Differential Protection of 3 phase Induction Motors

- Ninad Deo
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

This article covers the basics of differential protection and some basics of the differential
protection of motors as a special case. The general topics include:

The basics and necessity of differential protection in motors

Types of differential protection
- Simple differential protection
- Percent Differential Protection

Differential relays
- Settings
- typical specifications

Differential C.T’s
- Typical specifications

The following is out of scope of this article and will be covered in later articles:

 Differential C.T’s ( selection/type/application/working and testing)

 Differential C.T’s (Design)
 Differential relays ( selection/type/application/working/detailed settings)
 Differential protection using V.T’s.
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

Differential Protection is based on the fact that any fault within an electrical equipment
would cause the current leaving it to be different that the current entering it. Thus by comparing
the two currents either in phase or magnitude or both, a trip output can be issued if the
difference exceeds a predetermined set value.

Differential protection is especially attractive when both ends of the apparatus are
physically located near each other. For example, this method is commonly used in
Transformer/Generator/Busbar/motor protection.

We shall deliberate on the differential protection used specifically in motor protection

schemes as our product pertains to the same.
Types of faults occurring within the protected zone requiring immediate tripping and
isolation of the motor are:
a. faults between stator windings
b. stator earth faults
c. Ground faults and faults between phases outside the generator but within the
protected zone, e.g. at the generator terminals or on the external connections.
An extremely important feature of any motor differential protection is that it should
remain absolutely stable (i.e. no tripping command) for faults or any other transient phenomena
outside the protected zone.

If for a motor, the motor kVA rating is less than half of the supply transformer kVA rating,
over current relays may be relied upon.
However, in case of high voltage motors (commonly called as “big” motors), whose kVA
rating is more than half of the supply transformer kVA rating, the current for a 3 phase fault may
be less than 5 times the current for locked rotor condition. In such cases, it is recommended to
use percentage differential protection (explained further).The reason can be given with a simple
example:
Assume a motor is connected to a supply transformer with 8 % impedance. The
maximum fault current at the transformer secondary with an infinite source is

 = 1 / 0.08 = 12.5 p.u. on transformer base
The maximum motor starting current in this case is

 = 1 / (0.08 + Xm)
Where Xm is motor impedance
In order that
 /
 > 5, Xm> 0.32 p.u. (on transformer kVA base). If the motor has full
voltage starting current of six times the full load, then Xm = 1/6 = 0.167 on motor rated kVA
base. With the motor kVA half of the transformer kVA, an Xm of 0.167 would be 0.333 on
transformer base which is greater than 0.32. It is to be noted that this rule of thumb should only
be applied when there is no appreciable deviation from the parameters assumed above.
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

The simple differential protection scheme:

This scheme is also known as the “Merz-Price scheme”. The currents entering and
leaving the equipment to be protected are stepped down with the help of C.T’s on either side.
The following rule can be applied for the dot notation: when the current enters the dotted
terminal on the primary side of the C.T, it should leave the similarly marked dotted terminal on
the secondary side.
For normal condition, the currents transformed by the C.T being equal in phase and
magnitude just circulate on the secondary side and there is spill current in the over current relay.
The over current relay is wired to trip the two circuit breakers on either side of the equipment to
be protected. A differential relay (over current relay) responds to the vector difference between
two or more similar electrical quantities. Thus the simple differential relay is stable during normal
operating condition.
Similarly during external fault condition, there is no difference in phase or magnitude of
the entering and leaving current thus giving a zero spill current. Thus the simple differential relay
is stable for the external fault condition also.

Protected winding
I1 x I2

I1 I2 I1 = I2
For normal condition
And through fault

I1 – I2 Relay coil
=0

Principle of circulating current relay for protection of motors

 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

Our Interest: Behavior during internal fault

For internal fault, due the difference in the entering and leaving values of the current in
and out of the C.T, there is a spill current in the over current relay which if more than the pick-up
value of the over current relay will cause the circuit breakers to trip thus meeting the basic
requirement of clearing internal faults.

