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Determination
Practical Example of Use
Testing Directional Ground Fault Determination
2
Content
Preface ......................................................................................................................................................... 4
1 Application Example ............................................................................................................................ 5
2 Theoretical Introduction to Directional Ground Fault Determination ............................................. 7
2.1 Characteristic of the Ground Fault Current.................................................................................... 7
2.2 Determination of the Fault Direction .............................................................................................. 8
2.2.1 Directional Characteristic for Isolated Networks ............................................................................... 8
2.2.2 Directional Characteristic for Compensated Networks .................................................................... 10
2.3 Voltage Measurement for Directional Ground Fault Determination ............................................ 12
3 Practical Introduction to Steady-State Directional Ground Fault Testing .................................... 14
3.1 Defining the Test Object .............................................................................................................. 14
3.1.1 Device Settings ............................................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Global Hardware Configuration of the CMC Test Set ................................................................. 16
3.2.1 Example Output Configuration for the Directional Ground Fault Function ...................................... 16
3.2.2 Analog Outputs ............................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.3 Binary Inputs ................................................................................................................................... 17
3.3 Local Hardware Configuration for Directional Ground Fault Testing ........................................... 18
3.3.1 Analog Outputs ............................................................................................................................... 18
3.3.2 Binary Inputs ................................................................................................................................... 18
3.4 Defining the Test Configuration ................................................................................................... 19
3.4.1 General Approach ........................................................................................................................... 19
3.4.2 Ground Fault Test Module .............................................................................................................. 21
3.4.3 Directional Test ............................................................................................................................... 26
Support....................................................................................................................................................... 27
The theoretical background of the steady-state directional ground fault determination function will be
explained. This paper also covers the definition of the necessary Test Object settings as well as the
Hardware Configuration for testing this function.
Finally, the Ground Fault test module will be used to test the directional decision of the related relay function.
Note: Testing the transient ground fault determination is not described in this document. For further
information regarding this subject, see Example_GroundFault_Transient.pdf.
20 kV
Protection Functions
200/1
(67N) Directional Ground Fault Function
Distance Relay
A N a n da dn
A N a n da dn
VResidual
A N a n da dn
60/1
Note: In this example, the directional ground fault function indicates the direction of the fault (forward
or reverse), but it does not trip.
Therefore, the time signal of the ground fault current consists of two basic components:
1 2
1. The transient ground fault current, which is caused by discharging and charging of the power system
components. The peaks of this current can be several times higher than the nominal current of the power
system. It has a frequency range between 500 Hz and 8 kHz for the discharge and 70 Hz to 4 kHz for the
charge of the phase-to-ground capacities of the power system. After fault inception, it lasts only for a few
periods of the nominal frequency of the power system. Transient ground fault relays can use this current
to determine the direction of a ground fault.
2. The steady-state ground fault current, which is caused by the phase-to-ground capacity of the non-faulty
phases and – for compensated networks only – by the Petersen coil. The magnitude of the ground fault
current depends on the phase-to-ground capacities and on the network configuration (isolated or
compensated) and therefore can be much smaller than the magnitude of the nominal current. As it is a
steady-state current, it has the nominal frequency of the network (50 Hz or 60 Hz). This ground fault
current can be used by the directional ground fault determination function (sensitive, permanent or watt-
metrical ground fault detection) to determine the direction of the ground fault.
Note: The following document will only focus on the directional ground fault determination based on
steady-state values.
VC 1
+90°
180° N G 0°
VResidual
VB
-90°
+90°
VC 2
180° 0°
VB IC IB
IN IA IB IC
-90°
+90°
ICap IN 3
VC
180° 0°
VB
-90°
Figure 3: Primary voltages and currents during a ground fault in an isolated medium voltage radial network
Figure 3 shows the primary values of an isolated radial network during a ground fault. The voltages and
currents can be explained as follows:
1. As the star point of the network is not solidly grounded, a ground fault will not cause a short circuit.
Therefore, the voltage between the faulty phase and the star point N will not break down. Instead, the
phase voltage will be dragged to ground potential. This will cause the residual voltage between the star
point N and ground. Additionally, the magnitude of the phase-to-ground voltages of the non-faulty phases
will rise to the magnitude of the phase-to-phase voltages, and the angle between the phase-to-ground
voltages will change from 120° to 60°. During the ground fault, the phase-to-phase voltages will remain
as they were before.
