CHAPTER TWO

CONTROL CIRCUITS
a.

INTRODUCTION
During power system faults, devices are used for fast isolation of
affected equipment to save them from damage. Special circuits called
control circuits are used to realize the above objective. Control circuits
are used for other functions besides switching on or off of circuit
breakers and isolators as enumerated below:
1. Voltage

raise or

lower

in

tap

changer

device of

power

transformers.
2. Frequency regulation and load control.
3. Power system monitoring such as power factor control.
4. Alarm and indication control.
5. Circuit supervision.
6. Audio/visual annunciation.
B.

CONTROL SYMBOLS AND ALPHABETS

In order to make for easy identification, symbols and alphabets are
used for various devices in control circuits.

This method helps to

simplify the control drawings. Control symbols and alphabets generally

used are as shown in Table 1. A clear knowledge of these facilitates
the understanding of the control drawings.

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CONTROL CIRCUIT SUPPLIES

To effect operation of control circuits, external auxiliary power supplies
are used. Two major sources of supplies are most common namely:

D.C. supply

A.C. supply

D. C. SUPPLY
The major source of D. C. supply is from a storage battery. The storage
battery types commonly used are:
(a)

Lead Acid Accumulator type

(b)

Nickel Cadmium type.

Auxiliary D.C. supply has standard voltage ratings of 24V, 30V, 36V,
48V, 50V, 60V, 72V, 110V, 220V and 250V. Generally 110V is used for
Trip/Close control. In some cases a combination of 50V and 110V D.C.
are used. In this case the relay coil energizes an auxiliary interposing
relay whose contacts make to energize an 110V D.C. breaker trip/close
coil which in turn opens/closes the contacts of a breaker.
Standard ampere-hour ratings of auxiliary D.C. supply are 45, 60, 100,
250, 500 and 1000AH.
The voltage rating and the Ampere-Hour rating are decided by:
(i)

The size and capacity of the generating station and or

substations.

(ii)

The busbar switching arrangement, which decides the number

of circuit breakers and isolators.

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(iii)

The location of the control equipment in regard to the location

of the controlled apparatus i.e. the distance from the control
room to the controlled apparatus.

In most 11KV, 33KV and 132KV substations in NEPA, 110V DC batteries

are installed.

In 330KV substations, both 50V DC and 110V DC

batteries are used for control circuits.

The ampere-hour rating range between 100 and 250 AH.
A D. C. distribution panel is generally associated with a D. C storage
battery. The size of the panel depends upon the number of individual
circuits it serves. A Non-fused breaker usually protects each sub-circuit
of the distribution panel, which trips as soon as a fault exists along the
circuit being protected.
To protect the D. C. circuits from ground fault, a ground fault relay is
installed which usually flags whenever there is a ground fault within
any of the poles of the D.C circuits.

For example, if there is a fault

within the positive pole of the

D. C. circuits, the D.C. ground positive target of the ground fault relay
will operate. The relay will not reset except the source of the fault is
cleared.

In some cases, the fault signal is wired to a visual alarm,

which will indicate the actual pole that is faulty. In some installations,
a switch is used to monitor the amount of voltage leaking to ground.
Under normal conditions P-E and N-E voltages are equal. But a pole
loses the voltages to ground if faulty.

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A.C. SUPPLY
The A.C. supply for the control circuits is obtained from a station
auxiliary transformer.

This, in the case of generating units, may be

directly connected to the generator terminals as unit auxiliary

transformers.
A standby A.C generator is also used as an alternate source of A.C.
supply for control circuits.

In stations where A.C. supply is to be

reliable, there could be two sources from which auxiliary supply is

obtained with an automatic change over switch.

In this case, if

supply from one source fails then, supply from the other source is
readily available.

The alternative source could be another auxiliary

transformer from a separate source, D.C. motor, A.C. generator set, or

battery inverter circuit.
In control circuits, A.C. supply could serve the following purposes:
(a) Control panel illumination
(b) Control panel heater
(c) Breaker spring operating motor.
(d) Breaker control panel heater and illumination.
(e) Control panel indication lamps
(f) Audio/visual annunciation
(g) OLTC gear motor operation in power transformers

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(h) Position indication for tap changer progress.

TRIP CIRCUIT
The control circuit for the opening of switchgear during normal
operation or on fault is usually known as Trip Circuit.
To ensure that this circuit does not fail whenever a signal is sent to
operate

the

breaker/disconnect

switch,

it

is

being

monitored

continuously by a relay known as Trip Circuit Supervision relay.

The

relay is wired in such a way that the relay coil is energized as long as
the trip circuit is healthy. If for any reason there is a fault within the
trip circuit causing a loss of D.C. supply, this relay de-energises causing
the mechanical target to flag, which will indicate, Trip circuit faulty.
This relay is usually a self-reset relay, which resets itself as soon as the
D.C. supply is restored.

D.C. supply can also be lost if the battery

charger is faulty or the D.C. fuse gets ruptured as a result of a shortcircuit fault within the D.C. circuit. A control scheme showing the trip
circuit supervision wiring is as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

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33

34

35

36

37

LEGEND FOR FIG. 2

H1- H2

- Auxiliary A.C. Single phase supply

- Spring charging motor

MS

- Motor control switch

- Heater

PBC, PBT

- Push button (close/open)

52 CS

- Control switch for circuit breaker

LS

- Limit switch

LSS

- Local selector switch

LCS

- Local control switch

RSS

- Remote selector switch

L/R

- Local/remote position

CC / TC

- Closing/Trip coil

ITR

- Inter-tripping Relay (optional)

HTPB

- Healthy trip push button

HTL

- Healthy trip supervision lamp

BOL

- Breaker open lamp

BCL

- Breaker close lamp

ATL

- Auto trip lamp

52a, b

- Circuit breaker auxiliary contacts

51

- Over current relay

64N

- Earth fault relay.