Protective Relaying

Terms and Definitions

Quick reference of over 200 protective
relay terms and definitions, compiled from
the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers and the National Association
of Relay Manufacturers.

Understand the Risks In Your

Cloud. Take The Prisma™…

Palo Alto Networks Learn more

Acceptance test

Air gap

Ampere-turns

Armature

Armature contact

Armature relay

Auxiliary relay

Back contacts

Backstop

Backup relaying

Bar relay

Break-before-make contacts

Break contact

Break delay

Bridging

Brush

Burden

Calibration

Chatter

Clapper relay

Close-differential relay

Coil

Commissioning test

Contact arrangement

Contact bounce

Contact follow

Contact gap

Contact over travel

Contact separation

Contact spring

Contacts

Contactor

Continuity-transfer contacts

Continuous-duty relay

Current balance relay

Current rating

Current relay

Current transformer

Cycle timer

De-energize

Definite-purpose relay

Delay relay

Diagnostic tests

Differential relay

Directional relay

Directional test

Double-break contacts

Double-make contacts

Double-throw contacts

Double-wound coil

Drop-out values

Duty cycle

Electric reset

Electromagnetic relay

Electrostatic spring shields

Enclosed relay

Energize

Extension spring

Fast-operate relay

Fast-operate fast-release relay

Fast-operate slow-release relay

Fast-release relay

Fixed contacts

Flight time

Follow-through contacts

Frame

Front contacts

Functional test

Gasket-sealed relay

General-purpose relay

Hand-reset

Harsh conditions

Header

Hermetically sealed relay

High-speed relay

Hold values

Homing

Hum

Impregnated coils

Inductive winding

Input

Instrument relay

Instrument transformer

Interlock relay

Intermittent-duty relay

Latch-in relay

Level

Level contact

Load test

Locking relay

Lock-Out Relay

Low-capacitance contacts

Make contact

Magnetic air gap

Magnetic freezing

Magnetic switch

Make-before-break contacts

Make delay

Mercury-contact relay

Microprocessor relay

Motor-driven relay

Movable contact

Multiple-break contacts

Multiple pileup

Multiple stack

Neutral relay

Nonbridging

Nonhoming

Noninductive windings

Nonmagnetic shim

Nonoperate value

Normal position

Normal sequence of operation

Normal-speed relay

Normally open contacts

Off-limit contacts

Off-normal contacts

Operate time NC

Operate time NO

Operate values

Operating frequency

Output

Overload relay

Partially enclosed relay

Partially sealed relay

Periodic testing

Pickup values

Pileup

Plant protection system testing

Plunger relay

Polarized relay

Pole

Pole face

Potential Transformer

Protective relay system

Pull-in values

Pull-on values

Qualified Person

Ratchet relay

Rated coil current

Rated coil voltage

Rated contact current

Relay

Relay calibration

Release factor

Release time NO

Release time NC

Release values

Repeating timer

Residual gap

Residual pins

Residual screws

Residual setting

Residual shim

Restoring spring

Retractile spring

Rotary relay

Rotary stepping relay

Rotary stepping switch

Sealed relay

Self-cleaning contacts

Selector relay

Sequence control

Sequence relay

Shading coil

Shading ring

Slave relay

Slow-operate fast-release relay

Slow-operate relay

Slow-operate slow-release relay

Slow-release relay

Slow-speed relay

Slug

Solenoid relay

Solid-state relays

Special protection system

Special-purpose relay

Specified duty relay

Spring buffer

Spring pileup

Spring stud

Stack

Stationary contact

Stepping relay

Target

Telephone-type relay

Tension spring

Thermal relay

Throw

Time-delay relay

Timing relay

Transfer time

Transfer time on operate

Transfer time on release

Transit time

Trip values

Troubleshooting

Undercurrent relay

Undervoltage relay

Unenclosed relay

Winding

Wiper

Wiping contacts

Acceptance test — A calibration and functional

test of a new or replacement relay to ensure it is
in proper working order prior to installation.

Air gap — Sometimes used for contact

separation or for magnetic air gap.

Ampere-turns — The product of the number of

turns in a magnetic coil and the root means
square (rms) current in amperes passing
through the coil.

Armature — Hinged or pivoted moving part of

the magnetic circuit of an electromagnetic relay.
It is used in a general sense to mean any
moving part that actuates contacts in response
to a change in coil current.

Armature contact — Sometimes used for a

movable contact.

Armature relay — A relay operated by an

electromagnet that, when energized, causes an
armature to be attracted to a fixed pole (or
poles).

Auxiliary relay — A relay that operates in

response to opening and closing of its operating
circuit to assist another relay or device in
performing a function.

Back contacts — Sometimes used for the

stationary contact of single-pole, normally closed
contacts. Same as normally closed contacts.

Backstop — The part of a relay that limits

movement of the armature away from the pole
piece or core.

Backup relaying — Supplementary relaying

designed to operate if a primary relay should
malfunction or a circuit breaker fails to operate.
Backup relaying usually disconnects more of the
power system than just the part with the faulty
element, since this is necessary to remove the
abnormal condition and to minimize the effect on
the remainder of the system.

Bar relay — A relay so designed that a bar

actuates several contacts simultaneously.

Break-before-make contacts — Contacts that

interrupt one circuit before establishing another.

Back to Top

Break contact — Same as back contact.

Break delay — Sometimes used for release

time.

Bridging — Describes a contact transfer in

which the movable contact touches the normally
open contact before leaving the normally closed
contact during the transfer action, thus never
completely opening the circuit of the movable
contact.

Brush — Sometimes used for wiper.

Burden — The impedance of the circuit

connected to the secondary winding. For
potential transformers the burden is often
expressed in terms of equivalent volt-amperes
(VA) and power factor at a given voltage and
frequency.

Calibration — See relay calibration.

Chatter — A sustained rapid opening and

closing of contacts caused by variations in the
coil current, mechanical vibration, shock,
problems with laminations in the magnetic core,
or incorrect travel of the armature.

Clapper relay — Sometimes used for armature

relay.

Close-differential relay — Sometimes used for

marginal relay.

Coil — A magnetic or thermal winding to which

energy is supplied to activate the relay.

Commissioning test — A test of the total relay

system after installation or modification or for
troubleshooting purposes. It includes tests of the
instrument transformers and all wiring and relay
outputs with actual trip testing of the circuit
breaker.

Back to Top

Contact arrangement — The combination of

different basic contact forms to make up the
entire relay switching structure.

Contact bounce — Uncontrolled making and

breaking of contact when relay contacts are
moved to the closed position.

Contact follow — The distance two contacts

travel together after just touching.

Contact gap — Same as contact separation.

Contact over travel — Sometimes used for

contact follow.

Contact separation — Maximum distance

between mating relay contacts when the
contacts are in the open position.

Contact spring — A current-carrying spring to

which contacts are fastened.