ANALYSIS OF TIHE OPERATION OF A DISTANCE RELAY DURING AN UNBALANCED ARC FAULT ANI) VERIFICATION BY MODEL TESTS

H. Kuribayashi, ' I . Sasano (Kyushu Electric Power Co., Inc., Japan) T. Ohta (Sojo University, Japan) RI. Furuse, T. Fujimoto (Meidensha Corporation, Japan)

1. INTRODUCTION
A fault in a GIS tank can lead to an unbalanced arc

failure depending on the array of electric conductors in the GIs. If such a failure occurs nearby and behind a distance relay for line protection, incorrect operation of the distance relay might result.
A short-circuit distance relay measures the impedance vector to a fault point using the bus voltage and the transmission line curr4:nt of the substation as inputs. When an unbalanced arc failure occurs in a GIs, the voltage inputted to the distance relay becomes unbalanced and the voltage waveform is distorted due to the non-linearity of the arc resistance. Therefore, the impedance vector measured by the distance relay goes into the second quadrant from the -R axis, which might cause incorrect operation of the distance relay when a fault occurs behind the relay.

impedance between the power source and the fault point, so the current is almost balanced between the three phases. The arc resistance is pure resistance. /,,Frame
@a

Fig.2-1 :Situation of CIS Inside Arcs and Equivalent Circuit

This paper reports the analysis of the above phenomenon by EMTP simulation and the results of the model tests for distance relay operation by an artificial transmission line.

2.

UNBALANCED ARCING PHENOMENA IN GIS

Fig. 2-2 Voltage and Current Vectors at Fault Point

2.2 Analysis by EMTP Simulation

2.1 Arc Failure inside GIS
The state of arcs when a fault occurs in a three-phase GIS depends on the relative positions of the internal conductors (the triangular airay or the linear array). In the case of the triangular array, an arc is generally generated toward the electrical center from each conductor, so that the arc resistances in the three phases are comparatively balanced. However, for the linear array as shown in Fig 2-1, arcs are drawn toward the central conductor from the conductors on both sides, which is apt to cause a three-phase unbalanced arc failure. Fig. 2-l(right hmd) shows the equivalent circuit, where the conductors in the a, b, and c phases are arrayed horizontally in a straight line and arcs are generated toward the central b phase from the a and c phases on both sides. The relationship between the voltage and current vectors at a fault point at m:h an unbalanced arc failure is shown in Fig. 2-2. The following items are assumed: (1) The arc resistance i s so much smaller than the The arc resistance inside a GIS is considered to be a nonlinear resistance influenced by the gap length (conductor spacing) and the inside gas pressure. In this simulation, the following three waveforms were assumed &om the waveform observation examples of GIS arc voltage shown in Fig. 2-3, and a system simulation and a distance relay operation simulation was conducted using the EMTP model shown in Fig. 2-7.
40.0kA

r
L

I-S

2.0kV

V-S

Fig. 2-3 Waveform Observation Examples of GIS Arc Voltage (Circuit Voltage: 24 kV, SF6)

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Oevelopments in Power System Protection, Conference Publication No.479 0 IEE 2001.

a) Constant Voltage Characteristic: On the assumption that the arc voltage is always constant irrespective of current strength and that the waveform be a square wave, a fault point is simulated using non-linear resistance. (Fig. 2-4) b) Rising Voltage Characteristic: On the assumption that the arc voltage increases over time and the waveform is a rising trapezoidal wave, a fault point is simulated using non-linear resistance and integral elements. (Fig. 2-5) c) Falling Voltage Characteristic: On the assumption that the arc voltage decreases over time and that the waveform is a falling trapezoidal wave, a fault point is simulated using non-linear resistance and derivative elements. (Fig. 2-6)

2.3.1 Case in which the arc resistance is pure

resistance: As the vector diagram shown in Fig. 2-3, the relationship between the relay characteristics and the measured impedance vector of the relay is explained below. The characteristic expression of the mho relay elements used for the short circuit distance relay is formulated as Expression (1).

tam

-lam

In the expression, the terms stand for the following: 1 i u . V ~:~ Current and voltage derived to measure the impedance vector to a fault point (hereinafter, referred to as "measured current" and "measured voltage" respectively) V p : Voltage used as a reference to decide the direction of the impedance vector (hereinafter,referred to as "polarityvoltage") Z,, : Settling value of the relay 4 : Characteristic angle of the relay (60 or 75 degrees) 8 : Angle between the first and second vectors on the left-hand side By substituting VRY/I,&=&Y in the first member on the left-hand side of the Expression (l), the Expression (2) is obtained.

