various classes of materials shown in Figure
13 of the paper amply demonstrate this
point. This difficulty can be avoided by
testing elements and then combining these
elements, factoring their individual degrada-
tion in combination with the operating
temperature of these elements determined
Applications of Relays ror Unbalanced
Faults on
J. E. BARKLE FRANqK VON ROESCHLAUB
MEMBER AIEE
COMPANION papersl-3 have de-
scribed the thermal effects on syn-
chronous machine rotors of negative-se-
quence current caused by unbalanced
faults, accurate methods of calculating
the magnitude of the generator negative-
sequence current under fault conditions,
and relays designed for the specific pur-
pose of protecting machines against such
conditions. The purpose of this paper is
to discuss the application of these nega-
tive-sequence relays and to review the
effect of this protection on general sys-
tem relaying. A simplified method of
calculating generator negative-sequence
current is included, and a brief discussion
of the effectiveness of various generator
backup relay schemes in providing gen-
erator rotor protection on unbalanced
faults is given.
Numerous tests by manufacturers of
synchronous rotating machines and also
theoretical considerations have justified a
revision in the American Standards Asso-
ciation Standard C50, paragraph 3.130
on "Short-Circuit Requirements," to a
more realistic and practical requirement
taking into account the thermal time con-
stant of the machine rotor. The new
paragraph states that the length of time
that a synchronous machine can with-
stand an unbalanced fault without injury
is a function of the mean-square value of
the negative-sequence current. Thus,
the time integral of I22 should not ex-
ceed specified values for different types of
machines if no injury is to result. With
I1 expressed in per unit based on the gen-
erator rating, and t in seconds, the speci-
fied time integral values of I22 are 30 for
turbine generators, synchronous condens-
ers, and frequency changer sets, and 40
for hydraulic-turbine and engine-driven
generators. For values of 122t up to 200
per cent of those specified, varying de-
APRIL 1953 Barkle, von
from thermal studies of the particular de-
sign used.
It is hoped that the data in this paper
will assist in the establishing of insulation
standards for electrical apparatus based on
performance rather than by arbitrary defi-
nitionl.
Generators
MEMBER AIEE
grees of damage may be expected, and for
values above 200 per cent serious damage
can result.
This rev-ision of the standard is of con-
siderable interest to utility system engi-
neers in general and to the relay engineer
in particular because the quantitative
statement of current-time capability of
the generator makes available a basis for
coordination of system and machine re-
laving.
MIany utilities use some form of relay-
ing on generators that is considered to be
backup for system relaying. Included
are different forms of overcurrent protec-
tion, phase-balance protection, and single-
zone distance relaying. Some of these
forms of backup relaying might be ex-
pected to provide protection of the gener-
ator against excessive negative-sequence
current, but in general the relay charac-
teristics do not match the thermal capa-
bilitv curve of the generator. There-
fore, it is desirable to consider using a re-
lay specifically designed to prevent rotor
failure due to excessive negative-sequence
current, since adequate relays have been
made available and the capabilities of
generators have been defined more
closely.
In considering the effect of negative-
sequence current on synchronous ma-
chines, unbalanced faults are of primary
concern. It can be shown that a line-to-
line fault causes the highest magnitude of
negative-sequence current and has the
most severe effect on the machine rotor;
therefore, only line-to-line faults are spe-
cifically discussed in this paper. In order
to simplify the presentation, the detailed
discussion is confined to turbine genera-
tors for which the specified time integral
value of 122 is 30.
Although the heating effects in the rotor
are somewhat similar, the conditions here
Roeschlaub-Relays for Unbalanced Faults
REFERENCES
1. See reference 1 of M. L. Manning's discussion.
2. See reference 2 of M. L. Manning's discussion.
3. RELATION OF TRANSFORMER DESIGN TO FIRE
PROTECTION, E. D. Treanor, L. C. Whitman.
AIEE Transactions, volume 71, part III, August
1952, pages 678-81.
considered which produce currents of
double frequency in the rotor parts should
not be confused with those accompanying
loss of field which produces slip frequency
currents.
Application of Negative-Sequence
Relays
The re-evaluation of the capability of
generators to withstand the damaging ef-
fects of negative-sequence current, as
well as the general feeling that backup
protection for the generators is increas-
ingly desirable with the increased size of
the machines in common use, has led to
the development of relays2 that protect
the generator specifically against exces-
sive negative-sequence current. In gen-
eral, these relays consist of suitable time-
overcurrent elements supplied through
negative-sequence filters from the current
transformers on the generator leads.
