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DESIGN A FAST DIGITAL PROTECTIVE RELAY ALGORITHM FOR HIGH

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 DESIGN A FAST DIGITAL PROTECTIVE RELAY ALGORITHMFOR HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE

DESIGN A FAST DIGITAL PROTECTIVE RELAY ALGORITHM

FOR HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE

Auday A.H. Mohamad1 and Essar Gafar Ahmed2

1
Computer Technology Engineering Department, AL-Mansour University College, Baghdad-Iraq
2
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Dept. Omdurman Islamic University, Khartoum-Sudan

Received Feb. 2014, accepted after revision March 2014

‫ســت َْخـلـَص‬
ْ ‫ُمـ‬
.‫ػًهٍت ًَذجت يزحالث انحًاٌت يفٍذة جذا يٍ انُىاحً االقخصادٌت ألجم حقٍٍى أداء انًزحالث وأَظًت انحًاٌت‬
‫( بىاسطت بزَايج‬MHO) ‫هذِ انىرقت حؼزض يقخزح جذٌذ نخصًٍى خىارسيٍت يزحم حًاٌت يسافٍت َىع‬
‫) وانخً ًٌكٍ بىاسطخها حقذٌز‬FFT( ‫ انخىارسيٍت انًقخزحت يبٍُت ػهى ححىٌم فىرٌٍز انسزٌغ‬.(MATLAB)
‫ إضافت إنى حُؼٍى‬،‫انقًٍت انفؼهٍت نهًزكبت انصفزٌت انخً ححذد خالل فخزة انؼطم وإسانخها حًايا إٌ وجذث‬
‫ حى اخخبار أداء انخىارسيٍت انًقخزحت بىاسطت بٍاَاث يحاكاة نخط َقم يزوي‬.‫انخشىٌش انًىجىد فً اإلشارة‬
3(PSCAD/EMTDC) ‫ كى ػٍ طزٌق بزَايج انًحاكاة‬7.632 ‫ هزحش وطىل‬05 ‫ كٍهىفىنج بخزدد‬055 ‫ػطبزة‬
‫( يٍ خالل يجًىػت يٍ األػطال‬MATLAB) ‫انبزَايج انًسخخذو نخصًٍى وحقٍٍى انخىارسيٍت انًقخزحت هى‬
‫انخً ححاكً األػطال انخً ًٌكٍ أٌ ححذد فً أَظًت خطىط َقم انطاقت فً انؼذٌذ يٍ انظزوف يثم األػطال‬
‫ ػٍُاث يٍ َخائج هذِ انذراساث حظهز‬.‫فً يىاقغ يخخهفت فً خط انُقم وقٍى يخخهفت نًقاويت وسواٌت انؼطم‬
ٍ‫( يٍ حٍذ سي‬PSCAD/EMTDC) ‫انًقارَت بٍٍ انخىارسيٍت انًقخزحت وانخىارسيٍت انًىجىدة فً بزَايج‬
.‫انفصم‬
Abstract
Modeling of protective relays is economical and feasible alternative to investigate the
performance of relays and protection systems. This paper presents a new approach
for MHO Relay Algorithm in MATLAB based on Fast Fourier Transform Algorithm (FFT)
which can estimate exact magnitude of DC offset component and completely
eliminates it from operating quantities during faults and also makes use of smoothing
window to filter out noise if any. The proposed Numerical Algorithm performance is
tested on simulated transmission line of Merowe-Atbara 500 KV, 50 Hz, and 236.7 Km
using data generated by PSCAD/EMTDC. The proposed MHO algorithm evaluated by
using MATLAB to models a power system and simulates many fault conditions on a
selected transmission line such as different Fault locations, resistances with various
fault angles. Sample results of these studies show the comparison between the
presented Algorithm and PSCAD/EMTDC in detection and tripping time.
Keywords: relays and protection systems, (FFT) Algorithm, PSCAD/EMTDC, MHO.
1 INTRODUCTION using actual prototypes, manufacturers use
relay models to expedite and economize the
Relay models helps engineers and
process of developing new relays. Electric
consultants to select the relay types suited
power utilities use relay models to confirm
for a particular application and to analyze
how the relay would perform during
the performance. Researchers use relay
systems disturbances and normal operating
model to investigate and improve
conditions and to make the necessary
protection design and algorithms. Instead of