3. All the fault loops mentioned in (2) will go through the faulty feeder. Therefore, the sum of all capacitive
currents of all non-faulty feeders will flow through the cable type CT in the faulty feeder. This current is
the capacitive ground fault current of the network ICap .
The fault loops of the faulty feeder , however, will go through the cable type CT two times and in
different directions. Therefore, the cable type CT cannot measure the capacitive currents of the faulty
feeder!
The resulting current IN through the cable type CT is the capacitive ground fault current of the network
ICap . As ICap is the sum of the capacitive currents in all non-faulty feeders. It is usually significantly higher
than the capacitive current in a single non-faulty feeder. Also the capacitive current in the faulty feeder is
shifted by 180° in comparison to the non-faulty feeders. Therefore, it will have an angle of 90° with
reference to the vector diagram of the voltages (1).
Based on the direction of the current sums IN in the faulty and the non-faulty feeder, the relay can decide on
the direction of the fault.
+90°
IN Faulty Feeder
VC Forward
IPick-up
180° 0°
VResidual IPick-up
VB IN Non-Faulty Feeder
-90° Reverse
Figure 4: Directional characteristic of the directional ground fault protection function for isolated networks (sin- circuit) with primary
voltages and currents
Figure 4 shows the directional characteristic for isolated networks. As the ground fault currents are
capacitive currents, the direction can be determined by analyzing the imaginary part of the current. This is
also called sin- circuit. The relay at the faulty feeder will indicate "Forward", whereas the relays at non-
faulty feeders will indicate "Reverse". Therefore, the faulty feeder can be detected by observing the
directional indicators of all relays at the busbar.
Note: Depending on the phase-to-ground capacities of the respective non-faulty feeder, the current
sum in this feeder may be below the pick-up value. Therefore, some non-faulty feeders may not
show "Reverse".
VC 1
+90°
180° N G 0°
VResidual
VB
-90°
+90°
VC 2
180° 0°
VB IC IB
IN IA IB IC
-90°
+90°
ICap 3
VC
180° 0°
IN
VB
ICap
-90° IInd
Figure 5: Primary voltages and currents during a ground fault in a compensated medium voltage radial network
Figure 5 shows the primary values of a compensated radial network during a ground fault. The voltages and
currents can be explained as follows:
1. As the star point of the network is not solidly grounded a ground fault will not cause a short circuit.
Therefore the voltage of the faulty phase will not break down. Instead it will be dragged to ground
potential. This will cause the residual voltage between the star point N and ground. Also the magnitude of
the phase-to-ground voltages of the non-faulty phases will rise to the magnitude of the phase-to-phase
voltages, and the angle between the phase-to-ground voltages will change from 120° to 60°. During the
ground fault, the phase-to-phase voltages will remain as they were before.
3. All the fault loops mentioned in (2) will go through the faulty feeder. Therefore, the sum of all capacitive
currents of all non-faulty feeders will flow through the cable type CT in the faulty feeder. This current is
the capacitive ground fault current of the network ICap .
The fault loops of the faulty feeder , however, will go through the cable type CT two times and in
different directions. Therefore, the cable type CT cannot measure the capacitive currents of the faulty
feeder!
The Petersen coil that is placed between the star point and ground will also form a fault loop through the
ground fault . The current in this fault loop is driven by the residual voltage VResidual . This inductive
current IInd will be added to the capacitive ground fault current ICap and therefore, will compensate it. The
detuning v quantifies this compensation, and it is defined as follows:
ICap IInd
v
IInd
In most applications the inductive current will be higher than the capacitive current to avoid resonances at
the nominal frequency of the network. Also the Petersen coil is not an ideal inductivity, and it therefore
has a resistive component that shifts the current through the inductivity along the real axis (0°).
Therefore, in most applications, the sum of the currents IN through the cable type CT of the faulty feeder
will be in the fourth quadrant (depending on the application, it may also be in the first quadrant).
Based on the direction of the current sums IN in the faulty and the non-faulty feeder, the relay can detect if
the fault is in forward direction.
IPick-up IPick-up
VC
180° 0°
VB
IN Non-Faulty Feeder
-90°
Figure 6: Directional characteristic of the directional ground fault protection function for compensated networks (cos- circuit) with
primary voltages and currents
Figure 6 shows the directional characteristic for compensated networks. As the current sum in the faulty
feeder is partly resistive, the relay can detect the faulty feeder by analyzing the real part of the current. This
is also called cos- circuit. The relay at the faulty feeder will indicate "Forward". Therefore, the faulty feeder
can be detected by observing the directional indicators of all relays at the busbar.
