OC Protection Unit
Attia El-Fergany
Professor of EPS and Protection
Overloads vs “Overcurrent
▪ Overloads – Currents slightly exceeding the rated
current. No faults in the system. Usually equipment
can withstand in terms of ‘minutes’. Usually
associated with motors
▪ Overcurrent occurs during faults. Very large
currents due to fault in the system e.g. insulation
failure and shorts to earth. Must be cleared very
quickly to limit let through energy and for safety
reasons.
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Overloads vs “Overcurrent
▪ Relay Overload curve – ideally just below
equipment thermal withstand curve
▪ Overload relay – does NOT provide
overcurrent protection
▪ Overcurrent relay – not suitable for protection
against overloads
▪ Fuse – very good short-circuit protection
device but suitable for overload protections
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Types Over Current Protection
✓Plain OC (50/51).
✓Voltage dependent OC (51VR/51VC).
✓Directional OC protection (67).
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Methods of Connecting OC Relays
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Phase-phase fault
Fault clearing delayed as 51
coordinates with down-stream
relays
▪Typical setting should be 175% of rated current
✓override swings due to slow clearing external fault
✓starting of motors
✓transformer energization
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OC Relay
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Inverse Characteristic
IDMT – Inverse Definite
Minimum Time
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IDMT delay (IDMT: Inverse Definite Minimum
Time)
Inverse Over current Characteristic with
different TSM (TD)
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Inverse Curves of OC – BS/IEC 60255
▪Standard Inverse – IEC Class A
▪Very Inverse - IEC Class B
▪ Extremely Inverse - IEC Class C
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Inverse Curves of OC – BS/IEC 60255
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Inverse Curves of OC – ANSI/IEEE
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Equations for Inverse Curves of OC – BS/IEC 60255,
ANSI/IEEE
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Definite time delay (DT)
IDMT tripping curves.
▪ There are several types of curves, determined by
equations and defined by the various
standardization organizations: for example, the IEC
defines the following:
– standard inverse time (SIT), type A
– very inverse time (VIT), Type B
– extremely inverse time (EIT). Type C
Characteristics and settings of (OC)
Voltage Dependent OC (51V) protection
threshold.
▪ As the value of short-circuit current decreases over time to
approximately the rated current, if not lower, in steady state
conditions, simple current detection may be insufficient.
▪ This type of fault can be detected effectively by a voltage-restrained
overcurrent protection device (ANSI 51VR), the threshold of which
increases with the voltage. Operation is delayed.
▪ When the machine is equipped with a system that maintains the short-
circuit at about 3 In, the use of a phase overcurrent protection unit
(ANSI 51) is recommended.
Generator Current Decrement
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Generator Short-circuit current level
OC Protection - Voltage Restrained
▪ Operating characteristic is continuously varied
depending on measured voltage
▪ Preferred option when generator is connected via step
up transformer
▪ Alternatively use impedance relay
Principle of 50/51V
▪ Let us take the example of a generator with a synchronous
impedance Xd =155%. The minimum permanent short-circuit
current is therefore:
In
I SC = , Hence I SC = 0.645I n
X d ( PU )
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Voltage restrained OC
Voltage Controlled OC (51VC)
(51VR)
Voltage-restrained TOC Relay 51VR
▪Pickup of relay depends on voltage
▪Relay must not pickup at full load and normal voltage
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Voltage-restrained TOC Relay 51V
▪ 51VR relay pickup decreases with
decreases in the voltage.
▪ 51VR less susceptible to operation on
swings of motor starting condition that
depresses the voltage.
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Voltage-restrained TOC Relay 51/27VR
▪If relay pickup is set at 175% of rated current:
▪relay picks up at 175% of rated current at 100% rated voltage,
▪relay picks up at 44% (25% of 175%) of rated current at 25%
voltage.
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Methods of Co-ordination
▪ By Time Grading
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Discrimination by Time
Discrimination by Current
Methods of Co-ordination
▪ By Time/Current Inverse Curve
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Time-based discrimination
(IDMT)
END
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