11

OUT OF STEP PROTECTION IN MODERN POWER NETWORKS

D Paunescu, F Lazar

B Pavlov

J ZakonjSek

Transelectrica, Romanis

NEK - NDC, Bulgaria

ABB Power Technologies, Sweden

Significant changes of load as well as faults and their

clearance in power systems often result in
electromechanical oscillations, which generally do not
affect the system stability. Major disturbances might on
thc other hand cause bigger oscillations, which can
influence unwanted operation of different protection
functions and in the most severe cases loss of
synchronism (pole slip or so called out-of-step
conditions) between generator groups located in
different subsystems.

In the view of further UCTE extension towards the

South East Europe it has been decided by NEK-EAD
in Bulgaria as well as by Translectrica in Romania to
install pole slip protection on their all important tie
lines. The paper describes, together with some
theoretical background, also a practical example of
applying pole slip protection on a 400 kV transmission
line between S/S Tantareni (RO) and Kozloduy (BG)
from two different points of view: system studies and
selection of protection setting parameters.

.In the paper, we concentrate on so called asynchronous

operation of power systems, which may characterize
the operation of%dividual generating units as well as
their groups (power plants) connected in parallel wilh
the power system or even the operation of two
interconnected power systems.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

The asynchronous mode of operation is characterized by

deep aclive and reactive power oscillations with time
limited constant excitation of synchronous machines. It
produces important disturbances to the power system
operating parameters, to the quality parameters of
delivered electrical power, causes severe electric and
mechanic stress of primary equipment, etc. It tends to
extend very fast to the remaining parts of power system.
Disconnection of subsystems in points closest to the
electrical center of oscillation proved to prevent the best
way collapse of a complete system. Development of
modem technology made it possible to integrate the
functionality of once very expensive and from the
system point of view insufficiently selective generator
pole slip protection devices into line protection
terminals. It is at the same time adjusted to the specific
system requirements like: operation during pole open
conditions, oscillation development caused by the faults
and during their clearance, etc.

A two-machine model as presented in Figure I can

always be used to present oscillating parts of power
system regardless the amount of oscillating machines,
which oscillate relative to each other.

Figure I : Basic model of a two-machine system

Power flow in a loss-less two machine system depends
on voltage difference between left and right side EMFs
itand E, respectively and total system impedance as
defined by (1). Only corresponding reactance applies for
loss-less conditions.
.
.
.
.
=
ZL
(1)

z, z,+ + z,

Active P and reactive Q power flows in relay point

REL are functions of 6 angular difference between two
EMFs as presented by the following equations.

Additional arguments justifying the introduction of pole

slip protection in modem power systems could be
specified as follows. 1) UCTE recommendation
regarding the prevention of disturbance export
between interconnected systems by installation of pole
slip protection on important tie lines. 2 ) Experiences
gained during the analysis of major disturbances. 3)
Possibilities of modem microprocessor based
technology used in state of the art numerical devices.

E .E,

.,

6)

= -j
cos( .
t

Bulgaria represented by NEK - EAD and Romania

represented by Transelectrica are regular UCTE
members from 08 May 2003.

0 2004 The Institution of Electrical Engineers.

Printed and published by the IEE, Michael Faraday House, Six Hills Way, Stevenage. SG1 2AY

Here is k = lb?Rl/l& , Diagram in Figure 2 presents a

, 1,typical example df transmitted active and reactive
power within the two-machine system as a function of
angle difference 6 . It is interesting that active and
reactive power do not follow the same dependence on
rotor angle difference. The reactive power flow is at the
same time dependent very much on difference between
the magnitudes of both EMFs. There is no reactive
power flow when they are equal by magnitude and in
phase. Maximum reactive power appears when both
EMFs have opposite direction. Active power is in this
case zero.
The first part of active power dependence in Figure 2
for 6 = (0 - 180) deg is known as a power-angle curve
and well described in basic literature. The so called
equal area criteria is also a well known approach
towards the estimation of dynamic stability for a power
system and for this reason not addressed more in details
within this paper.

follows the equation of circles, as presented in Figure 3.

The impedance trajectory passes in at least one point the
system impedance line between impedance points -Zs,.
and (Z, + Z,) . This point is called "electrical center of
oscillation", ECO. The diameter of the circle depends
on value of factor k = E , / E , and becomes infinite for
the case when k = 1 . Impedance trajectory becomes in
this case a straight-line perpendicular on the before
mentioned system impedance line. It is evident that such
performance of measured impedance may influence the
security of distance relays on power lines as well as
other impedance measuring elements in the power
systems.

Figure 2: Typical example of active and reactive power

flow as a function of

6 angle between two EMFs

Figure 3: Impedance trajectories in relay point REL

during pole slip conditions in a two-machine system

IMPEDANCE MEASURED IN RELAY POINT

Swinging of active and reactive power between
different parts of asynchronously run power system
reflects also in dynamic performance of measured
impedances in different relay points. Measured current
in relay point REL in Figure 1 follows the expression:

The relay voltage as measured in relay point REL is

equal to:
1 1 3

Impedance as measured by impedance relays in relay

point REL is this way equal to:

If we place the relay point REL in coordinate center of

an impedance plane, than it is possible to show that the
impedance trajectories as seen by the impedance relay

Figure 4: Phase voltage and current in relay point at the

beginning of pole slip and three consecutive slips
Oscillations are characteristic for phase currents and
voltages as well and presented for a typical case in
Figure 4. Here we can observe typical increase of slip
frequency for consecutive oscillations, which require

adaptive approach also in oscillation detection

measuring elements, independent on basic principles of
their operation. Unwanted operation of overcurrent and
undervoltage based protection functions in relay point
during system oscillations must be prevented by correct
selection of their setting parameters. Operation of
impedance measuring elements must be prevented by
special oscillation detection elements, implemented in
distance protection devices.