They respond only to negative-sequence
current in the generator, ignoring those
components that do not contribute to the
rotor heating, and their time-current
characteristics are chosen to match the
limitations established in the standards.
Since the negative-sequence relay
matches the generator thermal capability
curve, it permits operation to a point just
below that where the possibility of ma-
chine damage arises, giving a maximum
margin for co-ordination with other re-
lays with a minimum of application effort.
SIMPLIFIED CALCULATIONS
To determine the operating time of the
negative-sequence relay and the degree of
co-ordination with other relays during a
specific fault condition, it is necessary to
calculate the generator negative-sequence
current decrement curve. Lawrence and
Ferguson' present a rigorous method of
calculating the negative-sequence cur-
Paper 53-41, recommended by the AIEE Relays
Committee and approved by the AIEE Committee
on Technical Operations for presentation at the
AIEE Winter General Meeting, New York, N. Y.,
January 19-23, 1953. Manuscript submitted
October 22, 1952; made available for printing
November 18, 1952.
J. E. BARKLB: is with the Westinghouse Electric
Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa.; FRANK VON
ROESCHLAUJB is with Ebasco Services, Inc., New
York, N. Y.
on Generators 277
 G

EXTERNAL REACTANCE-PER UNIT ON GENERATOR BASE

Figure 1. Equivalent negative-sequence current in generator for
line-to-line faults as a function of external reactance, generator
transformer reactance, and system size
rent decrement curve, and example
curves for line-to-line faults under differ-
ent system conditions are shown in Fig-
ures 3 to 13 of their paper.
In applying negative-sequence relays
for generator protection, factors concern-
ing accuracies and influencing the appli-
cation should be borne in mind. The re-
lays are constructed with standard manu-
facturing tolerances, which means that
there are variations within narrow limits
in individual relay time-current charac-
teristics. Calculation of an exact decre-
ment curve is a very difficult procedure
even when all of the necessary data are
available, because there are minor vari-
ables such as voltage level, frequency, and
temperature effects that cannot be in-
cluded; therefore, even the most rigor-
ous solution will have some error. When
a decrement curve of 12 is calculated, it
must be integrated to determine the time
at which the relay will operate when it is
set to match the capability curve of 122t
equal to 30. This integration can be ac-
complished mathematically, but it is a
long, tedious process; therefore, the rea-
sonable solution is by graphical integra-
tion, and the result is a time that is ac-
ceptably accurate in comparison to the
time that could be determined by any
more precise method of integration.
Figure 2. Assumed general system and equivalent circuits for determining
generator equivalent negative-sequence current by simplified calculation
When these factors are considered, one
logically concludes that a great deal of
time spent in calculating exact answers
is not justified, and that relatively simple
approximations will suffice in applying
the relays.
A negative-sequence current relay set to
trip a generator on the basis of the time
integral of 122 being something less
than 30 would be unnecessarily con-
servative and would not permit full utili-
zation of the machine capability. It also
would be in the direction of allowing
shorter times for given currents with a
greater tendency to interfere with other
system relaying. Therefore, the time at
which 122t is equal to 30 for different sys-
tems and conditions becomes of primary
importance on the assumption that few,
if any, relays will be set for smaller values
and correspondingly shorter times.
GENERATORS WITHOUT VOLTAGE
REGULATORS
The data in Figures 3 to 12 of the Law-
rence-Ferguson paper,' giving decrement
curves for a generator without a voltage
regulator, are replotted in Figure 1 to
show the variation of the equivalent neg-
ative-sequence current as a function of the
system size, the generator transformer re-
actance (XTG), and the external reactance
C
(Xe) The equivalent negative-sequence
current (I2eq) is that constant value of
current that produces the same rotor
heating effect in a given length of time as
the actual negative-sequence current
which decays with time. It is determined
from the decrement curves by determining
the time (t) at which the time integral of
122 is 30, and
I2eq= V/30/t
Curves are shown in Figure 1 for a gener-
ator connected through'the external re-
actance to an infinite bus, to a system
consisting of five generators similar to the
one under consideration, or to one similar
generator. The upper three curves are
for the case with XTG equal to zero; that
is, there is no generator transformer. The
lower three curves include the effect of a
generator transformer of 15-per-cent re-
actance; the dashed curve for the infinite
bus case with a 7.5-per-cent transformer
is included to show the effect of a lower
reactance transformer.
