The testing of transmission or power distribution protection devices is a priority activity within the company's periodic maintenance plan. Technology enables the development of new protection and maneuvering devices as components of the electrical networks and to test if they are functioning correctly and to see if the coordination, to guarantee the protection selection and the recovery of the power supply.
Maneuvering and protection devices such as Reclosers or EFI's (Epoxy Insulted Fault Interrupter), among others, are requiring to be tested in order to confirm the correct condition and coordination. The present trend is to focus only on the correct operation of the Control (Protection Relay), through the use of secondary test units, such as relay test cases.
However the correct and safest way to guarantee the correct operation of a protection and maneuvering device, is to verify the coordination of the whole scheme. In the case of a Recloser , the coordination between the Control and it’s Circuit Breaker, this is possible thanks to the use of the Raptor System , which allows the injection of a wide range of current values, allowing to test faults caused by phase over current, neutral and ground fault (SEF), this is achieved by means of a simple single-phase connection to the Recloser and without the need of a secondary connection to the protection relay.
In the first image we can see a test in a Vacuum Recloser and in the second image, in a SF6 Recloser.
In the first image we can see a test in a Vacuum Recloser and in the second image, in a SF6 Recloser.
