24th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology May 5-9, 2001, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Romania

Investigation on Protective Relays Testing Methods

Stefan Ovcharov, Stanimir Vichev, Peter Yakimov
Faculty of Electronics Technical University of Sofia 1797 Sofia, Bulgaria Phone i-359 2 965-32-65, E-mail: pij @vmei.acad.bg

Abstract
This article describes some methods, used in protective relay testing. Protective relay is a very important part of the energy system. Its purpose is to find out the fault and to switch off a circuit breaker in order to prevent the non-affected part of the power network. Modeling the energy system is needed not only to test and evaluate the action of the protective relays but for personnel training in conditions similar to these in real networks as well. Because of that the model must be more realistic and has to per$ormfaults in real time. A various of parameters of the signals must be simulated to pegorm situations, occur in real networks. The paper shows some methods for protective relays static and dynamic testing. These methods require generating signals with variable parameters for every different application. The paper describes some signals used in research and manufacturing of relay equipment and for field tests of protective relays too. To satisfy these requirements there is a need of a simulator which is able to generate waveforms not only with the main frequency but including higher harmonics. The paper describes the block diagram and the characteristics of a portable protective relays test set, designed in Bulgaria and its possibilities for protective relays static and dynamic testing in comparison to the simulators, designed by ABB Relay Division in Sweden and Texas A&M University in USA.

1. INTRODUCTION
As power grids get bigger and carry more power, the need for quick, reliable disconnection when faults occur becomes more and more urgent. The purpose of protective relay equipment is to sense fault states and trip circuit breakers. If a fault is not corrected early, personal injuries and serious damage can occur. Disconnection must take place selectively, i.e. it must be limited to the faulty part of the power grid. This is why the protective relay equipment must be able to distinguish between permissible heavy load conditions and hazardous operational disturbances. To avoid unjustifiable interruptions, the protective relay equipment must not react to disturbances beneath a specified level called the pick-up value [ 11, [3]. Protective relay equipment must sometimes handle unusual faults that involve distortion, transients and harmonics. These unusual disturbances can be handled by test equipment having a DC-coupled amplifier and a program that generates suitable disturbances or plays back information previously

stored on a disturbance recorder. This permits nearly all forms of waveforms and transients to be generated. Since automatic testing proceeds at high speed and can be conducted repeatedly in exactly the same way, the time and effort devoted to preparations made before the first test are well worth while. Simulating is a very important part of the personnel training. It allows creating situations, similar to those appearing in the real networks. This helps operators to improve their skills in safety conditions and does not require disconnection of power plants and big loads in the power system.

2. TESTING PRINCIPLES
Electric power grid protection systems guard exJemely valuable equipment, and protective relay equipment plays a vital role in this protection chain. To ensure consistent reliability, protective relay equipment must be checked by testing at regular intervals. These tests must make certain that the