One of the basic questions in applying
the generator negative-sequence relay is
whether the relay trips so quickly on sys-
tem unbalanced faults that it interferes or
fails to co-ordinate with the system re-
lays, including backup protection. This
permits a choice of some arbitrary maxi-

278 Barkle, von Roeschlaub Relays for Unbalanced Faults on Generators APRIL 1953
mum time required by system relays to
clear a system unbalanced fault under any
condition. The authors believe that for
the majority of systems no co-ordination
difficulties will arise if the negative-se-
quence relay does not trip in less than 4
seconds; that is, if the generator negative-
sequence current produced by the system
fault is so small that the negative-se-
quence relay time is 4 seconds or longer.
With I2eq2t 30, the magnitude of I2eq re-
quired to give 4 seconds is 2.74 per unit.
Based on the foregoing assumption, there-
fore, co-ordination can be assured in all
cases where 12eq is less than 2.74. Figure
1 shows that this condition is met for
any case of a generator connected to the
system through a transformer of 7.5 per
cent or more reactance with a line-to-line
fault on the system side of the trans-
former. It also is met when the genera-
tor is directly connected (XTG=O) to a
system consisting of only one generator of
equal size.
The only cases where there need be any
concern over the relay operating time are
those with no transformer and with a sys-
tem of five or more generators, and the
relay engineer may wish to have a close
estimate of the relay time for co-ordina-
tion checks. The curves of Figure 1 can
be used to give a first approximation of
the value of I2eq. While these curves are
drawn for specific assumed characteristics
for the generator and the system, minor
variations will not change the values of
I12o materially. There will be cases,
however, where the conditions of Figure 1
are not sufficiently close to the actual sys-
tem conditions and a closer approximation
of [2eq and the relay time will be desired.
Where the time is of the order of 10 sec-
onds or less, the following simplified calcu-
lating procedure gives values of 12eq having
less than 10-per-cent error when com-
pared with values calculated by the rigor-
ous method of Lawrence and Ferguson.
The error is in the conservative direction;
that is, the time calculated using the ap-
proximate 12eq is somewhat shorter than
the time the generator actually can toler-
ate the fault condition for which the cal-
culation is made.
The simplified method for generators
without voltage regulators involves calcu-
lation of the initial (I2(init)) and sustained
(I2(Sust)) magnitudes of generator negative-
sequence current after substitution of the
proper circuit constants in the equivalent
circuits of Figure 2. Figure 2(A) is the
general circuit assumed, and it can be
adapted to fit most conditions by varying
the constants. Generator G is the gener-
ator in question and is assumed connected
to a bus through a transformer. The
APRIL 1 953 Barkle, von
system generation is represented by one
or more generators, which are contlected
to a common system bus through trans-
formers; if desired, this can be assumed as
an infinite bus. The generator bus and
the system bus are connected by the ex-
ternal reactance, and load is assumed on
both busses.
Where no generator transformers exist,
the transformer reactance can be set
equal to zero; where no load exists, the
load impedance can be set equal to infin-
ity. Thus the system of Figure 2 can be
rearranged to suit the needs.
The circuit of Figure 2(B) is that used
to calculate the initial value of the nega-
tive-sequence current. Note that the
shunt loads are neglected in this circuit
because of the small effect of these high
impedance branches when combined with
the low transient reactance of the genera-
tor. The voltages behind the transient
reactances of both generators are assumed
equal to 1.0 per unit.
The circuit for calculating the sustained
component is given in Figure 2(C).
The shunt impedances representing the
loads should be included, and should be
set in magnitude and impedance angle to
carry the load current with normal volt-
age applied. For the steady-state condi-
tion, the internal voltage of generator G is
set equal to the field current required for
the assumed generator load. This is ob-
tained from the saturation curve of the
generator and is the excitation current
under load expressed as a per-unit value
based on the excitation required to pro-
duce rated voltage on the air-gap line as
1.0 per unit. The internal voltage of the
system generation is obtained in a similar
manner when actual generators are used,
or is set equal to 1.0 per unit if an infinite
bus is assumed.
The definitions of the constants in the
circuits of Figures 2(A), 2(B), and 2(C)
are as follows:
EdG'=internal voltage of generator G, as-
sumed equal to 1.0 per unit.
