Negative Phase Sequence

Negative Phase Sequence

When there is an unbalance in the system, there is an unbalance in

the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage and current
components. The power system will then be filled with negative
sequence components.

This negative sequence component has the same magnitude as the

positive sequence component but rotates in the opposite direction
in the power system.

Unbalanced loads and fault conditions can both produce this.

Because of the new field having a new frequency, they will
generate harmful temperatures.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

Unbalanced loads and unbalanced supply voltage to a motor stator

might cause a negative sequence and slow down the motor as heat
production increases.

Negative Phase Sequence in Electrical Equipment

Unbalanced currents in power system generate negative sequence

currents.

The flow of the negative sequence currents in the electrical

equipment (generators and motors) is undesirable because these
currents generate high and potentially harmful temperatures in a
relatively short time.

These high temperatures can harm the insulation of the machinery.

Some of the impacts of negative sequence currents on

 Generators and
 Motors
are detailed in this post.

Negative Sequence Currents

In a three-phase system, phase current & voltage can be

represented by three single-phase components.

There are three types of sequence components:

1. Positive Sequence Components,

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 Negative Phase Sequence

2. Negative Sequence Components, and

3. Zero Sequence Components.

1). Positive Sequence Components

Positive sequence components will rotate (vector rotate) in the

same direction as the power system voltage & current
components.

During the balanced load state, positive sequence currents exist.

Only positive sequence components flow in power system if the
phase currents in a generator are equal and the vectors are
displaced by 120o (supplying balanced load).

When there is an unbalance in the system, there is an unbalance in

the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage and current
components.

2). Negative Sequence Components

Then, in the power system, negative sequence components will

flow.

This negative sequence component will have the same magnitude

as the positive sequence component but will rotate in the opposite
direction in the power system.

3). Zero Sequence Components

When the zero sequence components flow during an unbalanced

condition, current flows through the power system’s neutral.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

Negative Phase Sequence Formula

The formula for calculating the negative phase sequence

component of a three-phase electrical quantity is as follows:

V_ = 1/3(Va+ω2Vb+ωVc)

Where,

V_ = Negative Sequence Voltage

Va, Vb, Vc = Voltage magnitudes for phases A, B, & C

ω = ej(2П/3) = complex operator that symbolizes a phase shift of 120

degrees.

Causes of Negative Sequence Components

Numerous factors can result in the flow of unbalanced three-phase

currents in alternators or generators. Among the reasons are a few
of the following:

 Unbalanced loads in the system

 Unbalanced system faults
o Line to Ground Faults,
o Two Phase Faults,
o Three Line to Ground Faults,
o Double Line to Ground Faults.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

 Open phases (or) faults in open circuits

Effects of Negative Sequence Components

 The surface of the rotor,

 The slot wedges of the rotor,
 The retaining rings, and
 The filed windings of the rotor of the machines
are all affected by the double frequency currents that are induced
by these negative sequence components.

The rotor temperature will rise to an extremely high level as a

result of these double induced high frequency currents, which will
cause damage to the machine if it is operated continually.

1). Electrical Machine – Rotor Heating

Unbalanced currents generate negative sequence components,

which form a reverse rotating field (opposite to synchronous
rotating field, which typically induces emf in the rotor windings)
in the air gap between the machines’ stator and rotor.

The reverse rotating magnetic field rotates at synchronous rates

but in the opposite direction as the machine’s rotor.

In the case of cylindrical rotating machines (generators operated

via steam turbines as well as motors), this reverse rotating
magnetic field induces double frequency currents into the rotor
body and induces double frequency currents in the pole faces in

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 Negative Phase Sequence

the case of salient pole machines (generators powered by hydro

turbines).

The induced currents generated by the synchronous rotating

magnetic field will give a high resistance channel to the normal
induced currents, resulting in rapid heating.

This heating effect, in turn, causes mechanical or insulation

problems in electrical machines in seconds.

As a result, it is unavoidable to operate the machine in an

unbalanced state whenever negative sequence currents flow in the
rotor and must be protected.

2). Induction Motor Effects

Unbalanced currents flowing into the induction motor can cause:

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 Negative Phase Sequence

 Single phasing
 Phase reversal
 Unbalance supply voltage
In the case of induction motors, a 5% unbalance can result in a 25%
drop in motor power, even if the induction motor continues to
receive the rated current prior to unbalancing.

The induction motor’s diminished electrical power is due to

heating in rotor. 3% imbalance in the supplied voltage can increase
rotor heating by around 20%.

Negative Phase Sequence Protection of Alternator

Protecting alternators against negative phase sequence fault

currents is essential to their safe and dependable functioning.
These currents are caused by imbalanced loads or power system
problems, and they can severely damage the alternator’s windings,
bearings, & other components.

