Restricted Earth Fault:

An earth fault occurs  Fault current flow through earth return path.
path

Normally, current flows only through the intended live conductors.

But when it leaves these conductors and flows through the earth  earth fault.

Earth fault issues:

Like most of the faults, Occurrence of earth fault  reducing circuit Impedance to
a small value in addition of flow of current in earth return path.
path

When there are

earth faults  Over-current issues

1
Restricted Earth Fault: (Cont)
Over-current faults  short-circuit faults

Short circuits  phase faults + earth faults

Short-circuit currents  5 to 20 times of full load current.

 Fast fault clearance is desirable for short-circuits

short winding  a transformers issue

short winding close to neutral point + current flow in transformer’s earth return
path  local overheating

Insulation breakdown  primary reason for such fault.

This local overheating if not detected  Buchholz relay operation

To avoid Buchholz operation for these kind of faults a separate protection is

provided in transformers having earth return path known as RESTRICTED
EARTH FAULT protection.

2
Restricted Earth Fault Protection:
REF terminology  IEC domain.

same function is described as Ground Differential Protection, 87G function in

the ANSI domain.

Restricted earth fault relay working  ground differential function.

The net ground differential current  earth fault relay feed  detection of
internal winding to ground fault.

The relay responds  Internal faults in the protected equipment.

The relay does not respond  Any external fault.

In transformers, Restricted Earth Fault relays are used to detect internal earth
faults in a given winding more sensitively than overall transformer differential
Protection is able to do.

3
Restricted Earth Fault: (Cont)
Question arises:

Why Restricted Earth Fault protection is needed while having main

Differential protection?????

Answer is:

In most of the ground faults close to neutral point,

Operating Current lies in restraining region of differential relay. Because
Differential relay settings involves  CT errors compensation  less
sensitive settings for these kind of faults.

4
Restricted Earth Fault: (Cont)
Basic Concept: (Cont)
internal
Given isearth
the graph
fault 
of a generic differential3
flow of very
low
relay.current in the transformer’s
earth return path. Operate
Fault in Operate region  relay operation
2
o pe
I diff Sl
%
This kind of fault  somewhere in K2
Restrain region of main diff protec 1
As shown,
Restrain
Basic Sensitivity
lope
K1% S
Internal faults Detection involving
earth  need of REF protection. 0 1 2 3 4
I restraining

5
Restricted Earth Fault: (Cont)
Restricted Earth Fault is a type of earth fault in which

Protection is restricted to

1. An internal fault in which earth is involved.

Mainly for impedance grounded WYE-winding faults close to neutral points.

2. An internal earth fault but within a specific region defined

by the CTs.

6
Restricted Earth Fault Protection:
Basic Concept:
Breaker Breaker

Fault

REF Protection 87G

Suppose
REF relaytransformer
will detect these
comestypes
across
of internal
an internal
faults
earth
involving
fault near
earth
toifneutral
current
level is
point of more
WYE than
connected
the basic
winding,
sensitivity
whichlevel
causes
of relay.
a flow of fault current,
Based on
whose magnitude
the fault depends
level, transformer
on GND impedance
tripping canvalue
be taken.
and fault position
w.r.to neutral point.

7
Restricted Earth Fault: (Cont)
Basic Concept:
Winding

30%-35%

REF Zone Differential Zone

Rg
internal
Resultantearth
primary
fault current
close towill
neutral
be negligible
point of WYE
for faults
connected
on the lower winding
30% of theflow
winding
of fault current,
Resultant diff
current may be below the slope threshold of main
Magnitude
diff protection
of fault
fault
current
undetected.
depends on
1. GND impedance value
2. fault position w.r.to neutral point.

8
Restricted Earth Fault Protection:

Two types of REF protection are available.

1. Low impedance REF protection.

2. High impedance REF protection.

Since due to CT saturation, there can be some residual current due to

external high through fault currents.

Restraining is required for REF protection.

