ABB RET670 1MRK002816-AB | Relion 670 Transformer Protection Relay

Description

Key Technical Specifications

ABB’s technical documentation specifies CT input characteristics of 1 A or 5 A, with a continuous permissible overload of 4 × Ir and a short-duration overload of 100 × Ir for 1 second. The voltage input section is based on a 110 V reference and supports the specified operating range.

A documented RET670 configuration carrying 1MRK002816-AB uses 90–250 VDC auxiliary power and 1 A CT inputs. This is important: the product ID alone should not be used to infer every installed I/O and protection option. RET670 was supplied in numerous project-specific configurations.

Product Introduction

ABB RET670 1MRK002816-AB

The ABB RET670 1MRK002816-AB is a Relion 670 Series transformer protection IED designed for protection, control, measurement, and monitoring of power transformers. Its application can include transformer differential protection, restricted earth-fault protection, overcurrent protection, impedance functions, and other configured protection elements.

The important engineering advantage is functional integration at the transformer bay. A single IED can combine transformer protection with measurement, control logic, event information, and substation communications. For a legacy installation, however, the exact configuration matters more than the RET670 model name; replacement work should be based on the installed configuration and terminal diagrams.

RET670

Application Scenarios & Field Pitfalls

Engineering Pain Point

Transformer-relay replacement is rarely a simple card swap. The relay may be tied directly into CT circuits, VT circuits, breaker trips, lockout logic, cooling alarms, tap-changer status, and station communications. With a , an apparently identical replacement can still have different I/O or protection-function configuration. Before a shutdown, obtain the existing configuration file and terminal drawings. That saves hours during commissioning.

Typical Applications

• Transmission Substations — Differential and earth-fault protection for high-voltage and extra-high-voltage power transformers.
• Power Generation — Generator step-up transformer protection, including transformer differential and restricted earth-fault schemes.
• Industrial Substations — Protection of large plant transformers feeding medium-voltage distribution systems.
• Utility Distribution — Transformer protection and control where measurement, breaker control, and substation communication are integrated into one IED.

Technical Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Do not treat 1MRK002816-AB as a complete configuration description.
   ABB supplied units with different combinations of hardware and software functions. One documented configuration with this product ID is a three-winding transformer protection IED with differential and restricted earth-fault functions.
2. Verify the CT secondary rating.
   transformer protection modules support 1 A or 5 A CT inputs. The replacement must match the actual transformer CT circuits. Never assume a 1 A relay can simply replace a 5 A configuration.
3. Check the complete differential scheme.
   Transformer differential protection depends on winding count, CT ratios, vector-group compensation, zero-sequence treatment, and application-specific settings. A relay that powers up is not proof that 87T protection is correctly configured.
4. Do not overlook REF protection wiring.
   Restricted earth-fault schemes are particularly sensitive to CT arrangement and polarity. Before reconnecting a replacement relay, verify the CT wiring and polarity against the approved protection schematic.
5. Back up the PCM600 configuration.
   Save the existing project, parameter set, disturbance records where required, and I/O configuration before removing the old IED. Rebuilding protection logic from memory during a shutdown is poor practice.
6. Verify auxiliary power from the nameplate.
   Documented 1MRK002816-AB installations exist with 90–250 VDC auxiliary power. Do not assume the wide-range supply specification from another variant applies to the exact unit being purchased.
7. Do not change trip wiring casually.
   binary outputs can participate in breaker trip and interlocking schemes. Confirm every output against the terminal diagram before energizing the breaker-control circuits.
8. Treat CT circuits as live-energy circuits.
   CT secondaries must be handled according to the substation’s approved isolation and shorting procedure. An open-circuited energized CT secondary is a serious safety hazard.

Related Products

• ABB 1MRK002816-AC — Closely related product revision. It belongs to the same transformer-protection platform, but the complete hardware and configuration should be compared before using it as a replacement. ABB technical documentation identifies the product family and configuration data separately from the specific hardware ordering code.
• ABB 1MRK002816-AB, Product Version 1.1 — The documented product-version designation associated with this product ID. Existing installations should be checked for exact product version and configuration before replacement.
• ABB Transformer Differential Protection — The core 87T function used to detect internal transformer faults by comparing currents associated with the protected transformer windings. The exact number of windings and function implementation depend on the configured application.
• ABB Restricted Earth-Fault Protection — REF functionality for sensitive earth-fault detection within a defined transformer zone. CT arrangement and polarity must be verified carefully before commissioning.
• ABB REL670 — Line protection IED from the same Relion 670 family. It is intended for transmission-line protection rather than transformer protection, making it a different application despite the shared platform.
• ABB REC670 — Bay control and breaker-control IED in the Relion 670 family. It complements transformer protection installations where bay-level control functions are separated from transformer protection.
• ABB REF670 — Feeder protection IED in the Relion 670 family. It is designed for feeder applications rather than transformer differential protection and should not be substituted for without a complete protection-engineering review.
• ABB PCM600 — ABB engineering environment used to configure and manage compatible protection and control IEDs. It is particularly relevant when replacing a because the existing relay configuration should be preserved and validated before commissioning.
• ABB Relion 670 Series — The broader protection and control platform containing , REL670, REF670, REC670, and other application-specific IEDs. These devices share a common engineering philosophy but are not interchangeable simply because they belong to the same family.

Procurement note: 1MRK002816-AB is a transformer protection IED, not a generic protection relay. For replacement, verify the complete product ID, hardware configuration, CT rating, auxiliary supply, transformer winding arrangement, terminal diagram, protection functions, binary I/O, and PCM600 configuration. One documented 1MRK002816-AB configuration uses 90–250 VDC auxiliary power and 1 A CT inputs, while the platform itself supports multiple hardware configurations.