The core of the system is the differential relay (ANSI device 87), which compares the currents measured by Current Transformers (CTs) at the input and output terminals of the protected equipment. The basic principle is: Current entering − Current leaving = Differential Current (I. Differential current protection, much like a ground-fault interrupter (GFI), measures incoming and exiting current from all three phases, stopping the circuit in case of any imbalance, no matter how long it persists. Potential sources of overcurrent encompass short circuits, high load. Definition: The relay whose operation depends on the phase difference of two or more electrical quantities is known as the differential protection relay. It works by comparing the current going into the equipment and the current coming out from the equipments.
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