G CB T ECH TH EM E

How generator circuit-breakers keep

transformers in power plants safe
The saying “prevention is better than cure” holds true when it comes to protecting power plants.
Generator circuit-breaker (GCB) is designed specifically for the protection of generators and transformers in power plants.

The use of a GCB that is installed between generator and the associated step-up transformer shows several advantages such as
simplified operational procedures, higher protection of power plant equipment and higher power plant availability among many
others. This paper further reveals how the use of GCB could prevent severe damage to transformers. In case where pressure rise
caused by internal fault-arc should occur, the GCB has an effectiveness of more than 80% in preventing transformer explosion.
Step-up transformers in power plants usually show high reliability. Nevertheless, failures occasionally occur in different locations
inside the tank.

Depending on the fault-arc energy, the pressure rise can be sufficiently high to
crack the transformer tank or to blow out one or more of the bushings before
these faults are cleared by protection devices.

In most of these cases, if a GCB is not installed, the fault inside the transformer
leads to a fire with consequent long-duration outage of the plant. These damages
lead to loss of power production, resulting in loss of profit and heavy fines in
some countries.

Today, for operational and safety reasons, it is common to install a GCB between
the generator and step-up transformer.

Pressure
Typical arrangement of a power plant
with GCB

A study has proven that severe damage can be prevented

if the generator-fed fault current is interrupted by a GCB
quickly enough. Generator-fed short-circuit currents are
interrupted by the GCB within a maximum of four cycles
whereas the reduction of the fault current by the de-
excitation equipment requires a number of seconds.

A calculation procedure has been developed by means of

a suitable computer code. The goal was to estimate the
probability that the use of a GCB can prevent
transformer explosion in case of fault.

Time
Pressure rise inside transformer tank of different fault
Flow diagram of calculation procedure

Case studies
Using the calculation procedure, three failure cases in existing
power plants were calculated and one of them is shown here
as an example:

Transformer: 426 MVA, 22 kV/250 kV, uk= 14%

Generator: Short-circuit impedance = 23%
Pressure rise inside transformer tank for different fault
System: Short-circuit power = 10 GVA
Circuit-Breaker
tripping: HV-side t1 = 40 ms
LV-side t2 = 80 ms after fault initiation

Detailed calculations are available here.

The results
Statistical treatment of the results obtained demonstrates Example of a transformer failure without GCB
the extent of how installing a GCB can prevent severe damage
of the power transformer and of the entire installation. Sequence of events:
t = 0 ms: earth fault at HV-side of transformer
In conclusion, these case studies show that the use of a GCB t = 45 ms: 2-phase short-circuit
can greatly reduce the possibility of a tank rupture, and the t = 95 ms: 3-phase short-circuit
probability to prevent transformer explosion results in more t ≈ 150 ms: explosion of transformer
than 80%.

References
1
Prevention of Tank Rupture of Faulted Power Transformers by Generator Circuit Breakers, B. Culver, K. Fröhlich, L. Widenhorn.