A physical laboratory for protective relay education

Undesirable but unavoidable natural events or human errors will occur to disrupt normal power system operation. Engineers must apply protective relay systems for the most probable events based on practical judgment to minimize service interruptions and damage to the equipment. Understanding the performance and limitations of different protective relay systems is vital in their application. One can explain the philosophy of system protection, the basic theory of a protective relay system, and the relay algorithms from classroom sessions and/or computer simulation. However, it is difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate the actual performance and possible misoperation of a relay in the field just through computer simulation or benchtop testing. This paper introduces the usage of the Power System Simulation Laboratory at the Energy Systems Research Center to enhance the teaching and research activities in relay education. A brief description of the laboratory configuration and the design of the relay testing station are presented. Some sample examples to illustrate the use of this facility for undergraduate and graduate education in protective relay systems are also included in this paper.