STATICCHECK

SYNCHRONISERS

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?:l ilr Measurements

o
STATICCHECK
SYNCHRONISERS
Large size and high electrical loading have
traditionallybeen limitingfactors in the designof
c o m p r e h e n s i v ec h e c k s y n c h r o n i s e r s .T h e
developmentof semiconductordevices,however,
has enabled electronic circuits to be used
effectivelyfor this application.The new units have
the advantagesof smallsize,light loadingand long
life. The variouscircuits used for the phase,slip
speed and voltage measurementsand for other
functionsare describedin this article.Depending
on the duty, some or all of these circuits are
includedin the unit. Earlyproductionmodelswere
field tested for six months, and since then large
numbers have been installed at home and
overseas,
Systemswith low internalimpedancemay only
be connectedtogether if, at the instant of con-
nection, the differencesin phase, voltage and
frequency are small. Synchronisingis usually
performed by an operator who refers to
instruments showing the voltages of the two
systems and to a synchroscope connected
between the systems. The synchroscopeis, in
effect, a two-phase motor, the rotor of which
rotates at the difference frequency (or slip)
betweenthe voltagesappliedto its two windings.
It informs the operator of both the phase and
frequencydifferencebetweenthe voltages.Once
the three parametersare within acceptablelimits
the circuit breakerclosingswitch can be operated
to connectthe two suppliestogether.
Becausethe shock imposedon the plant as a
resultof poorsynchronising can be considerable,it
is usualto includea simplechecksynchroniser in
serieswith the closingcircuit. On interconnected
systemscheck synchronisersare also necessary
for duties other than merely permissiveapplica-
tions such as the manualsynchronisation of a
generator-For example,on high voltagesystems
delayedauto-reclosing equipmentmust include
checksynchronising relayswhich allow reclosure
of the circuitbreakersonly if all the synchronising
conditionsarewithinacceptable limits.On modern
mesh-typesubstations it is commonto includeup
to twelve check synchronisersto supervisethe
auto-reclosing of both high and low voltagecircuit
breakers.
Anothersystemduty, as opposedto a generator
duty, is that of checkingthe synchronisation when
a further link is being made betweentwo parts of
an already interconnected system. Here the
system loading may be such that an appreciable
phase shift exists between the sections to be
connected.As no frequencydifferencecan exist,
the check synchroniser,used as a permissive
element in conjunction with manual synch-
ronising,consistsof a circuitfor phasedifference
measurement alone.
The development of check synchronisers
Checksynchronising equipmenthasbeenmade
in the United Kingdomfor about forty yearsand
has developedthrough various stages of com-
plexity. Until the developmentof semiconductor
devices in recent years, complex designscould
only be realisedat the expenseof large physical
size and with excessiveloading on the voltage
transformersused to drive the equipment.Early
synchroniserswere therefore constructedusing
the established principles of protective relay
design. One widely used equipmentof this type
employed three wattmetric elementsto provide
both phaseangle and slip speed measurements.
Although mechanicalcheck synchroniserswere
voltagesensitiveand difficult to set up, they have
only beensupersededsuccessfullyin the last five
years. Electroniccircuits employing thermionic
valveshavebeenusedby one manufacturerin the
USA to overcomethe voltagetransformerloading
problem,but this advantageis outweighedby the
filament and anode voltage requirementsand
limitedlife span of the valves.
Transistors enable economic circuits to be
designedfor eventhe most complexdutieswhich
can be envisagedfor check synchronisers.The
voltage requirementis such that availablestation
auxiliarysuppliescan be used insteadof voltage
transformersto drive the output switchingrelays.
ln addition the expectedlife far exceedsthat of
thermionic valves. For these reasons semi-
conductortechniqueshavebeenusedin all recent
checksynchroniserdevelopments.
Basic design features
A l l c h e c k s y n c h r o n i s e r si n c l u d e p h a s e
measurementcircuits which define the angular
range over which closure may be attempted.
ldeallythisangularrangeshouldbe independent of
absolute frequency, supply voltages and wave-
forms, or slip frequency.
Where check synchronisersmust initiate the
actual closure of circuit breakers, as in auto-
reclosing, it is usual to include means for
measuringthe frequencydifferencebetweenthe
systemsto be connected.Closureis preventedif
this slip is greaterthan a presetmaximum,which
dependson the permittedangle for closureand
also on the closingperiodof thd circuit breaker.
