INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS

Er. ROMIL KUMAR

contents
Role of instrument transformers, operating principles
Equivalent circuits, errors
Design parameters, magnetization, ferro resonance
Applicable standards
CT &CVT selection parameters
Manufacturing and testing
Storage, transport, installation, operation dos and
donts in commissioning
Maintenance and troubleshooting
Instrument Transformer
Instrument Transformers are of two types :
1. Current Transformer (or Series Transformer)
2. Potential Transformer (or Parallel Transformer)
Current transformers are used when magnitude
of AC currents exceeds safe value of current of
measuring instruments.
Potential transformers are used where voltage
of an AC circuit exceeds 750 V as it is not
possible to provide adequate insulation on
measuring instruments for voltage more than
this.
INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS
Current transformers are used for reducing stepping
down a.c. current from higher value to lower value for
measurement / protection / control.
Typical secondary current is 5A r.m.s.
Voltage transformer are used in electrical power
system for stepping down a.c. Voltage from higher
value to lower value for measurement protection /
control . Typical secondary voltage is 110V r.m.s.
Actually relays and meters used for protection and
metering are not designed for high currents and voltages.
High currents or voltages of electrical power system can
not be directly fed to relays and meters.
CURRENT TRANSFORMER (CT)
Definition

CTs are used for reducing / stepping down ac

current from higher value to lower value for
measurement / protection / control. Typical
secondary current is 5 A rms

CT secondary current is substantially

proportional to primary current and differs in
phase from it by ideally zero degree.
 Current Transformer
Working principle
A CT functions with same basic working principle
of electrical power transformer but here is some
difference. If a electrical power transformer or
other general purpose transformer, primary
current varies with load or secondary current.

In case of CT, primary current is system current

and this primary current or system current
transforms to CT secondary, hence secondary
current or burden current depends upon primary
current of current transformer.
Instrument Transformer v/s
power transformer

Difference b/w intrument tx and power tx is

mainly in their VA rating.

Both CTs and VTs have low VA rating (10,30,

100 VA ) and therefore not used for power
transfer.
 Operating principle of Current
Transformer v/s power transformer

In a power transformer , if load is disconnected, only

magnetizing current flows in primary.
Primary of power transformer takes current from
source proportional to load connected with secondary .

In CT, primary is connected in series with power line.

So current through its primary is current flowing in
power line and does not depend upon whether load or
burden is connected to secondary or not or what is
impedance value of burden.
 Working principle of Current
Transformer or CT
CT has very few turns in primary where as secondary turns
is large in number.
Say Np is number of turns in CT primary and Ip is current
through primary. Hence primary AT is equal to NpIp AT.
If number of turns in secondary and secondary current are
Ns and Is respectively then Secondary AT is equal to NsIs AT.
In an ideal CT ,
primary AT = magnitude to secondary AT.
So if a CT has one turn in primary and 400 turns in secondary
winding, and if it has 400 A current in primary then it will have 1A
in secondary and turn ratio of CT will be 400/1A
Instrument Transformer as CT
Current Transformer ( CT )

The primary winding of CT is connected in

series with line in which current is to be
measured and secondary is connected to
ammeter.
Current Transformer
There are two types of current transformers:
1. Wound primary type
2. Bar primary type.

Wound primary Bar primary

 Wound primary: used for smaller currents, low fault
level installations due to thermal limitations as well as
structural requirements due to high magnetic forces.

Bar primary : used for currents greater than 100 A

Protection CTs are most frequently of bar primary,

toroidal core with evenly distributed secondary
winding type construction.
In such CTs, secondary winding can be conveniently
put inside high voltage bushings.
 Construction of Current Transformers

CT core is made of continuously wound strip of

magnetic material. Primary conductor passes thru eye
of ring.

