Protection Arrangements and Settings

PROTECTION ARRANGEMENTS AND SETTINGS
Guidelines:
1. Primary Protection. The Transmission Customer (as applicable) shall comply with the Primary
Protection requirement of NGCP. The protection provided will, in general, cover four main
categories:
(a) Transmission Lines
(b) Transformers, Reactors, and Capacitors
(c) Station Buses
(d) Rotating Machinery
1.1 Transmission Lines
Transmission lines must be protected against all types of faults: phase-to-phase, phase-to-ground,
two phase-to-ground, and three phase. The protection should discriminate between short circuit and
load current thus permitting loading of lines to maximum capacity while still ensuring that all faults
will be detected. Bulk power transmission lines require high-speed primary relaying that will
simultaneously trip all phases at all terminals of the line for all multi-phase internal faults. In some
cases, a second primary system may be required. Simultaneous single pole tripping at each
terminal may be used for single phase-to-ground faults.
1.2 Transformers, Shunt Reactors and Capacitors, and Series Capacitors
Transformers and reactors associated with the bulk power systems must be provided with high-
speed protection. Transformer protection must be capable of distinguishing between fault current
and magnetizing in-rush current. When in-rush or heavy external fault currents exist, means will be
provided to prevent misoperation of differential relays due to instrument transformer errors. Gas
analysis, pressure, and temperature relays can be used for tripping or alarming where it is practical
and expedient.
Shunt capacitors are connected to a bus or tapped to a line through a breaker or disconnect switch.
The protection scheme employed must consider preventing the capacitor bank from being stressed
beyond its voltage rating under non-fault conditions, and preventing the line breakers from reclosing
into a charged capacitor bank during trip and reclose operations when the capacitor is tapped on a
transmission line.
Series capacitor protection is largely dependent upon the line impedance, fault current, and type of
line protection. Line protection using phase comparison relays is not affected by series capacitors.
Distance relays can be applied, provided proper account is made of the capacitor shorting gaps or
zinc-oxide varistors (ZnO), sometimes referred to as metal oxide varistors (MOV), although
additional time may be required.
1.3 Station Buses
All generating plant and bulk power station buses must be provided with high-speed protection. This
protection must discriminate between faults on the bus and those which occur external to the
protected zone. Means must be provided to prevent misoperation of the relays due to instrument
transformer errors.
1.4 Rotating Machinery
Generators and synchronous condensers must be provided with high-speed protection. This
protection must discriminate between faults within the protected zone and external faults or heavy
loads.
In addition, protective equipment may be provided that will recognize such things as (but not limited
to) excessive heating, unbalanced loading of the machine, and stator ground. Loss of field
protection may be provided where the loss of excitation will adversely affect the system or result in
machine damage. The above protective equipment can be used to either trip or alarm.
2. Backup Protection. The Transmission Customer shall also be equipped with a Backup line
protection. Since any element of the protective system may fail, faults which are not cleared by
primary protection must be detected and cleared by backup devices using various combinations of
relays and communication facilities. Backup or alternate relaying may not isolate the faulted
equipment in as fast a time, or with as minimum and amount of system disturbance, that is obtained
with primary relaying, but it must operate in such a manner as to assure the security of the
remaining system. Backup relaying can be either be remote or local depending on the particular
system and situation involved.
3. Breaker Failure Protection. As applicable, the Transmission Customer shall comply with NGCP’s
Breaker Failure Protection Scheme. Failure of a circuit breaker to interrupt the current through it
upon receiving a signal from the protective control system is considered a breaker failure. This
failure requires isolation of the defective circuit breaker and fault with the least disturbance to the
concerned system(s). System configuration dictates the type of breaker failure protective system to
be employed.
4. Underfrequency Protection. Transmission Customers with generating units shall comply with
NGCP’s Underfrequency Protection Scheme. With the large generating units and generating
stations in operation throughout the interconnected system, there is a possibility of the loss of large
amounts of capacity within a geographic area. As long as the entire interconnected system remains
intact, serious frequency excursions are not likely to occur. However, it is recognized that
regardless of how well a system is planned and operated, certain combinations of operating
conditions, faults, or events may cause separations resulting in the isolation of an area with a
generating deficiency within that area. If this should occur, the only practical means of correcting
the imbalance of generation to load is by automatic shedding of load by under-frequency relays.
5. Settings. Relay settings, including backup timing, require a considerable amount of judgment,
compromise, and coordination. In general, settings must be such that relays will:
1. Operate for minimum fault values, considering all credible system operating conditions
2. Permit required maximum emergency loading
3. Permit recoverable swings to occur without incorrect tripping
4. Operate before system stability is jeopardized
Protection system settings and coordination shall be reviewed by NGCP whenever system changes
are anticipated or as warranted by system performance.
6. Communication Channels. Relay communication channels are used to provide high speed
simultaneous tripping of all terminals of a protected line. The Transmission Customer, as
applicable, shall use any of the following four major types of communication channels in use today
for protective relaying purposes:
1. Power Line Carrier
2. Microwave
3. Wire Line and Telecommunication Channels
4. Fiber Optic Channels
7. Batteries. Batteries are the prime source of tripping and control power; their correct application and
proper maintenance are fundamental to adequate protection. Battery capacity should be reviewed
periodically to determine that it is sufficient. The charging equipment should be carefully selected to
coordinate with the battery size and load. Monitoring should be provided to detect most abnormal
battery conditions.
8. System Monitoring. The use of automatic monitoring devices, with sufficient capability to permit
adequate analysis of electrical disturbances within a system, is highly recommended (as applicable)
for Grid Users, particularly when faults on one utility system affect neighboring systems.
Fault recorders are installed primarily to assist in analyzing the type, magnitude, duration, and
location of electrical faults after they have occurred. Event recorders are used to assist in this
analysis by recording the time of switching operations. Although not their primary function, both
devices can often be used to assist operators in determining the proper course of action during an
emergency.
9. Submission of Protection Arrangements and Settings Form. The Transmission Customer shall
completely fill-up the attached form of Protection Relay Test Record and submit it to RRAG-NGCP
together with other pertinent documents.

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PROTECTION ARRANGEMENTS AND SETTINGS

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