9
Restricted Earth Fault Protection:
Low impedance REF Protection:
Low impedance differential relay  Overcurrent differential element

 Current Operated

 Can share CTs with other protections

 Applicable in circuits with CTs of lower accuracy

Disadvantages:

 Potential stability problems

Suppose
External Ph-Ph fault No neutral current + No GND current
If at this stage
One or more CTs saturate  Relay mal operation

10
Restricted Earth Fault Protection:
Low impedance REF Protection:
That’s why……….
Low impedance differential relay  More focus on relay settings


Ensures protection stability during 
Required restraining signals
CT saturation conditions

Modern UR relays provide necessary restraining

signals by implementing different algorithms Taking
into account possible worst conditions.

11
Restricted Earth Fault Protection:
High Impedance REF Protection:
High Impedance relay  Simple + fast + low relaying cost

Overcurrent differential element + Stabilizing resistor

 Low current or voltage operated

 Stabilizing resistor  In Series with relay coil

 Dedicated + CTs having specific knee point voltages required

Fault detection  based on Current flowing in high impedance differential circuit

Relay Settings:
Settings should contemplate the possibility of CT saturation conditions

Current settings  milli Amperes

12
Restricted Earth Fault Protection:
High Impedance REF Protection:
METROSIL:

CTs Protection + Relay protection + Wiring Protection under heavy fault

conditions  Addition of non linear resistor called Metrosil

Metrosil  Across Stabilizing resistor and relay coil

 Reduce its value as voltage across it increases and limit the

voltage b/w 1KV and 2KV

13
 Earth Fault Protection
And applications

17th March 2007

Earth Fault in a “DY” Transformer
Resistance Grounded
3 p.u. turns 1 p.u. turns

x
IP

PR R
IF

 Resistor “R” limits earth fault current to load values

 For a fault at “x”;

Fault current IF = x.IFL

 Effective turns ratio is 3 : x

 Line current on delta side for this fault I P= (x2/ 3).IFL

17th March 2007

 Over Current Protection on
Delta Side of “DY” Transformer
If as multiple
of IF.L. Fault
1.0 Current
0.9 Star Side

IF 0.8

0.7
0.6
51 0.5
Over Current 0.4
Relay
0.3 Fault
Current
0.2
Delta Side
0.1

x p.u..
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

17th March 2007

Earth Fault in a “DY” Transformer
Solidly Grounded
If as multiple
of IF.L.
10 Fault
9 Current
Star Side
IF 8

7
6
5
4
3
Fault
2 Current
Delta Side
1

x p.u..
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

17th March 2007

 Earth Fault in a “YD” Transformer
Solidly Grounded

If as multiple
of IF.L.
10
IF
9 IF

8
7
6
IP IN 5 IP
4
3
2
1
IN

 p.u..
0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0

17th March 2007

Earth Fault in a “DY” Transformer
Resistance Grounded

x2
 
3
I For relay operation,    S
x2
e.g. If  S  20%, then  20% for operation
3
Differential
i.e. x  59%
Relay
Thus 59% of Y winding is not protected
Setting = IS

Differential Relay Setting % of Star Winding

Protected
10% 58%
20% 41%
30% 28%
40% 17%
50% 7%
17th March 2007
Un-restricted Earth Fault Protection

51N 51 51 51

 Provides back-up protection for system

 Time delay required for co-ordination

17th March 2007

Un-restricted Earth Fault Protection

51N 51 51 51
51N

 Can provide better sensitivity (C.T. ratio not related to full load
current  Improved “effective” setting)
 Provides back up protection for transformer and system
17th March 2007
Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Star Winding

Protected
Zone

REF

 Relay only operates for earth faults within protected zone.

