GENERATOR PROTECTION

By
Subhash Thakur
PE-Elect
sthakur@ntpceoc.co.in
 Generator Protection
 Gen Stator Thermal Protection
 Field Thermal Protection
 Gen stator fault Protection
 Gen rotor field Protection
 Gen abnormal operating conditions
 System backup Protection
 Power transformer Protection
 Generator Protection
Stator Thermal protection

Thermal protection for the generator stator core and windings

 Generator overload
 Winding Temperature
 Over current
 Failure of cooling systems
 RTDs Thermocouple
 Flow and pressure sensor
 Localized hot spots caused by core lamination
insulation failures or by localized or rapidly developing
winding failures
 Generator Core monitor
 Generator Protection

Turbine-generator short time thermal capability for balanced three-phase loading

 Generator Protection
Generator Field Thermal protection

Thermal Protection
 Direct rotor Body temperature measurement
not possible
 Core Monitor may detect overheating
Protection for field over excitation
 IDMT/ Definite Time
 Excitation limiters
 Generator Protection

Generator field short time thermal capability

 Generator Protection Requirement

 Generator faults are considered to be serious since they

may cause severe and costly damage to insulation,
windings, and the core may also produce severe
mechanical torsional shock to shafts and couplings.

 Fault current may continue to flow for many seconds even

after the generator is tripped, because of trapped flux
within the machine, thereby increasing the amount of fault
damage.

 As a consequence, for faults in or near the generator that

produce high magnitudes of short-circuit currents, some
form of high-speed protection is normally used to trip and
shut down the machine as quickly as possible in order to
minimize damage.
 Stator fault Protection
 High Speed Differential protection
– Will detect Phase to Phase Faults, Double phase
faults involving earth
– Single phase to Earth will not be detected due to
limited earth fault current available.

 Two types of high-speed differential relays

are commonly used for stator phase fault
detection:
– High-impedance differential
– Biased differential
 High Impedance Differential Relay
 Use two sets of identical dedicated CTs.
 PS class CT with stringent parameters to be used
 This scheme has higher sensitivity than the
percentage differential relay.
 Through fault stability achieved by using
stabilising resistors in the relay circuit.
 High Impedance Differential Relay
Stabilizing resistor calculation :
Vs = If (Rct+2Rl)
If - Maximum through fault current in the
system
(converted to sec side)
Rct- Secondary resistance of the CT
Rl – lead resistance of the sec connection
(typ 8.73 ohms per km for 2.5 sq mm cu
cable)
Rs = Vs/Is – (VA/Is*Is)

Typical setting 5- 10% of rated current.

 Biased Type Diff Relay

 Less stringent CT parameters. CTs can be shared with other

protections.
 Through fault stability achieved through biasing.
 CT mismatch (typ of the order of 1:5 ) can be accommodated.
 More suitable for numerical integrated protection systems as the
CTs can be shared for many functions.
 Modern numerical relays have flexible settings for
 Id, b (point of slope change) and the slopes.
 Biased Differential protection

Typical bias setting: 10% of rated current.

 INTERTURN PROTECTION
 Current based system
– For generators with split neutrals with all six terminals
brought out on neutral side.
– Delayed low-set o/c relay which senses the current in
the connection between the neutrals of the stator
windings

Voltage based system

– Relay compares the neutral NGT sec voltage and
Genertaor terminal open delta voltage.
– Balance during external E/F or normal condition
– During inter turn fault open delta voltage will be
developed and NGT sec voltage will be zero, resulting in
a differential voltage which makes the relay operate.

Typical setting

Definite time type relays: minimum setting with 1 sec delay.

Inter turn protection

Split Phase Protection

Voltage Based

V
o
l
 Generator Grounding Practices
It is common practice to ground all types of
generators through some form of external
impedance
 limit the mechanical stresses and fault damage
in the machine,
 to limit transient voltages during faults, and
 to provide a means for detecting ground faults
within the machine.
Typical Grounding practices
 Ungrounded
 Solid Grounding
 High-impedance grounding
 Low-resistance grounding
 Reactance grounding
 Grounding-transformer grounding
 Generator Grounding Practices
 Ungrounded
– Phase to ground fault current limited
– Generators are not often operated ungrounded
as it may produce high transient over-voltages
during faults and makes the fault location
difficult to determine.

