Sizing Current Transformers For Line Protection Applications
1) The document discusses factors to consider when sizing current transformers (CTs) for line protection applications. It covers CT basics like errors and saturation, and criteria to avoid saturation.
2) It analyzes how CT saturation affects overcurrent, distance, directional, and differential protection elements. It also discusses how modern relay designs improve security and speed under saturation conditions.
3) The document provides guidelines for sizing CTs and discusses tools available to help protection engineers size CTs for their application.
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Sizing Current Transformers For Line Protection Applications
1) The document discusses factors to consider when sizing current transformers (CTs) for line protection applications. It covers CT basics like errors and saturation, and criteria to avoid saturation.
2) It analyzes how CT saturation affects overcurrent, distance, directional, and differential protection elements. It also discusses how modern relay designs improve security and speed under saturation conditions.
3) The document provides guidelines for sizing CTs and discusses tools available to help protection engineers size CTs for their application.
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Sizing Current Transformers for Line
Protection Applications Héctor J. Altuve, Normann Fischer, Gabriel Benmouyal, and Dale Finney, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
Abstract—This paper discusses the factors to consider for II. CT BASICS
sizing current transformers (CTs) for line protection applications. We first cover CT basics, with emphasis on errors A. CT Steady-State Operation and ac and dc saturation. We also discuss the criteria to avoid 1) Ideal CT Behavior CT saturation. Then we analyze the effect of CT saturation on overcurrent, distance, directional, and differential elements. Ideally, the secondary current of a CT is perfectly Further, we present the advances in protection element design to proportional to the primary current. The ideal CT has no improve security and speed under CT saturation conditions. losses or leakage flux and requires no magnetizing current. Finally, we discuss the tools available to the protection engineer For a CT having nP primary turns and nS secondary turns, the for CT sizing and provide some guidelines. ideal relationship between primary (IP) and secondary (IS) currents is the following: I. INTRODUCTION I P n P = IS n S (1) The transient response of current transformers (CTs) has a significant impact on the performance of line protection. CT nP IP I IS = IP = = P (2) saturation during external faults can seriously affect the nS nS / n P n security of the protection scheme, especially for dual-breaker where: line terminals where a large portion of the fault current can enter and leave the line protection zone without flowing n is the CT turns ratio, n = nS/nP. through the protected line. Equation (2) can be expressed in per-unit (pu) values as: Selecting higher-ratio CTs to prevent saturation and match IS ( pu ) = IP ( pu ) (3) the breaker load ratings may result in CTs that have considerably higher nominal current than the line loading. 2) Real CT Behavior Sensitivity may have to be sacrificed as a result. The degree to Real CTs have copper losses, core losses, and leakage flux which the various line protection elements are impacted can and require a certain current to magnetize the core. As a result, also vary. In the past, general rules were developed to allow the secondary current of a CT is not perfectly proportional to the protection engineer to size the CT for a particular the primary current. For most operating conditions, CTs application. These rules were used to determine the fault reproduce the primary currents well. However, under certain current magnitude (including ac and dc components) beyond conditions, the CT core saturates and the CT fails to correctly which saturation occurs and to determine the CT time to reproduce the primary current. saturation for a given fault. These rules take into account the Fig. 1 depicts the equivalent circuit of a CT, referred to the CT knee point, connected burden, and system X/R ratios. transformer secondary side. The CT primary current IP is Other potentially important aspects, such as remanent flux, dictated by the power system because the CT primary winding were typically not considered or left to the discretion of the is connected in series with the protected element. The current protection engineer. These rules also did not consider CT source IP/n represents the power system in Fig. 1. CT leakage saturation countermeasures available by design in modern impedances are R´P + jX´P for the primary winding (referred relays, which reduce the impact of saturation. For a to secondary) and RS + jXS for the secondary winding. As a transmission line, a typical CT sizing rule called for ratings result of the current source, the primary leakage impedance that would ensure no saturation for the end-of-line fault. This has no practical effect on the CT behavior and can be rule works well in single-breaker applications or with line CTs disregarded. The nonlinear excitation impedance ZE represents but clearly has limitations in dual-breaker applications with CT magnetization. The excitation current IE flowing through breaker CTs. the excitation impedance has two components. One The advent of microprocessor-based relaying has allowed component is the magnetizing current (flowing through the relay designers to incorporate novel methods for dealing with inductive component of ZE), which is needed to generate the CT saturation. These methods improve relay performance in flux in the CT core. The other component of IE is the loss the face of saturation and can allow CT sizing requirements to current (flowing through the resistive component of ZE), be relaxed as a result. Hence, the CT can no longer be which mainly results from the core hysteresis and eddy losses. evaluated without consideration for the particular relay to The secondary excitation voltage ES is the voltage induced in which it will be connected. the secondary winding. Impedance ZB represents the total load