C ONTENTS

1 Objective II

2 Introduction II

3 Why do we need to study Power System Protection? III

4 Elements of Power System III

5 Protection devices used in Power System III

5.1 Fuses..........................................................................................................................................III
5.2 Relays........................................................................................................................................IV
5.2.1 Type of Relays.............................................................................................................IV
5.3 Circuit Breaker........................................................................................................................V
5.4 Isolators.....................................................................................................................................V

6 Protection Schemes VI
6.1 Comparison of all Protection Schemes...............................................................................VI

7 Conclusion VI

8 Learning Outcomes VI

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 DEPARTMENT OF E LECTRICAL E NGINEERING

Introduction to Power System Protection.

1 O BJECTIVE
• To provide students with a fundamental understanding of power system
protection principles, equipment, and practices through hands-on laboratory
exercises

• To develop the skills necessary to design, implement, and troubleshoot

protective schemes in electrical power systems, ensuring the safety and reliability
of the grid.

2 I NTRODUCTION
Power system protection is a crucial aspect of electrical engineering and power system op-
eration. It involves the design, implementation, and maintenance of protective devices and
schemes to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of electrical power systems.
// Throughout this course, you will engage in hands-on activities, experiments, and
simulations that will cover a wide range of topics, including but not limited to://

• Understanding the fundamentals of power system protection, including the

principles of relaying, fault detection, and system grounding.

• Exploring various protective devices and relays commonly used in power systems, such
as over current relays, differential relays, and distance relays.

• Simulating fault scenarios and learning how to analyze fault currents, relay settings, and
coordination to ensure the efficient operation of protection schemes.

• Gaining practical experience in configuring and testing protective relays and

devices commonly used in the industry.

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 3 W HY DO WE NEED TO STUDY P OWER S YSTEM P ROTECTION ?
• Any system which is developed face some problems to carry out tasks in a routine.
In order to help system to carry out routine tasks, there is a need to provide
protection to the system.

• The main objective of using power system protection is to isolate the faulty section
from the system to make the rest of the portion work without any disturbance.

• Apart from this, it is used for the protection of power system and to block the flow
of fault current.

• It can help in preventing the continuation of flow by quickly disconnecting the short
circuit.

4 E LEMENTS OF P OWER S YSTEM

The main Elements of Power Systems are as following:
• Generating units (Water, solar, Thermal, Wind, nuclear etc.)

• Transformers

• Transmission Lines

• Bus Bars

• Protection devices

• Loads

5 P ROTECTION DEVICES USED IN POWER SYSTEM

Protection devices used for Power systems are as following:
• Fuses

• Relays

• Circuit Breakers

• Isolators

5.1 FUSES
It’s a thin piece of wire designed to carry a limited electrical current. If you try to pass a
higher current through the wire, it’ll heat up so much that it burns or melts. When it melts, it
breaks the circuit it’s fitted to and stops the current flowing.
Fuse is the self-destructing device. It passes the current in a power circuit endlessly and
sacrifices by blowing itself up under abnormal conditions.

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 Figure 5.1: Fuse

5.2 RELAYS
A relay is an electromagnetic switch operated by a relatively small electric current that
can turn on or off a much larger electric current. The heart of a relay is an electromagnet (a
coil of wire that becomes a temporary magnet when electricity flows through it).
Relays are sensing devices. The ability to make decisions about fault recognition, these relays
are regarded as the brain of power systems. Relays are operated by measuring the voltage and
current values and converting them into digital and/or analog signals, which in turn isolate
the circuits by opening the faulty circuits.
Most often, the relays serve two objectives, alarm and trip, once the abnormality is noticed.

Figure 5.2: Relay

5.2.1 TYPE OF RELAYS

Following are some types of relays used in a substation:

• Differential Relay

• Over Current Relay

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 • Earth Fault Relay

• Tripping Relay

• Synchronization Relays

• Frequency Relays

• Distance Relay

5.3 C IRCUIT B REAKER

A circuit breaker is an electrical switching device that is used to interrupt the flow of
electric current in a circuit under both normal and abnormal conditions. Circuit breakers
are an essential component of electrical distribution systems and are designed to protect
electrical circuits and equipment from over currents, short circuits, and other electrical
faults.

Figure 5.3: Circuit Breaker

5.4 I SOLATORS
Isolators, also known as disconnect switches or isolation switches, are electrical devices used
in power systems to physically disconnect or isolate a part of the electrical circuit or
equipment from the power source. Unlike circuit breakers, isolators do not provide
protection against over currents or short circuits; instead, their primary purpose is to
provide a visible break in the circuit for maintenance, repair, or safety purposes.

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 Figure 5.4: Isolator

6 P ROTECTION S CHEMES
Protection schemes in electrical power systems are comprehensive strategies designed to
detect and mitigate faults and abnormal operating conditions to ensure the safety,
reliability, and stability of the power grid. These schemes involve the coordination of
various protective devices, relays, and control systems. Here are some common protection
schemes used in power systems:

6.1 COMPARISON OF ALL P ROTECTION SCHEMES

Protection Schemes
Primary Protection Over Current Directional Differential Distance
Apparatus
Alternator Yes Yes Yes
Bus bar Yes
Transformer Yes
Transmission line Yes Yes Yes
Large Induction Yes Yes
Motor

7 C ONCLUSION
From the above data it is clear that the protection of a power system is very necessary and
without it the power system may fail to operate in a rightful manner. Without protection
cascaded failure may occur which can further lead to a devastating Blackout.

8 L EARNING OUTCOMES
• We am able to describe the importance of protection of power system.

• We have learned the about the protection equipment and their functions in power
system.

• We have learned about the major differences between some equipment which were not
cleared before this lab.

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