Secondary is wound on core , turns ratio N2/N1 is

very high so that I1 /I2 is very high.
Ring type
Ring type core is commonly used when primary current is
large.
Secondary winding is distributed round ring and primary
winding is a single bar.
It is a joint less core and there is very small leakage
reactance.
Terms & Definitions regarding CTs

Rated primary current: value of primary current on which

primary performance of CT is specified .
Rated primary current is assigned after conducting heat run
tests
Rated short time current(primary) : r.m.s value of a.c.
component which CT can carry for rated time without damage
due to thermal or electro-dynamic stresses.
Rated secondary current: value of secondary current , marked
on rating plate
Current error or ratio error: %age error in magnitude of
secondary current is defined in terms of current error.
 Rated primary current: value of primary current on
which primary performance of CT is specified .
Rated primary current is assigned after conducting
heat run tests
Rated short time current(primary) : r.m.s value of a.c.
component which CT can carry for rated time without
damage due to thermal or electro-dynamic stresses.
Rated secondary current: value of secondary current ,
marked on rating plate
Current error or ratio error: %age error in magnitude
of secondary current is defined in terms of current
error.
Burden of Instrument Transformer
In current transformer, secondary winding has a very small
impedance or Burden , so current transformer operates on
short circuit conditions.
Rated burden of CT is maximum load in volt- amperes which
may be applied across secondary terminals without ratio and
phase angle errors exceeding permissible limits.
Burden depends upon number of instruments or relays
connected and their individual burdens.
Burden may be expressed as: 0.5 ohm impedance or 12.5 VA at
5 amperes. Let rated burden B volt amperes at rated current Is
amp.
Then ohmic impedance burden Zb = B/I2 ohms
 eg if CT is to feed an indicating meter 1.0VA, a record
watt meter 5VA , an o/c relay 6VA . Total burden
=12VA
If resistance of connecting leads is 0.2 ohm ,
its burden = I2R = 5VA
then total burden on CT = 17VA
secondary windings of different phases of Current
Transformers are generally star
connected. A typical wiring connection for Core 1 of Current
Transformers in the Bay
Marshalling Kiosk / Junction Box
Open circuits of CTs

CTs generally work at a low flux density. Core is made of

very good metal to give small magnetizing current.
On open-circuit, secondary impedance becomes infinite
and core saturates. This induces a very high voltage in
primary up to approximately system volts and
corresponding volts in secondary will depend on number
of turns ,multiplying up by ratio i.e.volts/turn no. of turns).
Since CT has much more turns in secondary compared to
primary, voltage generated on open-circuited CT will be
much more than system volts, leading to flashovers.
HENCE AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION, NEVER OPEN-
CIRCUIT A CURRENT TRANSFORMER ON LOAD!!!
Current Transformers-idle

CT

Short both the terminals and

ground
 Multi core CT-idle

CT

Ammeter

Short all unused CT terminals and ground

 [ Standards ]
The Indian and international standard for CT
o Standard Standard no. Year
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
British BS 3938 1973
American ANSI C.57.13 1978
Australian AS 1675 1986
India IS 2705 1992
IEC IEC 60044-1 1996
(International electro technical commission)
Manufacturing company
BHEL,CGL,ABB,Joti,Siemens Etc.
26
 Current transformer
The basis of all transformers is that:
Amp-turns on Primary = Amp-turns on secondary
e.g. 100 A 1 turn = 1 A 100 turns
Primary current contains two components:
An exciting current, which magnetizes core and supplies
eddy current and hysteresis losses, etc.
A remaining primary current component, which is available
for transformation to secondary current in inverse ratio of
turns.
exciting current is not being transformed and is therefore ,
cause of transformer errors.
 Amount of exciting current drawn by a CT depends upon core
material and amount of flux that must be developed in core
to satisfy output requirements of CT. that is, to develop
sufficient driving voltage required, pushing secondary
current through its connected load or burden.