Note: As the current sum in non-faulty feeders is capacitive, its real part is almost zero. Therefore, the
relay is not able to detect the fault direction in non-faulty feeders, and it will not show "Reverse".
A N a n da dn
A N VA a n V Residual da dn
A N VB a n da dn
VC
VC VC
+90° +90°
180° N G 0° 180° 0°
VResidual VResidual
VB VB
-90° -90°
VC VC
+90° +90°
180° N G 0° 180° 0°
V0 V0
VB VB
-90° -90°
It is possible to either measure the residual voltage at an open delta winding or to calculate the zero
sequence voltage out of the phase voltages.
VResidual
V A VB V C
3
V0
V A VB V C
3
1
V 2 1 a a VB
2
V A 0 kV 0°
V A 0 V 0°
V A VB V C 3
1 1
1 VC
V B 20 kV -150° V B 100 V -150° VResidual V 0
3
V C
20 kV +150°
V C
100 V +150° 100 V 180°
V0
V A VB V C
3
57.74 V 180°
Table 2: Example of the voltages during a ground fault
The Ground Fault test module is designed for simulation-based testing of transient ground fault relays and
directional ground fault relays based on steady-state values. It is able to simulate the power system and to
directly output the simulation results with a CMC test device.
This test module can be found on the start screen of the OMICRON Test Universe. It can also be inserted
into an OCC file (Control Center document).
Note: The CT data of the cable type CT is entered. Add a new Test Object if you are testing with an
OCC-file where this setting interferes with other tests (e.g. overcurrent or distance protection).
The parameters V max and I max limit the output of the currents and voltages to prevent
damage to the device under test. These values must be adapted to the respective
Hardware Configuration when connecting the outputs in parallel or when using an amplifier.
The user should consult the manual of the device under test to make sure that its input rating
will not be exceeded.
3.2.1 Example Output Configuration for the Directional Ground Fault Function
VA VC VResidual
VB N N
IA IB IC N
The analog outputs, binary inputs and outputs can all be activated individually in the local Hardware
Configuration of the specific test module (see chapter 3.3 ).
2
1
1. The binary contacts of the directional indicators have to be connected to binary inputs. Any free binary
input can be used.
2. Depending on other protection functions (e.g. overcurrent or distance protection), some binary contacts
may already be used.
3. For wet contacts, adapt the nominal voltages of the binary inputs to the voltage of the respective signal,
or select Potential Free for dry contacts.
4. The binary outputs and analog inputs etc. will not be used for the following tests.
Forward Direction
Reverse Direction
> Pick-up Test: Testing the current and voltage pick-up value of the ground fault directional
determination.
The pick-up test should be a secondary test with the current injection at the inputs of the protection device.
This test can be performed with the Ramping test module and will not be explained in this document. For
more information about testing pick-up values with the Ramping test module, please see the example file
Example_Ramping_Overcurrent.pdf.
When using a cable type CT for the directional ground fault protection, it is recommended to perform the
directional test with primary current injection. With this method, it is possible to test if the relay detects the
correct fault direction including the wiring of the cable type CT. In this case, the current outputs of the CMC
test set are injected through a test lead that goes through the cable type CT at least once. The more often
the test lead goes through the cable type CT, the lesser the current output of the CMC test set can be in
order to simulate the primary ground fault current. Figure 10 shows the wiring of the CMC test set for testing
with primary current injection.
Protection Relay
A N a n da dn
A N a n da dn
A N a n da dn
Figure 10: Wiring of the CMC test set for testing the directional ground fault function with primary injection
Note: Depending on the relay type, it may be necessary to also simulate the phase-to-ground
voltages.
The directional test is performed with the Ground Fault test module.
1 2 3
The Ground Fault test module simulates ground faults in a power system that consists of:
Feeder E
Feeder D
Feeder C
Feeder B
Feeder A
Figure 11: Definition of the network elements of the test module Ground Fault
To test a ground fault relay, the parameters of these elements have to be set.
Transformer tab
1
2
3
4
Figure 12: Setting the CT nominal currents for testing with primary injection
Time Assessments
4 5 6 7 8
Right-click the measurement, and select Add to add more measurements if necessary.
The time signal view shows analog and binary signals of the test. It can be used to check whether the binary
contacts of the relay reacted as expected. Also the cursors (1) can be used via dragging to measure times
manually.
Note: The test can always be assessed manually by selecting Manual Assessment on the Home
ribbon.
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