TRANSFORMER PROTECTION

Fault level
Extent of
damage Duration of
fault
 Winding failures

Voltage
regulating load
changers

Transformer
Transformer
bushing failure
faults

Transformer core
problem

Miscellaneous
failures
 Insulation
breakdown
Improve cooling
Time
system
Ageing of
insulation
Temperature
Condition Over heating
leading to faults due to excitation Reduced load

Oil
contamination %
& oil Leakage

Reduced cooling
FAULT OF TRANSFORMER
➢ Earth fault on H.V external connection
➢ Phases to phase fault on H.V external connection
➢ Internal earth fault on H.V windings
➢ Internal phase to phase fault on H.V windings.
➢ Short circuit between turns L.V windings.
➢ Earth fault on L.V external winding
➢ Phase to phase fault on L.V external connection.
➢ Internal earth fault on L.V windings
➢ Internal phase to phase fault on L.V winding
➢ Short circuit b/w turn L.V windings
➢ Earth fault on tertiary windings
➢ Short circuit b/W turns tertiary windings
➢ Sustained system phase to phase fault
➢ Sustained system earth fault
 Differential relay

L.V side three phase

over current and
earth fault relay

H.V side three

132KV/11KV
phases over current
POWER
and earth fault relay
TRANSFORMER

D.C trip circuit

supervision relay

Trip and lock out

relay
 Percentage biased
Transformer
differential relay

High REF impedance

Circulating current
differential protection

HV side over current and

earth fault relay

LV side over current

and earth fault relay

Over excitation relay

Thermal over load

relay

Overall percentage
biased differential
relay

L.H&H.V Connection
circulating protection

Tertiary over current

protection

D.C trip circuit

supervision relay
 Percentage biased
Transformer differential
relay

High REF impedance

Circulating current
differential protection

HV side over current and

earth fault relay

LV side over current and

earth fault relay

Over excitation relay

500/220KV AUTO Thermal over load

TRANSFORMER relay

Overall percentage
biased differential relay

L.H&H.V Connection
circulating protection

Tertiary over current

protection

D.C trip circuit

supervision relay

Over voltage relay

 Transformer
Buchhloz relay

Tap changer
buchhloz elay

MECHANICAL Winding
PROTECTION: Temperature

0IL
temperature

Pressure relieve
valve
• Factors:
• The shape, magnitude and duration of the inrush
current depend on the factors:
• Size of power transformer
• Source Impendence
• The magnetic properties of the core i.e.
saturation density
• The remanence of core
• Resistance in power system from source to
transformer.
• The moment when transformer is switch on.
Effect of magnetising current
➢ Appears on one side of transformer only
➢ Seen as fault by differential relay
➢ Normal steady state magnetising current is less than relay
setting
➢ Transient magnetising inrush could cause relay to operate
• The vector group shows the connection of
windings of transformer and numerical index
(hour numbers) for displacement of vector of
two star voltages.
• Capital Letter DY11 Small letter (
clock dial reference)
• The first capital letter donates the connection
of high voltage winding of transformer
• The small letter represent the connection of
low voltage secondary winding of transformer
• Yy0d5
• The first capital letter Y is referred to H.V or
primary winding, the second letter y is
referred as secondary winding and third letter
is referred as tertiary winding.
• Primary winding is taken as phase referred ‘O’
means that phase angle b/W H.V and M.V
winding is zero. Whereas ‘5’ denotesthat
phase angle b/W H.V and tertiary winding is
150 (5x30)
OVER CURRENT PROTECTION

As it names implies, relay will pick up when it

exceeds its present value
TYPES:
The types of over current relay are based on the
relay characteristics over can be classified into three
groups.
• Definite current or instantaneous
• Definite time
• Inverse time
Curent Relay Applied to a
Transformer
51 51 51
HV2 HV1 LV

HV1 HV2
Time
LV

Current
IF(LV) IF(HV)
1.2IF(LV)
Use of Instantaneous Overcurrent
Protection
Source LV

50
51
Differential Protection
• Overall differential protection may be justified for larger
transformers (generally > 5MVA).
• Provides fast operation on any winding
• Measuring principle :
• Based on the same circulating current principle as the
restricted earth fault protection
• However, it employs the biasing technique, to maintain stability
for heavy thro’ fault current
• Biasing allows mismatch between CT outputs.
• It is essential for transformers with tap changing facility.
• Another important requirement of transformer differential
protection is immunity to magnetising inrush current.
 PROTECTED ZONE