 Solid Grounding
– Solid grounding of a generator neutral is not
generally used since this practice may result in
high mechanical stresses and excessive fault
damage in the machine.
 Generator Grounding Practices
 High Impedance Grounding
– High resistance grounding
The high-resistance grounding method utilizes a resistor
connected across the secondary of the distribution transformer
to limit the maximum ground fault current.
For a single-phase-to-ground fault at the machine terminals, the
primary fault current will be limited to a value in the range of
about 3 A to 25 A.
– Ground fault neutralizer grounding
 The ground fault neutralizer grounding method utilizes a
secondary tunable reactor to limit the maximum ground fault
current.
 Low –resistance grounding
 In this method, a resistor is connected directly between the
generator neutral and ground.
 For a single-phase-to-ground fault at its terminals the primary
fault current will be limited to a value in the range of about 200
A up to 150% of rated full-load current.
 Resistor cost and size usually preclude the use of resistors.
Stator Earth Fault Protection

 E/F current is typically limited to

5-10A to minimizes the
damage to laminations.
 First earth fault is less critical
but needs clearance as
 It may develop into a ph to ph fault .
 Second fault will result in very high
current.
 Two types of coverage:
 100 % winding
 95 % winding
 95 % Stator Earth Fault

 Any fault involving earth results shift of

Neutral voltage.

 This shift can be detected by measuring the

Voltage across Grounding Resistor Or from the
generator terminal Open Delta voltage.
 Typical coverage 95% Of Stator Winding.

 Typical Setting:
– 5% with 1 Sec TD
 100 % Stator E/F Protection

• Third Harmonic Principle

• Relay responds to the reduction of the 3rd
Harmonic Component
• For a Stator Phase-to-ground fault at or
near the Generator Neutral, there will be
an increase in third Harmonic Voltage at
The Generator Terminals, which Will Cause
Relay Operation.
100% SEF based on third harmonics
measurements
 100% SEF based on third harmonics
measurements

Disadvantages

Due to design variations, certain generating

units may not produce sufficient third
harmonic voltages.

This method does not protect the machine

during stand still conditions.
 100% stator earth fault protection
(Low freq. injection principle)

 Detects the ground faults

by injecting a low frequency
signal (say 20 hz) at the
neutral earthing transformer
max. 20 Hz and monitor the earth
200 V
RE current in the winding.
I
 SEF USING INJECTION PRINCIPLE
TYPICAL CONNECTION
Bandpass 20-Hz-Generator
Earthing transformer Low ohmic (8 Ω at 20 Hz) (appr. 25 V)
a
DC or AC
RL
b Blocking
400A
5A

Relay
U

a I
Neutral
transformer b

Typical settings for 500 MW unit

Trip : 1 KOhm / 1 sec
Alarm : 10 Kohm /10 sec
 Rotor Earth Fault Protection
Effects
 First rotor E/F does not cause immediate damage
 Second E/F results in short circuit of rotor winding.
 Causes magnetic unbalance/mechanical forces

Measure
 Low frequency injection method
– Modern rotor earth fault protection relay operates on
the principle of low frequency injection into the field
winding via capacitors.
– Corresponding current or resistance during E/F is
sensed

 Typical setting for a 500 mw Generator

Alarm 25 k ohm time = 10 sec
Trip 5 k ohm time = 1 sec
Rotor E/F Using Low frequency injection method
Rotor E/F Using Low frequency injection method
 Negative sequence protection
 Causes of negative squence current
– one pole open in line
– Unbalanced loads
– Unbalanced system faults

 Induces double frequency rotor current in the rotor surface

thereby leading to high and dangerous temperatures in a short
span of time.

 Negative sequence protection relays shall be set to the NPS

withstand capability of the machine which is given by
k = i22x t

 Typical for 500 mw

Permissible neg seq current = 5 – 8 % of stator current
permissive i22x t = 5 – 10

settings adopted for ntpc

i2 = = 7.5 %
i 2xt = 8
Negative sequence protection
Loss of field protection
 Loss of field protection

 Acts as an induction generator

 Induced eddy currents in the field winding, rotor body,
wedges and retaining rings
 MW flow in to the system/ MVAR flows in to the machine.
 The apparent imp moves in to the forth quadrant of x-y
plane

 Method of detection:
Impedance measurement with Under Voltage

 Some relays are set in the admittance plane matching

with the capability curve of the machine.
Trip characteristics of loss of field protection
Trip characteristics of loss of field
protection
Trip characteristics of loss of field protection
 Generator Capability Curve

RELAY LINE
 Out of step protection
 Machine runs out of synchronism with the network
 Cyclic variation of rotor angle
 Current increases.
 Results in the winding stress
 It may also damage the auxiliaries of the affected unit

