External and Internal Faults in Transformer

It is essential to protect high capacity transformers against external and

internal electrical faults.

External Faults in Power Transformer

External Short Circuit of Power Transformer
The short - circuit may occur in two or three phases of electrical power
system. The level of fault current is always high enough. It depends upon
the voltage which has been short-circuited and upon the impedance of the
circuit up to the fault point. The copper loss of the fault feeding transformer
is abruptly increased. This increasing copper loss causes internal heating
in the transformer. Large fault current also produces severe mechanical
stresses in the transformer. The maximum mechanical stresses occur
during first cycle of symmetrical fault current.
High Voltage Disturbance in Power Transformer
High voltage disturbance in power transformer are of two kinds,
1. Transient Surge Voltage
2. Power Frequency Over Voltage
Transient Surge Voltage
High voltage and high frequency surge may arise in the power system due
to any of the following causes,
 Arcing ground if neutral point is isolated.
 Switching operation of different electrical equipment.
 Atmospheric Lightening Impulse.
Whatever may be the causes of surge voltage, it is after all a traveling
wave having high and steep wave form and also having high frequency.
This wave travels in the electrical power system network, upon reaching in
the power transformer, it causes breakdown of the insulation between turns
adjacent to line terminal, which may create short circuit between turns.
Power Frequency Over Voltage
There may be always a chance of system over voltage due to sudden
disconnection of large load. Although the amplitude of this voltage is higher
than its normal level but frequency is same as it was in normal condition.
Over voltage in the system causes an increase in stress on the insulation of
transformer. As we know that, voltage

, increased voltage causes proportionate increase in the working flux.

This therefore causes, increased in iron loss and proportionately large
increase in magnetizing current. The increase flux is diverted from the
transformer core to other steel structural parts of the transformer. Core
bolts which normally carry little flux, may be subjected to a large
component of flux diverted from saturated region of the core alongside.
Under such condition, the bolt may be rapidly heated up and destroys their
own insulation as well as winding insulation.
Under Frequency Effect in Power Transformer
As, voltage

as the number of turns in the winding is fixed.

Therefore,

From, this equation it is clear that if frequency reduces in a system, the flux
in the core increases, the effect are more or less similar to that of the over
voltage.
Internal Faults in Power Transformer
The principle faults which occurs inside a power transformer are
categorized as,
1. Insulation breakdown between winding and earth
2. Insulation breakdown in between different phases
3. Insulation breakdown in between adjacent turns i.e. inter - turn fault
4. Transformer core fault
Internal Earth Faults in Power Transformer

Internal Earth Faults in a Star Connected Winding with Neutral Point Earthed
through an Impedance

In this case the fault current is dependent on the value of earthing

impedance and is also proportional to the distance of the fault point from
neutral point as the voltage at the point depends upon, the number of
winding turns come across neutral and fault point. If the distance between
fault point and neutral point is more, the number of turns under this
distance is also more, hence voltage across the neutral point and fault point
is high which causes higher fault current. So, in few words it can be said
that, the value of fault current depends on the value of earthing impedance
as well as the distance between the faulty point and neutral point. The fault
current also depends up on leakage reactance of the portion of the winding
across the fault point and neutral. But compared to the earthing impedance,
it is very low and it is obviously ignored as it comes in series with
comparatively much higher earthing impedance.
Internal Earth Faults in a Star Connected Winding with Neutral Point Solidly
Earthed
In this case, earthing impedance is ideally zero. The fault current is
dependent up on leakage reactance of the portion of winding comes across
faulty point and neutral point of transformer. The fault current is also
dependent on the distance between neutral point and fault point in the
transformer. As said in previous case the voltage across these two points
depends upon the number of winding turn comes across faulty point and
neutral point. So, in star connected winding with neutral point solidly
earthed, the fault current depends upon two main factors, first the leakage
reactance of the winding comes across faulty point and neutral point and
secondly the distance between faulty point and neutral point. But the
leakage reactance of the winding varies in complex manner with position of
the fault in the winding. It is seen that the reactance decreases very rapidly
for fault point approaching the neutral and hence the fault current is highest
for the fault near the neutral end. So, at this point, the voltage available for
fault current is low and at the same time the reactance opposes the fault
current is also low, hence the value of fault current is high enough. Again,
at fault point away from the neutral point, the voltage available for fault
current is high but at the same time reactance offered by the winding
portion between fault point and neutral point is high. It can be noticed that
the fault current stays a very high level throughout the winding. In other
word, the fault current maintains a very high magnitude irrelevant to the
position of the fault on winding.

