Busbar Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

1 05/02/03
08/02 Rev. A JM, September 2004 1
 Without Busbar Protection

F1 F2

Argues
z There are fewer faults on busbars than on other parts of the
power system.
z No risk of dislocation of system due to accidental operation of
busbar protection.

2 05/02/03
08/02 2
 Without Busbar Protection

F1 F2

Drawbacks
z Slow fault clearance.
Busbar faults at F1 and F2 are cleared by remote time
delayed protection on circuits feeding the faults:
Time Delayed Overcurrent or
Time Delayed Distance Protection
3 05/02/03
08/02 3
 With Busbar Protection

BUSBAR
ZONE

F1

z Fast clearance by breakers at the busbars

4 05/02/03
08/02 4
 With Busbar Protection

BUSBAR
ZONE

F1 F2

z Where busbars are sectionalised,

Protection can limit the amount of system
disruption for a busbar fault

5 05/02/03
08/02 5
 With Busbar Protection

1/2
SS SS SS
1 87BB 2 3
87BB

21 21

6 05/02/03
08/02 6
 With Busbar Protection

2/2

87BB
87BB

21 21

7 05/02/03
08/02 7
 With No Busbar Protection

1/2

21 21 21

21 21

8 05/02/03
08/02 8
 With No Busbar Protection

2/2

21 21 21

21 21

9 05/02/03
08/02 9
 With Busbar protection

87BB
87BB

21 21

With No Busbar protection

21 21 21

21 21

1005/02/03
08/02 10
 Busbar Faults Are Usually Permanent

Causes of Busbar Faults :

z Falling debris

z Insulation failures
z Circuit breaker failures
z Current transformer failures
z Isolators switchs operated on load or outside their ratings
z Safety earths left connected

Therefore :
Circuit breakers should be tripped and locked out by busbar
protection

1105/02/03
08/02 11
 Busbar Protection must be :

z RELIABLE
– Failure to trip could cause widespread damage to the substation

z STABLE
– False tripping can cause widespread interruption of supplies to
customers / possible power system instability
z DISCRIMINATING
– Should trip the minimum number of breakers to clear the fault
z FAST
– To limit damage and possible power system instability

1205/02/03
08/02 12
 Methods of Providing Busbar Protection
z Frame to Earth (Leakage) Protection

>I

Insulation

z Blocking Scheme Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

z Differential Protection : High Impedance

Low Impedance

1305/02/03
08/02 13
 Frame Leakage Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

1405/02/03
08/02 Rev. A JM, September 2004 14
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I

Insulation

1505/02/03
08/02 15
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I

1605/02/03
08/02 16
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I

1705/02/03
08/02 17
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

>I >I

1805/02/03
08/02 18
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

z Can detect only earth faults

z Switchgear must be insulated from earth (by standing on

concrete plinth)

z Only one single earth conductor allowed on switchgear

z All cable glands must be insulated

z Switchgear sections must be insulated

1905/02/03
08/02 19
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection
Neutral Check

False Operation
because induced
loop

>I

>I

No operation
prevents from
2005/02/03
08/02 false trip 20
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

Neutral Check

>I

>I

2105/02/03
08/02 21
 Frame Leakage Busbar Protection

Neutral Check

>I

>I

2205/02/03
08/02 22
 Blocking Scheme Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

2305/02/03
08/02 Rev. A JM, September 2004 23
 Blocking Scheme Busbar Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

2405/02/03
08/02 24
 Blocking Scheme Busbar Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

2505/02/03
08/02 25
 Blocking Scheme Busbar Protection

>I >I >I >I >I

2605/02/03
08/02 26
 High Impedance Protection

Protection & Contrôle / Application

2705/02/03
08/02 Rev. A JM, September 2004 27
 Single Bus Substation

2805/02/03
08/02 28
 Single Bus Substation

P1 S1 P1 S1 P1 S1

P2 S2 P2 S2 P2 S2

2905/02/03
08/02 29
 Single Bus Substation

3005/02/03
08/02 30
 Single Bus Substation

3105/02/03
08/02 31
 Single Bus Substation

3205/02/03
08/02 32
 Double Bus Substation

3305/02/03
08/02 33
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

P1 S1

P2 S2

P1 S1 P1 S1 P1 S1 P2 S2

P2 S2 P2 S2 P2 S2 P1 S1

a Current
b

3405/02/03
08/02 34
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

Current
a
b

3505/02/03
08/02 35
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a Current
b

3605/02/03
08/02 36
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

Current
a
b

3705/02/03
08/02 37
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a Current
b

3805/02/03
08/02 38
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a Current
b

3905/02/03
08/02 39
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Tripping switching
Bus A

Bus B

Tripping a
b
a
Current b

4005/02/03
08/02 40
 Interposing CT are not acceptable

z Main CT must be identical

z Current switching via auxilliary relay is not acceptable.

Requirement of number of position contact (Disconnector

switch) is high

4105/02/03
08/02 41
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

4205/02/03
08/02 42
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Current switching

Bus A Bus A

Bus B Bus B

a a
Current b Current b

4305/02/03
08/02 43
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

4405/02/03
08/02 44
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

4505/02/03
08/02 45
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

4605/02/03
08/02 46
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

4705/02/03
08/02 47
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer
Bus A

Bus B

Current a
b

4805/02/03
08/02 48
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer

Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

4905/02/03
08/02 49
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
On Load Transfer

Bus A

Bus B

a
Current b

5005/02/03
08/02 50
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus B
Trip Bus A
Zone A
Zone B

5105/02/03
08/02 51
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus B
Trip Bus A
Current
switching
failure

Zone A
Zone B

False
Tripping

5205/02/03
08/02 52
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus B
Trip Bus A
Zone A
Zone B

Check
Zone
5305/02/03
08/02 53
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus B
Trip Bus A
Zone A
Zone B

5405/02/03
08/02 54
 Isolator Auxiliary Switches
Check Zone
Bus A

Bus B

Trip Bus B
Trip Bus A
Check
Zone
5505/02/03
08/02 55
 One Breaker and a Half
Substation

5605/02/03
08/02 56
 S1 P1

S2 P2
Bus A Bus
B
P1 P2 P2 P1

S1 S2 S2 S1

5705/02/03
08/02 57
 Bus A Bus
B

5805/02/03
08/02 58
 Bus A Bus
B

5905/02/03
08/02 59
 Bus A Bus
B

6005/02/03
08/02 60
 Bus A Bus
B

6105/02/03
08/02 61
 Bus A Bus
B

6205/02/03
08/02 62
 Bus A Bus
B
P1 P2 P2 P1

S1 S2 S2 S1

P1 P2 P2 P1

S1 S2 S2 S1

6305/02/03
08/02 63