Introduction to Distance Protection

J. Gosalia

Protection Types
Differential protection

Unit
Protection

Tfr., Bus, Gen. & line diff. protection

Pilot protection
Transfer trip schemes
Under/over reaching pilot protection

Non-Unit
protection

Over Current protection

Time over current or inst. protection
3 Zones of distance protection

Unit Protection

Protection

In Zone fault protection

No protection for fault outside the zones

Non-Unit Protection
B

Time

Zone 3

Zone 2
Zone 1

Distance

Zone 1 Protection : line AB

Zone 2 & 3 : Back up protection for line BC and CD

Presentation Topics
Application

Design

Distance
Protection

Basic
Principle

Theory of
operation

Distance Protection
Impedance of the line
Impedance istance
Voltage & Current transformer
inputs
Current an operating force &
Volt. a restraining force

Distance Protection: Principle

Current

Voltage

Fault condition
A

Normal condition
69 Volts and 1 A load current

Fault condition
20 Volts & 10 A fault current

Fault condition
A

Quick isolation of the faulted section

Damage reduction
Stress reduction
Continuity of energy

Fast operation of the distance protection

Distance Protection: Basics

A

Reactance : X

Z
RF

Resistance : R

R-X Diagram
Basics of R-X Diagram
Reach Representation
Fault Resistance
Voltage Diagram

11

R-X Diagram : Basics

X

12

R-X Diagram : Relay Reach

X

ZR

13

R-X Diagram : Fault Resistance

X

ZR

Rf

14

R-X Diagram : Voltage Diagram

I*X
X

I*Z
ZR

I*R
Rf

Vf

R
I*R
I Ref
15

Distance Protection
I

IZ

IX

Angle
Comparator
>= 900

IZ
V-IZ

Angle = 900
V
IR

Output

Distance Protection
I

IZ

IX

Angle
Comparator
>= 900

IZ
V-IZ

V
IR

Output

Principle

Angle between the two cords drawn from the diameter

Of a circle is always 90 degrees.

Internal Fault
I

IZ

IX

Angle
Comparator
>= 900

Output

IZ
V-IZ

Internal fault
Angle >=900
V
IR

External Fault
I

IZ

IX

Angle
Comparator
>= 900

IZ

Output

V-IZ

External fault
Angle < 900
V
IR

Distance Protection : Design

Set line impedance Replica : Relay Reach
Convert current I in to vector IZR
Derive voltage of the system : V = Vpol
Create Vpol IZR : Measure angle with Vpol
Output if the angle = 900 or > : MHO Char.
21

Distance Protection : Ph-G Fault

For A-G fault
IZR is IA*ZR
Vpol is VA
Vpol IZR is VA IAZR

Polarizing voltage = Fault voltage

Self polarized Relay
B-G fault
Polarized voltage = Fault voltage = VB

Earlier designs self polarized

Self Polarized Protection

Problem
Breaker terminal Fault

Fault voltage = 0
Polarized voltage Vpol = 0
No Vpol to compare with V-IZ
No operation

Solution
Memory Voltage

Memory Polarized Protection

I
V

IZ

+
Angle
Comparator
>= 900

Memory

Output

Memory Polarized Protection

I
V

IZ

+
Angle
Comparator
>= 900

Output

Memory

Memory Voltage Effect on MHO characteristic?

Memory Polarization
E
A

Load Current

Zs

21
E

Pre-Fault voltage = E

Memory Polarization
VF
A

Fault Current : IF

Zs

21
E

Pre-Fault voltage = E
Fault Voltage E = IFZs + VF

Memory Polarization
IX

IZR
V-IZ
Angle > 900

VF
IR

Vpol = V pre fault= E

IFZs

E = VF + IFZs

Mho Ch. : Memory Polarization

IX

IZR
V-IZ

VF

IR

Vpol = V pre fault

IZs

Memory Polarization Effect

IX
IZR
V-IZ

VF
IR

IZs

Vpol = V pre fault

More fault resistance

Coverage due to
memory Polarization

Memory Polarization Effect

Memory Polarization: Summary

Reference voltage (Vpol) under all faults

Char. expands : More Fault coverage
Memory, Self & Cross polarizations

Cross Polarization
VC

-(VB+VC)
VA

VB

Healthy phase voltage

Polarizing volts for a zero voltage Fault
For A-G fault: Polarizing Voltage is -(VB+VC)
Cross polarizing
Memory Polarization effect

Distance Protection: Architecture

I
V

ZR

IZ

Output
Timer = 0.25
Cycles

Memory

Distance Protection: Architecture

I

ZR

IZ

Memory

Phase
Shift
- 900

Phase
Output
Detector
V-IZ in phase
Or lag
Vpol

Distance Protection: Architecture

I

ZR

IZ

Phase
Shift
- 900

Memory

ZR
V-IZ

Vpol
Zs

Phase
Output
Detector
V-IZ in phase
Or lag
Vpol

Distance Protection: Architecture

I

ZR

IZ

Phase
Shift
- 900

Memory
ZR

ZR
V-IZ

V-IZ

Vpol
Zs

Phase
Output
Detector
V-IZ in phase
Or lag
Vpol

Vpol
Zs

Memory Polarization : Questions

How protection works for

IX

IZR

3 phase zero voltage faults?

permanent 3 phase zero
voltage faults during
reclosing?

Looks like that protection

can trip for a reverse faults
True?

IR
IZs

3 phase zero voltage Fault

ZR
V-IZ

Vpol

Zs

Protection memory of 16-20

Cycles of pre Fault Voltage

Permanent 3 ph. zero voltage

Faults during breaker reclosing
B

Zs

21

Breaker is closed with grounding chains on the breaker

Protection has no voltage in the memory
Fault voltage = 0
Protection sees only fault current.

