On the standardization of distance characteristics

Configuration, coordination, testing and analysis of the operation of multifunctional protection relays are the typical activities of protection engineers and technicians. They require the use of multiple software tools, usually different for each vendor. They impose varying requirements for the representation of the operating characteristic of the distance protection functions. The paper discusses the need for an effort by the industry to standardize the characteristics of distance relays. It analyses the existing types of distance characteristics used in electromechanical, solid state and microprocessor based relays, describes some generic models of some of the more commonly used distance characteristics and presents some ideas on their standardization.