There are several methods used to safeguard alternators from

the negative phase sequence currents:

Overcurrent Relays

These relays used to trip circuit breaker when the total current
surpasses a predetermined limit. However, they can’t be sensitive
enough to identify only negative sequence currents.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

Negative Sequence Relays

These specialist relays detect the negative sequence component of

current & trip the circuit breaker if it surpasses a safe limit. They
provide more precise protection from imbalanced loads and
defects.

Differential Protection Relays

This method compares the currents that enter and leave the
alternator. If an error is found, it signals a malfunction in the
alternator, causing the circuit breaker to trip.

Ground Fault Protection Relays

This system detects & trips the circuit breaker in the event of a
ground fault, which can lead to negative sequence currents.

Selecting the Right Protection

The choice of protection strategy depends on a number of criteria,

including:

Size & Type of Alternator:

Larger alternators typically require more advanced protection

measures.

System Configuration:

The presence of further protective devices & the overall system

grounding strategy influence the decision.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

Importance of the Load:

Loads that are susceptible to disruptions may require faster and

more extensive protection.

Negative Sequence Currents in Generator

Operating a generator with the unbalanced three-phase currents is

one of the atypical operating conditions to that a generator may be
subjected that does not necessarily indicate a failure in the
generator.

This condition causes negative-phase-sequence current

components to create double-frequency current in the rotor
surface, retaining rings, slot wedges, and, to a lesser extent, the
field winding. These rotor currents can generate extremely high
and potentially deadly temperatures in a short period of time.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

This may result in the operation of the generator with

the unbalanced three-phase currents and the generation of
negative sequence current; the effect of negative sequence current
on the generator; the typical means for identifying this abnormal
operating condition; and tripping/protection actions against this
condition.

Unbalanced phase current flow in generator stators circulates

double-frequency reverse rotation currents in the rotor body,
which can harm the rotor forging, wedges, amortisseur windings,
& retaining rings.

1). Generation of Negative Sequence Current

A three-phase balanced supply voltage supplied to a symmetrical

three-phase winding provides a constant-magnitude flux in the
airgap of machine, that revolves at synchronous speed around its
circle.

Furthermore, the slots and other asymmetries inside the magnetic

path of the flux generate low-magnitude space harmonics (i.e.,
fluxes which rotate in both directions) at many frequencies
of fundamental supply frequency. During normal operation, a
synchronous machine’s rotor rotates in same direction & speed as
the primary (essential) flux.

When source of voltage or current is unbalanced, an additional

fundamental frequency flux emerges in the machine’s airgap.
However, the flux rotates in opposite direction as the rotor. This
flux causes voltages and currents in rotor windings & body at

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 Negative Phase Sequence

double the fundamental frequency. These are known as negative-

sequence currents.

The negative sequence language is derived from the vector

analysis method for symmetrical components. This method
represents an unbalanced three-phase system using positive,
negative, & zero sequences.

The more the unbalance, the greater the negative-sequence

component.

2). Post-incident conditions and recommendations for operators

ANSI-compliant cylindrical rotor generators can continuously

carry 10% negative phase sequence current. This generally
corresponds to an operating state in which two phases carry the
rated current & the third phase receives 70% of the rated current.

Depending on the rotor design (indirectly or directly cooled),

generators with two phases at the rated current and no current in
the third phase can handle this unbalance for 90 to 270 seconds
until rotor components are damaged. Negative-phase sequence
relays are thus required to safeguard generator rotors from
damage under all potential operating conditions, including phase-
to-phase & phase-to-ground faults in the transmission system.

Some negative-sequence overcurrent relays deliver an alarm

function with a pickup value set below the trip point. This notifies
the unit operator of a negative-sequence condition preceding to a
trip.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

If the negative-sequence alarm is triggered, the operator should

perform the following actions:

 Notify the transmission operator of the negative sequence

condition & investigate any electrical issues with the
transmission system.
 When a negative phase sequence alarm is triggered,
operators should verify the phase currents for balance.
 Unbalance can also be caused by open conductors,
disconnects, or breaker poles on-site, in addition to off-site
factors.
 If there are no irregularities, alert the dispatcher to reduce
the generator load until the alarm is cleared.
 Disable automatic control of the generator and reduce load
until the alarm is cleared.
 If the alarm coincides with electrical switching
in switchyard (or) within the plant, open the device. If the
alarm clears, inspect the apparatus for appropriate
operation.
Electrical engineers and technicians should:

 Check calibration of negative-phase sequence relay.

 Examine data acquisition monitoring devices (e.g.,
protective relay digital storage and DCS trends) to ensure
the unit operated with considerable current unbalance.
 Following a negative phase sequence fault trip, the unit
may not be put back into operation until an inquiry is

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 Negative Phase Sequence

conducted. It could have been triggered by an electrical

system problem that did not resolve quickly due to faulty
circuit breakers (or) protective relays.

