8/21/2015

FindingtheDirectioninDirectionalOvercurrentRelaysValenceElectricalTrainingServices

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AreaderrecentlyaskedaquestionabouttheforwardandreversedirectionsdescribedintheDirectional
OvercurrentRelaysectionofTheRelayTestingHandbookseries.Iusedelectromechanicaldirectional

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relaysasanexample,whichmayhavebeenamistake.LetstakeanotherlookattheDirectional
Overcurrent(67)elementfromasystemperspective.
Wewillstartwithasimpletransmissionlinewiththesourceontheleftandaloadontheright.The
currentflowsintothepolaritymarkoftheCTonBreaker3,andintotheDirectionalOvercurrent(67)

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Relayusingthesamedirection.Anycurrentflowingintothepolaritymarkisconsideredtobetheforward

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Thephasordiagramforthissituationmightlooklikethefollowing.Everyloadisacombinationof
resistanceandinductance,sothenormaloperatingrangeforthislineisthegreenshadedregionwhen
thecurrentflowsintoCircuitBreaker3.

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LetslookatwhattheDirectionalOvercurrent(67)relayconnectedtoCircuitBreaker4seesunderthe
sameconditions.Thisrelayisdesignedtoprotectthesametransmissionlinefromtheotherdirection.
ThecurrententersthenonpolaritymarkoftheCT,andtherelaydeterminesthatcurrentisleavingthe
transmissionlineorthereversedirection.

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ThephasordiagramofametertestontheDirectionalOvercurrent(67)relayconnectedtoCircuit

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Breaker4wouldlooklikethefollowing.Thecurrentisflowinginthereversedirectionandtheorange/red
shadedareadisplaysthenormalregionwhenthecurrentflowsintoaloadbehindtherelay.

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imagine
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Ifwereversedthesourceandload,youcouldswapthephasordiagramsaboveforeachrelay.Lets
shakethingsupbyclosingCircuitBreaker8andapplyingaPhaseAtoGroundfault50%downtheline.
Thisisafault,so:
Thefaultedvoltageshoulddropinproportiontotheseverityofthefault
Thefaultcurrentshouldbesignificantlylargerthanthenormalloadcurrent.
Thefaultcurrentshouldlagthevoltageby4089.9degreesdependingonthelinecharacteristics,
voltage,andseverityofthefault.
Thenonfaultedphasesshouldstayrelativelythesame.
Bothfaultcurrentsflowintothetransmissionline,sothedirectionalovercurrentrelaysconnectedto
CircuitBreakers3and4willseethecurrentintheforwarddirectionbecausethecurrentflowsintoboth
CTpolaritymarks.

Ifwepretendthatthefaultisexactly50%downtheline,bothsourcesareidentical,andtheimpedance
betweenthesourcesandthefaultarealsoidentical,wecanusethesamephasordiagramforboth
relays.Obviouslythiswontbetrueintherealworldandthecurrentmagnitudeswouldbedifferent.The
typicalregionforafaultintheforwarddirectionoccursinthegreenshadedareaforbothrelays.

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Nowletslookatafaultthatisnotonthetransmissionline.

ThefaultcurrentflowsintothepolaritymarkoftheCTconnectedtoCircuitBreaker3,sotheDirectional
Overcurrent(67)relayseesthefaultintheforwarddirection.Ifthefaultcurrentislargerthanthe
overcurrentsetting,therelaywilltrip.

Directionalovercurrentprotectionschemeswerereplacedwithlineimpedancerelays(21)topreventa

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situationlikethisfromoccurring.Thisrelaysprimarypurposeistotripforfaultsonthetransmissionline,
notforfaultssomewhereelseonthesystem,aswouldhappenhere.Alineimpedancerelaywould
recognizethatthefaultwasnotonthetransmissionlineandignorethisfaultunlessitwasprogrammed
toalsoprovidebackupprotectionwithasignificanttimedelay.
ThefaultcurrentflowsintothenonpolaritymarkoftheCTconnectedtoCircuitBreaker4,sothe
DirectionalOvercurrent(67)relayseesthefaultinthereversedirection.Theorange/redshadedregion
indicatesthetypicalregionforafaultbehindarelay.

Overcurrentdirectionalrelayscanbesettotripforfaultsintheforwarddirection,whichwillprotectthe
equipmentinfrontoftherelay.Ortheycanalsobesettotripforfaultsbehindtherelayinthereverse
direction.Forwardandreversearetypicallydeterminedbythenormalflowofcurrentintotherelay,sobe
suretoconfirmtheCTconnectionsbeforeyoumakeanyassumptions.
Incorrectlydeterminingforwardandreverseisaneasymistaketomake.IfIeverhavedoubtsabout
somerelaysettingsordirectionalovercurrenttests,Iusuallyaskthedesignengineer,Didyoumeanto
tripifthefaultisonthetransmissionline,oronthebuss?(Youcanusewhatevereasytodefine
characteristicforyoursituation.)Oncetheyanswerthatquestion,IwillreviewtheCTconnectionsand
buildatestonthetransmissionlineandseeifittrips.Ithenapplythefaultinthereversedirectionto
makesureitdoesnttrip.Alwaysasktheengineerwhattheyintendedifthereisanydoubt.
Youcouldalsoperformatestineitherdirectionfirstandseewhatdirectiontherelayissettotrip.Ifit
doesntmakesensetoyou,youcanasktheengineer,Didyoumeanfortherelaytotripifthereisafault
onthebuss?
IhopethishelpsclearupthedefinitionsofforwardandreverseforDirectionalOvercurrent(67)relays.
Ournextpostwillhopefullyhelpclarifythecharacteristicangle.
Pleasesharethisarticleorleaveacommentifyoufoundituseful.Itmaynotseemlikemuch,butit
helpsuskeepcreatingmorefreecontentforyou.
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FiledUnder:AskChris,Featured,RelayElements,RelayTestingTechniquesTaggedWith:DirectionalOvercurrent(67)

About Chris Werstiuk

ChrisisaElectricalEngineeringTechnologist,AJourneymanPowerSystemElectrician,anda
ProfessionalEngineer.HeisalsotheAuthororTheRelayTestingHandbookseriesandfounder
ofValenceElectricalTrainingServices.YoucanfindoutmoreaboutChrishere.

Comments
HiChris,
Thankyouforvaluablearticlesforbeginnerlikeme.
Iwantyouradviceaboutsettingdirectionalovercurrentrelay.OnyourSLDabovewhatisthe
settingvalueofrelay67forCBno3and4?
Isitpossibletohavelowersettingvalue(lowerthannormalcurrentflow)ofrelay67forCBno4?
Thiscasehappenduringstartup
Thankyou
Reply

Thepickupsettingwouldalwaysbesethigherthantheexpectedmaximumcurrentflow.
Otherwisetherelaywouldtripundernormalconditionsinsteadoffaultconditions.
Somedirectionalovercurrentapplicationshaveapickupcurrentsetlowerthanthe
expectedcurrent,buttheseapplicationsaredesignedtoseparatetwosystemswhen
thecurrentflowsinanundesireddirection.
Forexample,imagineaplantsuppliesallofitsownelectricityandkeepsafeeder
connectedtothegridtouseduringemergencies,andtosellexcesspowertotheutility.
Powerfromthisutilityisveryexpensive,sotheyneverwanttotakepowerfromthegrid.
Theycouldsetadirectionalrelaywithalowpickupsettingthatwillonlyoperateif
powerflowsfromthegridtotheplant.Powerfromtheplanttothegridwillbeignored.
Reply

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