Method of detection
– Variations in impedance measured at Gen Terminal
– Distinguish between the recoverable swing and the
irrecoverable swing
– blinders and a supervisory mho element,
– Trips the machine when imp is inside the mho and
cross the blinders with the specified time.
– Minimum impedance (multiple zone) + counting no
of swings
Out of step protection settings
Typical Over Fluxing Withstand
Capability
 Accidental back energisation
 Cause

– Flash over of the generator breaker

– Incorrect closing of the generator breaker

 Effects

– Cause operation as an induction motor

– Damage machine and turbine
– The rapid heating iron paths near the rotor surface
due to stator induced current.

 Over current + CB auxiliary contacts

– checks for the current when the gen breaker
contacts are open
– set below the rated current(90%)
– o/c and u/v measurements

 Setting - o/c 1.2 times & u/v 70%

Accidental Back Energisation
Reverse /Low forward power Protection
 Low forward and reverse power
inter lock

 To allow entrapped steam in the turbine to

be utilized to avoid damage of the turbine
blade.

 To protect the machine from motoring action

 Trip under class B after a short time delay in

case the turbine is already tripped ( typ set at
2 sec)

 Trip under class A, after a long time delay if

turbine is not tripped (typically set at 10 -30
sec)

 Power setting typ 0.5 % of rated power

 O/V & U/F protection

Typical settings of a 3 stage o/v relay is as follows

– Alarm 110 % 2 sec
– Trip 120 % 1 sec
– 140 % instantaneous

Abnormal Frequency protection

Typical setting:
U/F O/F
Alarm - 48.5hz 5 sec 51 hz 1 sec
Trip - 47.4 hz 2 sec
 Backup impedance protection

 For uncleared system fault

 The backup protection is time delayed to

coordinate with the zone 3 setting of lines
 Detected by
– over current
– impedance
– Impedance type preferred as the line is
provided with distance relays
 Setting should be made to cover the GT imp and
the longest line impedance.
 Setting should take care of the infeed from other
generators connected to the same bus also.
 Time setting 1.5 –2 sec
 Over view of type of fault Vs protection
FAULT/ EFFECT PROTECTION
ABNML
Thermal over Over heating of stator wdg / Thermo couples/
loading insulation failure Over current relays
External fault Unbalanced loading stress Over load/negative phase
sequence relay, Backup
Impedance/ Earth Fault
Stator faults Winding burn out Differential protection
Shorting of of core lamination 100% E/F prot/95% E/F
Inter turn protection

Rotor fault Damage to shaft/bearing Two stage rotor E/F protection

Motoring Damage to turbine blades LFPR/Rev power Inter lock

O/V,O/F,U.F Insulation failure,Heating of O/V relay Volt/Hz relay

core failure of blades U/F relay
Loss of field Induction gen operation Loss of field
Absorb MVAR from
system/damage to rotor wdg
 COMMONLY USED GEN/GEN TRFR RELAYS
PROTECTION ALSTOM/AREVA ABB SIEMENS REMARK

HIGH IMP CAG 34 RADHA In case of duplicated diff,

DIFF MICOM P343 REG 216 7UM SERIES one low imp & one high
imp preferred
BIASED DIFF MBCH RADSB 7 UT
For trfr biased relay
MICOM RET 316 preferred
P 633
POWER RXPE PPX 7 UM SERIES Directional power relays
RELAYS
LOSS OF YCGF RAGPC(DIR 7UM SERIES Impedance /
FIELD O/C+U/V) admittance

100% E/F PVMM GIX 7UE22 Low frequency injection

MICOM P343 REG 216 7UM SERIES type preferred over 3 rd
PG871 harmonic principle

95% E/F VDG 7UM SERIES Open delta of gen sec VT

BACK UP YCG15 RAKZB 7UM 516 Minimum impedance

IMP MICOM SERIES REG
PROTECTIO ALSTOM ABB SIEMENS Remarks
N
OVER GTTM RATUB 7RW IDMT
FLUXING RALK
POLE ZTO+YTGM1 RXZF+RXPE 7UM 516 IMPEDANCE
SLIPPING 5 IMP+ DIR O/C
IMP+NO OF POWER
SWINGS

