AAU Student Projects - visit Aalborg University's student projects portal
A professional bachelor's project from Aalborg University
Book cover


Differential Protection of Transformers

Translated title

Differentiel beskyttelse af transformere

Author

Term

7. term

Publication year

2018

Submitted on

Abstract

This project examines how to configure differential protection for power transformers to operate safely and selectively. Building on an internship project on a 60/20 kV substation bay, it reviews the fundamentals of modern digital differential relays, including strengths (very fast and selective clearing) and weaknesses (measurement errors from current transformers, saturation, and the need to scale and align currents for ratio, vector group, and zero-sequence effects). A key focus is energization inrush, which can be very large at switch-on and be misinterpreted as an internal fault. The work parametrizes a transformer in the laboratory, models and simulates inrush phenomena, and evaluates ways to limit or handle inrush. Two Siemens 7SD610 differential relays are programmed and tested with an OMICRON CMC 256-6 to verify settings that use harmonic analysis—especially second-harmonic content—to block tripping during inrush. Simulations showed inrush up to about 20 times rated current, and tests confirmed that the relays detected inrush and blocked tripping as intended. Due to technical constraints, a complete differential protection setup was not achieved, but the project demonstrates workable inrush-restraint settings and provides a structured overview of the compensations required in transformer protection.

Dette projekt undersøger, hvordan differensbeskyttelse af effekttransformere kan konfigureres sikkert og selektivt. Med afsæt i et tidligere praktikprojekt om et 60/20 kV stationsfelt gennemgås de grundlæggende principper for moderne, digitale differensrelæer, herunder styrker (meget hurtig og selektiv udkobling) og svagheder (målefejl fra strømtransformere, mætning samt behov for skalering og tilpasning på grund af omdrejningsforhold, vektorgruppe og nulsekvens). Et centralt fokus er indkoblingsstrømmen (inrush), som kan være meget stor ved spændingssætning og derfor fejltolkes som intern fejl. I arbejdet parametriseres en transformer i laboratoriet, inrush-fænomener modelleres og simuleres, og metoder til at begrænse eller håndtere inrush evalueres. To Siemens 7SD610-differensrelæer programmeres og afprøves med en OMICRON CMC 256-6 for at verificere indstillinger, der udnytter harmonisk analyse—særligt 2. harmoniske—til at blokere udkobling under inrush. Simulationerne viste startstrømme op til cirka 20 gange mærkestrøm, og tests bekræftede, at relæerne detekterede inrush og blokerede udkobling som tilsigtet. På grund af tekniske begrænsninger blev en fuld differensbeskyttelse ikke realiseret, men projektet demonstrerer anvendelige inrush-indstillinger og giver en systematisk gennemgang af nødvendige kompensationer ved transformerbeskyttelse.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]