1

Comparative Experiences with Static and

Numerical Protections in Extra High Voltage
Lines
H. Pineda, and R. Winkeljohann

tance function to the REL 316*4 protection versus the distance

protection LZ96 for all the events faults happened in 765 kV
system lines, in the 2002 to 2005 period. Parameters like the
selectivity, the reliability and the operation times of the protections relays were evaluated; this information was the data
base to make a series of comparisons and conclusions referring to the numerical and static protections performance in
front of identical fault conditions in the power system.
II. PROTECTIONS SYSTEM IN 765 KV LINES
The EDELCA transmission system in 765 kV and the line
protection system are described as follows.

Index Terms Performance, Protection, Statistics, Technology.

I. INTRODUCTION

n the year 2002 was the commissioning of a new protection

scheme for potential transformer fault in all lines of the
transmission system in 765 kV, the installation of this scheme
was due to the fault on day 25-08-97, in the line N 2 GuriMalena, originated by an internal anomaly and later explosion
in the magnetic potential transformer of the line.
The new protection scheme consists of a numerical protection relay type REL 316*4 V5.a which was installed in each
lines terminal of this system, the mentioned protection contains a set of functions associated to the scheme for potential
transformer faults, additionally there was an addition of a distance function [21] (Distance HV) and a directional earth
faults function [67N] taking advantage of their capacity and
facilities.
The aim that is persecuted with the use of the additional
functions is track the performance of these functions in a extra
high tension system, because it is the first experience with
numerical protections in this tension level for EDELCA.
These functions maintain their trips to the power system inhibited.
Once the commissioning of the new protection had been
made, a statistic follow-up through a performance of the disThis work was supported by C.V.G. Electrificacin del Caroni, C.A.
EDELCA.

1-4244-0288-3/06/$20.00 2006 IEEE

A. Transmission System in 765 kV

The EDELCA transmission system in 765 kV is shaped by
a main runner of six lines, that go from the Guri "B" substation, going through the Malena substation to the San
Gernimo "B" substation, from this last point start three lines
to Sur, La Horqueta and La Arenosa substations, which are
interconnected conforming rings. Finally from the La Arenosa
substation start a line to feed the Yaracuy substation which
provides energy to the western system, see Fig. 1. Transmission System to 765 kV.

Fig. 1. Transmission System to 765 kV

B. Protections System in 765 kV Lines

The protection system of each line terminal is made up by
two distance protections relay type LZ96, two directional earth
fault protections relay type PPX 401-1 for the first stage and
type RE93 for the second stage, two pole slip protections relay
type ZPT 408 and two overcurrent protections relay type ISX
148 installed only in the terminals of Guri B, La Arenosa

and La Horqueta substations. Additionally it has a STUB

overcurrent protection relay type IRX139b, two overvoltage
protections relay type UT91 and one protection relay for potential transformer faults type REL 316*4.
The protections equipment is complemented with a teleprotection system by power line carrier made up of two communication equipment type ETI101 and two pairs of teleprotection equipment type NSD40 and NSD60, in the first stage and
the second stage type NSD41 and NSD61. At this time, the
distance and directional earth fault functions to the REL 316*4
protection relay do not have associate teleprotection channel.
III. PRINCIPLES OF MEASUREMENT AND PROCESSING
The distance protection LZ96 is a static technology equipment that was commissioning in the EDELCA 765 kV transmission system from the year 1985 and has displayed a satisfactory performance, although that there was detected precise
weaknesses that had been corrected at a time. On the other
hand REL 316*4 protection is a numerical technology equipment. The version with the function [Distance HV] was commissioning in the year 1997 in the EDELCA western transmission system, at this time this protection function is in service
in 230 and 400 kV lines, and has displayed a satisfactory performance, although there was detected precise weaknesses that
had been corrected at a time altogether with the manufacturer.
A. Numerical Protections REL316*4
The REL316*4 belongs to the generation of the entirely
numerical line protective devices, it means that it use the values of analogical/digital conversion, immediately after the
entrance transformer, where in numerical form split, through
numerical filters, in real and imaginary components where are
processed through microprocessors. In the processor, which
built-in essentially by a main microprocessor, executes the
protection algorithms and all the interfaces are controlled, see
Fig. 2. Data Flow REL 316*4 Protection.