EdG= field current of generator G, taken
from the saturation curve for the
particular load, with 1.0 per unit
equal to the field current necessary
to produce rated voltage on the air-
gap line.
EdS'= internal voltage of system generation,
assumed equal to 1.0 per unit.
EdS = field current of system generation
determined in the same manner as
EdG; set equal to 1.0 per unit when
an infinite bus is assumed for the
system.
XdG'=transient reactance of generator G.
Xds'= transient reactance of system genera-
tion.
XdG = synchronous reactance of generator
G.
Xds = synchronous reactance of system
generation.
Roeschlaub-Relays for Unbalanced Faults
X2G = negative-sequence reactance of gener-
ator G.
X2S = negative-sequence reactance of system
generation.
XTG =reactance of generator transformer.
XTS=reactance of system generation trans-
former.
Xe =external reactance.
ZLG = shunt impedance to absorb load taken
from the generator bus.
ZLS = shunt impedance to absorb load taken
from the system bus, neglected when
infinite bus is assumed.
I2(init) = initial negative-sequence compo-
nent of generator current.
I2(.u.t) = sustained negative-sequence com-
ponent of generator current.
All reactances and impedances should be
expressed as per-unit quantities. Where
the system is assumed to be of infinite
capacity relative to generator G, the re-
actances XTS, XdS', X2S, and Xds are set
equal to zero, and impedance ZLS is
infinite.
Having obtained the values Of 12 (init)
and 12(sust)) a compromise method is used
to obtain a value of I2eq. This is based on
the assumption that 12eq is equal to the sus-
tained value of current plus 36.8 per cent
of the transient component, the latter
value being the magnitude of the transient
component at a time equal to the time
constant. Thus
I2eq = 12(.ust) + 0.368(I2(init) -I2(sust) ) (1)
This value of I2eq then is used to obtain
the time required to make hIe2t = 30.
For times longer than 10 seconds, the
transient component of 12 has a small ef-
fect and the equivalent negative-sequence
current, I2e,, approaches the sustained
current in magnitude. Therefore, for
these cases it is sufficiently accurate to
set 12eq equal to 12(.u8t) with the realization
that the time so determined is somewhat
longer than that actually permissible.
The true value of time is between the
values calculated from equation 1 and by
assuming 12eq equal to 12(Bust).
GENERATORS WITH VOLTAGE REGULATORS
The results of calculations in the Lawr-
ence-Ferguson paper for generators with
voltage regulators show that the sustained
magnitude of current is appreciably
higher than for cases where there is no
regulator. This is caused by the increase
in generator excitation as the regulator
attempts to maintain the terminal volt-
age. Also, the generator negative-se-
quence current is largest when the shunt
branch representing the load is neglected.
The result is that the transient compo-
nent of the generator negative-sequence
current is of less importance, and a close
approximation of 12e, is obtained by as-
suming it equal to the sustained magni-
tude of current, I2,-ust). The circuit for
on Generators 279
calculating the sustained current is that
shown in Figure 2(C) with the shunt load
branches neglected; the constants are
the same except for the internal voltages
of the generators. On a sustained fault,
the regulator will drive the exciter to ceil-
ing voltage, and the internal voltages of
both generators should be taken as the
generator ceiling excitation in per unit.
For most generators, this will be of the
order of 3.0 to 3.5 per unit. An internal
voltage of 1.0 is used for the system when
an infinite system is assumed. There-
fore, for the case of a generator with a
voltage regulator
I2eq =I2(BU8t) (2)
Co-ordination of Generator Relay
with System Relays
Application of this calculating method
to generator relaying over a wide range of
generator sizes and system sizes indicates
that unbalanced fault conditions and the
negative-sequence current caused by them
can be allowed to persist for several sec-
onds without causing excessive generator
rotor heating. In any case where the
generator is connected to the system
through a transformer, a fault on the sys-
tem side of the transformer can be per-
mitted for at least 4 seconds; it is only for
faults at the generator terminals that the
time becomes as low as 2 seconds. A
fault at the generator terminals ordinarily
would be cleared in a matter of cycles, and
even if cleared by backup relaying the
time would be much less than 2 seconds.
If for no other reason than to maintain
system stability, faults of the nature de-
scribed in this paper ordinarily will be
cleared quickly. Therefore, in the major-
ity of applications, the negative-sequence
relay can be applied without concern
about the tripping time interfering with
backup relaying.
