Omaha, NB

October 12, 2017

Advanced Generator
Ground Fault Protections
A Revisit with New Information

72nd Annual Conference for

Protective Relay Engineers
March 25-28, 2019

Wayne Hartmann
Beckwith Electric
Senior VP, Customer Excellence
Senior Member, IEEE
 Speaker Bio

Wayne Hartmann whartmann@beckwithelectric.com

Senior VP, Customer Excellence 904-238-3844

Beckwith Electric’s top strategist for delivering innovative technology

messages to the Electric Power Industry through technical forums and
industry standard development.
• Before joining Beckwith Electric, performed in application, sales and marketing management
capacities at PowerSecure, General Electric, Siemens Power T&D and Alstom T&D.
• Provides strategies, training and mentoring to Beckwith Electric personnel in sales, marketing,
creative technical solutions and engineering.
• Key contributor to product ideation and holds a leadership role in the development of course
structure and presentation materials for annual and regional protection and control seminars.
• Senior Member of IEEE, serving as a Main Committee Member of the Power System Relaying and
Control Committee for more than 25 years.
• Chair Emeritus of the IEEE PSRCC Rotating Machinery Protection subcommittee (’07-’10).
• Contributed to numerous IEEE Standards, Guides, Reports, Tutorials and Transactions, delivered
Tutorials IEEE Conferences, and authored and presented numerous technical papers at key
industry conferences.
• Contributed to McGraw-Hill's Standard Handbook of Power Plant Engineering.
2
 Introduction
• Ground faults in generator stator and
field/rotor circuits are serious events that can:
– Lead to Damage
– Cause Costly Repair
– Result in Extended Outage
– Cause Loss of Revenue
• We will examine traditional and advanced
protection

3
Field/Rotor Ground Fault Damage
• Initial field/rotor circuit ground establishes
ground reference
– In the event of a second ground fault,
part of the field/rotor circuit is shorted out
• Shorted portion of rotor causes unequal flux in air gap
between rotor and stator
• Unequal flux in air gap causes torsional stress and vibration,
and can lead to considerable damage in rotor and bearings
• In extreme cases, rotor contact with stator is possible
– Second rotor ground fault produces rotor iron heating
from unbalanced currents
• Field/rotor ground faults should be detected and
affected generators alarmed at high resistance
levels and tripped at low resistance levels
4
 Field/Rotor Ground Fault

• Traditional field/rotor circuit

ground fault protection schemes
employ DC voltage detection
– Schemes based on DC principles are subject
to security issues during field forcing,
other sudden shifts in field current and
system transients

5
Brushed and “Brushless” Excitation

“Brushless”

Brushed

6
Brushes and Collector Rings

7
HPC Technical & National Coil
Field/Rotor Ground Fault (64F)
• To mitigate security issues of traditional
DC-based rotor ground fault protection
schemes, AC injection-based protection
may be used
– AC injection-based protection ignores
effects of sudden DC current changes
in field/rotor circuits and
attendant DC scheme security issues

8
DC-Based 64F

9
Advanced AC Injection Method
Exciter Field
Breaker

+ Square Wave
Generator

Exciter
Signal
– Measurement
& Processing

Protective Coupling
Relay Network

10
 Generator Protection

Rotor Ground Fault Measurement

§ Plan a shutdown to determine why impedance is lowering, versus an
eventual unplanned trip!
§ When resistive fault develops, Vf goes down

PROTECTION
RELAY
(M-3425A) VR
VOUT
PROCESSOR Vf

Measurement Point Time

FIELD GROUND M-3921

DETECTION VOUT COUPLING NETWORK +
C R GEN.
SQUAREWAVE
37 ROTOR
GENERATOR
R
-
C R
35 Shaft
Rf Cf
SIGNAL , Ground Brush

MEASUREMENT Vf
CIRCUIT

36 11
Machine
Frame
Ground
 Generator Protection
Brush Lift-Off Measurement
§ When brush lifts off, Brush Lift-Off
Voltage
Vf goes up Vf Signal
VALARM
VNORMAL

