Solidly Earthed System of Earth

Fault Protection
BY NJ RANVEER
M.TECH IIT DHANBAD
• 1. Solidly Earthed System of Earth Fault
Protection
• 2. Sensitive Earth Leakage.
 Solidly Earthed System of Earth Fault Protection:

• In earlier designs, and even now, most of the

earth leakage protective systems were of the
solidly earthed type utilizing a core balance
transformer and with the start point of the
secondary winding as shown in Fig. 7.5.
• The principle of this system is that the three
phase currents passing through the core balance
transformer to the load are, under normal
conditions, balanced and as such no voltage is
induced into the secondary winding
• When an earth fault develops, this balance becomes
disturbed, and as a result, a voltage is induced into the
secondary winding which subsequently energizes the
earth fault relay opening the contacts in the control
circuit and thus opening the contactor.
• The “Fault Current” passes from the transformer
secondary winding, through the core balance
transformer, to the fault, where it passes to the
earthling conductors along the “Return Path” to the
star point of the transformer. Since the earth conductor
is earthed to the main earth pit at the surface of the
mine, the star point of the transformer is held at earth
potential.
• In this system, however, there is one main
disadvantage, which is that due to the neutral point
being solidly earthed, the independence of the circuit
under fault conditions is restricted mainly to the
impedance of the conductors up to the fault, the
impedance of the fault itself, and the impedance of the
return path.
• The impedance of the conductor up to the fault and
the return path are naturally very low (less than 0.5
ohms) and should the impedance fault be low (i.e. a
dead short circuit would have zero impedance) it can
be seen that the fault current could be very high, i.e.
several hundred amps.
• Again from Fig. 7.5 let us consider one practical
example of fault. Assuming the transformer in Fig. 7.5
is operating at 550 volts, the phase voltage to earth
would 550/√3, i.e. 318 volts. Then let us assume the
fault to be a dead short circuit of zero impedance, and
estimating the impedance of the conductors and return
path to be 0.25 ohms. The fault current would be of
the order of 318/025 = 1272 amps.
• In fact, if the value of impedance is lower, the current
will be even much higher. In practice, should this fault
be the result of a damaged cable on the face, then
severe incendive sparking would occur.
• Also, due to heavy fault current, severe overheating
will occur sometime causing a fire, damage to
equipment, and/or possibly severe burns to anyone
unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity of the fault. It
has also been noticed that stray earth currents, as a
result of heavy fault currents, may also ignite
detonator permanently.
• Another important point to note is that when a heavy
fault current of several hundred amperes, flow along
the earth conductor, it would produce a large potential
drop, even though the impedance of the conductor
may be less than one ohm.
• Since the earth conductor is earthed out-bye, the
in-bye end and the machine casing would
become live, and anyone touching the machine
casing when the fault occurs could observe a
severe shock.
• This type of danger is commonly averted because
the machine itself is in contact with the earth,
and the fault current finds return path through
the earth itself as well as along the conductor.
Nevertheless, danger is inherent in the system of
solidly earthed fault protection system.
 Sensitive Earth Leakage
• Sensitive Earth Leakage, known more easily as SEL
circuit, exists in two forms, either, Single-Point or
Multi-Point. In this system, as per specification, the
earth fault current should not exceed 750 mA (mili-
amps).
• However one thing should be remembered that
although the fault current level has been drastically
reduced, it must be understood that the fault currents
which can flow in the sensitive earth leakage systems
are still capable of igniting a methane/air mixture, as
the circuits are not classed as intrinsically safe
 The basic principles of single-point earthling systems are similar to the solidly earthed systems in that a core
balance transformer is used which are more sensitive than the solidly earthed type. In fact the principal
difference between the two systems is the method of earthling the transformer, star point, as shown in Fig. 7.6.
• In the single-point SEL system, an impedance is inserted between the star
point and earth of such a value as to limit the earth fault current to a
maximum of 750 mA. Although this is the maximum fault current that can
flow, the earth leakage trip relay would be set to trip at between 80/100
mA, giving a safety factor of approximately 7 to 1.
• However, from Fig 7.6 we see a typical circuit of protection unit in a gate
end panel. A fault is detected by a core balance transformer. Since the
fault current is so small, the degree of unbalance of currents in the power
conductors is very small, and only a very small potential difference can be
obtained at the secondary terminals.
• This potential difference is applied to an electronic amplifier which
interrupts current to a normally energised relay. The relay contacts open,
thus breaking the pilot and operating coil circuits, so that the contactor
opens.
• This system, however, is inherently discriminative. Currents in circuits
parallel to the faulty circuit remain balanced, so that normally only the