This fact is particularly significant be-
cause it means that the generator nega-
tive-sequence relay can be applied as an
apparatus protective relay. The relay
characteristics are co-ordinated with the
generator characteristics, and it can be
viewed as a device to protect the genera-
tor against failure on negative-sequence
current; the function of clearing system
unbalanced faults is incidental.
The negative-sequence relays are de-
signed to detect negative-sequence cur-
rents on the order of 0.7 per unit or
greater. In some cases, it may be desir-
able to have a relay that will indicate the
presence of a smaller negative-sequence
current of perhaps 0.10 per unit. This
function can be accomplished by using a
1280 Barkle, von Roeschlaub Relays for Unbalanced Faults on Generators
separate relay with greater sensitivity to
sound an alarm. Automatic tripping of
the generator is not required because the
generator can stand currents of this mag-
nitude for a considerable length of time.
In systems where a number of genera-
tors are connected to a common bus,
either directly or through transformers,
there is always a possibility that the neg-
ative-sequence relay will trip several or
all of these machines on prolonged nega-
tive-sequence current. This contingency
is inherent in the provision of generator
protective relaying where the backupfunc-
tion also is provided, and it can be evalu-
ated only against the reliability of the re-
lays themselves against incorrect opera-
tion when normal relaying and normal
clearing devices function properly. The
function of the relays here discussed is to
protect the generators against damage
and against prolonged shutdown for rotor
inspection, If they operate properly,
their use entails the possibility of a shut-
down of a bus to obtain freedom from
damage to the machines connected
thereto. Slower forms of protection, such
as manual or other types of relaying de-
vices, impose the need for a rotor inspec-
tion to determine whether the machine
has been damaged after a prolonged un-
balanced fault, and the resulting outage is
costly and time-consuming. Thus, reli-
able automatic relaying that eliminates
the need for an outage is desirable.
The philosophy in the preceding para-
graph can be extended to include the en-
tire system. A system unbalanced fault
that is not cleared causes negative-se-
quence current in all sources of generation
to varying degrees. Those having the
largest magnitude of 12 will trip first, and
as each one is removed from the system
the negative-sequence current in the re-
maining generators increases. There-
fore, there is a possibility of cascading the
entire system and causing a serious out-
age. This possibility is considered ex-
tremely remote because it implies a rather
heavy fault and failure of the system first-
line and backup relaying to clear the
fault.
Generator Backup Relaying
A number of generator backup relay
schemes are in use, including the overcur-
rent, distance, and phase-balance relays
mentioned previously, as well as special
tripping sequences controlled from con-
ventional line and bus relays. These
have varying degrees of effectiveness in
protecting the machine rotor and when
they are used they should be studied to
determine the need for a generator nega-
tive-sequence current relay. Likewise, if a
negative-sequence relay is employed
alone, consideration should be given its
adequacy as the only backup relay on the
generator.
SEQUENTIAL TRIPPING SCHEMES
Systems of sequentiai tripping of bus
circuit breakers, generator circuit break-
ers, and generator excitation by means of
timing relays started by conventionally
applied primary relays often can be
worked out for particular switching, line,
and bus arrangements. For example,
where one generator supplies a bus to
which several lines are connected, the line
relays that normally trip their corre-
sponding line circuit breakers can each
start a timing relay which clears the bus
if the circuit breaker on the faulted line
fails to clear the fault. Similarly the
bus differential relay can be connected to
trip the generator field circuit breaker
either directly or through a time-delay re-
lay. Such schemes are cumbersome and
often impractical; it is usually impossible
to make them protect a generator under
some conditions that are dangerous but
that do not entail a fault that can be
detected by normal relays. For example,
the failure of a circuit breaker to clear all
three poles may leave a large single-phase
load on a generator without in any way
starting the sequence of timing that is in-
tended to protect the machine against
such excessive unbalanced current. In
any event, the applicability of these
schemes can be determined only by care-
ful examination of the particular bus ar-
rangement involved, including a study of
all the various contingencies for which the
protection is desired.
