PE452

Power System Protection

Lecture 9: Differential Protection

Dr. Ammar Arshad

Assistant Professor
Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering
Sciences and Technology
ammar.arshad@giki.edu.pk
Dot Markings

• Source is attached with coil

A and the current is entering
at Terminal A1.
• What will be the currents in
the coils B and C, if a
resistor is attached on their
respective terminals?????

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Dot Markings

Dot markings on the positive terminals

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Dot Markings

Properties of Dot markings Generalized for CTs

1. When the current enters the dot mark on the
primary side of a CT, the current must leave the
dotted secondary side
2. If currents are made to enter dot marked terminals
on two or more coupled coils then the fluxes
produced by these currents are such that they add
up

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Differential Protection
During Load
• Current will be same on both sides of the equipment
• Instantaneous OC relay is used
• Spill Current will be there if there is current
mismatch
• Equipment????

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Differential Protection
External Fault
• Same current through the primary of CT
• Same current through the secondary of CT
• No Spill current
• Why is this called External fault???

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Differential Protection
Internal Fault
Minimum internal fault that will cause tripping

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Differential Protection
Internal Fault (Double-end fed System)
What is 𝐼1 and 𝐼2 ????

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Zone of Protection of Differential Relay
• Closed zone of protection
• Encompasses everything between two CTs
– Between CTs (Internal Faults)
– All other faults are external or through faults
• Ideal differential scheme
– Pickup smallest internal fault
– Restrain from tripping on the largest external fault

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Actual Behavior of Differential Scheme
CT Limitations
• CTs are subjected to ratio and phase angle errors
• Errors depend on the burden on CTs
– Burden is dependent on the lead length and relay coil
impedance
• Error increases as the through fault current increase
• With the increase in error the spill current increases

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Actual Behavior of Differential Scheme
CT Limitations

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Actual Behavior of Differential Scheme
Through fault stability and stability Ratio
• Through fault increases, the spill current builds up
• At very high value, the difference between the
secondary I’s of the CT exceed the relay PS
• Loss of stability

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Actual Behavior of Differential Scheme

• Higher the stability ratio:

– System has better ability to distinguish between eternal
and internal faults
• Stability ratio can be improved by improving the
match between the two CTs
– Phase angle error should be reduced

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Equivalent Circuit of CT

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Differential Scheme

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Draw backs

• Substantial Spill current during large through faults

• In case of Transformers:
– Different primary system voltages
– Different turn ratio for CTs
– Difficult to get close match between CTs
• In case of Bus bars:
– Primary voltage and CT ratios are same
– But the through fault magnitude is very large
Should have an equipment specific differential
Scheme

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