InstrumenttransformersfromABB
ThreemaintasksofCTsandVTs
Thethreemaintasksofinstrumenttransformersare:
1. Totransformcurrentsorvoltagesfromausuallyhighvaluetoavalueeasytohandlefor
relaysandinstruments.
2. Toinsulatethemeteringcircuitfromtheprimaryhighvoltagesystem.
3. Toprovidepossibilitiesofstandardizingtheinstrumentsandrelaystoafewratedcurrents
andvoltages.
Instrumenttransformersarespecialtypesoftransformersintendedtomeasurecurrentsand
voltages.Thecommonlawsfortransformersarevalid.
Herewewillcoversiximportantaspectsofusinginstrumenttransformerinthepower
system:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Terminaldesignationsforcurrenttransformers
Secondarygroundingofcurrenttransformers
Secondarygroundingofvoltagetransformers
Connectiontoobtaintheresidualvoltage
Fusingofvoltagetransformersecondarycircuits
Locationofcurrentandvoltagetransformersinsubstations
1. Differentsubstationarrangements
1.Terminaldesignationsforcurrenttransformers
AccordingtoIECpublication600441,theterminalsshouldbedesignatedasshowninthe
followingdiagrams.AllterminalsthataremarkedP1,S1andC1aretohavethesamepolarity.
Figure1leftTransformerwithonesecondarywindingFigure2rightTransformerwithtwosecondarywindings
Figure3leftTransformerwithonesecondarywindingwhichhasanextratappingFigure4rightTransformerwithtwo
primarywindingsandonesecondarywinding
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2.Secondarygroundingofcurrenttransformers
Topreventthesecondarycircuitsfromattainingdangerouslyhighpotentialtoground,these
circuitshavetobegrounded.ConnecteithertheS1terminalortheS2terminaltoground.
Forprotectiverelays,groundtheterminalthatisnearesttotheprotectedobjects.Formetersand
instruments,groundtheterminalthatisnearesttotheconsumer.
Whenmeteringinstrumentsandprotectiverelaysareonthesamewinding,the
protectiverelaydeterminesthepointtobegrounded.
Ifthereareunusedtapsonthesecondarywinding,theymustbeleftopen.
Ifthereisagalvanicconnectionbetweenmorethanonecurrenttransformer,these
shallbegroundedatonepointonly(e.g.differentialprotection).
Ifthecoresarenotusedinacurrenttransformertheymustbeshortcircuitedbe
tweenthehighestratiotapsandshallbegrounded.
ItisdangeroustoopenthesecondarycircuitwhentheCTisinoperation.Highvoltage
willbeinduced.
Figure5leftTransformerFigure6rightCables
Figure7Busbars
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3.Secondarygroundingofvoltagetransformers
Topreventsecondarycircuitsfromreachingdangerouspotential,thecircuitsshallbegrounded.
Groundingshallbemadeatonlyonepointonavoltagetransformersecondarycircuitor
galvanicallyinterconnectedcircuits.
Avoltagetransformer,whichontheprimaryisconnectedphasetoground,shallhavethe
secondarygroundingatterminaln.
Avoltagetransformer,withtheprimarywindingconnectedbetweentwophases,shallhavethe
secondarycircuit,whichhasavoltagelaggingtheotherterminalby120degrees,
grounded.Windingsnotinuseshallbegrounded.
Figure8Voltagetransformersconnectedbetweenphases
Figure9setofvoltagetransformers
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4.Connectiontoobtaintheresidualvoltage
Theresidualvoltage(neutraldisplacementvoltage,polarizingvoltage)forearthfaultrelayscanbe
obtainedfromavoltagetransformerbetweenneutralandground,forinstanceatapower
transformerneutral.
Itcanalsobeobtainedfromathreephasesetofvoltagetransformers,which
havetheirprimarywindingconnectedphasetogroundandoneofthesecondary
windingsconnectedinabrokendelta.
Figure10illustratesthemeasuringprincipleforthebrokendeltaconnectionduringanearthfaultin
ahighimpedancegrounded(orungrounded)andaneffectivelygroundedpowersystem
respectively.
Fromthefigure,itcanbeseenthatasolidcloseupearthfaultproducesanoutputvoltageof
Ursd=3xU2n
inahighimpedanceearthedsystemand
Ursd=U2n
inaneffectivelygroundedsystem.Thereforeavoltagetransformersecondaryvoltageof
U2n=110/3V
isoftenusedinhighimpedancegroundedsystemsandU2n=110Vineffectivelygrounded
systems.Aresidualvoltageof110Visobtainedinbothcases.Voltagetransformerswithtwo
secondarywindings,oneforconnectioninYandtheotherinbrokendeltacanthenhavetheratio:
forhighimpedanceandeffectivelygroundedsystemsrespectively.Nominalvoltagesotherthan110
V,e.g.100Vor115V,arealsouseddependingonnationalstandardsandpractice.
Figure10Residualvoltage(neutraldisplacementvoltage)fromabrokendeltacircuit
5.Fusingofvoltagetransformersecondarycircuits
Fusesshouldbeprovidedatthefirstboxwherethethreephasesarebroughttogether.Thecircuit
fromtheterminalboxtothefirstboxisconstructedtominimizetheriskoffaultsinthecircuit.
Itispreferablenottousefusesinthevoltagetransformerterminalbox,asthiswill
makethesupervisionofthevoltagetransformersmoredifficult.Thefusesinthethree
phaseboxenableadifferentiatedfusingofthecircuitstodifferentloadslikeprotection
andmeteringcircuits.
Thefusesmustbeselectedtogiveafastandreliablefaultclearance,evenforafaultattheendof
thecabling.Earthfaultsandtwophasefaultsshouldbechecked.
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6.Locationofcurrentandvoltagetransformersinsubstations
Instrumenttransformersareusedtosupplymeasuredquantitiesofcurrentandvoltageinan
appropriateformtocontrollingandprotectiveapparatus,suchasenergymeters,indicating
instruments,protectiverelays,faultlocators,faultrecordersandsynchronizers.
Instrumenttransformersarethusinstalledwhenitisnecessarytoobtain
measuringquantitiesfortheabovementionedpurposes.
Readmore//LocationofCurrentTransformersinHVSubstation
Typicalpointsofinstallationareswitchbaysforlines,feeders,transformers,buscouplers,etc.,at
transformerneutralconnectionsandatthebusbars.
Figure11Currentandvoltagetransformersinasubstation
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Locationindifferentsubstationarrangements
Belowaresomeexamplesofsuitablelocationsforcurrentandvoltagetransformersinafew
differentswitchgeararrangements.
Figure12Doublebusbarstation
Figure13Stationwithtransferbusbar
Figure14Doublebreakeranddoublebusbarstation
Figure15Sectionalizedsinglebusbarstation
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Reference:InstrumentTransformersApplicationGuideABB