PROTECTION Measurement Point Time

RELAY
VNORMAL = Normal Voltage for
(M-3425A) Healthy Brush Contact
VALARM = Alarm Voltage when Brush
PROCESSOR Resistance Increases due
to poor contact

FIELD GROUND M-3921

DETECTION VOUT COUPLING NETWORK +
C R GEN.
SQUAREWAVE
37 ROTOR
GENERATOR
R -
C R
35 Shaft
Rf Cf
SIGNAL
Vf
, Ground Brush
MEASUREMENT
CIRCUIT
36
Machine
Frame 12
Ground
 Advanced AC Injection Method:
Advantages
• Scheme is secure against effects of DC transients in
field/rotor circuit
– DC systems are prone to false alarms and false trips,
so they sometimes are ignored or rendered inoperative,
placing generator at risk
– AC system offers greater security so this important protection
is not ignored or rendered inoperative

• Scheme can detect grounding brush lift-off based on

change in rise time of the injected signal
due to disconnection of the rotor capacitance
– In brushless systems, measurement brush may be periodically
connected for short time intervals
– Brush lift-off function must be blocked during time interval
measurement brush is disconnected
13
 Stator Ground Fault
• Ground faults in stator winding can cause severe damage
as level of fault current increases
– Depending on ground fault current available,
damage may be repairable or non-repairable
• Generators are subject to prolonged exposure
to stator ground fault damage due to the fact that even if
system connection and excitation are tripped, stored flux
remains and contributes to arc as generator coasts down
• Due to exposure to this damage, several types of
generator grounding are employed
– Stator circuit of generator may be ungrounded,
low-impedance grounded, high-impedance grounded or
hybrid-impedance grounded

14
The Problem with Clearing Generator Ground Faults

IGen ISystem
Power
G X
System

ISystem

Current IGen Current Decay

0 Time
Generator
Breaker Trips
 Stator Ground Fault Damage

Overexcitation causing insulation damage

and subsequent ground fault 16
 Generator Grounding
Ungrounded

Resistance Grounded

High-Impedance Grounded
Neutral
Grounding
Transformer

G System

GSU
Secondary Transformer
Neutral
Grounding
Resistor 17
Generator Grounding
Hybrid Impedance Grounded

18
 Stator Ground Fault
• Traditional stator ground fault
protection schemes include:
– Neutral overvoltage
– Various third harmonic
voltage-dependent schemes

• These exhibit sensitivity, security

and clearing speed issues that may
subject generator to prolonged
low level ground faults that may
evolve into damaging faults
19
 Neutral Overvoltage (59G)

90-95% Coverage

System

NGT
GSU Transformer
59
G

NGR

• 59G provides 95% stator winding coverage

20
59G System Ground Fault Issue
Capacitive Coupling on
90-95% Coverage
System Ground Fault

System

NGT
GSU Transformer
59 59
G-1 G-2

NGR

• GSU provides capacitive coupling for system ground faults into

generator zone
• Use two levels of 59G with short and long time delays
for selectivity
• Cannot detect ground faults at/near neutral
21
(very important)
 Multiple 59G Element Application
59G-1
90 8V, 80 cyc.

Time (cycles)
59G-2
45 Trip 59G-1 15V, 10 cyc.

Trip 59G-2

0 5 10 15 20+
Volts

• 59G-2 is blind to capacitive coupling by GSU

– Short time delay (18V in work up)

• 59G-1 is set to 8V, which may include effects of capacitive

coupling by GSU (12V in work up)
– Long time delay
22
 Why Do We Care About
Faults Near Neutral?
Neutral
Grounding
Transformer
System

GSU
Neutral Transformer
Grounding
Resistor

• A fault at or near neutral shunts high resistance that saves

stator from large currents with internal ground fault
• A generator operating with undetected ground fault
near neutral is an accident waiting to happen
• Neutral undervoltage (3rd Harmonic) or
Injection Techniques for complete (100%) coverage is used
23
3rd Harmonic Undervoltage (27TN)
0-15% Coverage

