Basis Stator Earth Fault Protection

Effects of Arc Burning on Stator Core Laminations

Methods of Neutral-Point Connection (1)

Isolated or high ohmic earthed

Advantage: Small fault currents
Disadvantage: High transient overvoltage for
intermittent earth faults
(2.5 – 3.5 ) Uph-E < 10 A

Standard application

Compensated or reactive earthed

Advantage: Small fault currents at the fault
location
Disadvantage: Transient overvoltage (<2.5Uph-E) < 10 A
Higher costs

Very seldom; used in older plants

Methods of Neutral-Point Connection (2)

Low ohmic earthed

Advantage: Lower transient overvoltage,
95 to 98% protective range of
SEF protection
Disadvantage: Great damages to generators < 200 - 400 A
at longer fault duration
Application in industrial plants

Solidly (effective) earthed

Advantage: Low transient voltage, better G

measuring conditions for the

protection
Disadvantage: Great damages to generators,
Leakage zero sequence currents

Application at low voltage generators

Voltages in Case of an Earth Fault

L1
L2
L3

Voltage without earth fault Voltages at the point of an earth fault at phase L1

UL3,E UL3,E = UL31

UE = -UL1,E
M
M
UL1,E UL1,E = 0

• UL,E voltage decreases in the faulty

phase (min → 0)

UL2,E = UL21 • UL,E voltage in the both “healthy” phases

UL2,E • ULx,E ... phase-earth-voltage are increase (max → phase-to-phase)
• UE displacement-voltage
• no displacement voltage (UE = 0) (can be measured at star point to earth)
Currents in the Case of an Earth Fault

Model:
IE/3 Equivalent voltage UE at the point of fault
L1
L2 IE =3 . IE/3 = 3 . UE/ZE
L3
ZE IE/3 ... earth fault current in one phase
~ ~ ~ IE
UE
ZE ... earth impedance at one phase

Vector diagram: earth fault in phase L1

L1
UL3,E
L2
L3
IC 3
3U0 =3UE

IC,2
IC,3
3U0
IE = 1
= 3U0 . jωCE
jωCE
UL2,E
=
3 UE IE
ZE
Correlation from Earth fault Location

Displacement voltage UE (U0) and earth current IE (3I0) as a function of the fault
location of an earth fault in the machine winding.

UE ZE

UL1,E UL2,E
UL1,E UL2,E

UE
UE

UE
IE= 3
ZE

At faults close to the star-point the displacement voltage and the earth
currents become small
Generators Connected via an Unit Transformer

G G G

• generator is galvanic isolated

• under the assumption of an ideal transformer, the displacement
voltage caused by an earth fault, can only be measured at the generator
Elimination of the Disturbance High Voltage Earth Fault

Problem: grid earth faults cause disturbances Solution: attenuation by means of

due to the coupling capacitance a load resistor
between the two transformer windings
CK

CG CL CTr UN
UEO ≈
3

UGen 100 500

üTR = V V
3 3 3
Earthing Note:
transformer (Limb transformation ratio) At solidly earthed
transformer the UE0 is

UR RPrim appr. 80% of UN/√3

R=
( )
ü TR 2
3
(Safety margin, if solidly
earthing is open)
Unit Connection - Influence on the Coupling Capacitance

equivalent circuit disturbance voltage

UC
Rprim
UR,prim ≈ UEO
1
Rprim + jω C
K

CK
Example: 220 kV
CK = 10 nF UEO =
UR,prim Rprim UEO 3
CE. UN,G = 10.5 kV R=5Ω

üTr = 36.4
2
 üTR 
RPrim = R ⋅   = 735Ω
 3 
CG+CL+CTr neglected
⇒ UR,prim = 293V
UEO displacement voltage on the high voltage side
⇒ U
CK three phase coupling capacitance R,sek ≈ 24V
Rprim primary load resistor ⇒ 24V ⇒ 4.83% disturbance
üTr earthing transformer ratio 500V influence
Unit Connection with Neutral Transformer

This design is very often used outside Germany, mostly on small generators

Generator Unit transformer

R
UGen
ÜTR = UR
3

UR

A high secondary nominal voltage UR (250V - 500V) is selected in

order to avoid very small load resistors.
Rprim
Rsek= Design of Rprim so that the fault current is < 10A
ü2TR
Generator Connected Directly to the Grid

G G G M

• machines are galvanic connected

• displacement voltage caused by an earth fault

can be measured in all locations
Directional Stator Earth Fault Protection

L1 L2 L3
Network
L1
L2

CE L3

IC + IR
Earthing
transformer 3U0

3i0 √3u0 Ohmic current

boost
• DFT √3U0>, 3I0>
UL1 UL2
• Direction 3I0
(√3U0, 3I0) IR

ICL2
IC

ICL1
Fault Currents - Direct Connection

G1

IMess

G2

IMess
Fault Currents - Direct Connection with Earthing Transformer

G1

IMeas

Earthing transformer
G2
Ohmic current
RB

IMeas
Earth Current Detection - Toroidal and Holmgreen Connection

Toroidal Current Transformer

• magnetic addition
IE of earth currents,
per phase
3
• principle is sensitive

I´E
Holmgreen
Holmgreen connection
L1 L2 L3 connection
(separate cores) (common
neutral return
connector
IE IE
3 per phase

L1 Sensitivity is
limited
L2
L3
3~ ∆I
Problem:
I´E Large CT ratio
leads to small
currents on the
secondary side
(IE = 3 I0)
Directional Stator Earth Fault Protection - Characteristic
Directional Stator Earth Fault Protection - Logic