Protected winding
I1 x I2

I1 I2 I1 = I2
For normal condition
And through fault

I1 – I2 Relay coil
=0

Principle of circulating current relay for protection of motors

 Difficulties and errors in the Simple Differential Protection scheme:

1. Pilot wire lengths: The C.T’s and machine to be protected are located at different
sites and normally it is not possible to connect relay coil to the equipotential points.
The difficulty is overcome by connecting adjustable resistors in series with the pilot
wires. These are adjusted on site to obtain equipotential points.
2. CT errors during short circuit: The CT’s may have almost equal ratio as normal
currents. But during short circuit conditions, the primary currents are unduly large.
The ratio errors of CT’s on either sides differ during these conditions due to:
a. Inherent difference in CT characteristic arising out of difference in magnetic
circuit, saturation conditions etc.
b. Unequal d.c components in the short circuit currents
3. Saturation of CT magnetic circuits during short circuit conditions: Due to these
causes the relay may operate even for external faults. The relay may lose its stability
for through faults. To overcome this difficulty the “percentage differential relay” or
“Biased differential relay” is used. It is essentially a circulating current differential
relay with additional restraining coil. The current flowing through the restraining coils
is proportional to (I1+I2)/2 and this restraining current prevents the operation during
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

external faults. Because with the rise in current the restraining torque increases and
I1-I2 arising out of difference in CT ratio is not enough to cause relay operation.

External Fault characteristic

Spill current I1 –I2 Pick up value of

OC relay in spill path

Trip
Ips
Restrain

Through fault current

Istab
Through Fault stability

Operating characteristic of a simple differential relay

The through fault stability is defined as the maximum through fault current
beyond which the scheme loses stability. It is denoted as:


Comparing this with an internal fault, the minimum internal fault current required
for the scheme to operate, in this case, correctly, is decided by the pick-up value of the
over current relay in the spill path. Then to have a better idea of the relation of this value
and

we define a term called as the stability ratio which is given by:

      !

"!# $       
     ! ! !     !  % #  !

The higher the stability ratio, the better is the system able to distinguish between
internal and external faults. The stability ratio can be improved by improving the
match between the two Current transformers.
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

 The percent differential protection scheme :

The simple differential relay can be made more stable if one can develop
a restraining torque proportional to the fault current, the operating torque still
proportional to the spill current.
This is implemented in the percent differential relay. This relay has a coil
tapped at the centre thus forming 2 sections with equal number of turns: Nr/2.
The restraining coil receives the “though fault” current since it is connected in the
circulating current path. The operating coil having No turns is connected on the
spill path same as the simple differential relay.
Then obviously,

0
1 2
3 43
&  '( ))* +,'  - ./ 6 2 &!
2

- Where M is constant of proportionality.

Similarly,

78' )* +,'  -/9 0
1 2
3 43

And the relay trips if the operating torque is greater than the restraining torque.

Equating the restraining and operating torques, with K = / //9 , we come to the
following equation:

0
1 2
3 4

1 :
3  ; 2 ;9
2

Where ;9 accounts for the effect of spring.

Thus the operating characteristics of this relay will be a straight line with a slope
of / //9 and an intercept of ;9 on y axis. The characteristic is shown in the
figure.
DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

Protected zone

I1 I2

fault I1 = I2 = 0
For internal fault

I1 I2

I1 – I2
I1 I2

N/2 N/2 Restraining coil/

Biased coil

Percent Differential Relay

Spring Armature

Trip
Output Operating A
coil Nr/2

C N0 Restraining Nr/2
coil
B

Balanced beam Structure

Physical Implementation of a Percentage differential Relay

 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

Internal Fault
Characteristic 200 % slope External Fault characteristic

Spill current I1 –I2

Internal % differential relay
Faults Characteristic 25% slope

Trip

Restrain

Simple differential relay characteristic

Minimum
pick up

(I1 + I2) /2 Average Restraining current

Minimum internal
Fault current (If min,int)

Maximum through fault current (If,max,ext)

Operating characteristic of a percentage differential relay

Thus the spill current must be greater than a definite percentage of the “through
fault” current for the relay to operate. Hence the name percent differential relay. The slope of the
relay is expressed as percentage. E.g. slope of 0.4 is 40 % slope.
One of the most important things to note is that the percentage differential relay
does not have a fixed pick-up value as it automatically adapts the pick-up value to the “though
fault” current. Thus as the through fault current goes on increasing, a restraining torque is
introduced due to the circulating current thus avoiding “mal-operation” of the relay.
The restraining winding is also known as the biasing winding since we bias the
relay towards restraint. The slope of the characteristic is also known as percentage bias.

