70

Reverse-Power
PAC history

Leakage Suppression
Winding for Differential
CTs, Btow, 1925

History is the tutor of life

Generator Protection, AEG

PAC.SUMMER.2009
 by Walter Schossig

Protection
71

History Biography
Walter Schossig
(VDE) was born
in Arnsdorf (now
Czech Republic) in
1941. He studied
electrical engi-
neering in Zittau
(Germany), and

Generator
joined a utility in
the formerEastern
Germany.After the
German reunion

Protection
the utility was
Special protection functions have been de- renamed as TEAG,
now E.ON Thuer-
veloped for bigger generators. inger Energie AG in
Erfurt. There he re-

Overvoltage, Differential, Turn-to-Turn-Fault

ceived his Masters
degree andworked
as a protection
engineer until his
The first developments in generator protection it operates more or less immediately. In 1920 generators retirement. He was
have been discussed in the last issue of PACW. Since the were equipped with at least two-phase or better three-phase a member of many
machines became bigger special protection functions have reverse-current tripping device with sensitive setup: the relays study groups and
been developed and will be discussed in this article. should only trip in case of internal faults. Backup protection associations. He is
Reverse-Power Protection was realized by high-current tripping devices with a long an active member
In the first years a reverse power has been indicated by delay. In case of tripping of the generator circuit-breaker the of the working
an annunciation only. H&B produced a reverse-current and generator had to be de-excited. This avoids fire in the winding group Medium
direction-of-current indicator in 1894 (Fig. 1). The rotating of the generators. Voltage Relaying
red disk in front of white plate showed the irregularity. Only one power relay was used at this time because the at the German
Directional relays have been used to distinguish between engineers thought that only in case of a failure a power in that VDE. He is the
short-circuits at busbar or in feeders and failures in the direction could occur. Such a "reverse power" is possible in case author of several
generator. They could detect if the current flows from the of power swing, bad synchronization or during a short circuit papers, guidelines
generator into the grid or in reverse direction. These relays with up to 15% of the nominal power of the generator. Such and the book
used current transformers in the generator circuit breakers; reverse relays should not endanger normal operation. The Netzschutztechnik
this location was the border where the overcurrent should trip setting should be above the value mentioned or with a time [Power System Pro-
without time delay. longer than the power swing (1.5 s). Of course in that case the tection]. He works
A combined overcurrent and reverse-power relay efficiency of the protection was quite poor. on a chronicle
for generators was shown by AEG in 1903 (Fig. 5). An The clearing time was long (for a generator protection) about the history
aluminum-disk was driven by a magnetic three-leg core. The and the relay operates only in case of a terminal short-circuit of electricity sup-
outer legs have been excited by the voltage, the middle one because the voltage collapses and an active power of more than ply, with emphasis
by current. At normal direction of current even in case of a 10% could not be measured anymore. This "dead zone" could on protection and
huge overcurrent the relay is delayed, in case of reverse current be avoided particularly with a directional relay used in a 30- or control.

