3.

References

3.1 Application example

MV CB
Electrical distribution plant
Homopolar toroid

MV-LV

E2N 1600 4p
PR123/P LSIG

MCCB MCCB
LSIG LSIG

M
MCCB MCCB
LSIG LSIG

L L

Figure 6 – Electrical distribution plant

−− to apply a homoplar toroid connected to the star center of
Consider an electrical distribution plant composed by: the transformer to earth1;
− − a MV circuit-breaker; − − to apply and set the signalling module as PR120/K,
− − a MV-LV transformer; PR021/K or LD030 DO in order to make available one
− − an incoming LV air circuit-breaker as an E2N 1600 4p contact to command the opening of the MV circuit-breaker.
equipped with PR123/P LSIG trip unit (or X1N 1600 4P This contact must be programmed so that the contact,
equipped with PR333/P LSIG); normally open, shall close when the trip unit of the LV
− − several supply-side circuit-breakers as MCCBs, equipped circuit-breaker detects the fault thanks to the external G
with G (or Rc residual current) protection; protection. The circuit diagrams below show the contacts
In order to guarantee the protection of the plant, “Double G” available in the PR120/K (Figure 7-8), PR021/K (Figure 9)
implementation requires: and LD030 DO (Figure 10) signalling units;
1
The external homopolar toroid, placed on the conductor connecting the trans-
former star centre to earth, must be located between the neutral conductor
and PE conductor. In this way the currents that flow in the neutral don’t pass
through the homopolar toroid; on the contrary the currents that flow in the PE
conductor are detected by homopolar toroid.

A4
X K9 K10 K8 K6 K4 K10 K8 K6 K4
XV K9 K10 K8 K6 K4 K10 K8 K6 K4
K10

K10
K9

K8

K6

K4

K8

K6

K4

XK6 9 XK6 7 XK6 5 XK6 3 XK6 1 XK6 9 XK6 7 XK6 5 XK6 5 XK6 1
module PR120/K

module PR120/K
Signalling

Signalling

A1 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51
K51 K51
IN1 p1 p2 p3 p4 IN1 p1 p2 p3 p4
PR123/P PR123/P

XK6 10 XK6 8 XK6 6 XK6 4 XK6 2 XK6 10 XK6 8 XK6 6 XK6 4 XK6 2
K7

K5

K3

K9

K7

K5

K3

XV K7 K5 K3 K9 K7 K5 K3
X K7 K5 K3 K9 K7 K5 K3
A4

Figure 7 – PR120/K (4 Outputs + 1 Input with common terminal) Figure 8 – PR120/K (4 Outputs with independent terminals)

ABB | Double Ground Fault Protection 5

3. References

K51 PR123/P K51 PR333/P

A1 A1

XK2 8 XK2 9 XK2 10 XK2 19 XR2 1 XR2 2 XR2 3 XR2 5

W3

W4

W3

W4
K1

K2

K1

K2
XV K1 K2 W3 W4 XV K1 K2 W3 W4
X K1 K2 W3 W4 X13 K1 K2 W3 W4

+ +
– 24 V – 24 V

A4 A4 A13
11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 1 2 7 8 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 1 2 7 8
K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51 K51
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
12 14 14 18 20 22 24 26 10 PR021/K 12 14 14 18 20 22 24 26 10 PR021/K

Figure 9 – PR021/K signalling unit

PR123/P
k51
PR333/P
PR330/D-M module only
module or PR333/P with
For PR123/P with PR120/D-M

XV W1 X2 XV K2 K1 W3 W4
X W1 X2 X K2 K1 W3 W4

W2

(A) (B)
W1 +
– 24 V
W2

12 10 7 6 14 16 13 20 1 2 23 24
(A) (B)
D01 D02 D03 D04 D05 D06 D07 D07
A31

11 9 8 5 13 15 17 19 3 LD030 DO

Figure 10 – LD030 DO

PR120/K – PR021/K contact Monostable STDP −− and finally, to make the interlocking cabling between the
Maximum switching power (resistive load) 100W / 1250 VA signalling unit and the shunt opening release of the medium
Maximum switching voltage 130 V DC / 250 V AC voltage circuit-breaker. For example, when the K51/P1
Maximum switching current 5A
contact (PR120K) closes, the medium voltage shunt open-
Breaking capacity (resistive load) @ 30V DC 3.3 A
ing release receive the signal and command the opening of
@ 250V AC 5 A
Contact/coil insulation 2000V r.m.s. (1min@50Hz) the MV circuit-breaker (Figure 11).

