18

Capacitor Protection

Large shunt capacitor banks, which consist of series-parallel groups of

lower voltage capacitors (CANs), are more sensitive to excessive voltage
than to excessive current. Typically the voltage across each individual
CAN must be less than 110% of rated. Individual CAN fuses are usually
sized for 135% of rated current as specified by the manufacturer.
Overvoltage protection needs to consider how voltage divides among
various series-parallel groups when individual CAN fuses operate and
the bank becomes unbalanced.
Consider, for example, a 69-KV, 14.4-MVAR shunt capacitor bank that
is composed of 72-200-KVAR, 9.96-KV CANs. Each phase contains four
series groups of six CANs in parallel as shown in Figure 18.1. Each indi-
vidual CAN is protected by a fuse (not shown) as specified by the capaci-
tor vendor. Catastrophic failure of the capacitor is detected by overcurrent
relays and isolated by a 69-KV circuit breaker.
The main concern when trying to select a protective scheme for shunt
capacitor banks, similar to those shown in Figure 18.1, is to protect remain-
ing CANs from overvoltage when fuses associated with other CANs open.
When a capacitor bank is balanced and energized at rated voltage, the
voltage across each CAN will be 100% of rated CAN voltage.

9.96 KV × 4 = 39.84 KV

39.84 KV × √ 3 = 69 KV

When one CAN fuse opens, the impedance of, and the voltage across,
the remaining CANs in that parallel group increases. If additional fuses
in this same parallel group open, the voltage across remaining CANs will
continue to increase. The goal is to detect overvoltage before voltage
becomes high enough to cause additional CAN failures.
Several protection alternatives are available. One method is to connect
the phases to ground through a CT and to use the neutral current as an
indication that the bank should be tripped off-line. A second method is
to connect VTs to each phase and to use group voltage as an indicator
that the bank should be tripped off-line. The first method is commonly
used for protection of capacitor banks rated 138 KV and below. The second
method, which requires the installation of two VTs per phase, is com-
monly used for protection of capacitor banks rated above 138 KV.

299
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300 Protective Relay Principles

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4

1– Three Phase, 14.4 MVAR Capacitor

4 – Series Groups per Phase
6 – 200 KVAR, 9.96 KV, CANs per Group

Figure 18.1
Typical three-phase capacitor bank.

The following equation can be used to determine the voltage on the remain-
ing CANs when fuses in the capacitor bank shown in Figure 18.1 open.

PG × E ϕ -N
E High =
N F + S × (PG − N F )
E ϕ -N − E G
E Other =
S −1

where
EHigh = the voltage across a parallel group of CANs with open fuses
EOther = t he voltage across other parallel groups of CANs, that is, the
groups that have no open fuses
Eφ-N = the phase-to-neutral voltage across series groups of CANs
NF = the number of failed CANs in a parallel group
PG = the number of CANs in a parallel group
S = the number of series groups

For the capacitor bank shown in Figure 18.1 with no CAN fuses open,

© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Capacitor Protection 301

69, 000 V
6×
E High = 3 = 9959 V
0 + 4 × (6 − 0)

which is nominal capacitor voltage.

For the capacitor bank shown in Figure 18.1 with one CAN fuse open,

69, 000 V
6×
E High = 3 = 11, 382 V = 114.2%
1 + 4 × (6 − 1)
69, 000
V − 11, 382 V
EO = 3 = 9485 V = 95.2%
4 −1

(11,382 V + 3 × 9485 V = 39,837 V)

For the capacitor shown in Figure 18.1 with two CAN fuses open in the
same group,

69, 000 V
6×
EG = 3 = 13, 279 V = 133.3%
2 + 4 × (6 − 2)
69, 000
V − 13, 279 V
EO = 3 = 8852 V = 88.9%
4 −1

(13,279 V + 3 × 8852 V = 39,835 V)

In this case, cascading CAN failure—caused by overvoltage—could occur

within a parallel group unless the capacitor bank was tripped as soon as
the first can failed.
The solution for this problem could be the installation of potential
devices and overvoltage relays for each parallel group. This, however, is
expensive as twelve potential devices and twelve protective relays would
be required for each three-phase bank.

18.1 Neutral Current Monitoring

One alternative is to install a neutral current-sensing CT as shown in
Figure 18.2 and to set the relay to operate when the neutral current reaches
a value indicative of parallel group overvoltage.

© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

302 Protective Relay Principles

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4

1 – Three Phase, 14.4 MVAR Capacitor

4 – Series Groups per Phase
6 – 200 KVAR, 9.96 KV, CANs per Group

Figure 18.2
Typical three-phase capacitor bank with one CAN removed neutral CT.

The trip value should be indicative of CAN failures that would lead to
overvoltage conditions. Very low trip settings should be applied in order
to minimize the possibility that a CAN fuse could open in Phase 1, fol-
lowed by a random fuse opening in Phase 2, followed by a random fuse
opening in Phase 3. In which case, the neutral current would return to
zero even though three of the twelve series-parallel groups are experienc-
ing increased voltage.
The unbalance current due to a CAN fuse opening is approximately

KVAR E ϕ -N PG × N F
I= × ×
KV S × V S × (PG − N F ) + N F

where
Eφ-N = the phase-to-neutral voltage across a series group of CANs
KV = the voltage rating of each CAN in the bank
KVAR = the var rating of each CAN in the bank
NF = the number of failed CANs in a parallel group

© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Capacitor Protection 303

PG = the number of CANs in a parallel group

S = the number of series groups
V = the voltage rating of each CAN in the bank in the same units as
Eφ-N

For the capacitor bank shown in Figure 18.2, the unbalance current due
to a CAN fuse opening is approximately

69, 000
V
200 KVAR 3 6×1
I= × × amps
9.96 KV 4 × 9960 V 4 × (6 − 1) + 1
I = 20.08 × 1 × 0.286 = 5.74 amps

The neutral CT should be sized to carry rated phase current in the event
that one phase of the 69-KV switching device fails (to open or close).
If a 100/5 amp CT is utilized, the CT secondary current for one CAN
fuse open would be 0.287 amps and a time overcurrent relay, which is
not sensitive to harmonic currents, could be utilized. The setting could be
0.2 amps with a 2-second time delay at ten multiples of pickup.
Another alternative is to install an adjustable resistor across the second-
ary of the CT (100/5, with 150-volt secondary voltage capability), as shown
in Figure 18.3, and to connect a time overvoltage relay across the terminals
of the resistor.
With a resistor setting of 25 Ωs, a time overvoltage relay, which is not
sensitive to harmonic currents, could be set to pick up at 5 volts (0.287 A ×
25 Ω = 7.175 V). The setting could be 5.0 volts with a 4-second time delay at
two multiples of pickup.

18.2 Midpoint Voltage Monitoring

For large shunt capacitor banks, voltage comparison rather than neutral
current monitoring is an alternative. A differential voltage relay is utilized
to monitor voltage across the entire capacitor and to compare bank voltage
to midpoint voltage for each phase as illustrated in Figure 18.4.
In this case, secondary voltage of the capacitor bank potential device
would be 120 V (100%) and secondary voltage of the potential device
across one-half of the stack would be 120 V.

© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

304 Protective Relay Principles

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4

1 – Three Phase, 14.4 MVAR Capacitor

4 – Series Groups per Phase
6 – 200 KVAR, 9.96 KV, CANs per Group

Figure 18.3
Typical three-phase capacitor bank with one CAN removed neutral CT and voltage relay.

When one CAN fuse opens the phase-to-neutral voltage remains

39,837 V, but the voltage across half of the bank becomes

11,382 V + 9485 V = 20,867 V, which is 104.7% of nominal

and the voltage across the other half of the bank becomes

9485 V + 9485 V = 18,970 V, which is 95.3% of nominal

Therefore, a voltage differential relay with 3% restraint would be needed.

If, however, phase-to-midpoint and midpoint-to-ground voltage trans-
formers are utilized as illustrated in Figure 18.5, a voltage differential
relay with 5% restraint could be applied.

© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Capacitor Protection 305

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4

1 – Three Phase, 14.4 MVAR Capacitor

4 – Series Groups per Phase
6 – 200 KVAR, 9.96 KV, CANs per Group

Figure 18.4
Typical three-phase capacitor bank voltage comparison relay phase-to-ground CCVTs.

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3

Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4 Groups 1–4

1 – Three Phase, 14.4 MVAR Capacitor

4 – Series Groups per Phase
6 – 200 KVAR, 9.96 KV, CANs per Group

Figure 18.5
Typical three-phase capacitor bank voltage comparison relay phase-to-midpoint and mid-
point-to-ground CCVTs.

© 2009 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC