Alternator Protection for

Emergency Standby
Engine Generators
10

Kenneth L. Box P.E.

TIME (SECONDS)
Regional Sales 1

Manager – Power
Electronics
Cummins Power 0.1

0.05

Generation
1 3 10

AMPS (TIMES RATED)

1. SOLID RED LINE IS ALTERNATOR THERMAL DAMAGE CURVE

2. DASHED BLUE LINE IS LINE TO NEUTRAL FAULT.
3. DASHED GREEN LINE IS LINE TO LINE FAULT.
 Engine Generators
Control
Monitoring & Alarms
Engine Protection
System Protection –
Paralleling
Applications
Alternator Protection
IEEE/ANSI Standards 141 & 242
Recommended
Practice for Protection
& Coordination of
Industrial &
Commercial Power
Systems
Recommended
Practice for Electric
Power Distribution for
Industrial Plants
Under & Over Voltage Protection
Protects against a severe
overload condition (27)
Initiates the starting of an
Devices
emergency standby genset
(27)
Load shed shut down in the
event of AVR failure (27)
27
Protect against dangerous
over-voltages (59)
Backup to internal V/Hz
59
limiters
Commonly combined 27/59
 Reverse Power Protection
Provides backup
protection for the prime
mover.
Device
It detects reverse power
flow (kW) should the
prime mover lose it’s
32
input energy without
tripping its generator
feeder breaker
Prevents motoring,
drawing real power from
the system
 Loss of Field Protection
Senses when the generator’s
excitation system has been
lost. Device
Important for paralleling
generator applications or when
paralleling with the utility.
When generator loses
40
excitation it will steal excitation
from other gensets & quickly
overheat the rotor due to
induced slip-frequency
currents
Reverse VAR protection
Phase Balance Current Protection
Unbalanced loads
Unbalanced system Device
faults
Open conductors
Unbalanced I2
46
currents induce 2X
system frequency
currents in the rotor
causing overheating
Backup Overcurrent Protection
The function of
generator backup
protection is to
Device
disconnect the
generator if a system
has not been cleared
51V
by the primary
protective device
Time delays
Ground Overcurrent Protection
Provides backup
protection for all ground
relays in the system at
Device
the generator voltage
level
Provides protection
51G
against internal generator
ground faults
Commonly provided as
GF alarm.
 Voltage Balance Relay
Monitors the
availability of PT
voltage.
Device
Blocks improper
operation of
protective relays and
60
control devices in the
event of a blown PT
fuse
 Differential Protection
For rapid detection of
generator Φ to Φ or
Φ-G faults.
Device
When NGR’s are
used, 87G should be
used.
87
Used for protection of
larger generators
Zone protection
 Temperature Protection

RTD’s
Resistance
temperature detectors
are used to sense
winding temperatures.
A long term
monitoring philosophy
that is not readily
detected by other
protective devices
IEEE Recommended Protection
Schemes
SMALL MACHINES Any recommendation
– Up to 1000kVA, 600V based entirely on
maximum machine size is not
MEDIUM MACHINES entirely adequate.
– 1000kW to 12,500 kVA The importance of the
regardless of voltage machine to the
LARGE MACHINES system or process it
– Up to 50,000 kVA serves & the reliability
regardless of voltage required are the
important factors
Small Generators – 1000kVA
Device 51V – Backup overcurrent
Device 51G - GFP
Device 32 – Reverse Power
Device 40 – Loss of Field
Device 87 - Differential
Medium Size Generators – 1 to
12.5 mVA
Device 51V – Backup overcurrent
Device 51G - GFP
Device 32 – Reverse Power
Device 40 – Loss of Field
Device 87 - Differential
Device 46 – Negative phase sequence
for paralleling or utility paralleling
 My Opinion – 3mW and less GENSET

SURGE SUPPRESSORS
AM SW KW KWH PF 40 32 GOV AVR 51V

VM SW HZ 27 81 59

86
VM SW HZ 46 25C 25

SS
UL listed utility grade generator protection relay

SWITCHGEAR TRIP

CLOSE
 NFPA70 - NEC
445.12(A) Overload Protection
– Generators, except AC generator exciters, shall be protected from
overloads by inherent design, circuit breakers, fuses, or other
acceptable overcurrent protective means suitable for the conditions of
use.
240.15(A)
– Overcurrent Device Required. A fuse or an overcurrent trip unit of a
circuit breaker shall be connected in series with each ungrounded
conductor. A combination of a current transformer and overcurrent relay
shall be considered equivalent to an overcurrent trip unit.
240.21(G) Conductors from Generator Terminals
– Conductors from generator terminals that meet the size requirements of
445.13 shall be permitted to be protected against overload by the
generator overload devices) required by 445.12
 Is the Alternator Protected?
Generator is required to be
CABLETHERMAL
THERMAL
protected
– Generator conductors are
CABLE
DAMAGECURVE
DAMAGE CURVE

