Everyday modern protective relay engineering applications: Review of interesting electric power utility events, challenges, & concerns

Over ten years have passed since CenterPoint Energy (CNP) began deploying modern micro-processor based protective relays across the utility´s Houston, Texas electrical power service area. During the transition and service tenure of the modern relay devices, a variety of protective relay events and protective relay system design issues have been identified, analyzed, and resolved by CNP engineers. The most notable and interesting of these events and design issues will be detailed with a description of the situational information and the deliberation process behind CNP´s methodology choices. Addressing these situations in this type of forum is advantageous for multiple reasons. For one, to build awareness of the existence of little recognized, however critical details. Another benefit is sharing protective relaying scenarios with a group of peer protection experts and employing their capability to improve future protective relay practices. Lastly, it is an interesting glimpse into the detailed, day-to-day work being performed within the electric power utility system protection industry.