contactor in the faulty circuit trips out. If the fault can be isolated by a gate
end contactor, the contactor will usually trip out before the section switch
or substation circuit breaks.
• Fig. 7.6 also incorporates a typical look-out circuit. In fact, an electrical
look-out is also incorporated in a high resistance earthling system.
• Whenever the contactor is open, a secondary transformer
is connected between the earth conductor and an artificial
central point, created by three impedances connected in
star across the power lines. An auxiliary winding on the
core balance transformer is connected in series.
• Whenever there is a fault in the trailing cable or machine,
the circuit is completed and current flows in the auxilliary
winding of the core balance transformer. An output is
induced in the secondary, and this is applied to the
electronic amplifier, which prevents the relay from re-
setting. The contactor cannot be re-closed until the fault
has been rectified.
• In Fig. 7.7, the multipoint system is shown in a schematic
diagram. In the multi-point system, the point is isolated
completely from earth, i.e. it is a free neutral. A false
neutral is provided through a false neutral transformer
which consists of three coils wound on a common magnetic
core.
• One end of each coil is connected to each of three outgoing
phases, while the other ends are connected together to
form a star point. This star point is then connected to earth
via a fault detection circuit of sufficient impedance to limit
the maximum fault current to 20 mA. on 550 volt system
and to 40 mA. on an 1000 volt system.
• This level of fault current is capable, under severe fault
conditions, of flowing in the detection circuit of each panel
of the system in operation, at the instant the fault occurs.
• In order that the total current flowing into the fault shall be
limited to 750 mA, the number of gate end boxes in
operation on a system at any one time should be limited to
750/20 i.e. approx. 37 on 550 volt system and 750/40 i.e.
approx. 18 on an 1100 volt system. This does not cause any
embarrassment since it is well within the usual number of
panels required on any one system.
• The sensitivity of multi-point earth leakage detection circuits is
standardized at a minimum of 60 K ohms. This means that under
normal operating conditions of line voltage, a single phase to earth
fault having a resistance of 60K ohms would cause the panel to trip
out on earth fault at a maximum tripping current of approx. 3 mA.
on a 550 volt system and 6 mA on an 1,100 volt System.
• Transformer and section switch protection units are set as near to
60K ohms as is practical but not less than 40K ohms. Gate-end box
control units are set to clear an earth fault in under 100
milliseconds (i.e. less than 5 cycles). A section switch is set to clear
between 200 and 400 milliseconds and a transformer control unit
to clear between 600 and 800 milliseconds, i.e. between 30 and 40
cycles.
• The earth fault current, as mentioned above, will transverse every
detection circuit in each panel on the system in operation at the
time the fault occurs. It can be expected, therefore, that every such
panel will trip out on earth fault. It is essential therefore that the
panel feeding the fault apparatus is prevented from being re-
energised on to the fault.
For this particular purpose a lookout circuit is provided which locks the panel out and
prevents it being restarted until the fault is cleared. All other panels on the system can
be restarted immediately, thereby limiting the disruption of production to a minimum.
• Fig. 7.7 shows the basic circuit of a protection unit in a gate-end
panel. The contacts of the earth fault relay are normally open, so
that the pilot circuit can be completed only when the relay is
energised. The relay is normally energised by a secondary of the
pilot circuit transformer via the electronic amplifier. Its contacts,
therefore, close and prepare the pilot circuit whenever power is
connected to the panel bus-bar.
• If a fault occurs, and current flows in the fault detection impedance,
a potential difference arises across the impedance. This potential
difference is applied to the electronic amplifier. The amplifier
output interrupts the earth fault relay circuit, so that the relay is de-
energised, its contacts break the pilot circuits and the contactor
opens.
• The electrical look-out circuit required for parallel discrimination is
included in Fig. 7.7. The circuit is arranged so that the secondary
transformer winding is connected between the starred impedance
and the fault detection impedance whenever the contactor is open.
The method of making the connection depends upon the make of
the unit. In the diagram, auxiliary contacts operated by the
contactor mechanism are shown.
• When a fault occurs in the trailing cable or
machine, a circuit is completed as soon as the
contactor opens, and current flows in the fault
detection impedance just as it would if a fault
current were flowing. A potential difference is fed
to the electronic amplifier which prevents the
relay from being energised and resetting.
• Then when the lockout is in operation, current is
passing through the fault, which may well be
exposed. For this reason the lockout circuit is
required to be intrinsically safe. When the earth
leakage has operated, a mechanical latch comes
into operation which latches the gate-end box out
and can only be reset by an electrician with a
special key after the fault has been removed.