Transformer

Protection

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Traditional percentage differential
relays are used for all kinds of
internal transformer faults.
Use of current transformers with
different turns ratios and tap changer
add up problems of malfunctioning of
transformers.
Both internal and external faults
cause the malfunctioning of the
transformers.
Protective schemes for Tx line take
care of external faults.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 For protecting against internal faults:
gas actuated relays, overcurrent
relay, restricted earth fault relay and
percentage differential relays could
be used.
Selection of the protection scheme
depends upon the types of faults as
well as type, rating, size and
importance of the transformer.

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Faults in Transformer
1) External faults:
Appearance of overcurrent for short
duration,
short circuit of the transformer,
overloading,
etc.
2) Internal faults: Incipient faults, terminal
faults and winding faults, etc.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
2a) Incipient faults: It causes overheating and
consequent hazard if not attended in
time.
i) Core faults due to breakdown of insulation
of lamination, bolts or clamping rings
ii) Earth fault near the neutral point of star
connected transformer
iii) Poor electrical connection of conductors
iv) Coolant failure
v) Improper oil flow
vi) Regulator failure and improper load
sharing b/w transformers operating
parallel

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
2b) Terminal faults:
i) HV or LV terminals phase-to-phase fault
ii) HV or LV terminals phase-to-earth fault
iii) HV or LV terminals three phase fault

2c) Winding faults:

i) HV or LV winding phase-to-phase fault
ii) HV or LV terminals phase-to-earth fault
iii) Short ckt b/w turns of HV or LV windings
iv) Short ckt b/w turns of tertiary windings
v) Earth fault on tertiary windings

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Electromagnetic Protection of
Transformers

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Magnetizing inrush current
It is the current which flows in the
primary winding of the transformer
while the secondary winding is open
circuited just after the switch is closed
on the primary side. (NO LOAD
CONDITION)
It depends upon steel used for core
construction, magnitude and polarity
of residual magnetism, instant of
switching and so on.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Magnetizing characteristics determine
the exact shape of the magnetizing
inrush current, which sometimes goes
up to 10-15 times the rated value.
This current may take nearly 1-2
seconds to decay owing to large
magnetizing characteristics.
This effect is more in three phase
transformer as the current flowing in
a winding is dependent upon currents
of remaining windings as well.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 It is rich in second harmonics and
may cause false tripping of the relay.
This second harmonic current is more
than 16% and is found to be very
useful in detecting the difference
between fault current and
magnetizing inrush current for
relaying purposes.

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Overvoltage inrush current
During abnormal system conditions, for
a short duration the voltage may
increase, which in turn cause saturation
of transformer resulting in high
differential currents.
This increased current rises the
magnitude of internal fault current
causing an erroneous operation to the
protective relay.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 It is observed that 20 to 50% overvoltage
in grain steel may cause increase as high
as 10 to 100% in excitation currents.
Overvoltage magnitude is affected by:
a) Generator excitation
b) line length connected to a generating
station
c) System shunt reactance
d) Generating capacity
An increase in magnetizing current due to
an overvoltage causes an increase in the
third and fifth harmonic components,
which causes malfunctioning of relays.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Differential Protection of
Transformers
Transformers rated 5MVA and above are
protected by differential protection
scheme against internal phase-to-phase
and phase-to-earth faults.
Unbalanced fault current is applied for
indicating and tripping the fault current.
Highest selectivity with lowest tripping
time is required.

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 The load currents in the two windings
of the star-delta transformers are not
in direct opposition, but are displaced
by 30 degrees.
The secondary of the CTs are
connected in delta side of transformer.
Following problems occur:
a) Magnetizing inrush current
b) Unmatched char. of CTs
c) Turn ratio change due to tapping

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Wherever through faults occur, unless
saturation is avoided, the difference in
CT char. due to different ratios being
required in circuits of different voltage
may cause appreciable differences in
the respective secondary currents. This
trouble gets worse in case of
transformers due to unequal ratio CTs
being employed on either side of the
protected transformers.
To alter turns ratio, tap changes are
common feature of power transformer.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Percentage biased differential
protection of transformers
A restraining winding which gets
energized by the passing current is
provided with the differential protection
scheme.
Operating winding is biased and
operated by some percentage of the
passing current
Relay becomes more sensitive at low
current w/o tripping for external fault.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 If the restraining and operating
magnets are identical with the turn
ratio say T, static comparator operates
if :
|(I1-I2)/T| >=|(I1+I2)/2|
Criterion for electromagnetic
comparator is:
|(I1-I2)/T|2 >=|(I1+I2)/2|2
Recommended value for T is 0.1 to
0.4.

