Current transformer

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A CT for operation on a 110 k grid
A current transformer !CT" is a type of instrument transformer designed to provide a
current in its secondary #inding proportional to the alternating current flo#ing in its
primary$ They are commonly used in metering and protective relaying in the electrical
po#er industry #here they facilitate the safe measurement of large currents, often in the
presence of high voltages$ The current transformer safely isolates measurement and
control circuitry from the high voltages typically present on the circuit %eing measured$
Contents
&hide'
1 (esign
) *sage
+ Connections
, -afety precautions
. Accuracy
o .$1 /urden
o .$) /urden class 01112A3-0 !Also called 4nee5point oltage"
o .$+ 6ating factor
o .$, 7hysical configuration
8 -pecial designs
9 6eferences
: 1;ternal links
[edit] Design
(epending on the ultimate clients re<uirement, there are t#o main standards to #hich
current transformers are designed$ 01C 800,,51 !/-13 800,,51" = 0111 C.9$1+
!A3-0", although the Canadian = Australian standards are also recognised$
The most common design of CT consists of a length of #ire #rapped many times around
a silicon steel ring passed over the circuit %eing measured$ The CT>s primary circuit
therefore consists of a single >turn> of conductor, #ith a secondary of many hundreds of
turns$
The CT acts as a constant5current series device #ith an apparent po#er %urden a fraction
of that of the high voltage primary circuit$ ?ence the primary circuit is largely unaffected
%y the insertion of the CT$
Common secondaries are 1 or . amperes$ For e;ample, a ,000:. CT #ould provide an
output current of . amperes #hen the primary #as passing ,000 amperes$ The secondary
#inding can %e single ratio or multi ratio, #ith five taps %eing common for multi ratio
CTs$
[edit] Usage
Current transformers are used e;tensively for measuring current and monitoring the
operation of the po#er grid$ The CT is typically descri%ed %y its current ratio from
primary to secondary$ @ften, multiple CTs are installed as a AstackA for various uses !for
e;ample, protection devices and revenue metering may use separate CTs"$ -imilarly
potential transformers are used for measuring voltage and monitoring the operation of the
po#er grid$
[edit] Connections
For 01C !/-13" typically, the secondary connection points are la%eled as 1-1, 1-), )-1,
)-) and so on, or in the A3-020111 standard areas, B1$$$B., C1$$$C., and so on$ The
multi ratio CTs are typically used for current matching in current differential protective
relaying applications$
For a three5stacked CT application, the secondary #inding connection points are typically
la%elled Bn, Cn, Dn$
[edit] Safety precautions
Care must %e taken that the secondary of a current transformer is not disconnected from
its load #hile current is flo#ing in the primary, as the transformer secondary #ill attempt
to continue driving current across the effectively infinite impedance$ This #ill produce a
high voltage across the open secondary !into the range of several kilovolts in some
cases", #hich may cause arcing$ The high voltage produced #ill compromise operator
and e<uipment safety and permanently affect the accuracy of the transformer$
[edit] Accuracy
The accuracy of a CT is directly related to a num%er of factors including:
/urden
/urden class2saturation class
6ating factor
Eoad
1;ternal electromagnetic fields
Temperature and
7hysical configuration$
For the 01C standard, accuracy classes for various types of measurement are set out in
/-13 201C 800,,51, class 0$1, 0$)s, 0$), 0$., 0$.s, 1 = +$ 0t #ill %e seen that the class
designation is an appro;imate measure of the accuracy, e$g$, class 1 current transformers
have ratio error #ithin 1F of rated current class 0$. #ithin a ratio error of 0$.F etc$
7hase difference is important #hen po#er measurements are involved, i$e$ #hen using
#attmeter>s, kilo#att5hour meters, Ar meters and 7o#er Factor meters$
[edit] Burden
The %urden in a CT metering circuit is essentially the amount of impedance !largely
resistive" present$ Typical %urden ratings for 01C CTs are 1$.A, +A, .A, 10A,
1.A, )0A, +0A, ,.A = 80A #ith A3-020111 /50$1, /50$), /50$., /51$0, /5)$0
and /5,$0$ This means a CT #ith a %urden rating of /50$) can tolerate up to 0$) G of
impedance in the metering circuit %efore its output current is no longer a fi;ed ratio to the
primary current$ 0tems that contri%ute to the %urden of a current measurement circuit are
s#itch %locks meters and intermediate conductors$ The most common source of e;cess
%urden in a current measurement circuit is the conductor %et#een the meter and the CT$
@ften, su%station meters are located significant distances from the meter ca%inets and the
e;cessive length of small gauge conductor creates a large resistance$ This pro%lem can %e
solved %y using CT #ith 1 ampere secondaries #hich #ill produce less voltage drop
%et#een a CT and its metering devices$
[edit] Burden class IEEE/ANSI Also called !nee"point #oltage$
This is the voltage at #hich a CT %ecomes saturated$ When a CT %ecomes saturated it can
no longer transform current$ An e;ample of this rating #ould %e C)00, C:00 etc$$$ This
means that the CT #ill saturate near )00 olts or :00 olts respectively$
[edit] %ating factor
Current transformers used in metering e<uipment for three5phase ,00 ampere electricity
supply
6ating factor is a factor %y #hich the nominal full load current of a CT can %e multiplied
to determine its a%solute ma;imum measura%le primary current$ Conversely, the
minimum primary current a CT can accurately measure is Alight load,A or 10F of the
nominal current !there are, ho#ever, special CTs designed to measure accurately currents
as small as )F of the nominal current"$ The rating factor of a CT is largely dependent
upon am%ient temperature$ Host CTs have rating factors for +. degrees Celsius and ..
degrees Celsius$ 0t is important to %e mindful of am%ient temperatures and resultant rating
factors #hen CTs are installed inside pad5mounted transformers or poorly ventilated
mechanical rooms$ 6ecently, manufacturers have %een moving to#ards lo#er nominal
primary currents #ith greater rating factors$ This is made possi%le %y the development of
more efficient ferrites and their corresponding hysteresis curves$ This is a distinct
advantage over previous CTs %ecause it increases their range of accuracy, since the CTs
are most accurate %et#een their rated current and rating factor$
[edit] &'ysical configuration
7hysical CT configuration is another important factor in relia%le CT accuracy$ While all
electrical engineers are <uite comforta%le #ith Iauss> Ea#, there are some issues #hen
attempting to apply theory to the real #orld$ When conductors passing through a CT are
not centered in the circular !or oval" void, slight inaccuracies may occur$ 0t is important to
center primary conductors as they pass through CTs to promote the greatest level of CT
accuracy$
[edit] Special designs
-pecially constructed wideband current transformers are also used !usually #ith an
oscilloscope" to measure #aveforms of high fre<uency or pulsed currents #ithin pulsed
po#er systems$ @ne type of specially constructed #ide%and transformer provides a
voltage output that is proportional to the measured current$ Another type !called a
6ogo#ski coil" re<uires an e;ternal integrator in order to provide a voltage output that is
proportional to the measured current$ *nlike CTs used for po#er circuitry, #ide%and CTs
are rated in output volts per ampere of primary current$
[edit] %eferences
Iuile, A$J 7aterson, W$ !1K99"$ Electrical Power Systems, Volume One$ 7ergamon,
p++1$ 0-/3