GENERATOR
PROTECTION
INTRODUCTION
It is imperative need to install some protective system to
protect the expensive components of the protective system
like
generators, transformers, transmission lines etc. from
different types of faults which occurs in power system.
In generating stations , continuous operation of generator is
more necessary so the faulty part needs to be cleared very
quickly for uninterruptable power supply
GENERATOR FAULTS
Stator Winding Fault
Rotor Winding Fault
Abnormal Operating Conditions ‘
GENERATOR FAULTS…..
Stator Protection
Overcurrent Protection
Over voltage Protection
Rotor Fault Protection
External Fault Backup Protection
GENERATOR PROTECTION
Failure of Prime-mover
Failure of Field
Over-current
Over-speed
Over-voltage
Unbalanced Loading
Stator Winding Faults
STATOR FAULTS AND ITS
PROTECTION
Stator faults Include The following:
Phase to earth faults
Phase to phase faults
Inter-turn faults
Inter-turn faults are less common as compared to Phase to
phase faults,
these generally developed into an earth fault.
Inter-turn fault are more difficult to be detected Different
Protection Schemes for Stator
Differential Protection
Balanced Circulating Current Protection
Balance Earth-fault Protection
Stator Overheating Protection
UNBALANED LOADING
Unbalanced loading arises from fault to earth or faults
between phases on the circuits external to the
alternator.
Unbalanced current may burn the mechanical fixing of
the rotor core OR damage the field winding.
OPERATION
Under normal operating condition, algebraic sum of
three currents flowing through the relay is zero and
relay does not operate.
When unbalancing occur, resultant current flows
through the relay and relay trips the circuit breaker to
disconnect the alternator from the system.
STATOR WINDING
FAULTS
Fault between phase and ground
Fault between phases
Inter-turn faults involving turns of same phase winding
Differential Protection
• It provides protection against phase to phase and phase to
ground
• Here, Currents at two ends of the protected sections are
compared
Differential Protection…
• Under normal operating conditions, these currents are
Equal, hence no current flows through the relay.
• When a fault occurs in the protected zone, currents at
two ends of the CT becomes unequal.
• Differential current flowing the relay isolates the
protected section from the system.
DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION
Two sets of identical CTs are used, each mounted on either side of stator phase
winding.
The secondaries of these current transformers sets are connected in star.
At normal operating conditions, the currents at two ends of protected section
remains same.
So relay will not operate.
When the faults occurs the balance condition gets disturbed and hence current
flows through the operating coil of the relay causing relay operation and the trip
circuit gets closed
The relays employed in this protection system are generally of electro-magnetic
type and are arranged for instantaneous operation as faults are expected to be
clear as soon as possible
DIFFICULTY AND REMEDY
In most of the cases, alternator is located at a
considerable distance from the switchgear.
The relays are located close to the circuit breaker,
Balancing resistances are inserted in shorter length of
pilot wire to balance the impedance on both side of the
relay.
Balanced Earth Fault
Protection
Balanced earth fault protection is used for those
alternators in which neutral ends of the three phase
are connected internally to a single terminal.
It provides no protection against phase to phase fault.
BALANCED EARTH FAULTS
In case of small generators, the neutral end of 3 phase winding
is not available because it is made inside the generator and
grounded through some low resistance then percentage
differential relay for ground fault is provided and is known as
balanced earth fault
This scheme can be used only for ground faults, Not for phase
faults
CT Earthing resistance Alternator Relay is used To trip circuit
Also called Restricted or Balanced earth fault protection
ROTOR FAULTS & ITS PROTECTION
Faults in the rotor circuit may be either
earth faults or
between the turns of the field winding.
Field circuits are normally operated un-earthed
So a single fault will not affect its operation.
But when a second fault arises then field winding is short
circuited
This produces unsymmetrical field system which leads to
unbalanced forces on rotor and
ROTOR FAULTS & ITS PROTECTION
….
The Different Protection Schemes for Rotor Protection
include:
Rotor Earth fault Protection
Loss of Excitation Protection
Rotor Temperature Alarm Automatic field Suppression
through Circuit Breaker
Exciter Armature Generator Field Winding Current limiting
reactor (in case of DC)
ROTOR FAULTS & ITS PROTECTION
….
Capacitor (in case of DC) Sensitive over Voltage relay is
used To auxiliary supply for AC OR
DC Exciter Armature Rotor Earth Fault Protection is
provided
InRotor Earth Fault, high resistance is connected across
the rotor circuit and its mid point is grounded through a
sensitive relay.
ROTOR EARTH FAULT PROTECTION
High resistance is connected across the rotor circuit and its mid point is
grounded through a sensitive relay.
The other method of rotor earth fault protection is done by DC injection
method
AC injection method , The DC or AC voltage is impressed between the field
circuit and ground through a sensitive over voltage relay and current limiting
resistor or capacitor (in case of AC).
A single earth fault in rotor circuit will complete the path and the fault is
sensed by the relay.
DC injection method is simple & has no problems of leakage current.
LOSS OF EXCITATION PROTECTION
When the excitation of generator is lost it operates as an
Induction generator.
It derives excitation from the system and supply power at leading
power factor which may cause-
A fall in voltage results in loss of synchronism and creats
system instability.
Over heating of rotor due to induction current on it.
The relay mostly used for this type of protection is Directional
Distance type relay.
ROTOR TEMPERATURE
This type of protection scheme is installed generally in large
alternators.
It indicates the level of temperature but not the actual hot spot
temperature.
The relay measures the temperature by measuring the
resistance.
The relay measures the ratio of voltage to current.
ROTOR TEMPERATURE ….
Generator Field Winding SLIP RINGS Voltage
In case of a fault in the generator and though the circuit
breaker is tripped ,
The fault continues to fed as long as excitation will exist because
emf is induced in the generator itself
Hence all protection system not only trip the generator circuit
breaker but also trip the "automatic field discharge switch”
NEGATIVE PHASE SEQUENCE
PROTECTION
Unbalance maybe caused due to single phase fault or
unbalanced loading and it gives rise to negative sequence
current.
This current in rotor causes rotor overheating and damage to
the rotor.
This can be protected by negative sequence current filter
with over current relay.
CONCLUSION
Switchgears other protective devices are used in the electrical machines in the
power system elements.
i. To detect the abnormal faulty condition.
ii. To notify this information to the maintenance officer of that factory or generation
station.
iii. To disconnect the faulty elements from the healthy system or shutdown the
faulted apparatus for continuous operation of the machines,
for safety of this expensive electrical devices as well as
for the safety of the workers.
The protective device does not prevent the cause of fault or occurrence of fault ,
it is used after the occurrence of fault for protection to remove those faulty section
for further normal operation