To prevent closure when abnormal voltage
conditionsexist, variousvoltage lock-outcircuits
have been devised.For auto-reclosingduties the
voltage lock-out gives a permissivesignalif both
voltagesarewithin presetpercentagelimitsof their
nominalvalue.Another type permitsoperationof
the phase measurementcircuits if the difference
betweenthe two voltagesis lessthan the setting.
Sometimesfurther safeguardsare includedfor
synchronisinggenerators,in case the operator
closesthe controlswitch prematurelyand relieson
the synchroniserto perform the actual closure'
Thesesafeguardscan be either part of the check
synchroniser itself or in the form of external
auxiliaryrelays.They decidewhether the switch
was operated before or after the acceptable
conditionswere reachedand prevent closure if
necessary.
The range of static check synchronisers
A range of static check synchronisershas been
designed to meet the varying requirementsof
users in the power supply, marine and general
industrialfields. Eachunit containsthe following
standard equipmentr isolatingtransformers,stabil-
ised d.c. power supply. a.c. voltage monitor,
preset phasecomparator,and electromechanical
non-sensitiveoutput relay. The simplestvariant
contains an alternative angle setting. Another
versionincludesa short time delaywhich permits
phasemeasurementto take placefor a periodof

common
from running
voltage
transformer
auxiliary
d.c. supply
Figure L A block diagram of the check synchroniser circuits.
50 ms after manual operation of the closing
srryitch.ff the phasesof the two voltagesarewithin
limits for the duration of this period, a 100ms
output pulselatchesin an auxiliaryrelayacrossthe
synchronisercontacts and causesclosureof the
circuit breaker. Should the phase limits be
exceededat the instant of operatingthe switch,
closurewill not result even if the switch is not
returnedto the'open position.A static time delay
relay operatingin conjunctionwith the standaril
equipment provides slip speed measurement.
Either one of two calibrated voltage lock-out
circuitsmay alsobe included.A blockdiagramof
the completeequipmentis givenin Figure1.
All versions of the check synchroniserare
housedin a standardcasemeasuring6 in x 5 in x
5 in intendedfor back-of-panelmounting. An
exampleof one of the synchronisers with its cover
removedis shown in Figure2.
Phasemeasurement
It is necessaryto determineelectricallywhether
or not the phase angle differencebetween two
sinusoidalvoltagesof similar amplitudeand the
same frequencyis within specifiedangularlimits
symmetricalabout the in-phasecondition.One of
the simplestways of doing this is to subtractthe
voltagesalgebraicallyand comparethe resulting
Figure 2. The static check synchroniser with its case
removed, showing the two isolating transformers, the
output relay, the transistorised circuits and the preset
vohage tolerance and time delay adjustments.
phase angle
comparator and
integrating
amPlifier
slip speed
measuremenl
timer
flr f,"l
modulatedbeat waveform envelopewith a d.c.
reference voltage, Figure 3. The intersections
betweenthe referencevoltage and the envelope
are symmetrical aboutthe in-phaseconditions.
In practicethe incomingand runningvoltages
from the generator and system voltage trans-
formers are subtracteddirectly by transformers.
The resultingwaveformis then full-waverectified
thus assistingthe followingsmoothingcircuitby
effectively doubling the high frequency
componentof the waveformwithout affectingthe
required low frequency term. The rectified
waveformis then passedto a gate, the output of
which is determinedby the most positiveapplied
signal. The gate will be describedlater; it does
not affect phase measurementunder normal
operation.
Figure 3. The beat waveform envelope produced by
subtracting the incoming and running voltages. The
intersections at +0o, obtained when the envelope is
compared with a d.c. reference voltage. are also
shown.
The unidirectionalpulsatingbeat waveform is
appliedto a singletransistorintegratingamplifier,*
there being three advantagesin doing this. The
requiredtime constantcan readilybe achieved
evenwith smallcapacitors;the output impedance
of the amplifieris sufficientlylow, becauseof the
transistorgain,to beableto drivean outputcircuit;
and the same amplifier can be used as the
comparatorby feedingthe d.c. reference voltage
directlyinto the emittercircuit.
