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Pilot W i r e 8.
9.
Simple construction of relays used.
Potential connections not required.
electric power lines and equipment has appealed t o channel was used t o compare t h e instantaneous di
relay engineers for the last 25 years, because of t h e rections of fault current a t t h e 2 ends of t h e protected
simplicity and direct action of this type of protection. power circuit. T h e idea of comparing the direction
Although simple and direct in theory, its practical of power or reactive kilovolt-amperes instead of the
application has until recently usually been involved instantaneous direction of current was suggested at
and expensive, and relay engineers have generally t h a t time, b u t rejected because it required potential
considered it to be limited in usefulness—suitable connections.
only under special conditions. This situation is un T h e first installations of pilot wire protection using
fortunate, because pilot wire schemes of general d-c single-channel metallic pilot-wire circuits t o com
utility and reasonable economy are now available. pare t h e directions of fault current at t h e 2 ends of a
T h e 1926 edition of the "Relay H a n d b o o k " lists ad transmission line were apparently made in 1931 and
vantages and disadvantages of pilot wire protection; 1932 b y several companies. Installations were made
the advantages listed are: b y t h e Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company, Du-
1. Immunity to faults outside of protected zone. quesne Light Company, Los Angeles Gas and Elec
2. Independent of load currents.
tric Corporation, Philadelphia Electric Company,
and T h e Tennessee Electric Power Company. The
3. Practically instantaneous. first general discussion of t h e theory and application
4. Requires no co-ordination with other protected zones. of this new system of pilot wire protection was pre
5. Applicable to short or long lines. sented b y J . H . Neher. These systems of pilot wire
2
6. Provides both phase and ground protection. protection were fundamentally different from any
thing developed during t h e previous 20 years, al
A p a c e r r e c o m m e n d e d for publication b y t h e A . I . E . E . c o m m i t t e e o n 4 a » t e c t i v e
devices/^ftnd t e n t a t i v e l y scheduled for discussion at t h e A . I . E . E . winter c o n
though they resembled somewhat the carrier pilot
v e n t i o n , N e w York, Ν . Y . , Jan. 2 8 - 3 1 , 1936. Manuscript s u b m i t t e d June 26, scheme in principle.
1935; released for publication Oct. 14, 1935.
T h e authors wish t o acknowledge t h e assistance of W. E. D e n t , Jr., a n d H . E .
H o u s e of t h e T e n n e s s e e Electric Power C o m p a n y . 1. For all numbered references see list at end of paper.
STATION A STATION Β
FAULT
—G-i-D-
¥1
ΑΛ/vVvWVQ. j
NEUTRALIZING STATION
TRANSFORMER ; GROUND BUS
RESISTANCE OF RESISTANCE OF
STATION G R O U N D STATION G R O U N D
NETWORK NETWORK
- I N S U L A T I O N STRESS O N
PILOT WIRE RELAYS
fied schematic
diagram of the cable sheath so as to have impressed across it t h e
earliest pilot wire voltage which would otherwise cause circuit failure.
scheme, often called
RELAYS
53> B y transformer action this voltage appears in t h e
"a-c pilot wire** secondary windings, which are connected in series
This scheme uses pilot w i r e conductors to connect the current
with t h e communication wires, in such a direction
transformer secondary in α differential relay scheme as to oppose t h e disturbing voltage. T h e use of
such an arrangement makes it possible t o obtain a
reliable p a t h of relatively low transmission loss and
leased circuits at cable terminals, central offices,, and d-c resistance into t h e power station for relay trip
other junction points, b y establishing distinctive ping, telemetering, dialing, etc. T h e neutralization
markings, insulated binding post covers, etc., and b y is practically complete, in contrast t o t h e limited
requiring authority to work on such leased circuits. reduction provided b y ' 'series resistance" or 'series1
M a n y power companies have had the same problems r e a c t a n c e " protection. T h e neutralizing transfor
in connection with the maintenance of their own mer eliminates t h e operation of carbon block pro
power circuits, b u t the general use of clearance or tectors, and t h e protectors are therefore provided
ders under the dispatchers control has greatly re only as back-up protection.
