Section 7

Coordination of Protection Systems

Coordination of Protection Systems
As described earlier, one fundamental requirement of
all protection systems is selectivity or
discrimination. This means that only the faulted
power system elements should be disconnected to
clear the fault, leaving all unfaulted equipment in
service.
On radial power distribution systems, where the flow
of fault current is in one direction only, time-current
coordination is generally used.
Coordination of Protection Systems

On interconnected transmission systems, where there

are many sources of fault current, the flow of fault
current can be in any direction. Unit type protection
schemes, such as differential protection, are generally
used. These unit-protection schemes operate with no
intentional time delay, and provide high-speed
clearance of faults before power system instability
results.
Time-Current Coordination
On radial distribution systems overcurrent devices such as
fuses and inverse-time overcurrent relays are generally used
to provide protection. The magnitude of the available fault
current at any point on the feeder is determined by the
impedance of the power system from the point of the fault to
the source of supply.
Consequently, the available fault current decreases as the
distance from the supply station increases. Overcurrent
devices are therefore generally used, in series, with
progressively lower ratings, to protect various sections of
distribution feeders.
 Current limiting 80E power fuse
34.5kV, 60Hz, 25oC ambient
Time-
Current
Coordination
Time in Seconds

Maximum
clearing time

Minimum
clearing time

Current in Amps
Time-Current Coordination

Fuse-to-fuse Coordination

The time-current characteristic of a typical fuse is

shown above, and is represented by a band
between the minimum melting time and the
maximum clearing time of the fuse element.
Time-Current Coordination
Time-Current Coordination
For correct coordination between two fuses in series, it
is important to ensure that the characteristic bands for
the two fuses do not intersect and overlap at any point,
when plotted on the same graph. To provide an
adequate coordination margin for two fuses A and B
connected in series, and a fault at point X, the total
clearing time for fuse B would be 75% of the minimum
melting time of fuse A. Similarly, the time-current
characteristics of fuses are coordinated with those of
overcurrent relays associated with circuit breakers and
reclosers.
Time-Current Coordination

Again, adequate margins are applied to ensure that

the characteristic curves do not intersect and
overlap when plotted on the same log-log graph, or
on one of the many computer coordination software
packages that are available.
A typical coordination software package is available
from the Canadian company.
Time-Current Coordination

An example of computer software for power system

protective device coordination is:
cyme.com
CYMTCC, Protective device coordination
Protective Relaying Zone
The following diagram shows a section of a typical power system,
comprising:
 2 Transmission Lines
 2 Transformers
 2 33 kV Buses
 4 33 kV Feeders
Each of these power system elements must have a protective
relaying scheme; and no part of the system should be unprotected.
When applying protective relaying to such a system, we refer to
protection zones.
Protective Relaying Zone
Protective Relaying Zone
Adjacent zones are separated by circuit breakers, and
are shown in the diagram above. Protective relaying
zones are determined very largely by the location of
the current transformers. It is good practice, where
practical, to establish overlapping protection zones by
locating C.T.’s on the opposite side of the circuit
breaker from the power system element being
protected. The overlapping of adjacent protection
zones across the circuit breakers is illustrated by the
location of the current transformers in the above
diagram.
Protective Relaying Zone

For example, where a feeder is supplied from a bus:

1. The feeder protection c.t.’s must be located on

the bus side of the circuit breaker.

2. The bus protection c.t.’s must be located on the

feeder side of the circuit breaker.
Protective Relaying Zone
Referring to the diagram on the previous page, there is
no circuit breaker between each transformer and it’s
associated transmission line. However, both the
transformer and the line each has it’s own protection
scheme, and there must be an overlap between the
transformer and line protections.
i.e. The line protection must ‘reach’ into the transformer
winding. Because there is no circuit breaker between the
transformer and the line, both of these elements will be
tripped for either a transformer fault or a line fault.
Requirement for Back-up
Protection
It is extremely important that power system faults
be cleared as quickly as possible - even if there is a
failure of a circuit breaker or protection system.
During our earlier discussion on feeder overcurrent
protection we saw that the inverse timed
overcurrent relay characteristics are set to co-
ordinate, and provide back-up to downstream
devices such as overcurrent relays and/or fuses.
Requirement for Back-up
Protection
This type of time-graded back-up works fine for radial
systems. However, it is not possible to apply time-graded
back-up protection to interconnected transmission systems.
In order to achieve the required reliability on transmission
systems it is usual to duplicate all of the protective relaying
systems to ensure that a single component failure does not
result in the failure of a fault being cleared from the power
system. It is not, of course, practical to duplicate circuit
breakers. Breaker-failure protection is therefore provided
to ensure that the failure of a circuit breaker does not result
in an uncleared fault, and possible power system collapse.
Requirement for Back-up
Protection FUSE

D/C
RELAY

D/C
RELAY

F1 F2 F3 F4
Breaker Failure Protection

On radial distribution systems the flow of fault

current can be in one direction only. Faults that are
uncleared because of a failed breaker will be cleared
by the back-up feature of the protection scheme of
the next system element closer to the source of
supply. This was discussed earlier under ‘Feeder
Protection’. The ‘back-up’ feature is provided by
coordinating the time/current characteristics of the
overcurrent protection schemes for adjacent system
elements.
Breaker Failure Protection
On interconnected systems, such as the high voltage
transmission system, fault current can flow in either
direction, and the application of such ‘BackUp’ protection
is not possible. If a transmission system fault is uncleared
because of the failure of a Circuit Breaker, the effects can
be enormous. There would be indiscriminate tripping of
transmission lines and generators, and a power system
collapse could easily result.
Breaker Failure protection is therefore provided on all
circuit breakers on the transmission system.
Breaker Failure Protection
Simplified Diagram of Breaker Failure
Protection for High Voltage Circuit Breakers
Breaker Failure Protection

A simplified diagram of a typical breaker failure

protection scheme for a high voltage circuit breaker
is shown above.

