Unit2 Relays

Prepared by B.JAYABABU Assoc.prof

VLITS ,Vadlamudi
 Relays
• A relay is a automatic device which senses an
abnormal condition in electric circuit and closes
its contacts .these in turn close the CB trip coil
,there by it opens CB and faulty part of electric
circuit is disconnected from the rest of the healthy
circuit
• Electrical engineers call it as Watchdog of PS
• Brain of protection system
• It detect the fault and fault location
Basic elements of relays
All relays have three essential fundamental elements, as
illustrated in Fig.
• Sensing Element, Sometimes also called the measuring
element, responds to the change in the actuating quantity, the
current in a protected system in case of over-current relay.
• Comparing Element serves to compare the action of the
actuating quantity on the relay with a pre-selected relay setting.
• Control Element on a pick up of the relay, accomplishes a
sudden change in the control quantity such as closing of the
operative current circuit
 Classification of relays
• Based on construction
1.electromechanical relays
2. static relays
3. microprocessor relays
 Based on application
• Over-Voltage, Over-Current and Over- Power Relay: The relay operates
when the voltage, current or power rises above a specified value.
• Under-Voltage, Under-Current and Under-Power Relay: The relay
operates when the voltage, current or power falls below a specified value.
• Directional or Reverse Current Relay: The relay operates when the
applied current assumes a specified phase displacement with respect to
the applied voltage and the relay is compensated for fall in voltage.
• Directional or Reverse Power Relay: The relay operates when the applied
current and voltage assume specified phase displacement and no
compensation is allowed for fail in voltage.
• Differential Relay: The relay operates when some specified phase or
magnitude difference between two or more electrical quantities occurs.
(V,I)
• Distance Relay: In this relay the operation depends upon the ratio of the
voltage to the current. (Z.X,Y)
• Instantaneous Relays: In these complete operation takes place after a
very short (negligible) time duration from the incidence of the current
or other quantity resulting in operation. The time of operation of such
relays is lesser than 0.2 seconds.
• Define Time Lag Relays : In these relays the time of operation is
sensibly independent of the magnitude of the current or of other
quantity causing operation.
• Inverse-Time Lag Relays: In these relays the time of operation is
approximately inversely proportional to the magnitude of the current
or other quantity causing operation.
• Inverse-Define Minimum Time (IDMT) Lag Relays : In these relays the
time of operation is approximately inversely proportional to the smaller
values of current or other quantity causing operation and tends to be a
definite minimum time as the value increases without time.
• Electromechanical relays operate by
mechanical forces generated by moving parts
due to electromagnetic forces created by
input quantities .
• The mechanical force results in physical
movement of moving part which closes the
contacts of the relay for its operation
1.Attracted Armature type Relay
Contacts Open
Contacts closed
• Parts :electromagnet ,coil ,armature with fixed
end and free end
• Input to relay /output of relay
• Normal condition
• Under short circuit condition
2.Solenoid type Relay
Contacts open
Contacts closed
3. Balanced beam type relay
• Attraction armature relay by virtue of their
construction and working principle, is
instantaneous in operation.
 Advantages of electromagnetic relays
The various advantages of electromagnetic relays are.
1.EM relays can be used for both a.c. and d.c
2.They have fast operation and fast reset.
3.These are almost instantaneous.
4.High operating speed with operating time in few
milliseconds also can be achieved.
5.Modern relays are compact, simple, reliable and
robust.
Disadvantages of electromagnetic relays
The few disadvantages of these relays are,

1.The directional feature is absent.

2.Due to fast operation the working can be

affected by the transients. As transients
contain d.c as well as pulsating component,
under steady state value less than set value,
the relay can operate during transients
 Induction relays
• Induction type relays called magnitude relays
• These relays work on principle of IM or energy
meter .Ac application only(not applied to dc)
• Principle of operation
metallic disc(rotor ) is allowed to rotate
between two electromagnets .the coils of EMs
are energized with help of alternating currents .
the torque is produced in relay due to
interaction of one alternating flux with eddy
current induced in the disc by another flux
• net torque F α φ 1 φ2 sin α
• Phase difference
 Types of induction relays
• Depending upon the type of rotor being used, these
relays are categorized as
i) induction disc type
• shaded pole
• watt-hour meter
ii) induction cup type of relays.
• In case of induction disc type of relays, disc is the
moving element on which the moving contact of
relay is fixed
• whereas in case of induction cup the contact is fixed
with the cup
1.Shaded-pole structure
• Disc(aluminum) is placed between the shaded
and unshaded poles of the relay
• The relay consists of an operating coil which is fed
by the current proportional to the system
current.
• The air gap flux produced by this flux is split into
two out-of-phase components by a shading ring
made of copper that encircles part of pole face of
each pole at air gap
• The control torque is provided with the help of a
control spring which is attached to the spindle of
the disc
• As the disc moves towards closing of the
contacts, the spring torque increases slightly
with the winding of the spring. The relay disc
is so shaped that as it turns towards the pick
up position (closing of contacts), there is
increase in the area of the disc between the
poles of the actuating structure which causes
increase in eddy currents and, therefore,
increase in electrical torque that just balances
the increase in the control spring torque.

