A Module-Based Educational Platform for Transformer Differential Digital Relay Design and Experimentation

The teaching of power system in universities and technical institutions is not in pace with the trend of power system development. In power system protection, laboratory sessions involving relays and relay design, software handling and hands-on experience are highly recommended. In this study, transducers and data acquisition instruments are assembled in a 300mm cube module and a digital relay control algorithm is designed in a LabVIEW program for practical experimentation of transformer differential digital relay in power system laboratory. Validation of the mathematical formulations by SIMULINK simulations was done first. Then LabVIEW program with an easily understandable user interface was designed. The platform was successfully tested and could trigger the contactor relay to trip when a fault occurred within the protection zone. The platform is cheap to develop and the modules can be used in other power systems experiments.