PROTECTIVE RELAY CURRENTS EXPERIENCED BY POWER TRANSFORMERS DURING FAULT CONDITIONS

Two characteristics of power transformers combine to complicate detection of internal faults with current operated relays

a)The change in magnitude of current at the transformer terminals may be very small when a limited number of turns are shorted within the transformer.

b)When a transformer is energized, magnetizing inrush current that flows in one set of terminals may equal many times the transformer rating. These and other considerations require careful thought to obtain relay characteristics best-suited to the particular application.

Minimum internal faults

The most difficult transformer winding fault for which to provide protection is the fault that initially involves one turn. A turn-to-turn fault will result in a terminal current of much less than rated full-load current.

For example, as much as 10% of the winding may have to be shorted to cause full-load terminal current to flow.  Therefore, a single turn-to-turn fault will result in an undetectable amount of current.

Maximum internal faults

There is no limit to the maximum internal fault current that can flow, other than the system capability, when the fault is a terminal fault or a fault external to the transformer but in the relay zone. The relay system should be capable of withstanding the secondary current of the CT on a short-time basis.

This may be a factor if the transformer is small relative to the system fault and if the CT ratio is chosen to match the transformer rating.

Through-faults

Fault current through a transformer is limited by the transformer and source impedance. While current through a transformer thus limited by its impedance can still cause incorrect relay operations or even transformer failure, CT saturation is less likely to occur than with unlimited currents.

The above favorable aspect may disappear if the transformer protective zone includes a bus area with two or more breakers on the same side of the transformer through which external fault current can flow with no relationship to the transformer rating. An example is a transformer connected to a section of a ring bus with the transformer protection including the ring bus section.