Presentation 3.

Testing the Alpha Plane Characteristic of the

SEL311L with GPS Synchronized Tests

Prepared by: Azeem Makadam, City of Cape Town, Protection: Performance Audit & Settings
Presented by: Alexander Dierks, Alectrix (Pty) Ltd

Cape Town, South Africa

South Africa: Some Statistics…

Population: 49 Million
Area: 1,219,912 km2

In Johannesburg
Pretoria
1996 has 58%
only gets
of allmore
the second rainnumber
largest
householdsthan
had
Weather of embassies
accessLondon,
in the world
to electricity
Inbut
Embassiesit rains
2007 after
this onWashington
fewerincreased
number than DC
80 days a
to 80%
year!

Eskom generates 45% of Africa’s electricity

Household access to electricity

Slide 2

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.2

Awesome South Africa

Who of the following famous South Africans

was NOT born in South Africa?

A – Nelson Mandela B – Charlize Theron C – Princess D – Desmond Tutu

Charlene

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.3

Overview

Introduction
How does the Alpha plane work
How to test the Alpha plane characteristic
Which fault elements to test and how
The automatic test template created
Summary

Introduction

¾ City of Cape Town (CoCT) uses two current differential schemes:

¾ ABB RED 670 - Biased current differential characteristic
- Feeder with in-zone transformer
¾ SEL 311L - Alpha plane characteristic
- Line or feeder only

¾ OMICRON has the Advanced Differential Module to test biased current

differential characteristic
¾ Alpha plane is unique to SEL and a new test required to prove Alpha plane
characteristic
¾ Current SEL 311L applications in the City
¾ Four 2-terminal feeders
¾ Two 3-terminal feeders
¾ This will increase as CoCT has standardized on the SEL 311L scheme

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.4

SEL 311L
Line Current Differential and Impedance Relay

Features of line current differential function:

Alpha plane instead of biased differential principle
Simple concept
Fast operating times
Easy to set
Secure for CT saturation

SEL 311L
Alpha Plane: Operating Principle

Restraint Trip
Region Region
Complex ratio of
remote to local
currents

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.5

SEL 311L
Alpha Plane: Through Fault

IL IR

IL = 1A @0º
IR = 1A @180º
α = 1 @180º

SEL 311L
Alpha Plane: In Zone Fault

IL IR

IL = 1A @0º
IR = 1A @0º
α = 1 @0º

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.6

SEL 311L
Alpha Plane: Settings

87LR – Dimension of semicircle

87LANG – Opening of semicircle

5 current differential elements:

A, B and C phase
0
Negative sequence
Ground

SEL 311L
Alpha Plane: Security for CT Saturation

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.7

SEL 311L
Alpha Plane: Output Logic
Differential and restraint elements: A phase Alpha plane

differential current check

differential trip

restraint region detection

Testing the Alpha Plane

2 x Current injection units - CMC 256 or CMC 356

2 x GPS time synchronizing units – CMGPS

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.8

The Test Set-up

Testing the Alpha Plane

Define Test Parameters:

Defined in Test Object
Consists of:
General Settings
Relay Settings
Test Settings

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.9

Testing the Alpha Plane

General Settings:

Testing the Alpha Plane

Relay Settings:

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.10

Testing the Alpha Plane

Test Settings:
One end ‘Local Side’, other selected to ‘Remote Side’
Test current ≥ 2 x Inom
Define test tolerances

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests Performed:
Stability and trip time at 1pu @1800
Element tests at 6pu @1800
A phase
B phase
C phase
Negative sequence
Ground

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.11

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Stability & Trip Time
Use Operate contact (87LOP)
Stability = INside restraint characteristic
Performed for 30 seconds
Ensures stability and relay is restraining (check Iα on relay!)
Trip test = OUTside restraint characteristic
Measure trip time of relay operating characteristic

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Element Tests
Use Alpha plane restraint contact (R87)
Trip region = OUTside restraint characteristic
Restraint element SHOULD NOT pick up
Restraint region = INside restraint characteristic
Restraint element SHOULD pick up
Both states performed of 200 ms

