GEI 90368F

Revision F, March 1989

Reformatted, September 1990

GE Power Systems
Steam Turbine

Recommended Practices for Protective Relaying,

Electric Motors, and Electric Control Circuits

These instructions do not purport to cover all details or variations in equipment nor to provide for every possible
contingency to be met in connection with installation, operation or maintenance. Should further information be desired or
should particular problems arise which are not covered sufficiently for the purchasers purposes the matter should be
referred to the GE Company.
1989 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

GEI 90368

Recommended Practices

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.

GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

II.

PROTECTIVE RELAYING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

III.

PREFERRED PRACTICES FOR PROTECTING THE TURBINEGENERATOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A. Type A Simultaneous Tripping Of Turbine Emergency Valves
And Generator Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. Type B Backup Relays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C. Type C Sequential Tripping Of The Turbine Emergency
Valves And Then The Generator Circuit Breaker(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D. Type D Tripping Generator And Field Breaker Without
Tripping The Turbine Emergency Valves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3
4
4
4
6

IV.

ELECTRIC MOTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

V.

ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUITS AND DEVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.

Typical Industrial Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Typical Utility Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Typical Arrangement for Generator Tripping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Recommended Practices

GEI 90368F

I. GENERAL
Turbinegenerators are equipped with control systems and auxiliary components for normal on
line operation as well as for protection during unusual turbine generator operation or unusual circumstances in the power plant which could result in damage to the turbinegenerator. The emergency control
systems back up normal online operating turbine control systems to provide the reliability and safe operation required for turbinegenerators. These control systems and components have been refined as a result of years of experience in various environments and applications. They are subject however, to wear,
aging, boiler carryover deposits, oxide buildup on valve stems and bushings, and hydraulic system oxidation and contamination. Proper maintenance of the turbinegenerator is therefore very important in
order to keep the turbine and its auxiliary systems in proper operating condition.
The turbine has two independent speed control systems. The operating speed control is designed
for normal control of the turbinegenerator and is capable of limiting turbine overspeed below emergency
trip speed following a sudden rated load rejection by the generator. The emergency trip system is designed
to limit turbine overspeed to a safe level if the first level of speed control malfunctions. The emergency
trip system also serves as a means to rapidly remove load from the turbine when such action is necessary.
It is preferable from a turbine standpoint to first trip the inlet emergency valve(s) closed and then
open the generator circuit breaker. This sequence minimizes the possibility of overspeeding the turbine,
and is preferred over simultaneous closing of the stop valve and opening the generator breaker, or opening
only the generator breaker and permitting the turbine speed to rise under control of the speed control
system.
A steam turbinegenerator is, however, not a complete, selfsufficient unit. It is combined with
other equipment such as a boiler, condenser, auxiliaries, switchgear, piping, and related power plant
equipment in order to be capable of generating electric power or supplying process steam. Certain practices and operating procedures have evolved as providing reliable and safe operation of the turbinegenerator. The recommendations contained in this publication are based on this experience.

II. PROTECTIVE RELAYING

These recommendations clarify the position concerning protective relaying for turbinegenerators manufactured by GE Power Generation. Considering the turbinegenerator as a separate unit, these
recommended protective relaying practices direct maximum attention to overspeed of the turbinegenerator following rejection of load due to mechanical or electrical fault. A customer may have system requirements or power plant operating procedures and practices which necessitate taking exception to part, or
all, of these recommendations. When this is the case, the customer or his appointed consultant should
be aware of the potential hazards introduced by each exception so that he can conduct a proper evaluation of the entire system, including the turbinegenerator.

III. PREFERRED PRACTICE FOR PROTECTING THE TURBINEGENERATOR

These recommendations do not disregard system problems which the preferred arrangements
may complicate; however, the consequences of an uncontrolled overspeed cannot be taken lightly. The
decision to arrange the relay tripping devices in a manner other than the recommended practices included in this publication can be made only by the customer or his authorized representative responsible
for the electrical system design. It is suggested that all factors be considered and analyzed with due concern given to the relative importance of various recommendations and risks as related to a particular
plant requirement. The customer and his representative should be aware of the vital need for proper
maintenance of the entire control system to minimize the risk involved.

GEI 90368F

Recommended Practices

A. TYPE ASIMULTANEOUS TRIPPING OF TURBINE EMERGENCY VALVES

AND GENERATOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS
The emergency valves which are normally applied are main inlet steam stop valves or throttle
valves on nonreheat turbines, plus intercept and reheat stop valves on reheat turbines; also, an admission
trip throttle valve is applied with turbines that can admit steam at an admission/extraction point. The
following tripping devices should be arranged for simultaneous tripping of the turbine emergency valves
and the generator power breakers:
1. Generator differential relay and/or generator stator ground relay. These relays protect the generator against serious internal damage and are used to remove the generator from service as
quickly as possble to minimize damage (Figure 1).
2. When the main transformer and auxiliary transformer are connected directly to the generator
terminals, the differential and ground detection relays protecting them should also simultaneously trip the turbine and generator (Figure 2).

