Application Note
EN001
Capacitor bank controller and protection using
VAMP 260 power monitoring unit and VAMP 40 protection relay
The new VAMP 40 feeder and motor
protection relay has many applications
in the electrical distribution and
industrial markets. One of the
applications is for capacitor, filter and
reactor bank protection. The use and
applications are described in this
article.
Unbalance protection
The VAMP 40 relay has 5 current inputs
as well as a single voltage input.
Normally two of these inputs can be
used for earth or residual current inputs.
In double star unearthed capacitor
bank applications, these inputs can be
used for unbalanced current detection.
The unbalance protection is measured
with a dedicated current transformer
between the star points of the banks as
shown in the figure below. The
unbalance current is not affected by
system unbalance. However, due to
capacitor manufacturing tolerances,
some amount of natural unbalance
current exists between the star points.
In the VAMP 40, this unbalance current
is compensated so that the net current
measured becomes zero. This
compensation is triggered manually at
commissioning. The phasors of the
unbalance current and one phase
current are recorded (the latter for a
polarising to zero measurement). As the
initially existing unbalance current is
compensated to zero in the VAMP 40
relay, the unbalance setting can be
very sensitive. Should the unbalance
current change due to failure in the
bank, this functionality can be used to
Date: 26.07.2006 / AN40.
also located the branch of the faulty
element which would typically be a
blown fuse.
Two current stages can be set for
unbalance alarm and trip respectively.
Following a blown fuse, a time setting
would determine how long the
unbalance condition has to prevail
before it is determined to be a faulty
fuse. After a fuse failure has been
detected, new compensation is added
automatically so that the unbalance
current “seen” by the relay yet again
becomes zero. A faulty element
counter is also increased
simultaneously. The user can set the
number of tolerable faulty elements
before a trip is initiated.
Five unbalance inputs
Figure “Application 4, 6, and 8” also
measures phase currents into the
capacitor banks. However, the three
phase inputs can also be used for
unbalance detection, making it
possible to have up to five unbalance
inputs into a single VAMP 40 relay.
This is achieved with another novel
feature of the VAMP 40 which contains
up to eight programmable stages or
virtual protection elements. This makes it
possible to define additional protection
elements of any available type within
the relay, hence making it possible to
have five unbalance current inputs
rather than phase currents. Of course,
without a phase current input there
would not be any current polarisation.
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 Application 1
Capacitor bank- unbalance protection for a fixed bank
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X2:15
VAMP 40 - 0
Fro nt
X1
Protection functions
X2:16
48 50BF 50N/51N
X4
Ist> CBFP I0> Re mote

I0>>

X6:1
X2:1 4
X6:2 T1
X2:1 3
X6:3 +
X6:4
T2 X2:1 2
X2:11
X6:5 +
T3 X2:1 0
X6:6
X2:9
X6:7
T4 X2:8
X6:8
X6:9 X2:7
X6:10
X6:11 A1 X2:4
X6:12 X2:6
X2:5
X6:13
X6:14

VAMP 255 IF X2:1

X2:3
X2:2
Blocking and
output matrix

Application1

Applicati on 2
Capacito r bank - unbalanc e prot e ction for an a uto matic
bank (2- 5 step s)
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X 2:1 5
VAMP 40 - 0
X1
X 2:1 6
Protection functions
X4
I0> I0>

I0>> I 0>>

X 6:1
X2:1 4
X 6:2 50BF T1
CBFP X2:1 3
X 6:3 +
X 6:4
T2 X2:1 2
Pr. stage 1: 1L1 ala rm
X2:11
X 6:5 Pr. stage 2: 1L1 tri p +
Pr. stage 3: 1L2 ala rm T3 X2:1 0
X 6:6 Pr. stage 4: 1L2 tri p
Pr. stage 5: 1L3 ala rm X2:9
X 6:7 Pr. stage 6: 1L3 tri p
T4 X2:8
X 6:8
X 6:9 X2:7

X 6:1 0
A1 X2:4
X 6:1 1
X 6:1 2
X2:6
X2:5
X 6:1 3

X 6:1 4

VAMP 255 VAMP 255 VAMP 255 VAMP 255 VAMP 255 IF X2:1
X2:3
X2:2
Blocking and
output matrix

