Distance-protection performance under conditions

of single-circuit working in double-circuit

transmission lines
W. D. Humpage, B.Sc, Ph.D., C.Eng., F.I.E.E., and M. S. Kandil, M.Sc, Ph.D.

Indexing terms: Power-system protection, Transmission networks, Relays

Abstract
When double-circuit transmission lines are operated with one of the circuits isolated and earthed at both
ends, relaying conditions can arise that influence the choice of the forward-reach settings of distance pro-
tection. Earth-fault conditions during single-circuit working in this way give rise to apparent-impedance
values presented to the protection that are generally less, and to errors in impedance measurements that
are correspondingly greater, than for the same fault conditions during normal operation, when both circuits
are in service together. The paper reports computer studies which seek to compare the discriminative per-
formance of distance protection under earth-fault conditions during double-circuit and single-circuit
operation and which, in particular, provide an account of the relaying conditions likely to be encountered in
single-circuit operation. Apparent impedance values and associated relaying errors are summarised in
tabular form for fault and prefault conditions relevant to a typical 400kV interconnection, on the basis of
which an assessment of the discriminative performance of distance protection in single-circuit working is
made.

List of principal symbols overhead-line configuration, the computer assessment method

Z b Z 2 , Z o = transmission-circuit impedances in the positive-,
negative- and zero-phase sequences, respec-
tively
Zmo = intercircuit mutual impedance in the zero-phase
sequence
/,, /2, / 0 = transmission-circuit currents in the positive-,
negative- and zero-phase sequences, respec-
tively
]ra = compensated relaying signal
Zs, ZN = source impedances
Subscripts a, b and c denote quantities in the a, b and c phases,
respectively, of the circuit in service. A, B and G are the
corresponding suffixes for quantities in the circuit that is
isolated and earthed.
1 Introduction
Previous papers1"3 have reported investigations into
the measuring accuracy of distance protection, and have
provided quantitative assessments of relaying conditions
relevant to single- and double-circuit transmission-line inter-
connections. So far as the authors are aware, however, no
previous account of similar detail has been given of the
particular case, of practical importance, in which one circuit
of a double-circuit line is isolated and earthed while the
circuit remaining in service sustains an earth fault. It is this
particular aspect of distance-protection application to which
the present paper seeks to contribute, by providing a detailed
study of the range of apparent impedances presented to
distance protection during the single-circuit operation of
mutually coupled double-circuit lines.
For these particular relaying conditions, it is shown here
that the apparent-impedance values with which the protection
is required to cope can depart considerably from those
occurring when both circuits are in commission together. In
particular, the reduced apparent-impedance values in single-
circuit operation have a bearing on the choice of protection
forward-reach settings, where, as is frequently the case in
practice, a single setting is used for single-circuit and normal
double-circuit operation.
While the studies relate to a specific and typical 400kV
Paper 6132 P, first received 21st October 1969 and in revised form 27th
January 1970
Dr. Humpage is, and Dr. Kandil was formerly, with the Power Systems
Laboratory, Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics,
University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, PO Box
88, Sackville Street, Manchester M60 1QD, England. Dr. Kandil is
now with the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of
Libya, Tripoli, Libya
766
on which the present and earlier investigations3 have been
based is easily adapted to any type of overhead line. In addi-
tion to the parallel-connected form of double-circuit line
analysed here, the method may equally well be applied to
doubl&-circuit looped3 and direct teed4 network intercon-
nections.
2 Relaying conditions in single-circuit
operation
Fig. 1 shows, in schematic form, a double-circuit line
carrying a continuous earth wire with one of the circuits
isolated and earthed at both ends. If the circuit in service
sustains an earth fault, fault current, returning to the infeed-
ing source at the line end remote from that at which the fault
occurs, returns in part through the earth/earth-wire combina-
tion and in part through the conductors of the earthed circuit.
When both circuits are in service together and a fault occurs
at one end of the line, fault current in the two circuits flows
in the same direction in the conductors of the faulted phase or
phases. Under conditions of single-circuit working, on the
other hand, fault-current flow in the circuit in service and that
in the isolated circuit are in opposite directions. Reduced to
its simplest terms, it is this, and, in particular, the corres-
ponding components of voltage appearing in the fault loop as
a consequence of the presence of intercircuit mutual coupling,
that gives rise to reduced apparent-impedance values. By
comparison, the effect of intercircuit mutual coupling for the
same fault conditions when both circuits are in service is to
cause the apparent impedances to be greater than their actual
values. In addition, the partial cancellation of relaying errors
arising from the distinguishable error sources when both
circuits are present,3 is disturbed. For a given set of relaying
conditions, therefore, apparent-impedance values presented
to distance protection in single-circuit working may be
expected to be lower, and the corresponding errors in im-
pedance measurement to be greater, than those when both
circuits are in commission together. As the relaying conditions
are those of potential overreach, they are likely to represent
limiting conditions in the choice of protection forward-reach
settings if a single setting is used indifferently for single- and
double-circuit working.
To the effect of current flow in the conductors of the faulted