Fig. 2. Data Flow REL 316*4 Protection

The distance function uses a polygonal measurement characteristic with a reactance line slightly inclined
B. Static Protections LZ96
The distance protection LZ96 is a solid state technology relay; that use the phase comparison principle for the measurement of the fault impedance.
It has two measurement units with a MHO type dynamic
characteristic that is adapted to the power system conditions.

The first unit, named M1 has three measurement zones: the

first one operates in permissive underreach trip transfer
(PUTT) scheme and the second and third are for backup. The
second unit is named M2, which has a measurement zone in
permissive overreach trip transfer (POTT) scheme that is used
for the weak infeed scheme too.
This relay has two starting units: a main starting unit S1
that operates simultaneously with the measurement units M1
and M2; and an auxiliary starting unit S2 which operates with
the measurement unit M2 as a component of the weak infeed
scheme.
The measurement principle also consider the system source
impedance Zs, in order to detect ground faults of considerable impedance, where the characteristic inclines 14.4 approximately and expands towards the resistive axis, see Fig. 3.
Measurement Principle LZ96 Protection.

Fig. 3. Measurement Principle LZ96 Protection

IV. PERFORMANCE E VALUATION

The performance indicates the issue equipment fulfillment
level, based on the reliability, selectivity and operation time
parameters, under the same fault conditions in the power system. For the performance evaluation was necessary to accomplish a comparative statistic of the mentioned parameters behavior, from the years 2002 until 2005.
The statistic was elaborated with the fault report summary
and the fault recorder from the EDELCAs Operations Engineering and Transmission Measurements Departments respectively. The tracking parameters were divided in two groups:
the power system ones like failed equipment, the event date
and time occurrence, failed phase and fault location according
to the faults localizer and the ones of behavior of the protective equipment like the fault clearance times and the operation
times of the primary and secondary protections LZ96 and the
distance function of the REL 316*4.
The procedure used in order to make the comparative statistic, was the manipulation of the fault recorder to obtain the
mentioned parameters. With these data sheet there where possible to calculate the operation average times of the protections LZ96 and REL 316*4, fault clearance times and the circuit breaker open times, as well as the selectivity and reliability in the established period.

V. RESULTS ANALYSIS
In the period for which was made the comparative statistic,
a total of forty-four (44) trips take place in the 765 kV lines,
where forty-one (41) trips were due to faults in the power system and the rest three (3) ones where by human cause.
The protections for potential transformer fault was commissioning in the first semester of year 2002, therefore in that
year six (6) trips appeared where the protection was not even
commissioned, where in two (2) of these correspond to human
cause, plus another one (1) where the required information
was not obtained, which takes to a total of thirty six (36) effective trips with the presence of both issue protections.
In order to measure the protection reliability there where
consider the percentage of operation in from the analyzed
events, therefore thirty-six (36) events were registered, that
means, taking into account to each line end as independent,
which result in seventy-two (72) protection operation.
The events associated with the terminals of Guri "B" substation were not taken into account because it did not have the
necessary information, therefore five (5) events in 2002 and
one (1) in 2005 in these lines take place, which implies that
the total of reference operation is the sixty-six (66), see Fig. 4.
Distribution of Events in the Time.

Fig. 4. Distribution of Events in the Time

A. Reliability
The reliability of a protection is related to the capacity of
the equipment to detect the presence of faults.
For this evaluation the LZ96 protection displayed sixty-five
(65) operations, and only one (1) event the protection did not
operated in line end which represents 1,5 %, due to a high
impedance fault which was cleared by the directional earth
faults protection PPX- 401-1, see Fig. 5. Reliability of the
LZ96 Protection.

