Principle of breaker failure protection

Breaker Failure Protection (BFP) is a protection scheme used in electrical power systems to detect and respond to the failure of a circuit breaker. The principle of BFP is based on the idea that if a circuit breaker fails to open or close, it can cause a fault in the system, which can lead to a power outage or even a fault cascade.

Here's how BFP works:

  1. Monitoring: The BFP system continuously monitors the status of the circuit breaker, including its opening and closing operations.
  2. Fault detection: If the circuit breaker fails to open or close, the BFP system detects the fault and sends a signal to the control center.
  3. Tripping: The control center receives the signal and sends a trip command to the circuit breaker to open it, even if it has already failed to open.
  4. Isolation: The circuit breaker opens, isolating the faulty section of the system from the rest of the grid.

The BFP principle is based on the following assumptions:

  1. Circuit breaker failure: The circuit breaker is assumed to fail in an open or closed position.
  2. Fault detection: The BFP system can detect the failure of the circuit breaker.
  3. Trip command: The control center can send a trip command to the circuit breaker to open it.

The benefits of BFP include:

  1. Improved system reliability: BFP helps to prevent faults from propagating through the system, reducing the risk of power outages.
  2. Enhanced safety: BFP helps to prevent the spread of faults, reducing the risk of electrical shock or other hazards.
  3. Reduced maintenance: BFP can help to identify faulty circuit breakers, reducing the need for maintenance and repair.

There are different types of BFP schemes, including:

  1. Instantaneous BFP: This scheme trips the circuit breaker immediately after detecting a fault.
  2. Delayed BFP: This scheme delays the trip command for a short period to allow the circuit breaker to recover from a temporary fault.
  3. Selective BFP: This scheme allows the control center to select which circuit breaker to trip in case of a fault.

In summary, the principle of Breaker Failure Protection is based on monitoring the status of circuit breakers, detecting faults, and sending trip commands to isolate the faulty section of the system. This helps to improve system reliability, enhance safety, and reduce maintenance.