HV LV

R
• Correct application of differential
protection requires CT ratio and winding
connections to match those of
transformer.
• CT secondary circuit should be a
“replica” of primary system.
• Consider :
• (1) Difference in current magnitude
• (2) Phase shift
• (3) Zero sequence currents
 Biased Differential Scheme
Differentia
l
Current

I1 - I2 OPERATE
I1 BIAS BIAS I2
I1 - I2
OPERATE RESTRAIN

I1 + I2 Mean Thro
2 Current

Bias = Differential (or Spill) Current

Mean Through Current
Restricted E/F Protection
Low Voltage Windings (1)
A B C N

LV restricted E/F
protection trips
both HV and LV breaker
Recommended setting : 10% rated
 Restricted E/F Protection
Low Voltage Windings (2)
A B C N

LV restricted E/F protection trips both HV and LV breaker

Recommended setting : 10% rated
 Delta Winding Restricted Earth Fault

Source

Protected zone
REF

Delta winding cannot supply zero

sequence current to system

Stability : Consider max LV fault level

Recommended setting : less than 30% minimum
earth fault level
 Protection of Auto-Transformer
by High Impedance Differential
Relays (2)
(b) Phase and Earth Fault Scheme
A
B
C
a
b
c
87 87 87

n
`
Combined Differential and Restricted
Earthfault Protection

A2 A1 a1 a2 P1 P2
S1 S2

P1 S1 P2
REF
S2 P1
P2
S1
S2
To differential relay
Integral Vectorial and Ratio
Compensation
Power transformer

Ratio
correction

Vectorial
correction
Differential
Virtual interposing CT element Virtual interposing CT
In Zone Earthing Transformer
a1 a2
P1 P2
A1 A2 P2 P1

S2 S1

S2 S1 T2 T1 P1 P2
 Three Winding Transformer
63MVA 25MVA
132KV 11KV
300/5 1600/5

50MVA
33KV

1000/5

4.59 5.51 10.33

2.88 5 2.88
5

All interposing C.T. ratio’s refer to

common MVA base (63MVA
 Transformer Magnetising
Characteristic

Twice
Normal
Flux

Normal
Flux

Normal
No
Load No Load
Current Current at
Twice Normal
Flux
Parallel Transformers
T1 NAB C

T2
Inter-Turn Fault

CT
E
Load
Shorted
turn

Nominal turns ratio - 11,000 / 240

Fault turns ratio - 11,000 / 1
Current ratio - 1 / 11,000

Requires Buchholz relay

Buchholz Relay Installation
3 x internal pipe
Conservator
diameter (minimum)
5 x internal pipe
diameter (minimum)

Oil conservator
3 minimum

Transformer
 Buchholz Relay
Petcock
Alarm bucket Counter balance
weight

Mercury switch
Oil level

To oil
conservator From transformer

Trip bucket Aperture adjuster

Deflector plate
Drain plug
Overfluxing Basic Theory

2m
V = kf
Causes m
Low frequency
High voltage Ie

Geomagnetic disturbances
Effects
Tripping of differential element (Transient overfluxing)
Damage to transformers (Prolonged overfluxing)
EFFECTS OF OVER FLUXING:

• Increase in magnetizing current

• Increase in winding temperature
• Increase in noise and vibration
• Overheating of laminations and metal parts
(cause by stray flux)
V/Hz Overfluxing Protection

V f  K

Trip and alarm outputs for clearing prolonged overfluxing

Alarm : Definite time characteristic to initiate corrective action

Trip : IDMT or DT characteristic to clear overfluxing condition

Settings
Pick-up 1.5 to 3.0 i.e. 110V x 1.05 = 2.31
50Hz

DT setting range 0.1 to 60 seconds

V/H CHARACTERISTIC:
Over-fluxing Relay

Ex
G

VT

AVR RL
THERMAL OVERLOAD:
• EFFECT OF OVER LOAD ON TRANSFORMER
INSULATION LIFE:
Overheating Protection

Trip
Iload
Alarm
TD
setting
On
Top oil of Fan
Iload
power control
transformer Off

On
Pump
control
Off
Heater Temp. indication
Local
Thermal Temperature Remote
replica sensing resistor
Overload Protection
• Overcurrent protection designed for fault
condition
• Thermal replica provides better protection
for overload
Time
– Current based
– Flexible characteristics
– Single or dual time constant
– Reset facility
– Non-volatile Current
Thermal Overload Oil Filled Transformers

Trip time (s)

10000 Single
characteristic:
 = 120mins
1000

Dual characteristic
100

Single
10 characteristic:
1 2 3 4 5 6  = 5 mins
Current (multiple of thermal setting)
ZA
DIGITAL RELAYS FOR TRANSFORMER
THERMAL WINDING PROTECTION