Malayan Colleges Laguna

Department of Electrical Engineering

Instrument
Transformers
EE 122
AC Apparatus
and
Devices

Prepared by:
Cesar G. Manalo, Jr.
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Explain the characteristics of a good potential and
current transformers.
 Show several types of potential and current transformer
connections.
 Solve problems related to potential and current
transformers.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS [1]
 Most 60-Hz power-systems' instrumentation is based upon
voltages in the range of 0-120 V rms and currents in the range of 0-
5 Arms.
 In power systems, voltages can reach up to 765 kV and currents up
to several 10’s of kA.
 To measure these large voltages and currents directly using the
above instruments would not be possible.
 Transformers called instrument transformers can be used to
convert the very high voltages and currents to low-intensity signals
to levels that instruments would be able to measure.
 A transformer used to step down high voltage to levels that can be
measured by voltage instruments is the potential transformer or
PTs.
 A transformer used to reduce high levels of current to values that
can be measured by current instruments is the current transformer
or CTs.
C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 IDEAL INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS
 Ideal potential transformers measure line voltages by connecting
its primary winding to that line and reading the voltage at the
secondary winding.
  𝑁2 𝑉1
𝑉 2= 𝑉 1= (Eq. 1)
𝑁1 𝑎
 N1 >> N2, thus, voltage reading is much smaller than the actual
voltage which can then be connected to low-voltage instruments.
 V2 of an ideal PT will have the same phase as V1.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 IDEAL INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS
 Ideal current transformers measure line currents by connecting its
primary winding to that line and reading the current at the
secondary winding.
  𝑁1 𝑉1
𝐼2 = 𝐼 1= (Eq. 2)
𝑁2 𝑎𝑒𝑓𝑓
 N1 << N2, thus the current reading is much smaller than the actual
current which can then be fed to low-voltage instruments.
 I2 of an ideal CT will have the same phase as I1.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 REAL POTENTIAL TRANSFORMERS
 Actual secondary readings (magnitude and phase) of real PTs are
off by a few volts and degrees due to effects of the following:
o internal resistance and leakage reactance of the primary and
secondary windings.
o Magnetizing reactance (Xm)
o Load on the secondary winding called the burden (Zb).
 Zb can be the equivalent impedance of the a circuit that processes
the secondary voltage to display the actual reading of the primary
line. POTENTIAL TRANSFORMER

Equivalent circuit of an instrument transformer referred to the primary

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 REAL POTENTIAL TRANSFORMERS
OPEN-CIRCUITED PT (Zb = ∞):

 For an open-circuited PT (Zb = ∞),

(Eq. 3)

 Thus, to get an more accurate reading, R1 and X1 must be must be

much smaller
C. G. Manalo, Jr. than Xm, to make Eq. 3 much like Eq. 1.
 REAL POTENTIAL TRANSFORMERS
BURDENED PT (Zb ≠ 0):

 For a burdened PT (Zb ≠ ∞),

(Eq. 4)

where,
C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 REAL POTENTIAL TRANSFORMERS
BURDENED PT (Zb ≠ ∞):
 Thus for a PT to be more accurate, the following should be
considered in its design:
o High magnetizing reactance (Xm) and relatively low internal
winding resistances and leakage reactances (R1, R’2, X1, X’2).
o High burden impedance Zb.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 REAL CURRENT TRANSFORMERS
CONSTRUCTION OF CURRENT TRANSFORMERS

 A ferromagnetic core encircles the conductor where the current to

be read passes through. This conductor serves as the primary
winding and the current though it is the primary current Ip.
 A (secondary) winding is wound around the core and when an
ammeter
C. G. Manalo,is
Jr.connected, a (secondary) current Is results.
 REAL CURRENT TRANSFORMERS
 Actual secondary readings (magnitude and phase) of real CTs are
off by a few amperes and degrees due to effects of the following:
o internal resistance and leakage reactance of the primary and
secondary windings.
o Magnetizing reactance (Xm)
o Load on the secondary winding called the burden (Zb).
CURRENT TRANSFORMER

Equivalent circuit of an instrument transformer referred to the primary

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 REAL CURRENT TRANSFORMERS
SHORT-CIRCUITED CT (Zb = 0):

 For an short-circuited CT (Zb = 0),

(Eq. 5)

