Busbar Protection using Digital Relays.

Name: Rahaf Emad Waheib

High voltage
ID:202210237
EPM 654
Table of Content Contents
1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................3
2. BUS BAR PROTECTION: PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION...............................................................3
2.1 FUNDAMENTALS...........................................................................................................................3
2.2 NUMERIC CURRENT DIFFERENTIAL............................................................................................4
3. Busbar protection techniques...............................................................................................................6
3.1 Interlocking Schemes...................................................................................................................6
3.2 Percent Differential............................................................................................................................6
3.3 High-Impedance Protection...............................................................................................................6
3.4 Microprocessor-based Relays............................................................................................................7
4. Reference:........................................................................................................................................8

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 1. Introduction
Both recently built substations and older, typical BBP1 retrofits with intact cables employ
numerical centralized busbar protection. Numerically centralized configurations require roughly
the same amount of cabling as conventional ones. Additional protection features (such circuit
breaker failure and busbar protection) must be included in the busbar protection relay. Two
advantages of using numerical protection devices are the simplicity of I/O setups and the ease of
functionality adoption. The numerical technique also allows for rapid and easy integrations with
substation automation systems, facilitating prompt fault monitoring and analysis.
Busbar faults have a significant impact on the stability and safety of the transmission system,
which makes busbar protection essential in electrical utilities. To prevent severe damage to the
transmission system, busbar protection must rapidly clear busbar faults. Busbar protection can
trip multiple bus segments or even a substation's whole busbar at once. In a transmission system,
a protective system's malfunction or any unwanted tripping may also have fatal consequences.
Busbar protection is a costly and complicated, yet it has the potential to save lives and even
equipment.
All current bus arrangements should be protected by a busbar protection system with a flexible
design.
In general, the main requirements for busbar protection include security, dependability, speed,
sensitivity, and selectivity. These prerequisites are all connected to one another. The design
solution should meet the requirements that correspond to the importance of the substation within
the network and the layout of the substation.

2. BUS BAR PROTECTION: PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

2.1 FUNDAMENTALS
Simple busbars with dedicated Current Transformers (CTs) could be efficiently protected by the
high-impedance principle – a fast and reliable scheme (Explained in 3.3) However, new power
generation added recently or to be added in the near future complicates simple busbar
arrangements, which puts old CTs at risk of saturation from elevated fault current levels.
New substations are often designed to satisfy cost requirements. rather than keep the protection
task straightforward and easy. This results in complex busbar arrangements.

Concerning busbar differential and for simplicity a simple bus with four feeders in the protection
zone are shown in Figure 1. In normal operating conditions, the total current flowing in is equal
to the total current flowing out the system.
The protection concept for all bus differential relay schemes is based on Kirchhoff’s First Law
that the sum of all currents at the common point of connection, at any instant in time, is equal to
zero. if this is not met, an internal fault (sometimes known as a "In-Zone" fault) has occurred.

1 Busbar protection
Bus differential relays may accidentally operate in practical situations even in the absence of a
protected bus malfunction. is might happen when faults in the power system cause high currents
to flow through the protected bus causing saturation of some iron cored CTs, that cause the
transfer of a smaller current magnitude than the actual, causing false tripping of relay according
to the differential current exist. To avoid unnecessary operation, manufacturers use different
algorithms to achieve relay stability during CT saturation.
All currents entering and exiting a bus through the regular circuits linked to the bus are
monitored by current transformers (CTs), which are installed. Differentiating between the current
entering and exiting the bus is all that is required for a bus differential protection scheme,
regardless of which type of relay is used. Any difference in the current entering and leaving the
bus, above some predetermined threshold, is an indication of a bus fault that must be isolated
quickly.

Fig. 1 Simple current differential scheme with paralleled CTs

The ability of bus differential relays to distinguish between genuine internal bus faults and
incorrect differential currents resulting from CT saturation for a fault outside the bus differential
zone of protection is a need, regardless of the design.

2.2 NUMERIC CURRENT DIFFERENTIAL

A numerical relay is used to improve busbar protection performance and for economic purposes.