 Uses high impedance principle.
 Stability level : usually maximum through fault level of transformer
17th March 2007
Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Star Windings

A B C N

LV restricted E/F
protection trips
both HV and LV breaker

Recommended setting : 10% rated

17th March 2007

Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Star Windings

A B C N

LV restricted E/F
protection trips
both HV and LV breaker

Recommended setting : 10% rated

17th March 2007

 Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Delta Winding

Source

Protected zone
REF

 Delta winding cannot supply zero sequence current to

system
 Stability : Consider max LV fault level
 Recommended setting : less than 30% minimum earth
fault level
17th March 2007
High Impedance Differential

Protected
Circuit

ZM RCT RCT ZM

RL IF RL

IS
VS
RST

R
RL RL

 Voltage across relay circuit  VS = IF (RCT + 2 RL)

 Stabilizing resistor (RST) used to limit spill current in the relay

path to less than the relay setting (IS)

 RST = (VS/IS) – RR

 VK > 2VS = 2 IF (RCT + 2 RL)

17th March 2007
High Impedance Differential
Non-linear Resistors
 During internal faults the high impedance relay circuit offers an
excessive burden to the CT’s.
 A very high voltage develops across the relay circuit and the
CT’s.
 Can cause damage to insulation of CT, secondary winding
and relay.
 Magnitude of peak voltage VP is given by an approximate
formula (based on experimental results)
VP = 22 [VK (VF - VK)]

 Where VF = Max. prospective voltage in the absence of

saturation. (= IFmax . Relay circuit total impedance)

 Metrosil required if VP > 3kV

17th March 2007
 Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Example 1

1MVA
(5%) 1600/1
11000V 415V Calculate :
RCT = 4.9
1) Setting voltage (VS)
80MV
2) Value of stabilising
A
resistor required
3) Effective setting
4) Peak voltage developed
1600/1 RS by CT’s for internal fault
RCT = 4.8 IS = 0.1
Amp

2 Core 7/0.67mm
(7.41/km)
100m Long

17th March 2007

 Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Example 1
Earth fault calculation :-
Using 80MVA base
Source impedance = 1 p.u.

1 P.U. Transformer impedance = 0.05 x 80 = 4 p.u.

1 4 1
I1 Total impedance = 14 p.u.
 I1 = 1 = 0.0714 p.u.
14
4
Base current = 80 x 106
I2
3 x 415
= 111296 Amps
4
 IF = 3 x 0.0714 x 111296
Sequence Diagram
I0 = 23840 Amps (primary)
= 14.9 Amps (secondary)

17th March 2007

Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Example 1
(1) Setting voltage
VS = IF (RCT + 2RL)
Assuming “earth” CT saturates,
RCT = 4.8 ohms

2RL = 2 x 100 x 7.41 x 10-3 = 1.482 ohms

 Setting voltage = 1.49 (4.8 + 1.482)
= 93.6 Volts

(2) Stabilising Resistor (RST)

RS = (VS/ IS) – (1/IS2) Where IS = relay current setting

RS = (93.6/0.1) – (1/ 0.12) = 836 ohms

17th March 2007
 Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Example 1

1.6
(multiply by Kv to obtain rms
“B” Weber/m2 (Tesla)

Kv Ki
secondary volts)

1.2

Line & 158 0.341

Neutral CT
0.8

Earth CT 236 0.275

0.4

0 0.04 0.08 0.12

“H” AT/mm
(multiply by Ki to obtain total
exciting current in Amps)

17th March 2007

Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Example 1

(3) Effective setting IP = CT ratio x (IS + IMAG)

Line & Neutral CTs

Flux density at 93.6V = 93.6/158 = 0.592 Tesla
From graph, mag. Force at 0.592 Tesla = 0.015 AT/mm
Mag. Current = 0.015 x 0.341 = 0.0051 Amps

‘Earth’ CT
Flux density at 93.6V = 93.6/236 = 0.396 Tesla
From graph, mag. Force at 0.396 Tesla = 0.012 AT/mm
Mag. Current = 0.012 x 0.275 = 0.0033 Amps

Thus, effective setting = 1600 x (0.1 + [(4 x 0.0051) + 0.0033])

= 197. 92A
17th March 2007
Restricted Earth Fault Protection
Example 1

Transformer full load current = 1391 Amps

 Effective setting = (198/1391) x 100% = 14.2% x rated

4) Peak voltage = 22[VK (VF - VK)]

VF = 14.9 x VS/IS = 14.9 x 936 = 13946 Volts

For ‘Earth’ CT, VK = 1.4 x 236 = 330 Volts (from graph)

 VP = 22 [330 (13946 - 330)]

= 6kV
Thus, non-linear resistor is to be used.

17th March 2007