• The shape of the disc usually is that of a

spiral.
• The damping torque is provided by a permanent
magnet of high retentivity steel. The motion of the
disc can be controlled by adjusting the position of
this magnet.
• Selection of the required current setting is by
means of a plug setting multiplier (PSM) which has a
single insulated plug.
• operating time of the relay depends upon the
distance between the moving contact and the fixed
contact of the relay
• Rotation of disc is from unshaded pole to shaded
pole
2.Watt-hour meter structure
Energy meter
• The construction of this structure is exactly
identical to watthour meters.
• The structure has two separate coils on two
different magnetic circuits. Upper and lower one.
Each magnet produces an alternating flux which
cuts the disc. The obtain a phase displacement
between two fluxes produced by upper and lower
electromagnets, their coils may be energized by
two different sources.
• If they are energized by the same source, the
resistances and reactance of the two circuits are
made different so that there will be sufficient
phase difference between the two fluxes
3.Induction cup structure
• This relays has four or more electromagnets. A
stationary iron core is placed between these
electromagnets. A stationary iron core is placed inside
the rotating cup to decrease the air gap without
increasing inertia. The spindle of the cup carries an
arm which closes contacts.
• The rotor is hollow cylindrical cup which is free to
rotate in the gap between the electromagnets and the
stationary iron core.
• When the electromagnets are energized, they induce
voltages in the rotor cup and hence the eddy currents.
The eddy currents due to one flux interact with the flux
dud to the other pole; thereby torque is produced
similar to the induction disc type of relay.
• A spring is employed to provide a resetting torque.
• Brake magnets are not used with induction cup
type relays. The inertia of the cup is much less
than that of a disc.
• The magnetic system is more efficient and hence
the magnetic leakage in the magnetic circuit is
minimum.
• This type of a magnetic system also reduces the
resistance of the induced current path in the
rotor.
• Due to the low weight of the rotor and efficient
magnetic system its torque per VA about three
times that of an induction disc type construction
• Its operating time is to the order of 0.01 seconds.
Thus with its high torque/inertia ration, it is quite
suitable for higher speeds of operation.
• Induction cup relays were widely used for
distance and directional relays. Later, however,
they were replaced by bridge rectifier type static
relays
• In induction relays ,induction cup is most efficient
Merits and demerits of induction relays

Merit :
• Noise will not produced

Demerits :
• Slow speed as compared to the EM attraction
types
• Only for ac operation
Depending upon the time of operation

the relays are categorized as :