16 Sudan Engineering Society Journal, March 2014, Volume 60; No.1

 Auday A.H. Mohamad and Essar Gafar Ahmed
corrective adjustment on the relay settings.
The Computer models of relays permit
investigators to observe in a very detailed
way the performance in each internal
module of the relay [1].
2 ESSENTIAL QUALITIES OF PROTECTIVE
RELAYING
A protective relaying scheme should have
certain important qualities, such an
essential qualities of protective relaying are
[2], [3]:
 Reliability.
 Selectivity and discrimination.
 Speed and time.
 Sensitivity.
 Stability.
3 MODELING OF PROTECTIVE RELAYS [4]
The most important advantage of using
relay models, however, is that the models
allow the user to observe the processing of
inputs signals in a very detailed manner
during the relay operation. Several
techniques for modeling numerical relays
have been developed in the past. In most
modeling approaches, the interfacing of the
models with an electromagnetic transient
program is important for making the models
more useful for the protection engineers.
PSCAD/EMTDC, developed by the Manitoba
HVDC Research Center, is an
electromagnetic transient analysis program
that uses a graphical user interface for
constructing input data files. This approach
eliminates the chances of either not
providing the required data or the data
being out of the normal range.
More recent developments have interfaced
the EMTP with FORTRAN, EMPT with
MATLAB, ATP with MATLAB, and
PSCAD/EMTDC with MATLAB for enhancing
their abilities for processing the generated
Sudan Engineering Society Journal,
numerical data with signal processing
techniques.
3.1 Numerical Relay Modeling
Modeling of numerical relays is important
for the protection industry because it allows
the users to observe the internal
performance of relays during normal
operating states of the power system as
well as during system disturbances. Relay
models are used in a variety of processes,
such as designing new prototypes and
selecting appropriate protection algorithms,
setting relay parameters, and training
personnel [5].
3.2 Phasor Estimation Algorithms
The estimated phasors of voltages and
currents are used in the implementation of
protection algorithms in numerical relays.
The ratio of appropriate voltages and
currents then provide the impedance to the
fault. The performance of all of these
algorithms is dependent on obtaining
accurate estimate of the fundamental
frequency component of a signal from a few
samples [6].
The algorithms are classified according to
the approach used to calculate the
impedance based on the voltage and
current measurements [5].
A phasor is a representation of a sinusoidal
voltage or current of the nominal
frequency, f 0 and its positive going zero
crossing is  radians ahead of the time
equal to zero. The mathematical
representation of a phasor is as follows [7].
V  V e j  V (cos   j sin  ) (1)
The real and imaginary parts of the phasor
are expressed as follows.
Re(V )  V . cos  (2)
Im(V )  V . sin  (3)
March 2014, Volume 60; No.1 17
 DESIGN A FAST DIGITAL PROTECTIVE RELAY ALGORITHMFOR HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE

The magnitude and phase of the phasor can The output of the FFT is X (k ) , contains a
be calculated using the real and the real and imaginary component that can be
imaginary parts of the phasor as follows [7]. converted into amplitude and phase from
(4) equation (4) and (5).
V  Re(V ) 2  Im(V ) 2
4 DISTANCE PROTECTION RELAYING
 Im(V )  (5)
  tan 1  
 Re(V )  A distance relay responds to input
quantities as a function of the electrical
Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is generally
circuit distance between the relay location
used to calculate the phasor of the
and point of faults. There are many types of
fundamental frequency component in
distance relays, including impedance,
digital protective relays.
reactance, offset distance, quadrilateral,
Fast Fourier Transform FFT self-polarize, and MHO [7].
The FFT is simply an algorithm to speed up Distance Relaying determines the fault
the DFT calculation by reducing the number impedance from the measured short circuit
of multiplications and additions required. voltage VR and current IR at the relay
The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) which location as shown in Figure 2. The relay
requires only ( N / 2) log 2 ( N ) complex measured fault impedance and then
multiplications. The computational compares it with known line impedance, if
efficiency of the FFT versus the DFT the measured fault impedance is smaller
becomes highly significant [8]. The FFT than the set line impedance, an internal
equation can be defined as: fault is detected and a trip command issued
N 1 to the circuit breaker [3].
1
X (k )   x(n)W (6)
nk
N
N n 0

 j 2
Where: WN  e N

The radix-2 FFT algorithm breaks the entire

DFT calculation down into a number of 2-
point DFTs. Each 2-point DFT consists of a
multiply-and-accumulate operation called a
butterfly, there are two representations of
the butterfly as shown in figure 1 [8].
(a) (b)
Figure 1: Butterfly Computation in the
Decimation-in-Time FFT Algorithm, (a)
Actual Functional Representation; (b)
Simplified Diagram [9].
Figure 2: Distance Protection Principle,
Measurement of Fault Impedance [7].
4.1 Comparators for Distance Protection
Relay measuring elements whose
functionality is based on the comparison of
two independent quantities are essentially
either amplitude or phase comparators [2].
A phase comparator checks the difference
between the phase angles of the two
composite signals and operates if the
difference is within a specified range. A
magnitude comparator compares the
amplitude of the two composite signals and
operates if the amplitude of one signal is
greater than the amplitude of the other
signal [9].

