Are you using the right CT's and PT's for your application?

John Levine, P.E. Levine Lectronics and Lectric E-mail: John@L-3.com GE Multilin/ Instrument Transformers, Inc. Manufacturers Representative

Why use Instrument Transformers?

Circuit Isolation
Reduce voltage and currents to reasonable working levels. Phasor combinations for summing and measuring power

Definitions

Instrument Transformer (IT) - A high precision transformer designed to provide input into measurement and/or control equipment.
Examples: Voltmeters Ammeters Watthour Meters Relays

Definitions

Current Transformer (CT) An instrument transformer used to reflect a primary current into a secondary current through a magnetic medium. Always connected in series with the primary conductor. The nominal secondary current is often a 5 amp basis for ease of measurement. Construction can be one primary turn (Window, donut, or Bar type), or wound primary turns (usually for low ratios)

CURRENT TRANSFORMERS & VOLTAGE TRANSFORMERS

TYPES OF C.T. AND V.T. CONSTRUCTION
The most common type of C.T. construction is the `DOUGHNUT' type. It is constructed of an iron toroid, which forms the core of the transformer, and is wound with secondary turns.
Secondary Winding Primary Conductor

Iron Core

Bushing CT

Oil Circuit Breaker Bushings

Current Transformers Fixed Contact

Moving Contact

Free Standing or Post CT

The Straight-Through type of construction is shown below:

Hairpin Construction

CURRENT TRANSFORMER THEORY & CHARACTERISTICS Current Transformers for protective relaying purposes must reproduce the primary current accurately for all expected fault currents.

The importance of the C.T. maintaining good accuracy, and not saturating at the maximum fault current, is most critical on differential protection. This can be critical when applied to Bus Protection and Transformer Protection.

When C.T.'s are used for metering purposes, they must have a high degree of accuracy only at LOAD currents. i.e. 0 to 5 Amps secondary. There is no need for a high degree of accuracy for fault currents, and it is quite acceptable for a metering C.T. to saturate when fault current flows through it. A C.T. for protective relaying purposes may typically have a knee point at 500 volts, whereas a metering C.T. may saturate at well below 100 volts.

What is your application?

If your application is metering , how high do I need to go in current? 2 times ? If your application is relaying, how high do I need to go in current? 20 times ?

CT CLASSIFICATION for RELAYING

Protection Class CTs - Must supply 20 times rated current

Format

10 C 400

Accuracy

Letter

Voltage at 20 times CT

T = Determined by test C = Calculated K = Calculated L = Low internal secondary impedance H = High internal secondary impedance

MAGNETIZATION CURVES FOR A TYPICAL CT

Exitation Voltage

Knee Point = Vx

45 degrees

Exitation Current

Important: Instrument Transformer Accuracy is Always a Function of Applied Burden. Lead wires for CTs can be significant.

A current transformer for metering purposes may typically have an accuracy of 0.3%. The C.T. must maintain this accuracy for normal load currents, provided the rated burden on the C.T. is not exceeded. It is quite acceptable, and in fact desirable, for the C.T. to saturate when fault current flows. The accuracy for a typical metering C.T. is specified as: 0.3 M 0.9

O.3%

METERING

O.9 OHMS BURDEN

This metering C.T. has an accuracy of 0.3% when the connected burden does not exceed 0.9 OHMS.

FUTURE TRENDS IN C.T. DESIGN USING OPTICS

Free-standing C.T.'s for high-voltage power systems, such as 230 kV and 500 kV, are huge structures and are very expensive. Many manufacturers are developing optical current transducers, or optical current transformers. These units clamp around the primary conductors and supply the output signals to the relays, etc. through fibre-optic cables. Some proto-type optical current transducers are in-service at various locations, and it is expected that this development will lead to considerable decrease in costs for high-voltage C.T.'s.

Definitions

Transformer ratio (TR) The ratio of a primary current or voltage to a secondary current or voltage. Examples: A 100:5 window CT will deliver 5 amperes of secondary current when 100 amperes of primary current is passed through a center window.

Often expressed as XXX:1 for PTs

Accuracy Terminology
Ratio Correction factor (RCF) The measure of transformer amplitude accuracy. I.E. the ratio of the marked (true) ratio to the actual (performance) ratio of a transformer.
Primary = Secondary(measured) * Marked ratio * RCF

Accuracy Terminology
Phase Angle (PA) The phase displacement between the primary and secondary circuit of an instrument transformer. Usually expressed in minutes.

Accuracy Terminology
Transformer Correction factor (TCF) The ratio of true to measured watts or watt-hours divided by the marked ratio. The TCF is the product of the ratio correction factor and phase angle correction factor, so that it is determined by the ratio error, the phase angle shift and the power factor of the load.

Standard CT Burdens
Standard CT burdens are defined in IEEE Std. C5713-1993 Metering burdens are B0.1, B0.2, B0.5, B0.9, and B1.8 where each number represents the total impedance at a 0.9 power factor. VA for each burden is 2.5, 5.0, 12.5, 22.5, and 45. Relay burdens are B1, B2, B4 and B8 where each number represents the total impedance at a 0.5 power factor.

