Evaluating the Operation of

Distance Elements Using the

CAPE-ATP Link
in the
Computer-Aided Protection Engineering System
(CAPE)

Prepared for

CAPE Users’ Group

August 30-31, 2010

Electrocon International, Inc.

Ann Arbor, Michigan USA

This document is the sole property of Electrocon International, Inc. and is provided to the
CAPE Users’ Group for its own use only. It may not be supplied to any third party, or
copied or reproduced in any form, without the express written permission of Electrocon
International, Inc. All copies and reproductions shall be the property of Electrocon
International, Inc. and must bear this ownership statement in its entirety.
Operation of Distance Relays with CAPE-ATP Link 2010 Users’ Group Meeting

Evaluating the Operation of Distance Elements Using the CAPE-ATP Link

I. Introduction

A previous document presented the integration of the solution engine of ATP as object code
into a dynamic-linked library usable by CAPE [1]. This tool may render valuable
information to the protection engineer where phasor models are unable to provide the
analysis information necessary for protection tasks such as setting, contingency analysis,
response to CT and VT transients, etc.

As an example of the potential of a CAPE-ATP link, this document presents an example of a

transient study linked to the CAPE protection model. In particular, the transient study
presented here focuses on the response of the memory voltage function used by the distance
zones of the General Electric D90 Plus relay [2].

Other types of protection studies can be run using this emerging application. However,
their demonstration will have to await a future opportunity owning to lack of time to
develop them for this meeting.

II. Description of the Memory Voltage Function in the D90 Plus

The following figure shows the memory voltage logic employed by the distance protection
functions in the D90 Plus relay.

Memory Voltage Logic of Distance Functions in the GE D90 Plus

The memory voltage function in the D90 Plus is formed by three three-cycle-old queues.
Each of these queues contains successive samples of a phase-to-ground voltage signal. The
first position of a queue is the sample taken from the signal three-cycles ago. This means
that, if the memory voltage is required at the present time, then the values in the first
positions of the queues are taken.

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Operation of Distance Relays with CAPE-ATP Link 2010 Users’ Group Meeting

As time passes, the voltage signals are sampled and the memory voltage queues are either
updated or preserved. For each queue, when the memory voltage is updated:

• The three-cycle-old sample, stored at the first position of a queue, is discarded. The first
position is open and available.
• The remaining samples in the queue are rolled forward. This means that a sample
occupying position n in the queue will now occupy position n-1. Therefore, the first
position, which formerly was open, will be occupied by the sample previously stored in
position 2.
• Rolling forward the samples in a queue also means that the last position of a queue is
available. The present sample of voltage is stored at the last position of the queue.

Updating the Memory Voltage Queue

The memory voltage cannot be updated when the frequency of the system is moving away
from the nominal value, and new samples become out of synchronism with the stored
values. In these cases, the logic preserves the memory voltage information stored at the
current time. However, to comply with the passage of time, the samples in a memory queue
must rotate one position. At the end of this action, the sample stored in the first position
will occupy the last position of the queue, and the rest of the samples will occupy a single
rolled-forward position.

Preserving the Memory Voltage Queue

To determine whether the memory voltage queue should be updated, the logic requires the
use of RMS voltages. The computation of RMS voltages requires time-sampled values of
the voltages. The CAPE phasor model of the D90 Plus relay [3] cannot handle this type of
logic. However, the computation of RMS values does not pose a problem for the approach
now being presented. For transient studies, the phasor relay model was modified to
accommodate the simulation of the memory voltage logic.

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Operation of Distance Relays with CAPE-ATP Link 2010 Users’ Group Meeting

The memory voltage is forced to be used to polarize the distance functions when the setting
“Force Memory Polarization” is set “On”. Likewise, self-polarization can also be forced to be
used by the distance elements when the setting “Force Self Polarization” is set “On”.

III. Modeled Power System for the Simulation

A fictitious radial system was employed for the simulations. The figure below shows the
configuration of the power system employed for the simulation, as modeled in CAPE.

Power System Model of the Simulation Example

IV. Protective Relay Model for the Example

A TNRM D90 Plus model was assigned to protect the line connecting the STE6 bus with the
BVI6 bus. The parameters of the TNRM employed are the same as presented in Reference
4. The relay model supervises a circuit breaker with an arc clearing time of one cycle.

