INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONS

What is a relay; more specifically, what is a protective relay? The Institute of

Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) defines a relay as an electric
device that is designed to respond to input conditions in a prescribed manner
and, after specified conditions are met, to cause contact operation or similar
abrupt change in associated electric control circuits. A note adds: Inputs
are usually electric, but may be mechanical, thermal, or other quantities or a
combination of quantities. Limit switches and similar simple devices are not
relays (IEEE C37.90).
Relays are used in all aspects of activity: home, communication, transportation,
commerce, and industry, to name a few. Wherever electricity is
used, there is a high probability that relays are involved. They are used in
heating, air conditioning, stoves, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers,
elevators, telephone networks, traffic controls, transportation vehicles, automatic
process systems, robotics, space activities, and many other applications.
The IEEE
defines a protective relay as a relay whose function is to detect defective
lines or apparatus or other power system conditions of an abnormal or dangerous
nature and to initiate appropriate control circuit action (IEEE 100).
Fuses are also used in protection. IEEE defines a fuse as an over-current
protective device with a circuit-opening fusible pat that is heated and severed
by the passage of the overcurrent through it (IEEE 100).
Thus, protective relays and their associated equipment are compact units
of analog, discrete solid-state components, operational amplifiers, and digital
microprocessor networks connected to the power system to sense problems.
These are frequently abbreviated simply as relays and relay systems. They are
used in all parts of the power system, together with fuses, for the detection of
intolerable conditions, most often faults.
Protective relaying, commonly abbreviated as relaying, is a nonprofit,
nonrevenue-producing item that is not necessary in the normal operation
of an electrical power system until a faultan abnormal, intolerable
situationoccurs.
_ 2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

A primary objective of all power systems is to maintain a very high level

of continuity of service, and when intolerable conditions occur, to minimize
the extent and time of the outage. Loss of power, voltage dips, and overvoltages
will occur, however, because it is impossible, as well as impractical,
to avoid the consequences of natural events, physical accidents, equipment
failure, or misoperation owing to human error. Many of these result in faults:
inadvertent, accidental connections, and flashovers between the phase wires
or from the phase wires to ground.
Natural events that can cause short circuits (faults) are lightning (induced
voltage or direct strikes), wind, ice, earthquake, fire, explosions, falling trees,
flying objects, physical contact by animals, and contamination. Accidents
include faults resulting from vehicles hitting poles or contacting live equipment,
unfortunate people contacting live equipment, digging into underground
cables, human errors, and so on. Considerable effort is made to
minimize damage possibilities, but the elimination of all such problems is
not yet achievable.
A dramatic illustration of the need and importance of power system
protection is shown in Figure 1.1. This spectacular lightning strike occurred
over Seattle during a storm on July 31, 1984, and in a region where lightning