CT’s

Abel Gonzalez
January 2016

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What is a CT
 A Current Transformer (CT) is an instrument transformer with its
primary winding connected in series with the conductor carrying the
current we want to measure or control.

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CT use.

 CT’s are used to:

• Supply a reduced value of current (5 or 1A at full load) to
meters, protective relays, and other instrumentation.
• Protect personnel and apparatus from high voltage while
allowing a reasonable amount of current in each of these
applications.

 The secondary of the transformer will supply a current that accurately

reflects a proportional value of the primary current with the smallest
phase shift possible.

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Metering CT’s
 CT’s used for metering have to maintain a high degree of accuracy
over the full range of current levels from ~10% to 100% of the full
load CT rating.

 The measurement and billing of energy usage relies on inputs

provided by CT-metered installations. Revenue loss due to
inaccurate metering is a significant concern for electrical utilities.

 To protect against this revenue loss, many utilities implement in-

service testing programs for their CT-metered installations. Tests
performed may include ratio testing, burden testing, ratio/burden
testing, and wire verification testing.

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Protection CT’s
 Protection CT’s serve as inputs for a power system’s fault protection.
They must be accurate under overload and fault conditions.

 IEEE C57.13.1-2006 specifies that protection class CT’s need to

maintain a ±10% ratio accuracy over a range from 1 to 20 times the
rated secondary current at the specified burden.

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 Transformers

Basic Construction and Magnetic Circuit of Transformers

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 Construction Types of Current
Transformers

Window Bar

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Substation Class Circuit Breakers' CTs

Polyester Taped Bushing CT on

Outdoor Circuit Breaker

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Current transformers

‘Doughnut type’ ‘Hairpin type’

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Terms used.
 RATIO
 EXCITATION:
• CURVE
• VOLTAGE
• CURRENT
• IMPEDANCE
 KNEE POINT
 EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT/DIAGRAM
 POLARITY
 BURDEN
 CLASSIFICATIONS T AND C
 RELAY ACCURACY CLASS
 MULTI-TAPS ACCURACY
 SATURATION ERROR - RATIO/ANGLE

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Ratio.

 Actual transformation ratio.

• Ratio of the actual primary current to the actual secondary
current.(160)

 Rated transformation ratio.

• Ratio of the rated primary current to the rated secondary
current. (800:5)

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Ratio Test – Current Method
 A suitable current, below saturation, is applied to the primary
winding, and the secondary current is measured.

 The turns ratio is approximately equal to the ratio of primary current

to the measured secondary current.

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Ratio Test – Voltage Method
 A suitable voltage, below saturation, is applied to the secondary
winding, and the primary voltage is measured.
 The turns ratio is approximately equal to the ratio of the secondary
voltage to measured primary voltage.
 For metering applications: ±0.1% for ratio and ±0.9mrad (3min) for
phase angle.
 For other applications: ±1.2% for ratio and ±1 degree for phase
angle.

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EXCITATION CURVE

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Excitation/Saturation Test
 The voltage applied to the secondary winding of the CT is varied, and
the current flowing into the winding at each selected value of voltage
is recorded.
 Readings near the knee of the excitation curve are especially
important in plotting a comparison curve.

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Excitation Curve(Measured)

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Excitation Curves. Multi Tap CT.

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Excitation Curves. Multi Tap CT. Measured.

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Knee

 For current transformers with nongapped cores, the

knee is defined as the point where the tangent is at
45 degrees to the abscissa. For current
transformers with gapped cores, the knee is defined
as the point where the tangent is at 30 degrees to
the abscissa.

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Knee IEEE 45.

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Transformers. Equivalent Circuit. Precedent.

Basic Construction and Magnetic Circuit of Transformers

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Equivalent Circuit.

Es: Excitation Voltage

Ie: Excitation Current
Ze: Excitation Impedance
Zb: Secondary Burden.

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Polarity

 polarity: The relative instantaneous directions of

the currents entering the primary terminals and
leaving the secondary terminals during most of
each half cycle.
 Primary and secondary terminals are said to have
the same polarity when, at a given instant during
most of each half cycle, current enters the primary
terminal and leaves the secondary terminal in the
same direction as though there was a continuous
circuit between the two terminals.

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 Polarity

http://engineering.richmondcc.edu/Courses/EUS%20110/Notes/Current%20Transformer.pptx

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 Polarity

http://engineering.richmondcc.edu/Courses/EUS%20110/Notes/Current%20Transformer.pptx

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Polarity Test
 Polarity tests prove that the predicted direction of secondary current
flow is correct for a given direction of primary current flow.
 Polarity marks designate the relative instantaneous directions of the
currents.
 As the primary current is entering the primary terminal, the
corresponding secondary current is simultaneously leaving the
similarly marked secondary terminal.

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Polarity Test – Voltmeter Method
(IEEE C57.13.1-2006)
 When an AC voltage is applied to the primary winding of a CT, the
transformed voltage should appear on the secondary winding, in
phase with the voltage on the primary winding, or lagging within a
few degrees.
 The voltmeter connected as shown, should read the difference
between the primary and secondary voltages. If incorrect, the sum of
the two voltages will be ~180º apart.

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Polarity Test – Phase Angle Method
(IEEE C57.13.1-2006)
 An AC test voltage of magnitude less than the CT’s knee-point
voltage can be connected to the secondary winding of the CT as
shown below.
 The phase angle between the primary and secondary voltages are
monitored independent of magnitude.
• For correct polarity, the phase angle will be ~0º
• For incorrect polarity, the phase angle will be ~180º.

