01 Dist Basics

Distance Protection
for transmission lines: part 1
Gustav Steynberg
© Siemens AG 2008
Energy Sector
Why impedance protection?
Situation: Meshed network and two infeeds

Directional overcurrent time relays
0,6s 0,3s
0,6s 0,3s
0,6s 0,3s
0,6s 0,3s
non-selective trip
© Siemens AG 2008
Page 2 08/21/23 Energy Automation Energy Sector
Basic principle of impedance protection
Localization of short-circuits by means of an impedance

measurement:
 fault on the protected line
Z1
relay A
 fault outside the protected line Z2
relay A
selectivity
© Siemens AG 2008
Distance measurement (principle)
IL1 ZL
ZL = RL + j XL
IL2
IL3
ZE = RE +j XE
IE ZE
UL1 UL2 UL3

6 loops: 3 phase- phase loops and
3 phase- ground loops
phase- phase -loop: UL1-L2 = ZL ( IL1 - IL2)
Measured current
measured voltage
The same applies to the remaining loops
© Siemens AG 200806.08.97
dtgerdis3
Distance measurement (principle)
IL1 ZL
IL2
ZL = RL + j XL
IL3
I E ZE ZE = RE +j XE
UL1 UL2 UL3
phase-ground-loop:
UL1 = L1 · ( RL + j XL )- E · ( RE +j XE)
L1, E measured current

UL1 measured voltage
The same applies to the remaining loops

© Siemens AG 200806.08.97
dtgerdis3
Load and short-circuit impedances
distance relay ZL
operating ZLF1
characteristic ZLF2
Fault area
X
RF RF
ZL F1 F2 ZLoad
D
ZLF2 ZF2
RR Phase - Phase Fault
ZLoad RR  RF / 2
RR
ZLF1 ZF1 g load
cr e as i n Phase - Earth Fault
In
jL
RR  RF /(1 + RE/RL)
j SC2
Fault in j
R
SC1
Minimum Load Impedance:
reverse
Minimum voltage 0,9 Un
direction Load area Maximum current 1,1 In
Maximum angle  30°
© Siemens AG 2008
Principle of (analog) distance relaying
ISC
ZS A ZL B
ZSC
E
U1= k1 USC= k1 ISCZSC.

Relay design:
operation if
comparator U1< U2
i.e. ZSC< ZReplica
X ZReplica
Ext. fault
U2=k2
ZReplica (line replica impedance) ISCZReplica Internal fault
(corresponds to the set zone reach) R
© Siemens AG 2008
Typical distance zone-characteristic
MHO-circle
X ZR shifted circle
ZSC' X ZSC'
external
ZSC fault ZSC
centre
internal
fault R
 
R
polarised
MHO-circle X quadrilateral
ZS = 0 X
RF
XA
ZL
settable arc
R ZSC-L compensation
ZS small Rarc
RA R
ZS high ZS
© Siemens AG 2008
Graded distance zones
Z3
t = grading time
time Z2 t3
Z1 t2
t1
A B C D
D1 D2 D3
distance
Grading rules:
Safety margin is 15
Z1 = 0,85 ZAB %:
Z2 = 0,85 (ZAB + 0,85 ZBC)  line error
 CT, VT error
Z3 = 0,85 (ZAB + 0,85 (ZBC + 0,85 ZCD))  measuring error
© Siemens AG 2008
Determination of grading times
(With numerical relays 250 ms is possible)
2nd Zone: It must initially allow the 1st zone on the neighbouring feeder(s) to clear the fault.
The grading time therefore results from the addition of the following times:
 operating time of the neighbouring feeder mechanical 25 - 80 ms

static: 15 - 40
digital: 15 - 30
+ circuit breaker operating time HV / EHV: 60 ms (3 cycles) / 40 ms (2 cycles)

MV up to about 80 ms (4 cycles)
+ distance relay reset time mechanical: approx. 60-100 ms

static: approx. 30 ms
digital: approx. 20 ms.
+ errors of the distance relay internal timers mechanical: 5% of the set time, minimum 60-100 ms
static: 3% of the set time, minimum 10 ms
digital: 1% of the set time, minimum 10 ms
+ distance protection starting time *) mechanical: O/C starter: 10 ms, impedance starter: 25 ms
static: O/C stater: 5 ms, impedance starter: 25 ms
digital: generally 15 ms
+ safety margin (ca.) grading; mechanical-mechanical: 100 ms

static/digital-mechanical or vice versa: 75 ms
digital-digital or static-static 50 ms
*) only relevant if the set relay times relate to the instant of fault detection / zone pick-up. This is the case with
all Siemens relays. There are other relays where the time is adapted by software to relate to the instant of fault
inception. In the latter case the starting time has to be dropped.
© Siemens AG 2008
08/21/23 Energy Automation Energy Sector
Determination of fault direction
Fault location Where is the fault ?
Current area for Impedance area for

forward faults X forward faults
USC
SC ZSC
SC
SC
R
SC Z'SC
Current area for Impedance area for
reverse faults reverse faults
current / voltage diagram impedance diagram
The impedance also shows the direction, but ....