phase in single-phase-earth fault conditions, and of the
faulted phase pair in double-phase-earth fault conditions,
should be added the effect of current flow in the remaining
unfaulted conductors. When both circuits are in operation,
this has a strong dependence on the magnitude and direction
PROC. IEE, Vol. 117, No. 4, APRIL 1970
of prefault power transfer in the interconnection, both for
the unfaulted circuit and for the unfaulted conductors of the
faulted circuit. While a dependence on prefault power
*c
'NA
Ir
Fig. 1
Earth-fault condition during single-circuit working of double-circuit transmission line
One circuit is isolated and earthed; the circuit remaining in service sustains an earth fault
If = total current fed into fault
fr = current returning to infeeding source through earth/earth-wire path
transfer remains in earth-fault conditions during single-circuit
operation, the nearly equal cophasor currents flowing in the
conductors of the isolated, earthed circuit alter the form of
the dependence, particularly under double-phase-earth fault
conditions. These differences in the relaying conditions
relevant, on the one hand, to double-circuit operation, and,
on the other, to single-circuit operation, may be most clearly
seen from tabulations of apparent impedances in the two
cases. Beyond this, it is required to formulate the greatest
reductions in apparent impedance likely to arise in single-
circuit working to provide a basis on which relay forward-
reach settings may be chosen.
Analysis of relaying conditions
3.1 Preliminary formulation
A clarification of the main parameters and variables
influencing the relaying conditions in single-circuit working
may readily be achieved from a preliminary analysis invoking
symmetrical phase-sequence components. On this basis, the
effects of intercircuit mutual coupling may be considered to
be confined to the zero-phase sequence, giving an equivalent
zero-phase-sequence circuit corresponding to the single-
circuit working of a double-circuit line, as shown in Fig. 2. It
is shown in Appendix 8.1 that, based on this circuit rep-
resentation, the apparent impedance Zr at the relay location
when the residual-current form of compensation is used, may
be expressed in the form
2
Jr. 7
1 z
in which Zx is the positive-phase-sequence impedance of the
line, on which basis the forward reach of the protection is set.
In this form, the simplified derivation of apparent im-
pedance indicates that the zero-phase-sequence impedance
Z o of the circuit, and the mutual impedance Zmo between
circuits in the zero-phase sequence may be used as an index
of the form Z^JZQ in assessing the reduced apparent-im-
pedance values that might be encountered in single-circuit
operation. The ratio 7 0 // ra depends on the fault and prefault
PROC. IEE, Vol. 117, No. 4, APRIL 1970
operating conditions, and an approximate value may easily
be found for it from symmetrical phase-sequence-component
analysis.
circuit iiin service
*+
circuits mutually coupled L
SB
isolated circuit
earth/earth-wire path
3.2 Phase-variable analysis
Following the preliminary fomulation of Section 8.1, a
direct phase-variable approach provides a basis for a more
detailed evaluation of relaying conditions. In this way,
account may directly be taken of the asymmetries in the self-
and mutual-impedance parameters and of the effect of the
from
negative-phase-sequence
network
positive- phase - sequence
network
Fig. 2
Zero-phase-sequence circuit for single-phase-earth fault during single -
circuit working
The positive-, negative- and zero-phase-sequence networks are series-connected
at the point of fault
prefault power-transfer conditions at fault inception. For
these purposes, a model based on Fig. 1 may be adopted, or,
alternatively, a 6-conductor representation may be used based
(1)
on self- and mutual-impedance parameters including the
effect of the earth and earth-wire return paths. On the basis
of this latter representation, that of an equivalent 6-conductor
model for analysis and for the 400 kV transmission-line para-
meters summarised in Section 8.2, apparent-impedance values
for a range of fault and prefault operating conditions are
collected together in Tables 1-3. These relate to single-phase-
and double-phase-earth faults at one end of the line, which
represents a fault location giving a limiting condition in
relation to the setting margins of the protection, to guard
against possible overreaching.
767
4 Discussion of relaying conditions
A comparison of the apparent impedances given in
Table 1 indicates that the conditions that give rise to values
greater than the actual values when both circuits are in
service together, are those for which apparent values are less
than the actual values for single-circuit operation. In terms of
the discriminative performance of the protection, the former
conditions, those of positive errors in reactance measurement,
correspond to the effective coverage of the protection being
less than that for which it is nominally set, whereas the cover-
age extends beyond the setting when the errors in reactance
measurement are negative. In choosing the forward-reach
protection setting, it is required to allow a sufficient margin to
ensure that, for the conditions for which the reduction in
apparent impedance is greatest, the effective coverage does
not extend beyond the circuit termination remote from the
relay location. The errors in reactance measurement in Table 1
indicate the different margins available in normal double-
circuit working and in single-circuit working. When both
circuits are in service together, there is a measure of balance
between the different error sources, and, for a wide range of
system-fault and prefault operating conditions, the residual
errors are small and positive if the effects of fault resistance
are discounted. In single-circuit working, this partial canella-
tion is disturbed. For typical operating conditions, errors in
reactance measurement are significantly larger, and nega-
tive, in comparison with those when both circuits are in
service.
The relaying errors given in Table 2 for different faults
indicate that, in single-circuit working, the errors are not
strongly dependent on the fault levels at the circuit termina-
tions. For the remote-end fault condition to which the studies

