Earth Fault Protection

This is basically protect electrical system from

ground fault. Here over current relay is used
with IDMT charact . Here earth current is
sensed in relay current coil.
 Residual Earth Fault protection
Used both in grounded and ungrounded
system
More useful in case of SLG fault where fault
resistance is low
Three phase CTs are connected in such a
manner that residual current flows though the
relay in case of earth fault which results
unbalanced in phase current
 Chances of mal operation in case of huge
unbalancing due to system unbalance or low
fault resistance
To overcome this neutral earth is used in
grounded system
Here neutral CT is connected and is sensed by
earth fault relay which is basically an over
current relay sensed by earth fault settings.
 Neutral current earth fault:
Earth current is sensed by neutral current
transformer
 Neutral Voltage displacement detection
method
In ungrounded system residual voltage or
neutral displacement voltage is sensed for
detection of earth fault. This a very accurate
process to detect earth fault.
 In normal condition residual voltage is zero ,
but in case of earth fault occurred, this
residual voltage i.e. neutral displacement
voltage build up result operation of earth fault
relay.
 Restricted earth Fault protection
REF is provided for sensing internal earth fault
of transformer.
The CT secondary are connected as per dia.
The common terminals are connected to the
neutral CT.
When there is an unbalance in between three
phase current of the power transformer, a
resulting unbalance current will flow through
the close path connected to the
 Common terminals of the CT secondary. The
same unbalance current will flow through the
neutral of the transformer , i.e. through the
neutral CT.
In REF scheme common terminals of the phase
CT is connected with the neutral CT in such a
manner that these two will oppose each other. So
relay will not operate in case of such unbalancing
which is due to external fault.
 Sensitive earth fault protection
Sensitive earth fault is a protective relay which
work by measuring residual current across
three phase in a system.
This is done by using a core balance current
transformer(CBCT). In the ideal condition, the
residual current will be zero, as all the currents
flow through the three phase and their
magnetic fields cancel each other out.
 In the event of fault , a residual current over
the three phase will not be equal to zero as
the current from the faulted phase will flow
through the earth.
Such protection is normally used in generator,
transformer with high resistive grounding,
very large capacity induction motor.
In this protection current setting is kept ver
low as 0.2% as it a very sensitive protection.