You are on page 1of 18

Basis Stator Earth Fault Protection

Effects of Arc Burning on Stator Core Laminations

Methods of Neutral-Point Connection (1)

Isolated or high ohmic earthed


Advantage: Disadvantage: Small fault currents High transient overvoltage for intermittent earth faults (2.5 3.5 ) Uph-E

< 10 A

Standard application Compensated or reactive earthed


Advantage: Disadvantage: Small fault currents at the fault location Transient overvoltage (<2.5Uph-E) Higher costs

< 10 A

Very seldom; used in older plants

Methods of Neutral-Point Connection (2) Low ohmic earthed


Advantage: Lower transient overvoltage, 95 to 98% protective range of SEF protection Great damages to generators at longer fault duration

Disadvantage:

< 200 - 400 A

Application in industrial plants

Solidly (effective) earthed


Advantage: Low transient voltage, better measuring conditions for the protection Great damages to generators, Leakage zero sequence currents
G

Disadvantage:

Application at low voltage generators

Voltages in Case of an Earth Fault


L1 L2 L3

Voltage without earth fault


UL3,E

Voltages at the point of an earth fault at phase L1

UL3,E = UL31 UE = -UL1,E M M UL1,E UL1,E = 0

UL,E voltage decreases in the faulty phase (min 0)


UL2,E

ULx,E ... phase-earth-voltage no displacement voltage (UE = 0)

UL2,E = UL21

UL,E voltage in the both healthy phases are increase (max phase-to-phase) UE displacement-voltage (can be measured at star point to earth)

Currents in the Case of an Earth Fault


Model:
IE/3

Equivalent voltage UE at the point of fault


L1 L2 L3

IE =3 . IE/3 = 3 . UE/ZE IE/3 ... earth fault current in one phase ZE ... earth impedance at one phase

~ UE

ZE IE

Vector diagram: earth fault in phase L1 UL3,E


IC 3

L1 L2 L3

3U0 =3UE

IC,3
IE = = 3U0
1

IC,2

= 3U0 . jCE

jCE 3 UE ZE

UL2,E

IE

Correlation from Earth fault Location


Displacement voltage UE (U0) and earth current IE (3I0) as a function of the fault location of an earth fault in the machine winding.

UE UL1,E UL2,E

ZE

UL1,E

UL2,E

UE

UE

IE= 3

UE ZE

At faults close to the star-point the displacement voltage and the earth currents become small

Generators Connected via an Unit Transformer

generator is galvanic isolated under the assumption of an ideal transformer, the displacement voltage caused by an earth fault, can only be measured at the generator

Elimination of the Disturbance High Voltage Earth Fault


Problem: grid earth faults cause disturbances Solution: attenuation by means of due to the coupling capacitance a load resistor between the two transformer windings
CK

CG

CL

CTr

UEO

UN 3

TR =

UGen 3

100 3

500 3

Earthing transformer
UR

(Limb transformation ratio)

Note: At solidly earthed transformer the UE0 is appr. 80% of UN/3 (Safety margin, if solidly earthing is open)

R=

( )

RPrim
TR 2 3

Unit Connection - Influence on the Coupling Capacitance


disturbance voltage
UR,prim Rprim 1 Rprim + j C K
CK = 10 nF UN,G = 10.5 kV Tr = 36.4
RPrim = R
CG+CL+CTr neglected UEO CK Rprim Tr displacement voltage on the high voltage side three phase coupling capacitance primary load resistor earthing transformer ratio

equivalent circuit
UC

UEO

CK UR,prim CE. Rprim UEO

Example:

UEO =

220 kV 3 R=5

TR = 735 3

U R,sek 24V 24V 4.83% disturbance 500V influence

UR,prim = 293V

Unit Connection with Neutral Transformer


This design is very often used outside Germany, mostly on small generators Generator Unit transformer

TR =

UGen 3

UR

UR

A high secondary nominal voltage UR (250V - 500V) is selected in order to avoid very small load resistors.
Rsek= Rprim 2TR Design of Rprim so that the fault current is < 10A

Generator Connected Directly to the Grid

machines are galvanic connected displacement voltage caused by an earth fault can be measured in all locations

Directional Stator Earth Fault Protection


L1 L2 L3 Network L1 L2 CE IC + IR Earthing transformer L3

3U0

3i0 Direction (3U0, 3I0)

3u0

DFT 3U0>, 3I0>

Ohmic current boost

IR

3I0

UL1

UL2

IC

ICL2 ICL1

Fault Currents - Direct Connection


G1

IMess

G2

IMess

Fault Currents - Direct Connection with Earthing Transformer


G1

IMeas

G2

Earthing transformer Ohmic current RB

IMeas

Earth Current Detection - Toroidal and Holmgreen Connection


Toroidal Current Transformer
IE 3

per phase

magnetic addition of earth currents, principle is sensitive

IE

Holmgreen connection (separate cores)


IE 3 per phase L1 L2 L3 IE

L1 L2 L3

IE

Holmgreen connection (common neutral return connector Sensitivity is limited Problem: Large CT ratio leads to small currents on the secondary side

3~

(IE = 3 I0)

Directional Stator Earth Fault Protection - Characteristic

Directional Stator Earth Fault Protection - Logic

You might also like