Small synchronous machine protection during voltage sags caused by MV grid faults

This paper analyses the impact of symmetrical and unsymmetrical voltage sags caused by distribution and transmission faults on the dynamic behaviour of small salient-pole synchronous machines connected to the MV grid, and proposes the modification of the protection settings to increase machine availability. As faults are considered, the voltage recovery is assumed to occur in a discrete way, in the fault current zeroes. The voltage sag effects include current and torque peaks, speed and load angle increase, and possible machine instability. Results from many cases are discussed, especially the positive-sequence voltage influence on machine stability. The study concludes that machine availability during unsymmetrical sags can be increased by modifying the undervoltage and overcurrent protection settings (the former should be based on the positive-sequence voltage instead of line-to-line voltages used in current settings).