ACC. BACK CTIG RAGUA 7UM SERIES O/C +CB AUX CONTACT
ENERG CURRENT
ELEMENT+U/V

INTER VDG REG 7UM SERIES comp of open delta 0n

TURN MICOM gen term+ngt sec
voltage
NEG PH CTN RARIB 7UM SERIES MEASUREMENT OF I2
SEQ
REF CAG/FAG RADHD 7UM SERIES HIGH IMP PREFFERED
ROTOR E/F VDG REG SERIES 7UR 22
MICOM 7 UM SERIES
SERIES
Type of fault Protection Channel Recommendatio
n
Short circuit 87 G1 1
87G2 2
87 GT 1 OR 2
Stator Earth Fault 64G1 1
64G2 2
Inter turn 95G 1 OR 2

unbalance 46G 1 OR 2

Over load 51G Alarm

Loss of excitation 40G1 1

40G2 2
Out of step 98G 1 OR 2 >100 MW

Motoring 32 G1/2 / 37 G1/G2 1/2

O/V,O/F 59/99 1 /2
U/F 81G1/81G1 1/2
System back up 21G 1&2

Accidental energisation 50GDM 1 &2

Rotor E/F 64F 1 OR 2

Generator Transformer Protection
 Differential
– biased differential
20 % bias setting (to cover tap range and
ct mismatch if any)
time: instantaneous

Back up earth fault

Definite time or IDMT relay
30 % with 2 sec time delay
To be coordinated with distance prot zone 3
 UT PROTECTION

Differential
Biased differential used
biased setting 20%

Back up over current

2-3 times the full load current
Delay of 1 sec to take care of any large motor
starting case

Restricted E/F
High impedance
Set to 5%-10% in high impedance earthing
Backup E/F
Set to 30% rated current with delay of 1 sec
 Other Protections
 Overall Differential Protection (87GT)
- Covers generator, GT & UT

 GT overhang differential Protection

(87HV)
- Protects GT HV wdg & overhang
portion between GT bushing
and switchyard.
Typical Gen Prot SLD

Typical Generator
protection
scheme
NON GCB SCHEME GCB SCHEME
TRIP LOGIC OF GENERATOR PROTECTION
 Two independent channels with independent CT/VT inputs/ DC
supply/ Trip relays

 Class “A” Trip (Urgent Trips)

– All electrical trip
– Issues instantaneous Trip to
Turbine , Excitation, Generator EHV CBs,UT LV CBs
– In GCB Scheme Class A1 and A2
– Class A1 Issues instantaneous Trip to
Turbine , Excitation, Generator EHV CBs,GCB, UT LV CBs
– Class A2 Issues instantaneous Trip to
Turbine , Excitation, GCB
 Class-B Trip (Non-urgent Trips)
– Turbine Trips, GT and UT OTI/WTI trips
– Issues delayed Trip to (After Low Forward Power timer)
 In Non-GCB scheme-Excitation, Generator CBs,UT LV CBs
 In GCB scheme, only GCB and field are tripped, UT remains
charged through GT.
 Class C Trip
Trips HV CB only.
CLASS BREAKERS TO BE TRIPPED UNDER VARIOUS CLASSES OF
OF TRIP TRIPPING
GCB SCHEME NON GCB SCHEME
(additional LV CB between Gen
and GT)
Class A A1: GCB,HVCB,UT LV CB, HVCB,UT LV CB, FIELD,
FIELD, TURBINE TURBINE
(All the system tripped) (All the system tripped)

A2 : GCB, FIELD, TURBINE

(Generator circuit tripped &
Auxiliaries charged from the
grid through GT&UT)
Class B GCB,FIELD BREAKER HVCB,UT LV CB, FIELD
Initiated by Turbine trip & Low BREAKER.
Forward /reverse power, to
release the trapped steam.
Generator circuit breaker
tripped & Auxiliaries charged
from the grid through GT&UT)
Class C HVCB HVCB
(Generator under House load ) (Generator under House
load )
 RELAY GROUPING
SL PROTECTION FUNCTION CLASS OF Preferred grouping
NO TRIP of protection
NON GCB
GCB
1. Generator Differential A A2 87 G and 87 GT
Protection, (87 G) shall be on two
(DUPLICATED IN CASE OF different channels of
GCB SCHEME) protection.
2. Overall Di fferential A A1
Protection (87GT).