Fig. 2-4 Fault Voltage and Current (Square Wave Voltage)

" r t - t - H
Fault Voltage and Current
'
1"

O I O! W -

Fig. 2-5 Fault Voltage and Current (Rising Wave Voltage)

Fig. 2-6 Fault Voltage and Current (Falling Wave Voltage) 2.3
Relay

Measured Impedance of Short-circuit .Distance

The characteristic of this formula represents as a circle with the vector z,,E~@ determined by the relay settling value as its radius on the impedance plane. The relay operates if the vector ZRY locates inside the circle. Note that, for the short-circuit distance relay, the measured voltage should equal, to the polarity voltage. For example, Yob and fob are put as the measured voltage and the measured current for the a-b phase relay. Therefore, under the voltage and current conditions shown in Fig. 2-3, the impedance, that each phase relay locates, formulated as the Expressions (3). These vectors are shown in Fig. 2-8, combined with the characteristic diagrams of the two mho relays, which have 60-degree and 75-degree characteristic circles.

According to the above examination, we describe in detail how the distance from the short-circuit distance relay to an unbalanced fault point is measured, which is protecting the line in the direction of the power source.

Modeled Arc

Resistance etc )

To Distance Relay

Fig. 2-7 EMTP model

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On the simulation by arc short-circuit fiiults using an artificial 500V power transmission line test facility as shown in Fig3-1, we investigate the operation of a digital distance relay in the occurrence of a fault in a nearby place behind the distance relay.

Zone of 75degrees

Zone of

&

Fault Point

200/50

Analysis Tool

Fig. 3-1

Test Circuit

10.0 62 L 7 5 "

Zbc
I

1'

Fig. 2-8 Characteristics of Short-circuit Distance Relay and Directions of Measured Vectors

2.3.2

Case in which the arc resistance is non-linear resistance : a) Simple Square Wave (Fig. 2-4): The phase included in the fundamental wavc: component is the same as that for pure resistance. Therefore, the direction of the vector that each phase, relay locates is the same as Fig.
2-8.

a)Test Conditions: Fuses are installed to the electrodes at the fault point to induce an arc. Copper or carbon is used for the electrodes and the gaps between them are changed in the range fiom 3 to 20 mm. b) Analysis Tool: This tool saves data for 18 cycles before ;and for 9 cycles after the fault at intervals of 3.75 degrees. The data before and after a digital filter, and the drawing of the measured impedance locus are used for analysis.

3.2 Test Results and Consideration

We conducted 30 case of experiment under the test conditioris of the foregoing paragraph. One case of incorrect operation of a relay was observed. And, in four cases, an impedance locus went into the operating zone momentarily. However, the duration was so short that the phenomenon did not result in incorrect operation of a relay. Fig. 3-2 (a) shows the input waveforms and the digital filter outputs of current and voltage to the a-b phase relay for the case of incorrect operation. These data were taken fiom the analysis tool. Fig. 3-2 (b) shows the impedance vector locus measured by the a-b phase relay. The lower part of Fig. 3-2 (b) depicts an enlarged view around the origin and the periphery of the upper figure. When a focus on the voltage waveform of analog inputs shown in Fig. 3-2(a), it is a trapezoidal waveform with a rising part of the first 540 degrees and a falling part after that. Moreover, when our attention is focused on the phase of the voltage waveform after applying the digital filter, voltage leads current by 180 degrees or less to current in the term of 360 to about 900 degrees after the fault initiation. After it, the phase angle between voltage and current had become 180 degrees or more. This explains the impedance locus exists in the 2nd quadrant once and moved to the 3rd quadrant as shown in Fig. 3-2 (b).