3). Conditions for generating Negative Sequence Current in

Generator

Several aberrant operating conditions cause significant currents to

flow in the forged rotor, teeth, rotor wedges, end-rings, & field-
windings of synchronous machines. These conditions include the
following:

 Unbalanced armature current causes negative-sequence

currents.
 Inadvertently energizing a machine at rest,
 Asynchronous motoring (or) generation (with loss of field)
 System asymmetries, including un-transposed lines.
 Imbalanced loads,
 Unbalanced system faults with open phases.
These system conditions cause negative-phase-sequence current
components to induce a double-frequency current in the rotor’s
surface, retaining rings, slot wedges, and, to a lesser extent, the
field winding. These rotor currents can generate extremely high
and potentially deadly temperatures in a short period of time.

A generator must be able to endure the effects of continuous

current unbalance corresponding to a negative-sequence
current without being damaged, as long as the rated kVA is not

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 Negative Phase Sequence

exceeded and the maximum current does not exceed 105% of the
rated current in any phase.

4). Negative Sequence Current’s Effect on Generator

Components

A reaction field that rotates synchronously with rotor field system

is generated by a three-phase balanced load and is nearly constant.

Positive, negative, & zero sequence components can be used to

analyze any unbalanced state

The positive component functions similarly to the load that is

balanced.

The zero components do not generate any primary armature

reaction.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

The rotor is cut at twice the rotational velocity, though, because the
negative component produces a reaction field that rotates in
opposition to the DC field.

Due to the negative sequence in a generator crossing the air gap

and appearing in the rotor (or) field as a double-frequency current,
this causes double-frequency currents to be induced in the field
system and rotor body.

The ensuing eddy currents are enormous and so strong that they
cause overheating, which quickly softens the brass rotor slot
wedges to a point where they can be extruded by centrifugal force
and rise above the rotor surface, potentially hitting the stator iron.

The nonmagnetic wedges, the rotor structure’s surface, and other

lower-impedance regions are where these double-frequency
currents prefer to flow, generating losses and quickly destroying
important rotor parts.

Serious damage may result from extreme overheating and,

eventually, the wedges melting into the air gap.

Serious damage to rotor will result from improper control. Because

of this, it is crucial that negative

phase sequence protection should be added to guard against the

effects of imbalanced loading.

Damage to round rotor wedges and end rings is especially

problematic.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

5). Protections Against Negative Sequence Current and

Unbalance Load

Because power systems are rarely perfectly symmetrical & loads

can become unbalanced, there may occasionally be just a small
percentage of negative sequence during regular operation.

Better performance is achieved by applying a positive-sequence

constraint. More sensitive settings are possible with the positive-
sequence constraint because it counterbalances false negative &
zero sequence currents that arise from:

 Unbalanced system under conditions of high load.

 Errors in current transformer (CT) transformation.
 Transient switch-off and fault inception.
Certain contemporary relays, such as the GE G60, have an
imbalance feature that protects against excessive negative-
sequence current damage to the rotor.

The element features a specific time stage that is typically

employed for alarm purposes and an inverse time stage that is
often utilized for tripping.

Protection relays that shut down the machine in the event of

excessively high negative sequence currents are placed in all large
synchronous machines.

The operator should contact the machine’s manufacturer to find

out the maximum permissible negative sequence values in order to
correctly “set” the protective relays.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

In addition to providing backup protection for the generating unit

and related equipment, this protection is mainly meant to handle
imbalanced system faults that are not sufficiently cleared

6). Tripping Modes

The negative-sequence relay trips the primary generator breaker.

This is the preferable tripping if machine auxiliaries allow it since

it facilitates speedy unit resynchronization when imbalanced
situations are eliminated.

The negative-sequence relay may trip machine prime mover, field,

and auxiliaries if the machine auxiliaries prevent operation.

Once-through boilers, cross-compound units, and units that cannot

transfer enough auxiliary loads to sustain the boiler & fuel systems
may not use this strategy.

These conditions also trip turbine stop valves.

Only synchronized cross-compound units with fully

interconnected stator circuits may be resynchronized with the
system.

Normal starting procedures need to be utilized to return out-of-

synchronized units to the line.

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 Negative Phase Sequence

Negative Phase Sequence Protection of Motor

 Motors that are protected by negative phase sequence

protection are protected against conditions in which the
phase sequence of electrical supply is reversed.
 This condition has the potential to cause the motor to
overheat, which can lead to higher losses and mechanical
stress.
 It does this by monitoring the sequence of voltages
(or) currents, which allows it to identify this divergence in
phase sequence.
 In case an abnormality is identified, the protection system
will trip the motor in order to prevent any harm and ensure
the operation will be safe and dependable.

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