Objective of Electrical Protection System:

The objectives of electrical protection relaying system areA. To identify and isolate the faulty zone/ section
B. To maintain electric power availablity on heathy zones/ sections
To achieve the above two objectives, electrical networks are divided into various zones of
protection and different types of relays are provided to identify and clear the fault with in their
zones of protection.
Transformer Protection:
Protection System for Transformers consist of following components:
1.
Protection achieved through protection relays:
1.1
Overcurrent and Earth Fault Relay (Shown as R1 relay in Figure-1)
1.2
Differential Protection Relay (Shown as R2 relay in Figure-1)
2.
Protection achieved through alarming relays mounted on transformer body:
2.1 Bucholtz Relay generate Alarm and Trip Signals
2.2 Winding Temperature Indicator generate Alarm and Trip Signals
2.3 Oil Temperature Indicator generate Alarm and Trip Signals
2.4 Pressure Release Device generate Alarm and Trip Signals
2.5 Oil Level Indicator generate Alarm and Trip Signals
The above relays at point no. 1 nad 2 are meant for operation with in very well definded zones of
protection. These zones are here by described in figure-1 below:

FIGURE-1
Zone-1: Zone-1 is the zone of operation for R1 relay which is an overcurrnet and earth fault relay.
Any fault occuring with in Zone-1 should ideally be picked up by R1 relay. The ideal scheme is that

R1 relay sends a trip signal to immediate upstream circuit breaker (CB1 in Figure-1) which will
lead to undervoltage at downstream circuit breaker (CB3 in Figure-1) incoming terminals and CB3
will also trip due to undervoltage. Therefore the faulty section will be isolated from both sides. Also
the lockout (86) feature of zone watchdog relay (here it is R1) should also become active and the
relay contact should remain latched until it is physically reset by the electrical operator. Lockout
relay feature is a safety feature for Equipment with in the faulty zone and prevent reoccurance of
fault with in the faulty zone. Resetting of latch lockout relay (86) will require detailed checkig of
faulty section equipment and may prove to be a time consuming affair as all the electrical apparatus
with in faulty zone will require physical testing/inspection before going for re-energization.
The lockout feature of only upstream Zone watchdog relay (CB1 in Figure-1) is made active but not
the downstream breaker (CB3 in Figure-1) as it will simply confuse the operator about the location
of fault. The zone distrimination will have no meaning then and it will lead to distruption of
electrical power in Healthy Electrical Systems. Also, diagnostic and fault finding will take more
time/efforts and will lead to increased downtime resulting in production losses to industries. We can
visualize the importance of zone selectivity and discrimination feature of protection relaying system
by simply thinking that if therefore is no zone discrimination/selectivity, each time any fault
occuring any where on the electrical network, it may lead to shutting down/tripping of complete
electrical network.
Zone-2: Any fault occuring with in zone-2 shall be picked up by R2 relay. Also, the transformer
mounted alarming systems (Bucholtz, WTI, OTI, PRD, OLI) senses the fault in this zone. All fault
sensing relays/devices should send trip signal to immediate upstream circcuit breaker (CB1 in
Figure-1).
Zone-3: Any fault occuring with in Zone-3 shall be picked up bt R3 relay and cleared by tripping of
circuit breaker CB3.
Lacuna with Omifco 11kV/6.6kV Transformer Protection Scheme:
The alarm/trip signals from transformer mounted protection devices (Bucholtz, WTI, OTI, PRD,
OLI) are wired to zone-3 protection relay. Ideally, actuation of these devices should send trip signal
to CB1 as they are detecting fault in Zone-2 but in actual they are sending trip signal to downstream
circuit breaker (CB3 in Figure-1) and Lockout relay of a healthy zone, Zone-3, is actuating.
This wrong scheme may result in two problems:
a) The electrical operator may consider healthy Zone as faulty and faulty Zone as healthy. The
operator may therefore go for re-energizing the actually faulty zone as no lockout relay is latched
for this zone. So the probability of errors are increased due to this scheme.
b) The power supply of healthy system will remain affected with out any fault.
c) It is take more time to diagnose the fault as the fault trip alarm are misleadign the electrical
operator to heathy zone instead of faulty zone.
The transformer fault inputs from Bucholtz, WTI, OTI, PRD, OLI might have been wired to relay
R3 instead of R1 relay so as to save cost of cable and enhnaced cost of R1 relay due to greater
number of fault inputs. We may note that Relay R1 is mounnted at 11kv MMS-1 switchgear where
as relay R3 is mounted at MS-5A switchgear which is very near to transformer TMM5A.
Also, other problem with this wiring of transformer fault inputs to relay R3 is that there is no alarm
signal LED is programmed on Relay front to identify the type of fault. The electrical operator will
not be able to know from the relay front which alarm either Bucholtz or WTI or OTI or PRD or OLI
have actuated. He will have to do a detailed checking of the electrical circuit, then only he will be
able to know the cause of fault alarm/trip.