NGT
GSU Transformer
59 27 59
G TN

NGR

• Fault near neutral shunts 3rd harmonic near neutral to ground

• Result is third harmonic undervoltage
• Security issues with generator operating mode and power
output (real and reactive)

25
3rd Harmonic Ratio or Difference (59R or 59D)

• Fault near neutral or terminal shunts 3rd harmonic

– This upsets difference or ratio between neutral or terminal ends of stator
• Reliability may be issue with low levels of 3rd harmonic
(element blocks with low values)
• Security issues with generator operating mode and power output
(real and reactive) as that can change ratios in unpredictable ways
26
3rd Harmonics at Neutral Variations with Loading

Example Plot on Gas Turbine (Midsize, 180MVA)

27
 Use of Symmetrical Component Quantities
to Supervise 59G Tripping Speed
[C]
V2 > 0.05 pu
I2 > 0.05 pu Block [D]
AND
V0 < 0.07 pu Block
OR
NOTES: 59N-1 [A] Trip 60FL Asserts
59N-1 59N-1 [A] Trip
[A] 59N-1 is set sensitive and
fast, using I2 supervision to
§ Setting 59N-1
§ Time NOTES: § Setting
check for external ground faults § Time
and control (block) the element [A] 59N-1 is set sensitive and fast,
for external ground faults using V2 and V0 supervision to
check for external ground faults
[B] 59N-2 is set less sensitive
Block and control (block) the element for
and slower, therefore it will not Block
external ground faults
operate for external ground [B]
faults. 59N-2 Trip [B] 59N-2 is set less sensitive and
slower, therefore it will not operate 59N-2 [B] Trip
59N-2
§ Setting for external ground faults. 59N-2
§ Time § Setting
[C] V2 derived from 3Y phase VTs § Time
[D] V0 derived from 3Y phase VTs

• Both V2 and I2 implementation have been applied

– A ground fault in generator zone produces primarily zero sequence voltage
– A fault in VT secondary or system (GSU coupled) generates negative
sequence quantities in addition to zero sequence voltage

28
 Stator Ground Fault Damage

Typical winding Typical core and Typical winding

damage resulting from winding damage damage resulting from
broken stator winding resulting from a burned broken stator winding
conductor open bar in a slot conductor

Clyde V. Maughan; “Stator Winding Ground Protection Failures,” ASME Power 2013
29
 Intermittent Arcing Ground Faults
• Can be very destructive, especially at neutral
• At neutral, even though AC current is very low, arcing fault
develops a high voltage DC transient
• If enough arcs occur in a short time, destructive insulation damage
can occur
• Conventional time delayed ground fault protection cannot protect
for these events

Burned away copper of Side of a bar deeply damaged

a fractured connection ring by vibration sparking

Premature Failure of Modern Generators, Clyde V. Maughan

30
 Intermittent Arcing Ground Fault

VAB

VBC

VCA

VN

IN

31
Intermittent Arcing Fault Timer Logic

STALL

Trip
Arcing Timer
Trip
Detected Reset
Time

Stallable Trip Timer: Times Out to Trip

Integrating Reset Time: Delays Reset for Interval
32
 Intermittent Arcing Ground Fault
TRIP
10

Stalling Trip 6
Timer
(cycles) 4

Arcing Fault Detected

1 1 3 2 2 1
(cycles)

Master Reset Timer

(cycles)
0 10 20

Arcing and Trip 33

 Intermittent Arcing Ground Fault
10

Stalling Trip 6
Timer
(cycles) 4

Arcing Fault Detected

1 1
(cycles)

