CURRENT TRANSFORMERS - RATED BURDEN - IS IT A BURDEN?

by: K.Sivakumar, Manager-Training, Larsen & Toubro Limited, Switchgear

Training Centre, Coonoor (T.N.)
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Introduction: Current transformers are of prime utility value in any electrical
network. They are used for measurement as well as for protection purposes. As
with any other equipment, specifications play a vital role in the performance of
current transformers too. One such important specification is the rated burden
of the current transformer. Unfortunately, not much attention is paid to
correctly specify the burden of the CTs. This article aims to look into the
significance of CT Burden and the effects of wrong specification.
Functioning of CT: Contrary to whatever is suggested by the name, a CT
produces only voltage at its secondary terminals when a current flows through
its primary winding. For, whenever a current flows thro the primary winding of
a CT, a flux is set up in the core of the CT. This flux, when it cuts the secondary
winding of the CT - as per the famous Faraday's Laws of Electromagnetic
Induction - an e.m.f. is induced in the secondary winding. The magnitude of this
e.m.f. is:
e = 4.44 f N2 volts
where,
e = e.m.f. induced in the CT Secondary winding, in Volts
= Flux, in Webers
f = System Frequency, in Hz
N2 = Number of turns in the CT Secondary winding
Only when a ohmic load is connected across the CT secondary terminals, this
secondary e.m.f. circulates a secondary current, proportional to the primary
current, through the connected load.
Class of Accuracy: In an ideal CT, the secondary current will be in exact
proportion to the primary current truly following the design transformation
ratio. But, in practice, the secondary current may or may not be truly following
the primary current as decided by the turns ratio or the design transformation
ratio. There will be errors, either on the positive side (plus error) or on the
negative side (minus error).
Standards too acknowledge this fact and have assigned various accuracy
classes for Measurement as well as Protection Class CTs.
As per IS 2705, the Accuracy Classes for CTs are as below:
Measurement CTs:

Class of Accuracy +/- % Ratio Error @ Rated Primary Current

0.1 0.1
0.2 0.2
0.5 0.5
1.0 1.0
3.0 3.0
5.0 5.0
Note: For Class 0.1 to 1.0, the error shall not exceed the values given above,
when the secondary burden is any value between 25% to 100% of the rated
burden and for Class 3.0 & Class 5.0, the secondary burden shall be between
50% and 100% of the rated burden.
Protection CTs:
Class of Accuracy +/- % Ratio Error +/-Composite Error
@ Rated Primary @ Rated Accuracy
Current Limit Primary Current
5P 1.0 5.0
10P 3.0 10.0
15P 5.0 15.0
Burden: It is the ohmic load, connected to the CT Secondary terminals.
This is normally specified in VA.
As per IS 4201:1983 (Application Guide for Current Transformer)
Cl. 6.1 (Measuring CTs): ". the rated output should be as near to in value but
not less than to the actual output at which the CT is to operate. Ordering a CT
with a rated output considerably in excess of required output may result in
increased errors."
Cl. 9.5 (Protection CTs): "Normally, the standard VA rating nearest to the
burden computed shall be used"
As understood from the above, as far as measuring CTs are concerned, wrong
specification of burden would impose increased errors and would affect the
revenue, when the CT is used in Power/Energy measurements. Whereas,
proper specification of burden is very much imperative in Protection Class CTs,

as it would affect the protective system operation and thus, the system
security.
Contrary to measuring CTs - which have to maintain their accuracy only over
their measuring range, protective CTs will have to remain accurate for currents
many times in excess of their rated current, for, only then the protection
system would read the primary conditions exactly and would react accordingly.
Hence, a protection CT must remain stable - it must not saturate, for currents
that are many multiples of its rated current. This level of saturation in
protection CTs is denoted by a term called ALF - Accuracy Limiting Factor.
Typical ALFs are 5, 10, 15, 20 & 30.
A 5P10 CT means this is a protection CT with a composite error of +/- 5% and
this error will be maintained upto 10 times the rated primary current of the CT.
If the primary current is more than 10 times the rated primary current, then
this CT will saturate and will not reproduce secondary current linearly with the
primary current.
Now, for a given CT, the accuracy limit voltage (ALV) is fixed at the time of
designing the CT. That is,
ALV = ALF x ISec. Rated x (ZCT + ZExt.)
Where,
ALV = Accuracy Limit Voltage in Volts
ALF = Accuracy Limiting Factor for the protection core
I

Sec. Rated

= Rated Secondary current of the protection core, in Amps.

