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Differential Protection of Alternators:

The most common system used for the protection of

stator winding faults employs circulating-current principle
(Refer back to Art. 21.18). In this scheme of Differential
Protection of Alternators, currents at the two ends of the Main Categories
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Protection of Alternators for a 3-phase alternator. Identical Modern Power System
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pilots. In order that burden on each current transformer is system-protection-and-
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coil (i.e. R1), returning via the neutral pilot. Consequently, What is Low Frequency
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the relay operates to trip the circuit breaker.
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(ii) Imagine that now a short-circuit fault occurs between
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the phases Y and B as shown in Fig. 22.2. The short-
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It may be noted that the relay circuit is so arranged that
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three-op-amp/)
connecting the alternator to the bus-bars and (ii) opening Effect of Negative Feedback
of the field circuit of the alternator. on Input Impedance (https://
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It is a prevailing practice to mount current transformers of-negative-feedback-on-
CT1 in the neutral connections (usually in the alternator input-impedance/)
pit) and current transformers CT2 in the switch-gear Heterojunction Lasers –
Definition, Construction and
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Workings (https://
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Limitations:

The two circuits for alternator protection shown above

have their own limitations. It is a general practice to use
neutral earthing resistance in order to limit the destructive
effects of earth-fault currents. In such a situation, it
is impossible to protect whole of the stator windings of a
star-connected alternator during earth-faults. When an
earth-fault occurs near the neutral point, there may be
insufficient voltage across the short-circuited portion to
drive the necessary current round the fault circuit to
operate the relay. The magnitude of unprotected zone
depends upon the value of earthing resistance and relay
setting.

Makers of protective gear speak of “protecting 80% of the

winding” which means that faults in the 20% of the
winding near the neutral point cannot cause tripping i.e.
this portion is unprotected. It is a usual practice to protect
only 85% of the winding because the chances of an earth
fault occurring near the neutral point are very rare due to
the uniform insulation of the winding throughout.

Modified Differential Protection for Alternators:

If the neutral point of a star-connected alternator is

earthed through a high resistance, Modified Differential
Protection of Alternators schemes shown in Fig. 22.2 or
22.4 will not provide sufficient sensitivity for earth-faults. It
is because the high earthing resistance will limit the earth-
fault currents to a low value, necessitating relays with low
current settings if adequate portion of the generator
winding is to be protected. However, too low a relay
setting is undesirable for reliable stability on heavy
through phase-faults. In order to overcome this difficulty, a
modified form of differential protection is used in which
the setting of earth faults is reduced without impairing
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stability.

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The modified arrangement is shown in Fig. 22.5. The

modifications affect only the relay connections and
consist in connecting two relays for phase-fault protection
and the third for earth-fault protection only. The two phase
elements (PC and PA) and balancing resistance (BR) are
connected in star and the earth relay (ER) is connected
between this star point and the fourth wire of circulating
current pilot-circuit.

Operation:

Under normal operating conditions, currents at the two

ends of each stator winding will be equal. Therefore,
there is a balanced circulating current in the phase pilot
wires and no current flows through the operating coils of
the relays. Consequently, the relays remain inoperative.

If an earth-fault occurs on any one phase, the out-of-

balance secondary current in CTs in that phase will flow
through the earth relay ER and via pilot S1 or S2 to the
neutral of the current transformers. This will cause the
operation of earth relay only. If a fault occurs between two
phases, the out of balance current will circulate round the
two transformer secondaries via any two of the coils PA,
BR, PC (the pair being decided by the two phases that
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though the earth relay ER. Therefore, only the phase-fault
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relays will operate.

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