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How to calculate any point on an MHO circle with or without offset

Description:
Calculating a point on an MHO circle is fairly straightforward if:
• The edge of the MHO circle touches the origin
• You know the diameter of the circle (Reach)
• You know the Maximum Torque Angle (MTA)

You can to test on a normal line impedance MHO circle using basic cosine trigonometry to create a
right angle triangle to any point on the circle you with the formula Test Impedance = Reach *
cos(Test Angle° – MTA°).

This formula does not work for all test angles when the MHO circle has an offset, or its edge doesn’t
touch the circle, as shown in the following diagram. You commonly find these elements when
testing Loss of Field (40) elements in generator relays, or Out-Of-Step (78) elements. There are two
possible answers for any test angle, which makes the math much more complex.

This spreadsheet will perform the math to find any point of the edge of a MTA circle. You can
review the background formulas, or jump to the bottom of the page to get started. All of the angles
in the calculations are Leading angles, like you would find on a Doble Test-set or Manta with
default settings.

Enter your parameters in the green boxes. Calculations appear in the yellow boxes

Input variables: Graph x y

MHO Diameter: 18.0 unit 0.0 0 9.0 -11.0
MTA: 270 deg Lead -10.0 -8.0 -6.0 -4.0 -2.0 0.0 2.01 4.0
8.5 6.0
-7.9 8.0 10.0
MHO Offset: 2.0 unit 2 6.9 -5.2
Test Angle : 300 deg Lead -5.0 3 4.5 -3.2
4 1.6 -2.1
Solution: 5 -1.6 -2.1
ZTest1 = 16.650 Ohms -10.0 6 -4.5 -3.2
ZTest2 = 2.402 Ohms 7 -6.9 -5.2
8 -8.5 -7.9
Graph's points -15.0 9 -9.0 -11.0
Zoffset Ztest1 16.65 10 -8.5 -14.1
x y x y 11 -6.9 -16.8
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -20.0 12 -4.5 -18.8
0.0 -2.0 8.3 -14.4 8.3 -14.4 13 -1.6 -19.9
Zreach Ztest2 2.40 1.0 14 1.6 -19.9
x y x y -25.0 15 4.5 -18.8
0.0 -2.0 0.0 0.0 16 6.9 -16.8
0.0 -20.0 1.2 -2.1 1.2 -2.1 17 8.5 -14.1
x0 = 0.0 unit 1.0 Circle Zoffset
18 9.0 -11.0 Zreach
y0 = -11.0 unit Ztest1 Ztest2
0 9.0 -11.0
 Valence Electrical Training Services

How to calculate any point on an MHO circle with or without offset

Description:
Calculating a point on an MHO circle is fairly straightforward if:
• The edge of the MHO circle touches the origin
• You know the diameter of the circle (Reach)
• You know the Maximum Torque Angle (MTA)

You can to test on a normal line impedance MHO circle using basic cosine trigonometry to create a
right angle triangle to any point on the circle you with the formula Test Impedance = Reach *
cos(Test Angle° – MTA°).

This formula does not work for all test angles when the MHO circle has an offset, or its edge doesn’t
touch the circle, as shown in the following diagram. You commonly find these elements when
testing Loss of Field (40) elements in generator relays, or Out-Of-Step (78) elements. There are two
possible answers for any test angle, which makes the math much more complex.

This spreadsheet will perform the math to find any point of the edge of a MTA circle. You can
review the background formulas, or jump to the bottom of the page to get started. All of the angles
in the calculations are Leading angles, like you would find on a Doble Test-set or Manta with
default settings.

Basis for Calculations (Zreach should really be called Zdiameter)

 Input variables: Constraints:
MTA    Z 
x 0  d  r cos    Z offset  reach  cosMTA
TEST    2 
Z reach  2 r , r  0  Z 
y 0  d  r sin     Z offset  reach  sin MTA
 2 
Z offset  x 02  y 02  r  d

Solving:
From circumference equation and Ztest line equation we obtain

Circumference : x  x0    y  y0   r 2 , x  x0  r, y  y0  r 
  x  x0   tan x  y0   r , x  x0  r
2 2 2 2 2


 
Ztestline: y  tan x  
  y  tan x, y  y0  r

Rewriten x-equation using input variables we obtain

  Z reach  
2
  Z reach  
2
Z 
2

 X test   Z offset   cosMTA    tan TEST X test   Z offset   sinMTA    reach 
  2     2    2 

  Z reach  Z reach
 X test   Z offset  2  cosMTA   2
  

 sec 2 TEST   2  X test   Z offset  reach   cosMTA   sinMTA  tan TEST   Z offset  Z offset Z reach   0
2  Z  2
X test
 2 

 2  X test   Z offset  reach   cosTEST   cosMTA  TEST   Z offset  Z offset Z reach   cos 2 TEST   0
2  Z  2
X test
 2 

Solving x-equation and applying this result in y-equation we obtain

  
2 
 Z 
X test1, 2  cosTEST     Z offset  reach   cosMTA  TEST  
Z 
  Z offset  reach   cosMTA  TEST   Z offset
2

 Z offset Z reach 
 2   2   
 
  
2 
 Z 
Ytest1, 2  sinTEST     Z offset  reach   cosMTA  TEST  
Z 
  Z offset  reach   cosMTA  TEST   Z offset
2
 Z offset Z reach 
 2    2   
 

Solution:
Then, if the results above are real numbers, it will be possible to obtain Ztest from
2
 
  Zoffset  reach   cosMTA TEST  Zoffset  ZoffsetZ reach
 Z  Z 
Ztest1,2   Zoffset  reach   cosMTA TEST  2

 2   2  

Ztest values only will be a solution if Xtest and Ytest values are on circumference line, which can be
checked by

2 2
  Z     Z   Z
 a  X test1, 2   Z offset  reach  cosMTA   a  Ytest1, 2   Z offset  reach  sin MTA  reach
  2     2   2
 Z reach Z
 1, for only X test,2 and Ytest,2 and Z offset   Z offset  reach
a 2 2
1, otherwise

 2 2
  Z     Z   Z
 a  X test1, 2   Z offset  reach  cosMTA   a  Ytest1, 2   Z offset  reach  sin MTA  reach
  2     2   2
 Z reach Z
 1, for only X test,2 and Ytest,2 and Z offset   Z offset  reach
a 2 2
1, otherwise


The auxiliary a-values comes from that if (0,0)-point is inside the circumference then Ztest1 and Ztest2 will
be in opposite phases, otherwise they will be in phase.

