NERC NERC Protection and Control Systems 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which NERC standard establishes maintenance and testing requirements for protection systems?
- FAC-001
- PRC-005 (Correct answer)
- MOD-032
- TPL-001
Correct answer: PRC-005
PRC-005 requires transmission owners, generator owners, and distribution providers to maintain and test BES protection systems on defined intervals.
Question 2: Under NERC PRC-005, what is the maximum allowable maintenance interval for a microprocessor-based relay with communication-assisted trip capability?
- 1 year
- 3 years
- 6 years (Correct answer)
- 12 years
Correct answer: 6 years
PRC-005 allows up to a 6-year maintenance interval for microprocessor-based relays with monitoring that verifies the communication-assisted trip function.
Question 3: What is the purpose of NERC standard PRC-019?
- Testing of generator step-up transformers
- Coordination of voltage regulating controls with protection systems (Correct answer)
- Maintenance of substation AC station service equipment
- Grounding requirements for transmission towers
Correct answer: Coordination of voltage regulating controls with protection systems
PRC-019 requires that generator voltage regulating system controls be coordinated with the generator's protection systems to prevent conflicting operations.
Question 4: A 'Single Point of Failure' in a protection system is significant under NERC because:
- It automatically triggers a regulatory fine
- It means one component failure can prevent the system from clearing a fault, risking cascading outages (Correct answer)
- It disqualifies the entity from operating generation
- It requires immediate de-energization of the affected facility
Correct answer: It means one component failure can prevent the system from clearing a fault, risking cascading outages
A single point of failure in protection systems means one component failure can prevent fault clearing, increasing the risk of cascading outages on the BES.
Question 5: Which NERC standard addresses out-of-step protection for the bulk electric system?
- PRC-001
- PRC-021
- PRC-026 (Correct answer)
- PRC-027
Correct answer: PRC-026
PRC-026 requires that load-responsive phase protection relays be set so they do not operate during stable power swings.
Question 6: NERC PRC-023 governs which aspect of relay protection?
- Generator loss of field protection settings
- Transmission relay loadability to prevent incorrect operations under emergency loading (Correct answer)
- Automatic reclosing of transmission lines
- Protection of high-voltage direct current systems
Correct answer: Transmission relay loadability to prevent incorrect operations under emergency loading
PRC-023 requires relay protection settings to be set so relays do not operate during system emergencies when transmission lines are loaded to their emergency ratings.
NERC NERC Protection and Control Systems 1
Which NERC standard establishes maintenance and testing requirements for protection systems?