i) Instantaneous over-current relay,
ii) inverse time current relay,
iii) inverse definite minimum time (IDMT) over
current relay,
iv) Very inverse relay, and
v) Extremely inverse relay.
1.Instantaneous over-current relay :
The word instantaneous has different connotation in field of power system
protection.
Instantaneous actually means no intentional time delay. How so ever fast
we want relay to operate . it needs certain minimum time.
Operating time (0.1 sec) of instantaneous relay is of order of few
milliseconds. Such relay has only pick-up setting and does not have any
time setting.
This relay is not suitable for backup protection.
Implementation : This characteristics can be achieved with help of
electromagnetic attraction relays. Such as attracted armature, Solenoid
iron type EM
Application
It is used when it is obvious that large fault currents are the consequence of
fault on the equipment being protected by the relay .
(the impedance between source and the relay is small compared with the
impedance of section to be protected)
• 2. inverse time current relay : It is one in which
the operating time reduces as the actuating
quantity increases in magnitude.
• Implementation : This characteristics can be
achieved with help of induction type relays by
using suitable core which does not saturate for
large value of fault current
• Application :
Inverse time characteristics fits in very well, with
requirement that more severe fault is, faster it
should be cleared to avoid damage to operators.
It is used as a standardization
3. Inverse Definite Minimum Time (IDMT):
• This type of relay is inverse time current characteristics at lower
values of fault current and definite time characteristics at higher
values of fault current.
Inver time characteristics is obtained if value of PSM is below 10.
For values PSM between 10 and 20 characteristics tends to become
straight line i.e. towards definite time characteristics.
Implementation :
This is achieved by using core of electro magnetic which gets
saturated for currents slightly greater than pick-up current.
Application :
• IDMT relay are widely used for protection of distribution lines.
4. Very Inverse Relay : It is a one in which
saturation of core occurs at later stage,
characteristics assumes sharp as shown in fig.
Inverseness of this – characteristics is higher than
that of IDMT characteristics.
• It lines between IDMT characteristics and
extremely inverse characteristics.
• Very inverse characteristics give better selectivity
than IDMT characteristics. Hence it can be used
where IDMT relay fails to achieve good
selectivity.
Application :
• There are particularly effective with ground
faults because of their steep characteristics
5. Extremely Inverse Relay. An extremely inverse time over
current relay give time
• current characteristics more inverse than that of very inverse
and IDMT relays. When IDMT and very inverse relay fail in
selectivity, these are employed.
Implementation :
• Saturation occurs at still later stage.
Applications :
– It is used for protection of machines against overheating.
– These are used for protection of alternators. Power transformers,
Earthing transformer, expensive cables, railways trolly wires etc.
– Rotors of large alternators may be over heated if unbalanced load or
fault remains for larger period on the system.
 Directional relays
• In general ,current or power flow from source
to load . If it is reverse ,something wrong in
circuit .we have to isolate the that section as
early as possible.

• 1.Directional power relay

• 2.Directional over current relay
Directional power relay
angle of the polarizing quantity must remain The voltage is
taken as the polarizing quantity.

The polarizing quantity is one which produces one of the two

fluxes required for production of torque and
this quantity is taken as the reference compared with the
other quantity which is current here.

This means that the phase more or less fixed when the other
quantity suffers wide changes in phase angle.
Why directional relays ?
• Refer fig

• where two feeders are connected in parallel to increase the transmission

capacity. The feeders are again fed from one end. It is required that in case of
a fault on any one of the feeders, that feeder should be isolated from the
supply and the load must receive power through the other healthy feeder.
• In case of a fault on any one feeder, say 2, the current will be fed to the fault
as shown in Fig. by the arrows. It is to be seen that as far as the relays near
the source are concerned, the direction of current is same as the normal
direction of the current, whereas the direction of the current in the relay
near the load end of the faulty feeder is reversed.
• Therefore, for proper coordination the relays near the source-end are non-
directional relays whereas relays near the load-end are directional relays.
• The direction of the current for which the directional relays will operate is
indicated by the corresponding arrow heads. In this case as soon as fault
takes place in feeder 2, the directional relay in feeder 2 will operate first;
thereby the current in feeder 1 corresponds to load current and after some
time the non-directional relay in feeder 2 will operate, thereby isolating
feeder 2 from the source
• The differential relay is one that operates when
the vector difference of two or more similar
electrical quantities exceeds a pre-determined
value.
• This means for a differential relay, it should have:
(1) two or more similar electrical quantities, and
(2) these quantities should have phase
displacement (normally approx. 180°), for the
operation of the relay.
• The name is not due to a particular construction
of the relay but is due to the way in which the
relay is connected in the circuit
The dotted line represents the
equipment to be protected which
may be a transformer, an alternator,
a bus etc
 Zone of Protection of the Differential Relay

The differential scheme generates a

well-defined and closed zone of protection.

This zone encompasses everything

between the two CTs as shown in Figure

Thus, we talk of any fault between

the two CTs as an 'internal fault'.

To the differential scheme, all other

faults are 'external faults' or 'through faults'.

Ideally, therefore, a differential

scheme is supposed to respond only internal
faults, and restrain from tripping on external
or through faults.
• Two suitable CTs are connected in series as
shown with the help of pilot wires.
• The relay operating coil is connected between the
mid-points (equipotential points) of the pilot wire.
• The voltage induced in the secondary of the CTs
will circulate a current through the combined
impedance of the pilot wires and the CTs.
• In case the operating coil is not connected
between the equipotential points (which are
infinite), there will be difference current
(sufficient during through fault condition) through
the operating coil of the relay and this may result
in maloperation of the relay
• When the operating coil of the relay is not
connected between the equipotential points,
even though the current through each CT is
same, the burden on the two CTs is unequal.
This causes the heavily loaded CTs to saturate
during through fault, thereby causing
dissimilarity in the characteristics of the two
CTs which results in maloperation of the relay.
 External fault ( through fault)

