There are three basic types of relays that are used for ground relaying; overcurrent relays, distance relays, and pilot relays. Ground relays are almost always completely independent of phase relays, even though any fault current, including ground fault current, will flow through one or more of the phase relays. The ground relays, however, can be provided with much greater sensitivity to the zero-sequence currents by using higher tap settings. This means that the ground relays will pick up much faster than phase relays for a fault involving the ground. 1) OVERCURRENT RELAYS: Directional or non-directional overcurrent relays are widely used at most voltage levels because of their low cost and reliable service record. Many relay engineers prefer an overcurrent relay with an inverse or very inverse time-current characteristic. This means that the pickup will be very fast for close-in faults and delayed for faults at the end of the transmission line. This delay makes coordinatio...