Transformer Protection

The considerations for a transformer protection package vary with the application and importance
of the transformer. To reduce the effects of thermal stress and electro dynamic forces it is advisable
to ensure that the protection package used minimizes the time for disconnection in the event of a
fault occurring within the transformer. Fuses usually protect transformer with capacity less than 500
KVA in industry and 2500 KVA in residential areas. With ratings up to 5000 KVA in residential
areas, instantaneous and time delay over current relays may be more desirable. For industrial loads
greater than 1500 KVA and for transformers that are part of the bulk power system it is
recommended to use differential protection on harmonic restraint percentage differential relays.
Also, the higher the voltage, the more sophisticated and costly the protective device.

Faults in the transformer

Faults in the transformer are classified as internal faults and through faults.

Internal Faults:
These are the faults which occur internal to the transformer which may seriously damage the
insulation of the transformer and causes break down in transformer. So the transformer should be
immediately protected from these faults. These faults are divided as electrical and mechanical faults
Electrical faults:
Phase to Phase fault, Phase to ground, Inter turn faults extra will come under electrical internal
faults. As a result of winding insulation failure which often creates short circuit between short
circuit between phase to phase or phase to ground results in high current flow. This high current
flow may break the down the winding or even it may also damage the core fully. So for these faults
the transformer should be switched off immediately and should be taken in to service.
Mechanical Faults
-The cooling medium failure results in high temperatures in transformer which effects the insulation
and casing. In long run this may result deterioration of component or even it may also create fire in
the transformer.
-In transformer tap changing mechanism there will be high current flow in the taping, if any fault in
this mechanism may result in flashing at tap changers

Through Faults:
These are the faults which occur outside the transformer zone and cleared by the downstream
components. However the fault is not cleared by them, it may results in severe over loading on
transformer which results in large current flow through the transformer. If the fault is at secondary
side then a large current flow will result in secondary and it reflects high current flow in
corresponding primary winding. These faults are not serious but these may deteriorate the insulation
of the transformer and may create long time fault. Normally these faults are cleared by over current
protection which is placed on transformer primary.

1. Differential Protection
The protection of transformers is usually performed by differential protection. The differential
protection responds to the vector difference between two similar quantities. The C.T. connected on
the transformer windings should be arranged so that the same current is flowing between the two
sides.
A General Rule Is To Connect The CTs On Any Star Windings In Delta and In Any Delta Windings
Connect CTs in Star
Two basic requirements that the relay connection must satisfy are:
1. The relay must not operate for loads or external faults.
2. The relay must operate for internal faults.
Fig. 1 represents differential protection of Delta-Star transformer

Fig. 2 shows
a
star-star
transformer to which circulating current protection has been applied. Here it will be noted that the
current transformers on both sides are connected in delta.

Fig. 3 (a) is included to show how had the current transformers been connected in star, operation of
the protective relay would occur on a fault outside the protected zone which we wish to avoid while
Fig 3 (b) shows how this can be avoided by connecting the current transformer secondaries in delta.

Problems
arising
in
differential
protection
applied to

transformers
Simple differential protection system is inadequate because the following difficulties arise:

1. Difference in length of pilot wires on either sides of relays. The difficulty is overcome by
connecting adjustable resistors to pilot wires. These are adjusted on site to get equipotential
points on pilot wires. Taps can be provided on operating coil and restraining coil of relay for
adjusting the balance.
2. Difference in CT ratios due to error difference at high values of short circuit currents. Because
of this difference relay operates for external faults. This difficulty is over come by using biased
(percentage) differential relay. In such a relay a restraining coil is connected to pilot wires. The
current flowing through the restraining coil can be taken as (I 1 + I2 ) /2 . With increase in
current the restraining torque increases too and the current due to the CT inaccuracy is not
enough to casue the relay operation.
3. Tap changing alters the ratio of voltage ( and currents ) between HV side and LV side.
Differential protection should be provided with bias (restrain) which exceeds the effect of
variation in secondary current due to tap changing.
4. Magnetizing current inrush:
When power transformers are switched on, initially there is no induced e.m.f., the conditions is
similar to switching an inductive circuit. Since the resistance of the coil is low, a large inrush of
magnetizing current takes place. The magnitude of which depend on circuit conditions and the
voltage at the instant of switching. Maximum values of 6 to 8 times the rated current can flow in the
winding. Usually this high current decays after few cycles to the normal current but in some cases it
may take 2 4 seconds.
Formerly, the relay was provided with time lag of 0.2 1 second. By this time, the inrush current
would vanish and the relay does not trip unnecessary. However for many faults, the relay time lag
might cause substantial damage to the transformer.
Next development was the use of kick of fuses to shunt the relay coils as shown in fig. 2. These
fuses are of the time limit type that do not operate in the time of switching under sustained fault
conditions, the fuses operate and the current then passes through the relay coil and trip the C.B.
This also is a slow protection and may cause some problems. It also depends on the fuse.
The next development was to desensitizing the relay for a short period of 0.1 to1 sec during
switching. After this time the shunt across the relay coil is removed. This method can lead to
switching on a transformer for long period during faults. The latest method adopted is harmonic
current restraint.
Since inrush current has very high contents of 2 nd and 3rd harmonic currents, which may reach 65%
and 25% of the fundamental respectively, the restraining
differential relay senses only the
fundamental component. Because the harmonic component of the short circuit current is negligible,
this relay operates at faults but not sensitive to switching current. The operating coil in these relays
will receive only the fundamental component of the differential current. The harmonics are usually
separated and fed back into the restraining coil.
The overload fuses shown in fig.2 provide a form of back up protection. In the event of sustained
through fault, damage may be caused to the transformer. One or more of the overload fuses will
operate; leaving the relay to be fed from one of CTs and thus causing relay operation.
2. Frame leakage protection