Fig. 5. Reliability of the LZ96 Protection

On the other hand the distances function of the REL 316*4

protection displayed the following behavior: fifty-six (56) operations appeared that represent an 84.8% and ten (10) no operations which represents 15.2%. This 15,2% of no operation
is made up of a 10.6% (7 no operations) due to outside the
first zone faults, 3% (2 no operations) due to high impedance
faults and 1.5% (1 no operations) by unknown causes because
it was not possible to obtain the protection events recorder, see
Fig. 6. Reliability of the REL 316*4 Protection.

Fig. 6. Reliability of the REL 316*4 Protection

In order to calculate the reliability of the REL 316*4 distance functions should be to considered that the outside first
zone faults have been included within the reliability percentage because the distance function have not teleproteccin
channel, the consequence is that the reliability of the REL
316*4 distances function is in a 95,5%.
It is important to emphasize that in the event of high impedance faults the REL 316*4 distance function took operated in
the source line end, in the first case (La ArenosaLa Horqueta
line, 03/02/2003) in a time of 47 ms, where the fault was
cleared by the directional earth fault protection PPX 401-1 and
second case (La Arenosa-Yaracuy line, 15/02/2003) operating
in 87 ms, while the LZ96 protection took action in 127 and
144 ms by the overreach (POTT) and weak infeed schemes
respectively, which indicates that the resistive reach of the
REL 316*4 protection is greater than LZ96 protection for this
type of faults.

B. Selectivity
The selectivity is related to the capacity of the equipment to
discriminate the fault in the protected zone, see (1). In the analyzed period was determined that the selectivity percentage for
the distance protection type LZ96 is of 100%, which implies
that any nonselective trips for the different faults in the power
system did not take place. Similarly it calculated the selectivity percentage for the distances function of the REL 316*4
protections obtaining a value of 100%.
Selectivity =

(# FaultClear.# NoFaultClear.)
# FaultClear

(1)

Where #FaultClear. is the number of cleared faults and #NoFaultClear. is the number of non-cleared faults on the analyzed period
C. Operation Time
The operation time is related to the operation speed of the
protective equipment in from of fault conditions in the power
system. The operation time was obtained from the analysis of
the fault recorder, in order to calculate the time averages were
taken into account some premises, name next:
- The operation times for high impedance faults were not
taken into account.
- The maximum and the minimum operation time for both
protections were not taken into account.
- Single the times related to the thirty-six (36) events at issue
for both protections were taken.
- For LZ96 protection was considered in each event and line
end, the operation time average to the primary and secondary
protection and select the minor of both ends for the calculation
of the global time average.
- For REL 316*4 protections were selected in each event the
minimum operation time of both line ends for the calculation
of the global time average.
D. Operation Times Results
With the times taken from the fault recorders for each event
and taking into account the previous premises obtained a set of
results which appear in the following tables.
According to the results obtained in the LZ96 protection
there was that the operation average time was 28.38 ms (1,7
cycles), while the distance function of the REL 316*4 protection displayed a operation average time of 35.09 ms (2,1 cycles). These values show that the LZ96 static technology protection is 6.71 ms (0.4 cycles) faster than the numerical protection REL 316*4, see Table I The Protections Operation
Average Times.

REL 316*4 is due to the use of phasors in order to calculate

the fault impedance, therefore for the construction of these, it
use Fourier transformed, in order to make the time/frequency
transformation where it requires windows of a cycle in order
to guarantee the stability of the obtained fault values. Meanwhile the LZ96 static protection is based on the angular comparison of two continuous sinusoidal signals in the time which
produces smaller operation times.
Standard deviation of the operations times with respect to
the obtained average value is 7,36 ms (+/- 26%) for the LZ96
case and 6,15 ms (+/- 18%) for the REL 316 * 4 case, see
Table II Standard Deviation of the Operations Times with Respect to the Calculated Average.
TABLE II
STANDARD DEVIATION OF THE OPERATIONS TIMES WITH RESPECT TO THE
CALCULATED AVERAGE

E. Maximum and Minimum Operations Times

The obtained results show as LZ96 protection always display lower operations times respect to REL 316*4 protection,
for the different evaluated events, where the maximum and
minimum values presented for both protections are not coincident in relation to the occurrence of the event. The maximum
and minimum operation times of each protection appear in
Table III Maximum Values of Operations and Table IV Minimum Values of Operations.
TABLE III
MAXIMUM VALUES OF OPERATION