PAC.SUMMER.2009
 72
PAC history
50-scheme. Now the relay starts up even in case of inductive
reactive currents during unequal excitation.
5 Combined overcurrent and reverse-power
relay, AEG, 1903
On Ascension Day 1924 a disaster occurred in a steam
station in Erfurt (Germany) during the taking of a generator
out of service. The bolt of the trip valve was full of salt and
could not interrupt completely the steam supply. Now the
rotor was accelerated and the new installed generator was
destroyed completely.
In the 1920s AEG developed the RR2 power relays. See
Fig. 2. They consist of two induction driving elements with
a common Ferraris-disk. Springs hold them in the middle
position. The driving elements work in Aaron-circuit. An
arm moved according to the amount and direction of power.
It was more or less a wattmeter with a contact. The switching
capacity was poor and an auxiliary relays was necessary.
Reverse power protection was later used for protection of
steam turbines.
The turbine operates as a synchronous motor and it could
be damaged.
Circuit and view of a 2-pole reverse-power protection
CG90c (BBC) is shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 10.
To avoid a tripping of the protection in case of turbine blade
1 Reverse-
salt deposits, the tripping signal is active only if the valve 2 is
closed (Fig.4).
current & direc- ZPA produced the reverse-power relay GSCT12 (Fig. 9)
tion-of-current in the early 1970s. For measuring a ferrodynamic relay SW
indication in Figure 8 was used. An advantage of this device was the
V&H, 1894 sensitivity for harmonics because it trips on the mean value
of the products of voltage and current. A torque was produced A definite time reverse power relay, type WCG, produced
only in case of equal fundamental or harmonic. by GEC in 1988 is shown in Fig. 11.
These relays could be used for earth-fault detection too. Differential Protection
The successor was the static relay GSCT12X in 1981. Effective short-circuit protection became possible with the
BBC produced a static PPX110/111 (Fig. 6) in the 1970s. introduction of differential protection. First developments
This relay was used for supervision and tripping of generators, and the usage for transformer and line protection have been
but it also could detect if a generator still receives energy in case covered in the last issues of this magazine. The most common
of a leak valve. Another usage was for huge changes of load basic connections in the 1930s are shown in Fig. 15.
which could cause an out-of-step of the generator. All these Unlike transformer differential the same transformers
conditions could be supervised and evaluated with a counter. (type, construction, ratio) could be used in star point,

2 Direction of 3 Reverse-power 4 Circuit of reverse- 6 Power relays PPX110-1 7 Differential cur-

power relays protection CG90c power protection rent transformer
RR2, AEG BBC, 1943 BBC, 1968 BBC, 1978 AEG, 1927
approximately 1925

PAC.SUMMER.2009

Effective and fast short-
circuit protection
became possible with the
introduction of differential
relays.
matching transformers and tap changers were not needed.
Due to missing no-load current a more sensitive setup was
possible.
The differential relay produced by AEG in 1925 (DR in
Fig. 14) worked without timing element. It operates with
Ferraris' principle and tripped with a time delay for small
currents and instantaneously with large currents. According
to the requirements from the customers two- and three-phase
devices with a time range of 1 up to 6 seconds have been
produced.
An appropriate circuit was the magnetic differential
(Byrd-transformer as shown in Fig. 15c).
An iron core was connected at the beginning and the end of
every leg. The secondary winding was connected to differential
relays (in that case sensitive overcurrent relays). The neutral
point is created beyond the transformer group. Other devices
such as overcurrent relays and measuring devices (not shown
in the figure) could be connected too.
Conventional differential schemes use six CTs transforming
the nominal current of the transformer (e.g. 1000 A) to 5 A.
Here the winding D was connected in a special manner to
achieve highest sensitivity. The impedance of the winding was
selected the same as the relay's. Instead of a ratio 1000 A/5 A
= 200, ratio of 25 has been used and so the sensitivity (or the
safety against disturbances) was 8 times higher.
If every iron core got only one winding, false currents
occurred even in case of equal primary currents due to
8 Reverse-power 9 Reverse-power
relays GSCT12-S1 relays GSCT-S1
wiring diagram, ZPA, 1976 ZPA, 1976
73
non-symmetrical configuration of the conductors. Dr. W.
Btow proposed in 1925 (DRP 456202 and 480371) a
leakage suppression winding.
The iron core (shown on the spread) carried 18 coils,
couples connected in series. These groups have been connected
in parallel to the differential relays (clamp D). In case of one
electromagnetic force bigger than the other one (because it
was near to a primary conductor and thats why in a stronger
field) the equalizing current flows to the coil with the smaller
electromagnetic force.
The magnetic field of the equalizing current superimposes
the field of the primary currents, the magnetic flux in all
cross-sections of the core was equal as long as the primary
currents are equal. The flux has been moved from a stronger
magnetic point in the core to a lighter magnetized one. With
such CTs differential currents as low as 0.1 % of the nominal
current could be safely detected.
For instance the four 30000 kVA generators in the
Vermuntwerk (Austria) and the two 40000 kVA generators
in the pump-storage power station Herdecke (Germany) have
been equipped with such a protection.
These CTs never became popular because the customers
preferred standard transformers.
In connection with stator earth fault protection BBC
recommended in 1945 a simplified differential protection
using single pole differential relays (Fig. 16). In case of
phase-to-phase short circuit this protection was quite fast,
while during two phase-to-earth faults it operates only in
some cases.
BBC introduced their TG generator differential relays in
1943. Figure 18 shows the further development TG3. The
10 Circuit of Reverse-Power Protection 11 Definite
BBC, 1943 time reverse
power relay WCG,
GEC, 1988
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 74
PAC history
14 Simple differential protection, AEG, Interturn faults require the
1925
EM - Excitation Machine; FA - Field Surpression; RR - Reverse Relay; immediate switch-off of the
S - Oil-Breaker; Sp - connected to Voltage Transformer; St - Current Transformer;
UMZ - definite time.overcurrent relays; DR single phase differential
generator in order to prevent
further damage.

