MEASUREMENT LOOPS IN NUMERICAL DISTANCE PROTECTION RELAYS

Aim of the Document This document is intended to clarify the subject of measurement loops in numerical distance protection relays. There are terms like single/six loop, full scheme, switched/non-switched relays used in this context. This document explains the meaning of each of these terms, their significance from the application view point and also suggests tests to check if a relay is really a six loop measuring relay or not. This document is made in a Q&A form. We have tried to cover most of the general queries and answer them, in case you have any further queries, please feel free to communicate it to the author 1. What is a distance protection relay? Distance protection relays are applied to protect transmission lines. They work on measuring the impedance. To state the principle of a distance relay in a simple way: when the fault occurs on the protected line, the relay measures impedance, which is less than the total line impedance, and will result in its operation. Thus they work on under impedance principle. 2. How is the impedance measured by the distance relays? As explained earlier distance relays measure impedance and operate when the measured impedance is less than the set impedance. Impedance can be calculated by dividing the voltage by current Z=V/I In a three phase system, there are three phase voltages (Va, Vb, Vc) & three phase currents (Ia, Ib, Ic). Thus for calculating the impedance there are 6 voltage & 6 current signals possible, viz., Phase to earth: Van, Vbn, Vcn, Ian, Ibn, Icn Phase to Phase: Vab, Vbc, Vca, Iab, Ibc, Ica
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Thus there are 6 basic impedances that can be measured as given below Zan=Van/Ian* Zab=Vab/Iab Zbn=Vbn/Ibn* Zbc=Vbc/Ibc Zcn=Vcn/Icn* Zca=Vca/Ica

*The phase to neutral loop current is equal to Iphase(1+K), where K is the earthfault compensation factor, K=(Z0-Z1)/3Z1. (Z0=zero sequence impedance, Z1=positive sequence impedance) Thus to detect all kinds of system faults the three phase distance relay has to calculate the above 6 impedances. The above impedance measurement is realized using hardware comparators (analogue or digital) in static (non-numeric) relays. In numeric relays the impedance measurement is done by software with dedicated measurement loops calculating each of the impedances. We will not go into the techniques used to measure the impedances here. 3. What is the meaning of switched and non-switched relays? Also nowadays people are referring to single and six loop relays (multi-loop) what do they mean? The term Switched/Non-switched is relevant to non-numeric static relays (Analogue & Digital). In a numeric relay, the similar classification is single loop/six loop. The details are as explained below NON-SWITCHED RELAY As explained in 2, for detecting all kinds of faults in a three phase system, six impedance measurements have to be done. Thus 6 dedicated comparators are required for each zone for measuring the impedances. Thus if the distance relay is provided with 3 tripping zones, then the relay should have 18 (6x3) physical hardware comparators. Each of these comparators work in parallel. SWITCHED RELAY It is clear from the explanation for non-switched relay that the relay has to be provided with multiple comparators, thus adding to the cost. Thus switched relays came into application. These relays were provided with starters for each phase (A, B, C & N). These starters were fault detectors capable of detecting the occurrence of fault (but cannot tell where the fault is) and also the phases involved in the fault. After this the starters switch the respective signals (voltage &
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current) alone to the only comparator provided in the relay, which decides the zone in which the fault has occurred. SIX LOOP RELAY This term is applicable only to numerical relays. It is similar to the non-switched relay described above. In this relay there are independent software measurement loop provided for each of the impedance loops (3 for phase to phase & 3 for phase to earth). All these loops measurements are done for every protection cycle. SINGLE LOOP RELAY This term is also applicable to numerical relays only. It is similar to switched relays described above. The only difference being, both the starters & comparators are realized in software. Also since the switching is done in software, there is no physical switching of signals. From the above, it is clear that switched and single loop relays are economical options, but with compromise. The limitation of Switched relay is brought out in detail later in this document 4. How does it matter if the relay is switched/single loop or non-switched/six loop? As discussed earlier the main difference between non-switched/six loop and switched/single loop relays are the number of impedances measured in parallel. This posse a limitation on application, which is brought out in the comparative table below Criteria No. of impedance measured in parallel (or for every protection cycle in case of numerical) Physical switching of signals Can it operate correctly for evolving faults (fault changing its characteristics during the fault)? Nonswitched Six loop Switched Single loop

Six

Six

One

One

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

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Criteria Can it operate correctly for cross country faults in double circuit lines (fault involving two phases and earth, one phase each from line 1& 2)?

Nonswitched

Six loop

Switched

Single loop

Yes

Yes

No

No

Can the relay give single & three pole tripping?

Yes

Yes

Normally only 3 pole. Some times this can be converted to 1 pole using the starter information

Normally only 3 pole. Some times this can be converted to 1 pole using the starter information

5. What will happen if I propose a Switched or Single loop relay for systems with single & three pole tripping option. By now it is very clear that a switched or a single loop relay cannot handle complicated faults. Two such faults are analyzed below and the performance of switched or single loop relay is explained a) Evolving faults : In such instances of fault, initially the fault would involve single phase and earth. Subsequently within few milliseconds (10 to 30ms), another phase also gets involved in the fault thus converting the initial single phase to earth fault as double phase to earth fault. E.g.: Initially A-N fault, which converts to A-B-N fault after 15ms. If a switched or single loop relay is applied to protect a line subjected to such a fault, there are chances that the relay detects the fault as AN. This is because the fault detectors act for the first fault signals (A & N ) and start measuring on this loop only. This can result in the relay tripping the A phase breaker first and then opening the other two phases after some time or in the next protection execution cycle. This may not be acceptable.

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b) Cross country faults In cases of double circuit lines, there are chances that during fault, different phases of the two lines are involved. For e.g., A phase of circuit I & B phase of circuit II is involved in a fault to earth. For such faults, all the four relays (one at each end of the double circuit line) should detect single-phase fault and trip on that pole of the breaker. This will help in successful auto-reclosing if the fault is transient. This is possible only if the applied relays are of non-switched or 6 loop type. If the relays were switched or single loop then all the relays would have tripped on three phase. This would have resulted in lockout tripping. 6. How to conclude if a relay is single loop or six loop? The only and best way to check this is to test the relay for crosscountry faults and evolving faults. These have to be done using simulated files. One way would be to create such cases using EMTP and play the files on to the relay using Digital test kits. As explained above, for cross-country faults, the six loop relay will trip only on single pole, whereas the single loop relay would trip three phase. For evolving faults, there are chances that the single loop relay gives single pole tripping first, whereas the six-loop relay would give three-pole tripping. 7. Does the relay being Switched/single loop or Nonswitched/six loop affect the operating time? In case of non-numeric relays, i.e., switched or non-switched relays there will be an affect. Since there is a physical switching of signals, this imposes additional time in the total decision making, with switched relays being slower than non-switched. In case of numerical relays, we cannot definitely say that single-loop relays will be slower than six loop relays. Actually in a numerical relay, type of digital filters, type of algorithm and the speed of processing determines the actual operating time. So there can be instances where a single-loop relay is as fast (or some times faster than) as a six-loop relay. However, still the single loop relay will have the limitations explained above and will this have limitations in applying for EHV line protection. 8. What is a full scheme numerical relay? Actually this is another name for numerical relay with 6-loop measurement.

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