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ABB SPAJ 140C Combined OC and Earth Fault Relay
Model: SPAJ140C
4-hour response · Pricing in SAR · Delivery across all KSA regions
SPAJ140C — ABB SPAJ 140C Combined OC and Earth Fault Relay
The ABB SPAJ 140C is a combined overcurrent and earth-fault protection relay for medium-voltage feeders, motors, and transformers, providing four-step protection with independent time delay settings for phase overcurrent and earth fault elements. It is part of ABB's proven SPAJ relay family that has been installed in hundreds of thousands of distribution and industrial switchgear panels worldwide since the 1980s, and its robust static analog design has established a reputation for extreme reliability in harsh tropical and desert environments. The relay provides two-step phase overcurrent protection (I> definite-time overcurrent; I>> instantaneous overcurrent) and two-step earth fault protection (Io> delayed earth fault; Io>> instantaneous earth fault), with individual time multiplier settings and current thresholds for each element adjusted via calibrated front-panel rotary switches — a simple, direct adjustment method that does not require a laptop or parameterisation software.
The SPAJ 140C uses independent IDMT (Inverse Definite Minimum Time) or definite time characteristics for the I> and Io> elements, selectable by jumper. IDMT characteristics available include IEC Standard Inverse (SI), Very Inverse (VI), and Extremely Inverse (EI) per IEC 60255-151, providing grading flexibility for coordination with both upstream power fuses and downstream circuit breaker protection. The two output relays trip the associated circuit breaker via the MV switchgear trip coil, and the integral mechanical flag indicator clearly shows which protection element — I>, I>>, Io>, or Io>> — operated to cause the trip, enabling rapid fault classification by maintenance engineers without SCADA access.
The SPAJ 140C remains the most widely installed protection relay in Saudi Arabia's legacy 13.8 kV and 33 kV distribution network due to its original specification by SEC in the 1990s and 2000s. Thousands of units remain installed in both SEC public distribution substations and in industrial switchgear at ARAMCO, SABIC, MARAFIQ, SWCC, and large private sector facilities across the Kingdom. Genuine ABB replacement SPAJ 140C relays are required when existing relays fail or when secondary injection testing reveals calibration drift beyond acceptable limits. Razz Middle East maintains SPAJ 140C relays in stock as genuine ABB products for direct replacement, and supplies the relay for new switchgear panels specified with SPAJ 140C for compatibility with existing installed base.
Razz Middle East provides SPAJ 140C relays with secondary injection test reports confirming calibration of all protection elements, and can provide legacy relay settings translation for sites replacing failed relays and requiring settings to be reproduced from the original protection coordination study.
Technical Specifications
Full specifications for the SPAJ140C
- Current Inputs
- 3 × phase CT (1 A or 5 A) + 1 × neutral CT
- Phase OC
- I> stage (IDMT or DT); I>> stage (instantaneous or DT)
- Earth Fault
- Io> stage (IDMT or DT); Io>> stage (instantaneous)
- IDMT Curves
- IEC SI / VI / EI per IEC 60255-151
- Time Multiplier
- 0.05–1.0 (I>); separate setting (Io>)
- Current Settings
- I>: 0.5–2.5 × In; I>>: 2.5–40 × In; Io>: 0.1–0.8 × In
- Output Relays
- 2 trip relays + 1 alarm relay
- Auxiliary Supply
- 48 V DC / 110 V DC / 220 V DC / 110 V AC
- Mounting
- Flush panel, 4U height
- Flag Indicators
- Mechanical flag per protection element
- Standard
- IEC 60255 / ANSI C37.90
Key Features & Benefits
- Four-step protection configuration (I>, I>>, Io>, Io>>) with independent time and current thresholds adjusted via front-panel calibrated rotary switches without laptop or software, enabling maintenance engineers to re-set and verify protection settings in the field without specialised parameterisation tools.
- IEC IDMT characteristic selection (Standard Inverse, Very Inverse, Extremely Inverse) via front jumper provides grading flexibility for coordination with both upstream MV power fuses (requiring Extremely Inverse characteristic for fuse-relay grading) and downstream low-voltage MCCB protection at industrial switchboards.
- Mechanical flag indicator clearly identifies which protection element (I>, I>>, Io>, Io>>) operated to cause the circuit breaker trip, enabling rapid fault classification and relay reset by field maintenance engineers without SCADA access — reducing fault restoration time at remote substations.
- Robust static analog design with no microprocessor dependency eliminates firmware obsolescence and cybersecurity vulnerability concerns at critical infrastructure substations — a consideration at ARAMCO and SEC sites where ICS cybersecurity assessments under ARAMCO's Cyber Security Policy identify legacy relay vulnerabilities.
- Genuine ABB original spare relay stock at Razz Middle East enables direct like-for-like SPAJ 140C replacement in existing switchgear panels, preserving the panel's wiring interface, CT burden compatibility, and protection settings documentation without panel modification or settings recalculation.
- Secondary injection test capability with complete calibration report for all four protection elements confirms relay accuracy to IEC 60255 limits before installation — providing the test documentation required for SEC and ARAMCO protection panel commissioning acceptance records.
- Compatibility with existing SPAJ 140C installation CT burdens, auxiliary supply voltage, and terminal wiring allows direct replacement of failed relays in existing 13.8 kV and 33 kV switchgear panels without rewiring, saving several hours of panel modification time per relay replacement.
Industrial Applications in Saudi Arabia
- Direct replacement for failed SPAJ 140C relays in SEC 13.8 kV secondary distribution switchgear across Saudi cities, maintaining protection panel design integrity and preserving existing CT wiring and protection settings — a critical consideration for SEC-managed substations where panel modification requires formal design review approval.
- MV feeder protection in legacy industrial switchgear panels at ARAMCO Ras Tanura and Abqaiq refineries, where SPAJ 140C relays were originally specified in the 1990s and 2000s and replacement with a like-for-like relay avoids triggering a protection coordination re-study for the entire switchboard.
- New industrial switchgear for facilities specifying SPAJ 140C to maintain commonality with their existing installed relay base, reducing spare parts inventory requirements by using a single relay type across all new and existing 13.8 kV distribution panels.
- Transformer incomer protection at distribution substations operated by MARAFIQ and SWCC, where SPAJ 140C relays provide phase overcurrent and earth fault protection on the MV incomer to 11 kV/415 V transformers at industrial estates and desalination plant internal distribution substations.
- Motor feeder protection in legacy HV motor control centres at SABIC petrochemical plants, where SPAJ 140C relays protect the 6.6 kV or 13.8 kV supply feeders to large motor starters above 1 MW and replacement with a like-for-like relay maintains the protection coordination study validity without requiring a new relay grading calculation.
- Feeder protection at NEOM legacy grid connection substations during the construction phase, where SPAJ 140C relays in SEC-supplied temporary substations are specified by SEC as the standard feeder protection relay — requiring genuine ABB supply to comply with the site's SEC electrical approval.
- Spare relay stock programme at Saudi Arabia's large industrial facilities (ARAMCO, SABIC, NWC) where a physical SPAJ 140C relay spare is held on site for each critical MV feeder protection panel, enabling same-day relay replacement without off-site repair lead time following a relay malfunction.
Industrial Supplier in Saudi Arabia
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Frequently Asked Questions — SPAJ140C
Common questions from buyers in Saudi Arabia and the GCC