High Impedance Circulating Current Protection Calculations

1. INTRODUCTION 2.2 Relay Setting Voltage

The protection relay must remain stable under
This document provides guidelines for the maximum through fault conditions, when a voltage is
performance calculations required for high developed across the protection due to the fault
impedance circulating current protection. current. The relay setting voltage must be made
equal or greater than this maximum voltage for the
2. PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMANCE protection to remain stable. That is:
CALCULATIONS
Vs Vstab ...(1)
2.1 Data Required
where,
2.1.1 System Information Vs = relay setting voltage.
i) Maximum through fault level, Stf. Vstab = stability voltage.
ii) System voltage, Vsys.
iii) Minimum fault current, Imin. The fault current may contain a transient d.c.
iv) Circuit breaker rating, Icb. component current which can cause saturation of the
v) Maximum through fault current, Itf = Stf / (√3 x current transformer core and thus distortion of the
Vsys). secondary current. Therefore in order to calculate
the required setting voltage, it is assumed that one of
2.1.2 Current Transformer Information the protection CT’s saturates. In these conditions the
The CTs used in this type of scheme should be of healthy CT’s are driving current through the parallel
the high accuracy and low leakage reactance type. impedance of the saturated CT with leads and the
protection relay. The saturated CT impedance is
i) Turns ratio, T. represented by its secondary winding resistance,
ii) Secondary resistance, Rct. and the maximum lead loop resistance between the
iii) Knee-point voltage, Vk. CT and the relay must also be considered.
iv) Magnetising characteristics.
v) CT lead resistance, Rl. For the simple case of two current transformers, the
voltage developed across the relay is given by:
The lead resistances are either given in the tender
document or can be calculated from the layout Vstab Itf x T x (Rct + Rl) ...(2)
drawings. In the worst case a maximum lead /
resistance can be estimated and specified as a In most practical systems where more than two
maximum allowable. current transformers exist, the same equation is
used based on the fact that this represents the
2.1.3 Protection Relay Information onerous condition. Rl is chosen for the longest
i) Operating current or current setting range, Is. distance between any two CT’s in parallel.
ii) Operating voltage or relay burden expressed
in voltage, Vr. In addition, the relay setting voltage should be less
than half of the knee point voltage of any CT in the
protection scheme. That is:

Vs < Vk/2 ...(3)

The criteria outlined above establishes maximum and
minimum values for the relay setting voltage.
2.3 Stabilising Resistor
The relay voltage setting range may not be sufficient
to be set to the required level of Vs as calculated
previously, due to the relay’s low burden. In such
cases a ‘stabilising’ resistor is provided in series with
the relay to increase the relay circuit setting.
However for a relay calibrated in voltage this is not
normally required. The resistor can be sized as
follows:
Vs - Vr = IsRs ...(4)
where,
Rs = stabilising resistance required.
Using the maximum and minimum voltages
calculated by (2) & (3), a resistance range can be
obtain from which a suitable resistor can be chosen.
After which the actual relay circuit setting voltage can
be calculated.
2.4 Thermal Rating of Resistors
The resistors incorporate in the scheme must be
capable of withstanding the associated thermal
conditions.
2.4.1 Continuous Power Rating
The continuous power rating of a resistor is defined
as:
Pcon = (Icon)² R ...(5)
where,
Pcon = resistor continuous power rating.
Icon = continuous resistor current i.e. the
operating current of the relay
R = resistance.
2.4.2 Half-second Power Rating
The rms voltage developed across a resistor for
maximum internal fault conditions is defined as:
Vf = (Vk³ x R x Ifs)¼ x 1.3 ...(6)
where,
Vf = rms voltage across resistor.
Ifs = maximum secondary fault current which
can be calculated from the circuit breaker
rating, Icb, if the maximum internal fault
current is not given. The maximum
internal fault current is usually the same
as the maximum through fault current.
Thus the half-second power rating is given by:
Phalf = Vf² /R ...(7)
where,
Phalf = half-second power rating.
2.5 Voltage Limiting Resistor
The previous calculations produced a voltage setting
for through fault stability, now the case for an internal
fault needs to be considered. The maximum primary
fault current will cause high voltage spikes across the
relay at instants of zero flux since a practical CT core
enters saturation on each half-cycle for voltages of
this magnitude. If this voltage exceeds 3kV peak then
it is necessary to suppress the voltage with a non
linear resistor (nlr) in a shunt connection which will
pass the excess current as the voltage rises. The
formula to calculate this voltage is:
Vpk = 2 x (2Vk [Vfs-Vk])½ ...(8)
where,
Vpk = peak value of the voltage waveform.
Vfs = value of voltage that would appear if CT
did not saturate.
= Ifs x (Rr + Rs), where Rr = relay resistance.
The nlr must be chosen to match the relay circuit
setting voltage (i.e. its characteristic must not change
significantly until beyond the relay setting Vs) and it
must be capable of passing the maximum prospective
fault current that can be transformed by the CT.
The type of Metrosil required (the nlr used by
Reyrolle) is chosen by its thermal rating as defined by
the formula:
P = 4/π x Ifs x Vk ...(9)
There are two types of Metrosil available the 3 inch
type with a maximum rating of 11kJ/s and the 6 inch
type with a maximum rating of 35kJ/s.
2.6 Fault Setting
The primary operating current or fault setting may be
calculated from:
If = (nIe + Is + Inlr)/T ...(10)
where,
If = primary fault setting.
n = number of CTs in parallel.
Ie = exciting current of each CT at the relay
circuit setting voltage (assuming all CTs
are identical).
Inlr = current in non linear resistor at the relay
circuit setting voltage.
This current, If, should fall within the recommended fault
setting given by the relevant ESI standard, the clients
specification or in the absence of these good engineering
practice, and be significantly greater than a specified
minimum, Im, (where Im is a percentage of the minimum
primary fault current, Imin).
If the calculated If is lower than a specified minimum (i.e. it is 3.2 Relay Setting Voltage
too sensitive) then a shunt setting resistor is required in Primary through-fault current:
order to raise the fault setting. The current following through Itf = 35000MVA / (√3 x 400kV)
the shunt resistor is given by:
= 50518A
Ish = ImT - nIe - Is - Inlr ...(11) From eqn (2)
Vstab = (50518A / 2000) x (2 + 1.5)
where, = 89V
Ish = current through shunt resistor.
From eqn (3)
Therefore, the shunt setting resistance is: Vs < 600V / 2 = 300V
Rsh = Vs/Ish ...(12) Thus to maintain stability for maximum through fault
current the relay needs to be set at a voltage in the
3. WORKED EXAMPLE range 89V to 300V.
The following worked example is based on the 3.3 Stabilising Resistor
application of a Reyrolle DAD relay to a single phase Using eqn (4) and assuming the relay voltage to be
to earth busbar fault (Figure 1). negligible.