Apart from the CAPE database of the system example, it was necessary to create an ATP
case file modeling the same system. This ATP case contained the CSRM call described in
Reference 5.

Two cases are presented here for the demonstration of the transient operation of the
distance elements of the GE D90 Plus:

In the first case, the zone 1 phase distance element (21P1) of the D90 Plus relay is forced to
use self-polarization (the setting “Force Self Polarization” is set as “On” and the setting
“Force Memory Polarization” is set as “Off”.)

In the second case, the same zone 1 phase distance element is forced to use memory voltage
as the polarization quantity (the setting “Force Self Polarization” is set as “Off” and the
setting “Force Memory Polarization” is set as “On”.)

In both cases, a three-phase fault is simulated at 50% of the line connecting the buses STE6
and BVI6, at a time of 0.2 seconds.

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Operation of Distance Relays with CAPE-ATP Link 2010 Users’ Group Meeting

V. Results

The following figure shows the apparent impedances of loop C-A computed by CAPE under
the conditions described. The label accompanying each plotted point is the time in cycles
after the simulation starting time.

Zone 1 Phase Distance Element and Estimated Apparent Impedance

The figure shows how the system moves from the steady-state operating point (11.96 cycles)
to the interior of the distance characteristic when the fault is applied at 12 cycles. The last
apparent impedance arbitrarily plotted is at 13.0013 cycles.

Please notice that the steady-state characteristics shown in the figure are only a reference
for analyzing the operation of the distance functions, since the use of the memory voltage
for polarization will expand the operating characteristics (dynamic characteristic). At this
time, CAPE does not have an application that allows displaying such expanded
characteristics within the time-domain environment.

A deeper understanding of the internal logic of the distance function is gained when
analyzing a log file where the different operations of the program are kept. The following
figure shows several excerpts from the log file generated for both cases.

In the figure, the top number to the left is the sample number, followed by the equivalent
time in seconds. The lines that follow report the state of the memory voltage logical
variables, easily recognizable from the figure of the memory voltage logic shown at the
beginning of this document. These logical variables determine whether the memory voltage
is being updated or preserved. The excerpts also report the time of the timer contained in
the same logic.

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Operation of Distance Relays with CAPE-ATP Link 2010 Users’ Group Meeting

a) Self-Polarization b) Memory Voltage Polarization

Excerpt of the Log File for the Two Cases Simulated

Please notice that the memory voltage queue is full at the time of 0.06739 seconds (sample
1941). At this time, the operation of the phase distance element 21P1 starts being
evaluated.

The fault is applied at a time of 0.2 seconds. At the time 0.2146 seconds (sample 6181), for
both simulations, the phase distance element 21P1 operates. Details of the operation have
been included in the log file to differentiate both operations. Notice that the polarizing
voltage for each case is different. The Memory Voltage Polarization, in particular, uses the
steady-state voltage stored in the memory voltage queue. Additionally, in both simulations,
the loop C-A is the one generating the trip signal, when the angle between the operating
voltage and the polarizing voltage is in the range of +90° to –90° [2, 3].

Please notice that the operation time coincides with the apparent impedance entering the
distance characteristic at 12.8762 cycles (0.214604 seconds.)

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Operation of Distance Relays with CAPE-ATP Link 2010 Users’ Group Meeting

References

[1] “CAPE-ATP Link – Incorporating the Alternative Transient Program (ATP) as a

Dynamically-Linked Library in CAPE,” CAPE Users’ Group Meeting, June 22-23, 2010
and August 30-31, 2010.

[2] D90 Plus - Line Distance Protection System - Instruction Manual,” GEK-113258,
Revision 1.6x, GE Digital Energy Multilin, Ontario, Canada, 2008.

[3] “Setting the GE D90 Plus (v1.6x) Relay in CAPE,” Relay Quick Reference, Electrocon
International, Inc., February 2010.

[4] “CAPE-ATP Link - Enhancing Relay Models for Time Domain Studies,” CAPE Users’
Group Meeting, June 22-23, 2010.

[5] “A Proposal to Incorporate Electromagnetic Transient Studies in CAPE,” CAPE Users’

Group Meeting, June 24-25 2008.