Unit-3

PROTECTION & GROUNDING

List of faults:

The faults in the power systems may occur because of the number of natural
disturbances like lighting, high speed winds, earth quakes, etc.,. It may also occur
because of some accidents like falling of trees with supporting structure, aeroplane
crashing, etc.
Open Circuit Fault:
The open circuit fault mainly occur because of the failure of one or two
conductors. The open circuit fault takes place in series with the line, and
because of this, it is also called the series fault. Such types of faults affect the
reliability of the system.
Short Circuit Faults:
In this type of fault the conductors of the different phases come into
contact with each other with a power line.
Power Transformer or any other circuit elements due to which the large
current flow in one or two phases of the system. These faults are divided into
Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Faults.
Symmetrical Fault:
The faults which involve all the three phases is known as the
symmetrical fault. Such types of fault remain balanced even after the
fault.
a) Line – Line – Line Fault:
Such types of faults are balanced, i.e., the system remains
symmetrical even after the fault. The L – L – L fault occurs
rarely, but it is the most severe type of fault which involves the
largest current.

b) L – L – L – G Fault:
The three-phase line to ground fault includes all the three
phase of the system. The L – L – L – G fault occurs between the
three phases and the ground of the system. The probability of
occurrence of such type of fault is nearly 2 to 3 percent.
Unsymmetrical Fault:
The faults gives rise to unsymmetrical current i.e., current
differing in magnitude and phases in the three phase of the power system
are known as the unsymmetrical fault.
a) Single Line to Line Ground:
The single line of ground fault occurs when one
conductor falls to the ground or contact the neutral conductor.
The 70-80% of the fault in the power system is the single line to
ground fault.

b) Line to Line Fault:

A line to line fault occurs when two conductors are short
circuits. The major cause of this type of fault is the heavy wind.
The heavy wind swinging the line conductors which may touch
together and hence cause short circuit. The percentage of such
type of fault is approximation of 15-20%.
 c) Double Line to Line Ground Fault:
In double line to line ground fault. The two lines come
in contact with each other along with the ground.
The probability of such types of faults is nearly 10%.

Basic Concepts of Fuse:

In Electrical and electronics engineering, a Fuse is an Electrical safety device
that operates to provide overcurrent protection of an Electrical circuit.
Its essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much
currents flows through it.
Once a fuse has operated it is an open circuit.

Circuit Breakers:
It is the most common protection device that can make or break the circuit.
Either manually or through remote control under normal operating conditions.
These are several types of circuit breakers available depending on the operating
voltage, including air brake, oil, vacuum and SF6 circuit breakers.
i. Make or break a circuit either manually or remote control under normal
condition.
 ii. Break a circuit automatically under fault condition.
iii. Make a circuit either manually or by remote control under fault
condition.
Operating Principle:
A circuit breaker essentially consists of fixed and moving contacts called
electrode under normal operating conditions, these contacts remains closed and
will not open automatically until and unless the system becomes fault. The
contacts can be opened manually or by remote control.
When fault occurs on any part of the system, the tip coils of the circuit
breaker get energised and the moving contacts are pulled apart by some
mechanism, thus opening the circuit.
When the contacts of a circuit breaker are separated under fault
conditions an arc is struck between them.
Relays:
These are faults detecting devices. These devices detect the fault and
initiate the operation of the circuit breaker so as to isolate the fault circuit.
SF6 Circuit Breaker:
SF6 circuit breaker is a type of circuit breaker that uses pressurized SF6
gas to extinguish the arc. It is a dielectric gas having superior insulating and arc
quenching properties for better than air or oil.
It is used for arc quenching in high voltage circuit breaker up to 800KV
in power stations, electrical grids, etc.
SF6 gas has very high electronegativity. It has strong tendency to absorb
free electrons. When an arc is struck between the contacts. It absorbs the free
electrons from it.
Working Principle:
The SF6 gas is compressed and stored inside a tank. During the
fault conditions, the contacts are separated and an arc is struck between
them. The highly pressurized SF6 gas is also released at the same
moment.
The arc which is the movement of charges contains free
electrons. The SF6 being highly electronegative, absorbs the free
electrons. These ions are heavier and have low mobility as compared to
free electrons.
Under normal conditions, the contacts remain closed and the
compressed SF6 remains in the gas chamber, when a fault occurs, the
moving contact begins to move and separate from the fixed contact. The
medium surrounding the contacts gets ionized and an arc is produced
between the contacts.
 At same time, the gas chambers valve will open and release the
pressurized SF6 into the arc chamber. SF6 quenches the arc as explained
before. The blast of SF6 also cools off the arc.

