Instrumenttransformers(CTs,VTs)inthesystem

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