100
assumed protected by same
device protecting the genset.
10
GENERATOR
GENERATOR
THERMAL
DAMAGE
CURVE
THERMAL
DAMAGE
CURVE Most common protection is
10
10
molded case breaker with
PROTECTIVE RELAY
thermal/magnetic trip
CURVE
– 100% rated thermal magnetic
TIME (SECONDS)
(SECONDS)

1
breakers don’t fully protect
TIME(SECONDS)

1
1

alternator
GENERATOR
TIME

0.1
0.1
0.1
THERMAL DAMAGE
CURVE Generator Protective Relay
0.05
0.05
provides the best protection
& superior coordination for
11 333 10
10
10 100
100
100
downstream devices
AMPS
AMPS(TIMES
AMPS (TIMESRATED)
(TIMES RATED)
RATED)
100% Rated Electronic Trip
Breaker is an Improvement

800A
800A MOLDED
INSULATED CASE CB
CASE CB GEN FLA
Time

GENSET
DAMAGE
CURVE
Gen Relay

Current
 Some Generator Mfrs offer self
contained alternator protection
Is it UL listed as a
generator protection
relay?
Does it provide O/L
protection for the
alternator and O/L and
short circuit protection for
the feeder?
Can it protect its transfer
switch on the emergency
side?
 Differential Protection (87)
Rarely selected for LV
machines smaller
than 1.5 mW.
How do you mount
the CT’s?
Cost vs. benefit?
 Differential Protection (87)
The value of differential protection is
that it is very fast in detecting faults in
a circuit.
High current levels that pass through
both sets of CT’s will not cause a trip
on common events like motor starting,
or even on downstream faults that are
intended to be cleared by other
means.
The high speed of operation for faults
sensed within the operating zone
makes it possible limit damage inside
an alternator stator when a fault inside
the machine occurs.
The device would also operate on a
feeder fault, but in general, once a
fault is sensed in a feeder, the feeder
will be replaced,
 Differential Protection (87)
A key point to remember is that differential relays
don’t prevent damage, they LIMIT damage.
If a relay is properly operating it won’t trip until
there is actually a line to ground fault
somewhere in its zone of protection.
By limiting the duration of a fault, it is often
possible to limit damage, but there is STILL
damage.
Eventually, you will have to deal with it.
Some mfrs. have high speed internal single
phase protection
 Differential Protection (87)
The protective devices GENSET

selected for a specific GENSET

ENG

application should always CONTROL ,

be selected based on an
understanding of the

SHUTDOWN
balance between
reliability and protection.
The more protection used 87
51

in the system the lower

86

the reliability, because of TRIP

52

the higher probability of

failing the system due to
a nuisance trip. SWITCHGEAR
 Recommendations
Use the IEEE Recommended protection schemes with a dose of common sense.

Always carefully consider the balance of protection versus reliability, especially when
the protection is for equipment that is operating for very few hours.
With some mfrs. the alternator current sensing function monitors faults inside the
machine. When the machine incorporates protection for the alternator from
overcurrent conditions based on an I2t function, and regulates single phase faults
differential protection is optional.
On 15kV class machines, the alternator stator is expensive enough that it would
probably be repaired rather than replaced, so it will make more sense to try to limit
damage in the machine and have it repaired, in the general case.
In cases where it is decided to use differential protection, it is desirable to minimize
the zone of protection and use properly sized and matched CT’s so that the
probability of nuisance tripping is reduced. Since the generator set provides
overcurrent protection from the alternator “out”, differential protection can be applied
with matched CT’s provided and mounted at the wye side and alternator output,
preferably in the terminal cabinet. The differential relay can be mounted in the vicinity
of the generator set or in the switchgear.
 Recommendations

A good standardized design is

superior to an optimized custom
design.
Custom designs breed custom
problems
Questions?
3Φ Fault – Current Regulation

3 Phase L1-L2-L3 Short: AmpSentry Regulation and Shutdown

500
Peak Current: IR/X”d Alt %Standby Max Line
400 Current

300
Regulates at 3X Rated
%Current

Shuts down before damage

200

100

0
0 5 10 15 20
time, sec
1Φ Fault – Current Regulation

Single Phase L1-N Short and Recovery: Current vs. Time

150kW Quiet Site Genset w/Dominion Control

600

500 Alt %Standby L1 Current

Alt %Standby L2 Current
400 Alt %Standby L3 Current
Percent Current

300

200

100

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
tim e, sec

NOTE: THIS CURVE SHOWS FAULT CLEARED BEFORE SHUTDOWN.

 Single Phase Fault
Single Phase L1-N Short and Recovery: Line-Neutral Voltage vs. Time
150kW Quiet Site Genset w/Dominion Control

120

100
Percent of Nominal Voltage

80

60

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
tim e, sec