3. Generator Transformer A A1 87 T shall be in a

Differential protection different channel
(87 T) than 87 GT
4. Over hang differential A A1 87 HV shall be in a
protection(87 HV) different channel
than 87T
5. Stator Earth Fault A A2 64 G1 and 64 G2
Protection covering 100% shall be on two
of winding based on low different channels of
frequency injection protection.
principle.(64G1).
6. Stator Standby Earth A A2
Fault Protection covering
95% of winding (64 G2)
7. Inter -turn Fault A A2
Protection (95G1),

8. Duplicated Loss of field A 40G1 and 40G2

protection (40G1/2 ). A2 shall be on two
different channels of
protection.
9. Back up Impedance A A1
Protection, 3 pole (21G)
10. Backup Earth Fault A A1 21 G and 51 NGT
Protection on Generator be in different
Transformer HV neutral channels
(51NGT)
11. Negative Sequence A A2
Current Protection, (46G)
1. Duplicated Low-Forward 37/32 G1 and 37/32
Power / reverse power G2 shall be in two
Interlock for steam different channels of
turbine generator (37 protection
/32G1 & 37/32 G2), each
having two stages,

a) short time delayed B B

interlocked with turbine
trip
b) long time delayed A A2
independent of turbine
trip.

2. Two Stage Rotor Earth A A2

Fault Protection based on
injection principle.(64F).
3. Definite Time Delayed A A2
Over-Voltage Protection
(59G) Over Flux function
4. Generator Under C C (99) shall be in a
Frequency Protection different channel
(81G) with df/dt than O/V and U/F
elements. functions
5. i) Over Fluxing Protection A A1
(99 T) for Generator
Transformer
ii) Over fluxing protection ----- A2
for
Generator (99 G)( only
incase of GCB scheme)
6. Accidental Back A A1 50 GDM based on
Energisation protection the two principle
(50GDM) on two principles shall be on two
different channels.
a) based on U/V and O/C

b) based on CB status
and O/C
7. Instantaneous and time A A2
delayed Over Current
protection to be used on
HV side of excitation
transformer.

8. Generator Pole slipping A A2

protection(98G)
1. Unit Transformer A A1
Differential Protection, 3
pole (87UT) 87 UT & 51
NUT can be in
2. Unit Transformer LV A A1 one channel
back-up earth fault and 64 UT LV &
protection . ( 51NUT). 51UT shall be
in another
3. Unit Transformer LV REF A A1 channel.
(64 UT LV)

4. Unit transformer back-up A A1

over current protection
(51UT).
5. Gen Transformer OTI/WTI Turbine Turbine After turbine
trip Trip Trip trip other
breakers are
tripped through
class B
6. Gen Transformer A A1
Buchholtz, PRD /other
mechanical Protections

7. Unit Transformer UT LV UT LV CB
OTI/WTI trip CB Trip Trip &
& signal for
signal change
for over of
change unit
over of board.
unit
board.
8. Unit Transformer A A1
Buchholtz, PRD /other
mechanical Protections
9. 64 GT (For GT LV wdg & A1
UT HV wdg)
10. EHV CB/GCB LBB A A1
11. EHV BB PROTN A A1
ADDITIONAL control/protection interlocks realized through GRP

SL.NO INITIATION ACTION

1 GT FIRE TRIP CLASS A AND DISCONNECT POWER

PROTECTION SUPPLY TO GT MB
2 UT FIRE TRIP CLASS A AND DISCONNECT POWER
PROTECTION SUPPLY TO UT MB
3 GT TAP CHANGER TRIP CLASS A
OPERATED & HVCB
CLOSED
4 HV CB /FCB CLOSED START GT COOLER
5 GT COOLER SUPPLY TRIP CLASS A AFTER TIME DELAY
TOTAL FAILURE
6 AVR SERIOUS TRIP CLASS A
TROUBLE
 Numerical integrated generator protection
systems

 Many functions in the same relay

 Takes multiple CT/VT inputs.
 Minimum of 2 nos to be used.
 All the prot functions are to be divided in to 2 groups .
 Built in DR(fast scan)/SOE functions
 Self supervision
 Communicable
 Has programmable logic gates which simplifies the auxiliary
circuits.
COMMON RELAYS ARE
REG series OF ABB 7UM SERIES OF SIEMENS
MICOM SERIES OF AREVA.
GENERATOR DISTURBANCE RECORDER

 Record the graphic form of instantaneous

values of power system variables
 Fast scan (1-5 khz) and slow scan (5/10 hz)
features
 Sufficient analogue/digital inputs.
 Triggering from digital inputs and
threshold/rate of change of analogue values.
 Adequate memory
 Good frequency response
 Individual acquisition units and commom
evaluation unit for a station
Thank You
For
Your Time