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By Steven McFadyen (/users/steven)on November 7th, 2011

The correct sizing of current transformers is required to ensure satisfactory operation of measuring instruments and
protection relays. Several methods exist to size current transformers. This note will look at several methods, with particular
attention being paid to protection class CTs sized in IEC 60044, which is adopted internationally.
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Transformers_E50F/ABBCT_2.jpg)
ABB Current
Transformer

Example of a CT specification: - a very common specification for a protection class CT would be an accuracy
class 5P (1%), with rated accuracy limiting factors of 10 or 20. Typical burdens would be 5, 10, 15 or 20 VA. A
typical specification would be 5P10 15 VA.

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Contents
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1. The IEC 60044 Method
1. What the Manufacturer Wants
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2. Connection Leads
2. Other CT Sizing Methods and Requirements
1. BS 3938 and BS 7626
2. ANSI/IEEE C57.13

IEC 60044 specifies the requirements for protection CTs (in addition to measuring CT's, VTs and electronic sensors).

The key to CT dimensioning under the standard, is the symmetrical short circuit current and transient dimensioning factors:

Kssc - rated symmetrical short-circuit current factor

Kssc - effective symmetrical short-circuit current factor
Ktd - transient dimensioning factor

The factor Kssc is relatively easy to understand and relates to the liner portion
Example IEC 60044 Calculation
of a CT characteristic. The voltage and current across a CT are linear only
up till a certain value (normally specified as a multiple of the nominal rating),
Consider a CT with the following
after which the CT will saturate and the curve will level off. A CT rated at say
specification and protection
5P20 will stay linear to approximately 20 times its nominal current. This
requirements:
linear limit is the Kssc (i.e. Kssc = 20). As a reminder, the 5 [in the 5P20]
would be the CT accuracy class and the P signifies a protection class CT.
CT: 600/1 5P20 15 VA, Rct = 4

Slightly more complicated is the effective factor, Kscc. This is a calculated
CT Leads: 6 mm2, 50 m long
value which takes into account the burden (resistance) of the relay,
- use R=2 l /a to calculate =
resistance of the CT windings and resistance of the leads:
0.0179 /m
Relay: Siemens 7SJ45, Ktd = 1
Short circuit current, Iscc max =
30 kA

To find the lead resistance Rleads (two

(http://myelectrical.com/Portals/0/SunBlogNuke
leads supply, return) we can use the
/2/WindowsLiveWriter/HowtoSizeCurrentTransformers_FC74
standard formulae for resistivity:
/7345944727c6cb5e8f2423756b28f0bb_2.png)

Rleads = 2 l /a = 2 x 0.0175 x 50 / 6 =
Rct - secondary winding d.c. resistance at specified temperature 0.3
Rb - rated resistive burden of the relay
Rb - Rleads + Rrelay; this is thel connected burden Numerical relays have low burdens,
CTs need to be able to supply the required current to drive the relays during typically 0.1 (where possible the relay
transient fault conditions. The ability of the CT and relay to operate under manual should be consulted).
these conditions is a function of Kscc and the transient performance of the
relay, Ktd. The factor, Ktd is supplied by the relay manufacturer. Correct Plugging everything into the equations:
functioning is achieved by ensuring the following is valid:
Rb = 15 VA / 1 A2 = 15

Rb = Rleads + Rrelay = 0.3 + 0.1 = 0.4

Kscc = Kscc (Rct + Rb)/(Rct + Rb)

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= 20 (4 + 15 )/ (4 + 0.4) = 86.4
/2/WindowsLiveWriter/HowtoSizeCurrentTransformers_FC74/c176f53a1ee1cd44331dd80e552366ff_2.png)

Required Kscc > 1 x 30000/600 = 50

Issc max - maximum symmetrical short-circuit current
Ipn - CT rated primary current
In this case the effective Kscc of 86.4 is
greater than the required Kscc of 50 and
That it. Once you have confirmed the above is ok, you know your CT is ok.
the CT meets the stability criteria.

There is a slight complication in the manufacturers know their relays better than we (or the IEC) do. As general advice, you

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should always refer to the manufacturers information:

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firstly it is the only way to get the factor Ktd

secondly manufacturers sometimes have STORE
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protection, line differential (non-pilot)and transformer differential are good to go with the above, while their line
differential (pilot wire) and distance relays require the above and have additional limitations on Kscc

In the sizing of protection transformers, the resistance (burden) of the connection leads can have a considerable effect. In
calculations, the resistance of the connection leads can be estimated from:

where:

l is the connection lead length in m

is the resistivity in mm2 m-1 (=0.0179 for copper)
A is the cross sectional area in mm2

BS 3938 and BS 7626 are older British Standards which deal the the specification and sizing of current transformers. Both
of these have been withdrawn and are superseded by the IEC 6044 standard.

The standards adopted the concept of knee voltage and it is still common to find knee voltage voltage being used as a CT
sizing parameter.

Knee voltage is defined as the point at which a 10% increase in voltage across the terminals, causes a 50%
increase in excitation current

Utilising the British Standards, CTs were defined by the knee point voltage UKN and the internal secondary resistance Ri. To
convert an IEC design the following can be used:

where: I2N is the nominal secondary current

The IEEE standard C57.13 covers the requirements for CT sizing in the North American markets.

Class C of the standard defines CTs by their secondary terminal voltage at 20 times nominal current (for which the ratio error
shall not exceed 10%). Standard classes are C100, C200, C400 and C800 for 5 A nominal secondary current.

This terminal voltage can be calculated from the IEC data as follows:

with

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performance)
Steven McFadyen (/users/steven)
Steven has over twenty five years experience working on some of the largest construction projects. He
has a deep technical understanding of electrical engineering and is keen to share this knowledge.
About the author
(/users/steven)

(http://myelectricalengineering.co.uk)

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Thnh Trn Thnh 4 years ago

Hi Steven McFadyen
Thanks for your useful post, but it seems that how to size a neutral current transformer (for function
51G) has not been included in your post, could you please add this?
2 Reply Share

Shivakumar Thayanithy 2 years ago

is there a possibility to size ct's using calculation tools like ETAP?
Reply Share

sureshkumar Shivakumar Thayanithy 2 years ago

It is not possible in ETAP. We can do only manual calculation as per IEC and ANSI/IEEE.
Reply Share

Steven McFadyen Mod sureshkumar 2 years ago

A while ago, I also confirmed it is not possible. I thought about writing some external
interface to the ETAP database to do the calculations, but did not take it further.
There is other software available, CTDim from Siemens for example (although I
have never used it).
Reply Share

Jojo Alex a year ago

Can you provide the values for the above example with 5P10 CTs?
Also i have checked the IEC 60044-1 IEC standard, however the above calculation formulaes used
above are not mentioned in the IEC reference. Can you provide where is the calculation
references.?
Reply Share

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