Advantages:
i. SF6 gas has a superior arc quenching properly that is 100 times
more effective than air.
ii. The arching time is very short.
iii. SF6 has high dielectric strength due to electronegativity.
iv. Due to high dielectric strength, it can interrupt large current.
v. SF6 gas can handle all kinds of switching phenomena.
vi. The operation of SF6 circuit breaker is noiseless.
vii. SF6 gas is non-toxic in its pure state.
Disadvantages:
i. The decomposed SF6 is toxic.
ii. SF6 is an expensive gas so these circuit breaker are costly.
iii. Leakage of SF6 from the must be continuously monitored.
Vacuum Circuit Breaker:
In Vacuum Circuit Breaker, the vacuum is used as the arc quenching
medium. Vacuum offers the highest insulating strength.
When the contacts of the breaker are opened in the vacuum, an arc is
produced between the contacts by the ionization of metal vapours of contacts.
 Working:
Vacuum Circuit Breaker are employed for outdoor applications
ranging from 22KV to 66KV.
When the breaker operates, the moving contact separates from
the fixed contact and an arc is struck between the contacts. The
production of the arc is due to ionization of metal ions and depends very
much upon the material of contacts.
The arc is quickly extinguished because the metallic vapours,
electrons and ions produced during arc are diffused in a short time.
Since vacuum has a very fast rate of recovery of dielectric
strength, the arc extinction in a vacuum breaker occurs with a short
contact separation.

Advantages:
1. They are compact, reliable and have longer life.
2. There are no fire hazards.
3. There is no generation of gas during and after operation.
4. They require little maintenance and are quite in operation.
5. They have low are energy.
Lightning Arrester:
Lightning Arresters are devices installed to shield power lines, homes
and structures form dangerous power surges.
Lightning Arresters are typically installed near a critical entry point or
appliance, including generators and electrical panels. When a bolt of lightning
strikes the arresters activates and deflects the lightning to the ground, where it
disperses harmlessly.
 Bear in mind that these components don’t actually stop lightning strikes,
as that would be too dangerous. Instead, they limit the electrical charge and
divert it, giving it a safe route to pass through the ground instead of essential
electrical devices.
Grounding & Advantages:
The process of connecting the metallic frame of electrical equipment or
some electrical part of the system to earth is called Grounding or Earthning.
If ground is done systematically in the line of the power system, we can
effectively prevent accidents and damage to the equipment of the power system
and at the same time continuity of supply can be maintained.
Methods of Neutral Grounding:
1. Resistance Grounding:
The system in which the neutral point is grounded through a
current limiting device (Resistor) is known as a Resistance Grounding
system and the grounding is referred to as Resistance Grounding.
The Value of resistance required for grounding purposes
increases with the increase in operating voltage in order to limit the short
circuit current during an Earth Fault.

The resistance grounded system with earth fault at point F in

phase B. The current IF, IBR & IBY will be flowing through fault point F
in phase B. The phase angle of the fault current will depend upon the
impedance as the fault point. The capacitive currents IBR & IBY will lag
the voltages VBR & VBY respectively by 90o.
Advantages:
• Resistance Grounding improves the stability of
the system.
• In Resistance Grounding, the transient ground
faults will be converted into controlled current
faults.
2. Reactance Grounding:
In this system, a reactance is inserted between the neutral and
ground as shown in below figure.
The purpose of reactance is to limit the earth fault current. By
changing the Earthning Reactance, the Earth Fault current can be
changed to obtain the conditions similar to that of solid grounding.

This method is not used these days because of high transient

voltages appears under fault conditions.
3. Resonant Grounding or Arc Suspension Grounding:

The capacitive currents are responsible for producing arcing

grounds. These capacitive currents flow because capacitive exists
between each line and earth. If inductance “L” of appropriate value is
connected in parallel with the capacitance of the system.The fault
current is flowing through L will be in phase opposite on to the
capacitive current I C of the system. If L is so adjust that IC = IL then
resultant current in the fault will be zero. This condition is known as
Resonant Grounding.