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protective relay equipment is operating according to its preset settings. The test equipment supplies the relay protection equipment with inputs that correspond to different faults and different operating situations. Pick-up values are approached by gradually changing the magnitudes of these inputs. Quick, selective disconnection in the event of a fault also requires correct operating times. These can be measured by supplying the protective relay equipment with inputs that exceed by a wide margin the pick-up value while simultaneously measuring the time that elapses prior to tripping. There are two main principles for testing protective relay equipment. For primary injection testing, high current is injected on the primary side of the current transformer. The entire chain - current transformer, conductors, connection points, relay protection and sometimes circuit breakers as well - is covered by the test. The system being tested must be taken out of operation during primary injection testing (usually conducted in connection with commissioning and also when secondary circuits are not accessible). For secondary injection testing, the protective relay equipment is disconnected from the measuring transformers - and the circuit breaker. Current is fed directly to the protective relay equipment, and the system being tested does not have to be taken out of operation. If a relay's curveskharacteristics are to be tested at many points or angles, repeated manual adjustment of the test equipment is time consuming. Test equipment that can conduct a test automatically in accordance with a plan drawn up in advance is much faster and far more convenient. Moreover, the time during which the protective relay equipment is out of operation is minimized and the test can be conducted in exactly the same way every time it is run. 2.1. Achievements in testing The latest achievements use digital technologies in design of simulators for protective relays testing and model the power network and the faults with electromagnetic transient programmes. This offers the user flexibility and accuracy in testing. Texas A&M University designed such a simulator, working in real time and modeling transients, similar to those occuring in real networks. It allows changes in topology of the network after receiving the tripping signal from the relay [2]. Such simulators are very expensive and may be used in the research and evaluation in the field of power systems, not only for protective relays testing. One of the best known systems used not only for field tests of protective equipment but for research as well is the computer-aided relay testing and simulation system FREJA [3]. It combines the safe, well-proven and rugged hardware design needed for field use over a wide temperature range with the possibilities of intelligent software to perform rapid testing, simulation and analysis for power system protection. FREJA can generate three voltages and three currents, or with the optional external amplifier, six currents. Each output can be varied independently and up to three frequencies can be superimposed in amplitude and phase. Both static and dynamic testing can be performed such as pre-fault and fault generation, simultaneous ramping of several quantities and waveForm editing. As a simulator FREJA can generate the standard simulations of the FREJA SIM Database library or use e.g. EMTP or COMTRADE files as well as edit the wave forms. Several units FREJA can be synchronized to simulate a T-line or perform end-to-end testing. One of the most important advantages with FREJA is the user-friendly software which allows you to select the optimum test procedure for each type of relay and application. For both simple testing and comprehensive investigations it is normally best to test manually or in semi automatic mode. But for protection which requires a large number of test points and test loops, i.e. overcurrent protection and distance protection, the fully automatic test procedure of FREJA will save both time, trouble and money.

2.2. End-to-end testing of protective relay systems

Programma has evaluated a test method for an entire protective relay system. It is done by connecting a FREJA to each end of one or two power lines, and synchronize the generation using satellite receivers. The test method was used primarily to verify the communication link between items of protective relay equipment in the field. It comprises a fibre optics link, electrical transmission via a route-switched telecommunications network or a radio link. The method can also be used simultaneously to verify protective relay system functions. The method is especially promising because it can verify modern protective relay systems that provide longitudinal differential protection in situations where the communication link is a route-switched telecommunication network. The new method makes it possible to study the behaviour of a protective relay system using the communication link's actual settings and actual time delays. Test results show that the new method is very time-effective, and it is considered an excellent systems-engineering tool for new systems. Moreover, it supports advanced troubleshooting and verification of functions - features heretofore unavailable in conventional systems [3].

3. SOME 'rESTING METHODS

In static tests. generating sine wave signals of

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24th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology May 5-9, 2001, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Romania
voltages and currents with previously set values of the amplitude, phase angle and frequency starts immediately after the initiating signal and continues up to the end of the testing without any changes. In dynamic tests all parameters can be changed automatically in a previously set. Overcurrent relays are tested to determine the pickup and dropout values and to measure their trip time. For the first test must be defined the values of ISTART, ISTOPand the speed. The current will now slowly increase until the Pickup value, then the current will decrease until the Dropout value, and then the hysteres will be calculated. In the time test first must be selected the fault type which will be tested (1-, 2- and 3-phase). Start and stop values of the current have to be set too. Then the relay must be fed with the start value of the current, either until the relay trips or until the time has been elapsed. Then the current increases and the above procedure is repeated, until the current has reached the stop value. relay reacts. Then the measured time can be read. Each individual measurement can be flagged with a special symbol (fig. 1). The so-called whirlwind is an advanced feature of the RX-instrument. When activated, the whirlwind scans the entire impedance plane automatically, and each individual measurement is flagged with a symbol whose appearance depends on the tripping time (fig.2).

