Relay Parameters

• Zone of protection: The portion of the power system for

which the relay is designed to trip on occurrence of a fault.

• Primary zone: for a relay, the portion of the power system

for which the relay is responsible to open first.

• Primary relay: for a zone, any relay that has responsibility

to operate first on occurrence of a fault in that zone.

• Backup relay: for a zone, any relay that has responsibility

to operate if the primary relay fails to operate.
• Coordination time: time delay between operation of primary
and backup relays, typically 0.2 ~ 0.5 s to account for
difficulties in determining exact relay operating time (due to
CT errors, dc offset component of fault current, relay
overtravel)

• Minimum fault current magnitude: |If|, the minimum fault

current magnitude seen by the relay for any fault in the zone
of protection.

• Relay pickup: |Ip|, the current magnitude for which the relay
will operate.

• Tap setting is the relay pickup current in amperes

• Time–dial setting is the adjustable amount of time delay

Comparison of CO relay characteristics
 Directional Relays
• Directional relays are commonly used to protect high
voltage transmission lines.
• They respond to the phase angle difference between two
quantities. Voltage and current measurements are usually
used to determine direction of current flow.
• Relays on both ends of line communicate and will only trip
the line if excessive current is flowing into the line from
both ends.
• Directional overcurrent relays
– Overcurrent relay with magnitude and phase angle
information
• Directional distance relays
– Impedance or admittance relay with magnitude and
phase angle information
Directional attraction-type relay
 Distance Protection
• Distance relays respond to the ratio of two phasor
quantities (voltage and current) – ratio can be a complex
number or its magnitude
– impedance
– admittance
• Directional distance relays
– directional impedance relays
– mho distance relays
– microprocessor distance relays
Distance Relay
 Transformer Protection

Buchholtz Relay
• Buchholtz relay is used for protection of
transformers with conservators.
• The oil in the transformer gets heated and
gases are formed when a fault occurs
• Minor or incipient faults result in slow gas
generation and the formed bubbles cause a
fall in the oil level, which disturbs the
equilibrium of the float. The tilting of the
float closes the alarm circuit.
• For heavy faults large volumes of gases
are generated resulting in a violent
displacement of the oil. The lower balance
is disturbed. The tilting of the lower float
closes the contact to trip the transformer.
 Differential Protection
• Transformers, buses, and generators often use differential
protection
 Net current inflow – net current outflow = internal fault
current
• Percentage differential relay
 Operating current > X% of through current to trip
• Percentage differential relay - Relay operates if operating
current is given percentage of through current

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