Figure 1. Typical Industrial Unit

Figure 2. Typical Utility Unit

3. Generator bus fault protective relays for faults electrically close to the generator.

B. TYPE BBACKUP RELAYS

The use of backup relays for protection of electrical power distribution systems, generators, and
control of system stability, etc., has become widespread. The actual applications of the backup relays to
each individual system will determine whether the turbinegenerator must be tripped on the basis of sequential, simultaneous, or generatorbreakeronly tripping action. Some systems may require more than
one of these tripping modes. Again, the customer or his appointed consultant should be aware of the potential turbinegenerator overspeed hazards involved before approving the final arrangement of backup
relaying.

C. TYPE CSEQUENTIAL TRIPPING OF THE TURBINE EMERGENCY VALVES

AND THEN THE GENERATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER(S)
Tripping devices which represent either turbine faults, boiler faults, or generator faults less serious than described in Type A should be arranged for tripping the turbine FIRST and THEN the generator
breakers (Figure 3).

Recommended Practices

GEI 90368F

Figure 3. Typical Arrangement for Generator Tripping

These generator faults are those whose nature allows a period of at least several seconds before
serious overheating occurs and, therefore, adequate protection of the generator is obtained by sequential
tripping. The following items are examples of such devices. Many of them are optional equipment.
Group 1
1) Thrust failure trip
2) Low bearing oil pressure trip

3) Turbine supervisory instrument trips

4) Manual/remote trip button

Group 2
1)
2)
3)
4)

Low vacuum trip

Exhaust hood temperature trip
Boiler failure trip
Loss of excitation relay

5)
6)
7)
8)

Gas pressure relay

Overcurrent relay
Reverse power relay
Overvoltage relay

GEI 90368F

Recommended Practices

The circuit breaker switches (CBS) are limit switches located on the turbine emergency valves and
are actuated when the valves close. Tripping the generator breakers by way of the CBS is the safest method
so far as overspeed is concerned since it avoids the possibility of opening the generator breaker if the emergency valves do not close. The tripping devices listed in Group 1 should actuate the solenoid trip instantaneously.
For the tripping devices listed in Group 2, it may be desirable from a system standpoint, for the
customer to introduce a time delay between closing the stop valve(s) or throttle valve(s) and tripping the
generator circuit breaker for some protective or trip devices. The time delay may be accomplished by an
electrical timing relay and should be no more than 90 seconds.

D. TYPE DTRIPPING GENERATOR AND FIELD BREAKER WITHOUT TRIPPING

THE TURBINE EMERGENCY VALVES
Certain electric power system protective relaying may, after weighing all factors, be arranged to
initiate immediate trip of the generator breaker without tripping the turbine. This minimizes the fault area
hazard and the time required to put the turbinegenerator back on the line.

IV. ELECTRIC MOTORS

The proper operation of the turbinegenerator requires that electric motors furnished with the unit
be controlled with the utmost regard for their reliability and ability to function. Since motor starters and
control switches generally are not furnished with the turbinegenerator, only the minimum requirements
for these starters and switches are shown on the motor starter circuit diagrams. These diagrams represent
many years of successful experience.
The most important motors are those driving pumps for lubricating fluid and highpressure hydraulic fluid.
Examples of these pump motors are:
AC bearing and seal oil pump motors
Auxiliary lubricating oil pump motors
Emergency bearing and seal oil pump motors
Generator shaft seal oil pump motors
Emergency lubricating oil pump motors
Highpressure hydraulic pump motors
Any interruption of the lubricating fluid supply to the turbinegenerator system can cause extensive bearing and internal turbine part damage as well as prolonged and costly outage time. Loss of the
highpressure hydraulic system will result in closure of the emergency valves and shutting down the turbine. These motor starter circuits should accomplish the following functions, and the circuits recommended for these motors should not be compromised:
A. The motor control switches are to be springreturned to the automatic start position. It should
not be possible to lock out the motors unless a deliberate procedure is followed. Examples of a deliberate
procedure would be: a switch with a pulltolockout stage for the OFF position; or a separate, inaccessible
deenergizing switch.
6