© Siemens AG 2008
Impedance measurement and directional determination
Why impedance measurement and directional determination separately?

A B
line characteristic
X
fault with arc resistance
in forward direction
fault in forward direction
close-in fault
R
fault in reverse
direction
direction may be determined together with the impedance measurement

but: problems may arise in certain cases (e.g. close-in faults)
separate directional determination required!
© Siemens AG 2008
Alternatives for the directional measurement
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ fault L1-E
Zgrid relay Zline
Method 1 Method 2
Vf
VL1
If VL1
VL1 Vf
VL3
Vf
VL2
faulty phase voltage
If If
VL3 VL2
VL3 VL2-L3 VL2
voltage memory
healthy-phase voltage (pre-fault voltage)
(phase to phase voltage)
© Siemens AG 2008
Directional measurement
Summery of all 3 methods
uRI = uL2-
L3
uf = uL1
if(t)
uL1



Distance measurement
Measuring uL1 if
 Direction measurement
window if

 with voltage memory
uL2-L3 
 Direction measurement
 with unfaulted voltage
if 06.08.97
dtgerdis9
© Siemens AG 2008
Fault detection techniques
Over-current fault detection

Voltage dependant X
over-current fault detection
U Voltage and
angle dependant
over-current
fault detection R
Impedance
fault
detection
I> I> I >> I
Not in 7SA522
© Siemens AG 2008
Reach of over-current fault detection
ph-ph fault as an example 110 kV

SCC(3)" = 1500 MVA
net
ISC(2)[kA]
40 MVA
2,5 uSC = 15 %
20 kV
2,0 400/1 A D I>start = 1,5 · IN = 600 A
l OH-line
1,5 95/15 Al/St
Z'L = 0,483 /km
1,0 UN · 1,1
ISC(2) =
I>start = 600 A 2 · (ZS + ZS + ZL' · l)
N T
0,5
There is a limitation
to the reach
10 20 30 40 50 60 l [km]
reach of OC starter
approx. 32 km
© Siemens AG 2008
Voltage controlled overcurrent fault detection
G SC
Power line
system digital
USC U
electro-mechanical
G
Relay UN
ZS ISC ZSC
UI>
E USC
UI>>
I> I>> I
E
USC
© Siemens AG 2008
Voltage and angle controlled overcurrent fault detection
(U-I--starting)
X X
2 2
1 R 1 R
U/UN
100 %
U(I>) U(I >>)
50 %
I> I> I>>

1 2 3
I/IN
This method is used in Germany

© Siemens AG 2008
Impedance zones of digital relays (7SA6 and 7SA52)
for
Distance zones
wa
X
rds
Line
Inclined with line angle 
Z5 Angle  prevents overreach of
Z4 Z1 on faults with fault
Z2 resistance that are fed from
Z1B both line ends

Z1
rev
ers
e
Load  Load
R
Fault detection
forw
ard no fault detection polygon:
s
the largest zone
determines the fault
Z3
detection characteristic
simple setting of load
rev
encroachment area with

er s
Rmin and Load

e
© Siemens AG 2008
Zone grading chart, radial feeder
Z3
Z2
A Z1 B C D
D D D >> ZT
>t

Grading according
Z1 = 0.85 ZA-B the recommendation
Z2 = 0.85 (ZA-B + 0.85 ZB-C) with the safety margin
of 15%.
Z3 = 0.85 [ ZA-B + 0.85 (ZB-C+ 0.85 ZC-D) ]
© Siemens AG 2008
Ring feeder: with grading against opposite end
grading time
(s)
0.6
0.3
The same grading from both sides
© Siemens AG 2008
Grading in a branched radial system
Z3
L2
Z1 L3
L1
Z2
L4
The impedances of the Z2 and Z3 must be grading with the shortest impedance
© Siemens AG 2008

01 Dist Basics

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Distance Protection

for transmission lines: part 1

Situation: Meshed network and two infeeds

Localization of short-circuits by means of an impedance

 fault outside the protected line Z2

UL1 UL2 UL3

phase- phase -loop: UL1-L2 = ZL ( IL1 - IL2)

The same applies to the remaining loops

UL1 UL2 UL3

L1, E measured current

The same applies to the remaining loops

U1= k1 USC= k1 ISCZSC.

 operating time of the neighbouring feeder mechanical 25 - 80 ms

+ circuit breaker operating time HV / EHV: 60 ms (3 cycles) / 40 ms (2 cycles)

+ distance relay reset time mechanical: approx. 60-100 ms

+ safety margin (ca.) grading; mechanical-mechanical: 100 ms

Fault location Where is the fault ?

Current area for Impedance area for

current / voltage diagram impedance diagram

The impedance also shows the direction, but ....

Why impedance measurement and directional determination separately?

direction may be determined together with the impedance measurement

Over-current fault detection

I> I> I >> I

ph-ph fault as an example 110 kV

2,0 400/1 A D I>start = 1,5 · IN = 600 A

U(I>) U(I >>)

I> I> I>>

This method is used in Germany

encroachment area with

Rmin and Load

The same grading from both sides

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