Application 2

2/7
 Applicati on 3, 5 a nd 7
Capacito r bank - overcurr ent, e art hfault, o verlo ad and
unbalanc e prot e ction for a fix ed b ank
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X2 :1 5
VAMP 40 - 0
Front X1
X2 :1 6
Protection functions
50 / 51 50N/51N
X4
If2 > I0> Remote
3I>
I0>>
3I>>
X6 1
:
3I>>> X2:1 4
X6 2
:
50BF
T1
X2:1 3
X6 3
: CBFP +
X6 4
:
50AR T2 X2:1 2
ArcI> 37 X2:11
X6 5
: 3I< +
49 T3 X2:1 0
X6 6
:
T>
X2:9
X6 7
:
46 T4 X2:8
X6 8
: I2>
X6 9: X2:7
X6 1
: 0
X6 1: 1 A1 X2:4
X6 1
: 2 X2:6
X2:5
X6 1
: 3
X6 1
: 4

VAMP 255 IF X2:1

X2:3
X2:2
Blocking and
output matrix

Application3,5,7

Applicati on 4, 6, and 8
Capacito r bank - overcurr ent, e art hfault, o verlo ad and
unbalanc e prot e ction for an a uto matic ba nk (2 ste ps)
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X2:15
VAMP 40 - 0
Fro nt X1
X2:16 Protection functions
50 / 51 67N 50N/51N X4
I0> Re mote
3I> I0>
I0>>
3I>> I0>>
X6:1
3I>>> X2:1 4
X6:2 50BF T1
CBFP X2:1 3
X6:3 +
X6:4
50AR 37 T2 X2:1 2
ArcI>
3I< X2:11
X6:5 +
49 T3 X2:1 0
X6:6 T>
X2:9
X6:7 46
I2>
T4 X2:8
X6:8
X6:9 X2:7

X6:10
A1 X2:4
X6:11 X2:6
X6:12 X2:5
X6:13
X6:14

IF X2:1
X2:3
X2:2
Blocking and
VAMP 255 VAMP 255 output matrix

Application4,6,8

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 Applicati on 9, 11, 13 and 1 5
Capacito r bank - unbalanc e volt ag e, overc urrent
earthfau lt and ov erload p rotect ion for a fi xed ba nk
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X2:1 5
VAMP 40 - 0
Fro n t
X1
Protection functions
X2:1 6
50 / 51 50N/51N X4
If2 > I0> R emo te
3I>
I0>>
3I>>
X6:1
3I>>> X2:1 4
X6:2 59N
U0>
T1
X2:1 3
X6:3 U0> +
X6:4
50AR T2 X2:1 2
ArcI>
X2:11
X6:5
50BF
CBFP
+
49 T3 X2:1 0
X6:6 T> 37
X2:9
X6:7 3I<
46 T4 X2:8
X6:8 I2>
X6:9 X2:7
X6:1 0
X6:11 A1 X2:4
X6:1 2 X2:6
X2:5
X6:1 3
X6:1 4

VAMP 255 IF X2:1

X2:3
X2:2
Blocking and
output matrix

X9: 1 DI 1 +

X9: 2 DI 1 -
X9: 4 DI 2 +

X9: 5 Di 2 -

Application9,11,13,15

Applicati on 17
Capacito r bank - over/und ervolt ag e protec tion w ith
unbalanc e prot e ction for a fix ed b ank
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X2 :1 5
VAMP 40 - 0
Front X1
X2 :1 6
Protection functions
50 / 51 27 50N/51N
X4
U< I0 > Rem ote
3I>
U<<
I0>>
3I>> U<<<
X6 :1
3I>>> X2:14
X6 :2 50BF T1
If2 > CBFP X2:13
X6 :3
59 T2
+
X6 :4 U> 37 X2:12
X2:11
X6 :5 U>>
3I< +
T3 X2:10
X6 :6 U>>>
X2:9
X6 :7
50AR T4 X2:8
X6 :8
ArcI> X2:7
X6 :9
49
X6 :1 0
T> A1 X2:4
X6 :1 1
X6 :1 2 X2:6
46 X2:5
X6 :1 3 I2>
X6 :1 4

VAMP 255 IF X2:1

X2:3
X2:2
Blocking and
output matrix

Application 17

4/7
 Applicati on 18
Capacito r bank - over/und ervolt ag e protec tion w ith
unbalanc e prot e ction for an a uto matic ba nk (2- 5 s teps)
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X2:15
VAMP 40 - 0
X1
X2:16
Protection functions
50 / 51 67N X4
3I> I0>
I0>
I0>>
3I>> I0>>
X6:1
3I>>> X2:14
X6:2 T1
X2:13
X6:3
59 +
X6:4 U>
27
U<
59N T2 X2:12
X2:11
X6:5 +
T3 X2:10
X6:6
X2:9
X6:7
50AR 48 50BF T4 X2:8
X6:8
ArcI> Ist> CBFP X2:7
X6:9
49 47 37
X6:10
T> I2>> 3I< A1 X2:4
X6:11 X2:6
X6:12 46 66 X2:5
X6:13 I2> If2 > N>
X6:14