ZCT = Internal Impedance of the CT Secondary winding, in

Ohms
Z

. = External connected burden impedance, including

Ext

Connecting lead impedance, in Ohms

Consequently,
ALF = {(ALV) / [ISec. Rated x (ZCT + ZExt.)]}
Here, ALV, Isec. & ZCT are fixed at the time of designing the CT.
So, the actual ALF will be in inverse proportion to the external connected
burden. Lower the connected burden, higher will be the ALF and vice versa.
If ALF increases, it means that the CT will not saturate at the desired level and
will reproduce the primary for currents much beyond the design Accuracy Limit
Primary Current. This may damage the relays and other devices, even the CT

secondary winding itself, as the reproduced secondary current would be higher

than the designed/desired value.
On the other hand, if the ALF reduces, this means that the CT will saturate
much earlier. Here too, the CT will not reproduce the primary fault currents
exactly. The primary side may see a higher fault current and the secondary
connected protective relays will see a lesser fault current due to the earlier
saturation of the CT core. As the current seen by the relay is lesser, the
operating time of the relay will be higher (if an inverse time-current
characteristic is chosen, as is usual with many power system protection
schemes). This is also dangerous as higher fault current would flow through
the system components for a longer time than desired.
So, it can be seen that connecting higher burden as well as connecting lesser
burden than the rated burden, can both prove to be harmful to the system
components. Better practice would be to correctly specify the rated burden of
the CT Protection core as per actual connected burden.
Earlier, when measuring instruments and protective relays were of
electromagnetic type, they imposed a huge burden on the CT cores. When a
number of such devices were to be connected in series with a CT secondary, it
was practical to specify CT Metering Cores as well as Protection Cores with
rated burdens of 15VA or 20 VA or even 30VA. But, with the advent of digital
meters and digital protective relays, the burden imposed by these devices on
the CT cores is greatly reduced. For example, the burden of the current coil of a
conventional analogue, electro-magnetic, energy meter was about 5VA.
Compare this with the burden of the current coil of modern day digital trivector
meter, which is less than 0.5VA. Similarly, the burden of an electro-mechanical
over current relay is about 5VA, whereas the burden of a digital microprocessor
based over current relay is less than 0.25VA.
More and more systems are updated with these sophisticated electronic
measuring instruments as well as digital protective relays. But, unfortunately,
while specifying the CT burden it is not paid due consideration. Customers
specify CTs with the earlier 25VA or 30VA, perhaps thinking that as a factor of
safety or cushion. But, as we have seen earlier in this article, such practice of
over-specifying CT burdens will only be harmful to the system as well as the CT
itself, thereby totally negating the factor of safety concept itself.
Moreover, CTs with lesser burden will also be smaller in size and also cheaper.
So, customers can have the added benefit of precious space saving as well as
economy. More importantly, operational hazards too are minimized.
Conclusion: Hence, it is suggested that customers, designers, specifiers as well
as engineers in projects, operation & maintenance pay attention to this much
ignored or over-looked area of CT burden specification and henceforth specify
the CT burdens correctly as per actual requirements only.
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References:

i) Chapter 8 - The requirements of current transformation - from the book

"Design of Electrical Systems for Large Projects" - by Mr.N.Balasubramainian Third Edition 2002 - Published by NBS Consultancy, Chennai.
ii) IEEMA Specifications for Instrument Transformers (Recommendations) Published by IEEMA Instrument Transformer Division (IEEMA 17-1997)
iii) IS 4201-1983 - Application Guide for Current Transformer