Internal Phase to Phase Faults in Power Transformer

Phase to phase fault in the transformer are rare. If such a fault does occur,
it will give rise to substantial current to operate instantaneous over current
relay on the primary side as well as the differential relay.

Inter Turns Fault in Power Transformer

Power Transformer connected with electrical extra high voltage

transmission system, is very likely to be subjected to high magnitude, steep
fronted and high frequency impulse voltage due to lightening surge on the
transmission line. The voltage stresses between winding turns become so
large, it can not sustain the stress and causing insulation failure between
inter - turns in some points. Also, LV winding is stressed because of the
transferred surge voltage. Very large number of Power Transformer failure
arises from fault between turns. Inter turn fault may also be occurred due to
mechanical forces between turns originated by external short circuit.

Core Fault in Power Transformer

In any portion of the core lamination is damaged, or lamination of the core

is bridged by any conducting material that causes sufficient eddy current to
flow, hence, this part of the core becomes over heated. Sometimes,
insulation of bolts (Used for tightening the core lamination together) fails
which also permits sufficient eddy current to flow through the bolt and
causing over heating. This insulation failure in lamination and core bolts
causes severe local heating. Although these local heating, causes
additional core loss but can not create any noticeable change in input and
output current in the transformer, hence these faults cannot be detected by
normal electrical protection scheme. This is desirable to detect the local
over heating condition of the transformer core before any major fault
occurs. Excessive over heating leads to breakdown of transformer
insulating oil with evolution of gases. These gases are accumulated in
Buchholz relay and actuating Buchholz Alarm.

Backup Protection of Transformer / Over Current and

Earth Fault
Over Current and Earth Fault Protection of Transformer
Backup protection of electrical transformer is simple Over Current and
Earth Fault protection are applied against external short circuit and
excessive over loads. These over current and earth Fault relays may be of
Inverse Definite Minimum Time (IDMT) or Definite Time type relays (DMT).
Generally, IDMT relays are connected to the in-feed side of the
transformer. The over current relays cannot distinguish between external
short circuit, over load and internal faults of the transformer. For any of the
above fault, backup protection i.e. over current and earth fault
protection connected to in-feed side of the transformer will operate.
Backup protection is although generally installed at in feed side of the
transformer, but it should trip both the primary and secondary circuit
breakers of the transformer.

Over Current and Earth Fault protection relays may be also provided in
load side of the transformer too, but it should not inter trip the primary side
circuit breaker like the case of backup protection at in-feed side.

The operation is governed primarily by current and time settings and the
characteristic curve of the relay. To permit use of over load capacity of the
transformer and co-ordination with other similar relays at about 125 to
150% of full load current of the transformer but below the minimum short
circuit current. Backup protection of transformer has four elements; three
over current relays connected each in each phase and one earth fault relay
connected to the common point of three over current relays as shown in the
figure. The normal range of current settings available on IDMT over current
relays are 50% to 200% and on earth fault relay 20 to 80%.
Another range of setting on earth fault relay is also available and may be
selected where the earth fault current is restricted due to insertion of
impedance in the neutral grounding. In the case of transformer winding with
neutral earthed, unrestricted earth fault protection is obtained by
connecting an ordinary earth fault relay across a neutral current transformer.
The unrestricted over current and earth fault relays should have proper
time lag to co-ordinate with the protective relays of other circuit to avoid
indiscriminate tripping.