Master Reset Timer

(cycles)
0 10 20

Arcing and Reset (No Trip) 34

Intermittent Arcing Ground Fault Turned Multiphase

35
 Arcing Ground Fault Detection
59G/27TN Timing Logic

59G pu > sp Interval Timer Delay Timer

IN IN Pick Up Trip
27TN pu < sp
O 59G/27TN
10 cycles Arcing
OUT
A Drop Out OUT
5 cycles
V1 > 80% 3 cycles

Interval and Delay Timers used together to

detect intermittent pickups of
arcing ground fault

36
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Natural Capacitance

• 20Hz injected into

grounding
transformer
secondary circuit
• Rise in real
component of
injected current
suggests resistive Coupling Filter
Voltage

ground fault
Injector

• Ignores capacitive V

current due to
20Hz

isophase bus and

surge caps Notes:
I

Ø Subharmonic injection frequency = 20 Hz

Ø Coupling filter tuned for subharmonic frequency Measurements
Ø Measurement inputs tuned to respond to subharmonic frequency
37
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
§ No V0, therefore no I0
§ No current flow through neutral
§ No interference with 20Hz injected signal

Neutral
Grounding
Transformer V1
G 52 System

GSU
Neutral Transformer
Grounding
Resistor

Static Frequency
Converter

• Functions on-line and off-line

• Power and frequency independent
38
 Arcing Ground Fault Detection
59G/64S Timing Logic

59G pu > sp Trip by

Interval Timer Delay Timer
59G/64S
IN IN Pick Up
Transient
O
10 cycles Ground
64S pu > sp OUT Fault
Drop Out OUT
5 cycles Protection
3 cycles

Interval and Delay Timers used together to

detect intermittent pickups of
arcing ground fault
39
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment
• Real component:
Used to detect and declare stator ground faults
through entire stator winding (and isophase and GSU/UAT
windings), except at the neutral or faults with very low
(near zero) resistance.
• Total component:
A fault at the neutral or with very low resistance results
in very little/no voltage (VN) to measure, therefore
current cannot be segregated into reactive and real
components, so total current is used as it does not require
voltage reference.
• In addition, presence of total current provides diagnostic check
that system is functional and continuity exists in
ground primary and secondary circuits.
40
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment

• A typical stator resistance (not reactance) to ground is

>100k ohm, and a resistive fault in the stator is
typically declared in the order of <=5k ohm.

• The two areas of security concern are when the

generator is being operated at frequencies of
20 Hz and 6.67 Hz. All other operating frequencies
are of no concern due to the 20 Hz filter and
tuning of the element response for 20 Hz values.

• For our analysis, we use data from a generator in the

southeastern U.S.A. outfitted with a 64S, 20 Hz
subharmonic injection system.
41
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment
Natural Capacitance

Case 1: Generator Operating at

20 Hz
• If the generator is operating as a 343 MVA

generator at 20 Hz without an
20kV
external source (e.g., drive, LCI,
back-to-back hydro start), there is no
concern as the 20 Hz at the terminals
is at or very close to balanced;
therefore, 20 Hz zero-sequence
Coupling Filter
current will not flow through the 20,000V:240V
Injector

neutral circuit. 8Ω
25V
V
0.2Ω
• If the generator is being operated as 20Hz

a motor with an external source 400 :5 Relay

(e.g., drive, LCI, back-to-back hydro

start), the phase voltages are I
Notes:
balanced or very close to balanced. Ø Subharmonic injection frequency = 20 Hz
Measurements
Ø Coupling filter tuned for subharmonic frequency
Ø Measurement inputs tuned to respond to subharmonic frequency
42
Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment Observations:
Real Ω = 118kΩ
Total Ω = 23kΩ

43
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment
Calculate CT primary currents: 3rd harmonic voltage measured at relay = 0.75 V

IN pri (total) = 14.1 A * 10-3 * CTR V pri = V sec * NGT ratio

IN pri (total) = 14.1 A * 10-3 * 80 V pri = 0.75 V * 83.33
IN pri (total)= 1.128A V pri =62.5 V