18 Sudan Engineering Society Journal, March 2014, Volume 60; No.1

 Auday A.H. Mohamad and Essar Gafar Ahmed

4.2 Input Signals of Distance Relays S 2  Vr 0 o (10)

In Table 1 are shown the input signals Dividing these equations by the line current
employed by ground and phase distance I r r give the following equations:
relays. In this Table, K0 is a compensating
factor. The determination and use of K0 is S '1  Z r  r  Z R  z (11)
explained later [1], [5], [8].
S ' 2  Z r  r (12)
Table 1: Input Signals of Ground and Phase
Distance Relays [1], [5], [7] and [9] As seen in Figure 3, the impedances S ' 1 and
Distance Voltage Current S ' 2 are placed in the extremes of the
Fault Type
Element signal signals constant impedance Z R  z .When the
Phase to
Phase A Va Ia + K03I0 system impedance Z r  r is inside the
Phase B Vb Ib + K03I0
Ground operating characteristic, as shown on Figure
Phase C Vc Ic + K03I0
Phase A - B Va - Vb Ia - Ib 3(a), the angle between S '1 and S ' 2 fulfills
Phase to equation (7) and the relay operates. In
Phase B - C Vb – Vc Ib – Ic
Phase
Phase C - A Vc – Va Ic – Ia Figure 3(b) is shown the case of Z r  r lying

The composite signals in a phase outside the operating characteristic. Now,

comparator are denoted by S1 and S2. An
angular displacement is considered positive
if S1 leads S2.The output of a phase
comparator operates if the following
condition is satisfied [7], [9].
 90  S1  S 2  90
the angle between S ' 1 and S ' 2 is outside the
range specified in Equation (7), and the
relay does not operate. The constant
parameter Z R  z marks the diameter of the
circular characteristic that passes through
the origin.
(7)

The composite signals in an amplitude

comparator are denoted by S0 and S R ,
operating and restraining signals,
respectively. The comparator operates if the
following condition is satisfied [7], [9].
SO  SR (a) (b)
(8)
Figure 3: Definition of the MHO
4.3 Distance Relay Characteristics [9] Characteristic Phase Comparator (a)
Operating Condition, (b) Non-operating
MHO relay have been widely deployed
condition [9], [10].
worldwide. The methods used for obtaining
MHO operating characteristics by the phase 4.4 Computation of the Apparent
and magnitude comparators are presented Impedance
in the following. In the case of phase distance relays, phase-
to-phase voltages and differences between
MHO Characteristic Phase Comparator
line currents are used. For example, a relay
The phase comparator signals S1 and S2 for designed to detect phase-B to phase-C
producing the MHO characteristic are faults computes the impedance as
defined as follows [7]: expressed in the following equation (13) [9].
S1  Vr 0 o  Z R  z .I r    r (9) Vb  Vc Vbc
Z seen   (13)
I b  I c I bc

Sudan Engineering Society Journal, March 2014, Volume 60; No.1 19

 DESIGN A FAST DIGITAL PROTECTIVE RELAY ALGORITHMFOR HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE
The ground distance relay protecting phase-
A computes the apparent impedance using
the following equation.
Va
Z seen 
I a  K 0 3I 0
Where K 0 compensation factor can be
expressed as [2], [7]:
 Z  Z L1 
K 0   L 0 
 3Z L1 
Where
Z L1 Positive-sequence
impedance from the fault to relay location
Z L0 Zero-sequence impedance
from the fault to the relay location
4.5 MHO Relay Modeling
When a transmission line subjected to a
fault, the voltage signals and current signals
contain decaying dc components, higher
order frequency components and lower
order frequency components. The higher
order frequency components can be
eliminated using low pass anti-aliasing
filters with appropriate cut-off frequency,
but the anti-aliasing filters cannot remove
decaying dc components and rejects lower
order frequency components. This affects
the performance of digital relay. Figure 4
shows Mho relay modeling [1].
Figure 4: General Mho Relay Modeling
Algorithm [1].
20 Sudan Engineering Society Journal,
The proposed Algorithm in figure 5 is an
improvement for the previous modeling of
MHO relay in figure 4 which is discussed in
previous sections by adding anti-aliasing
(14)
filters to eliminate the higher order
frequency components. The Algorithm also
has a changeable data size of FFT for
extracting the fundamental frequency
(15) component to increase the accuracy. The
new Algorithm of MHO Relay designed in
MATLAB.
Figure 5: Proposed MHO Relay Algorithm.
5 METHODOLOGY DESCRIPTION
The evaluation methodology of the new
proposed design of MHO relay requires a
modeling power system in PSCAD/EMTDC
to generate voltage and current signals. The
new proposed MHO relay Algorithm is
designed in MATLAB based on Fast Fourier
Transform (FFT) to extract the magnitude
and phase of current and voltage
waveforms to estimate transmission line
impedance.
The output of the FFT from equation (6) is
X(k), contains a real and imaginary
component that can be converted into
amplitude and phase from equation (4) and
(5). The ratio of appropriate voltages and
currents provide to computes the apparent
March 2014, Volume 60; No.1
 Auday A.H. Mohamad and Essar Gafar Ahmed

