Transformer Protection

Over-current protection in the form of fuses

may be the only protection provided to a
small 100 kVA, 11 kV/440 V distribution
transformer.
A 250 MVA, 15 kV/400 kV generator-
transformer in a large thermal power
station,on the other hand, may be provided
with very elaborate protection. This may
consist of percentage differential protection
(with harmonic restraint), a protection
against incipient faults and a protection
against over-fluxing as primary protection.
These will be backed up by the over-current
protection.
 Transformer connection
There are four basic types of connections of a three-
phase transformer, namely Y-Y,Y-, -Y and - .
The Y- and the -Y transformers introduce certain
phase shifts between the voltages and currents on the
primary and the secondary side. These phase shifts
have to be carefully considered while applying
differential protection.
While connecting the CT secondary windings, we can
choose such connections that nullify the phase shift.
Further, because of transformation ratio between the
primary and the secondary sides of the power
transformer, the primary currents for the CTs on the two
sides will be different. The CTs must, therefore, have
such ratio of transformation that currents in the relay
pilot wires, coming from the CTs on the two sides are
equal.
Thus, ratios of transformation of the CTs on the primary
and secondary side of the transformer, will in general,
be different. This will ensure that during normal load
flow as well as during external fault conditions, the
differential scheme remains stable.
 Types of Faults in Transformers
The following is a brief summary of the types of faults
that can occur in a power transformer:
HV and LV bushing flashovers (external to the tank)
HV winding earth fault
LV winding earth fault
Inter-turn fault
Core fault
Tank fault.
Phase-to-phase faults within the tank of a transformer
are relatively rare by virtue of its construction. They
are more likely to occur external to the tank on the HV
and LV bushings.
If a transformer develops a winding fault, the level of
fault current will be dictated by:
Source impedance
Method of neutral earthing
Leakage reactance
Position of fault in winding (i.e. fault voltag e).
 Percentage Differential Protection of
Transformers
Factors Affecting Differential Protection
In applying differential protection, several factors
must be considered:
1. Magnetizing inrush current , overexcitation,
and CT saturation. These conditions can result in
an unbalance to the currents applied to thevrelay,
compared with the expected currents when
power flow into the transformer is equal to the
power flow out of the transformer .
2. Different voltage levels; hence , the current
transform ers are of different types, ratios , and
performance char acteristics.
3. Phase shifts in wyedelta -connected banks.
4. Transformer taps for voltage cont ol.
5. Phase shift or voltage taps in regulating
transformers.
Development of Connections
Phase c-to-Ground (c-g) Internal Fault
 Over-current Protection

Such a scheme may serve the purpose of providing

either the primary protection for smaller transformers
or the back-up protection for bigger transformers.
The pick-up value of the phase-fault over-current units
is set such that they do not pick up on maxir.um
permissible overload, but are sensitive enough to pick
up on the smallest phase fault.
The pick-up of the earth fault relay, on the other
hand, is independent of the loading of the
transformer.
 The neutral current under load
conditions is quite small. The neutral
current is essentially because of load
unbalance.

It is interesting to note that the third

harmonic currents, in particular and
triple-n harmonics
(harmonics of order 3, 6, 9, ...) in
general, which arise due to distortions
introduced by electronic loads, also
end up as zero sequence currents and
flow through the neutral.
Restricted Earth Fault Protection(High Resistance
Ground Fault)
A percentage differential relay has a certain
minimum value of pick-up for internal faults.
Faults with fault current below this value are
not detected by the percentage differential
relay. Winding-to-core faults, which are of
the single phase-to-ground type, involving
high resistance, fall in this category .
Therefore, we must have a more sensitive
relaying scheme to cater for high resistance
ground faults. The reach of such a protection
must be restricted to the winding of the
transformer,otherwise it may operate for
any ground fault, anywhere in the system,
beyond the transformer.
Hence, such protection is known as
restricted earth fault protection.
 High Resistance Ground Faults on the Delta
Side

If there is a fault on the star side then the currents flow in

the lines connected to the delta side in such a way that
there is no spill current through the relay on the CT
secondary side, thus the reach is automatically restricted
to the delta side.

Since this is a current balance scheme, it is independent of

the load current and hence can be made as sensitive as
desired.
 High Resistance Ground Faults on the Star
Side

Ground faults beyond the star side CTs,

anywhere in the system,do cause current to
flow on the secondary of the CTs. However, the
currents circulate through the CT in the neutral
path and the CT in faulted phase.

Thus, no spill current flows and the scheme

remains stable on external faults.
 Incipient Faults in Transformers
Faults which are not significant in the beginning but which
slowly develop into serious faults are known as incipient
faults. Buchholz relay provides protection against such
incipient faults.
Buchholz Relay
Transformer Protection Application Chart