When a substation's setup or a CT's specifications change, it is simple to adjust their settings.
With the use of contemporary technology, it is possible to safeguard substations even those with
intricate security plans and to maintain protection throughout substation repair, which typically
necessitates some temporary operation. Numerical relays have an internal monitoring system that
allows for the detection and alerting of equipment defects.
The bus differential protection scheme utilizes independent multi-principle advanced protection
algorithms, including differential percent slope, delta phase directional comparison, rate of
change of differential (ROCOD) currents, fast CT saturation detection, second harmonic
blocking, and a check zone to secure the electrical bus bars up to three zones. With bus couplers,
isolators, and CT setups that include the end-faults detection capabilities, a variety of bus layouts
or topologies may be safeguarded.

Instead of requiring digital current inputs (sampled values) from merging units, the proposed
advanced microprocessor-based bus protection scheme can measure conventional CT currents
inside the protection unit and shares/distributes the sampled values with other protection units as
a merging unit using the IEC 61850, 9-2 protocol to carry out the overall differential protection.

When used in complicated busbar configurations, the high-impedance busbar protection concept
faces significant challenges. The borders of the zones of protection must frequently be modified.
depending on the arrangement of the busbars changing. This involves changing secondary
currents an operation that is never considered safe and should be avoided whenever possible.

Digital low-impedance busbar protection schemes are ideal for complex busbars. Optimal zoning
(dynamic bus replica) is achieved naturally by switching currents in software, i.e., by making
logical assignments to multiple zones of protection while keeping physical currents
uninterrupted. Other benefits include integrated breaker fail protection, communications,
oscillography, sequence of events recording, multiple setting groups, and other natural benefits
of the digital generation of protective relays.

A digital protection system for medium-sized and large busbars faces the following major
hardware, design, and computing power challenges:

 A large number of analog signals need to be processed (tens of currents, few voltages).
The problem is how to bring all the required signals into a "box.”.
 A large number of digital inputs may be required to monitor isolator and breaker
positions in order to provide for the dynamic bus replica mechanism (dynamic adjustment
of zone boundaries based on changing busbar configuration).
 A large number of trip-rated output contacts may be required, particularly in the case of
reconfigurable busbars, when each breaker must be tripped separately depending on the
bus configuration at the moment of tripping.
 Several differential zones are required to cover individual sections of a large bus. This
calls for significant processing power on the hardware platform.

Simple busbars with dedicated Current Transformers (CTs) could be efficiently protected by the
high-impedance principle – a fast and reliable scheme. level. New substations are often designed
to satisfy cost requirements rather than keep the protection task straightforward and easy. This
results in complex busbar arrangements.
 3. Busbar protection techniques
3.1 Interlocking Schemes

Fig. 2 Illustration of the interlocking scheme

An interlocking system can be designed as an essential type of protection for distribution

busbars. Relays for overcurrent protection (OC) are installed at all outgoing feeders and on
incoming circuits. Feeder faults are detected by the feeder OCs. Figure 1 shows that if none of
the feeder OC relays block the incoming circuit's OC, it will trigger the busbar. A short
coordination timer is required to avoid race conditions. It is possible to combine all necessary
OC functions into one or a few relays by employing microprocessor-based multi-function relays.
This provides not just a reduction in wiring but also a reduction in coordination time and a
speed-up operation of the scheme.
Modern relays provide for fast peer-to-peer communications using protocols such as the UCA
with the GOOSE mechanism. This allows eliminating wiring and sending the blocking signals
over digital communications. The scheme although easy to apply and economical is limited to
simple distribution busbars.

3.2 Percent Differential

Percent differential relays are a type of protective device that work by creating a restraining
signal in addition to the differential signal. This signal applies a percent (restrained)
characteristic to the system. The choices for the restraining signal include “sum”, “average”, and
“maximum” of the bus currents. Similarly, the characteristic can be single-slope or double-slope.
 One of the advantages of this low-impedance approach is that it does not require dedicated
CTs and can tolerate substantial CT saturation. This means that comparatively high-speed
tripping can be achieved.
 In addition, many integrated relays perform CT ratio compensation, which eliminates the
need for matching CTs. The use of microprocessor-based relays has made this approach even
more attractive due to advanced algorithms that supplement the percent differential
protection function, making the relay very secure.
 Additionally, the protection of re-configurable busbars is easier as the dynamic bus replica
(bus image) can be accomplished without switching secondary currents.
 An integrated Breaker Fail (BF) function can also provide for optimum tripping strategy
depending on the actual configuration of a busbar.
 Finally, distributed architectures could be used that place Data Acquisition Units (DAU) in
bays and replace current wires by fiber optic communications.