RELAY SCHEMES
Various types of relays can be used with
an individual generator to provide pro-
tection that backs up both the primary
relaying and the circuit breakers. Time-
overcurrent relays actuated by generator
current can be employed if fault currents
are high enough to permit a safe pickup
setting without risk of tripping on load
current. Since co-ordination of these
backup relays with primary relaying on
lines and busses requires relatively slow
operation, the chief factors determining
the generator fault current are the syn-
chronous impedance and excitation. The
synchronous impedance for a typical
turbine generator exceeds 100 per cent,
and the fault current available to actuate
simple overcurrent relays decays after the
occurrence of a fault to a value less than
full-load current when no voltage regula-
tor is used. The minimum pickup setting
APRIL 1953
of a relay must exceed full load by a safe
margin, and a relay with such a setting
could operate then as a backup device
only if a generator voltage regulator acted
to increase excitation, and thereby the
fault current, to a value above this pickup
setting. This dependence upon operation
of a regulator to assure operation of the
generator backup relay is the outstanding
shortcoming of the overcurrent relay for
this purpose.
This disadvantage of the simple over-
current relay has been eliminated to some
extent by the development of an over-
current relay which includes voltage
restraint. In applying such relays, it is
necessary to determine the voltage at the
generator terminals under the fault con-
ditions for which the relay is expected to
protect the generator. The calculations
involved in this application procedure
may be quite complex, and impose the
need of using wide margins in application
to assure co-ordination with primary re-
laying on lines and busses. Since such
relays are expected to operate on both 3-
phase and single-phase faults, it is often
difficult to obtain adequate protection of
the generator in addition to proper co-or-
dination.
The single-zone distance relay repre-
sents a refinement of the voltage-re-
strained overcurrent relay. Such relays
are set to detect faults on the system be-
yond the bus to which the generator is
connected, and in general are arranged to
trip the generator through a fixed time
delay. It is by means of this time delay
that co-ordination with the other primary
relaying is obtained, and because the
time delay is fixed adequate generator
protection is not always obtainable.
In general, the application procedures
for this type of relay are the con-
ventional ones commonly employed in
line protection, and may be regarded as
simpler than the application procedures
required for the voltage-restrained over-
current relay.
In view of the greater damage risk to
which the generator is subjected under
Discussion
J. R. Linders (Cleveland Electric Illuminat-
ing Company, Cleveland, Ohio): The
authors have done an excellent job of bring-
ing the problem of negative-sequence
generator currents out of the realm of
theoretical calculations into the field of
practical applications.
The approach to this problem has been
based on assuming the system constant dur-
ing the entire period under consideration.
Practically this may not be the case. Loss
APRIL 1 953 Barkle, von Roeschlaiub--Relays for Unbalanced Faults
unbalanced fault conditions, the phase-
balance relay has been used for generator
backup protection. This relay has an
advantage over the voltage-restrained
and distance types in that no potential
source is required for its operation; it
operates solely from the generator phase
current. This relay, actuated by a
comparison of phase currents, however,
does not give adequate protection for a
small generator connected to a relatively
large sy-stem and subjected to a sustained
fault. Under this condition the positive-
sequence generator current is relatively
small because of the effect of paralleling a
large synchronous reactance with a small
system reactance; the negative-sequence
generator current is relatively large be-
cause the negative-sequence reactance of
the generator may be of the same order
of magnitude as the system reactance.
The currents impressed upon the relay
thus tend to be balanced negative-se-
quence current, preventing the operation
of the relay, although the total current in
the generator may be sufficient to cause
damage.
Conclusions
Two aspects of generator negative-se-
quence current relaying warrant almost
equal weight: the first is the assurance
that the relay provide adequate protec-
tion for the generator; the second is that
the relay must never operate falsely under
normal conditions or when normal relay-
ing operates correctly. It is also desir-
able that the system data upon which the
relay application depend be easily calcu-
lable in a sufficiently accurate form to as-
sure correct relay operation for all cases.
A comparison of the various relay schemes
discussed indicates that the negative-se-
quence relay fulfills these requirements
with the greatest reliability. It measures
the negative-sequence current in the gen-
erator, which is the direct cause of rotor
heating; other relay schemes determine
this parameter either indirectly or not at
all.
of system stability will effect the I2 equiva
lent, probably in the downward direction,
thus lengthening the permissable time the
fault can be safely carried by the generator.
Of more concern to me would be the in-
volved condition when a stuck line circuit
breaker results in a conductor burned in
two. The resulting fault may involve one,
two, or three conductors and/or ground. In
any case the sequence network impedances
will change. The authors' opinion as to
whether the I2 equivalent of the machine
under question will increase or decrease
under these conditions would be appreci-
The time-current characteristic of the
negative-sequence relay is matched closely
to the capability of the generator to with-
stand the damaging current. In general,
the time-current characteristics of other
forms of relaying are either arbitrary or
are determined solely with respect to the
co-ordination required by system relays.
