Overcurrent and

Impedance Protection
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 Power Transmission and Distribution

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.

Generator Protection
Overcurrent and Impedance
Protection

Presenter: Dr. Hans-Joachim Herrmann

PTD PA13
Phone +49 911 433 8266
E-Mail: Hans-Joachim.Herrmann@siemens.com

Power Automation 2
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Summary

Power Automation The short circuit is a heavy fault for a generator. In that case the short-circuit protection is a standard protection for a
generator. The electromotive force (e.m.f.) supplies at the moment of a short circuit the following current :
Progress. It‘s that simple.

1,1 UN
IK(3)  with: UN - nominal voltage
3  Xd" Xd“ - subtransient reactance
This subtransient short-circuit current is reduced with the typical time constants of a generator. The type of the excitation has
an important influence on the magnitude of the short circuit current. In the case of a short circuit near the terminals the
voltage is low and the voltage regulator starts to increase the excitation. A higher current is the result.
Dimensioning the co-ordination of the voltage regulator and excitation system (including excitation winding) based on a short
circuit current for a time of 8-10s is appr. 1,8 of the nominal generator current.
The settings of an overcurrent time relay is appr. 1,3 - 1,4 x IN . If the short- circuit current can be lower after a time an
undervoltage seal-in must be activated.
The short-circuit current depends on the fault type.
The ratio is ISC(1) : ISC(2) : ISC(3) = 5:3:2. In the case of a no load field voltage and a full load field voltage the range of the
short-circuit current is appr. 1:2,5.
For a turbo generator the following steady state short-circuit currents are
typically:
three-phase fault: ISC (0,8 ... 2)IN
phase-to-phase fault: ISC (1,2 ... 3)IN
single-phase fault: ISC (2 ... 5)IN
(earthing of the generator star point)
If the generator is earthed with a low ohmic resistor the short-circuit
current is limited to the nominal current.

Part 1: - Overcurrent Protection

- Impedance Protection
Part2: - Differential Protection

Power Automation 3
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Short Circuit Faults

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple. A) Internal Faults
1) Isolated star point 2) Low ohmic star point
(or high ohmic) (or solid)

L1
3phase short circuit
L2
L3
Single phase short
Interturn fault circuit
Phase to phase short circuit (Resistor limits the
fault current)

B) External Faults Faults from 1) are also additional

possible to earth

Generator is the e.m.f. for the short circuit

Transformer currents and becomes to stress
 Back-up protection
Grid

Power Automation 4
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Typical Short Circuit Curves

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple. ISC= Subtransient short-circuit current
ISC = Transient short-circuit current
- t
 
2  Ι' ' - Ι'  e T''d
k k
ISC = Steady state short-circuit current

- t
2  Ιk' '  
2  Ι' - Ι  e T' d
k k
2  Ιk

- t
2  Ι' 'k e Tg
Combinations:
Driving Voltages Up < Up < Up

Actual reactances X d < Xd < Xd

Time Constants Td < Td < Td

Short circuit current:
Subtransient part transient part Steady state DC - current
short circuit current
 t t t 
   
 - - - 
ik  2  I' '  I'  e T' ' d sint -    I' - I  e T' d sint -    I sint -    I' ' e Tg sin 
k k k k k k
 
 

Power Automation 5
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Example of a Short-Circuit Curve

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.
Data: SN = 200 MVA (Synchronous generator)
xd = 1,78 x´d = 0,24 x´´d = 0,16
TG = 0,097s T´d = 1,125s T´´d = 0,05s

Rotor (e.m.f) voltages Short circuit currents

2,25 1,11
Up Up´ Up´´ IK   I N  1,26 I N I ´K   I N  4,6 I N
.U Xd Xd
Turbo generator 2,25 1,11 1,07 N
.U 1,07
Salient pole generator 1,8 1,2 1,13 N I ´´K   I N  6,7 I N
Xd

Fully asymmetrical DC component ( = 90°) Without Dc offset ( = 0°)

Power Automation 6
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Short-Circuit Current within the Generator

(Three-phase fault)
Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.
Ik
R, Xd
 Driving voltage (e.m.f.) increases linear

 Synchronous direct-axis reactance increases

 square with the number of windings ( 2 ·Xd)


0,5 1

 Short-circuit current on the terminals is lower than within

 Short circuit near the star point has small short-circuit currents
Power Automation 7
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Overcurrent Time Protection

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.