3.3 High-Impedance Protection

The differential connection points' voltage causes the high-impedance protection to react.
Toroidal coils or fully dispersed windings with little leakage are the needed type of Ct. Due to
the other CTs' lower impedance paths, the voltage does not increase above a specific point during
external failures, even while some of the CTs are severely saturated. having the input impedance
of the relay. Owing to its strength, security, and speed, the theory has been in use for over fifty
years.
Nonetheless, there are a few disadvantages to the method. The key ones are:

• The high-impedance approach requires dedicated CTs (significant cost associated).

• It cannot be easily applied to re-configurable busbars (switching currents with bi-stable
auxiliary relays endanger the CTs, jeopardizes security and adds an extra cost).
• The scheme requires only a simple voltage level sensor. If BF, event recording, oscillography,
communications, and other benefits of microprocessor-based relaying are of interest, then extra
equipment is needed (such as a Digital Fault Recorder or dedicated BF relays).

3.4 Microprocessor-based Relays

The low-impedance approach used to be perceived as less secure when compared with the high-
impedance protection. This is no longer true as microprocessor-based relays apply sophisticated
algorithms to match the performance of the high-impedance schemes [1-6]. This is particularly
relevant for large, extra high voltage busbars (cost of extra CTs) and complex busbars (dynamic
bus replica) that cannot be handled well by high-impedance schemes. Digital low-impedance
relays could be developed in one of the two distinctive architectures:
• Distributed busbar protection uses DAUs installed in each bay to sample and pre-process the
signals and provide trip rated output contacts (Figure 4). It uses a separate Central Unit (CU) for
gathering and processing all the information and fiber-optic communications between the CU
and DAUs to deliver the data. Sampling
synchronization and/or time-stamping mechanisms are required. This solution brings advantages
of reduced wiring at the price of more complex, thus less reliable, architecture.

Centralized busbar protection requires wiring all the signals to a central location, where a single
“relay” performs all the functions (Figure 5). The wiring cannot be reduced, and the calculations
cannot be distributed between plurality of DAUs imposing more computational demand for the
central unit. On the other hand, this architecture is perceived more reliable and suits better
retrofit applications.
Algorithms for low-impedance relays are aimed at:
 Improving the main differential algorithm by providing better filtering, faster response,
better restraining technique, robust switch-off transient blocking, etc.
 Incorporating a saturation detection mechanism that would recognize CT saturation on
external faults in a fast and reliable manner.
 Applying a second protection principle such as phase directional (phase comparison) for
better security.

Digital relays for large busbars dominating the market till recently provide for a trip time in the
range of 0.75 to 1.5 power cycles and use either phase comparison principle or decaying
restraining current for increased security on external faults. They were designed several years
ago based on technology that since then was outdated by several generations of microprocessors.
In the meantime, several new busbar relays have been introduced based on modern, more
powerful hardware platforms. These relays provide for faster tripping time and modern features,
but till recently their capabilities were limited to small (typically six-circuit) busbars. This
changed with the introduction of digital, phase-segregated, low-impedance protection schemes.

4. Reference:

[1] Peck D.M., Nygaard B., Wadelius K., “A New Numerical Busbar Protection System with
Bay-Oriented Structure”, 5th IEE Developments in Power System Protection Conference,
1993, IEE Pub. No.368, pp.228-231.

[2] Andow F., Suga N., Murakami Y., Inamura K., “Microprocessor-Based Busbar Protection
Relay”, 5th IEE Developments in Power System Protection Conference, 1993, IEE Pub.
No.368, pp.103-106.

[3] Funk H.W., Ziegler G., “Numerical Busbar Protection, Design and Service Experience”, 5th
IEE Developments in Power System Protection Conference, 1993, IEE Pub. No.368, pp.131-
134

[1]“Electrical Bus Protection Method and Apparatus”, Dave FedirChuk et. al, US Patent -
7,199,991 B2, Issued April 2007.

[2] Krish Narendra, Dave Fedirchuk, “Secured Busbar Differential Protection Using A
Computationally Efficient Dot Product Technique”, Conference on Power System Protection and
Automation, NewDelhi, India, 2010.