IN pri (real) = 2.8 A * 10-3 * CTR Assuming a zero sequence unbalance of 0.1% of nominal at 60
IN pri (real) = 2.8 A * 10-3 * 80 Hz
IN pri (real) =0.224 A
V pri unbalance = % unbalance / 100 * V L-L rated / √3
Currents and voltages at V pri unbalance = (0.1% / 100) * (20,000 V / 1.73)
grounding transformer primary: V pri unbalance = 11.5V

IN pri (total) =1.128 A / NGT ratio V sec unbalance = V pri unbalance / NGT ratio
IN pri (total) =1.128 A / 83.33 V sec unbalance = 11.5 V / 83.33
IN pri (total) =0.013536 A V sec unbalance = 0.14 V

IN pri (real) = 0.0224 A / NGT ratio
IN pri (real) = 0.0224 A / 83.33
IN pri (real) = 0.002688 A
VN pri = V sec * NGT ratio
VN pri = V sec * NGT ratio
VN pri = 25 V
Assuming V/Hz is kept constant in LCI or back-to-back
generator start. The voltage at 20 Hz frequency is
20 Hz voltage during the start.
Assuming 1pu V/Hz 120/60 = 2 = 1pu
• Frequency divisor: 60 Hz / 20 Hz = 3.
• Voltage divisor is 3.
V sec unbalance (20 Hz) = V sec unbalance (60 Hz) / 3
V sec unbalance (20 Hz) = 0.14 V / 3 = 0.0466 V 44
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment
20 Hz current flowing through NGR: Settings:
NGR I 20 Hz = V sec unbalance (20 Hz) * NGR Ω
Real Ω = 55kΩ
NGR I 20 Hz = 0.0466 / 0.2 = 0.223 A
Total Ω = 16kΩ
Relay measured 20 Hz current:
I 20Hz Relay = NGR I 20 Hz * CTR
I 20Hz Relay = 0.223 A / 80
I 20Hz Relay = 0.0029 A = 2.9 mA

Using pickup values are 20 mA total and 6 mA real, element remains secure.

Note the margins:

• Total current calculated: 2.9 mA Total current calculated: 2.9 mA
• Total current setting: 20 mA Real current setting: 6.0 mA
• Margin: 17.1 mA Margin: 3.1 mA 45
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment
Case 2: 6.67 Hz voltage at the generator terminals,
assume 3rd harmonic (20 Hz) created in the neutral

In this case, we are assuming the generator under study is being started with a
drive, LCI or back-to-back hydro start. The generator is acting like a motor and
the unbalance is originating from the source.

Using typical values from a generator operating under full load,

3rd harmonic can be expected to be approximately 5X no load value.
3rd V 60 Hz NGT pri = 5 * (no load 3rd harmonic) * NGT ratio
3rd V 60 Hz NGT pri = 5 * 0.75 V * 83.33
3rd V 60 Hz NGT pri = 312.498 V

The frequency during the start is reduced to 6.67 Hz (3 * 6.67 Hz= 20 Hz).

Assuming the V/Hz is kept as constant, the 3rd harmonic voltage is reduced.
3rd V 20 Hz NGT pri = 6.67 Hz / 60 Hz * 312.498 V
(without reduction in capacitance)
3rd V 20 Hz NGT pri = 34.74 V (without reduction in capacitance) 46
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment
Since the frequency is 20 Hz and not 180 Hz, there is a further reduction
in 3rd harmonic current due to the capacitance at 1/9th of 60 Hz value.
(180/20=9)

The model is complex and the relationship is not straightforward,

so we assume a reduction of 1/5th instead of 1/9th
3rd V 20 Hz NGT pri = 34.74 V / 5 = 6.9 V

Voltage at NGT secondary:

NGT V sec = 3rd V 20 Hz NGT pri / NGT ratio
NGT V sec = 6.9 V / 83.33 = 0.0828 V

Current through NGR:

NGR I 20 Hz = NGT V sec / NGR Ω
NGR I 20 Hz = 0.0828 / 0.2 = 0.414 A

Relay measured 20 Hz current:

