Types of Protective Relays: Protective relays are categorized by their mechanism (electromagnetic, static, mechanical) and function (time-based, current, voltage). Its main purpose is to safeguard electrical equipment like transformers, generators, and transmission lines from damage due to. There are many types of protective relays, and each one is designed for a specific type of protection. Common types include overcurrent relay, differential relay, distance relay, earth fault relay, and under/over voltage relay. The rectangular devices are test connection blocks, used for testing and isolation of instrument transformer circuits.