TRANSFORMER PROTECTION

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• INTRODUCTION
• Power transformer is a vital link in power system.
Therefore we have to have a reliable, secured and
fast acting protection system for the transformer.
This will minimize the damage to the transformer in
case of internal fault. The protection system should
also have a proper backup protection scheme to take
care of un-cleared system fault.

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 TYPES OF FAULTS IN TRANSFORMER

 Phase to ground faults and phase to phase faults.
 Inter turn faults
 Core faults 
 Phase to ground faults and phase to phase
faults:
 The magnitude of the fault current mainly
depends on the source impedance, type of
earthing, location of the fault etc., Phase to phase
faults are however rare

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 TYPES OF FAULTS IN TRANSFORMER

Inter turn faults:
 Most of the transformer failures are due to inter
turn fault. Transformers are subjected to impulse
voltages like switching transients which will be
several times more than its rated voltage. This
results in failure of insulation between the turns.
Current in the short circuited winding will be very
high compared to the terminal current.

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 TYPES OF FAULTS IN TRANSFORMER

 Core faults:
 A conducting bridge across the laminated
structure of the core will result in increase in
eddy currents and increase in core temperature.
This finally may result in deterioration of oil or
winding insulation resulting in failure of
transformer. In oil filled transformers this type of
fault is detected by carrying out Dissolved Gas
Analysis. If the problems become more serious
the gas evolved will operate protective device like
Bucholtz relay and Pressure relief device.

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Source of abnormal stress 6 in a transformer
  The source of abnormal stress in transformers is
 Overload
 System faults
 Over voltage / reduced system frequency 
 Overload:
 It causes increase in copper loss, which results in increase
of winding temperature. If the transformer is overloaded
continuously, the oil gets deteriorated resulting in
reduced insulation and other consequence thereafter. It is
the temperature rise that decides how long we can
overload the transformer and there should be proper
cooling of transformer oil.

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• Source of abnormal stress in a transformer

• Over voltages:
• Transient over voltages results in inter-turn faults. Power
frequency over voltages results in increase of iron losses
due to over fluxing and stress on insulation will also
increase. Over fluxing will result in heating of core bolts
and failure of its insulation. This causes more losses due to
short - circuiting of eddy current path. 
• Reduced system frequency:
• This will have similar effect as that of over voltage and
results in increase of flux. Therefore the transformers
should not be operated at high voltages and low
frequencies. 

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• PROTECTION TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMERS
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• To protect the transformers from the above-mentioned
faults, following protection and safety devices are used.
• The degree of protection schemes depends on
application, voltage and MVA ratings. 

• Surge diverters (Lightning Arresters)

• Circuit breakers
• Over-current and Earth fault relays (Directional/non
directional) for HV/LV
• Differential relay
• Restricted earth fault relay (HV/LV)
• Over fluxing relay
• Bucholtz relay

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• PROTECTION TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMERS

• Oil and winding temperature indicators

• Oil surge protection for OLTC
• Pressure relief valve for main tank
• Oil level indication
• Protection of tertiary winding (OCR/EFR)
• Monitoring of insulating system (Oil/Paper)
• Capacitance and Tan-delta (DDF) monitoring of
bushing and windings. 

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•  PROTECTION TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMERS

• Backup directional over current and earth fault

relays both on HV and LV side of the transformer.

• These relays are provided on either side of the transformer.

It will have IDMT characteristic. It will also have high set
instantaneous unit. The current setting should be set above
expected maximum load current (To take care of possible
over load of the transformer on account of loss of one of the
parallel transformer). 

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• PROTECTION TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMERS

• Differential protection: This protection takes

care of transformer internal faults. Generally bay
CT's are connected to this protection. The relay
should have proper restraint characteristic such that
it will not operate for inrush current during charging.
Instantaneous over current element, adjustable bias
settings, and harmonic current restraints are the
other features of this relay.

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Difficulties in Differential protection

As the pilot wire lengths of CTs are not the same due
to location of CTs on either side of the transformer to
obtain a equipotential point on pilot wires becomes
difficult.

To over come this problem adjustable resistors in

series with pilot wires are introduced and is adjusted
at site.

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Difficulties in Differential protection
CT ratio errors during short circuits occur during
short circuits due to inherent CT characteristics
differences arising out of magnetic circuits,
saturation conditions and unequal dc components
in the short circuit currents. This may result in
operation of relay even for external faults.

To overcome this difficulty, the percentage

differential relay, or biased differential relay is
used.

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 Magnetising inrush current
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 When the transformer is energised a large current (6 to

10) times the normal current will rush through the
winding and differential relay may operate though there
is no fault in the transformer.

 This difficulty is overcome by providing harmonic

restraint to the differential relay. The magnetising
current contain a large content of several harmonics and
this is utilised for obtaining restraining torque during
switching in of the transformer.

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Difficulties in differential protection

Tap changing causes change in transformation ratio

of a transformer. Thereby the CT ratios do not match
with the new tap settings, resulting in current in pilot
wires even during healthy condition.

This is taken care of by the biased differential relay.

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PROTECTION TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMERS

Restricted earth fault protection: This

protection is also meant for internal fault of
transformer. External CT's are connected in Neutral
Circuit to this protection. Its minimum operating
sensitivity will be 10 % of the nominal current. The
relay may be high impedance or low impedance type.
 

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•  PROTECTION TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMERS

• Over fluxing protection:

• This relay is phase to phase connected. It operates on the

principle of measurement of voltage to frequency ratio. It
will have inverse time characteristic and it should be
compatible with transformer over fluxing. It provides an
independent alarm with a definite time delay. v/f settings
available are between 100 % to 130 % of rated value. To
take care of all possible operating conditions it is
recommended to connect this relay on both side of the
transformer. In some case where only one relay is provided
it is connected on the untapped winding. 

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•   PROTECTION TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMERS

• Protection of tertiary winding

• Depending on the method of bringing out the tertiary terminal protection is to
be decided i.e. OCR / EFR relays.

• Mechanical protections (transformer mounted)

• Bucholtz Relay / pressure relief device will protect the transformer when gases
are released due to fault in the transformer.
 
• In addition to the above tripping relays, the following annunciation relays are
provided for the transformer.
• a. Bucholtz alarm
• b. Oil level low alarm.
• c. Oil/winding temperature high alarm.
• d. Unhealthy power supply for cooling system alarm.
• e. Fan/pump failure alarms.

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BUCKHOLTZ RELAY
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TEMPERATURE

Temperature monitoring protection:

Oil and winding temperature monitors are provided

with stage operation for alarm and trip circuit. In case
of higher capacity transformer, auto start of fans and
pumps are initiated from the two stages provided
additionally.

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PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE

The pressure relief valve plays a significant role in
the protection of power transformer. A major fault
inside the transformer result in immediate
vapourisation of the oil resulting in rapid build up of
gaseous pressure. The pressure must be released
within few milliseconds to avoid tank rupture.
A pressure relief valve is the remedy to the above
situation.

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PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE
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MAGNETIC OIL LEVEL GAUGE
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BREATHER
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THERMO SYPHON FILTER

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AIR CELL
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DISSIPATION FACTOR

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Take care of the protection system

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