Diagnosis and Protection of Alternators Against Mass Faults

Abstract

Generator protection system is one of the complicated industrial systems incorporating many group elements; measurement transformer, relays, circuit breakers and wiring connectors. Generally, protection systems are described using four characteristics; dependability, Sensitivity, rapidity and selectivity. The stator earth fault is a relatively common type of fault. The generators normally have grounded high impedance, that is to say, a ground via a neutral point resistor. This resistance is normally dimensioned to give a ground fault current of the order of 5 to 15 A in the event of permanent earth fault in high voltage terminals of the alternator. Relatively low ground fault currents cause. The new protection technique, it is called an intermittent defect, this type of defect usually has the following characteristics, A very short earth current pulse of high intensity (up to several hundred amps), lasting less than 1 ms. It occurs / disappears automatically over half a period, possibly over several periods, depending on the state of the power grid and the characteristics of the fault. Over longer periods (from several seconds to several minutes), it can evolve into a permanent fault.