Protective relays :

Definition: a protective relay is a device that detects the fault and indicates the
operation of the circuit breaker to isolate the defective elements from the rest of the
system.
Need for protective relays:
To operate the correct circuit breakers so as to disconnect only the faulty
equipment from the systems quickly as possible, thus minimizing the trouble
and damage caused by the faults when they occur.
To operate the correct circuit breakers to isolate the faulty section from the
healthy systems in case of abnormalities like overloads, unbalance, undervoltage etc.
To clear the fault before the system becomes unstable.
To identify distinctly as to where the fault has occurred.

Construction:
The connections are divided into 3 main circuits.
The first circuit is the primary winding of the current transformer which is
connected in series with the main circuit to be protected.
The secondary circuit consists of secondary winding of current transformer
and relay operating coil.
The third circuit is the tripping circuit which maybe either AC or DC operated.
Operation:
When fault occurs at point F, the primary winding of the current transformer
senses the fault current and transfers to the relay coil. The relay coil picks up the
signal of fault and closes the NO-NC contacts. Now the trip coil of the circuit
breaker is energized and trips the circuit breaker. By opening the circuit breaker we
can isolate the fault and protect the connected systems.