As a result, other forms of relaying may
not provide adequate protection for the
machine during unbalanced faults, and
during some operating conditions, such as
balanced fault conditions, they may tend
to trip the generator more quickly than is
necessary from the standpoint of damage
to the generator.
In the majority of applications it is not
necessary to make any calculations of gen-
erator negative-sequence current to de-
termine the relay clearing time because
the time will be sufficiently long to elimi-
nate any question of co-ordination with
system relaying. For those cases where
it is deemed necessary to check the relay
times more accurately, a relatively simple
method of calculation is described in this
paper. Basically, the relay can be con-
sidered as an apparatus protective relay
and its application made without con-
sidering system relaying.
This paper has dealt specifically with
unbalanced current protection for turbine
generators because the most severe limi-
tations exist for this type of machine. The
same basic considerations, as given here,
apply for the other types of synchronous
machines.
References
1. GENERATOR NEGATIVE-SEQUENCE CURRENTS
FOR LINE-TO-LiNE FAULTA, R. F. Lawrence,
R. W. Ferguson. AIEE Transactions,volume 72,
part III, February 1953, pages 9-16.
2. PROTECTlON OF GENERATORS AGAINST UN-
BALANCED CURRENTS, J. E. Barkle, W. E. Glass-
burn. AIEE Transactions, volume 72, part III,
April 1953, pages 282-86.
3. TURBINE GENERATOR ROTOR HEATING DURING
SINGLE-PHASE SHORT CIRCUITS, M. D. Ross, E. I.
King. AIEE Transactions, volume 72, part III,
February 1953, pages 40-45.
4. ROTATING ELECTRICAL MACHINERY. ASA
C50-1943, American Standards Association (New
York, N. Y.), March 29, 1943.
ated.
Under normal system conditions, olne does
not expect the lack of transpositions on one's
high-voltage system to effect generator
heating due to small negative-sequence
currents which are crated by such opera-
tion. However, in view of the very heavy
loading which we can expect on some cir-
cuits under emergency conditions may not
the negative-sequence components be of
concern?
Under sustained abnormal system condi-
tions, the frequency may depart from
normal by as much as 10 per cent. Would
on Generators 281
the authors care to comment on: 1. the
effect of negative-sequence currents in the
generator under these abnormal frequency
conditions, and 2. the frequency character-
istic of the negative-sequence relays which
are mentioned by the authors and discussed
in the companion papers.
J. E. Barkle and Frank von Roeschlaub:
The results of the study in this paper are
based on the assumption that the system is
constant during the period under considera-
tion, that is, the generator and system in-
ternal voltages are assumed to be equal and
in phase. The detailed conditions of the
study are given in assumptions 3, 5, and 6 of
the companion paper.' This assumption of
voltages being in phase results in a pessi-
mistic value of negative-sequence current.
The relaying time required of the negative-
sequence relay is consequently shortest.
The paper shows that relaying times of 4
seconds for generators with step-up trans-
formers and 2 seconds for generators with-
out step-up transformers are satisfactory for
practically all cases. More accurate calcu-
lations which would include generator
phase-angle differences, resulting in lower
values of negative-sequence currents, are
therefore not warranted.
Severe line-to-line faults can cause system
instability. The authors are cognizant of
this possibility, but the problem was ex-
cluded from the calculations for the reason
Protection of Generators Against
Unbalanced Currents
J. E. BARKLE
MEMBER AIEE
PROTECTIVE relay equipment as
applied for the protection of genera-
tors is concerned with faults within the
generator, and differential relaying is the
most common form of such protection.
Generators, however, can be subjected to
other undesirable and possibly dangerous
conditions for which proper protection
should be provided. Some of these
conditions such as loss of excitation and
loss of the prime mover have been recog-
nized, and suitable protective relaying
schemes have been developed. Recent
studies of the effects on generators of un-
balanced phase currents during system
faults have developed into a revision of
the specification of short-circuit require-
ments of generators. The new specifica-
tion is a realistic approach, taking account
of the rotor surface heating caused by
negative-sequence currents in the genera-
tor armature; and it focuses attention on
282 Barkle, Glassburn Protection of Generators Against Unbalanced Currents
described in the preceding paragraph, and
also the unnecessary complexity which
would be incurred by inclusion of the sta-
bility problem.
