Basis of Stator-GroundFault Protection

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Generator Protection
Basis of Stator-Ground-Fault
Protection
Presenter: Dr. Hans-Joachim Herrmann
PTD PA13
Phone +49 911 433 8266
E-Mail: Hans-Joachim.Herrmann@siemens.com

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Test Results showing Effects of Arc Burning on

Stator Core Laminations during Ground Faults
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Methods of Neutral-Point Connection (1)

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? Isolated or high ohmic grounded

Advantage:
Disadvantage:

Small fault currents

High transient overvoltage at
intermittent ground faults
(2.5 3.5 ) Vph-E

< 10 A

Standard application
? Compensated or reactive grounded

Advantage:
Disadvantage:

Small fault currents on the fault

location
Transient overvoltage
(<2.5Vph-E),
Higher costs

< 10 A

Very seldom; in older plants used

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Methods of Neutral-Point Connection (2)

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?Low ohmic grounded

Advantage:

Disadvantage:

Lower transient overvoltage,

95 to 98% protective range of
SEF protection
Great damages to generators
at longer fault duration

< 200 - 400 A

Application in industrial plants

? Solidly (effective) grounded

Advantage:

Disadvantage:

Low transient voltage, better

measuring conditions for the
protection
Great damages to generators,
Leakage zero sequence currents

Application at low voltage generators

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Voltages in Case of an Ground Fault

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L1
L2
L3

Voltage without ground fault

A
B
C

Voltages at the point of a ground fault at phase L1

VL3,E

VL3,E = VL31
VE = -VL1,E
M

M
VL1,E

VL1,E = 0

? VL,E voltage decreases in the faulty

phase (min ?
? 0)
VL2,E

? VLx,E ... phase-ground-voltage

? no displacement voltage (VE = 0)

VL2,E = VL21

? VL,E voltage in the both healthy phases

are increase (max ?
? ?phase-to-phase)
? VE displacement-voltage
(can be measured at star point to ground)
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Currents in the Case of an Ground Fault

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Model:
Equivalent voltage VE at the point of fault

IE/3

UE

L1
L2
L3

ZE

IE =3 ? IE/3 = 3 ??VE/Z E
IE/3 ... ground fault current in one phase

IE

ZE ... ground impedance at one phase

Vector diagram: ground fault in phase L1
L1
L2
L3

VL3,E

IC 3

3V0 =3VE

IC,3
IE =
=

3V0
1

j? CE
3 VE
ZE

IC,2

= 3V0 ??j? CE

VL2,E

IE

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Correlation from Ground Fault Location

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Displacement voltage VE (V0) and ground current IE (3I0) as a function of the

fault location of an ground fault in the machine winding.

VE

ZE

VL1,E
VL1,E

VL2,E

VL2,E

VE

VE

IE= 3

VE
ZE

At faults close to the star-point the displacement voltage and the ground
currents become small
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Generators Connected via an Unit Transformer

to the Grid
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? generator is galvanic isolated

? under the assumption of an ideal transformer, the displacement
voltage caused by an ground fault, can only be measured at the generator

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Unit Connection: Elimination of the Disturbance during a

Ground Fault on the High Voltage
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Problem: grid ground faults cause disturbances Solution: attenuation by means of

a load resistor
due to the coupling capacitance
between the two transformer windings
CK

CG

CL

CTr

VEO ?

TR =

Grounding
transformer

VGen
3

100
V
3

500
V
3

(Limb transformation ratio)

VR

R?

RPrim

? ?

TR 2
3

VN
3

Note:
At solidly grounded
transformer the VE0 is
appr. 80% of V N/? 3
(Safety margin, if solidly
grounding is open)

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Unit Connection - Influence onto the Coupling

Capacitance
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disturbance voltage

equivalent circuit
VC

VR,prim???

CK
VR,prim

CE.

Rprim

Example:
VEO

Rprim

VEO

1
Rprim + j? ?C
K

220 kV

CK = 10 nF

VEO =

VN,G = 10,5 kV

R=5?

Tr = 34,6
RPrim ? R ???
CG+CL+C Tr neglected
VEO
CK
Rprim
Tr

displacement voltage on the high voltage side

three phase coupling capacitance
primary load resistor
grounding transformer ratio

TR ?
? ? 665?
? 3 ?

?
?
?

VR,prim ? ?265V
VR,sek ??23V
23V ? 4,6% disturbance
500V
influence

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Unit Connection with Neutral Transformer

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This design is very often used outside Germany, mostly at small generators
Generator

Unit transformer

TR =

VGen
3

VR

VR

A high secondary nominal voltage VR (250V - 500V) is selected in

order to avoid very small load resistors.
Rsek=

Rprim
2TR

Design of Rprim so that the fault current is < 10A

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Generator Connected Directly to the Grid

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? machines are galvanic connected

? displacement voltage caused by an ground fault
can be measured in all locations

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Direct Connection Directional Stator Ground Fault Protection

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L1

L2

L3
Network
L1
L2
L3
CE

IC + IR

Grounding
transformer

3i0

? 3V0

? DFT ? 3V0>, 3I0>

? Direction
(? 3V0, 3I0)

3V0

Ohmic current
boost

IR

3I0

VL1

VL2

ICL2
IC
ICL1

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Fault Currents in Case of a Direct Connection

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G1

IMess

G2

IMess

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Fault Currents in Case of a Direct Connection with

Grounding Transformer
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G1

IMeas

Grounding transformer

G2

Ohmic current
RB

IMeas

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Ground Current Detection via a Toroidal Current

Transformer and Holmgreen Connection
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Toroidal Current Transformer

IE
3

per phase

? magnetic addition
of ground currents,
? principle is sensitive

IE

Holmgreen connection
(separate cores)
IE
3

Holmgreen
connection
(common
neutral return
connector

L1 L2 L3

IE

per phase
L1
L2
L3

IE

(IE = 3 I0)

3~

?I

Sensitivity is
limited
Problem:
Large CT ratio
leads to small
currents on the
secondary side

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Directional Stator Ground Fault Protection

Directional Characteristic
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Directional Stator Ground Fault Protection - Logic

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