On-site Calibration of Voltage Transformers

Seokhoon Hong1*, Florian Predl2

Michael Freiburg3, Dr. Michael Krueger4
1
OMICRON electronics Korea Inc, Bundang-gu, South Korea
2
OMICRON electronics Australia, Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia
3
OMICRON electronics GmbH, Klaus, Austria
[email protected]

Abstract— The accuracy classes of voltage transformers (VTs) II. ACCURACY REQUIREMENTS FOR VOLTAGE
are different for protection and metering transformers and are TRANSFORMERS
classified depending on the maximum ratio and phase-angle error
between the vectors of the primary voltage and the secondary International standards specifying the accuracy definition
voltage. If instrument transformers are not within their defined and its limitation for conventional voltage transformers such as
standard specifications anymore there is a risk of incorrect meter - IEC 60044-2 for inductive voltage transformers
readings and ineffective or even failing system protection.
Especially when in aged condition, it is therefore advisable to - IEC 60044-5 for capacitive voltage transformers
routinely assess the condition of instrument transformers in order
to ensure safe operation within defined standard limits and - IEC 61869-3 additional requirements for inductive
tolerances. In this context, different methods are discussed in voltage transformer (successor of IEC 60044-2)
literature to calibrate VTs in a laboratory or on-site. Lately, an - IEC 61869-5 additional requirements for capacitive
autarkic on-site calibration approach was proposed [1]. This
voltage transformers (successor of IEC 60044-5)
paper presents a practical point of view of the newly proposed
method for on-site calibration of inductive and capacitive voltage - IEEE C57.13 standard requirements for instrument
transformers [1] by using a so called modeling approach. transformers
Following [1], the VT is considered as a black-box whose
parameters according to the equivalent circuit diagram have to be - ANSI C93.1 requirements for power-line carrier
obtained by utilizing low voltage measurements from both the coupling capacitors and coupling capacitor voltage
primary and secondary side. Once the parameters are known the transformers (CCVT)
performance of the VT can be calculated and assessed using a
mathematical model even up to its rated primary voltage and
For metering windings the voltage ratio error and phase
beyond. The new method has been verified in field studies on new displacement is specified in between 80 % to 120 % (IEC) resp.
and aged capacitive and inductive VTs. As a result, the 90 % and 110 % (IEEE) of the rated primary voltage and from
investigation shows high accuracy and high reproducibility using 25% to 100% of the rated secondary burden. In addition for class
the discussed model. This method allows conducting on-site 0.1 and 0.2 having a rated burden of 10VA or lower, the current
calibration of VTs with low voltage signals and thus reducing ratio error and phase displacements is defined even for 0VA,
weight of test equipment and time for testing. representing an open circuit (IEC).
For protection windings the voltage ratio error and phase
Keywords—inductive voltage transformer, instrument displacement is specified even from 2 % up to 100 %*Fv of the
transformer, on-site calibration, modeling approach rated primary voltage, whereas Fv is the rated voltage factor and
can be specified up to 1.9 times of rated primary voltage. The
I. INTRODUCTION burden range is specified from 25% to 100% of rated burden.
To date the accuracy of conventional voltage transformers Furthermore for voltage transformers having more than one
have mostly been obtained by applying rated voltage at the secondary winding the accuracy has to be fulfilled while other
primary side and measuring the resulting secondary voltage, windings have to be treated as both, open circuit (0VA) and
while rated load is applied, either in a laboratory or on-site. Due loaded with 100% rated burden under consideration of the
to the high voltage needed for such tests, this method has its defined total simultaneous burden.
practical limits, especially when it comes to on-site testing,
respectively commissioning testing. III. MODELING APPROACH
A new approach for measuring the voltage and load For a proper modeling approach the internal parameters of a
depending voltage ratio error and phase displacement is the so voltage transformer have to be determined [1]. The parameters
called "modeling approach" [1]. are:
This paper discusses the applicability of this alternative - Primary and secondary leakage reactance
approach and points out the information needed for calculating
the voltage ratio error and phase displacement. Furthermore, - Primary and secondary winding resistance
some case studies from conducted field tests are presented. - Excitation curve at rated frequency