TABLE IV
MINIMUM VALUES OF OPERATION

TABLE I
THE PROTECTIONS OPERATION AVERAGE TIMES

It is possible to infer that the cause of the slowest performance of the distances function of the numerical protection type

F. Fault Clearance Times

Additionally from the statistic was possible to get the faults
clearance average time in to 765 kV system was in the order
of 59,41 ms (3,6 cycles), whereas the average time to opening
the circuit breaker in this system was in the order of 33.54 ms
(2 cycles), see Table V Average Times to Fault Clearance and
Circuit Breaker Opening in the 765 kV System.

5
TABLE V
AVERAGE TIMES TO FAULT CLEARANCE AND CIRCUIT BREAKER OPENING IN
THE 765 KV SYSTEM

Standard deviation of the fault clearance times values and

the circuit breaker opening times values in the 765 kV system
with respect to the obtained average values is 9,67 ms (+/16%) and 7,79 ms (23%) respectively, see Table VI Standard
Deviation of the Average Times to Fault Clears and Circuit
Breaker Opening in the 765 kV System.

VII. RECOMMENDATIONS
Evaluate the feasibility to implement a teleprotection channel to the distance function of the REL 316*4 in the 765
kV system, in order to make following to the overreach
and weak infeed schemes which is unable at this time.
Continue with the following, in order to enrich our expertise and to count with practical elements of evaluation, in
case of new acquisitions or future protection replacement
projects.
VIII. REFERENCES
[1]

[2]
TABLE VI
STANDARD DEVIATION OF THE AVERAGE TIMES TO FAULT CLEARS AND
CIRCUIT B REAKER OPENING IN THE 765 KV SYSTEM

[3]

S. Aloisantonio, "Comparative statistic about the behavior of protection

relay associated to the transmission lines of the 765 kV system (2nd
stage), of EDELCA", CVG EDELCA, Pto. Ordaz, Bolivar, Tech. Rep.
IT-97-092, 1997.
H. Pineda, O. Bermudez, L. Malave, C. LaRosa "Evaluation and study
of the line protection of the 765 kV system", CVG EDELCA, Pto. Ordaz, Bolivar, Tech. Rep. IT-01-167, 2001
ABB, "Catalog REL 316*4 Line Numerical Protection", 1mrk506013bes, p. 8.

IX. BIOGRAPHIES

VI. CONCLUSIONS
Numerical protection REL 316*4 has presented an equal
behavior respect to the selectivity parameter with the static
protection LZ96 during the considered period.
Numerical protection REL 316*4 has presented a slightly
inferior behavior respect to the reliability parameter with
the static protection LZ96 during the considered period.
Numerical protection REL 316*4 has presented a operation average time larger than static protection LZ96 in 6,71
ms(0,4 cycles) during the considered period.
Numerical protection REL 316*4 has presented a better
resistive reach with respect to static protection LZ96 during the considered period, demonstrated in the events of
the lines Arenosa-La Horqueta 03/02/2003 and La
Arenosa-Yaracuy 15/02/2003.
Finally it is considered that numerical protection REL
316*4 has presented a general performance, very similar
with respect to static protection LZ96 during the evaluated
period, considering it satisfactory for the awaited expectations.

Hctor Pineda graduated as electrical engineer in

the Carabobo University, Valencia, Venezuela in
1986.
He holds, in EDELCA, the head of Protection
Systems Engineering Section, in the Transmission
Protection Maintenance Department, responsible to
carry out and supervise the faults analyses, studies
and coordination and improvement projects of the
protections related to EDELCA Transmission System.

Reynaldo Winkeljohann graduated in electrical

engineering from the Metropolitana University,
Caracas, Venezuela in 1998.
Since 1999 he works for CVG Electrificacin del
Caron, C.A. (EDELCA), Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
in the Transmission Protection Maintenance
Department. His employment experience includes
studies, coordination and commissioning of
protection systems; fault analysis development,
improvement projects and protection systems
maintenance.