I 20Hz Relay = NGR I 20 Hz * CTR
I 20Hz Relay = 0.414 A / 80
I 20Hz Relay = 0.005175 A = 5.175 mA 47
 Subharmonic Injection: 64S
Security Assessment
Note the margins:
• Total current calculated: 5.175 mA • Total current calculated: 5.175 mA
• Total current setting: 20 mA • Real current setting: 6.0 mA
• Margin: 14.825 mA • Margin: 0.825 mA
Higher Margin for Real Ω: 7.0mA = 47.2kΩ; 8.0mA = 41.3kΩ

48
 Summary and Conclusions
• Field/Rotor Ground Fault
– Use of AC injection offers greater security than traditional DC
measurement systems, and can also detect brush lift-off
condition
• 95% Stator Ground Fault Protection
– Use of 59G element is time-tested method of protecting 95% of
stator for generator ground faults
• Traditional approach to cope with GSU capacitive coupling and
interference with 59G element is using two elements, one long with
long time delay coordinated system ground protection, and other
with short time delay for in-zone ground faults.
• An advanced method of using sequence component supervision
allows determination of external ground faults, and allows 59G
element to quickly clear ground faults in generator zone.
49
 Summary and Conclusions
• 100% Stator Ground Fault Protection
– 3rd harmonic protection implementations are available to
complement 59N element to provide 100% stator ground fault
protection.
• 3rd harmonic protections may not work with all generators, and
may not work at all times on given generator.
• 3rd harmonic values available for protection vary with operational
mode and power (real and reactive) output.
– Both security and dependability issues may develop.

– Intermittent arcing ground faults can be detected with use of

interval timing scheme on 59G and 27TN protections.
• This enhancement provides the ability to detect intermittent
ground faults before a permanent ground/multi phase fault
develops.

50
 Summary and Conclusions
• 100% Stator Ground Fault Protection
– Use of subharmonic injection provides ability to detect
ground faults anywhere in stator or in unit-connected
zone regardless of generator operation and loading
– If element uses real component for fault declaration,
it is very sensitive
– As long as external signals at or near the subharmonic
injected frequency are balanced, element is highly secure
• Element only responds to zero sequence current in generator
neutral, not positive sequence current from external balanced
system such as:
– Another generator during back-to-back starting
– Static converter employed in starting combustion
gas turbine generators

51
 References
1. IEEE Guide for Generator Ground Protection, ANSI/IEEE C37.101-2006.
2. IEEE Guide for AC Generator Protection, ANSI/IEEE C37.102-2006.
3. IEEE Tutorial on the Protection of Synchronous Generators, Second Edition,
2010; Special Publication of the IEEE Power System Relaying Committee.
4. IEEE Recommended Practice for Grounding of Industrial and Commercial
Power Systems, IEEE Std. 142-1991.
5. Protection Considerations for Combustion Gas Turbine Static Starting; Working
Group J-2 of the Rotating Machinery Subcommittee, Power System Relaying
Committee.
6. Protective Relaying for Power Generation Systems; Donald Reimert, CRC Press
2006; ISBN#0-8247-0700-1.
7. Practical Improvement to Stator Ground Fault Protection Using Negative
Sequence Current; Russell Patterson, Ahmed Eltom; IEEE Transactions Paper
presented at the Power and Energy Society General Meeting (PES), 2013 IEEE.
8. Behavior Analysis of the Stator Ground Fault (64G) Protection Scheme; Ramón
Sandoval, Fernando Morales, Eduardo Reyes, Sergio Meléndez and Jorge Félix,
presented to the Rotating Machinery Subcommittee of the IEEE Power System
Relaying Committee, January 2013.
52
 Omaha, NB
October 12, 2017

Advanced Generator
Ground Fault Protections
A Revisit with New Information

Wayne Hartmann
Beckwith Electric
Senior VP, Customer Excellence
Senior Member, IEEE

Questions?