The percentage differential relay can be made more immune to mal-operation on

“though fault” by increasing the slope of the relay.
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

Specifically for a 3 phase Induction Motor, the following connections are done as shown
in figure:
Induction motor

3 phase
supply

Percentage Differential
3 units of Percentage
Protection for3 phase IM
Differential Relay

For instance, Innovative Technomics has provided Dynamic compensator differential

C.T’s for IOCL Haldia project in conjunction with motor protections C.T’s. The typical connection
diagram for secondary side connection is shown:

A typical differential C.T secondary side connection for Induction motor

protection in motor and soft starter combination with soft starter with
dynamic compensator provided by ITPL
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

 Differential Relays:

The basis of differential protection lies in monitoring the spill current which is done by
differential relays. The operation of the relays is based on the settings on which the relays
are operated.

Setting of Differential Relays

The circulating current differential relay has two principle settings namely:
- Setting of operating coil circuit
- Setting of restraining coil circuit

The percentage setting or basic setting of the operating coil circuit is defined as the ratio:

?    ! !   !       !

% = (> (')*  X 100
  #  !    ! 

- When the current in restraining coil is zero

The setting of operating coil or its pick-up value is defined as the ratio:

C,') ) 8' )* > D > ,()* 8' )

% @>A,8 B ,' 
C,') ) '( ))* >

E1FE3
% @>A,8 B ,'  0E1GE34/3

When determining this setting the following factors must be considered:

- CT errors
- Tap changing
- Resistance of pilot wires
- Stability for through faults
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

For a typical percentage differential relay a block diagram showing the settings is shown:

The slope setting is adjusted by the tapping on the restraining coil

coil.
Very important: Both
oth halves of the restraining coil need to be symmetrically tapped.

Minimum pick-up setting is adjusted by changing the tension of the restraining spring
 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

 A typical specification of a differential relay

A typical specification of a microprocessor based differential relay also known as a

“Residual current detector” or RCD is given below:

Static, three-phase differential protection relay

- Dual slope percentage bias restraint characteristic with adjustable bias
setting
- Electronically storage for indication of the faulty phase
- Applicable for 45 to 65 Hz
- Burden < 0.05 VA at rated current

- Setting ranges:
Differential current: 5 to 42.5 %
! in 16 steps
Bias slope: 10 % of actual current (fixed)

- Isolation between all independent inputs

- High electromagnetic compatibility
- The use of precision components guarantees high accuracy
- Permissible temperature range: -20°C to +70°C

Some manufacturers also give special and extra functions inbuilt in the relays
like:
- Ability to recognize saturation of the main current transformers
- Extremely stability even during saturation of current transformers
- Current transformer burden and class requirements are low
- Extremely stability during motor start
- Additional printed circuits for recognition of saturated C.T.s can be added at a
later stage, e.g. as the power system develops and fault levels increase
DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

A typical Static differential protection scheme functional diagram

 DIFFERENTIAL PROTECTION OF 3 PHASE INDUCTION MOTORS

 A typical Specification for a Differential C.T

A differential protection C.T is different than the “measurement’ C.T in the basic sense
that the protection C.T is required to faithfully transform the primary current even in
presence of a fault whereas the measurement C.T is driven into saturation in the
presence of a fault. This is done by the C.T manufacturers by fixing the operating point
of the C.T on the magnetization curve suitable to its operation. A typical specification of
differential C.T’s used by Innovative Technomics in IOCL Haldia project:

Differential C.T (Indoor Resin Cast single core current transformer)

C.T Ratio: 500/1 A
RCT: 8 ohm
IJ = 110V

  < 30mA at IJ /2
Rated STC: 40 kA for 3 seconds
50 Hz
Insulation level: 12/28/75 kV
Accuracy class: PS to IS 2705/1992

The C.T selection/application/testing and basic design is out of scope of this article and will be
covered in later articles.