Transformer Protection and Transformer Fault

There are different kinds of transformers such as two winding or three
winding electrical power transformers, auto transformer, regulating
transformers, earthing transformers, rectifier transformers etc. Different
transformers demand different schemes of transformer protection
depending upon their importance, winding connections, earthing methods
and mode of operation etc.It is common practice to provide Buchholz relay
protection to all 0.5 MVA and above transformers. While for all small size
distribution transformers, only high voltage fuses are used as main
protective device. For all larger rated and important distribution
transformers, over current protection along with restricted earth fault
protection is applied.

Differential protection should be provided in the transformers rated above 5

MVA.
 Depending upon the normal service condition, nature of transformer faults,
degree of sustained over load, scheme of tap changing, and many other
factors, the suitable transformer protection schemes are chosen.

Nature of Transformer Faults

Although an electrical power transformer is a static device, but internal
stresses arising from abnormal system conditions, must be taken into
consideration. A transformer generally suffers from following types of
transformer fault-
1. Over current due to overloads and external short circuits,

2. Terminal faults,

3. Winding faults,

4. Incipient faults.

All the above-mentioned transformer faults cause mechanical and

thermal stresses inside the transformer winding and its connecting
terminals. Thermal stresses lead to overheating which ultimately affect the
insulation system of transformer. Deterioration of insulation leads to
winding faults. Sometime failure of transformer cooling system, leads to
overheating of transformer. So the transformer protection schemes are very
much required.
The short circuit current of an electrical transformer is normally limited by
its reactance and for low reactance, the value of short circuit current may
be excessively high. The duration of external short circuits which a
transformer can sustain without damage as given in BSS 171:1936.

Transformer % reactance Permitted fault duration in seconds

4% 2

5% 3

6% 4

7 % and over 5

The general winding faults in transformer are either earth faults or inter-
turns faults. Phase to phase winding faults in a transformer is rare. The
phase faults in an electrical transformer may be occurred due to bushing
flash over and faults in tap changer equipment. Whatever may be the
faults, the transformer must be isolated instantly during fault otherwise
major breakdown may occur in the electrical power system. Incipient faults
are internal faults which constitute no immediate hazard. But it these faults
are over looked and not taken care of, these may lead to major faults. The
faults in this group are mainly inter-lamination short circuit due to insulation
failure between core lamination, lowering the oil level due to oil leakage,
blockage of oil flow paths. All these faults lead to overheating. So
transformer protection scheme is required for incipient transformer faults
also. The earth fault, very nearer to neutral point of transformer star
winding may also be considered as an incipient fault. Influence of winding
connections and earthing on earth fault current magnitude. There are
mainly two conditions for earth fault current to flow during winding to earth
faults,

1. A current exists for the current to flow into and out of the winding.

2. Ampere-turns balance is maintained between the windings.

The value of winding earth fault current depends upon position of the fault
on the winding, method of winding connection and method of earthing. The
star point of the windings may be earthed either solidly or via a resistor. On
delta side of the transformer the system is earthed through an earthing
transformer. Grounding or earthing transformer provides low impedance
path to the zero sequence current and high impedance to the positive and
negative sequence currents.

Star Winding with Neutral Resistance Earthed

In this case the neutral point of the transformer is earthed via a resistor and
the value of impedance of it, is much higher than that of winding impedance
of the transformer. That means the value of transformer winding impedance
is negligible compared to impedance of earthing resistor. The value of earth
current is, therefore, proportional to the position of the fault in the winding.
As the fault current in the primary winding of the transformer is proportional
to the ratio of the short circuited secondary turns to the total turns on the
primary winding, the primary fault current will be proportional to the square
of the percentage of winding short circuited. The variation of fault current
both in the primary and secondary winding is shown below.

Star Winding with Neutral Solidly Earthed

In this case the earth fault current magnitude is limited solely by the
winding impedance and the fault is no longer proportional to the position of
the fault. The reason for this non- linearity is unbalanced flux linkage.