ApplicationCurrent differential protection compares thecurrents entering and leaving a protectedoverhead line or cable. A dependable communication facility is needed to allow information exchange between the terminals at theline ends.This differential function offers phase-segregated true current differential protection fortransmission, sub-transmission and distribution networks. It is in all a numerical systemfor use with modern digital communicationsystems including multiplexed and routeswitched systems. Currents are compared ona per phase basis, obviating the problem ofthe current summation approach and providing phase selection information for singlepole tripping.
The current differential function is of master/master design, evaluating each phase currentseparately at both ends, utilising both the current amplitude and phase angle (segregatedvector comparison).All currents are Fourier filtered in order toextract the sine and cosine components. Thesix components, two per phase, are includedin a message that is transmitted every 5 ms tothe remote terminal over a synchronous56/64 kbit/s data channel. Also included inthe message is information for differentialfunction supervision, CT saturation detection,synchronisation of terminals, transfer tripsignals etc.The differential measurement is stabilisedphase by phase with the current scalar sum. The degree of stabilisation issettable.All currents are individually supervised byCT saturation detectors to minimise therequirements to the current transformers. Inthe event of CT saturation, the degree ofstabilisation is increased in the affected phasein both ends.