ALTERNATOR PROTECTION

What are the mandatory protections provided to an alternator.?

• By classification rules it is mandatory that the alternators be protected

for the following.

• 1) Under voltage protection.

• 2) Over current protection.

• 3) Short circuit protection.

• And when Alternators are operated in parallel additional protections

like

• 1) Reverse power protection

• 2) Preferential trips are provided.

• What are the functions of a protection relay in a power distribution

system ?

• Generators are protected by a system of Protective Relays which may

be electro-magnetic or static (more common)

• Protective relays monitor the various parameters of the Generator like

Voltage, Current, Power etc. and when the parameters are outside the
permitted level, act to trip the Generator Breaker to isolate and
protect the Generator ?

• What are the types and functions of an instrument transformer?

Instrument transformers are of two types:-

1. Potential transformer .

2. Current transformer .

⚫ The main duties of instrument transformers are

 ⚫ a. To transform currents or voltages from an usually high value to
a value easy to be handled by relays and instruments for
measurement and protection of power systems.

⚫ b.To isolate the relays, metering and instruments from the

primary High voltage system.

⚫ c. To provide possibilities of standardizing the relays and

instruments to a few rated currents and voltages.

Current transformers are series connected type of instrument

transformers.

• Current transformers are often constructed by passing single primary

turn through a well insulated toroidal core wrapped with many turns
of wire.

• Ratio: The CT is typically described by its current ratio from primary to

secondary (Eg. 1000/5. Primary 1000A secondary 5 amps.)

• CTs are either of secondary current as 5A or 1A under normal load

conditions

Potential transformers are also known as voltage transformers and they are
basically step down transformers with extremely accurate turns ratio.
Potential transformers step down the voltage of high magnitude to a lower
voltage which can be measured with standard measuring instrument.
 These transformers have large number of primary turns and smaller
number of secondary turns.
A potential transformer is typically expressed in primary to secondary
voltage ratio.

For example, a 600:120 PT would mean the voltage across secondary is 120
volts when primary voltage is 600 volts.

What are the Advantages of Instrument Transformers

• The large voltage and current of AC Power system can be measured by

using small rating measuring instrument i.e. 5 A, 110 – 120 V.

• By using the instrument transformers, measuring instruments can be

standardized. Which results in reduction of cost of measuring
instruments. More ever the damaged measuring instruments can be
replaced easy with healthy standardized measuring instruments.

• Instrument transformers provide electrical isolation between high

voltage power circuit and measuring instruments. Which reduces
the electrical insulation requirement for measuring instruments and
protective circuits and also assures the safety of operators.

• Several measuring instruments can be connected through a

single transformer to power system.

Definition of Protective Relay.

A relay is automatic device which senses an abnormal condition of electrical

circuit and closes its contacts. These contacts in turns close and complete the
circuit breaker trip coil circuit hence make the circuit breaker tripped for
disconnecting the faulty portion of the electrical circuit from rest of the
healthy circuit

Differential relay

Differential protection is used for protection of the generator stator winding

against phase to earth and phase to phase and inter turn fault.

Stator winding faults: These types of faults occur due to the insulation
breakdown of the stator coils.
Different types of stator windings faults are

a) phase to earth fault

b) phase to phase fault

c) inter turn fault.

• THIS RELAY IS USED TO PROTECT ALTERNATOR OR POWER

TRANSFORMERS

• THIS OPERATES DEPENDING UP ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO

SIMILAR ELECTRICAL QUANTITIES EXCEED A PRE DETERMINED
VALUE.

• IN THIS TWO CURRENT COMES FROM TWO PART OF AN ELECTRIC

POWER CIRCUIT USING TWO CTs

• THESE TWO CURRENT MEET AT A JUNCTION WHERE THE RELAY

COIL IS CONNECTED.

• AS PER KIRCHEFF LAW THE RESULTANT CURRENT FLOWING

THROUGH THE RELAY COIL IS THE PHASER SUMMATION OF THE
CURRENT FLOWING THROUGH THE RELAY COIL.

Generator winding faults

Under normal condition the amount of current entering and exiting each phase
winding must be the same in accordance with Kirchhoff’s Current Law. IA1 =
IA2 , IB1 = IB2 , IC1 = IC2
If one of the turns within the “C” phase winding were to accidently contact the
generator’s metal frame, such as what might happen as a result of insulation
damage. This ground fault will cause a third path for current in the faulted
winding. IC1 and IC2 will now be imbalanced by an amount equal to the fault
current IF:

If a phase-to-phase winding fault, where current flows from one winding to

another. In this example, a fault between B and C phases in the generator
upsets the balance of incoming and outgoing currents for both phases. This
current imbalance in any phase proves the winding is damaged.

Differential protection of AC generators

• The relay which is designed to detect this fault is called a differential

current relay.