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 In addition the turns ratio of the voltage transformer under
test has to be measured for considering a possible turns ratio
compensation. A turns ratio compensation is a common practice
for compensating the voltage ratio error towards a more positive
ratio error. Using this method it can be achieved that the voltage
transformer will stay within the tolerances defined by its
accuracy class.
For the determination of the individual parameters several
tests have to be conducted. Therefore the measurement
procedure utilizing the modeling approach is as follows: Fig. 2. Secondary terminal box
A. Measurement of short-circuit impedances
The test results below are an example for the full tap (66 kV/
B. Measurement of secondary winding resistances √3:110 V/√3) at 50 Hz. It can be seen (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) that
C. Measurement of secondary short-circuit impedance (in the voltage ratio error is within the required limits of ±0.03 %
case of more than one secondary winding) from 80 % up to 120 % of rated primary voltage and from 0 VA
up to 1 VA load condition.
D. Measurement of the initial magnetization curve and
separation of frequency dependent core losses
Power Voltage ratio error in % of rated voltage
E. Measurement of the turns ratio
With the information of above tests the load dependent VA VA [%] cos phi 80% 100% 120%

voltage ratio error and phase displacement can be calculated

1,0000 100,0% 1,0000 -0,0064% -0,0038% -0,0019%
accordingly.
IV. CASE STUDIES 0,0000 0,0% 1,0000 -0,0052% -0,0025% -0,0006%

A. Measurement on a 66 kV reference VT
Fig. 3. Voltage ratio error table
The first case study is about an on-site measurement on a
66 kV to 132 kV reference VT. The secondary winding has two
taps for adapting the ratio between 132 kV/√3:110 V/√3 and
66 kV/√3:110 V/√3. The nameplate information about the VT
is indicated in Fig. 1. The accuracy of this reference VT is
defined as ±0.03 % in voltage ratio error and ±1.5 min in phase
displacement at a rated load of 1 VA with a power factor of 1.0
and for a voltage range from 50 % to 125 % of rated primary
voltage. The accuracy of the VT is specified for a frequency
range of 50 Hz to 60 Hz.

Fig. 4. Voltage ratio error diagram

The obtained phase displacement was slightly outside the

required limits of ±1.5 min, see Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. The highest
variance was at 80 % rated primary voltage and 1 VA load with
an absolute value of -1.07 min. This discrepancy would be
acceptable for verification measurements on class 0.1 metering
VTs since class 0.1 metering VTs are allowed to have a phase
displacement of ±5 min.
Power Phase displacement table (min)

VA VA [%] cos phi 80% 100% 120%

1,0000 100,0% 1,0000 -2,5727 -2,5655 -2,5576

Fig. 1. Nameplate of reference VT 0,0000 0,0% 1,0000 -2,3296 -2,3225 -2,3146

Fig. 2 shows the terminal box of the secondary winding. The

Fig. 5. Phase displacement table
VT was tested several times in order to prove the stability of the
test results for 50 Hz, 60 Hz and even for both possible voltage
ratios.

399
Fig. 6. Phase displacement diagram

The results itself have proven to be very stable over the

frequency range of 50 Hz to 60 Hz and for all successive
measurements conducted. The highest absolute variance
between all successive tests was ±0.001 % in regards to the
voltage ratio error and ±0.03 min in regards to the phase
displacement.
This proves that the modeling concept works in a reliable and Fig. 8. Voltage ratio error and phase displacement
repeatable way.
At 100 % rated primary voltage and 0 VA load the absolute
B. Measurement on a 4 kV reference VT difference is 0.0062 % in regards to the voltage ratio error and
The second case study is about a comparison measurement 0.703 min in phase displacement.
on a 4 kV cast resin VT. The VT has been calibrated at an The red lines in both diagrams (Fig. 10 and Fig. 12) indicate
independent calibration laboratory in Austria which is traceable the absolute allowed error limit according to IEC 60044-1
to national standards, which realize the physical units of standard.
measurement according to the International System of Units
(SI). The extended measurement uncertainty UFu for the voltage
ratio error is 0.006 %, respectively Uδu for the phase Power Voltage ratio error in % of rated voltage
displacement is 0.4 min.
VA VA [%] cos phi 80% 100% 120%
Fig. 7 shows the nameplate information of the reference VT
1,0000 100,0% 1,0000 -0,0101% -0,0118% -0,0178%
and 0 illustrates the obtained voltage ratio error and phase
displacement obtained at the laboratory. 0,0000 0,0% 1,0000 0,0063% 0,0046% -0,0014%

