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Study and performance analysis of Digital Overcurrent Relay based on

MATLAB/SIMULINK

Conference Paper · February 2015

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 Study and performance analysis of Digital Overcurrent
urrent Relay
based on MATLAB
MATLAB/SIMULINK
Abhishek Bajirao Katkar
Master of Rural Technology
Yashawantrao
wantrao Chavan School of Rural Development, Shivaji University,Kolhapur
E
E-mail : er.abhishekkatkar@gmail.com
Abstract- This paper presents the design of a digital Fig. 1 shows functional block diagram of digital overcurrent
directional and non directional over current relay and its relay. It connects in transmission line through current
performance on MATLAB. AB. Digital over current relays have transformer (C.T.) for scaling down to rated ratio of actuating
great advantages over electromechanical relays such as fast, measured current. The C.T. is designed wide current range to
compact and reliable operation gives minimum possibilities avoid core saturation. After ADC conversion signals are filtered
of outage in power system. This paper consist modeling of out to reduce harmonic present in dc component
compone which may lead
relay parameter with various digitization process of data mal-operation & relay co-ordination
ordination problem. Harmonics
conversion steps. The relay model designed to sense all kinds induced due to non linear load of power system. Further signals
of symmetrical and unsymmetrical fault conditions. are given to processing unit comprises operating time; pick up
Proposed digital relay performance is tested of 132 kV current, short circuit current. Then relay logic compute error
parallel feeder network in MATLAB. signal if fault happen send trip signal to circuit breaker to secure
system.
Keyword –Digital Overcurrent
urrent relay (OCR), Directional
relay, integrator time interval, inverse time characteristics,
relay co-ordination.

I. INTRODUCTION

PROTECTION relays play a vital role in secure and reliability

operation of power system. In past most of the relays are
electromechanical, later on replaced with solid state. Now
traditional relays are replaced with digital relays. Particular
protection scheme employed various functional relays such as Fig. 1 Functional block diagram for a microprocessor based
over current, overvoltage, frequency relay etc. OCR iis used to OCR
protect distribution and sub transmission system from effect of
excessive current due to short circuit or overload condition. It is
also used for protection of generator,, power transformer and
electric motors. Digital over current relay offer fas
fast operation,
compact size, wide range controllability, sensitivity and
reliability. At present digitization, advance algorithm, adaptive
technology, ease of information processing cessing and storage
capability is employ in digital relays. In this paper performance
digital OCR simulated in MATLAB for various symmetric and
asymmetric contingencies of practical condition.

II. PRINCIPLE OF
OVERCURRENT RELAY
The function of a relay is to sense abnormal conditions in the
system and to initiate through appropriate circuit breakers the
disconnection of faulty circuits so that secure system from
damage. Overcurrent relay responds to a rise in current flowing
through the protected element over a pre-determined
determined value.
Fig. 2 Fault current-relay
relay operating time characteristics
Fault current-relay
relay operating time characteristics of typical
overcurrent relay is shown in fig. 2. Curve W-X is the inverse
time characteristic of the relay. It operates between pick up
current (Ip) and short circuit current (Is); as increase in current
decrease in time of operation. Moreover, Curve X-Y-Z
X is shown
for instantaneous, high speed clearing of fault by reducing the
clearing time. This paper presents the design of inverse as well measuring the slope at the zero crossing of the current signal,
as instantaneous characteristics of over-cur current relay on we get its peak value (Ic) as;
MATLAB. The general form of the inverse time current
characteristic of an over-current
current relay can be given as

Where T is the operating time of the relay; Ia is the fault current

normalized by the pickup current i.e. Ia= ; Ic is the actual
current; Ip is the pickup current and Is is the short circuit current.
n determines the inverse characteristic of the relay and K
determines the relative operating time of the relay. Both are
constants Equation (a) can be written as,
For peak detection in time domain is more expensive and time
consuming while frequency based FFT used which could be
used for measuring peak detection. However, for the sake of
simplicity of demonstration, elementary methods have been
used here.