Switch On To Fault - SOTF feature trips the breaker

Protection sees the current but no voltage following breaker close

Review Question - 3
ZR
V-IZ

Vpol
Zs

Looks like that protection can trip for a reverse faults. True?
Characteristic is true only for forward faults for reverse fault
protection will not operate

Memory Polarization : Facts

A

Zs

ZL

ZR

21

V-IZ

Char. diameter : Zs - ZR
Reverse Fault : ZS = Zs + ZR
Substitute the value for Zs
Char. diameter : Zs

Vpol
Zs

Memory Polarization : Facts

A

21

Zs

ZL

Char. diameter : Zs - ZR
Reverse Fault : ZS = Zs + ZR
Substitute the value for Zs
Char. diameter : Zs

Zs

ZR

Memory Polarization : Conclusion

A

Zs

ZL

21

Zs

ZR

Memory polarized MHO :

Very secure & no operation
for reverse faults

Fault Res.: Memory Vs. Self Polarized

A

Zs

Zs

ZL

RF
21

ZR

ZR

Zs

Zs

Fault Res.: Strong Vs. Weak Source

A

Zs

Zs

ZL

RF
21

ZR

ZR

Zs
Strong Source

Zs
Weak Source

Fault Res.: Short Vs. Long Line

G

Zs

Zs

ZL

RF
21

ZR

ZR

Zs
Strong Source/Short line

Zs
Weak Source/long line

Fault Resistance Coverage

Strong source & short line reduced fault resistance coverage
Quadrilateral char. Improves fault resistance coverage
Weak Source & long line increases fault resistance coverage
Memory polarization : more secure all fault conditions
Self polarization : limited fault resistance coverage
Memory polarization increases fault resistance coverage
Cross polarization : same effect as memory polarization

Quadrilateral Characteristics
X

ZL

ZR
Reach
Load Blinder

R
Dir

KR

Four comparators used for detection of fault conditions

If all four comparators produces output: protection trips
Quad characteristic :good fault resistance coverage

How Directional line works?

X

ZL

ZR
Reach
Load Blinder

Dir

KR

Directional line : Forward Fault

IX

IZ = Signal B

If A lags B
By 00 1800

VF

IR
Dir line

VF <-900 = Signal A

True

Directional line : Reverse Fault

IX

IZ = Signal B

If A lags B
By 00 1800

VF <-900 = Signal A

IR

VF

True

Reach line : Ext. Fault

IX

VF - IZ = Signal A

If A lags B
By 00 1800
IZ
VF

I*Kr = Signal B

IR

Reach line : Int. Fault

IX

VF - IZ = Signal A
IZ
VF

I*Kr = Signal B

IR

If A lags B
By 00 1800

Reach line
IX
VF - IZ = Signal A

If A lags B
By 00 1800
IZ
VF

I*Kr = Signal B

IR

Quadrilateral Char. : Facts

Quad char. better : short line and/or strong source

Good for Ph-G fault : Fault Res. Coverage

Reactance & Resistance Reach set independently

Quad Char. : Reactance Line

Reactance line : not a straight
line parallel to R axis.
Top line has a tilt of approx 30
The tilt for security against
external fault
Without tilt : protection can
operate for an external fault
due to load on the line
How?

Effect of Load : Quad Ch.

X
G

Zs

Zs

ZL

Vx <00

21

Iy

Ix

Ix+Iy <-

VY <-300

Impedance Seen at Protection X

X
G

Zs

Vx <00

21

Zs

ZL

Iy

Ix

VY <-300

Ix

Ix+Iy <-
(Ix+Iy)*R
Ix + Iy
Iy
(Ix)*ZL

Tilt of the reactance line

Prevents tripping for the
External faults

Effect of Load : Quad Ch.

X
G

Zs

Zs

ZL

Vx <00

Ix

21

Iy

Ix+Iy <+

Iy
Ix + Iy

Ix

VY <+300

Impedance Seen at Protection X

G

Zs

Zs

ZL

Vx <00

21

Iy

Ix

VY <-300

Ix+Iy <-
(Ix+Iy)*R
(Ix)*ZL

Tilt of the reactance line

Prevents operation for the
Internal faults

Quad Characteristics : Ext. Fault

Quad Characteristics : Int. Fault

Quad Characteristics : Int. Fault

By polarizing the top line with Ve or Zero

sequence current, it will adapt to load Condition

MHO Characteristics : Zone 3

Zone 3 provides the back up protection

Zone 3 is typically time delayed zone

Used in blocking scheme to determine fault direction
Zone 3 is mostly offset characteristic
It can trip for a reverse fault
Lens shape used to avoid load encroachment

Zones of Protection
Zone 3 : Offset MHO

Load profile

OFFSET MHO
IZ
V-IZ

Z = Forward Reach
Z = Reverse Reach

V-IZ

-IZ

OFFSET MHO
IZ

Load profile

-IZ
Two Comparators are phase shifted by
same angle in opposite direction

OFFSET MHO
IZ

Load profile

-IZ
Major axis to minor axis ratio is equal to tan (180 - )/2
Each comparator is shifted by an angle

MHO or Quad : Pros and Cons

Simple and directional
Less sensitive to
power swings
Reach does not extend
as far along R-Axis

Limited fault resistance

coverage for short
lines

Good fault resistance

coverage as char. can
be set along R- Axis
Good for short line and
strong source

Sensitive to power swing

Characteristic extends on
R-Axis