This scheme is used by Ontario Hydro, Canada, on

all 230 kV and 500 kV circuit breakers.
Tripping

When the breaker failure protection operates it

must trip all of the circuit breakers on both
adjacent zones, including the breakers at the
remote end of associated lines.
The breaker failure protection tripping relays ‘seal-
in’ for 45 seconds. This holds the tripping signal
on to all of the tripped breakers and prevents them
from auto-reclosing.
Tripping
Speed
The speed of operation of breaker failure protection
must be fast enough to prevent indiscriminate
tripping of power system elements, and to prevent
the power system from going unstable. Typically a
fault would be cleared in 150 to 200 milli-seconds by
the operation of the breaker failure protection.
Initiation
Breaker failure protection is initiated by all of the
protection schemes that send trip signals to that
breaker.
Tripping

Overcurrent Supervision
Breaker failure protection is supervised by highspeed
instantaneous overcurrent relays. These relays must
have a very fast reset time and a high pickup/drop-out
ratio.
Relay Settings
Instantaneous Overcurrent Supervision Relays
The high speed instantaneous overcurrent supervision relays
are typically set for 1,000 primary amps.
Timer 62a
The criterion for setting the 62a timing relay is the opening
time of the breaker auxiliary switch (pallet switch) PLUS a 2
cycle margin. Typically this setting would be 4 cycles (or 67
milliseconds for a 60 Hz power system). This leg of the circuit
provides the fastest operation of the breaker failure protection.
Relay Settings

It will operate if the auxiliary switch has not opened

within 67 milliseconds after the trip signal is sent to
the breaker, breaker failure protection is initiated,
and fault current is still flowing.
Relay Settings
Timer 62b
The criterion for setting the 62b timing relay is the
breaker tripping time, PLUS the reset time of the
overcurrent supervision relays, PLUS a 2 cycle
margin. Typically this setting would be just over 5
cycles.
This leg of the circuit is the one which will operate if
the breaker auxiliary switch opens, but the main
contacts fail to interrupt the fault current.
Relay Settings
Timer 62c
The purpose of this leg of the circuit is to provide
breaker failure protection when there are low
magnitudes of fault current, below the 1,000 amp
pickup of the overcurrent supervision relays. (e.g. For
faults at the remote end of very long lines). The
contacts of this relay are not supervised by the
overcurrent relay, and the setting is typically 500
milli-seconds or 0.5 seconds. This slow clearance of
such faults can be tolerated because fault currents of
less than 1,000 amps would not jeopardize the
stability of the power system.
Relay Settings
Early Trip Feature
The purpose of the 94ET relay is to provide an early
trip feature to prevent unnecessary operation of the
breaker failure protection tripping relays for
inadvertent or accidental initiation of the breaker
failure protection. Such inadvertent initiation of
breaker failure protection is most likely to occur during
trip testing by maintenance personnel. When breaker
failure is initiated, the 94ET relay operates
immediately, and sends a trip signal to the breaker. If
the breaker trips successfully, the breaker failure
protection trip relays will not operate.
Relay Settings
Relay Settings
Breaker Failure Protection for L.V. BREAKERS
When breaker failure protection is provided for low voltage
breakers, such as on the L.V. side of transformers at
transformer stations, (e.g. 25 kV, 33 kV, 50 kV) a much
simpler scheme is used. This is shown in the simplified
diagram above. There is no overcurrent supervision, and the
breaker failure protection will simply operate if the breaker
auxiliary switch (or pallet switch) has not opened 200 milli-
seconds, or 0.2 seconds, after the trip signal is sent to the
breaker and breaker fail is initiated. An early trip feature is
provided as before, via the 94ET relay.
Relay Settings

Auto-Reclosing of Circuit Breakers

As discussed earlier, it is usual to apply auto-reclose to
feeder breakers on overhead distribution systems
where the vast majority of the faults are transient in
nature - mostly caused by lightning. Because these
distribution systems are usually radial the auto-reclose
scheme does not need any supervision. Typically the
breaker would be set to auto-reclose after a time delay
of 0.5 seconds.
Relay Settings
The fault is cleared and the arc extinguished as soon as the
breaker is opened. The time delay is sufficient to allow the
ionized air to dissipate at the point of flashover where the arc
was established, and allow for a successful auto-reclose.
On high-voltage transmission systems, when a line trips there
is a good possibility that the power system will be ‘split’, and
the two ends of the line will fall out-of-synchronism. If high-
speed auto-reclose is applied, then there is a very short delay
and the breakers are reclosed before the two ends of the line
can fall out-of- synchronism, and no voltage supervision is
required.
Relay Settings

If delayed auto-reclose is applied, then voltage

supervision and synchro-check relays are required.
The auto-reclose scheme would be set to have the
breaker at one end of the line reclose after a time-
delay of, say 10 seconds, provided the line is still
dead. The breaker at the other end of the line would
be set to wait for the line to be re-energised, check
the voltages across the breaker, verify that the two
voltages are in-synchronism, and then reclose the
circuit breaker.
COURSE RECAP