For more detailed information about the way to interlock the

LD030 DO contact Monostable SPDT medium and low voltage side, please consult the White Paper
Maximum switching power (resistive load) 150W, 2000VA “Integration between the MV protection and control unit
Maximum switching voltage 30V DC, 250V AC REF 542 and LV protection trip unit PR123: selectivity and
Breaking capacity (resistive load) @ 30V DC 5A earth fault”.
@ 250V AC 8A

6 Double Ground Fault Protection | ABB

 Restricted fault is only detected by the homopolar toroid; the
K10 LV circuit-breaker could open due to the “Gext” protection and
K10 the contact switches from the open to the closed condition.
K10

It follows that:
XK6 7 − − the MV CB opens, since it is activated by the contact;
−− the LV CB opens. As already described above, the trip unit
X21/d10
-AR
is enabled to open the LV circuit-breaker because of Gext
K51
p1 (803) X21/d12 protection. In the most common plants, the LV circuit-
breaker must to open when the MV circuit breaker trips
XK6 8 due to the Gext protection.
K9

K9
K9

-XX 11

-XB 9 -XB 7 -08

Case 2 - Unrestricted fault: in case of earth fault occurring in
-XB12
the installation area downstream the air circuit-breaker ACB,
-XB11 1
the incoming air circuit-breaker trips due to the internal G
protection.
-BB3 -BB1
2

Caption -TR1 ˜ +
-XB11 2 K10
AR: REF 542 protection unit Transformer K10
BB1, BB3: auxiliary contacts -MO1 secondary winding
˜

K10
TR1: AC/DC converters L1
MO1: opening coil
-XB 8 Emax XK6 7
K51/p1: contact of PR120/K module internal CTs
Figure 11

Three different scenarios might occur in the electrical plant: L2

K51
p1
Case 1 - Restricted fault: in case of earth fault occurring in
L3
the installation area comprised between the MV-LV TRAFO
and the incoming ACB, the MV circuit-breaker must trip. N
External
toroid XK6 8
PE
K10
K9

Transformer K10
secondary winding K9
K10

L1 K9
Emax
internal CTs XK6 7
Figure 13 – Unrestricted fault

L2
Unrestricted fault is detected by both the homopolar toroid
and by the internal G, but, because of the settings, internal
K51
p1 G protection is faster than external G protection (Gext). The
L3 contact remains open because the protection “Gext” goes
into protection timing but the fault is extinguished before the
N
External protection timing phase ends.
toroid
PE XK6 8

It follows that:
K9

K9 −− the LV ACB opens because of internal G protection trip;

K9 −− the MV CB does not open, since it is not activated by the
contact.
Figure 12 – Restricted fault

ABB | Double Ground Fault Protection 7

3. References

Case 3: In case of an earth fault occurring in the installation It follows that:

area downstream the MCCB load side, only the moulded-case − − the G (or Rc) protection of the downstream MCCB is acti-
circuit-breaker trips due to G, Rc, L, S, I protection activation. vated to extinguish the earth fault;
−− the LV ACB does not open;
Unrestricted fault is detected by the homopolar toroid, by − − the MVCB does not open, because it is not activated by
the internal G of the ACB and by the internal G (or Rc) of the the contact.
MCCB. By appropriate settings, the internal G (or Rc) protec-
tion of the MCCB should be faster than the internal G protec-
tion and the external G protection of the ACB. If the MCCB has not G (or Rc) protection, it must open before
the LV ACB due to selectivity. In this case the time to extin-
guish the earth fault depends on the earth fault intensity.

K10

Transformer K10
secondary winding

K10
L1

XK6 7
ACB internal MCCB internal
current sensors current sensors

L2
K51
p1

L3

N
External
toroid XK6 8
PE

K9
K9
K9

Figure 14 – Earth fault downstream the MCCB

8 Double Ground Fault Protection | ABB