3. Restricted earth fault protection ( differential protection )

Earth faults on secondary side are not reflected on primary side when the primary when the primary
winding is delta connected or has unearthed star point. In such cases, an earth fault relay connected
in residual circuit of 3 CTs on primary side operates on internal faults in primary windings only.
Because earth faults on secondary side do not produce zero sequence currents on primary side,
restricted earth fault protection may then be used for high speed tripping for faults on star connected
earthed secondary winding of power transformers.
Figure 5 shows the connections of the earth fault relays connected in the residual circuit of the line
CTs. Figure 6 shows the connection of the restricted earth fault protection relay in the secondary
side and earth fault protection in the primary side.
If the fault F1 is beyond the transformer windings, I1 and I2 will flow so that the current in the earth
fault relay is negligible. For earth fault within the transformer star connected windings, I 2 flows and
I1 is negligible. Hence I2 causes the relay to trip the circuit.
When fault occurs very near the neutral point of the transformer, the voltage available for driving
the earth fault current is small and the fault current would be low. If the relay is adjusted to sense
such small currents, it may operate under normal unbalance conditions. It is common to set the
relay to pick up at about 15% of the rated current. Such setting leaves a portion of the windings
unprotected. Therefore it is called unrestricted.

4. Bucholoz Protection: it is frequently used in transformers.

Example 1: Describe with the help of a neat diagram the connections of differential protection of a
transformer. A 3-phase 33/6.6 kV star/delta connected transformer is protected by Differential
system. The CTs on LT side have a ratio of 300/5. Show that the CTs on HT side will have a ratio
60 : 5/3
Solution: CTs on delta side are star connected. Hence the secondary phase currents are equal to
currents in pilot wires. CTs on star connected side are delta connected hence current in secondary
is equal to current in pilot wires divided by 3.
Assume 300 A is flowing in the lines on LT side
3 x 6.6 x 300 = 3 x 33 x I
I = 60 A
( current in HT lines )
which is primary current of CT on HT side.
Current in pilot wires: On the delta side of transformers the CT secondaries are star connected.
Their secondary current is 5 Amp. Hence current fed is pilot wires from LT side is 5 Amperes. Same
current is fed from CT connections on HT side which are delta connected.
Hence secondary current of CTs on HT side is 5 / 3 Amp.
Hence CT ratio on HT side is
60 : 5/3
Example 2: A 30 MVA, 11.5 kV/ kV, star-delta power transformer to be protected by differential
protection. The high voltage side phase lags behind low voltage side by 30 o. Formulate the
complete differential protection for the transformer by selecting CT ratios, CT connections. The
continuous current carrying capacity of restraining coils of the differential relay should not exceed
5 Amp. CT ratio is 3000/5 on 11.5 kV side. Determine CT ratio on 69 kV side.
Solution: Draw work sheet for connection of differential relays showing the main transformer,
CTs, operating and restraining coils of CTs (Fig. 7). Connect the pilot wires with operating coils
and restraining coils as described in the earlier section.
Calculate full load current for a 30 MVA, 11.5 start/69 delta power transformer.
On 11.5 kV side
Ip = 30000 = 1505 A
3 x 11.5
CT ratio = 3000 / 5 = 600

( given )

Is = 1505 = 2.51 A
600
since 11.5 kV side is star connected, CT secondaries will be delta connected. Hence current fed into
pilot wires from 11.5 kV side CT secondaries is
3 x 2.51 = 4.35 A
On 69 kV side
Ip =

30000 = 251 A
3 x 69
Current in secondary CTs = current in pilot wires. Since 69 kV side CT secondaries are connected
in star
= 4.35 A
hence CT ratio = 251 / 4.35 = 57.7
select CT ratio = 60
secondary current = 5 A
primary current = 60 x 5 = 300
ratio on 69 kV side = 300/5

Example
3:
Consider a delta/star connected, 15 MVA, 33/11 kV transformer with differential protection applied,
for the current transformer ratios shown in figure 8. Calculate the relay currents on full load. Find
the minimum relay current setting to allow 125 percent overload.
Solution:
The HV line current is given by
Ip =

15x106
= 262.43 A
3
3 x 33x10

Is =

15x106
= 787.30 A
3 x 11x103

The LV line current is

The CT current on the HV side is thus

ip = 262.43 ( 300/5) = 4.37 A
The CT current in the LV side is
is = 787.30 (5/2000) 3 = 3.41
Note that we multiply by 3 to obtain the values on the line side of the delta connected CTs. The
relay current at normal load is therefore
ir = ip is = 4.37 3.41 = 0.9648 A
with 1.25 overload ratio, the relay setting should be
Ir = 1.25 (0.948) = 1.206 A
Plug Setting = 1.206/5 = 24.1 %