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Methods of preventing operation
on inrush current:
Transient inrush current maybe ten
times the full load current which
decays slowly.
Its magnitude is the function of flux
trapped in the core of the transformer
and the voltage at the point of
switching ON the supply.

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 To prevent its operation:
a) set the relay higher than the
maximum inrush current.
b) long time setting so that magnetizing
current falls below primary operating
current before the relay operates.
c) Harmonic content of the current is
filtered and then applied for restraint.
This could be done using even harmonic
cancellation and even harmonic restraint
are two methods that could be used.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Amplitudes of the Harmonics in a Typical
Wave Shape of Magnetizing Inrush
Current
Harmonic Fundament D 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6t 7t
Component al
C h h

Typical 100 55 63 26. 5.1 4.1 3.5 2.

value(% 8 5
)

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Even harmonic cancellation:
Assumptions:
i) Third harmonic and its multiples do not
appear in the leads of the CTs. These
components circulate in the delta
windings of the transformers and
connected CTs.
ii) Weak and small fifth and seven
harmonics can be ignored.
Even harmonics and dc components can get
cancelled in the operating circuit of the
rectifier bridge relay and in the restraining
Circuit.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Harmonic Restraint Relay:

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Harmonic Restraint Relay:
This method is used to make
differential relays immune to
magnetizing inrush currents.
Tuned Xc and XL permits only currents
of fundamental frequency to enter the
operating circuit and hence harmonic
restraint is obtained.
The restraining coil is energized by the
direct current proportional to the
biased winding current and direct
current due to harmonics.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 The dc and second harmonics get
diverted into the rectifier bridge
feeding the restraining coil.
Relay is adjusted not to operate when
the restraining harmonic current
exceeds 15% of the fundamental
operating current.

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Tank Leakage Protection
Earth fault protection for the
transformer tank is provided by
connecting a relay between the
transformer tank and the earth.
This is necessary, if the transformers are
banked and are provided with single
overall differential protection because it
is difficult to detect the faulty
transformer if they are banked together.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Restricted earth fault
protection:

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Restricted earth fault protection for star-delta
windings:

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Restricted earth fault protection for star-delta
windings:

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Restricted earth fault
protection
Itis provided to detect earth fault within the
protected zone of the transformer.
A CT is fitted in each connection to the
protected winding.
Secondary windings of CT are connected in
parallel to the relay.
For internal earth faults sum of the zero
sequence currents in the line and neutral
earth connection is equal to two times the
total fault current.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Zero sequence currents are either absent
or sum to zero in the line and the neutral
earth connection.
Minimum primary current at which earth
fault current operates is the criterion of
determination of the portion of the
winding to be protected against each
fault.
If the neutral point of star winding of a
transformer is earthed through a resistor,
the rating of the neutral earthing resistor
and relay setting decides the variations in
the percentage of the winding to be
protected. Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Gas Actuated Relays
Gas generation takes place inside the
transformer tank when internal fault
occurs.
Gas Generation is slow for incipient fault
but violent for severe faults.
The heat produced by the high local
current causes the transformer oil to
decompose and produce the gas which
is used to detect the winding faults.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Impulses developed between the winding
turns cause short circuit, which heats up the
interior of the tank.
Relays that could be used are:
i) Buchholz relay actuated by the gas
produced which is also know as the gas
accumulator relay.
ii) Rate of rise of pressure relay which works
on measuring the rate of gas formation.
iii) Pressure relays and pressure relief devices
work on the total accumulated pressure.
iv) Gas analyzers, which act on the analysis of
decomposition of the products.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Buchholz relay:

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Buchholz relay:
Commonly used. Simplest form of
protection.
It has a conservator.
Relay consists of a chamber connected
in the upper side of the pipe run
between the oil conservator and the
transformer tank, and contains two
cylindrical floats.
One float is placed near top of the
chamber and other opposite the orifice
of the pipe of transformer.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 Floats are at upper position under normal
condition.
Under occurrence of fault current, gas
bubbles try to flow out of the transformer
tank towards the conservator and in the
path they are trapped by the Buchholz
relay and cause upper float to fall.
Under low level fault a pair of contacts is
controlled by the float and with its
movement buzzer gets activated to
produce audible signal as well as glowing
a bulb for giving visible warning.
Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika
 If the fault is severe, rush of gas and
oil come upper side of the pipe
towards the conservator.
Now gas engages the lower float,
which is pushed over instantaneously
and engages its associated contacts,
which trip the Circuit breaker.
Oil leakage causes upper float to
operate and if its persists, it also
causes the lower float to operate.

Prof.O.V.Gnana Swathika