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Burden

 burden of an instrument transformer: That

property of the circuit connected to the secondary
winding that determines the active and reactive
power at the secondary terminals.
 The burden is expressed either as total ohms
impedance with the effective resistance and
reactance components, or as the total voltamperes
and power factor at the specified value of current or
voltage, and frequency.

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Equivalent Circuit.

Es: Excitation Voltage

Ie: Excitation Current
Ze: Excitation Impedance
Zb: Secondary Burden.

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Burden Test
 Verifies that a CT will maintain its specified accuracy under a
specified set of load conditions.

 Ensures that the CT is able to operate connected devices within its

operating characteristics.

 Expressed as either:
• VA and power factor at a specified value of current
• Total impedance with respect to both resistive and reactive
components.

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Burden Test

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CT Class.

 CLASS T:
 CTs that have significant leakage flux within the
transformer core - class T; wound CTs, with one or
more primary-winding turns mechanically encircling
the core. Performance determined by test.

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CT Class.

 CLASS C or K:

 CTs with very minimal leakage flux in the core,

such as the through, bar, and bushing types.
Performance can be calculated.

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Classifications.

 The most common relaying accuracy class for

current transformers is the C designation, which
requires a maximum limit of ratio error at 20 times
rated primary current of 10 percent.
 The C designation is followed by a number, which
is a secondary terminal voltage that the CT will
support while meeting the error limit (≤ 10 percent)
at 20 times rated primary current.

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Standard Secondary Voltages and Burden.

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Equivalent Circuit. Main Source of Error.

Es: Excitation Voltage

Ie: Excitation Current
Ze: Excitation Impedance
Zb: Secondary Burden.

Ie = I1’’ – I2

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Metering Class CT’s

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CT limits of accuracy classes. Metering.

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CT equivalent parallelogram

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45
ANGLE

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Ratio

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Winding Resistance Test
 Measures the CTs winding (DC) resistance from one external
terminal to another.
 A test current is injected into the winding and the corresponding
voltage drop across the winding is measured. Resistance is
calculated using Ohm’s law.
 A DC test will always cause a residual magnetization of the core
which may affect other test results. IEEE C37.110 recommends that
the CT be demagnetized after this test.

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Demagnetization
 Used to eliminate the effect of residual magnetism.
 Achieved by slowly ramping the secondary RMS voltage and taking
the CT to saturation region, then slowly decreasing the voltage back
to zero.

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Insulation Resistance Test
(IEEE C57.13.1-2006)
 Measured resistance values should be compared with those of
similar devices or circuits.
 Readings lower than those known to be good should be carefully
investigated.
 The generally accepted minimum insulation resistance is 1MΩ.
 One of the most common reasons for low insulation resistance
measurements is the presence of moisture.
 If insulation resistance readings are low, IEEE recommends that the
equipment be dried out and retested.

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DFR measurements on CT’s

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CT Failures

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Tank Type Current Transformer ABB

1. Gas cushion
2. Oil filling unit
3. Quartz filling
4. Paper-insulated primary conductor
5. Cores/secondary windings
6. Secondary terminal box
7. Capacitive voltage tap
8. Expansion vessel
9. Oil sight glass
10. Primary terminal
11. Ground terminal

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CT DFR measurement procedure
 3 connection points available
• HV terminal
• Capacitive voltage tap (not available on all
CT’s)
• Ground
 Measure UST-red (HV to tap), ground=guard
 If no tap, measure GST (HV to ground)
• NOTE! GST measurements are much more
sensitive to interference,
humidity/condensation etc
 Measure 1000 Hz to 0.1 Hz
 Send to MODS for temperature compensation of
measurement data to 20° C reference temperature
 Read tan delta @ 1 Hz (20° C)
 Classify CT for moisture content using the reference
table

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CT DFR measurement setup

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CT moisture analysis reference table

Measured power Estimated moisture Criteria for moisture in

factor/tan delta @ 1 Hz content in cellulose oil impregnated paper
and 20° C insulation (ksandr 2007, based on IEC)

< 0.25% < 2%

Acceptable
0.25 - 0.5% 2 - 3%

0.5 - 1% 3 - 4%
Suspicious
1 - 2% 4 - 5%

2 - 4% 5 - 6%
Bad
> 4% > 6%

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Interpretation of moisture content (IEEE 62)

 < 1% New power transformer

 < 2% Dry insulation
 2 - 3% Moderately wet
 3 – 4.5% Wet
 > 4.5% Excessively wet insulation

Interpretation of moisture content of solid insulation (% of

weight water per weight cellulose):

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CT moisture levels in practice...

2%
 4%
? 6%

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Testing of CT’s

SAFETY FIRST
 Protect personnel and equipment close to the Unit Under Test (UUT).

 Follow local safety policy and equipment operation instructions.

 Review Grounding, Locking-Out & Tagging Practices.

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Standard CT Tests
 Ratio
 Polarity & Phase angle
 Insulation Resistance
 Winding Resistance
 Demagnetization
 Excitation/Saturation
 Burden

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Traditional Method of Testing

CT
Tester

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Future Method of Testing

MRCT

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1. Run all tests, on all taps, simultaneously

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Conclusion
 Current Transformers (CT) play an important role in power systems
for metering and protection applications.
 To ensure optimal performance of your CT’s, IEEE recommends a
checklist of tests to be performed and the best way to perform them.
 The MRCT helps you achieve the highest CT testing efficiency,
keeping your field crew safe and your assets healthy.

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Questions?

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