MODULE – 6

CURRENT AND VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER

By-Prof. Kalyani P. Mahure

 Current Transformer (CT)

Definition: A current transformer is a device that is

used for the transformation of current from a higher
value into a proportionate current to a lower value. It
transforms the high voltage current into the low
voltage current due to which the heavy current flows
through the transmission lines is safely monitored by
the ammeter.
1) The current transformer is used with the AC instrument,
meters or control apparatus where the current to be
measured is of such magnitude that the meter or instrument
coil cannot conveniently be made of sufficient current
carrying capacity. The current transformer is shown in the
figure below.
2) The primary and secondary current of the current
transformers are proportional to each other. The current
transformer is used  for measuring the high voltage current
because of the difficulty of inadequate insulation in the meter
itself. The current transformer is used in meters for measuring
the current up to 100 amperes.
 Construction of Current Transformers

The core of the current transformer is built up with

lamination of silicon steel. For getting a high degree of
accuracy the Permalloy or Mumetal is used for the making
cores. The primary windings of the current transformers
carry the current which is to be measured, and it is
connected to the main circuit. The secondary windings of the
transformer carry the current proportional to the current to
be measured, and it is connected to the current windings of
the meters or the instruments.
The primary and the secondary windings are insulated from
the cores and each other. The primary winding is a single
turn winding (also called a bar primary) and carries the full
load current. The secondary winding of the transformers has
a large number of turns.
The ratio of the primary current and the secondary current is
known as a current transformer ratio of the circuit. The
current ratio of the transformer is usually high. The secondary
current ratings are of the order of 5A, 1A and 0.1A. The
current primary ratings vary from 10A to 3000A or more. The
symbolic representation of the current transformer is shown
in the figure below.
• The working principle of the current transformer is slightly
different from the power transformer. In a current
transformer, the load’s impedance or burden on the
secondary has slightly differed from the power transformers.
 Thus, the current transformer operates on secondary circuit
conditions.
 Burden on a Load

• The burden of a current transformer is the value of the load

connected across the secondary transformer. It is expressed
as the output in volt-amperes (VA). The rated burden is the
value of the burden on the nameplate of the CT. The rated
burden is the product of the voltage and current on the
secondary when the  CT supplies the instrument or relay with
its maximum rated value of current.
 Phasor Diagram of Current Transformer

• The phasor diagram of the current transformer is shown in

the figure below. The main flux is taken as a reference. The
primary and secondary induced voltages are lagging behind
the main flux by 90º. The magnitude of the primary and
secondary voltages depends on the number of turns on the
windings. The excitation current induces by the components
of magnetising and working current.
• where, Is – secondary current
Es – secondary induced voltage
Ip -primary current
Ep – primary induced voltage
Kt – turn ratio, number of secondary turn/number of primary turn
I0 – excitation current
Im – magnetising current
Iw – working component
Φs – main flux
• The secondary current lags behinds the secondary induced voltage by
an angle θº. The secondary current relocates to the primary side by
reversing the secondary current and multiply by the turn ratio. The
current flows through the primary is the sum of the exciting current
I0 and the product of the turn ratio and secondary current Kt Is.
 Ratio and Phase Angle Errors of CT

• The current transformer has two errors – ratio error and a

phase angle error.
• Current Ratio Errors – The current transformer is mainly due
to the energy component of excitation current and is given as
• Where Ip is the primary current. Kt is the turn ratio and is the
secondary current.
• Phase Angle Error – In an ideal current transformer the vector
angle between the primary and reversed secondary current is
zero. But in an actual current transformer, there is a phase
difference between the primary and the secondary current
because the primary current has also supplied the component
of exciting current. Thus, the difference between the two
phases is termed as a phase angle error.
 Types of current Transformer
• Wound Transformer – In this transformer the primary winding
is composed inside the transformer. The primary winding had
a single turn and connected in series with the conductor that
measured the current. The wound transformer is mainly used
for measuring the current from 1amps to 100 amps.
• Bar-type Current Transformer – The bar type transformer has
only secondary windings. The conductor on which the
transformer is mounted will act as primary windings of the
current transformers.
• Toroidal Current Transformer – This transformer does not
contain primary windings. The line through which the current
flow in the network is attached through a hole or a window of
the transformers. The major advantage of this transformer is
that the transformer has a symmetrical shape due to which it
has a low leakage flux, thus less electromagnetic interference.
 Potential Transformer (PT)

• Definition – The potential transformer may be defined as an

instrument transformer used for the transformation of voltage
from a higher value to the lower value. This transformer step
down the voltage to a safe limit value which can be easily
measured by the ordinary low voltage instrument like a
voltmeter, wattmeter and watt-hour meters, etc.
 Construction of Potential Transformer