Table 1
COMPARISON OF RELAYING CONDITIONS FOR 4 0 0 k V DOUBLE-CIRCUIT LINE

Both circuits in service One circuit isolated and earthed

System conditions
Apparent impedance Measuring errors Apparent impedance Measuring errors

a % Q %
Fault levels:
5000 MVA at relay end 4-49 +y50-37 46-84 +yl2- 84 2-82+740-48 -7-91 -y'9-33
20000 MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer =' 0
Phase-a-earth fault relay
Fault levels:
20000 MVA at relay end 5-23 + 746-48 71-16+74-12 2-08 +739 13 -32-13 -712-35
5000 MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer =
650 MW exported at relay end
Phase-c-earth fault relay
Fault levels:
5000 MVA at relay end 2-73 + 746-39 -10-85+73-93 4-12 +y36-96 34-65 -717-19
20 000 MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer =
650 MW imported at relay end
Phase-c-earth fault relay

Residual current compensation

Positive-phase-sequence impedance of 100mile line section = 3-06 +j44-61

Table 2
MEASURING ACCURACY FOR SINGLE-PHASE-EARTH FAULT CONDITIONS IN SINGLE-CIRCUIT
OPERATION

System conditions Form of compensation Apparent impedance Measuring errors

n %
Fault levels:
15 000 MVA at both ends residual current 4-23 +73901 38-1 -y'12-60
Prefault power transfer =
650 MW exported at relay end sound phase 7-18+766-22 - 8 0 9 -712-29
Phase-a-earth fault relay
Fault levels:
5000 MVA at relay end residual current 4-33+738-49 41-48 -713-76
20000MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer =
650 MW exported at relay end sound phase 7-35 +765-34 -5-83 -713-45
Phase-a-earth fault relay
Fault levels:
20000 MVA at relay end residual current 6-96 +737-41 127-5 - 7 1 6 1 9
5000 MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer=
1600MW exported at relay end sound phase 11-83 +763-49 51-48 -715-89
Phase-a-earth fault relay
Fault levels:
5000 MVA at relay end residual current -1-61 +736-34 -152-3 -y'18-59
20 000 MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer=
1600MW imported at relay end sound phase -2-73 +761-68 -134-9 -718-31
Phase-c-earth fault relay