I >, t
G

I >, t
I >>, t I >, t
t

I > - Generator
Dt I > - Network Dt:grading time
I >> (approx. 0,3 s)
l
 Protection is connected on the star-point-CT (proof against internal faults - at open
circuit breaker too)
 Pick-up value I>; Ipick-up  (1,2.....1,4) IN, G
 Co-ordination of grading time with the network protection
 I>>-stage: responsible for faults near or within the generator with a short tripping
time (0,1 s)
 Busbar connection: reverse interlocking is recommended for radial network
 Unit transformer connection: Ipick-up > 1,5 I SC(3, G) t  0,1 s
Power Automation 8
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Overcurrent Time Protection with Undervoltage Seal-in

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple. Logic:
I>, t
U< I> >1 Pick-up
& S Q
G U< R
1

T-Seal-in

 The excitation cannot maintain the short-circuit current, because

the excitation voltage is to low.
 At long fault durations the short-circuit current can be close or lower than
the nominal current ISC< IN
Settings: U<  (0,75....0,8) UN
U: positive sequence
T- seal-in > T-I>
Attention: If the generator breaker is open blocking of the undervoltage
seal-in at units with generator and network circuit breakers.

Advantage of Seal-in: No Overfunction at VT Failures

Power Automation 9
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Inverse Time Overcurrent Protection (51)

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple. In ANSI or English speaking regions are very often used the inverse time
overcurrent protection. The trip time depends on the amount of current. In
the applications different types of characteristics are available.

The same
characteristic
is used
Grading time

Example: Very Inverse (ANSI)  

 
t   0.0982   D
IP - Pick-up current 3.922
(General pickup is fix at 1,1 IP)  2
 -1 
I
 I  
D - Time multiplier (0,5s to 15 s)  P 

Power Automation 10
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Inverse Time Overcurrent protection influenced by

voltage (51 V)
Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.
The voltage dependency of the short circuit current is considered
Voltage controlled:
If there is an undervoltage pick-up, the inverse time characteristic will
be released with a low pick-up value (IPICK-UP < ING)
(Used at generator-busbar schemes)

Voltage restraint: Factor

The pick-up threshold of inverse time 1,0

overcurrent protection depends on

voltage level. Low voltage reduces the
pick-up threshold by a factor (see figure).
There is a linear dependency of the 0,25

generator voltage.
(Used at generator-transformer schemes) 0,25 1,0 U/UNG

Note:
To avoid an overfunction in the case of an fuse failure (voltage circuit
interruption), there is recommended a blocking via an external m.c.b. or
the internal fuse - failure -monitor function.

Power Automation 11
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Impedance Protection
Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.
t

I>
tNetz +D t

Z<
Z1  0,7X T
0,1s

Z1

G
XG XT

Z<

 Correct measuring of the transformer reactance

 Measuring of a fictitious generator reactance
(short circuit at the generator terminals: U  0, I =ISC,G  Z  0)

 Settings value of the protection is the unit transformer reactance

(Requirement: Z1  0,7 · XT)

Power Automation 12
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Impedance Measuring over the Unit Transformer (Part

1)
Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.

Three-phase fault Additional Infeed

RatioTr IK2
IK1

Z< ZT ZL Z< ZT IK

1 1  I K2 
Z Meas  Z T   ZL ZMeas  Z T  1    ZL
Ratio 2 Tr Ratio 2 Tr  I K1 

 Correct measurement of the  Through the additional infeed the

impedance impedance is measured always to
large
 Setting problems at short lines  Underreach of the protection
because: (Trip in a longer time)
1
Z T  ZL
Ratio 2 Tr
RatioTr : Transformer Ratio

Power Automation 13
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Impedance Measuring over the Unit Transformer (Part

2)
Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.

Phase-to-phase fault Single-phase fault

L1 L1
L2 L2
L3 L3

Pick-up of the protection

Pick-up of the protection
in three phases
in two phases
Accurate measurement:
Uph.-ph. 1
Z Meas 
Uph.-E U
 L2 Z Meas   Z T  ZL  Z 0T  Z 0L 
I ph,max I L2 I ph.-ph. 2

Impedance is measured too large

In the other impedance loops
for the zero sequence impedance
the impedance is measured
(There is no zero in short circuit
too large (lower current).
current on the generator side.)
Power Automation 14
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Characteristics of the Impedance Protection

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple. X

X2
t t(I>)
X1B

X1 t(Z2)

R1 R1B R2 t(Z1) t(Z1B)

R Z1 Z2 Z1B

 At open generator circuit breaker the

Z1  0,7X T stage Z1B can be actived
No direction element is
 Co-ordination of zone Z2 with the network
necessary because the
protection (Measuring errors cause an
star point CT is used.
underreach)

Power Automation 15
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Scheme with an Impedance or Distance Protection

Power Automation
Progress. It‘s that simple.

ZG ZT

ZL

I > (ZG)
t ZT (backward)
ZG ZL

Z
2. Stage (ZT) ZT

ZG: Generator ZT: Transformer ZL: Line

Transformer Line
Line

 Fast back-up protection for the whole system.

Power Automation 16