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Crane Overload Protection

Cranegard, DynaSwitch, load limiting devices

12kV Current Transformer

Restricted Earth Fault Protection

itl-uk.com

Resin Cast, Indoor Type Transformer for

Switchgear

Design a Transformer
Tavrida Electric
Sanyu Electric, Inc.
Latest Questions: (/questions)
1. helpforelectricitydistribution(HTA)through
undergroundcables(6circuits)
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2. CTSecondaryRating
ByStevenMcFadyen(/users/steven)onMarch25th,2012

(/questions/view/question/id/593)
3. Embeddedsystemdesign

Thewindingsofmanymediumandsmallsizedtransformersareprotectedbyrestrictedearthfault(REF)systems.The
illustrationshowstheprincipalofREFprotection.

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4. PVsystemdesignadvice
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1. BasicOperation

6. InspectionofCathodicProtectionTransformer

2. SeeAlso

Rectifier(/questions/view/question/id/586)
7. PerUnit&Faults(/questions/view/question/id/584)
8. relaytesting(/questions/view/question/id/583)

Basic Operation

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UndernormalconditionsandbyapplicationofKirchhoffslawsthesumofcurrentsinbothcurrenttransformers(CTs)
equalszero.IfthereisanearthfaultbetweentheCTsthensomecurrentwillbypasstheCT'sandthesumofcurrentswill
notbezero.BymeasuringthiscurrentimbalancefaultsbetweentheCTscanbeeasilyidentifiedandquicklycleared.
FaultdetectionisconfinedtothezonebetweenthetwoCTshencethename'RestrictedEarthFault'.
REFprotectionisfastandcanisolatewindingfaultsextremelyquickly,therebylimitingdamageandconsequentrepair
costs.IfCTsarelocatedonthetransformerterminalsonlythewindingisprotected.However,quiteoftenthesecondaryCT
isplacedinthedistributionswitchboard,therebyextendingtheprotectionzonetoincludethemaincable.
WithoutREF,faultsinthetransformerstarsecondarywindingneedtobedetectedontheprimaryofthetransformerbythe
reflectedcurrent.Asthewindingfaultpositionmovestowardstheneutral,themagnitudeofthecurrentseenontheprimary
rapidlydecreasesandcouldpotentiallynotbedetected(limitingtheamountofwindingwhichcanbeprotected).Asthe
magnitudeofthecurrentsremainrelativelylargeonthesecondary(particularlyifsolidlyearthed),nearlytheentirewinding
canbeprotectedusingREF.
Itshouldberememberedthattheprotectionasillustratedcoversonlythesecondaryofthetransformer.SometimesREF
protectionisaddedtotheprimaryaswell(althoughifprimaryprotectionisrequireditmaybepreferabletoconsiderfull
differentialprotection).
AsitisessentialthatthecurrentintheCTsbebalancedduringnormalconditions(andthroughfaults),historicallyREFhas
beenimplementedusingHighImpedanceRelays.CT'shavealsobeenspecifiedasmatchedpairsandtheimpedanceof
leads/wiresandinterconnectingcableshashadalargeinfluenceonthefunctioningoftherelay.
MeasurementerrorsassociatedwithmismatchedCTs,saturationandvaryingleadresistancehavebeenresponsiblefor
nuisancetrippingandthesystemcanbedifficulttocommission.Thismaybethereasonsomepeopleavoidtheuseof
REF.Recentadvancesinnumericalrelaytechnologyhaveallbuteliminatedtheseissues,makingtheimplementationof
REFrelativelyeasy,ensuringnonuisancetrippingandsimplifyingcommissioning.
Inthediagram87NistheANSIDeviceNumberforrestrictedearthfault.

See Also
ANSI(IEEE)ProtectiveDeviceNumbering(http://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/148/ansiieeeprotective
devicenumbering)

PowerSystems(http://myelectrical.com/notes?tag=power+systems),Protection
(http://myelectrical.com/notes/tag/protection),REF(http://myelectrical.com/notes/tag/ref),EarthFault
(http://myelectrical.com/notes?tag=earth+fault)

MoreinterestingNotes:
CablesforMVPowerDistributionEarthedversusUnearthedSystems
(http://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/226/cablesformvpowerdistributionearthedversusunearthedsystems)
FaultCalculationsIntroduction(http://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/192/faultcalculationsintroduction)
Howtoreferfaultlevelsacrossatransformer(http://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/184/howtoreferfaultlevels
acrossatransformer)
Differentialprotection,thegoodolddays(http://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/90/differentialprotectionthegoodold
days)
FrameLeakageProtection(http://myelectrical.com/notes/entryid/218/frameleakageprotection)
StevenMcFadyen(/users/steven)
Stevenhasovertwentyfiveyearsexperienceworkingonsomeofthelargestconstructionprojects.He
hasadeeptechnicalunderstandingofelectricalengineeringandiskeentosharethisknowledge.
Abouttheauthor

(/users/steven)

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PradeepRath ayearago

DearFriends,Iwouldliketohaveyouropiniononthebestprotectionengineeringpracticeswith
regardtoprovidingaseparateindependentrelayforREF(64)orDifferential(87)protectioninaddition
toacomprehensiverelayforallotherprotections.
4

Reply Share
Mod >PradeepRath

StevenMcFadyen

ayearago

Ifyouareusingagoodmultifuntionnumericalrelay,whichincorporatesREFordifferential,I
wouldwouldbeokwiththat.Onlyreasontouseanextrarelayisifthefuncionisnot
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incorporated(orthereissometechnicallimitiation).
1

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ManishNaha ayearago

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CanREFusedeffectivelyincaseswhereaneutralhasbeenearthedthroughresistors,

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StevenMcFadyen Mod >ManishNaha ayearago

Yes.InfactIthinkitisrecommended,althoughitwillprobablyprotectlessofthewindingthen
wouldbethecasewithasolidlyearthedsystem.