duced interference with service. T h e telephone in
dustry has adopted in m a n y places similar measures CIRCUIT SUPERVISION
for the supervision of maintenance and construction
on circuits where continuity is highly essential. Figure 1 illustrates t h e operation of t h e neutraliz
However, some power companies still experience ing transformers during ground faults. I t is im
considerable trouble on leased circuits due to inter possible t o neutralize t h e rise of ground potential
ference b y cable splicers and others working a t points completely, due t o transformer ratio errors, and ca
between terminals where there is nothing to identify pacitance of cable and other leakages. This, of
leased circuits except the cable color code (which is course, results in an insulation stress on t h e pilot
not infallible under field conditions). Another seri wire relays and telephone cable, b u t this stress has
ous difficulty is t h a t of permanent grounding of pro in all cases tested less t h a n one per cent of t h e total
tectors. Electrical interruptions which might other ground potential rise. I n a station with 4,000 volts
wise be m o m e n t a r y would often cause t h e protectors rise of ground potential t h e neutralizing transformer
to ground permanently, putting t h e circuit out of would reduce t h e stress on telephone equipment and
service until the protectors were cleared. T h e use relay equipment t o less t h a n 40 volts, which is well
of fuses and carbon block protectors is such a funda within t h e rating of all insulation involved and less
mental p a r t of telephone protection t h a t it is very t h a n 10 per cent of t h e voltage required t o operate the
difficult to eliminate this factor as a possible source m o s t sensitive t y p e of carbon block protector.
of trouble in pilot wire service. T h e carbon block E v e n after taking every precaution t o provide a
protector has m a n y inherent advantages as a pro circuit t h a t will seldom fail, it is highly essential to
tective device and much attention has been devoted know immediately when failure does occur. The
to preventing its permanent operation, rather t h a n t o first method of supervision was b y the use of neon
replacing it by a different t y p e of protector. One of lamps a t each end of t h e circuit. T h e charging cur
the newer devices is the unit type a-c relay protector rent of cable circuits has been found to be a factor
which operates within one cycle after t h e carbon when d-c control voltages are applied t o t h e cable.
blocks, grounding and shorting the line until t h e I t was also found t h a t neon tubes would cause un-
source of foreign potential is removed. This device desired tripping b y flashing over internally on volt
practically eliminates permanent grounding of car ages due to lightning and induction t h a t did not af
bon protectors b u t grounds both sides of t h e line, fect other equipment. T h e vacuum contact relay was
making it inoperative, while carbon blocks frequently found to have t h e same weakness* and in certain cases
operate singly. However, most electrical interfer it had t o be replaced b y a relay with a wide air gap be-
of the pilot wire circuit, unless such failure should circuits used for tripping b y directional comparison.
T h e new types of circuits just described have t h e
great advantage t h a t any interference with t h e cir
cuit is immediately reported t o t h e operator or dis
patcher, who can communicate with t h e telephone
company, t h u s permitting t h e cause t o be investi
gated and steps to be t a k e n t o render its repetition
unlikely. This is a great improvement over former
methods where t h e first notice a n y one h a d of t h e
pilot wire circuit being in trouble was its failure t o
TRANS.-K> F Φ
operate properly when power trouble occurred, and
TRANS.
there was no way of knowing how m a n y hours or days
t h e pilot wire circuit h a d been in trouble.
Figures 2 t o 5 indicate schematically some of t h e
improvements in circuit design t h a t have been de
Fig. 3. Simplified schematic diagram of the earliest veloped for metallic pilot wire protection within t h e
carrier channel pilot scheme last few years. These circuits are intended t o illus
t r a t e the elementary principles of circuit supervision
Current transformers in the 3 phases are of different ratios
resulting in sufficient residual current under any fault condition discussed in this paper.
to bias the transmitting tube and send out carrier frequency on
the positive half cycles of residual current. The polarity of
OPERATING EXPERIENCE
the residual currents at 2 ends of the line is such that the re
ceiving and transmitting elements at either end co-operate to
lock open the trip circuits in case of through faults and to close T h e Tennessee Electric Power C o m p a n y m a d e its
the trip circuits in case of faults in the protected section first installation of metallic pilot wire protection on a
DEVICE
CABLE SHEATH
^ STATION GROUND
A Tripping relay AVC A . E. Co. 950 0.014 amp 0.008 amp
Β Undercurrent alarm AVC A . E. Co. 1,000 0.014 amp 0.008 amp
C Rectifier Rectox W. Ε. & M . Co. 200 !
