Design of an over current relay using MATLAB (Simulink)

Meer Shadman Saeed, Md. Rakibul Hassan, Md. Razaul Karim, Md. Hasin Mahtab Moon, Md. Sadman Islam, Tafim Bin Nasir
Department of Electrical and Electronic Enginering
American International University – Bangladesh (AIUB), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Abstract— The main objective of this experiment is The descriptions of each block for the design of
to model an instantaneous over current relay using transmission line along with the figure are given
MATLAB (Simulink). This model demonstrates below.
the pickup value of the current which will be set by
the user. The power system was designed using Three phase sources: The Three-Phase Source block
three phase source, breaker and RLC loads and the implements a balanced three-phase voltage source
relay model was designed using logical blocks,. with an internal R-L impedance.
After modeling the relay, response of the relay was Three phase V-I measurement: this block measures the
measured graphically during both the normal and three-phase current and voltage
faulty condition.
Three phase breakers: This is a three-phase circuit
Keywords—Overcurrent relay, MATLAB, breaker can be trip by means of setting time or external
Simulink, three phase, fault current, RLC load. inputs.

Three phase series RLC load: The Three-

Phase Series RLC Load block implements a three-
I. INTRODUCTION
phase balanced load as a series combination
The overcurrent relay is defined as the relay, which of RLC elements.
operates only when the value of the current is greater
than the relay setting time. It protects the equipment of Three phase fault: The Three-Phase Fault block
the power system from the fault current. The implements a three-phase circuit breaker where the
instantaneous relay has no intentional time delay for opening and closing times can be controlled either
operation. The contacts of the relay are closed from an external Simulink signal (external control
instantly when the current inside the relay rises beyond mode), or from an internal control timer (internal
the operational value. The time interval between the control mode).
instant pick-up value and the closing contacts of the
relay is very less. The most significant advantage of
the instantaneous relay is that it has low operating
time. It starts operating instantly when the value of
current is more than the relay setting.

II. METHODOLOGY

To model an instantaneous over current relay Simulink

from MATLAB was used. An instantaneous over
current relay works only when the load current
exceeds a pickup value set by the user. The
instantaneous over current relay works
instantaneously without any delay as soon as the fault
occurs

The power system was modeled by using the’ three

phase source block’, three phase V-I measurement
block, three phase breaker block, three phase series
RLC load and three phase fault block.
 S-R Flip Flop: The S-R Flip-Flop block models a
simple Set-Reset flip-flop constructed using NOR
gates.

Logical Operator: Used to perform logical operations

between two Boolean values in Simulink. In this
Simulation AND operation is used with this.

Fig 3: Blocks to create the Relay logic.

Fig 1: Blocks to create the power system part

The power system transmission line section is setup as The instantanous over current relay was modelled as
shown below shown below:
Current value Relay output
input

Fig 2: Power system Model section

An external step function is used for the three-phase

fault to create the fault at a given time by the user. And
an external com port was used for the three phase
breaker to command the three phase breaker to trip by
the instantaneous over current relay. The three Phase
series RLC load is our protected equipment in this
case. Current Settings RMS
The Instantaneous time over current relay was Fig 4: Over Current Relay Model Section
modeled by using the blocks RMS, Relational
III. WORKING PRINCIPLE
Operator, constant, S-R Flip Flop, ‘AND’ logical
operator and Data type conversion block. The The model works like the input to the relay to the
descriptions of each block for the design of demux in this case will be the output of the current
Instantaneous over current relay along with the value of the three phase V-I measurement. The RMS
screenshot of their parameters are given below. block will convert the peak value of the three phase
currents into its RMS value. Then the RMS value is
Relational operator: This is a comparator can be used
get compared using Relational operator with a
to compare two values in Simulink.
constant, this constant is the pickup current value to be
RMS: This block converts a peak value of a sinusoidal set by the user. The output of the relational operators
wave into RMS value. is then connected to three S-R Flip Flops. And the
output of the complement of Q(Q’) is taken to an AND
operator. And the output of the AND operator is
connected directly to the three phase breaker via a
Data Type conversion block. The model works like to The simulation is done in the following steps:
keep the three phase circuit breaker close a Boolean 1 First the over current relay model was disconnected
or HIGH needs to be given to the Com port of the three from the circuit breaker and the current was measured
phase circuit breaker and to trip or open the circuit during normal condition without creating any fault
breaker a Boolean 0 or low needs to be given to the
input of the com port of the three phase circuit breaker. After that a fault was created using the step and the
Hence the over current relay model operates like that three phase fault block while keeping the relay
during normal condition the rms value of the three disconnected and the maximum current reached
phase current is less than the constant(value of pickup during short circuit fault was noted.
current) set by the user and hence the output of the
Finally a suitable pickup current was set by setting a
relational operators is low or 0 therefore the S and R
suitable constant value that is connected to the three
value of S-R Flip Flop are both low and therefore Q is
relational operator of the relay model and the
low and complement of Q(Q’) is High, since the input
simulation was tested.
of the AND operator is the complement of Q(Q’)
which is High as a result the output of the AND logical Following figure shows the three phase current during
operator is High which is fed to the com port of the normal and faulty condition both the condition output
three phase circuit breaker and the circuit breaker taken from the Iabc port of three phase V-I
remains closed during this normal condition. Now measurement block. It was found that the peak
when there is a three phase fault the three phase current
current remains at 9-10 A during normal
gets very high and the rms value of the three phase
current exceeds the constant(pickup current) set by the condition and when a fault is applied at 0.1
user and output of the relational operator gets High and second the current value exceeds 0.5x104 A.
the S-R flip flops get set and the output Q gets high
and the complement of Q(Q’) gets low now as the
input to the And logical operator is from the
complement of Q(Q’) therefore the output of AND
gets Low or Boolean 0 which is fed to the input of the
three phase circuit breaker which now trips or gets
opened as the the com input is 0.

The complete the model of the project with the power

system and the relay model connected together is
shown below.

Fig 6: Three phase current output of the Power system

during normal condition.

Fig 5: Complete Project Model

IV. SIMULATION AND RESULT

 V. CONCLUSION

This project was to design an instantaneous over

current relay to perform protection of a circuit. Over
current relays work only when the current value
exceeds the setting time set by the uer. The protection
model was design using MATLAB (Simulink). The
model was simulated. The relay operates when the
current value exceeds the a RMS value set by the user
on the relay model. The model was simulated and
since the result matches the desired output which was
the operation of the relay if the current crosses a
certain rms value therefore the project was successful.

REFFERENCES

[1] P. Maji, G. Ghosh, “Designing Over-Current

Fig 7: Three phase current output of the Power system Relay Logic in MATLAB,” International Journal
during faulty condition of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 8,
Issue 3, March-2017 40 ISSN 2229-5518
[2] N. H. Hussin, M.H. Idris, M. B. Amirruddin, S.
please note before 0.1 sec the value of current is 9A Ahmad, “Modeling and Simulation of Inverse
peak its looking like zero on Fig.7 because of the Time Overcurrent Relay using
vertical scaling which is x104 A as shown on the Matlab/Simulink,” 2016 IEEE International
Conference on Automatic Control and Intelligent
figure.
Systems
Now the constant (pickup current of the relay) is set to [3] 1994-2020 The MathWorks, Inc, Version 2020,
0.3x104 and the relay is connected with the power Available: https://www.mathworks.com/
system. Now the output is shown below when the fault
occurs at 0.1 seconds. The output is taken from Scope
5.

Relay
operate
s

Fault
occurs

Fig 8: Relay operation during faulty condition