They receive measurements from instrument transformers, decide whether a fault condition exists, and send a trip signal to a breaker or other interrupting device. Protective relays are power system protection devices that monitor current, voltage, frequency, impedance, or differential quantities and command circuit breakers when faults or abnormal conditions occur. They help isolate faulted equipment quickly enough to reduce damage, maintain system. Core idea: A relay uses one electrical signal to switch, isolate, interlock, alarm, or command another circuit. Engineering use: Relays are used in control panels, motor circuits, PLC interfaces, alarms, breaker trip circuits, and power system protection schemes. By completing the circuit breaker's trip coil circuit, the defective piece is disconnected from the healthy circuit and the breaker trips. Its main purpose is to safeguard electrical equipment like transformers, generators, and transmission lines from damage due to. An electrically operated switch like a relay plays a key role in controlling an electrical circuit through an independent low-power signal, otherwise used where a number of circuits should be controlled through the single signal.