This can be explained vectorally as shown in figure

Vector diagram for a current transformer
Transition from unsaturated to saturated region of open-circuit
excitation characteristic makes a CT not to produce equivalent
primary current beyond certain point.
This transition is defined by knee-point voltage in a CT, which
decides its accurate working range.
Equivalent circuit of CT
Phasor diagram of CT
CT errors
Phase angle error
 Tests on current transformers
Type Tests

-- verification of terminal markings and polarities

-- short time current tests
-- temperature rise tests
-- impulse voltage test (for outdoor CTs) on primary
-- power frequency voltage withstand test on primary
-- overvoltage inter-turn test
-- error measurement
Tests on current transformers

Routine Tests
-- verification of terminal markings and polarities
--High voltage power frequency voltage withstand test on
secondary
--Over-voltage inter-turn tests
--Determination of errors and accuracy class
Tests on current transformers

Error measurement:
1. Direct method 2 ammeters are used . One for primary
current and other for secondary current
2. Comparison methoda sub-standard CT is taken, whose
errors are known. CT under test is compared with sub-standard
CT.
 Turns ratio test:
measure magnitudes of primary and secondary currents near
rated secondary current with a low value of secondary burden.
 Exciting currents:
measured for several secondary e.m.f.
Apply voltage to secondary winding , primary and other
windings being open circuited.
 Polarity test:
If at any instant, current is entering primary from P1 ,the current
should leave secondary from terminal S1.
when key is pressed , current enters the primary thru P1, voltmeter
connected should read positive.
Polarity of CT and connections: polarity gives relative instantaneous
directions of currents in primary and secondary leads. In BS-3938
polarity of CT is marked as
P1 and P2
S1and S2
If current flows from P1 to P2 then current will flow from S1 to S2 thru
ammeter.
 Insulation tests:
Conducted as per BS/IS/IEC
Specified Power frequency voltage is applied to primary for one
minute.
For secondary circuit, voltage of 2kv , 50 Hz is applied for one
minute between secondary terminals and earth.
Impulse tests are conducted on hv CTs.
 Over voltage inter-turn test:
Sec winding is open circuited. Rated frequency ,rated primary
current is flown thru primary for one min .
Secondary winding is then checked to see if insulation has
passed the test.
Potential transformer P.T
Voltage (potential)Transformer VT or PT

Voltage transformers are much like power transformers

operating on very light load.
Two types of VTs used for protection equipment.
1.Conventional two-winding, electromagnetic type
(commonly referred to as a VT)
2 Capacitive voltage divider type(referred to as a CVT).
 electromagnetic type is a step down transformer whose
primary (HV) and secondary (LV) windings are connected as
:

No. of turns in a winding is directly proportional to open-

circuit voltage being measured or produced across it.
In three-phase system, one VT per phase is used and they
are connected in star or delta depending on method of
connection of main power source being monitored.
Potential transformer P.T

P1 P2

S1 S2
Voltage Transformers

Medium Voltage

High Voltage
Typical wiring connections of 2 core CVTs and PTs
in Bay Marshalling Kiosk / Junction Box are shown
below:
Terms and definitions of PT

Rated voltage: Vol marked on rating plate

Rated transformation ratio : Ratio of rated primary vol to rated
secondary vol
Rated secondary voltage : value of secondary vol marked on
rating plate
Residual voltage: vector sum of three lines to earth voltages i.e.
Vres = V RN + V YN + V BN
Residual PT : a three phase pt or a group of 3 single phase
residually connected PTs in which residual voltage appears
across secondary terminals when 3 phase voltage are applied to
primary windings
[ Standards ]
The Indian and international standard for PT
o Standard Standard no. Year
-------------------------------------------------------------------
British BS 3841 1973
American ANSI C.57.13 1978
Australian AS 1243 1982
India IS 3156 1992
IEC IEC 186 1987
(International electro technical commission)
Manufacturing company
BHEL,CGL,ABB,Joti,Siemens Etc.

50
Disadvantages of Instrument Transformer

The only draw back is that these instruments can not

be used in DC circuits.
Capacitive voltage transformer (CVT)

Capacitive voltage transformer consists of a capacitive voltage divider.

However, a simple capacitor divider cannot be used as a CVT because
output voltage will depend on current drawn by burden.
Hence, a tuning coil is used so that it resonates with equivalent
capacitance seen looking into capacitor potential divider.
This makes output voltage, a constant fraction of line voltage and
independent of current drawn.
In EHV national grid networks of utilities, CVTs are commonly used for
both protection and communication purposes.
Electrical performance of CVT
Connections of a CT and a PT to
supply, load and relay
THANKS