Rs > 89V / 100mA = 890

Rs < 300V / 100mA = 3000
Let Rs = 1000

Vs Therefore, relay circuit setting voltage

Rs
Rsh Met
Vs = 0.1A x 1000 = 100V
DAD
3.4 Thermal Rating of Stabilising Resistor

3.4.1 Continuous Power Rating

Figure 1 - Simplified circulating current scheme From eqn (5)
Pcon = (100mA)² x 1000
3.1 Data = 10W continuously
3.1.1 System Information 3.4.2 Half-second Power Rating
i) Maximum through fault level, Stf = 35000MVA From eqn (6)
ii) System voltage, Vsys = 400kV Vf = (600³V x 1000 x 30A)¼ x 1.3
iii) Minimum fault current, Imin = 5kA = 2074V
iv) Circuit breaker rating, Icb = 60kA

3.1.2 Current Transformer Information Thus,

The CTs are low leakage reactance type having an Phalf = 2074²V / 1000
accuracy class ‘X’ in accordance with BS3938. = 4301W for half a second
i) Ratio, T = 1/2000 3.5 Voltage Limiting Resistor
ii) Secondary resistance, Rct = 2 To establish the requirement for a Metrosil the peak
iii) Knee-point voltage, Vk = 600V voltage needs to exceed 3kV.
iv) CT lead resistance, Rl = 1.5
From eqn (8)
3.1.3 Protection Relay Information (DAD) Vpk = 2 x (2 x 600V[30A x 1000 - 600V])½
i) Relay has a variable a.c. current setting on the = 11.9kV
1A tap of 5mA to 960mA in 5mA
steps. Taking current setting to be 10% of tap: Thus the Metrosil thermal rating from eqn (9)
Is = 100mA
ii) The a.c. burden of the DAD relay is expressed P = 4π x 30A x 600V
as a voltage at the relay current setting where: = 22.9kJ/s
Vr = 0.12 + 0.78 Is
= 0.198V A 6" Metrosil is therefore required.
3.6 Fault Setting
Where relay setting voltage is low then current in non
linear resistor (NLR is ignored).

The primary operating current assuming a CT

magnetising current of 0.02A at setting voltage is:

Ip = (2 x 0.02 + 0.1) x 2000

= 280A

The setting range is 10% to 30% of the minimum

primary fault current i.e. 500A to 1500A. Therefore a
shunt resistor is required.

Ish = 500A / 2000 - (2 x 0.02) - 0.1

= 0.11A

Thus,
Rsh = 100V / 0.11A
= 909

Let Rsh = 800, If = 530A

Alternatively, in the case of employing Reyrolle’s

DAD relay, the current setting could be increased.
Calculations from 3.3 onwards would need to be
recalculated.

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