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.12

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Element Tests
Phase elements
Only desired phase should operate
Phase under test - phase differential current must be above phase
current enabler level i.e. 87LPP
Remaining two phases - phase differential current must be below
87LPP
Ground differential current must be below 87LGP
Negative sequence differential current must be below 87L2P

Differential current enablers

Phase differential: 87LPP = │ILOCAL + IREMOTE │

Ground differential: 87LGP = │3I0L + 3I0R │

Negative sequence differential: 87L2P = │3I2L + 3I2R │

Testing the Alpha Plane

Tests Performed: Phase A Element

Note: Remote side is always 2A @0 0

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.13

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Test: Phase A Element: Local

I2 Differential Operate
AØ Differential Operate Restraints

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Phase A Element: Remote

AØ Differential Operate

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.14

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Phase Elements

Negative sequence differential: 87L2P = │3I2L + 3I2R │

Local: IA = 0.317A ෳ1800 I B = 0.16A ෳ00 IC = 0.16A ෳ00
I2 = 0.16A ෳ1800
Remote: IA = 2A ෳ00 IB = 1A ෳ00 IC = 1A ෳ00
I2 = 1A ෳ00
87L2P = │3(0.16ෳ1800) + 3(1A ෳ00)│
= 2.52A
Max setting for 87L2P = 1
Cannot inject unbalanced phase current that do not result in
negative sequence currents

When testing phase differential, negative sequence differential

will also operate

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Phase B Element

BØ Differential Operate

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.15

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Phase C Element

CØ Differential Operate

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Negative Sequence Element

More sensitive than phase differential

Phase current differential must be less than 87LPP
Ground current differential must be less than 87LGP

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.16

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Negative Sequence Element

I2 Differential Operate

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Ground Element

More sensitive than phase differential

Phase current differential must be less than 87LPP
Negative sequence current differential must be less than 87L2P

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.17

Testing the Alpha Plane

Functional Tests: Ground Element

I0 Differential Operate

Testing the Alpha Plane

Alpha Plane Characteristic Test
Performed on phase A only
Check test, i.e. one shot inside and one shot outside characteristic
Test points:
Outer characteristic : 300 intervals from +900 to -900
Inner characteristic: 1800
Angular blinder: 1pu, 1/3pu and 3pu intervals

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.18

Testing the Alpha Plane

Alpha Plane Characteristic Test

Test Points

OPERATE

RESTRAINT

Testing the Alpha Plane

Alpha Plane Characteristic Test
Outside restraint characteristic:
+90º +150º +120º +180º

Inside restraint characteristic:

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.19

Testing the Alpha Plane

Alpha Plane Characteristic Test
Outside restraint characteristic:
3pu 1pu 1/3pu Inner Circle @180º

Inside restraint characteristic:

Testing the Alpha Plane

Problem: Chattering Restraint Element
Initial Tests

Restraint Chatter

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.20

Testing the Alpha Plane

Problem: Chattering Restraint Element
Restraint elements were picking up intermittently
All restraint elements were delayed through a timer
A delay on pickup of 50ms was implemented
All assessments were extended by 50ms accordingly

Testing the Alpha Plane

Special Case: CT Ratio Mismatch

Local side: Test current remains 2 x Inom

Remote side: Test current adjusted by factor

Local CT Ratio
Remote CT Ratio

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium

 Presentation 3.21

Conclusion

Testing Alpha plane characteristic is possible

Two CMC 256 or CMC 356 and two GPS units are required
Our test template for the SEL311L was proven
Relatively fast testing: approx. 45min per feeder
(includes swopping local and remote settings in the template)

Accuracy of 5% / 5º - consistently passed all tests

Accuracy of 1% / 1º - a few tests failed = inconsistent results

3 terminal applications:
Stability and trip time test can be done for all 3 terminals at once
Alpha plane needs to be tested two terminals at a time,
i.e. stations A-B, stations A-C (and/or stations B-C)

Thank You for your Attention!

Questions?

© OMICRON electronics GmbH 2011 – International Protection Testing Symposium