DISTANCE RELAY SETTINGS

Introduction
• Commonly used >33kV
• Determine whether impedance measured is within set
characteristic.
• Non-unit protection (boundaries not defined)
• During normal operation impedance is combination of line,
transformers and load ( >> line impedance)
o Determine fault location by impedance measured
o Measured impedance < line impedance  fault
o Example

A B
Z = 30 ohms LOAD
100MVA
132kV

o Load Impedance = V2 / P = 1320002/100x106=174.2Ω

o Relay Measures = 30+174 = 204 Ω
o Equivalent Circuit
B
A
30 ohms 174.24 ohms

Source

o If have fault at B load impedance shorted out and relay

measures 30ohm:
 B
A
30 ohms 174.24 ohms

Source

o Above is oversimplification (no errors, angle

differences)

Time Stepped Distance

General:
• Relays have errors as do CTs and VTs – allow 5 to 10%.
• Line impedance calculation errors – allow 10%.
o  total errors 20%.
• To ensure whole line covered set to 120%  but sees past
end and could operate for fault on next line.
o Solution 1: time delay

A B C D
relay A Reach relay C reach

relay B reach

 A to grade with B which grades with C … 

similar to overcurrent end up with slowest
operation at the source.
o Solution 2: set another zone which cant see past end
o Set to 80% of line impedance, instantaneous
• Set Zone 1 to 80%, inst; Zone 2 to 120%, time delayed.
 A B C
Zone 2

Zone 1

Zone 1

Zone 2

• Slowest clearance on any line is Zone 2 time.

• Zone 3 to provide backup to remote lines, time delayed to
grade with Zone 2.

Time Stepped Distance Settings

Major requirements:
• Fault detection: faulted plant is tripped
• Coordination: only faulted plant is tripped

General comment:
• Impedance generally refers to PPS impedance (covers
different fault combinations and earth return via
measurement quantities – see last week).

Zone 1 Settings:
• So can be set instantaneous (no intentional delay), set as far
as possible whilst ensuring doesn’t see remote end
o Zone 1 = 0.8xZ line .......................(1)

Zone 2 Settings
• Set to ensure whole line length covered and time delayed to
grade with next line protection.
• Time delay > Remote Zone 1 (say 50msec) + remote CB
(say 80msec) + remote trip relay (say 10msec) + local Zone
 2 timing errors (say 50msec) + safety margin (say 50 to
100msec).
o 300msec is common.
• So can use 300msec, require no Z2 overlap
A B C
Zone 2

Zone 1
F

Zone 1

Zone 2

• Z2 AB ≤ Z AB + Z1 BC ignoring errors
o 1.1xZ2 AB ≤ 0.9(Z AB + Z1 BC ) including errors
o Z2 AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + Z1 BC )
o Z2 AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + 0.8xZ BC ) as Z1 BC = 0.8xZ BC
o Z2 AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + 0.8xZ BC )
• Also require whole line to be covered: Z2 AB ≥ 1.2xZAB
o 1.2xZ AB ≤0.8(Z AB + 0.8xZ BC )
o Z BC ≥ 0.625xZAB
o if remote line < 62.5% of protected line impedance no
Z2 that satisfies both equations 2 and 3
o generally set Zone 2 as long as possible

Zone 3 settings
• Time delay > Remote Zone 2 (say 50msec pickup +
300msec time delay) + remote CB (say 80msec) + remote
trip relay (say 10msec) + local Zone 3 timing errors (say
50msec) + safety margin (say 50 to 100msec).
o 600msec is common.
• Assuming wanting to coordinate Z3, and set 600msec,
require no Z3 overlap:
o Z3 AB ≤ Z AB + Z2 BC ignoring errors
 1.1xZ3 AB ≤ 0.9(Z AB + Z2 BC ) with errors
  Z3 AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + Z2 BC )
 Z3 AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + 0.8(Z BC + 0.8xZ CD )) as
Z2 AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + 0.8xZ BC )
 Z3 AB ≤ 0.8xZ AB + 0.64xZ BC + 0.512xZCD
• Assuming wanting to backup line B-C: Z3 AB ≥ 1.2(Z AB +
Z BC )
o 1.2(Z AB + Z BC ) ≤ 0.8xZ AB + 0.64xZ BC + 0.512xZ CD
o 0.4xZ AB + 0.56xZ BC ≤ 0.512xZ CD
o Z AB + 1.4xZ BC ≤ 1.28xZ CD
o Only satisfy if CD much longer than AB or BC.
 Not generally the case  difficult to achieve
backup and coordination. If backup preferred
Z3TD >> 600msec.

