Power System Protection

Lecture 1

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Fault effect!

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3 phase diagram of protection scheme
CTs CB

Protected
Control Equipment

Relay

VTs

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 Switchgear
• It is a general term covering a wide range of equipment
concerned with switching and protection. All equipment
associated with fault clearing process is covered by the
term switchgear. Switchgear includes Switches, Fuses,
Circuit Breaker (CB), Isolator, Control Panels, Lightning
Arrestor, Current Transformer (CT), Potential Transformer
(PT), and various associated equipment.

• Switchgear is necessary at every switching in a power

system. Between the generating station and final load
point, there are several voltages and fault levels. Hence in
various application, the requirement of the switchgear vary
depending upon the location, rating and local requirement

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Switchgear

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Switchgear

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Switchgear

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 Control gear
• It is used for switching and controlling power
consuming devices. It is a form of switching
device capable of making and breaking the
current in one or more electric circuit such as
contactor, CB, switches, thyristor.

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 Fuse
• Fuse is the simplest and cheapest current interrupting
device for protection of the electrical devices from
excessive currents. So it can be used for overload and /or
short circuit protection.
• Metals those are used for making fuse includes: tin, zinc,
silver, antimony, copper, aluminium, and some other
alloys.
• Minimum fusing current: current at which fuse melts
• Current rating: normal operating current

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 Fuse

Drop out Fuse

Semi-enclosed/Re-wire able Fuse
Totally Enclosed/cartridge Fuse

HRC ( High Rupturing capacity) cartridge Fuse

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 HRC Fuse
Advantages:
Capable of clearing high as well as low current.
Do not deteriorate with high speed.
Quite reliable and selective
Consistent in performance
Cheap and less maintenance

Disadvantage:
Must be replaced after each operation
Produce high heating of adjacent contacts

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 Circuit Breaker
It is a device capable of making and breaking an electric circuit
under normal and abnormal conditions such as short circuits.

It has two basic functions:

•Switching during normal operating conditions for
operation and maintenance.
•Switching during abnormal condition for interrupting
the fault current caused by short circuits.

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Typical components of CB
1. Actuator lever - used to manually trip and reset
the circuit breaker. Also indicates the status of the
circuit breaker (On or Off/tripped). Most breakers
are designed so they can still trip even if the lever
is held or locked in the "on" position. This is
sometimes referred to as "free trip" or "positive
trip" operation.
2. Actuator mechanism - forces the contacts
together or apart.
3. Contacts - Allow current when touching and break
the current when moved apart.
4. Terminals
5. Bimetallic strip.
6. Calibration screw - allows the manufacturer to
precisely adjust the trip current of the device
after assembly.
7. Solenoid
8. Arc divider/extinguisher
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Sequence of operation

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