3.2 Measuring frequency f: The frequency is determined by

Any desired relay curve can be obtained by selectin
selecting suitable
values of n and K . For instantaneous
antaneous portion of curve XX-Y-Z of
over current relay the relay operation time is given as
measuring the time between two consecutive zero crossings (T1
& T2). This will give half the time period (T) from which
frequency is determined as follows:

Where, Ts is the instantaneous operating time.

Relays at the sending end, too ensure correct discriminative

operation of the relays during line faults. This is done by
providing directional relays M1 and M2 at the other end looking
non directional relays L1 and L2, at the source shown in Fig. 3
Fig. 3: Parallel feeder network employed with directional and
non-directional relay
III. MODELING OF OVERCURRENT RELAY
The peak value of current (IC) is then compared with the
preset constant value of pickup current (IP) setting of the relay
using the comparator block & allow IC when IC > IP. The value
of IC is then raised to a suitable power of n to achieve desired
characteristic and then integrated as As long as the
current is in excess of IP, the integrator output keeps rising until
it becomes equal to the preset value of constant K, causing the
relay to send a trip signal 0. Hence large magnitude of fault
current will result in a higher rate of rise of the integrator output
and thus a smaller time to reach the value of constant K. This is
shown in Fig. 4 for two current levels IC1 and IC2, providing
inverse
se current time characteristic of relay
rel curve portion A-B of
Fig. 2.

In radiall feeder network directional overcurrent relays are

commonly employed. If only non-directional
directional relays are used to
parallel radial feeders, it cuts supply of perticular faulty lineand
keep sustain healthy feeder in service. service.While proper
discrimination of relays and their reliability & accuracy makes
ease in fault analysis.

3.1 Measuring Peak Value Ic: After filtering the fundamental

component, ac current signal (I) of frequency ‘f’ entering the
relay must first converted to a respective dc value for
comparison with the preset pick-up up current of relay. By Fig. 5: Integrator Inverse time characteristics
 Fig. 6: Logic Diagram for Inverse Current Time characteristics of OCR

As fig.6 shows exact logical operation of OCR from input characteristics. At receiving end connected load carries 900 A
current signal to tripping operation. Comparator and integrator (peak) under normal condition. Near the source non directional
does great role concern with accuracy and reliability of relay. OCR (L1 & L2) employed and at load side directional OCR (M ( 1
& M2) employed which gives direction of fault current and
3.3 Directional component of OCR: The directional feature acts remaining feeder lives healthy
y without discontinuity of supply.
as a switch to allow current to pass to OCR to take precise
decision of power flows in a particular direction. These
directional relays may use the phase angle between the fault
current and some reference angle to determine either forward or
reverse the direction of the fault. If ‘Ψ’’ (let) is the angle between
current in a phase and voltage on that phase then

Fig. 7a shows during normal conditions the

Fig. 8:: Simulink model of 132 kV network with OCR and
overlapping interval between voltage and current is longer than
DOCR
their non-overlapping
overlapping interval whereas under reversed power
flow conditions the opposite is true as shown in Reliability and co-ordination
ordination of relay can be maintained proper
Fig. 7b. This difference in the overlapping interval under normal relay settings as shown in below
and reversed power flow conditions can be used to implement
the directional element of a relay. Relay Pick-up
up current Constant(K)
setting IP
L1 2000 3610
L2 2000 3610
M1 400 404
M2 400 404
We will consider here
ere both symmetrical as well as unsymmetri -
cal faults on different places
ces of feeder and compute fault
clearing time and their performance.

V. RESULTS AND WAVEFORMS

5.1 Symmetrical fault analysis

Fig. 7: Angle between Voltagege and Current Phasors under
a) normal conditions b) fault conditions
IV. SIMULINK MODEL
A 132 kV transmission network consist parallel feeder is
simulated and checked performance of relay current
current-time
Case 1: Fault occurs at P on Feeder 1
The fault at P which lies on feeder 1 is fed by the supply
through paths source-L1-P and source-L
s 2-M2-M1-P causes
current levels on both feeders to rise. The direction of power
flow remains the same as prior to the fault in relay M2 and
reverse in M1, therefore relay M2 remains unchanged however
high the current flowing through the respective C.T. is, whereas
relay M1 functions to send a trip command to the it’s associated
C.B. The operating time of relay L1 and M1 determined as
follows;
3610
T(L1)= = = 0.8 sec
6500

