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ANSI Protection Numbering
ANSI Protection Numbering
One physical device may correspond to one function number, for example "29 Isolating Contactor", or a single
physical device may have many function numbers associated with it, such as a numerical protective relay.
Suffix and prefix letters may be added to further specify the purpose and function of a device.
ANSI/IEEE C37.2-2008 is one of a continuing series of revisions of the standard, which originated in 1928 as
American Institute of Electrical Engineers Standard No. 26.[1]
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◾ _1 - Positive-Sequence
◾ _2 - Negative-Sequence
◾ A - Alarm, Auxiliary Power
◾ AC - Alternating Current
◾ AN - Anode
◾ B - Bus, Battery, or Blower
◾ BF - Breaker Failure
◾ BK - Brake
◾ BL - Block (Valve)
◾ BP - Bypass
◾ BT - Bus Tie
◾ BU - Backup
◾ C - Capacitor, Condenser, Compensator, Carrier Current, Case or Compressor
◾ CA - Cathode
◾ CH - Check (Valve)
◾ D - Discharge (Valve)
◾ DC - Direct Current
◾ DCB - Directional Comparison Blocking
◾ DCUB - Directional Comparison Unblocking
◾ DD - Disturbance Detector
◾ DUTT - Direct Underreaching Transfer Trip
◾ E - Exciter
◾ F - Feeder, Field, Filament, Filter, or Fan
◾ G - Ground or Generator
◾ GC - Ground Check
◾ H - Heater or Housing
◾ L - Line or Logic
◾ M - Motor or Metering
◾ MOC - Mechanism Operated Contact
◾ N - Neutral or Network
◾ O - Over
◾ P - Phase or Pump
◾ PC - Phase Comparison
◾ POTT - Pott: Permissive Overreaching Transfer Trip
◾ PUTT - Putt: Permissive Underreaching Transfer Trip
◾ R - Reactor, Rectifier, or Room
◾ S - Synchronizing, Secondary, Strainer, Sump, or Suction (Valve)
◾ SOTF - Switch On To Fault
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◾ T - Transformer or Thyratron
◾ TD - Time Delay
◾ TDC - Time-Delay Closing Contact
◾ TDDO - Time Delayed Relay Coil Drop-Out
◾ TDO - Time-Delay Opening Contact
◾ TDPU - Time Delayed Relay Coil Pickup
◾ THD - Total Harmonic Distortion
◾ TH - Transformer (High-Voltage Side)
◾ TL - Transformer (Low-Voltage Side)
◾ TM - Telemeter
◾ TT - Transformer (Tertiary-Voltage Side)
◾ U - Under or Unit
◾ X - Auxiliary
◾ Z - Impedance
Device numbers may be combined if the device provides multiple functions, such as the Instantaneous / Time-
delay Overcurrent relay denoted as 50/51.[2]
For device 16, the suffix letters further define the device: the first suffix letter is 'S' for serial or 'E' for Ethernet.
The subsequent letters are: 'C' security processing function (e.g. VPN, encryption), 'F' firewall or message filter,
'M' network managed function, 'R' rotor, 'S' switch and 'T' telephone component. Thus a managed Ethernet
switch would be 16ESM.
References
1. Tengdin, John (1 February 2009). "Knowing the Language: The History and Practice of IEEE
C37.2" (http://www.elp.com/articles/powergrid_international/print/volume-14/issue-2/features/knowing-the-
language-the-history-and-practice-of-ieee-c372.html). Electric Light & Power. PennWell Corporation.
Retrieved 18 October 2017. "It may surprise some to learn that this standard—or more accurately its AIEE
predecessor—is one of the oldest IEEE standards in use. It was first published as AIEE No. 26 in 1928
and was used to document the control systems in the then popular automatic railway substations."
2. Applied Protective Relaying 1979 by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 2nd Printing, "Appendix II,
Electrical Power System Device Numbers and Functions" as adopted by IEEE standard and incorporated
in American Standard C37.2-1970.
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◾ IEEE Standard for Electrical Power System Device Function Numbers, Acronyms, and Contact
Designations', IEEE Std C37.2-2008
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