Standard CT Accuracy

Metering accuracy classes are: 0.3%, 0.6% and 1.2% 0.3% is the traditional revenue metering class The limits of ratio and phase errors are defined by a parallelogram for accuracy from 0.6 to 1.0 metering load power factors. IEEE Std. C57-13-1993 requires that the performance be within the next lower relay class limits at 10% of rated current

This transformer meets 0.3 B0.1 accuracy class per IEEE C57.13

You may also see transformer accuracy performance presented in this format

Definition

Polarity The primary and secondary transformer connections must be marked so that the relative instantaneous direction of current flow can be identified. The primary is often marked H1 and the secondary X1. Another common practice is to use polarity dots to identify in phase terminations. Clarification: If you view a window type CT with the H1 face toward you, then current flowing from your direction through the window is in phase with the X1 terminal.

100:5 C.T. Secondary Winding Resistance = .062 ohm

Resistance of Cable from C.T. to Relay and back = .1 ohms Resistance of Relay Coil = .02 ohms Total Resistance = .182 ohms

.062 .1

.02

If we have a fault of 2,000 amps and the C.T. ratio is 100:5 then the C.T. secondary current is 100 amps. Therefore we must be able to produce a total voltage of 100 amps x .182 ohms = 18.2 Volts. For the C.T. to operate accurately without saturating for this fault current the knee point must be above 18.2 Volts.

200:5 C.T. Secondary Winding Resistance = .125 ohm

Resistance of Cable from C.T. to Relay and back = .1 ohms Resistance of Relay Coil = .02 ohms Total Resistance = .245 ohms

.125 .1

.02

If we have a fault of 4,000 amps and the C.T. ratio is 200:5 then the C.T. secondary current is 100 amps. Therefore we must be able to produce a total voltage of 100 amps x ..245 ohms = 24.5 Volts. For the C.T. to operate accurately without saturating for this fault current the knee point must be above 24.5 Volts. At this point on the curve we are at .2 amps exciting current out of 100 amps so we are .2/100 or .2% accurate at 20 times CT.

Potential Transformers

Definitions

Voltage Transformer (VT) An instrument transformer used to reflect a primary voltage into a secondary voltage through a magnetic medium. Always connected in parallel with primary conductor across a circuit load. Secondary (measuring) voltage is usually 115 or 120 volts nominally. The secondary voltage level is selected for ease of measurement and safety. Control Power Transformer (CPT) Designed to provide power for contractors, relays and devices with high inrush currents, Regulation is not as critical.

POTENTIAL TRANSFORMERS

VP

Vs

Relay

POTENTIAL TRANSFORMERS

Electromagnetic Voltage Transformers

Capacitive Voltage Transformers

cc

TEN EQUAL CAPACIATORS

Standard VT Burdens

Definition

Thermal Rating Factor (TRF or RF) represents the maximum continuous thermal rating of an instrument transformer.

For a CT, this is expressed as a number representing a multiplier applied to the nominal rating. For a VT, the rating is expressed applied VA.

In both cases, the rating is incomplete unless the ambient temperature is defined!

For example, a unit assigned a RF of 1.33 at 30 deg C, will be assigned a RF of 1.00 @ 55 deg C. What could happen under a single phase fault to ground if you are using a 50 to 5 Ground Fault CT?

Instrument Transformer Selection

Current Transformer Required Information

Nominal System Voltage Basic Impulse Insulation Level Environment Accuracy Class Burden Physical mounting space requirements Load Current Over current capability

Voltage Transformer Required Information

Nominal System Voltage Basic Impulse Insulation Level Environment Accuracy Class Burden Type of Circuit connection Physical mounting space requirements Fusing

Transformer Construction

MOLDED Rubber, Epoxy, Polyurethane, Plastic Injection

Under vacuum, at atmosphere, or under pressure

PLASTIC CASE TAPE WRAPPED HYBRIDS Examples: Epoxy or polyurethane cast plastic case Rubber injection over epoxy cast coil

Medium Voltage VT core and coil assemblies ready to cast

Medium Voltage primary turns ready for cores and secondary windings to be added before casting

Medium Voltage Transformers just removed from a vacuum chamber were they were cast with polyurethane

The same transformer partially removed from the casting mold.

Winding a simple Window CT

A plastic molded case toroidal CT prior to case closure

Tape wrapped bushing CT ready for test

Routine Final Testing per IEEE C57.13

Dielectric testing between windings and windings and ground. Often called HI Pot testing.
Induced Voltage Tests. Often called Double Induced Accuracy Tests Polarity Tests

Words of Caution

CTs are intended to be proportional current devices. Very high voltages will result from open circuiting the secondary circuit of an energized CT.
VTs are intended to be used as proportional voltage devices. Damaging current will result from short circuiting the secondary circuit of an energized VT.

Hot Topics

High Temperature pad mount CT applications Extended Range CTs High accuracy CTs (0.15%, IEEE std.)

Thank You

Relay Class
IEEE relay class is defined in terms of the voltage a CT can deliver at 20 times the nominal current rating without exceeding a 10% composite ratio error. For example, a relay class of C100 on a 1200:5 CT means that the CT can develop 100 volts at 24,000 primary amps (1200*20) without exceeding a 10% ratio error. Aside: This C100 is associated with a 1 ohm burden in the standard because: 5 amps secondary * 20 times overcurrent * 1 ohm = 100 volts. So C100, C200, C400, and C800, corresponds to 1, 2, 4, and 8 ohms, respectively. A relay class assignment alone provides limited information. More information for relay calculations can be provided in an excitation curve