When the fault is outside the zone of protection, it is known as

external fault or through fault.
• Consider the scheme in Fig. for a through
fault. The current flowing through the
primaries of the two CTs is same (whether the
system is fed from one end or both the ends).
• If the two CTs behave identically for all fault
currents, the secondary currents are of the
same magnitude and phase. The difference
current, therefore, being zero through the
operating coil, the relay does not operate.
This is a desirable feature
Internal fault :
• For an internal fault, consider Fig.(a) when the
circuit is fed from one end and Fig. (b) when
the circuit is fed from both the ends.
• It can be seen that in both the cases, a
current will flow through the operating coil of
the relay and it will operate. This form of
protection is known as Merz-Price protection
• The above form of protection was assumed on the fact that the
two CTs used were identical. But in practice this is not true.
• Current transformers of the type normally used do not
transform their currents so accurately under transient
conditions especially. This is true because the short circuit
current is offset, i.e., it contains d.c. components.
• Suppose the two CTs under normal conditions differ in their
magnetic properties slightly in terms of different amounts of
residual magnetism or in terms of unequal burden on the two
CTs, one of the CTs will saturate earlier during short circuit
currents (offset currents) and thus the two CTs will transform
their primary current differently even for a through fault
condition. This effect is more pronounced especially when the
scheme is used for the protection of power transformers
2. percentage current differential protection

To accommodate these features, Merz-Price

protection is modified by biasing the relay.
This is commonly known as biased differential
protector or percentage differential protection and is
shown in Fig.
• The relay consists of an operating coil and a restraining
coil.
• The operating coil is connected to the mid-point of the
restraining coil.
• The operating current is a variable quantity because of the
restraining coil.
• Normally, no current flows through the operating coil under
through fault condition, but owing to the dissimilarities in
CTs, the differential current through the operating coil is (i1
– i2) and the equivalent current in the restraining coil is (i 1 +
i2)/2.
• It is clear from the characteristic that except
for the effect of the control spring at low
currents, the ratio of the differential operating
current to the average restraining current is a
fixed percentage.
• This is why it is known as percentage
differential relay. The differential relays
described above are known as current balance
relays
3. Voltage differential relay
• Another class of relays are the voltage balance relays. Here the
CTs at the two ends are connected in opposition as shown in Fig
• The relays are connected in series with the pilot wires. The
relative polarity of the CTs is such that there is no current
through the relays under balanced or through fault conditions.
• The requirement of CT is that they should induce voltages in
the secondary linearly with respect to the current. Since the
magnitude of the fault current is very large, in order that the
voltage should be a linear function of such large currents the
CTs should be air-cored.
• The term ‘pilot’ means the interconnecting
channel between the two ends of the
equipment or a circuit over which information
from one end to the other can be conveyed
•
• The reasons for not using the current differential
relay for transmission line protection are:
• (i) Cost of pilot wires.
• (ii) The large voltage drop in the pilot wires requiring
better insulation.
• (iii) The pilot currents and voltages would be excessive
for pilot circuits rented from a telephone company.
• (iv) The likelihood of improper operation owing to C.T.
inaccuracies under heavy loading
Distance relays
 Drawbacks of Over-current Relays
• The reach and operating time of the over-current
relay depend upon the magnitude of fault
current. The fault current that would result in
case of a fault at a particular location depends
upon:
• 1. The type of fault, i.e. whether it is a ground
fault or a phase fault
• 2. The source impedance as shown in Flgure
• Since neither the type of fault nor the source impedance is
predictable, the reach of the over-current relay keeps on
changing depending upon the source conditions and the type of
fault.
• Thus, even though the relays are set with great care, since their
reach is subject to variations, they are likely to suffer from loss of
selectivity Such a loss of selectivity can be tolerated to some
extent in the low-voltage distribution systems, where the only
objective to be met is the continuity of supply to the consumer.
• However in EHV interconnected system (grid), loss of selectivity
can lead to danger to the stability of the power system, in
addition to large disruptions to loads.
• Therefore, over-current relays cannot be relied upon as a primary
means of protection in EHV systems. Another principle of
relaying, known as distance measurement, offers a much more
accurate reach, which is independent of source conditions and
type of fault
• It is very difficult to use differential protection
to transmission lines.
• so ,distance relays are used for protection of
transmission line.