IEEE Standard C37.

2-2008: Protective Relay Numbers

DEVICE
NUMBER FUNCTION DEFINITION TYPICAL USES
A device which functions when the circuit
admittance, impedance or reactance
increases or decreases beyond
predetermined limits. It has three (3)
zones of protection, Zone-1, Zone-2 and For transmission line
21 Distance Relay Zone-3. protection

In a closed transition
breaker transfer, a 25
A device which operates when two ac relay is used to ensure
circuits are within the desired limits of two-sources are
Synchronizing or frequency, phase angle or voltage, to synchronized before
synchronism permit or cause the paralleling of these two paralleling. Use for
25 check device circuits. feeder protection.

Used to initiate an
automatic
transfer when a
Under Voltage A device which functions on a given value primary source of power
27 Relay of undervoltage. is lost.

Used to prevent reverse

A relay which functions on a desired value power from feeding an
of power flow in a given direction, or upon upstream fault. Often
reverse power resulting from arc back in used when primary
Directional the anode or cathode circuits of a power backup generation is
32 Power Relay rectifier. utilized in a facility..

A relay that functions on a given or

abnormally low value or failure of machine
field current, or on an excessive
value of the reactive component of
armature current in an ac machine
40 Field Relay indicating abnormally low field excitation.

Use for tripping a circuit

breakers
instantaneously during
a high level short
A relay that functions instantaneously on circuit. Can trip on
Instantaneous an excessive value of current, or an phase- phase (50),
Overcurrent, or excessive rate of current rise, thus phase-neutral (50N),
Rate-of-Rise indicating a fault in the apparatus of the phase-ground (50G)
50 Relay circuit being protected. faults.

Used for tripping a

A relay with either a definite or inverse circuit breaker after a
AC Time time characteristic that functions when the time delay during a
51
Overcurrent current in an ac circuit exceeds a sustained overcurrent.
Top Relay predetermined value Used for tripping a
 IEEE Standard C37.2-2008: Protective Relay Numbers

circuit breaker
instantaneously during
a high level short
circuit. Can trip on
phase (51), neutral
(51N)or ground (51G)
overcurrents.

Used to trip a circuit

breaker, protecting
downstream equipment
Over Voltage A relay that functions on a given value of from sustained
59 Relay overvoltage. overvoltages.

AC Directional A relay that functions on a desired value of

Overcurrent AC overcurrent flowing in a predetermined
67 Relay direction.

Used to protect static

equipment, such as
cable, bus, transformers
by measuring the
current differential
between two points.
Typically the upstream
A protective relay that functions on a and/or downstream
percentage or phase angle or other circuit breaker will be
Differential quantitative difference of two currents or incorporated into the
87 protective Relay of some other electrical quantities. “zone of protection.”

B - Bus F - Field G - Ground or generator N - Neutral T – Transformer