• The potential transformer is made with high-quality core

operating at low flux density so that the magnetising current is
small. The terminal of the transformer should be designed so
that the variation of the voltage ratio with load is minimum and
the phase shift between the input and output voltage is also
minimum.
• The primary winding has a large number of turns, and the
secondary winding has a much small number of turns. For
reducing the leakage reactance, the co-axial winding is used in
the potential transformer. The insulation cost is also reduced by
dividing the primary winding into the sections which reduced
the insulation between the layers.
 Connection of Potential Transformer
• The potential transformer is connected in parallel with the
circuit. The primary windings of the potential transformer are
directly connected to the power circuit whose voltage is to be
measured. The secondary terminals of the potential
transformer are connected to the measuring instrument like
the voltmeter, wattmeter, etc.The secondary windings of the
potential transformer are magnetically coupled through the
magnetic circuit of the primary windings.
 Types of Potential Transformer

• The potential transformer is mainly classified into two types,

i.e., the conventional wound types (electromagnetic types)
and the capacitor voltage potential transformers.
• Conventional wound type transformer is very expensive
because of the requirement of the insulations.Capacitor
potential transformer is a combination of capacitor potential
divider and a magnetic potential transformer of relatively
small ratio.
• The circuit diagram of the capacitor potential transformer is
shown in the figure below. The stack of high voltage capacitor
from the potential divider, the capacitors of two sections
become C1 and C2, and the Z is the burden.
• The voltage applied to the primary of the intermediate
transformer is usually of the order 10kV. Both the potential
divider and the intermediate transformer have the ratio
and insulation requirement which are suitable for
economical construction.
• The intermediate transformer must be of very small ratio
error, and phase angle gives the satisfactory performance of
the complete unit. The secondary terminal voltage is given by
the formula shown below.
Ratio and Phase Angle Errors of Potential Transformer

• In an ideal potential transformer, the primary and the secondary

voltage is exactly proportional to the primary voltage and exactly in
phase opposition. But this cannot be achieved practically due to the
primary and secondary voltage drops. Thus, both the primary and
secondary voltage is introduced in the system.
• Voltage Ratio Error – The voltage ratio error is expressed in regarding
measured voltage, and it is given by the formula as shown below.
• Where Kn is the nominal ratio, i.e., the ratio of the rated primary
voltage and the rated secondary voltage.
• Phase Angle Error – The phase angle error is the error between the
secondary terminal voltage which is exactly in phase opposition with
the primary terminal voltage.
• The increases in the number of instruments in the relay connected to
the secondary of the potential transformer will increase the errors in
the potential transformers.
 Burden of a Potential Transformer

• The burden is the total external volt-amp load on the

secondary at rated secondary voltage. The rated burden
of a PT is a VA burden which must not be exceeded if
the transformer is to operate with its rated accuracy.
The rated burden is indicated on the nameplate.
• The limiting or maximum burden is the greatest VA load
at which the potential transformer will operate
continuously without overheating its windings beyond
the permissible limits. This burden is several times
greater than the rated burden.
Phasor Diagram of a Potential Transformer
• Where, Is – secondary current
Es – secondary induced emf
Vs – secondary terminal voltage
Rs – secondary winding resistance
Xs – secondary winding reactance
Ip – Primary current
Ep – primarily induced emf
Vp – primary terminal voltage
Rp – primary winding resistance
Xp – primary winding reactance
Kt – turn ratio
Io – excitation current
Im – magnetising component of Io
Iw – core loss component of Io
Φm – main flux
• The main flux is taken as a reference. In instrument transformer, the
primary current is the vector sum of the excitation current Io and the
current equal to the reversal secondary current Is multiplied by the
ratio of 1/kt. The Vp is the voltage applied to the primary terminal of
the potential transformer.
• The voltage drops due to resistance and reactance of primary
winding due to primary current is given by IpXp and IpRp. When the
voltage drop subtracts from the primary voltage of the potential
transformer, the primarily induced emf will appear across the
terminals.
• This primary emf of the transformer will transform into secondary
winding by mutual induction and converted into secondary induced
emf Es. This emf will drop by the secondary winding resistance and
reactance, and the resultant voltage will appear across the
secondary terminal voltage, and it is denoted by Vs.
 Applications of Potential Transformer

• It is used for a metering purpose.

• For the protection of the feeders.
• For protecting the impedance of the generators.
• For synchronising the generators and feeders.
• The potential transformers are used in the protecting
relaying scheme because the potential coils of the
protective device are not directly connected to the
system in case of the high voltage. Therefore, it is
necessary to step down the voltage and also to insulate
the protective equipment from the primary circuit.