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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1


1. INTRODUCTION

This document provides guidelines for the performance calculations required for high impedance circulating current protection. 2. 2.1 2.1.1 PROCEDURE FOR PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS Data Required System Information i) ii) Maximum through fault level, Stf. System voltage, Vsys.

iii) Minimum fault current, Imin. iv) Circuit breaker rating, Icb. v) 2.1.2 Maximum through fault current, Itf = Stf / (3 x Vsys).

Current Transformer Information

The CTs used in this type of scheme should be of the high accuracy and low leakage reactance type. i) ii) Turns ratio, T. Secondary resistance, Rct.

iii) Knee-point voltage, Vk. iv) Magnetising characteristics. v) CT lead resistance, RL. The lead resistances are either given in the tender document or can be calculated from the layout drawings. In the worst case a maximum lead / resistance can be estimated and specified as a maximum allowable. 2.1.3 Protection Relay Information i) ii) Operating current or current setting range, Is. Operating voltage or relay burden expressed in voltage, Vr.

2.2

Relay Setting Voltage

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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1


The protection relay must remain stable under maximum through fault conditions, when a voltage is developed across the protection due to the fault current. The relay setting voltage must be made equal or greater than this maximum voltage for the protection to remain stable. That is: Vs Vstab where, Vs = relay setting voltage. Vstab = stability voltage. The fault current may contain a transient d.c. component which can cause saturation of the current transformer core and thus distortion of the secondary current. Therefore in order to calculate the required setting voltage, it is assumed that one of the protection CTs saturates. In these conditions the healthy CTs are driving current through the parallel impedance of the saturated CT with leads and the protection relay. The saturated CT impedance is represented by its secondary winding resistance, and the maximum lead loop resistance between the CT and the relay must also be considered. For the simple case of two current transformers, the voltage developed across the relay is given by: Vstab Itf x T x (Rct + RL) ...(2) ...(1)

In most practical systems where more than two current transformers exist, the same equation is used based on the fact that this represents the onerous condition. RL is chosen for the longest distance between any two CTs in parallel. 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 (RS)

The relay voltage setting range may not be sufficient to be set to the required level of Vs as calculated previously, due to the relays 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)

Using the maximum and minimum voltages from (2) & (3), a resistance range can be calculated 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

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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1


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) R where, Pcon = resistor continuous power rating. Icon = continuous resistor current i.e. the operating current of the relay R 2.4.2 = resistance. ...(5)

Half-second Power Rating

The rms voltage developed across a resistor for maximum internal fault conditions is defined as: Vf = (Vk x R x Ifs) x 1.3 where, Vf Ifs = rms voltage across resistor. = maximum secondary fault current which can be calculated from the circuit breaker ...(6)

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 = Vf /R where, Phalf = half-second power rating. ...(7)

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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1


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]) where, Vpk Vfs = peak value of the voltage waveform. = 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/ 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 ...(8)

The primary operating current or fault setting may be calculated from: If = (nIe + Is + INLR)/T where, If n Ie Is = primary fault setting. = number of CTs in parallel. = exciting current of each CT at the relay circuit setting voltage (assuming all CTs are identical). = Relay setting current. ...(10)

INLR = current in non linear resistor at the relay circuit setting voltage. The 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). 3. WORKED EXAMPLE

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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1


The following worked example illustrates the approach to calculating relay settings and component values.

Figure 1 - Simplified circulating current scheme (Single phase shown) 3.1 3.1.1 Data System Information i) ii) iii) iv) 3.1.2 Maximum through fault level, Stf = 35000MVA System voltage, Vsys = 400kV Minimum fault current, Imin = 1000A Circuit breaker rating, Icb = 60kA

Current Transformer Information

The CTs are low leakage reactance type having an accuracy class X in accordance with BS3938. i) ii) iii) iv) Ratio, T = 1/2000 Secondary resistance, Rct = 2 Knee-point voltage, Vk = 600V CT lead resistance, Rl = 1.5

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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1


3.1.3 Protection Relay Information DAD i) ii) Current setting range (1A tap) = 5mA to 960mA. Taking current setting to be 10% of tap: Select Is = 100mA The a.c. burden is expressed as a voltage at the relay current setting: Vr = 0.12 + 0.78 Is = 0.198V DAD-N (7SG12) i) ii) Current setting range = 0.005 to 2 x In: Select Is = 0.1 x In The a.c. burden of the 1A current inputs = 0.2VA @ Inominal: R = 0.2/12 = 0.2

3.2

Relay Setting Voltage Itf = 35000MVA / (3 x 400kV) = 50518A

Primary through-fault current: From eqn (2) From eqn (3)

Vstab = (50518A / 2000) x (2 + 1.5) = 89V Vs < 600V / 2 = 300V

Thus to maintain stability for maximum through fault current the relay needs to be set at a voltage in the range 89V to 300V.

3.3

Stabilising Resistor

Using eqn (4) and assuming the relay voltage to be negligible. Rs > 89V / 100mA = 890 Rs < 300V / 100mA = 3000 Let Rs = 1000 Therefore, relay circuit setting voltage Vs = 0.1A x 1000 = 100V

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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1


3.4 3.4.1 Thermal Rating of Stabilising Resistor (RS) Continuous Power Rating Pcon = (100mA) x 1000 = 10W continuously

From eqn (5)

3.4.2

Half-second Power Rating Vf = (600V x 1000 x 30A) x 1.3 = 2074V

From eqn (6) Thus,

Phalf = 2074V / 1000 = 4301W for half a second

3.5

Voltage Limiting Resistor

To establish the requirement for a Non-Linear Resistor (NLR) the peak voltage needs to exceed 3kV. From eqn (8) The NLR thermal rating from eqn (9) A 6" NLR is therefore required. Vpk = 2 x (2 x 600V[30A x 1000 - 600V]) = 11.9kV P = 4/ x 30A x 600V = 22.9kJ/s

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 calculated fault setting is within 10% to 30% of the minimum primary fault current i.e. 100A to 300A.

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APPLICATION GUIDE

REYROLLE

HIGH IMPEDANCE CIRCULATING CURRENT PROTECTION CALCULATIONS

Report No: 990/TR/07/1

For more information please contact Tel: +44 (0)191 401 5555 Fax: +44 (0) 191 401 5575 Web: www.reyrolle-protection.com Siemens Protection Devices Limited North Farm Road P O Box 8 NE31 1TZ

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