A similar method is used to test a distance relay. It requires to choose max impedance IZI, number of zones, A q for the ramps, start and stop q and the zone times. With the start of the test q increases and all the zone boundaries will then be found automatically using the time-saving search-half method [3].
Point Time Point Pass

Fig.2

4. RESULTS

As a result of the investigation have been formulated requirements for design a test unit which can perform regular tests of protective relays but it has to be used in the field of research too. The purpose of the paper is to present the possibilities of the designed unit in static and dynamic tests. The simulator is controlled by a Central Processor Unit (CPU), based on the microprocessor MC68008. There is a module D/A consisting six digital-toanalog converters which output signals drive three power voltage amplifiers and three power current amplifiers. The tested relay is fed by the outputs of these amplifiers. There is a module Digital inputs and outputs which receives the tripping signal from the relay. The values of the necessary parameters can be set by the Display module on the front panel of the unit or by a PC via interface Rs232. The block diagram of the unit is shown on fig.3.

Fig.1
Distance relays can also be tested easily and quickly using the RX-instrument. An impedance plane that shows R and X is provided here. Here, the current and phase angle are previously set and then the impedance level is varied to see how the protective

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24th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology May 5-9,2001, Calimanesti-Caciulata. Romania
three currents simultaneously (fig.5).

Fig.5
2. Non-symmetrical system of voltages and currents. In this mode is possible linear or step variation of the amplitude and phase angle of every output signal independently (fig.6).

Fig.3
In dynamic testing the unit can perform a cycle consisting four programmed segments [4]. For every segment is necessary to set information for the voltage and current outputs and for the digital inputs and outputs (fig.4).

Fig.6 3. Linear or step variation of the frequency of the output signals. 4. Generation of delta voltage. 5 . Generation parameter impedance of the transmission line. 6. Generation parameter power.
These modes are mostly used for secondary field tests at regular intervals during the exploitation of the relay equipment. For tests in the period of research of protective relays and evaluation of a new equipment are proposed the next possibilities allowing simulation of unusual faults that involve distortion, transients and harmonics: 7. Generation of one phase current with an aperiodic component.
f -_

Fig.4
There are two conditions for jump to a new segment:

- end of the programmed time duration of the previous segment (TM); - execution of previously set condition for the digital inputs. The execution of the programmed cycle starts from the segment SI after pressing the button Start from the front panel of the unit. The cycle stops after: - pressing the button Stop from the front panel; - reaching a segment with T M =O; - execution of the fourth segment. The testing unit offers possibilities for static and dynamic tests in the following modes: 1. Symmetrical system of voltages and currents. In this mode is possible linear or step variation of the amplitude and phase angle of the three voltages and
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w,is the angle of the phase voltage.

8. Generation of voltage or current with sineshaped sweeping of the amplitude.

Tau is the aperiodic time constant.

quinis the initial value of the phase angle of the voltage. F,,, - modulation frequency.

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Protective relay is a part of great importance in the power system. The reliable function of the system depends strongly on the accurate and selective reaction of the relay equipment. To ensure the reliability protective relays must be tested regularly, in situations similar to those appearing in real power systems. Simulators have to feed the inputs of the relays with testing quantities which parameters can vary in wide limits. One of the best devices used all over the world is FREJA. The testing unit presented i n the paper aims to cover many of the functions of FREJA. In addition its outputs can feed the inputs of the older electromechanical relays as well as the inputs of electronic ones. .

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REFERENCES
[ 11 G.Nimmersjo, Birger Hillstrom, Odd Wemer-Erichsen, George D.Rockefeller, Digitally-Controlled Real-Time Analog Power System Simulator for Closed Loop Protective Relaying Testing, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, Volume 3, Number I , January 1988

9. Generation of voltage or current with sineshaped sweeping of the phase angle.

[2] M.Kezunovic, et al., "Transients computation for Relay Testing In Real-Time", 93 SM-383-0 PWRD IEEE Transactions on power Delivery, Volume 9, Number 3, July 1994
[3] http://www.programma.se/FREJA3OO.Pdf
[4] Ovcharov St., St. Vichev, V. Velikov, P. Yakimov, Protection Relays Static and Dynamic Testing, Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference "Electronics'98", September, 23-2.5. Sozopol, Bulgaria, Book 3, pp.108-113

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