b) Rising Square Wave (Fig. 2-5): The phase included in the findamental wac'e becomes delayed. Therefore, the direction of the vector that each phase relay locates shifts clockwise on thl: R-X plane. c) Falling Square Wave (Fig. 2-6): The phase included in the fundamental wavli becomes advanced. Therefore, the direction of the vector that each phase relay locates shifts counterc1ockwir;eon the R-X plane. The angles of the measured vectors obtained through the simulation of the above cases are listed in Table 2-1. (See also the Appendix.') Table 2-1 Waveforms and Angles of Measured Vectors LZab LZbc LZca Arcvoltage Waveform . Sinusoidal(Verr;i;;s)

Result of simulation

1 i %%I ::lo:: I i:;

I I I
160.4 182.4 218.7

%sin , Fallin r

154.9
190.0

3.

MODELING TlEST USING ARTIFICIAL TRANSMISSION LINE AND TEST RESULTS

3.1 Test Circuit

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Consequently, the distance relay has incorrectly operated in the term from about 540 to about 1080 degrees after the fault initiation.
Analog Input Waveforms when a Fault Occuis (Case: a-b Phase Fault)

degrees.
4.

Conclusions

-150
-200

p.

. ;. . . . . . . .. . . . .

,.

. -1 -30

,
360

,
1080

-360

-_---Voltage Waveform

-Current Waveform

We reported the incorrect operation of a short-circuit distance relay due to imbalance and non-linearity resistance of GIS inside arc. We also modeled arc voltage waveforms similar to the observed in the GIS by generating arcs in the. air using an artificial 500 V transmission line. We checked how actual distance relays operated to the voltage waveform of the arc modeled in the air as a GTS inside arc. The results show the same tendency as the study of relay operation using the EMTP simulation, and the validity of the EMTP simulation was verified.

Waveforms after Digital Filter (Caw: a-h Phace Fault)

References [l] H. Kuribayashi et al.: "Operation of Distance Relay at Three-phase Short-circuit Failure in Three-phase Gas Circuit Breaker" PSR-97-15 (1997) Appendix
An arc voltage waveform is modeled as the waveform generated by duplicating the trapezoid shown in Appendix Fig. 1 and the Fourier series expansion method is applied to it, so the following expression can be formulated:

-30

Current Waveform

Phase (deprees)

Fig. 3-2 (a) Input and Output in Relay Operation Impedance Vector Locus (a-b Phase)
~

----- Appendix Expression 1

( 1 44sx 7 :/ I

',

',

,I
"

'

Using this expression, the component of n =1, that is, the phase of the fundamental wave is obtained as follows:

----- Appendix Expression 2

- , , ,

\
, I

\Before Fault

Impedance Real Component(f2)

Impedance Vector Locus (a-b Phase, Enlarged View)

condition:a+b LO

Appendix Fig. 1 Modeled Arc Voltage Waveform

.I2

-1

.,I

.,I

-,,

-11

-I

4 6

4 2

" 1

"4

" b

U"

Impedance Real Component (a)

In the case of a rectangular waveform with a = 0, the phase becomes 0 degree as the calculation result. In the case of a rising triangular waveform with b = 0, the phase becomes 32.5 degrees. For the waveform shown in Fig. 3-3 (a), which is modeled through the EMTP simulation, b/a is about 1/4 (b/a=1/4) and the phase is about -23 degrees for the calculation result using the appendix expression 2. Therefore, the impedance angle "arg{A h } measured by the relay is calculated as follows:
arg{
} = 180% {Influenceof unbalanced arc failure: -30')

Fig. 3-2 (b) Impedance Locus in Relay Operation

h i s test case, since the minimum angle of the In t impedance locus measured by relay is about 142 degrees, it will go into the operating zone even if the maximum sensitive angle of mho-relay (44SM) is 60

+ {Influenceofwaveform distortion: -23') = 127"

----- Appendix Expression 3

This result is almost equal to 126.1 degrees for "Rising Waveform" estimated in Table 2-1.

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