Types of Relay used in power system in detail

By electricalsphere.com / June 16, 2024

Table of Contents
1. What is Relay?
2. Types of Relay in power system
2.1. Electromechanical Relays
2.1.1. Attracted Armature Relays
2.2. Static relays
3. Digital relays
3.1. Numerical relays
4. Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)
5. Video Tutorial

What is Relay?
It is necessary to remove a fault from the power system as quickly as possible for healthy power system. So Relay
sense the abnormal fault and give command to circuit breaker to trip and isolate faulty section from healthy section.

However, the relay must make its decision based upon voltage and current waveforms, which are severely distorted
due to transient phenomena that follow the occurrence of a fault. The relay must separate the meaningful and
significant information contained in these waveforms upon which a secure relaying decision must be based.

Types of Relay in power system

Various types of relay used in power system as per their application.

Electromechanical Relays

Static Relays

Digital Relays

Numerical Relays

Electromechanical Relays

These relays were the earliest forms of relay used for the protection of power systems, and they date back around
100 years. They work on the principle of a mechanical force operating a relay contact in response to a stimulus.

The mechanical force is generated through current flow in one or more windings on a magnetic core or cores,
hence the term electromechanical relay. The main advantage of such relays is that they provide galvanic isolation
between the inputs and outputs in a simple, cheap and reliable form.

Therefore these relays are still used for simple on/off switching functions where the output contacts carry
substantial currents. Electromechanical relays can be classified into several different types as follows:

Attracted armature

Moving coil induction

Thermal
Motor operated

Mechanical

However, Only attracted armature types presently have significant applications while all other types have been
superseded by more modern equivalents.

Attracted Armature Relays

These generally consist of an iron-cored electromagnet that attracts a hinged armature when energised. A restoring
force is provided by a spring or gravity so that the armature returns to its original position when the electromagnet
is de-energised. Typical forms of an attracted armature relay are shown in Figure Movement of the armature opens
or closes a contact.

The armature either carries a moving contact that engages with a fixed one or causes a rod to move that brings two
contacts together. It is easy to mount multiple contacts in rows or stacks, causing a single input to actuate several
outputs. The contacts can be robust and therefore able to make, carry and break large currents under difficult
conditions such as highly inductive circuits. This is still a significant advantage of this type of relay that ensures its
continued use.
The energising quantity can be either an a.c. or a d.c. current. If an a.c. current is used, there is chatter due to the
flux passing through zero every half cycle. A common solution is to split the magnetic pole and provide a copper
loop around one half. The flux is then phase-shifted in that pole so the total flux is never equal to zero.

Conversely, for relays energised using a d.c. current, remanent flux may prevent the relay from releasing when the
actuating current is removed. This can be avoided by preventing the armature from contacting the electromagnet
by a non-magnetic stop, or constructing the electromagnet using a material with very low remanent flux properties.

Operating speed, power consumption and the number and type of contacts required are a function of the design.
The typical attracted armature relay has an operating speed of between 100ms and 400ms, but reed relays (whose
use spanned a relatively short period in the history of protection relays) with light current contacts can be designed
to have an operating time of as little as 1ms. Operating power is typically 0.05-0.2 watts, but could be as large as 80
watts for a relay with several heavy-duty contacts and a high degree of resistance to mechanical shock.

Static relays
The term ‘static’ implies that the relay has no moving parts. This is not strictly the case for a static relay, as the
output contacts are still generally attracted armature relays. In a protection relay, the term ‘static’ refers to the
absence of moving parts to create the relay characteristic.

Their design is based on the use of analogue electronic devices instead of coils and magnets to create the relay
characteristic. Early versions used discrete devices such as transistors and diodes with resistors, capacitors and
inductors.

advances in electronics enabled the use of linear and digital integrated circuits in later versions for signal processing
and implementation of logic functions. Although basic circuits were common to several relays, each protection
function had its own case, so complex functions required several cases of interconnected hardware.

User programming was restricted to the basic functions of adjustment of relay characteristic curves. Therefore they
can be considered as an analogue electronic replacement for electromechanical relays, with some additional
flexibility in settings and some saving in space requirements. In some cases, relay burden is reduced, reducing
CT/VT output requirements.

The d.c. supply can be generated from the measured quantities of the relay, this has the disadvantage of increasing
the burden on the CTs or VTs, and there is a minimum primary current or voltage below which the relay will not
operate. This directly affects the possible sensitivity of the relay. So provision of an independent, highly reliable and
secure source of relay power supply was an important consideration.

