22 Application

Perfect settings
Precise fault location in medium voltage cable systems
using CPC 100 and CP CU1

'Energieversorgung Hildesheim GmbH & Co. KG' (EVI)

supplies approximately 110,000 residents in the German
town of Hildesheim with natural gas, water and electric-
ity. Distance protection equipment consistently secures
the protection of the 20 kV medium voltage cable sys-
tem which runs throughout the city center. The protec-
tion settings were initially calculated based on the cable
parameters specified by the manufacturer. However, for
the last five years EVI has been measuring the actual line
impedances with OMICRON’S CPC 100 system utilizing
the CP CU1 coupling unit thereby gaining the precise
adjustment parameters. In the event of a fault, fault lo-
cations can now be identified far more precisely. This in
turn allows customers to be reconnected to the energy
supply much more quickly.
Image: jala / photocase.com

OMICRON Magazine | Volume 1 Issue 2 2010


For fault localization, the measured fault
location values of the distance protection
relay are transmitted to the network con-
trol center. The precise line impedances
for the positive and zero-sequence system
are required to be able to set up the
distance protection equipment correctly,
particularly in terms of single-phase faults.
The correction factor resulting from these
values is essential for accurate settings to
be applied. Experience has shown that
correction factors calculated from the
data provided by the cable manufacturers
can lead to over-reach and under-reach of
the protection for single-phase faults and
ultimately to an inaccurate fault location
display in the control center. In the past,
through seeing repeated inaccurate dis-
play information control center staff lost
confidence in the information which made
it difficult for them to operate. This in turn
often led to more protective sections be-
ing switched off than was actually neces-
sary to eliminate the fault. The inaccurate
fault location display of the protective
system also led to incorrect switching.
More precise fault location, faster
supply restoration
"We wanted to get rid of uncertainty by
creating greater system reliability, and
we also wanted to significantly improve
selectivity on the basis of the actual
cable parameters and achieve more ac-
curate, faster fault location," comments
Reinhard Bretzke, Head of Network
Service at EVI, explaining two of the key
reasons why the company decided to
introduce its own measurements. "And,"
Reinhard Bretzke continues, "with this
approach we can also get power restored
much more quickly for EVI customers in
the event of a fault."
Lower additional costs
The evaluation and introduction of
OMICRON measurement technology took
place in 2004 in a complex procedure
involving real-life short-circuit tests. It has
since proven invaluable: "At EVI, measure-
ment of cable impedances is now so well
organized that two staff members always
perform a line impedance measurement
following completion of repair and instal-
lation work on cable terminations or cable
runs in the medium voltage network,"
adds Reinhard Bretzke, describing the
approach. A time frame of 90 minutes is
scheduled in each case for this measure-
ment. "The application is very easy to use
and involves only minimal costs with the
OMICRON CPC 100 which more than pays
off," confirms Bretzke. Should the cable
run not be activated, EVI allows twice
the amount of time due to the necessary
switching operations. All projects planned
in the 20 kV cable network now include
the costs of this measurement, making it a
standard component of building work.
Faster fault tripping possible
The measurements of the line impedances
were completed in mid 2007. Since then,
the data recorded in the measurements
of all 620 cable-runs flows into a calcula-
tion tool for setting and documenting the
protection parameters. "This data on the
actual line impedances in the EVI network
has allowed us to define precise param-
eters for setting up the distance protection
Reinhard Bretzke
Head of Network Service
Energieversorgung Hildesheim GmbH & Co. KG
OMICRON Magazine | Volume 1 Issue 2 2010
Application 23
equipment," explains Reinhard Bretzke. It
was then also possible to adjust various
sequence parameters to facilitate even
faster fault tripping.
A comparison of faults in the 20 kV net-
work with the parameters calculated from
the old setting data indicated that approxi-
mately 30 % of all faults would cause an
over- or under-reach of more than 20 % of
the cable run in the event of a short circuit
due to the imprecise table line data. "This
makes it very clear," adds Reinhard Bretzke,
"why we often saw poor selectivity during
single-phase faults and measured defective
fault location values (because data was
inaccurately transmitted) prior to calculat-
ing the line impedances."
Extremely positive experience
"We have had nothing but positive experi-
ences in measuring all line impedances
and the resulting calculation of the set-
ting parameters for distance protection,"
confirms Reinhard Bretzke. EVI now enjoys
extremely accurate determination and
display of the fault locations. This enables
it to restore the supply to its customers far
more quickly in the event of faults in the
network, because it allows more selective
and well-targeted switching operations.
In addition, the precise transmission of
fault locations is a significant factor for
improved system understanding and in-
creased confidence overall, particularly for
control center staff.