Enter your parameters in the green boxes. Calculations appear in the yellow boxes

Input variables: Graph x y

MHO Diameter: 18.0 unit 0.0 0 9.0 -11.0
MTA: 270 deg Lead -10.0 -8.0 -6.0 -4.0 -2.0 0.0 2.01 4.0
8.5 6.0
-7.9 8.0 10.0
MHO Offset: 2.0 unit 2 6.9 -5.2
Test Angle : 300 deg Lead -5.0 3 4.5 -3.2
4 1.6 -2.1
Solution: 5 -1.6 -2.1
ZTest1 = 16.650 Ohms -10.0 6 -4.5 -3.2
ZTest2 = 2.402 Ohms 7 -6.9 -5.2
8 -8.5 -7.9
Graph's points -15.0 9 -9.0 -11.0
Zoffset Ztest1 16.65 10 -8.5 -14.1
x y x y 11 -6.9 -16.8
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -20.0 12 -4.5 -18.8
0.0 -2.0 8.3 -14.4 8.3 -14.4 13 -1.6 -19.9
Zreach Ztest2 2.40 1.0 14 1.6 -19.9
x y x y -25.0 15 4.5 -18.8
0.0 -2.0 0.0 0.0 16 6.9 -16.8
0.0 -20.0 1.2 -2.1 1.2 -2.1 17 8.5 -14.1
x0 = 0.0 unit 1.0 Circle Zoffset
18 9.0 -11.0 Zreach
y0 = -11.0 unit Ztest1 Ztest2
0 9.0 -11.0
 3 PHASE DISTANCE TEST RESULTS (Ohms )
Zreach1 2 Zreach2 2 Zreach3 3 Zreach4 3
MTA1 45 MTA2 90 MTA3 154 MTA4 220
Roffset1 1 Roffset2 -0,5 Roffset3 -0,5 Roffset4 1

F F F F

TEST ANGLE ZONE 1 TESTS ZONE 2 TESTS ZONE 3 TESTS ZONE 4 TESTS
M1P MFG1 MFG2 M2P MFG1 MFG2 M3P MFG1 MFG2 M4P MFG1 MFG2
60 2,79 1,08 1,40 0,54 1,05 1,19 - -
0 - - 0,87 0,87 0,54 2,33 - -
20 2,35 1,28 1,05 0,71 0,62 2,01 - -
40 2,98 1,01 1,25 0,60 0,78 1,60 - -
60 2,79 1,08 1,40 0,54 1,05 1,19 - -
80 - - 1,49 0,50 1,43 0,88 - -
100 - - 0,50 0,50 0,68 0,68 - -
120 - - 0,54 0,54 0,56 0,56 - -

e
140 - - 0,60 0,60 0,51 0,51 - -

l
160 - - 0,71 0,71 0,50 0,50 - -

p
180 - - 0,87 0,87 0,54 0,54 - -

m
200 - - 1,05 1,05 0,62 0,62 1,12 1,12

Exa
220 - - 1,25 1,25 0,78 0,78 1,00 1,00
240 - - 1,40 1,40 1,05 1,05 1,12 1,12
260 - - 1,49 1,49 1,43 1,43 - -
280 - - 0,50 1,49 0,68 1,85 - -
300 - - 0,54 1,40 0,56 2,22 - -
320 - - 0,60 1,25 0,51 2,45 - -
340 - - 0,71 1,05 0,50 2,49 - -
360 - - 0,87 0,87 0,54 2,33 - -
TIMING TESTS (in c y c le s )
MULT M1PT MFG %ERR M2PT MFG %ERR M3P MFG %ERR M4PT MFG %ERR
1.2 * PU

COMMENTS:

RESULTS ACCEPTABLE: YES NO SEE NOTES

M1P M1P MFG 3M2P M2P

PHASE MFG M3P
DISTANCE M3P
TEST MFG (Ohms)
RESULTS
0 0 1,7 0,7 0 0 1 1 0 0 0,2 0,7
2,5
0 0 1,6 1,2 0 0 0,9 1,5 0 0 -0 1,4
0 0 1,2 1,6 0 0 0,5 1,9 0 0 -1 2
2
0 0 0,7 1,7 0 0 0 2 0 0 -1 2,2
0 0 0,2 1,6 0 0 -1 1,9 0 0 -2 2
1,5
M1P
0 0 -0 1,2 0 0 -1 1,5 0 0 -3 1,4
M1P MFG
-0 0,7 -1 1 -3 0,7
1 M2P
-0 0,2 -1 0,5 -3 -0
M2P MFG
0,2 -0 -1 0,1 0,5
-2 -1
M3P
0,7 -0 -0 0 -1 -1
M3P MFG
1,2 -0 0,5 0,1 0
-1 -1
-4 1,6 0,2
-3 -2 0,9 0,5
-1 0 -0 -01 2
1,7 0,7 1 1 -0,5
0,2 0,7

-1

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Entered Values
 Entered Values
Calculated values

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