Mean of conductor self impedances for lOOrriile section = 7-81 + j!5-44 Cl

Postive-phase-sequence impedance for 100mile section = 3-06 +y44-61Q
768 PROC. IEE, Vol. 117, No. 4, APRIL 1970
relate, the fault levels affect similarly the faulted-phase
component of the compensated relaying signal and the return
currents in the earthed circuit, leaving the measured im-
pedance with little dependence on the actual fault-level values.
To the extent that the unfaulted-conductor currents are
related to the angular separation between the sources at the
two ends of the interconnection, the measuring errors depend
on the magnitude and direction of prefault power transfer.
Owing to the differences in the individual conductor im-
pedances given in Table 4 (Section 8.2), the dependence is
different for the different earth-fault relays. While the maxi-
mum errors of the phase-a and phase-c-earth-fault relays
are similar, they occur in the phase-o-earth-fault relay when
the relaying end exports power, and in the phase-c-earth-fault
relay when the relaying end imports power. As the self
impedance of the line conductor in phase b corresponds
closely to the mean value of the self impedances on which the
relay setting is based, the phase-6-earth-fault relay is affected
less in this context than the earth-fault relays of phases a and
c. Error values for the phase-6-earth-fault relay in single-
phase-earth fault conditions are not included in the Tables
for this reason.
As is indicated by the errors summarised in Table 3,
double-phase-earth-fault conditions appear to give rise to
only fractionally different error values when compared with
those for single-phase-earth fault conditions. However, the
dependence of the errors on the prefault power transfer is
altered, in that, for most conditions, the apparent impedance
is less than the actual impedance, irrespective of the direction
of the prefault power transfer.
In comparison with the errors in reactance measurement,
the errors in resistance measurement have appreciably less
significance in terms of the discriminative properties of the
protection unless fault resistance is added to the formulation
on which Tables 1-3 are based. Depending on the value of
the fault resistance, its presence can affect relaying conditions
substantially, but the pattern of errors to which this source
gives rise is the same as in previous investigations.3 Therefore,
the effect of fault resistance is not separately tabulated in the
present paper.

Table 3
MEASURING ACCURACY FOR DOUBLE-PHASE-EARTH FAULT CONDITIONS IN SINGLE-CIRCUIT
OPERATION

System conditions Form of compensation Apparent impedance Measuring errors

n
Fault levels:
5000MVA at relay end residual current 14-21 +y4019 364-6 -y9-95
20000MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer=
650 MW exported at relay end sound phase 24-16 +./68- 22 209-4-y9-64
c-o-earth fault relay
Phase-rt-earth fault relay

Preceding case residual current -3-38 +y38-25 -210-5 -yl4-29

Phase-c-earth fault relay sound phase -5-75 +y64-93 -173-7 -yl3-99
Fault levels:
5000 MVA at relay end residual current -4-22 + y41-06 -238-1 -y'8-01
20000 MVA at remote end
Prefault power transfer =
650MW imported at relay end sound phase -7-21 +y"69-71 -192-2 -y7-678
6-c-earth fault
Phase-6-earth fault relay

Preceding case residual current 3-26 +y36-88 6-79 -yl7-37

Phase-c-earth fault relay sound phase 5-55 +y62-60 -28-8 - y l 7 0 8

Mean of conductor self impedances for 100mile section = 7-81 +y"75-44fi

Positive-phase-sequence impedance for lOOmile section = 3-06 +y44-61H

Table 4
PARAMETERS OF 400kV DOUBLE-CIRCUIT LINE

a b c A B G

=
Zaa Zab = Zac ZaA ZaB = ZaG =
a 0-0798 + 0 0486 + 0-0472 + 00471 + 0 0486 + 0 0495 +
yO-7808 yO-3561 yO-2609 yO-2372 yO-2747 y0-3048
Zbb = Zbc = ZbA = ZbB = ZbG =
b Zba ==
Z ab 0-0781 + 0-0468 + 0 0467 + 0-0478 + 00486 +
y0-7632 yO-3081 yO-2478 yO-2667 y0-2747
Zcc = ZCA = ZcB = ZCG =
c Zca =
Zac Zcb =
Zbc 0 0765 + 0 0463 + 00467 + 00471 +
y0-7193 yO-2619 yO-2478 yO-2372
ZAA = ZAB = ZAG =
A ZAa =
ZaA ZAb = ZbA ZAC = ZCA 0 0765 + 0 0468 + 00472 +
yO-7193 yO-3081 yO-2609
ZBB = ZBG =
B ZBa = ZaB ZBb = ZbB ZBC = ZCB ZBA = ZAB 00781 + 0 0486 +
yO-7632 yO-3561
ZGG =
G ZGa ZaG ZGb = ZbG ZGC = ZCG ZGA = ZAG ZGB = ZBG 0 0798 +
yO-7808