impedance as expressed in equation (13) 6 RESULTS

and (14) which used to detect phase to
ground and phase to phase faults signals
employed to distance relay algorithm from
Table (1). The composite signals in a phase
comparator are denoted by S1 and S2 are
defined in equations (11) and (12). An
angular displacement is considered positive
if S1 leads S2.The output of a phase
comparator operates if the condition in
equation (7) is satisfied.
5.1 Test System
The single line diagram (SLD) shown in
figures 6 representing an overhead
Transmission line of Merowe-Atbara
(Transmission line 3) 500 kV, 50 Hz, and
236.7 Km connected with dynamic load. The
positive and zero sequence impedance of
the Transmission line are:
Z1= 0.028 + 0.276j Ω /km
Z0= 0.3445 + 0.981j Ω /km Tripping Time (ms) with Fault Resistances Equals to . Ω.
Where: the capacitance of the line
is neglected.
Sample results of these studies show the
comparison between the presented
MATLAB algorithm and PSCAD/EMTDC in
detection and tripping time according to
different fault incident impedance ZR %,
fault resistances with various fault angles on
a selected transmission line. The faulted
voltage and current signals are extracting
and tested in PSCAD firstly and transferred
to test in MATLAB.
Table 2 and Table 3 show the sample results
of comparison tripping time (ms) between
MATLAB and PSCAD/EMTDC. In case of
tripping time is more than (50 ms) that
means the trip signal comes after fault
duration complete (fault duration = 50 ms).
The sign (-) means there is no fault
detection.
Table 2: Comparison between MATLAB and PSCAD/EMTDC
Fault Type
Fault
Fault AG AB ABCG
incident
Incident
MATLAB

MATLAB

MATLAB
PSCAD

PSCAD

PSCAD
impedance
angle
The positive sequence impedance ZR %
of source is 66900 Ω, with 1.6 0.06 6.9 1.56 13 2.16
apparent power 1400 MVA. 2.07 0.3 7.3 2.4 12.6 2.2
0
1.80 0.2 11.1 0 13.1 2.3
- 1.86 0.1 7.12 1.4 14.4 10.3
1.6 0.066 7.9 1.76 15.2 0.86
2.07 0.1 8.35 0.001 16.6 3
10
1.59 0.1 12.1 1.8 14.1 4.1
- 1.86 0.3 13.1 1.7 16.4 1.7
2.72 0.26 10.0 2.16 39.1 0.96
2.07 0.3 14.6 2.1 37.5 3.7
Figure 6: Three Phase Line of the 50
2.81 0.1 14.1 2.1 35 4.6
Simulation.
- 2.8 0.3 10.1 3 30 1.8
2.7 0.26 12 4.17 39.1 1.9
2.07 0.1 16.6 3.3 37.5 2.4
80
2.8 0.2 16.1 3.3 35 3.9
- 2.8 0.3 12.1 8.6 30 16.2
2.72 0.166 19.3 4.5 39.1 1.3
3.08 0.3 18.6 4.3 37.5 2.6
100
2.81 0.2 17.2 3.9 35 2.7
- 2.87 0.3 20.6 10.1 30 17.6

Sudan Engineering Society Journal, March 2014, Volume 60; No.1 21

 DESIGN A FAST DIGITAL PROTECTIVE RELAY ALGORITHMFOR HIGH VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION LINE

Table 3: Comparison between MATLAB and PSCAD/EMTDC REFERENCES

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22 Sudan Engineering Society Journal, March 2014, Volume 60; No.1

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