 Thus, to get an more accurate reading, Xm must be made much

larger thanJr.R’2 and X’2 .
C. G. Manalo,
 REAL CURRENT TRANSFORMERS
BURDENED CT (Zb ≠ 0):

 For a burdened CT (Zb ≠ 0),

(Eq. 6)

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 REAL CURRENT TRANSFORMERS
BURDENED CT (Zb ≠ 0):
 Thus for a CT to be more accurate, the following should be
considered in its design:
o High magnetizing reactance (Xm) and relatively low internal
winding resistances and leakage reactances (R1, R’2, X1, X’2).
o Low burden impedance Zb.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 1
 A 2400:120-V, 60-Hz potential transformer is connected to a 2100
V line to measure its voltage. The PT is then connected to a 150-V
voltmeter to display its reading.

2100 V

PT

V voltmeter

a) Assuming the PT is ideal what is the output of the PT?

b) In a) if the voltmeter is connected, what would the voltmeter
indicate? Is the voltmeter overloaded or not?
C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 1
c) If the PT has the following parameter values (referred to the 2400-
V winding):
X1 = 143 Ω X’2 = 164 Ω Xm = 163 k Ω
R1 = 128 Ω R’2 = 141 Ω
What would be the magnitude of the output of the PT if the
voltmeter is not connected? What is the phase angle of the
output?
d) Assuming the voltmeter is connected and purely resistive,
calculate its minimum resistance that will yield a magnitude error
of less than 0.5 percent.
e) Repeat part (b) but find the minimum resistance such that the
phase-angle error is less than 1.0 degree.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 2
 A 800:5-A, 60-Hz current transformer has the following parameter
values (referred to the 800-A winding):
X1 = 44.8 µΩ X’2 = 54.3 µΩ Xm = 17.7 m Ω
R1 = 10.3 µΩ R’2 = 9.6 µΩ

Assuming that the high-current winding is carrying a current of 800

amperes, calculate the magnitude and relative phase of the current in
the low-current winding if the load impedance is purely resistive with
Rb = 2.5 Ω.

I 2  4.980.346o A
C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 2-Solution
X1 = 44.8 µΩ X’2 = 54.3 µΩ Xm = 17.7 m Ω
R1 = 10.3 µΩ R’2 = 9.6 µΩ a = 5/800
.I1  8000 A
o
   This is a burdened CT with . Let

I1  8000o  𝐼 2 / 𝑎
 
Equivalent circuit
  2𝑍𝑏
𝑎 w.r.t. primary
-
C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 ILLUSTRATIVE PROBLEM 2-Solution
 By current division;
I2 jX m (800)  j (0.0177)
 I1 ' 
a R2  j ( X m  X 2 )  a Z b
' 2
 5 
2

0.0000096  j (0.0177  0.0000543)    (2.5)

 800 

I2
 797.5390.34613o
a

I 2  4.9850.346 o A

Magnitude of secondary current: 4.985 A

Relative phase: 0.346o.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 POTENTIAL TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

VP
14,400/120 = 120/1
4200/120 = 35/1
Vs 2400/120 = 20/1

Relay

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 POTENTIAL TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

Connections of Single-Phase Potential Transformers

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 POTENTIAL TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

Open Delta Connection Y – Y Connection

(2) Double Bushing VTs (3) Single Bushing VTs
C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 CURRENT TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

Window-type Bar-type

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 CURRENT TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

Single-Ratio CT Multi-Ratio CT
C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 CURRENT TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

3-phase line

Ferromagnetic ring conductor

Primary line flux

Instrument

The current transformer

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 CURRENT TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

Transformer Ratio = Primary Current

_____________________
Secondary Current

Primary Current Secondary Current

(100 amps) (5 amps)

100
___ = 100:5 or 20:1
5

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 CURRENT TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

Polyester Taped Bushing CT on

Outdoor Circuit Breaker

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 CURRENT TRANSFORMER CONNECTIONS

CT Actual Connections

Typical window CT

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 REFERENCE(S):

[1] A. E. Fitzgerald, “Voltage and Current Transformers,” in Electric

Machinery, 6th Ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003, ch. 2, sec. 2.8, pp.
90-95.

C. G. Manalo, Jr.
 END OF SESSION

C. G. Manalo, Jr.