Fig. 9. Voltage ratio error table

Fig. 7. Nameplate information

The obtained test results using the modeling approach in

regards to the voltage ratio error and phase displacement are Fig. 10. Voltage ratio error diagram
shown in Fig. 9 to Fig. 12. The test had been conducted at a
frequency of 50 Hz and 60 Hz.
Power Phase displacement table (min)
At 100 % of rated primary voltage and 100 % of rated load
the absolute difference in regards to the reference is 0.0042 % in VA VA [%] cos phi 80% 100% 120%
voltage ratio error and 0.75 min in phase displacement.
1,0000 100,0% 1,0000 1,0573 1,3540 1,7354

0,0000 0,0% 1,0000 1,4998 1,7966 2,1781

Fig. 11. Phase displacement table

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Fig. 12. Phase displacement diagram
Fig. 14. Voltage ratio error at operating load (0.02VA) conditions
C. Measurement on a 110 kV VT with high rated load
V. CONCLUSION
The third case study is about an on-site measurement on an
110kV inductive VT which is designed for very high load This paper discusses the practical application of a newly
conditions. In Figure 13 the nameplate of the VT is illustrated. proposed methodology for mobile resp. on-site testing of
inductive voltage transformer. This methodology can be applied
on capacitive voltage transformers in a comparable way by
simply adding some measurements to obtain the transformation
ratio. In order to calculate the load dependent voltage ratio error
and phase displacement all parameters according to the
equivalent circuit diagram of a voltage transformer needs to be
obtained.
The selected case studies have proven that the new approach
is feasible. It results in quite accurate test results which are fairly
close to the reference obtained from a laboratory calibration.
Therefore the device can be used for testing VTs during the
manufacturing process and as well for on-site verification of the
voltage transformer's accuracy.
Nevertheless, voltage transformers should be tested once
Fig. 13. Nameplate information with high primary voltages before putting in service, since
insulation faults for instance might not be detected by a
The VT has one secondary winding which is used for both modeling concept using low voltage and low frequency signals.
metering and protection purposes at the same time. The rated
load of the secondary winding is 500VA.
In Figure 14 the voltage ratio error for 100% and 25% of the REFERENCES
rated load is shown. In both cases the VT was within its accuracy
requirements for a class 0.5 metering VT.
[1] M. Freiburg et al., “A New Approach For In-situ Calibration of Voltage
When simulating, resp. recalculating the voltage ratio error Transformers,” International Conference on Condition Monitoring and
for the operating burden (load actually connected to the VT in Diagnosis, Korea, 2014
the field) the VT does not pass the class assessment, see Figure [2] IEC 60044-2 Edition 1.2 / 2003-02 "Instrument Transformers, Part 2:
Inductive voltage transformers", Reference number CEI/IEC 60044-
15. The reason for this is the very low operating burden of just 2:1997+A1:2000+A2:2002
0.02VA. The VT is designed for high load conditions, thus it has [3] IEC 60044-5 First Edition / 2004-04 "Instrument transformers, Part 5:
a so called turns ratio compensation. Such VTs can introduce a Capacitor voltage transformers" Reference number CEI/IEC 60044-
too positive ratio error at very low load conditions. 5:2004
[4] IEC 61869-3 Edition 1.0 / 2011-07 "Instrument transformers, Part 3:
Additional requirements for inductive voltage transformers"
[5] IEC 61869-5 Edition 1.0 / 2011-07 "Instrument transformers, Part 5:
Additional requirements for capacitor voltage transformers"
[6] IEEE "Standard Requirements for Instrument Transformers" IEEE Std
C57.13TM-2008
[7] ANSI C93.1 – 1999 Requirements for Power-Line Carrier Coupling
Capacitors and Coupling and Coupling Capacitor Voltage Transformers
(CCVT)

Fig. 15. Voltage ratio error at 100% and 25% of rated load

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