To prevent maloperation or destruction of electronic devices during faults or switching operations, sensitive circuitry
is housed in a shielded case to exclude common mode and radiated interference. The devices are also sensitive to
electrostatic discharge (ESD), requiring special precautions during handling. ESD damage may not be immediately
apparent but may cause premature failure of the relay.

Digital relays
Digital protection relays introduced a step change in technology. Microprocessors and microcontrollers replaced
analogue circuits used in static relays to implement relay functions. Early examples were introduced around 1980
and with improvements in processing capacity are still current technology for many relay applications. However,
such technology could be completely superseded by numerical relays.

Compared to static relays, digital relays use analogue to digital conversion of all measured quantities and use a
microprocessor to implement the protection algorithm. The microprocessor may use a counting technique or use
Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFT) to implement the algorithm.

However, these microprocessors have limited processing capacity and associated memory compared to numerical
relays. Therefore the functionality is limited mainly to the protection function itself. Compared to an
electromechanical or static relay, digital relays have a wider range of settings, greater accuracy and a
communications link to a remote computer. Figure 7.5 shows a typical digital relay.

Digital relays typically use 8 or 16-bit microprocessors that were later used in modems, hard disk controllers or early
car engine management systems. The limited power of the microprocessors used in digital relays restricts the
number of samples of the waveform that can be measured per cycle.

This limits the speed of operation of the relay in certain applications. Therefore a digital relay for a particular
protection function may have a longer operation time than the static relay equivalent. However, the extra time is
insignificant compared to overall tripping time and possible effects on power system stability.

Numerical relays
The distinction between digital and numerical relays is particular to Protection. Numerical relays are natural
developments of digital relays due to advances in technology. They use one or more digital signal processors (DSP)
optimised for real time signal processing, running the mathematical algorithms for the protection functions.

The continuing reduction in the cost and size of microprocessors, memory and I/O circuitry leads to a single item of
hardware for a range of functions. For faster real time processing and more detailed analysis of waveforms, several
DSPs can be run in parallel.

A numerical relay has the functionality that previously required several discrete relays, therefore the relay functions
such as overcurrent or earth fault are referred to as ‘relay elements’. Each relay element is in software so with
modular hardware the main signal processor can run a vast variety of relay elements.

The argument against putting many features into one piece of hardware centres on the issues of reliability and
availability. A failure of a numerical relay may cause many more functions to be lost, compared to applications
where different functions are implemented by separate hardware items. Comparison of reliability and availability
between the two methods is complex as inter-dependency of elements of an application provided by separate relay
elements needs to be taken into account.

With the experience gained with static and digital relays, most hardware failure mechanisms are now well
understood and suitable precautions taken at the design stage. Software problems are minimised by rigorous use of
software design techniques, extensive prototype testing and the ability to download updated software.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

What is a relay in a power system? A relay in a power system is an electrically operated switch that detects
abnormal conditions (such as overcurrent, overvoltage, or faults) and initiates a response to protect the system from
damage.

What are the types of relays used in power systems? There are several types of relays used in power systems,
including:

1. Overcurrent relays: These protect against excessive currents in a circuit.

2. Overvoltage relays: They protect against voltage spikes or sustained overvoltages.

3. Undervoltage relays: These protect against voltage drops below a specified level.
 4. Distance relays: Used to protect transmission lines by measuring the impedance to faults.

5. Differential relays: They compare currents entering and leaving a protected zone to detect internal faults.

6. Frequency relays: Protect against deviations in power system frequency.

7. Directional relays: They respond based on the direction of power flow, useful in complex interconnected grids.

How do relays work in a power system? Relays typically monitor electrical parameters (like current, voltage,
frequency) using sensors. When abnormal conditions are detected, the relay actuates its contacts to open or close
circuits, thereby isolating the faulted section of the power system or signaling for corrective action.

What factors should be considered when selecting relays for a power system? Factors include the specific
application (transmission, distribution, generation), the type and magnitude of faults expected, response time
requirements, environmental conditions, and the integration with other protection schemes.

What are the main functions of relays in electrical substations? Relays in electrical substations serve several
critical functions:

1. Fault Detection: They detect abnormal electrical conditions like short circuits or overloads.

2. Isolation: Relays initiate the opening of circuit breakers to isolate faulty sections of the network.

3. Protection Coordination: They coordinate with other relays and protective devices to ensure selective
operation, minimizing downtime.

4. Monitoring: Relays monitor parameters such as current, voltage, frequency, and phase angle to maintain system
stability.

Video Tutorial

All types of Relays Used in Substation | Exclusive Video

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