3-pole one, for every phase an overcurrent relays RRID works

as a differential element with rectifier and a series impedance.
The supply of the relays was with silicon rectifiers. The
RRIDs had no possibility for setup, nevertheless different
values could be achieved by changeover of the connectors.
In 1965 Oerlikon proposed a solution for coarse and fine
differential protection (Fig. 21). According to the rules in
Switzerland, Austria and Germany current transformers in
high voltage switchgears have to be earthed on the secondary
side. That is why the interposing transformers 8 were realized
in an wye/delta-circuit. In 1989 AEG produced the static
generator protection SQG. The choice of the characteristic
curve of the error-current stabilization was performed
by solder bridges. (Fig. 19). High impedance differential
12 Interturn protection such as the FAC produced by GEC in 1988 is quite
short-circuit popular in the Anglo-Saxon language area (Fig. 20).
protection connection for generators in delta-connection and the required Turn-to-Turn Fault Protection
RA2c with circuit for primary and secondary transformers are shown in In case of interturn faults it is essential to switch off
Chain of reactors b Figure 17. the generator immediately due to local overload caused by
(Siemens, 1936) In the 1960s ASEA produced the differential protection equalizing currents in the windings, especially in case of
RYDHA with high-impedance-stabilization. The differential several conductors in a single slot.
C measuring elements have been equipped with big series In transformers such a failure could be detected by the
T a b impedance working as a surge voltage protector. Choosing a Buchholz-protection, however this is not that easy to detect
S suitable operating point could avoid undesired tripping due in generators. The faulty line operates as a primary winding of
R
to saturation of current transformers without balanced-beam a transformer with short-circuited secondary winding. If the
UV W relays or delays. Operating time was 15 ms (without the phase of the transformer is equipped with 500 windings and
tripping time of the auxiliary relays). Primary pickup-value two of them are short-circuited the current is 250 times higher
was 2% of the nominal current of the CT. The device was a than the normal current flowing through this phase (leackage
0

13 Interturn 15 Basic Connections of generator- 16 Simplified 17

Differential protec-
fault protection differential, 1936 differential protection tion for generators with:
(R. Bauch, SSW) BBC, 1945 Delta-Connection, BBC, 1952

