Transmission & Distribution Lines Protection

SL Lines to be protected Relays to be used

400 KV Main-I: Non switched or Numerical Distance Scheme

1
Transmission Line Main-II: Non switched or Numerical Distance Scheme

Main-I : Non switched distance scheme (Fed from Bus PTs)

220 KV
2 Main-II: Switched distance scheme (Fed from line CVTs)
Transmission Line
With a changeover facility from bus PT to line CVT and vice-versa.

Main Protection : Switched distance scheme (fed from bus PT).

132 KV
3 Backup Protection: 3 Nos. directional IDMT O/L Relays and
Transmission Line
1 No. Directional IDMT E/L relay.

4 33 KV lines Non-directional IDMT 3 O/L and 1 E/L relays.

5 11 KV lines Non-directional IDMT 2 O/L and 1 E/L relays.

Relays for Transformer Protection

Voltage Ratio and

SL Relays on HV Side Relays on LV Side Common Relays
Capacity of Transformer

Differential Relay or
Overall differential
Relay
3 nos Non-Directional
Overflux Relay
O/L Relay
Buchholz Relay
11/132 KV 1 no Non-Directional E/L
1 –– OLTC Buchholz
Generator Transformer Relay
Relay
and/or standby E/F +
PRV Relay
REF Relay
OT
Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

Differential Relay or
Overall differential
Relay
3 nos Non-Directional
13.8/220 KV Overflux Relay
O/L Relay
15.75/220 KV Buchholz Relay
1 no Non-Directional E/L
2 18/400 KV –– OLTC Buchholz
Relay
21/400 KV Relay
and/or standby E/F +
Generator Transformer PRV Relay
REF Relay
OT
Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

Differential Relay
3 nos Non-Directional Overflux Relay
O/L Relay Buchholz Relay
220 /6.6KV 1 no Non-Directional E/L 3 nos Non-Directional OLTC Buchholz
3
Station Transformer Relay O/L Relay Relay
and/or standby E/F + PRV Relay
REF Relay OT Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

Differential Relay
3 nos Non-Directional 3 nos Non-Directional Overflux Relay
4 Gen-volt/6.6KV UAT
O/L Relay O/L Relay Buchholz Relay
OLTC Buchholz
 Relay
PRV Relay
OT Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

Buchholz Relay
OLTC Buchholz
132/33/11KV upto 8 3 nos O/L Relay 2 nos O/L Relays Relay
5
MVA 1 no E/L Relay 1 no E/L Relay PRV Relay
OT Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

Differential Relay
Buchholz Relay
132/33/11KV above 8 3 nos O/L Relay OLTC Buchholz
3 nos O/L Relay
6 MVA & 1 no Directional E/L Relay
1 no E/L Relay
below 31.5 MVA Relay PRV Relay
OT Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

Differential Relay
Overflux Relay
Buchholz Relay
3 nos O/L Relay
132/33KV, 31.5 MVA & 3 nos O/L Relay OLTC Buchholz
7 1 no Directional E/L
above 1 no E/L Relay Relay
Relay
PRV Relay
OT Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

Differential Relay
Overflux Relay
Buchholz Relay
220/33 KV, 31.5MVA & 3 nos O/L Relay 3 nos O/L Relay
OLTC Buchholz
8 50MVA 220/132KV, 100 1 no Directional E/L 1 no Directional E/L
Relay
MVA Relay Relay
PRV Relay
OT Trip Relay
WT Trip Relay

3 nos Directional O/L Differential Relay

3 nos Directional O/L
Relay Overflux Relay
Relay
(with dir.highset) Buchholz Relay
(with dir.highset)
9 400/220KV 315MVA 1 no Directional E/L OLTC Buchholz
1 no Directional E/L
relay. Relay
relay.
Restricted E/F relay PRV Relay
Restricted E/F relay
3 nos Directional O/L OT Trip Relay
 Relay for WT Trip Relay
action Over Load (Alarm)
Relay
Points to be remembered in respect of protection of transformers
1. No Buchholz relay for transformers below 500 KVA capacity.
2. Transformers up to 1500 KVA shall have only Horn gap protection.
3. Transformers above 1500 KVA and upto 8000 KVA of 33/11KV ratio
shall have one group control breaker on HV side and individual LV
breakers if there is more than one transformer.
4. Transformers above 8000 KVA shall have individual HV and LV circuit
breakers.
5. The relays indicate above shall be provided on HV and LV.
6. LAs to be provided on HV and LV for transformers of all capacities and
voltage class.
7. OLTC out of step protection is to be provided where master follower
scheme is in operation.
8. Fans failure and pumps failure alarms to be connected.
9. Alarms for O.T., W.T., Buchholz (Main tank AND OLTC) should be
connected.