• A simple form of differential current protection for this generator may

be implemented by connecting CTs on either side of each winding to
operating coils of an electromechanical relay .

• If the CT primary currents IC1p and IC2p are equal and the CT ratios are
equal, the CT secondary currents IC1s and IC2s will be equal as well. The
result will be zero current through the operating coil (OC) of the
differential relay.
If a fault develop anywhere within the generator’s “C” stator winding, the
primary currents of the two CTs will become unequal, causing unequal
secondary currents, thereby causing a substantial amount of current to flow
through the differential relay’s operate coil (OC). If this current is sufficient to
cause the differential relay to “pick up”, the relay will send a signal
commanding the generator’s circuit breaker to trip.

What are the effects of short Circuits on electrical power distribution system?

• Short circuits in the load side of the circuit breaker can cause enormous
current flow limited by only cable/bus bar impedance.

• The large current causes thermal stresses, mechanical stresses due to

magnetic forces between cable conductors, and electrostatic stresses
causing arc, cable puncture.
Over Current Relay

What are the different types of over current relays used in electrical power
distribution systems?

1. Instantaneous over current relay.

2. Definite time over current relay.

3. Inverse time over current relay.

Instantaneous over current relay

• These relays operate without time delay, so they are called

instantaneous over current relays.(operating time= less than 0.1
second).

• The relay has no intentional time delay for operation. The contacts of
the relay are closed instantly when the current inside the relay rises
beyond the operational value. The time interval between the instant
pick-up value and the closing contacts of the relay is very less.

Definite Time over current relay

• Definite time over current relays are those which operate after a specific
time. The time lag between instant when the actuating current crosses
the pickup level and the instant when relay contacts finally closed, is
constant. This delay does not depend up on magnitude of actuating
quantity. For all actuating quantity, above pick up values, the relay
operating time is constant.

•
 Inverse time over current relay

• In this type of relays, the time of operation depends upon the magnitude
of actuating quantity. If the magnitude of the fault current is very high,
the relay operation is very fast. In other words, the relay operating time
that is time delay in the relay is inversely proportional to the magnitude
of actuating quantity.

Over current/Overload” Protection

 Unbalance (Negative Phase Sequence)” Protection

• When the load on the generator becomes unbalanced, negative phase

sequence currents flows. The negative sequence components produce a
rotating magnetic field which rotates at synchronous speed in a
direction opposite to the direction of rotor field.

• Hence effectively the relative speed between the two is double the
synchronous speed. Thus double frequency currents are induced in the
rotor.

• These currents cause sever heating of the rotor and can cause damage
to the rotor.

What is the function of under voltage Protection provided in alternator

Circuit breaker.
 Draw and explain the Reverse Power” Protection provided to an
alternator?

Draw and explain the function of preferential Tripping system provided

in the main switch board?
• PREFERENTIAL TRIPPING IS A KIND OF ELECTRICAL ARRANGEMENT ON SHIPS
MAIN SWITCH BOARD WHICH IS DESIGNED TO DISCONNECT THE NON-
ESSENTIAL LOADS Eg: VENTILLATION , AIRCONDITIONG , GALLEY POWER ,
REFRIGERATION Etc; FROM MAIN SWITCH BOARD IN A PHASED MANNER IN
CASE OF OVER LOAD ON GENERATOR OR PARTIAL FAILURE OF POWER..

THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF PREFERENTIAL TRIP SYSTEM IS THAT IT PREVENTS

THE OPERATION OF MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIP AND LOSS OF POWER ON
ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND PREVENT BLACK OUTS AND OVER LOADIND OF
GENERATOR
 What is the function of Lock out relay

• It is a type of auxiliary relay that functions as a bridge between the

protection relays and the circuit breaker trip coil.

• It is a manual reset relay actuated by any one of the protective relays.

When the fault occurs in a power system, the corresponding protection

relay trips and it outputs a signal to the lock out relay . Further, the
lock out relay trips the circuit breaker.

• Causes of the tripping to be analysed before manually resetting the

relay.

Draw and explain the Typical Generator Protection system

 Alternators are protected by different types of protection relays.

The number of protection provided depends up on the size and KVA

rating of the alternator.

The CT and PT provides current and voltage inputs to the respective

relays.

Earth leakage relay, Differential relay, under voltage relay and the
reverse power relay energises the lock out relay when fault is sensed, and
lockout relay trips the alternator circuit breaker. During a short circuit fault,
the instantaneous over current relay trips the alternator circuit breaker
directly.

Alternator winding are protected from over temperature by

thermisters.

When alternators are not in operation ,windings are protected from

moisture by anti condensation heaters placed under the stator

winding. These heaters power supply is controlled by the auxiliary contacts

of the generator circuit breaker.