G
S

PAC.SUMMER.2009
 75
18
is not considered). It is not possible to detect this fault by a
differential protection because the currents at the beginning
Differential Relays TG3, BBC, 1952
and at the end of the winding are equal.
B. Bauch (SSW) patented in 1925 (DRP 432837) the
circuit shown in Fig. 13. The generator to be protected (G) is
connected to the auxilliary inductor (S). This is an image
of the generator and consists of a transformer with a primary
winding in star connected to the neutral of the generator.
The neutral points are connected via the relays R. At the
beginning these relays have been simple overcurrent devices.
The inductor was equipped with a delta connection. In case
of a turn-to-turn fault the phase-voltage decreased. The star
point of the generator moves, the star point of the inductor
moves with the impact of the delta-winding into the triangle
of the voltages. Since a third harmonic current flows in the
connection of the neutrals , R. Bauch used the wattmetric
relay R in Fig. 13 with two coupled systems connected to the
sinusoidal voltages U12 and U23.
Siemens used a circuit for interturn short-circuit protection
19
in 1936. The RA2 (c) worked with a chain of reactors (b). See Generator differential protection,
Fig. 12. Details and characteristic of frequency (current limiting AEG, 1989
as a function of the frequency) is shown in Fig. 24, it was used The choice
to keep off the third harmonic. A combined differential- and
interturn short-circuit protection (5 and 6) for generators with of the
two parallel windings 1 is shown in Fig. 26. Interturn faults
cause equalizing currents between the neutral points, flowing characteristic
though the equalizing winding 4 to the relays 6.
In the 1950s SSW used the circuit shown in Fig. 25. The curve is
open delta winding was used for the interturn short-circuit
protection, connected to moving-coil relays with a rectifier performed by
and a filter network (for the 3rd harmonic). The secondary was
realized as a wye connection. Measuring devices and relays solder bridges.
have been connected to the supporting coil.
For generators with two windings instead of the coils the
"double phantom circuit" was used (Fig. 28).
Over-Voltage Protection
An increase of voltage was dangerous especially at hydro
generators since it may result in huge increases of speed.
20
In 1936 Siemens produced an increase-of-voltage-relay
21
High impedance Coarse and fine 22 Chain of
differential protec- differential protec- reactors for:
(RV5, Fig. 23). It worked properly for increases up to 200% of
tion, GEC, 1988 tion, Oerlikon, 1965 Interturn Short-Circuit
the nominal voltage. In 1984 Siemens produced a static relay
Protection RA2,
with two stages 7RE21-Z1 (Fig. 29).
Siemens, 1936
When the short-circuit currents in the high voltage
grids became bigger this caused especially problems in
effectively grounded systems due to high fault currents for
phase-to-ground faults. A limitation was possible with
isolation of different neutral points of transformers. This
became common at unit transformers. In case of opening the
circuit breaker between the unit and the grounded grid (e.g. in
case of load-shedding) dangerous over-voltages could occur.
The first nuclear power stations in Switzerland (Beznau I and
II which NOK put into operation in 1969 and 1971) have
been equipped with a star-point breaker developed by AEG (4
in Fig. 27).
The effective power of both power stations together was
700 MW. Generators operated as one unit (1 and 2); four

PAC.SUMMER.2009
 76
24 26
PAC history
Circuit and characteristic of frequency, Combined differential and interturn
Siemens short-circuit protection
for generators with parallel windings, BBC, 1945
7

a b 5 6
2
120

100
Penetrability of current%

80 1
60

40 8

20 3

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Hz 4
50 150
5 & 6 - A combined differential- and interturn short-circuit protection
a Supporting Reactance b Relays 1 - Generators with two parallel windings 4 - Equalizing winding 6 - Relays

three-phase transformers (220 MVA, 15,5/250 kV) supplied

into the 220-kV-grid. Neutral points on the high side have
27 Neutral earthing Switch, AEG, 1969
been protected by lightning arresters (3) and could be earthed 1 2 5
by neutral earthing switch (4). They have been tripped at the
same time with the circuit breaker. With their operating time
of 19 ms they have been earthed before the contact separation
of the circuit breaker (Fig. 27).
Earth fault protection and other devices for generator 3 4
protection will be covered in a later issue of PAC World.

walter.schossig@pacw.org 1 & 2 - Generator and Transformer 3 - Lightning arresters

www.walter-schossig.de 4 - Neutral earthing switch 5 - Circuit breaker

23Increase 25 Interturn short circuit protection, SSW, 28 Double phantom 29 Increase of

of voltage um 1950 circuit for detection of voltage relay 7RE21
relay RV5 Interturn short-circuits for genera- Siemens, 1984
Siemens, 1936 tors with parallel windings per Ph.

S
G
G Generator S Open delta winding

PAC.SUMMER.2009