Most synchronisers employingbeat waveforms
as a basis of phase measurement make no
allowancefor the transformervoltagesdiffering
either from nominal or from each other. lt is
unlikelythat synchronising would be permittedon
*British PatentApplicationNo. 265f//U.
generatorswith voltagesdifferingby morethan a
few per cent becauseof encroachmenton the
stabilitylimits, particularlywhen the generatoris
under-excited. Thereis a realpossibility,however,
that synchronisingmay be requiredwhere the
voltages,though equal,both differfrom nominal
by as muchas 20o/o.Sincea changein amplitude
of the beatwaveformis equivalentto a phaseshift
in this type of synchroniser,it is apparentthat
errors in the setting angle will occur at voltages
other than that for which the equipment was
initiallycalibrated.Accordingly,steps have been
takento makethe checksynchronisers insensitive
to equal supply voltagesdiffering from nominal.
The type of correctionrequiredcan be determined
from a considerationof the method used to
measurephaseangle.
lf o9 and tl>sarethe angularfrequenciesrespec-
tivelyof the incominggeneratorvoltageVsand the
system voltage %, the instantaneousdifference
voltageu is givenby
r'"e+ @s)f (rn ,")t
t : 2Vrcos,y , As the time is inherentlylinear,a semi-logarithmic
2 "in 2 potentiometeris usedto expandthe lower portion
where Vt : Vs : % for equalvoltages.
After rectificationand smoothing,eachcycleat
the differencefrequencyis of the form
vr : 2vt"in!9erI9dr
Hence to ensure a constant phase angle for
variationsof signalvoltage
vo:2Vtk
wherek is the sineof that angle,and
vnq,2Vt
lVg+ Vsl
T h u s a d . c . r e f e r e n c ep o t e n t i a l m a d e
proportionalto the sum of the peakvoltagesof the
two supplies will accurately compensatefor
systemvoltagevariationsand will maintaina well
defined angle setting provided that the two
voltagesremainequal.The referenceisfed directly
into the integrating amplifier.Compensation is not
perfect with differing supply voltages but any
differencetends to reducethe permittedangleof
closure, and this is therefore an inherentlysafe
feature.
The voltageoutput of the integratingamplifier
changes over an angle of approximately30
electrical.Over this angle the output signal
containsan appreciable amountof ripplevoltage
which, if fed directlyinto the output relay,would
causevibrationand consequential burningof the
contacts.The output circuitthereforeincludesa
measureof backlashsufficientlylargeto prevent
vibrationdue to the ripple.Uncertaintyin angle
settingdue to this backlashis only 0.50electrical.
Slip speed measurement
The simplestmethod of determiningwhether
the differencefrequencybetweentwo suppliesis
lessthan a certainvalueis to checkthat the phase
angletraversedin a definedperiodis lessthan an
appropriatepredeterminedvalue. In the check
synchroniser, phaseanglemeasurement is already
available,henceslipspeedmeasurement is readily
achieved.The output from the phase measure-
ment circuit is arrangedto drive an accurately
calibratedtimer, which operatesthe closingrelay
on completion of its timing cycle provided the
output from the phase measurementcircuit
persists.
The timer usesthe constantcurrentdischargeof
a tantalum capacitor and introduces a precise
delay over a wide range of temperaturesand
supplyvoltages.
The extra delays introducedby point-of-wave
effectsand integrationin the phasemeasurement
circuitproducea smallangleerrorproportional to
slip speed.With slip speedsgreaterthan zerothe
pick-up and drop-off limits of the phase angle
measurement changesuchthat theyare no longer
symmetricalabout the in-phasepoint. However,
the total angle traversed between these limits
remainsthe same, and the accuracyof the slip
speed measurementis independent of delays
introducedby the phasemeasurement.
Typically,the time settingsrequiredfor an angle
setting of 35o are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 seconds,
corresponding to 0.19,0.13,0.09,0.08,0.06and
0.04 per cent slip with a 50 Hz supplyfrequency.
of the scale.
Voltage measurement
Two distinct types of voltage lockout circuit
were developedto meet differing requirements.
The first had to preventsynchronisingif eitherthe
runningor incomingsupplywas lessthana preset
percentageof the nominalin the range80-907o,
and the secondhadto preventsynchronisingif the
differencesbetween the incoming and running
suppliesexceededa presetpercentagein the range
2-'l0o/o,with an overridinglock-outif both supplies
were lessthan 507oof nominal.
