Bus protection Overcurrent differential

P OST ED AU G 31 2011 BY EDVA R D IN P RO TE CT IO N WI TH 2 C OM ME NT S

When selecting relays for bus protection, a major concern is the ability of the
protective relaying scheme to restrain from tripping for close-in line faults. Tripping for
bus faults, the reason for installing bus differential relaying , is less of a concern.
During fault testing conditions, line circuit breakers, rather than bus sectionalizing
circuit breakers or bus tie circuit breakers, should be closed to test bus integrity.
Bus differential, which is the most sensitive and reliable method for protecting a
substation bus, is installed at transmission and distribution substations
and switchyards. Overcurrent protection may be used for bus protection at lower
voltage substations.

Figure 1 - One-line diagram showing Bus, circuit breakers, CTs, and secondary wiring
to Bus differential relay.
During the initial development of power systems, substation buses were protected with
overcurrent differential relays as illustrated in Figure 1. CTs are connected so that
relays respond to the difference between incoming and outgoing current. But, since
the possibility of CT saturation cannot be eliminated for close-in line faults, overcurrent
differential relays are delayed to coordinate with transmission- or distribution-line
protection.

For a close-in fault on the 230-21 line, the assumption is that busside CTs (connected
to line relays) operate as designed, but that the line-side CTs (connected to the bus
differential relay) saturate and that overcurrent bus differential relays must be
coordinated with the line relaying.
The instantaneous overcurrent bus differential relays initiate timers and the time
overcurrent bus differential relays are coordinated with line relays. (Overcurrent bus
differential relays are unacceptable if instantaneous clearing of bus faults is required.)
If overcurrent relays with the settings and characteristics shown below are used to
protect the 230-21 line, overcurrent bus differential relay settings could be determined
as follows:

230-21 Line
TOC (51) Phase: TOC (51G) Ground:
5 Relay Amps, 800 Line Amps 1 Relay Amp, 200 Line Amps
#5 time dial, Inverse #6 time dial, Extremely Inverse

IOC (50) Phase: IOC (50G) Ground:

20 Relay Amps, 4000 Line Amps 15 Relay Amps, 3000 Line Amps

Bus Differential
TOC (51) Phase: Extremely Inverse
Definite TOC Phase, Quick Trip
SOURCE: Unknown, Chapter 16 Bus Protection
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