For cases of an open conductor, an open
conductor with one phase grounded, and
so forth, the negative-sequence current will
probably decrease appreciably compared to
that obtained during a line-to-line fault.
The specific case in point can be studied by
proper connection of the sequence networks2
of Figure 2 of the paper. The procedure
outlined in the paper then can be followed.
Negative-sequence currents resulting from
untransposed lines3 can be calculated as a
function of the system terminal impedance,
transmission-line parameters, and the posi-
tive-sequence load current. Extensive
studies of the problem have shown that such
currents are of very low magnitude, espe-
cially when terminal impedances are taken
into account.
The rotor heating due to negative-se-
quence current in the generator for fre-
quency deviations of 10 per cent will be
essentially the same as for normal system
frequency. The criterion of permissible
negative-sequence current is therefore the
same. More important are such problems
as vibrations in steam turbines which can
be encountered at other than normal fre-
quency.
For an input negative-sequence current
an open-circuit output voltage is produced,
or if a current relay is connected across the
W. E. GLASSBURN
ASSOCIATE MEMBER AIEE
the system relaying and the possibility of
additional generator protective relaying.
A revision in paragraph 3.130 covering
short-circuit requirements in the Stand-
ard on Rotating Electric Machinery1 has
been proposed. The previous standard
has stipulated that any synchronous
generator "shall be capable of withstand-
ing, without injury, the stresses of a 10-
second, 3-phase short circuit at its termi-
nals when operating at rated kva, power
factor, and 5 per cent overvoltage, or any
other 10-second short circuit provided the
machine phase currents under the fault
condition are limited by means of suitable
reactance or resistance to a value which
does not exceed the maximum phase
current obtained from the 3-phase fault."
This statement is simple and can be
interpreted easily; but it is not realistic
with respect to unbalanced fault condi-
tions because several important factors
output terminals the voltage causes current-
to flow in the relay. Positive-sequence cur-
rents at =' 10 per cent of normal frequency
would produce an open-circuit output volt-
age of the same frequency equal to 5 per
cent of the voltage produced by 1.0 per-unit
negative-sequence current at normal fre-
quency. The 5-per-cent voltage impressed
on the negative-sequence current relay is
not sufficiently high to cause relay opera-
tion. Therefore, normal operation at i 10-
per-cent frequency will not cause operation
of the relay.
The relay characteristics are affected
slightly by frequency variations of 4+ 1O
per cent. For generator negative-sequence
current of a magnitude which should cause
relay operation, the relay time would be
lengthened slightly. Frequency reduction
as a result of severe faults which might call
upon the negative-sequence relay to operate
will be so small as to have negligible effect
on the relay operation.
REFERENCES
1. See reference 1 of the paper.
2. ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
REFERENCE BOOK. Westinghouse Electric Cor-
poration (East Pittsburgh, Pa.), fourth edition,
1950, chapter 2.
3. DETERMINATION OF INDUCTIVE AND CAPACI-
TIVE UNBALANCE FOR UNTRANSPOSED TRANSMIS-
SION LINES, R. F. Lawrence, D. J. Povejsil. AIEE
Transactions, volume 71, part III, 1952, pages 547-
56.
4. See reference 3 of the paper.
are neglected. The most important of
these are the effects of a generator voltage
regulator and of the system to which the
generator is connected. Both of these in-
fluence the magnitude of the unbalanced
fault currents and must be considered in
determining the thermal condition of the
machine during faults.
There is no question of the ability of
the machine to withstand a 10-second 3-
phase short circuit at the terminals, either
with or without a voltage regulator; and
of course, the connected system has no
effect on the generator currents for this
type of fault. However, unbalanced
faults cause circulation of negative-
sequence current in the machine stator
windings and a consequent possibility of
thermal damage to the machine rotor.
Generator Short-Circuit Currents
When a generator is subjected to un-
balanced short-circuit currents, a nega-
Paper 53-52, recommended by the AIEE Relays
Committee and approved by the AIEE Committee
on Technical Operations for presentation at the
AIEE Winter General Meeting, New York, N. Y.,
Manuscript submitted
January 19-23, 1953.
October 22, 1952; made available for printing
December 10, 1952.
J. E. BARKLE and W. E. GLASSBURN are with the
Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pitts-
burgh, Pa.
APRIL 1 953