Power system oscillations are in general not a three

phase phenomena. They can be initiated by different
faults in power system and may develop further on
during the fault clearing process or during the time
when the power system is still in emergent state.
Typical example of such performance is development of
oscillation over a power line, which operates only in a
two-phase mode during the dead-time of single-pole
autoreclosing cycle.

,-.,

OSCILLATION
DETECTION
IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT

BASED

ON

OUT-OF-STEP PROTECTION ON TIE LINE

BETWEEN BULGARIA AND ROMANIA

Different oscillation detection methods are in use

worldwide. Two most spread between them are so
called M/At and U . cosq methods. The first one is
implemented mainly in line distance relays and the
second one in pole slip protection used closed to bigger
generating units. Within this paper we concentrate more
on the first method because it is implemented also in
protection terminals installed on tie lines between
Bulgaria and Romania.

Installation of out-of-step protection on 400 kV tie lines

between Bulgaria and Romania is justified by different
reasons, as it has been already mentioned and also
proved on different practical examples.

The operation of a so called AZ/At oscillation

detection principle is based on a fact .that impedance
measured in relay point changes during oscillations
relatively slow in comparison with nearly instantaneous
change from load to fault impedance during different
faults in primaty system. Figure 5 presents this principle
by simplified schematic.

Specialists from power utilities in both countries

performed a comprehensive study of system conditions
under which out-of-step mode of operation between
Bulgarian and Romanian power systems could appear
with ECO on or close to the 400 kV tie line Tantareni
(RO) - Kozloduy (BG). Additional tasks were also:
determining the expected slip frequency and settings for
the pole slip protections, which are of the same design
at both line ends.
The results of studies confirmed that double circuit 400
kV line between SIS Tantareni and Kozloduy represents
a very stable system connection. It is nearly impossible
that out-of-step conditions would appear over this
circuit under normal operating conditions. The
asynchronous operation of generating units located at
the ends of this line could start only under extreme
system conditions. One of them considers 400 kV tie
lines Sofia West (BG) Nis (YU) and Blagoevgrad
(BG) Thessaloniki (GR) out of operation, export of
1000 MW from the BG power system and a three-phase
short circuit at 400 kV Kozloduy NPP bus-bar
eliminated with 0.5 s time delay. Figure 6 presents the
impedance trajectory as seen by the pole slip protection
installed in Tantareni (RO) end of the tie line.
~

-+
Figure 5: = / A t

principle based oscillation detection

Oscillation OSC is detected if the impedance measured

in relay point needs to enter the internal boundary INT
with time delay longer than the time delay t set on time
measuring element after it has entered the external
boundary EXT. It should be noted that the time element
needs an adaptive time delay, which must be for
consecutive slips shorter than the initial time delay for
the first slip. This is of outmost importance in order to
distinguish between fast consecutive slips and slowly
developing faults, which appear for example in series
compensated networks or during slowly developing
earth faults (e.g. when the fault develops over an ice
coat around the phase conductor).

Measured impedance changes very fast from pre-fault

load conditions (-120 + j25) ohm to impedance marking
the end of protected line (Kozloduy). Fault clearance
also presents fast change in measured impedance to
approximately (0 + j25) ohm. Here starts slower
movement of impedance in anticlockwise direction and
exits the impedance measuring area completely. The
oscillation would continue further on and even change
its direction to the clockwise one, if it would be
permitted to continue without any action from the
installed pole slip protection, which operating
characteristic is also presented in Figure 6.
Measured impedance trajectoty enters the external
impedance boundary again at approximately (-17 + j60)
ohm and with time delay longer than 40 ms (set value)
also the inner impedance bonndaty at (-17 + j40) ohm.

SO

60

40

d 20
?i
n

-20

40

Figure 6: Impedance trajectory as seen by pole slip protection in Tantareni SiS after a three-phase fault at Kozloduy S/S
This is sufficient condition for protection to declare
system oscillation. Big generation units behind line ends
do not permit long oscillations with more than one slip.
The pole slip protection is for this reason set to trip the
corresponding circuit breaker even before the complete
slip really appears, in this case when the measured
impedance reaches the leA tripping line at
approximately (-5 + j28) ohm.
The operating characteristic of the pole slip protection
applied provides a possibility to control the tripping
conditions with respect to the phase angle between
EMFs of power generators in both subsystems. This
prevents additional stresses of primary equipment. It
also provides remote hack-up possibilities for swings
with their ECO behind the remote ends of the protected
line (see the area around the Kozloduy SiS in Figure 6).

CONCLUSIONS
Asynchronous operating conditions are a fact in modem
power systems and should he eliminated as fast as

possible in order to keep their stronger parts in normal

operation. Introduction of pole slip protection on tie
lines proved to be one of the hest solutions. This
requires comprehensive stability studies under different
operating conditions and in many cases also excellent
cooperation of experts from different utilities, and even
different countries.
Operating characteristics of applied pole slip protection
devices must secure correct operation under different
system operating conditions. They must detect
oscillations caused by faults and similar big changes in
power system as well as oscillations, which appear
during emergent system operating conditions.

References
1. Y G Painthankar, 2000, Transmission Network
Protection - Theoly and Practice
2. ABB Manual IMRK 506 074,06-2001