For the former, a stabilisedvoltage reference
supplyis availablefrom the powersupplycircuitof
the synchroniser.Voltages proportionalto the
incomingand runningsuppliesare rectifiedand
smoothed, Figure 4, and the resultingd'c.
voltages are separatelycompared with the
stabilGedd.c. power supply, the magnitudeof
which represents the nominalsupplyvoltage.The
differencevoltage in each case causesa defined
currentto flow througha presetresistorRt and a
similarcurrentto flow in a fixed resistorRr, the
voltageacrosswhich is fed into the gate of the
phasemeasurement circuit.
Positivevoltagesgreaterthan the d.c. reference
inhibitthe gate,which is now controlledby both
the phaseand the voltagesignals.The backlash
circuit againpreventsrelaychatter causedby the
smallamountof ripplein the voltagecircuit.The
calibration of R.,takesinto accountany changeof
the d.c. referencevoltagedue to variationof the
incomingand runningsupplies.
The secondtype of voltagelock-outcircuit,the
voltagedifferencelock-out,shouldideallyrespond
to percentage differences between the actual
magnitudesof each supply. The measurement
should not be related to the nominal supply
voltage, as occurs when the differencebetween
the two voltagesis comparedwith a fixedvoltage.
lf, instead, the difference is compared with a
voltage proportionalto the mean signalvoltagea
substantiallytrue measureof percentagevoltage
discrepancyis obtained. This method has been
adoptedfor the checksynchroniser.
 By rearrangingthe voltagelock-outcircuit of
Figure 4, as shown in Figure 5, a voltage is
producedacrossthe fixed resistorR, proportional
to the difference between the two supply
voltages.This voltageis fed to the gate and is
then comparedwith the voltageproportionalto
the sum of the incomingand running supplies
which is alreadypresentat the comparator.The
result is an almost true measureof percentage
voltagedifferencein the requiredrange.
Figure 4. The arrangement of the voltage lock-out
circuit used to compare the incoming and running
voltages with a fixed nominal voltage.
Rr
to gate
I Staticcircuitryis not alwaysan idealreplacement
I
I
runnrng .tn!
voltage \ . J
R,-
,r-Fl*
\l,t
lr€
)1i I
incoming
voltage
--l----r
Figure 5. The voltage difference lock-out circuit which
determines the percentage difference between the
incoming and running voltages.
Additional circuits
Oneof the ancillarycircuitsprovidesstabled.c.
power from the usual tripping or alarm circuit
batteryand removespotentiallyharmfultransient
voltagespikesin the stabilisingprocess.Another
circuit, which includes only one transistor,
monitors one of the two voltage transformer
supplies{see Figure 1}. Loss of the monitored
supply is detectedwithin 5 ms and the gate is
inhibited.Lossof the other supplyaloneresultsin
an unmodulatedsine wave of half the previous
amplitudebeing suppliedto the phase measure-
ment circuit.This halfamplitudesinewavewould
be equivalentto an anglesetting of 600, about
twice that normallyused.
However,by usinga referencelevelproportional
to the sum of the voltagetransformersupplies,as
alreadydescribed,lossof the unmonitoredsupply
automatically reducesthe anglesetting,and the
relay is unconditionallystable under these
conditions.
Operationalexperience
The first productioncheck synchroniserswere
givento an independent authorityfor evaluation.
After laboratorytests,they were usedon a 60 MW
steam turbine-generator set for six months, and
then re-testedin the laboratory.As a result of
these tests the synchroniserswere fully type
approved for use throughout the authority's
systems.
Largenumbersof the synchronisershavesince
been successfully commissioned both in the
United Kingdom and abroad. Operationalex-
periencehas been most satisfactory.
In conclusion
for electro-mechanicalrelays, and considerable
experiencebasedon both theoreticaland experi-
mental investigationsis necessaryif satisfactory
equipmentis to be produced.
However,wherea smallnumberof signalsmust
be applied to severalprocesseswithout unduly
loadingthe signalsources,static circuitryhas the
advantage.In additionthere are savingsin size,
weight, tooling and sometimescost. The most
complexof the synchronisersdescribedoccupies
lessthan a quarterof the spaceof its mechanical
counterpart,is easierto set up and adjust, and
costs much less.
Although the instruments were primarily
intendedfor check synchronising, a pair used in
back-upfashionin conjunctionwith a simplespeed
and voltagecontrollercould form the basisof an
automaticsynchroniser suitablefor most industrial
and marineusers.
Reprintedfrom an articleby G.W. Pickard,B.Sc.and
J. Hofdenpublishedin AEI Engineering.

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