Recommended Practices

GEI 90368F

B. Signal lights should be provided which (1) indicate only when voltage is available and automatic start is possible, and (2) indicate when the motors are running. These lights are important for several
reasons, such as indicating a switch left in the OFF position or lack of power to the starter circuit. A RUN
light may indicate a failure in another part of the lubricating system, the successful test of the automatic
motorstarting circuit, or may draw attention to a motor which has inadvertently been left running. A RUN
light does not necessarily mean that the pump is performing correctly.
C. The overload elements should be set only to alarm and not to trip motors driving lubricating
system and highpressure hydraulic pumps. The cost of one of these motors is small compared to the
potential damage resulting from a lubrication system failure or forced outage of the turbine generator.
An exception to this requirement may be possible on large auxiliary oil pump motors when they are
backed up by at least two other pumps.
D. For an emergency bearing (and seal) oil pump, any circuit breakers provided in the dc supply
to the motor which are equipped with relays for overcurrent protection must be set high enough to avoid
tripout during the motor starting cycle. They should be set to at least 1.5 times the highest starting current measured under actual starting conditions, using fastacting recording equipment, such as a brush
recorder. The peak current during starting will depend on the back e.m.f., motor speed, supply voltage,
etc., and may be as high as 5 times rated fullload current. If the circuit breakers are provided with the
thermal overload contacts, they should be wired to alarm only. The use of fuses is not recommended
because, unlike circuit breakers, they cannot be tested for correct calibration.
E. On units which have a dcmotordriven emergency oil pump, a special dc motor starter is
supplied as standard. The starter provides extremely fast controlled starting of the dc motor to limit pressure dips in the lubrication system to a minimum of 5 psig when transferring from ac to dc motor pump.
F. Some turbines have no shaftdriven oil pumps, and use combinations of ac motor pumps, dc
motor pumps and/or steamdriven pumps to supply lubricating oil for the turbinegenerator. It is recommended that the dc motor pump starter be energized either by the lube pressure switch or auxiliary
contacts on the ac motor pump starter(s) so that if the ac motor pump starter(s) opens, the dc motor
pump starter will operate instantaneously and not wait for the lubricating system pressure switch to
start the dc motor pump.
G. Power for each acmotordriven lubricating system pump should be supplied from separate
and independent sources. If independent power sources are not used, switching to an alternate power
source should be accomplished in less than one second. Reliability can be improved for systems with
two ac motor pumps if switch arrangements and separate power sources are used so that either ac motor
pump can be connected to either power source.
H. Sufficient dc battery capacity shall be provided so that the dc emergency bearing pump can
operate continuously for onehalf hour for aircooled generators and two hours for hydrogencooled generators. Onehalf hour is the approximate time needed for the turbine rotor to come to rest after a tripout,
and additional time is needed to purge hydrogen in the generator casing.
As a drain is imposed on the station batteries during dc motor operation, it is expected that the
voltage at the motor terminals will drop. This can be accepted within certain limits; however, insufficient
battery capacity will adversely affect motor pump performance.
The following limitations must be observed:
1. The initial battery voltage should be 125 V dc 5% or 250 V dc 5%.

GEI 90368F

Recommended Practices

2. After starting the motor, terminal voltage should not drop below 90% of the nameplate voltage
during the first 30 minutes of emergency operation on station batteries.
3. If the unit is hydrogencooled, the motor terminal voltage for the next 1.5 hours should not
fall below 105 V dc (210 V dc on 240 V dc systems).

V. ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUITS AND DEVICES

Electrical control circuits include protective circuits, testing circuits, remote and parallel operation of components, automatic sequencing, and/or logic circuits and instrumentation. Certain of these
circuits provide protection for the turbinegenerator or its related equipment. Other circuits provide protection to prevent physical damage to plant or industryrelated equipment, such as electrical switchgear,
manufacturing processes, and boilers.
A. Emergency protective circuits are dc and use batteries to provide backup power if rectified station ac power is interrupted. Fusing these circuits reduces the reliability of the tripping circuits
in terms of available dc power. It is preferable from a turbinegenerator standpoint not to fuse
these tripping circuits, but other considerations may make it desirable to provide dc power
system protection. Examples of these circuits are the electrical trip device (ETD) and the generator circuit breaker trip system. AC power for tripping circuits is not recommended.
B. DC control circuits that are not turbinegenerator emergency protective circuits should have
provisions for overcurrent protection using accepted industry standards. Examples of these
circuits are:
1. Test circuits where dc power is used in place of ac power.
2. Transfer solenoid devices such as speed reset and transfer from pressure to speed control.
3. Annunciator circuits.
C. AC control circuits are not normally protective circuits in the sense of emergency circuits.
These circuits should be protected by overcurrent devices using accepted industry standards
for overcurrent settings.

GE Power Systems
General Electric Company
One River Road, Schenectady, NY 12345
518 385 2211 TX: 145354