404
T(M1)= = = 0.35 sec
1750

Therefore fault occurred at 5 s so t=5.35s resulting in the fault

current to no longer be fed from path source-L2-M2-M1-P. Non
directional O.C. relay L1 will trip its associated C.B. at
t=5.8sec., thereby ultimately removing the faulty feeder from
the network resulting in the entire load current to be fed by
healthy feeder 2. Fig. 9 shows the status of relays at L1, L2, M1,
M2 and the currents at the positions of these relays for fault
occurring at P on feeder 1.

Fig. 10: Relay status and fault current in case 2

Case 3: For Fault occurring at bus R

In this case, no relay will operate since the fault is out of
reach. Fig. 11 shows the status of relays and the currents on bus
R.

Fig. 9: Relay status and fault current in case 1

Case 2: Fault occurs at Q on feeder 2

In this case, only L2 and M2 will operate at t=5.8s & t=5.35s
respectively. Fig. 10 shows the status of on feeder 2.
 5.2 Unsymmetrical fault analysis

Now performance will be checked for unsymmetrical faults for

S-L-G, D-L-G and L-L and status of relays at L1, L2, M1, M2
and their co-ordination, accuracy & reliability has been tested..

Case 5: For S-L-G Fault occurring at point P on feeder 1.

Fig. 11: Relay status and fault current in case 3

Case 4: For Fault occurring at bus S

Here over-current relays L1 and L2 will operate. Fig. 12 shows

the status of relays and the currents on bus S.

Fig. 13: Relay status and fault current in case 5

Case 6: For D-L-G Fault occurring at point P on feeder 1

Fig. 12: Relay status and fault current in case 4


Fig. 14: Relay status and fault current in case 6
Case 7: For L-L Fault occurring at point P on feeder 1
Fig. 15: Relay status and fault current in case 7
During unsymmetrical fault relay operates promptly hence
faulty feeder gets separated from healthy line hence supply
remain continue without any interruption till fault.
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VI. CONCLUSION
The paper has presented the modeling of the digital overcurrent
relays using MATLAB/SIMULINK. MATLAB offers
advantage in terms of their flexibility. Researchers could modify
the testing parameters as well as the design of the relay. The
effectiveness of the proposed relay has been verified by
considering different examples as case studies. This model offer
effective means for explaining the behaviors of overcurrent
Relay under various operating conditions and changing the
design parameters. The digital relay has good advantage in
terms of their sensitivity and wide range controlling.
VII. REFERENCES
[1] Muhammad Mohsin Aman, Muhammad Qadeer A. Khan,
Saad A. Qazi., “Digital Directional and Non-Directional Over-
Current Relays(Modeling and Performance Analysis)”,NED
University Journal of Research. (Vol. VIII No.2 – December
2011)
[2] Jhanwar V, Pradhan, AK., “Accurate Overcurrent Relay
Algorithm using Fundamental Component.” in Power System
Technology and IEEE Power India Conference, 2008.
POWERCON 2008.
[3] Sidhu, T.S.; Sachdev, M.S.; Wood, H.C., “Design of a
microprocessor-based overcurrent relay.” in IEEE Western
Canada Conference. 1991, p. 41 – 46.
[4] Yalla V.V.S. Murty, a and W.J. Smolinskib. “Design and
implementation of a versatile digital directional overcurrent
relay.” in J Electr Pow Syst Res January 1990; 18(1): p. 47-55.
[5] ] Muhammad Mohsin Aman, Muhammad Qadeer A. Khan,
Saad A. Qazi., “Modeling and Simulation of Digital Negative
Sequence Relay for Unbalanced Protection of Generator” , in
IEEE International Power Engineering and Optimization
Conference, Malaysia,& June 2012
[6] Vahidi, B. and Esmaeeli, E. MATLAB-SIMULINK-Based
Simulation For Digital Differential Relay Protection of Power
Transformer for Educational Purpose. In: J Comput Appl Eng
Educ 29 SEP 2010.
[7]Switchgear Protection & Power System,Khanna Publication,
S. rao