Short Line Considerations

• What if Z BC < 0.625xZ AB ie cant set Z2 to cover line and
not overlap next Z2 (on a ‘short’ line)
o Only a problem if short line protected by TSD.
• Three solutions
o Time delay Z2 BC to grade with Z2 AB (ie set 600msec)
• Slow clearance for remote end faults
o Set Z2 BC (300msec) so it doesn’t see past Z1 AB and
then set Z3 BC to protect 120% of line and to grade with
Z2 AB (ie set 600msec)
• Only worthwhile if 120% reach only just overlaps
Z1 AB
• Slow clearance for remote end faults under worse
case errors.
o Use whole line high speed protection (eg differential,
pilot, distance signalling, etc)
• Expensive as requires comms
• Short lines often protect by differential as distance
doesn’t achieve enough fault resistance coverage.
 A B C D

Zone 2
Zone 1

short line with

high speed Zone 1
protection Zone 2

• Need to ensure that the zone 2 of line AB does not

see into the zone 2 of line CD.

1.1xZ2 AB ≤ 0.9(Z AB + Z BC + Z1 CD )

⇒ Z2 AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + Z BC + Z1 CD )

This can be satisfied provided:

1.2xZ AB ≤ 0.8(Z AB + Z BC + 0.8xZ CD )

⇒ 0.4xZ AB ≤ 0.8(Z BC + 0.8xZ CD )

⇒ Z AB ≤ 2xZ BC + 1.6xZ CD )
........................(8)

• In an interconnected system this becomes easier due to

throttling (infeeds from other lines cause adjacent lines to
appear to have larger impedances).

Affects of Power Transformers

 • Transformers > 33kV generally use high speed protection
 grade with Z2 OK.
o Check Z2 and Z3 don’t see through TX to plant
protected by slow protections:
Z2 ≤ Z Line + Z TX
1.1xZ2 ≤ 0.9(Z Line + Z TX ) with errors

⇒ Z2 ≤ 0.8(Z Line + Z TX )
o What TX impedance to use due to tap position
effecting impedance (nominal, worse case)
o Also consider TXs run in parallel.
o If no TX high speed protection or have to set Z2/3 so
can see through, grade Z2 and Z3 with these slower
protections.

Considerations of Load
• Load appears as an impedance to a distance relay.
• Line angle 70-80 deg, load impedance +/- 40 deg (ie pf of
0.8).
• On heavily loaded, long lines load impedance will
approach line impedance  load encroachment.
• Worse case is minimum voltage conditions and maximum
load on line (Z = V/I).
X

Load

R
Throttling
• Change in relay measured impedance due to multiple
remote infeeds to fault

I2 B
→
A
I1
→ Fault
ZL1 ZL2

• With no infeed Zr = ZL1 + ZL2.

• With infeed at B:
VA = I 1 Z L1 + (I 1 + I 2 )Z L2

⇒ VA Z L1 + Z L2 + I 2 Z L2
= _____
I1 I1
• Potentially large increase in measured impedance;
o need to allow for this if setting Z3 to give remote
backup, ie extend Z3 but then need to be careful with
grading if remote infeeds removed/reduced
o Can assist with grading between lines (eg short lines
‘look’ longer).
o Need to be careful of parallel paths and effects of
ends opening before others.
o Can show we can set Z2 AB so doesn’t see past Z1 BC
Z AB ≤ (1+ I 2 /I 1 )1.6xZ BC (compared with Z BC ≥
0.625xZAB or Z AB ≤ 1.6xZ BC previously)

Settings for Teed Lines

 B

A C

• Throttling at tee point reduces effectiveness of distance.

• Zone 1 set to 80% of shortest distance to remote ends –
ignore throttling here as one end could be open.
o If external low impedance connection between
remote ends may need to pull back Z1.
• Zone 2 has to protect whole line and thus set to 120% of
largest distance to remote ends, plus consider throttling.
o Eg Z2 at A = 120% x Z AT + Z tee max where
Z tee max is the max of:
(1 + I CB /I AB )Z TB For the impedance from T to B
(1 + I BC /I AC )Z TC For the impedance from T to C
where I xy is the current from x to y
o When checking coordination, assume one end open
o Effected by changes to system.
o If coordination not possible, use differential or
distance signalling.
TUTORIAL – WEEK 4
1) For the following power system determine Zone 1, 2 and 3
reach and time delay settings.
B C
A G

F H I

D E

Impedances, loads
a) Generator 0.1pu, 1200A, 11kV
b) Line A-G 0.3pu, 1000A
c) Line B-C 0.4pu, 800A
d) Line D-E 0.35pu, 800A
e) Line F-H 0.2pu, 400A
f) I has impedance of 0.5pu

Assume I operates instantaneously. Allow 300msec safety

margin between relays.

2) Check reaches determined in Question 1 do not result in any

load encroachment problems. Assume all lines have a line
angle of 70 degrees and relays are mho relays.

3) Consider options for short line F-H.