Protection Application Earth fault protection

Handbook
ABB Group - 1 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Introduction
Majority faults are earth faults
Earth fault protection depends on type of earthing
Effectively earthed
Reactance earthed
High resistance earthed
Resonance earthed
ABB Group - 2 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Earth fault in effectively grounded system
ABB Group - 3 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Calculation of earth fault currents and neutral
point voltages
ABB Group - 4 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Neutral point voltage

Un is low when sensitive earth fault relay used in a

strong network with low zero sequence source
impedance
Polarizing sensitivity of directional e/f relays must be
high
In open delta secondary circuit there is voltage
during normal service due to unbalances most of
which is 3rd harmonic.Heavy filtering of third
harmonic is required
ABB Group - 5 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Fault resistance

Fault resistance consists of arc resistance and tower

footing resistance

Where a is arc length in meters ( normally insulator

length) and If is the fault current in Amps.

Arc resistance varies from less than 1 Ohm for heavy

faults to 50-400 Ohms for high resistive faults.
ABB Group - 6 -

Tower footing resistance varies from 10 50 Ohms

15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Restricted earth fault relay
ABB Group - 7 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
High impedance type restricted earthfault
relay
ABB Group - 8 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Earth fault protection in solidly earthed
systems

IDMT earth fault relays

are used to detect earth
faults in effectively earthed
system
ABB Group - 9 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Directional comparison scheme

Directional earth fault relays are used

Can use communication link
Inrush current stabilization may be required for
sensitive settings
ABB Group - 10 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
High resistance earthed system

Earth resistance is mostly set to generate earth fault

current of 5-15A
Due to high sensitivity required cable CTs are
recommended
ABB Group - 11 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
High resistance earthed network
ABB Group - 12 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Directional earth fault relay for High
resistance earthed system
Directional earth fault relay used when in feed of
capacitive current from an object is higher than 60%
of required sensitivity
Measures active component of fault current
ABB Group - 13 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Directional earth fault relay
ABB Group - 14 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Measurement of earth fault current
ABB Group - 15 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Residually connected CT

Residual current will also be present due to small

differences in currents
During fault conditions these can reach high value
This can make very sensitively set earth fault relays
operate
Higher sensitivity can be obtained in cable core CTs
as CT ratio can be chosen freely
ABB Group - 16 -
15-Sep-17
 Earth fault protection
Cable CT

150/5 or 100/1 ratio is commonly used

Relay setting range must be selected considering CT
ratio
Cable screening earth as shown in figure

In case of single ph cables earthing is done at one

end only
In case of 3ph cables earthing can be done at both
ends
ABB Group - 17 -
15-Sep-17
 ABB Group - 18 -
15-Sep-17
Earth fault protection