GENERATOR PROTECTIONS

By, PradeepYadav,

Dy. Director.

1. STATOR EARTH FAULT

CAUSE: Short circuit between winding & core, Interturn Short Circuit, Mechanical Or thermal damage to winding Insulation.
EFFECT: Further Insulation damage.

RELAY: Voltage relay.

SETTING: 2-5% of normal neutral voltage. TIME: 0.3 0.5 Sec.

2.(First) ROTOR EARTH FAULT

CAUSE: Abnormal Mechanical Stresses due to vibrations, Thermal stresses due to overcurrent or overheating. EFFECT: Insulation damage.

RELAY: Voltage relay.

SETTING(Alarm) : 1-5% of injected voltage

3. NEGATIVE PHASE SEQUENCE

CAUSE: Unbalance loading

EFFECT: Double frquency component (NPS) leading to excessive rotor heating.

( I ) t = K. Where I - NPS in p.u. t- time in Sec. K- constant,depends upon type of cooling. K= 8. For directly cooled machines. I% - 5 10%. Alarm. ( I ) t reaches K Trip.

4.GENERATOR LOSS OF EXCITATION

CAUSE:Unintentional opening of Field Breaker.Open circuit ,short circuit in Field winding, fault in AVR. EFFECT: Induction Generator Operation, Asynchronous operation, Overheating of Stator & Rotor.

RELAY: Impedance relay

5.GENERATOR DIFFERENTIAL
CAUSE: Internal fault.
EFFECT: Insulation damage.

RELAY: Differential relay.

SETTING: 1- 5% of Gen.rated current. TIME: 10 15 msec.

6.REVERSE POWER PROTECTON

CAUSE: Failure of primemover.

EFFECT:Motoring,Damage to turbine blade.

RELAY: Directional power relay.

SETTING: 0.5% of rated power. TIME: 2 Sec.

7.LOW FORWARD POWER PROTECTION

CAUSE: Upon an electrical tripping prime mover fails to trip.

EFFECT:Overspeeding,more centrifugal forces on rotating parts,Increase in vibrations & eccentricity. RELAY: Directional power relay. SETTING: 0.5% of rated power. TIME: 2 Sec.

8.OVERFREQUENCY PROTECTION
CAUSE: Sudden loss of load, Circuit Breaker opens with turbine ON.
EFFECT: Overspeed,more centrifugal forces on rotating parts. Increase in vibrations & eccentricity.

RELAY: Frequency relay.

SETTING: + 5%. TIME: 2 Sec.

9.UNDERFREQUENCY ROTECTION
CUASE: Increase in load. EFFECT: 1.Overfluxing ( V / f ). Induced voltage = 4.44fN. Where, f frequency. - flux. N - number of turns.

2. Fall in auxilliaries speed.

RELAY: Frquency relay. SETTING: 5%. TIME: 2 Sec.

10.OVERFLUXING ROTECTION
CAUSE: Malfunction of AVR. Load throw off with excitation changeover to manual. Underfrequency operation. EFFECT: Overheating of stator & transformer iron parts.
RELAY:Frequency dependent voltage relay. SETTING: V/f = 1 to 1.3. TIME: 3 - 5 Sec.

11.OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION
CAUSE:Sudden loss of load at full load & rated power factor AND excitation changeover to manual with Generator over speeding.
EFFECT:Insulation damage. RELAY: Voltage relay. SETTING:110%,2 Sec.115%, Instantaneous

12. POLE SLIPPING PROTECTION

CAUSE: System disturbance, Power swing.
EFFECT:Severe oscillation of P & Q. Mechanical Oscillation leading to bearing damage. Loss of synchronism. RELAY: Directional impedance relay.

SETTING: Tripping at first pole slip.

13.LOCAL BREAKER BACKUP PROTECTION

CAUSE: Gen. Circuit Breaker fails to trip.

EFFECT:External sources feeding the fault.

RELAY: LBB relay in conjunction with Bus bar protection.

SETTING: Time: GCB opening time + a safe

margin.