STATIC RELAYS

 Components of static relays

 Block diagram of static relays
 Types of static relays
Static relays or solid state relays
• Static relay is an electrical relay in which the response (or)
action is developed by electrical/magnetic/optical or
other without mechanical motion of components.
• A static relay is defined as one in which there is no armature or
other moving element, the desired response being developed
by electronics solid state, magnetic components
without mechanical motion.
• A relay designed to get a response not from a mechanical
operation but from an electrical, electromagnetic, or
optical motion.
 Components of static relays
• The output of a CT or PT of a transducer is rectified by the
rectifier.
• The rectified output is given to a measuring unit constitute of
comparators, level detectors, and logic circuits.
• The output is actuated when the dynamic input (i.e. the relaying
quantity) attains the threshold value.
• The output of the measuring unit is fed to the output unit devices
after it is amplified by the amplifiers.
• The output unit activates the trip coil only when the relay operates.
• The relaying quantity such as the voltage and current is rectified and
measured.

Working of a static relay

• The output of CTs/PTs/Transducers is rectified in rectifier.

• The rectified output is fed into the relay measuring unit.

• The output of measuring unit is then amplified in amplifier.

• The amplified output is given to the output device, which

energizes the trip-coil, when the relay operates.
 Merits of static
• Reliability
relays
• Sensitivity
• Speed
• Selectivity
• Versality

Limitations of static relays

• Auxiliary voltage requirement for relay operation

• Static relays are sensitive to voltage transients which are caused
by operation of breaker and isolator in the primary circuit of CTs
and PTs.
• Non availability of test data
• Highly reliable power supply circuits are required
Applications
•Used in Ultra-high speed protection schemes of EHV-
AC lines utilizing distance protection.
• Over current schemes
• Earth fault protection schemes

Semiconductor devices used in static relay

• Semiconductor diode
• Transistors
• Unijunction transistor
• Thyristors
• Logic circuits
• Filter circuits
• Multivibators
• Time delay circuits
• Level detectors
• Analog circuits
Static over current relays
 Static over current
relays
•The output of this summation C.T is fed to an auxiliary
C.T. whose output is rectified, smoothened and applied to the
measuring unit called level detector.
(a) When the input current to the level detector is less
than the
threshold value or set value, the output of the level
detector is
zero.
For the over current relay,
If Iinput < Ithershold, Iout =0
If Iinput ≥ Ithershold, Iout =
positive quantity
(b) The output of the level
detector is amplified
and applied to the
output device to cause
 Static instantaneous over current
relay
• The current derived from the main C.T. is fed to the input
transformer which gives a proportional output voltage.

• The input transformer has an air gap in the iron core to give
linearity in the current/voltage relationship up to highest
value of current expected, and is provided with tappings
on its secondary winding to obtain different current settings.

• The output voltage of the transformer is rectified through a

rectifier and then filtered at a single stage to avoid
undesirable time delay in filtering so as to ensure high speed
of operation.

• A limiter made of a zener diode is also incorporated in the

circuit to limit the rectified voltage to safe values even when
• A fixed portion of the rectified and filtered voltage through a
potential divider is compared against a pre-set pick up value
by a level detector and if it exceeds the pick up value,
a signal through an amplifier is given to the output
device which issues the trip signal.
 Definite time over current
relay

• The operating time of over current relay is constant, irrespective

of
the level of the fault current.
• The input current signal derived from the main C.T. is converted
to a proportional voltage signal by the input transformer and then
rectified, filtered and compared with the pre-set threshold value
of the level detector.
• If the voltage exceeds the pre-set threshold value the level
detector gives an output voltage, there by the charging of the
capacitor ‘C’
of the RC timing circuit starts.
• As soon as the voltage across the capacitor exceeds the pre-
set threshold value (VT) of level detector ‘2’ a signal through
the amplifier is given to output device which issues the trip
signal.
• Potentiometers P1 and P2 is used for current setting and
time setting respectively.
 Inverse-Time over current relay

• Under normal conditions, when the input current is low, switch

S1 is ON, short circuiting the capacitor C of the RC tunning
circuit and switch S2 is OFF.
• As soon as the input voltage exceeds the pre-set reference
voltage of the level detector A.
• Switch S1 is switched off and switch S2 is switched ON and the
charging of capacitor C of the timing circuit starts
from a voltage proportional to the current.
• Switch S1 and S2 are made of static components. When the
voltage across the capacitor C of the timing circuit exceeds the
reference voltage of the level detector ‘B’ as set by
potentiometer Pz.
• Finally the output device issues the trip signal. Here the plus
setting multiplier is given by the transformer secondary
tap and potentiometer Px and the time multiplier
setting is determined by potentiometer Py and Pz.
 Directional Static over current
• The directional
relayrelay is nothing but a differential power relay
which operates when the power in the circuit flows in
a particular direction. Thus it requires to sense the system
voltage as well as the system current.
• The input A is proportional to the system current supplied to a
directional unit through auxiliary transformer.
• The input B is proportional to the system voltage, supplied to
a
directional unit through phase shifter.
• The phase comparator compares the phase angle between the
two points.
• The phase comparator is generally two types
(i) Hall effect generator which is popularly used in Russian
countries.
(ii) Rectifier bridge type comparator
 Static differential
• In this relay the tworelay
similar input quantities (I or V) are compared.
The comparator is usually a rectifier bridge rectifier.
The differential relay measures the vector difference
between two similar electrical quantities say V or I.

• Static differential relay is mostly applied in protection of

generation and transformers against any type of internal
fault similar to that of electromagnetic type differential relay.
• It is very compact, highly sensitive, high stability, low power
consumption lower VA burden.
 Static distance relay
• In the distance relay, the operation is dependent on the ratio of
the and current, which is expressed
voltage in when terms
operates of V/I i.e.,
the ratio
impedance is The
impedance. less than
relaya predetermined
value.
• The measurement of impedance, reactance, and admittance are
done by comparison of input current and voltage. In
static comparators the two input quantities are either V or I.
• Current is converted to equivalent voltage by producing a
voltage drop in impedance with in the relay.
• This voltage drop is then compared with the other voltage.
• The output from the comparator is fed into a polarity detector
where, when the input currents to the comparator are 90
apart, the output device will be turned on for +90 and turned
-90 and hence the output wave will be a square wave
with equal space ratios.
• Static distance relay are used extremely for protection of
medium and long transmission lines, parallel feeders and
unit back up protections as well as interconnected lines.