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Impedance relays are used whenever overcurrent relays do not provide adequate protection. They
function even if the short circuit current is relatively low. The speed of operation is independent
of current magnitude.
Impedance relays monitor the impedance between the relay location and the fault. If the
impedance falls within the relay setting, the relay will operate. The basic construction for
impedance relays on which the principle of operation is easily explained is the balanced beam.
The relay consists of a balanced beam. At each end of the balanced beam is a coil that exerts a
force on the beam at that end. One coil is connected to a current from a current transformer, the
other coil is connected to a potential transformer. The voltage coil functions as a restraining coil,
the current coil functions as an operating coil. Under normal conditions, the contact of the relay
is kept open. During a fault, the voltage drops, and the current rises. The torque due to the
current coil overpowers the torque due to the voltage coil, and the relay closes its contact.
The torque caused by the current through the current coil is
where Ki is a constant of proportionality that depends on the relay construction
The torque caused by the voltage coil is
where Kv is a constant of proportionality that depends on the relay construction
When the torques are balanced,
The ratio of voltage and current is the impedance the relay detects at the point of its connection.
To close its contacts,
The contacts will close anytime the impedance the relay sees is less than a preset value given by
Phasor Diagram
The phase angle depends on impedance Zs . Zs can be chosen so that = 0. Also, both voltage
coils are connected to the same voltage V. (
It follows that
Similarly as for the impedance relay, this impedance can be represented by an X vs R graph. This
time the circle is offset from the center.
Figure: Operating Diagram for an Offset Impedance Relay with Characteristic Angle equal to 0
Figure: Operating Diagram for an Offset Impedance Relay with Characteristic Angle Different from 0
For impedance relays detecting short circuits on transmission lines, impedance Zs is chosen so
that is the same as the impedance angle of the line. This relay will detect a fault in only one
direction.
The phase angle depends on impedance Zs . Zs can be chosen so that = 0. Also, both current
coils are connected to the same current I.
It follows that
All distance relays are connected to the power system through instrument transformers. The relay
monitors the impedance in secondary ohms. Secondary ohms are related to the primary ohms
by the equation