Protection Systems & Devices (Relays) 3rd Year

CHAPTER 6 Busbar Protection

Busbars are important and need special attention due to: Fault level at busbars is very high. The faults at busbars cause disconnection of power to large portions of the system. Busbars faults should be cleared in very short time ( 50 ms ) to avoid damage to insulation. Stability of the system is affected by busbars faults. Its desirable to include the following in busbar protection: 1. High speed. 2. Stability for external faults. 3. Freedom from unwanted operation. 4. No operation due to CT saturation. 5. Interlock with generators for over current. 6.Use main and check protection to assure disconnection only when desirable. Methods of busbar protection 1. 2. 3. 4. Overcurrent relays of connected circuits. Directional interlock. Differential protection. Frame leakage earth fault.

1. Overcurrent Relays
The fault in bus A can be sensed by R5 and R4. In this type of protection, all the circuit breakers of the busbar zone are disconnected. These are C 1, C2, C3, C4 & C5. R6 & R7 will act as backup protection if C4 and C5 do not clear the fault. For fault in bus B, R8 will sense the fault and C6, C7 and C8 will open. This type of protection is slow and evolves complicated control system to discriminate faults within the zone. Also, the zone of the busbar is not clearly identified. 44

Protection Systems & Devices (Relays) 3rd Year

2. Directional Interlock

It uses directional relays in source circuits and over current relays in load circuits. It makes the discrimination between internal and external faults possible. The contacts of the relays are interlocked in such a way that if power flows the busbar is sufficiently low, all the circuit breakers on the source side and the load side are tripped.

3. Differential Protection

For normal conditions, the vector sum of currents entering the bus zone is equal to the vector sum of currents leaving the bus zone. i.e. Ii = zero During internal faults, the vector sum of currents in the circuits connected to bus bar is equal to fault current, i.e. Ii = If Disadvantages: 1. Large number of circuits having different current levels. 2. Saturation of CT cores due to d.c. component in s.c. current. 3. Sectionalizing of bus makes the circuit complicated.

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Protection Systems & Devices (Relays) 3rd Year

4. Frame leakage Earth Fault

One of the famous connections for busbars: 2 out of 3

Only 2 of the 3 circuit breakers can operate at the same time. The circuit breakers on the transformers are normally closed but the circuit breaker in the centre of the busbar is normally open.

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