Reply Share

DattatrayaJoshi 3monthsago

Sir,
IwastoldthatIneedtohavea3pole(andnot4pole)mainincomeronLVswitchboardtoincorporate
REF.TheneutralneedstobedirectlyconnectedtomainBUSofLVboard.isthatright?cannotIuse
a4PACBonLVside?WhatifIhavetouseREFonaDG?DOineed3Polebreakeronlyfor
isolation?

Reply Share
Mod >DattatrayaJoshi

StevenMcFadyen

3monthsago

Forincomingsupplies(andthosefromseparatelyderivedsources),Iwouldusea4pole.That
wayyoucompletelyisolatethesystem.
1

Reply Share

LanzNellas 3monthsago

explainwhyfaultprotectionisessential?
ineedyoursuggestion

Reply Share

JuancerSimangunsong 3monthsago

sircanyouexplainaboutREFandSEF/SBEFrelay......andthepicture

Reply Share

SivaPrakash 5monthsago

willREFprotect100%ofitszone

Reply Share

StevenMcFadyen

Mod >SivaPrakash

5monthsago

ItwillprotecteverythingwithinthezonebetweentwosetsofCT.Ifyoutried,youcould
possiblymakefaults(forexampleinawindingveryclosetotheneutral),whichwouldbe
belowtherelayingsensitivity.

Reply Share

MohamadFazdhliHassan 6monthsago

TheconceptfortheaboveREFisbasedoncurrentdifferential.HoweverourSiemensREFrelay
(calledhighimpedancerelay)usesvoltageelementsasthesettingonly.Canyouclarify.Isitlookigat
thesamething?

Reply Share

StevenMcFadyen

Mod >MohamadFazdhliHassan

6monthsago

Ithinkitislookingatsomethingdifferent.Ifyoucanpostthemodelnumberoftherelay,Ican
maybegiveabetteranswer.

Reply Share

MohamadFazdhliHassan>StevenMcFadyen 6monthsago

Thanks
TherelayisSiemens7PG235B3.
1

Reply Share

StevenMcFadyen

Mod >MohamadFazdhliHassan

6monthsago

Sorry,mymisread,Ithoughtyouwastakingavoltagemeasurementtothe
relay.

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Theprincipalisasstillasshowninthenote.However,totakecareofanyspill
current(duetoCTmismatch,saturationonfaults,etc.),therelayimpedanceis
increased(hencehighimpedance).Whenyouworkoutthetheory,itshows
thatyoucanusevoltagemeasurementacrosstherelayforsensinganyfault.
Thisiswhatishappeninginyourrelay.
Thebestway,foryoutounderstandthis,istodownloadtheNPAGfrom
Alstom.Theguidehasasectiononhighimpedancedifferentialprotection,
whichexplainsallthetheory.Ifyoualsodownload,therelaymanual,itexplains
howtoselectthecorrectsetting.
1

Reply Share

Naren 6monthsago

whatistheconnectionifonesideoftransformerisdeltaconnected?imeanhowcanyouintroduce
neutralpoint?

Reply Share

StevenMcFadyen

Mod >Naren

6monthsago

Youwouldneedtouseearthingtransformerssomewhereonthenetworktointroduceapath
fortheearthfault.Dependingonthesituation,itmaybebettertoconsiderfulldifferential
protection.

Reply Share

SatinderPalSingh 8monthsago

IfweputtheNeutralCTinNeutralbusbarlinkofdistributionpanelforRefprotectionInsteadofputing
theNeutralCTinthetransformerwherestarpointaregrounded.InthisconditionmyRefrelaywill
workornot??

Reply Share

StevenMcFadyen

Mod >SatinderPalSingh

8monthsago

ItisnotaneutralCT,butsummationCTofallphasecurrents.Ifyouwantedtoplacethisin
thedistributionpanel,itwouldstillwork.Thezoneofprotectionwouldbeextendeduptothe
panel.

Reply Share

SatinderPalSingh>StevenMcFadyen 8monthsago

Respctedstevensir,
Thankyouforsuggestion.

Reply Share

DeepakRoy ayearago

WhichisbetterforREFprotection.64REFrelayor87Nrelay

Reply Share

StevenMcFadyen

Mod >DeepakRoy

8monthsago

Ithinktheyaretakentomeanthesamething.Thereisaquestiononthesiteaboutthisat:
http://myelectrical.com/questi...

Reply Share

ManishNaha ayearago

ThanksSteven,IalsoagreethatincasefaultisveryneartoNeutralpointthesesitivitywillbelow.

Reply Share

MihirVelani ayearago

Whyisitnotpossibletoprotectthewholegeneratorwindingwithasimplebalancedearthfault
protection?

Reply Share

StevenMcFadyen

Mod >MihirVelani

ayearago

It'sacaseofdetectingthelowmagnitudeof
faultcurrentwitheverythingelsegoingon.Forfaultsclosethe
neutral,thevoltageacrossthefaultwillbeapproachingzeroandthefault
currentlimited.Youneedasensitivedetection.Youalsowantsome
toactivatequicklysothefaultisnotlongonthesystem.

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