EE421

STUDY ON CURRENT TRANSFORMERS

Instructed By: Eng. W.D.A.S. Wijayapala Name : G. R. Raban

Index Number : 070384P

Field : EE

Group :8

Date of Performance : 07 – 10 – 2010

Date of Submission : 28 – 10 – 2010

Observations

Class
CT A 10P10
CT B 0.2

(ii) Secondary Resistance Measurement

CT A secondary resistance = 0.1 Ω

CT B secondary resistance = 0.1 Ω

(iii) Polarity Check

Primary current flow is from P2 → P1

Secondary current flow;

Switch ON S2 → S1

Switch OFF S1 → S2

(iv) Ratio Check

CT A secondary current = 0.6 A

CT B secondary current = 0.6 A

(v) Magnetization Curve

Magnetizing Current (mA)

Voltage (V)
CT A CT B
5 28 54
7 35 200
9 43 910
11 48 2.1 A
13 55 4.1 A
15 64 12.6 A
17 72 18.5 A
19 83 24 A
20 92
(vi) Burden

For a current of 50 A in the primary;

Current (mA) Voltage (V)

CT A 650 0.445
CT B 580 0.428
Calculations

(a) Magnetization Curves

Magnetization Curve for CT A

25

20
Secondary Excitation Voltage (V)

15

10

0
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130

Secondary Excitation Current (mA)

 Magnetization Curve for CT B
20

18

16
Secondary Excitation Voltage (V)

14

12

10

4
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Secondary Excitation Current (mA)

(b) Knee point voltages

The knee point of an excitation curve is defined as the point at which a further increase of
10% of secondary e.m.f. would require an increment of 50% of exciting current.

From data obtained by graph;

Knee Point Voltage

CT A 20.0 V

CT B 16.6 V

(c) Burden of CT

Current (A) Voltage (V) Burden (VA)

CT A 0.65 0.445 0.65 × 0.445 = 0.289

CT B 0.58 0.428 0.58 × 0.428 = 0.248

Discussion

Metering Current Transformers (CT) are rated for specified standard burdens and designed
to be highly accurate from very low current to the maximum current rating of the CT. Because of
their high degree of accuracy, these CTs are typically used by utility companies for measuring
usage for billing purposes.

Protection CTs are not as accurate as Metering CTs. They are designed to perform with a
reasonable degree of accuracy over a wider range of current. These CTs are typically used for
supplying current to protective relays. The wider range of current allows the protective relay to
operate at different fault levels.

As explained above, a measuring CT is only required to operate over the normal range of
load currents. A protection CT is employed to give satisfactory protection over a wide range of fault
conditions. This may even be many times the full load current. Therefore, the secondary winding
resistance of a protective transformer must be made as low as possible.

The 'knee-point' of the excitation curve of a CT is defined as the point at which a further
increase of 10% of secondary e.m.f. would require a 50% increment of the exciting current.
Therefore, the knee-point may be regarded as a practical limit beyond which a specified ratio may
not be maintained. A CT is considered to enter saturation beyond the knee-point. In this region
almost all the primary current is utilized to maintain the core flux.

 CT Accuracy Classes

Accuracy Class describes the performance

characteristics of a CT and the maximum burden
allowable on the CT’s secondary. Depending on their
Accuracy Class, CTs are divided into Metering Accuracy
CTs or Relaying Accuracy CTs (Protection CTs). The
accuracy class of a CT is expressed by three parts: rated
ratio accuracy rating, class rating, and maximum burden
as shown in the figure.

The first part of the CT Accuracy Class is a

number which is the rated ratio expressed as a percentage.
For example, a CT with an accuracy class of 0.3 is certified by the manufacturer to be accurate to
within 0.3 percent of its rated ratio value for a primary current of 100 percent of rated ratio.

The second part of the CT Accuracy Class is a letter that designates the application for
which the CT is rated. Metering CTs are designated with the letter B. Relaying CTs have several
different letter designations.

The third part of the CT Accuracy Class is the maximum burden allowed for the CT. This is
the load that may be imposed on a transformer secondary without causing an error greater than the
stated accuracy classification.

 Phasor Diagram of a Current Transformer

Es = Secondary induced e.m.f

Vs = Secondary output voltage
Ip = Primary Current
Is = Secondary current
θ = Phase angle error
Φ = Flux
IsRs = Secondary resistance voltage drop
IsXs = Secondary reactance voltage drop
Ie = Exciting current
Ir = Component of Ie in phase with Is
Iq = Component of Ie in quadrature with Is
 Why the secondary should never be open circuited in a CT

A CT will be at risk of being destroyed if the secondary is left open circuit and the primary
current is present. The secondary of a CT must always have a burden connected; an open circuited
secondary can result in the development of a dangerously-high secondary voltage. This will cause
the insulation to fail and the winding to be short circuited. Energized but unused CT’s must be kept
short-circuited.

 CT polarity in differential protection

Differential protection is a unit scheme that compares the current on the primary side of a
transformer with that on the secondary side. Where a difference exists (other than that due to the
voltage ratio) it is assumed that the transformer has developed a fault and the plant is automatically
disconnected by tripping the relevant circuit breakers. The operating principle employed by
transformer differential protection is the Merz-Price circulating current system as shown below.
Under normal conditions I1and I2 are equal and opposite such that the resultant current through the
relay is zero. An internal fault produces an unbalance or 'spill' current that is detected by the relay,
leading to operation.

Polarity refers to the instantaneous direction of the primary current with respect to the
secondary current. All current transformers are subtractive polarity (i.e. primary and secondary
currents flow in same direction). When installing CTs for differential protection, care should be
taken to employ the right polarity. If a wrong polarity is used, information fed to the relays will be
erroneous; relays will always detect an unbalance in the system.