Forward Direction
than its weakest link, which general experience in t h e C Rectifier Rectox W. Ε. & M . Co. 40,000** Back Direction
D P. W . auxiliary
past has shown to be the continuity of t h e pilot wire relay W-Leonard 120 4,0C0 80 volts 20 volts
circuit, referring particularly to the continuity of t h e Ε P. W . auxiliary
24 800 18 volts 4 volts
relay W-Leonard
pair of wires connecting the stations. T h e South F Directional fault
Chattanooga scheme involves a third function of detectors Special G. E.
great importance—giving the load dispatcher an im CR Closing relay
CC Closing solenoid
mediate report of relay operations. or motor of O C B
It is interesting to note t h a t there have been no TC Trip coil of OCB
burn-downs of the tie lines since t h e pilot wire equip H Protective carbons 2 6 - 3 0 W. E. Co.
A . E. Co. 24
Κ Vibrating reed
ment was installed. On 88 per cent of t h e cases of relay AVR A . E. Co. 24
trouble, service was restored on the instantaneous L Slow release alarm
test. This record is not considered unusually high relay ASR W. Ε. & M . Co. 150 150,000
V Ground volt
but it is considerably higher t h a n t h e average * 'in meters Min. G. E.
stantaneous performance" of this company, which Ζ Auxiliary lockout
* at relay
0.050 amp !
at 1 3 0 volts impressed
is about 75 per cent.
The pilot wire equipment has been in almost con
tinuous service except for routine maintenance since nent failures of t h e power circuits, so t h a t distribu
its installation. During the 16 m o n t h s period there tion maintenance men can be sent out p r o m p t l y t o
were 7 interruptions in the 3 leased circuits. All of t h e proper station. Between M a y 1, 1934 and
these cases of trouble were detected a t once b y t h e Sept. 1, 1935, t h e code sender reported 122 perma
circuit supervisory relays, reported b y t h e code nent alarms, of which 120 were correct, and 2 were
sender, and corrected, and most of t h e m were cleared questionable.
up in a few minutes with none extending for more T h e performance of t h e South Chattanooga pilot
than an hour. I n every case the difficulty was cor wire scheme has been close t o 100 per cent correct.
rected before the pilot wire equipment was called The authors consider this performance exceptionally
upon to operate. satisfactory for a relay scheme involving newly de
As first designed the code sender reporting alarms veloped equipment and methods.
from the pilot wire area did not distinguish between T h e foregoing record of t h e South Chattanooga
heavy voltage surges and successful instantaneous pilot wire system can be contrasted with t h e record
reclosures, because any heavy voltage surge would of t h e South Nashville-West Nashville pilot wire in
operate t h e initiating relays. Subsequently a time stallation. There have been several cases of trouble
delay was added to the alarm sending relay on in in the Nashville pilot wire which required it to be left
stantaneous reclosing feeders and tie lines a t the out of service for hours a t a time. T h e chief differ
pilot wire stations. This eliminated 90 per cent of ence between this installation and t h e C h a t t a n o o g a
the instantaneous alarm indications due t o surges. pilot wire system is t h a t in Nashville b a t t e r y supply
Since t h e nonattended stations are not inspected is obtained a t t h e middle of t h e loop a t t h e telephone
immediately following successful instantaneous, 15 company exchange and accordingly has its midpoint
second, or 2 minute reclosures, t h e p r i m a r y function solidly grounded and uses very light fuses and h e a t
of the alarm scheme is to report correctly all perrna- coils for protection. This precludes the possibility of
ψ -
TO MARS
GROUND 7 / / / / / / / /
I EARTHS SURFACE
WAVELENGTH 10,000Η 1,000Η 550M ZOOMZOOM IOM
(METERS) I 1 1
Diagram showing how the various wave lengths are used ir^ra^^co^municatjon^ and their relation to radiation
of other wave lengths. The "Westinghouse beam transmission" on a wave length of 9 centimeters, indicated
at the right of the diagram, refers to a demonstration that formed part of that company's exhibit at the "Century
of Progress * exposition in Chicago, III., during 1933-34. The "British channel transmission" on 18 centimeters
1
refers to the commercial radiotelephone circuit between Lympne, England, and St. Inglevert, France (see "Produc-
duction and Utilization of Micro-Rays," November 1933 issue of ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, pages 739-40)