PROC. IEE, Vol. 117, No. 4, APRIL 1970 769

5 Conclusions
Overall, the relaying conditions encountered in the
single-circuit operation of double-circuit lines are pre-
dominantly those giving apparent reactance values less than
the actual values. As such, the conditions relate to the
selection of protection forward-reach settings that guard
against the zone 1 relays responding to faults external to the
circuit protected. In these terms, the paper provides an account
of the relaying errors that may arise in a particular line con-
struction and form of interconnection for fault and prefault
operating conditions typical of the line. For this case, the
errors in reactance measurement under earth-fault conditions
in which the effects of fault resistance are discounted can
reach 18-20%. More generally, for 400kV circuits of the
type analysed, of different lengths and in different applica-
tions, a range of 20-25 % could be regarded as typical maxi-
mum values. The presence of fault resistance would add to
this, and its effect would follow the pattern reported in
earlier work.3
Applications relating to lines of different construction may
require specific study, and the computer methods on which
the present studies have been based may be easily adapted for
these. In this context, the Z^JZQ ratio may represent a
useful index for preliminary checking purposes. For a typical
132kV double-circuit line, the ratio has a scalar value of
0-36, whereas it is 0-48 for the 400kV circuit analysed. In-
creasing values of the ratio will, in general, be accompanied
by increasing discrepancies between the effective coverage
of the protection and the nominal forward reach to which it
is set in application.
6 Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Prof. C. Adamson and to
Prof. L. M. Wedepohl for their interest and encouragement
in this work, and for the facilities in the Power Systems
Laboratory, University of Manchester Institute of Science &
Technology. They are grateful for discussions with J. Rushton
and D. W. Lewis, and to S. Manickavasagar for his co-
operation in some of the preliminary work.
7 References
1 ADAMSON, c , and TURELI, A.: 'Errors of sound-phase compensation
and residual-compensation systems in earth-fault distance relaying',
Proc. IEE, 1965, 112, (7), pp. 1369-1382
2 DAVISON, E. B., and WRIGHT, A.: 'Some factors affecting the accuracy
of distance-type protective equipment under earth-fault conditions',
ibid., 1963. 110, (9), pp. 1678-1688
3 HUMPAGE, w. D., and KANDIL, M. s.: 'Measuring accuracy of distance
protection with particular reference to earth-fault conditions on
400kV looped circuit interconnections', ibid., 1970, 117, (2),
pp. 431-438
4 HUMPAGE, w. D., and LEWIS, D. w.: 'Distance protection of teed
circuits', ibid., 1967, 114, (10), pp. 1483-1498
5 LEWIS, D. w.: 'Discriminative properties of protection for e.h.v.
circuits and circuit groups'. Ph.D. thesis, University of Manchester,
6
1968
RUSHTON, J. : 'The discriminative bases of power system protection'.
Ph.D. thesis, University of Manchester, 1967
770
8 Appendixes
8.1 Apparent impedance presented to distance
protection under conditions of single-circuit
working
In Fig. 2 is shown the equivalent zero-phase-sequence
circuit of a double-circuit interconnection with one circuit
isolated and earthed at both ends. In representing single-
phase-earth fault conditions, the circuit is series-connected
at the point of fault with the positive-, and negative-phase-
sequence networks. Of the total current flowing into the
circuit from the negative-phase-sequence network, component
70 flows through the zero-phase-sequence path of the circuit
in service. The voltage V'o in the earthed circuit corresponding
to this is therefore given by
Vo = hZmo (2)
In turn, this circulates a current IQ in the closed-path repre-
sentation of the earthed circuit, where
(.->)
The voltage VQ at the relay location in the zero-phase sequence
may therefore be formed as
(4)
The positive- and negative-phase-sequence components of
voltage V\ and V2 at the relay location are given by
and V2 = I2Z2
Subject to the assumption that Zx = Z2, the phase-a con-
ductor-earth voltage Va for a single-phase-earth fault on
phase a may then be expressed as
(6)
In the residual-current method1*2 of relay-signal compensa-
tion, the relaying signal Ira takes the form
Zo Z (
4 + A) (7)
in which Ia is the phase a current.
The apparent impedance Zra presented to the phase-a
earth-fault relay, is formed from the ratio VJIra, and sub-
stituting for Va from eqn. 6 and for Ira from 7 gives
x
-7 0 *"om (Q\
ra ~
ha
8.2 400kV line parameters
The parameters on which the study results, summarised
in Tables 1-3, are based are collected together in Table 4.
In Table 4, impedance values are tabulated in Q/mile for
four conductors per phase each of 0-4in2 cross-sectional area,
for a conductor resistivity of 3-21 x 10~8Qm and an earth
resistivity of lOOQm.
PROC. IEE, Vol. 117, No. 4, APRIL 1970