VAMP 255 Auto Reclose IF X2:1

X2:3
X2:2
Autorecloser Blocking and
matrix output matrix

VAMP 255 VAMP 255

Applicati on 21
Connecti on of te mperatur e alar m and trip
L1

L2

L3

1 -

X2 :1 5
VAMP 40 - 0
X1
Protection functions Front VSE 003
X2 :1 6
50 / 51 50N/51N X4
If2 > I0> Remote
3I>
I0>>
3I>>
X6 :1
3I>>> X2:1 4
X6 :2
50BF
T1
X2:1 3
X6 :3 CBFP +
X6 :4
50AR T2 X2:1 2
ArcI> 37 X2:11
X6 :5 3I< +
49 T3 X2:1 0
X6 :6
T>
X2:9
X6 :7
46 T4 X2:8
X6 :8 I2>
X6 :9 X2:7
X6 :1 0
X6 :1 1 A1 X2:4
X6 :1 2 X2:6
X2:5
X6 :1 3
X6 :1 4

VAMP 255 IF X2:1

X2:3
X2:2
Blocking and
output matrix

PT 100

Application 21

RS-485

ADAM

5/7
 compensation depending on the time
P.F cont roller app lication of the day or to other measured criteria.
Two-stage clock controlled Of course this control could be used in
power factor controller isolation or combined with voltage
control to provide a very flexible shunt
bank controller, be it a reactor or
The following figure demonstrates the capacitor. With the aid of an RTD input,
use of the VAMP 260 for controlling temperature measurements could also
capacitor switching. In such an be used for protection and/or control
application the VAMP 260 could be applications.
used to control reactive power

L1
VAMP 260
L2
L3 Programmable clock (Since sw v5.60)
Timer 1 0 Block Matrix
VT Monday alrm1 alrm3 alrm5
alrm2 alrm4
X1 Time 01:39:00 Timer 1
11 On 05:58:00 Timer 2
U12 Timer 3
12 Off 23:58:00
Timer 4
13
UL2 Mode Daily
14
15 Alarm stage 1
UL3 Status -
16 X3-12
Coupling tanϕ T2
1 Cmp >
IL1
2 Limit 0.426
3
Delay 120 s
IL2
4 Hysteresis 15% X3-13 Capacitor
5
IL3 bank 1 ON
6 Alarm stage 2
Status - X2-13
Coupling tanϕ A2
Cmp >
Limit 0.426
Delay 240 s
Hysteresis 10% X2-15 Capacitor
bank 2 ON
Alarm stage 3
Status -
X3-14
Coupling tanϕ T1
Cmp <
Limit -0.426
Delay 120 s 1) Values in bold are user configurable.
Hysteresis 15 % X3-15
Low block -32770 Capacitor
bank 1 OFF
Alarm stage 4
Status -
X2-10
Coupling tanϕ A3
Cmp <
Limit -0.426
Delay 240 s
Hysteresis 10 % X2-12
Low block -32770 Capacitor
bank 2 OFF

6/7
 Power fa ctor c ont roller
Time of day and power factor criteria of the clock controlled power
factor controller

Q 06:00 - 00:00
and
PF < 0.92 ind.
=> Capacitor bank ON.

ind.
0.426

P
REVERSE FORWARD
0.92

-0.426
cap.

00:00 - 06:00
and
PF < 0.92 cap.
=> Capacitor bank OFF.

Time of day Power factor tanj Timer1 T2 T1 Capacitor

00:00 - 06:00 < 0.92 cap. < -0.426 off on OFF
00:00 - 06:00 0.92 cap. .. 0.92 ind. -0.426 .. +0.426 off off -
00:00 - 06:00 < 0.92 ind. > +0.426 off off -
06:00 - 24:00 < 0.92 cap. < -0.426 on off -
06:00 - 24:00 0.92 cap. .. 0.92 ind. -0.426 .. +0.426 on off -
06:00 - 24:00 < 0.92 ind. > +0.426 on on ON

Summary
concluded that the VAMP 40 can be
The VAMP 40 relay has many more
used on its own or in combination with
measured quantities and functionalities
the VAMP 260 to provide
than the few described in this article. As
comprehensive capacitor bank
VAMP places the highest priority on
protection and/or control.
user-friendliness, all these functionalities
are extremely easy to apply. It can be

Keyw ords : Capaci tor bank controller, Capaci tor bank protecti on relay, Capaci tor
bank unbal ance protection, Capaci tor bank short ci rcui t protecti on,
Capaci tor bank p.f. protecti on
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