M.

Nageswar Rao,
Sr.Manager (Engg.)
NESCL, Noida

Date: 16.08.13
Presentation Layout

CT DESIGN
REQUIREMENTS PROTECTION
FOR VARIOUS SCHEMES
PROTECTION

CURRENT
TRANSFORMER
Protection schemes
Over current protection
Unit Protection
Differential protection
REF protection
Line differential (Pilot wire)
Distance Protection
Diff. protection
Monitors an area limited by CTs which measure
incoming & outgoing currents
Types
High impedance
Low impedance (Biased diff.)
High impedance Diff. protection
Scheme used for
Bus bars,
generator windings and
Y-connected or auto
transformer windings.
CTs must be selected with
Same ratio
Same magnetizing curve
(same Vkmin & same Ie at
Vk/2)
Same Rctmax.
High impedance Diff. protection

High impd. Busbar diff.

REF protection of T/f

High impedance Diff. protection

Line or cable diff. protection with pilot wires

Low impedance Diff. protection
Used for
 busbar diff. protection
 EHV lines
CTs can have different ratios
 Bias is used to correct small
ratio mismatch
 Larger ratios can be matched
using Aux. CTs

For double bus bar protection

Low impedance Diff.
– slope characteristics
 Have operating characteristics with pickup increasing with higher through
fault currents. This is defined by a slope of the bias characteristics.
 The higher the slope, the larger is the tolerance of the relay to errors and
CT saturation.
 Modern numerical relays using special saturation detectors or special
through fault detectors.
 Automatic slope adjustment is achieved with the help of modern
numerical relays using special saturation detectors or special through fault
detectors.
 low slope is maintained (sensitive differential protection) when
 When there is no saturation or
 when no through fault is detected,
 High slope is maintained (for good stability) when,
 severe saturation or
 through fault detection.
 High & Low impedance diff. protection
High impd. diff. Low impd. Diff.

Application • Bus bars, • Bus bars

• Generator windings and • EHV lines
• Y-connected or auto transformer
windings

CT Ratio Matching CT ratio to avoid spill current CTs can have different ratios
during healthy state

CT saturation Knee point voltage is of concern. Saturation can be tolerated, hence Vk is not
voltage of much concern.

Routing of CT All CT connections are looped in the yard
connection and single cable taken to the relay
CT ckt. supervision Detected by using a 3 phase rectifier relay
to effect the summation of the bus wire
voltages and short the pilot wire from the
affected phase
CT wires directly to the relay
A current operated auxiliary relay is used to
detect any unbalance sec current for
supervision of the CT ckts. Current setting
of the supvn relay must be less than that of
main diff relay

Cost & space req. Less cost & space. Very costly and space consuming, as it
requires large no. of modules & matching
CTs.
Current Transformer
Current Bus P P Feeder
CB
Transformer is an
instrument
Insulator
transformer which
transforms current
Primary winding
from one level to
Core
another level.
e.g. Secondary winding
1000/1A,
200/5A
S Terminal Box
S
CTs – windings & cores
CTs have
1 or more primary
windings (with 1 or more
taps), and
1 or more secondary
windings on different
cores.
• Types of CT cores
• Measuring cores
• Protection cores
• Protection cores for special
CT secondary current rating
5A Secondary 1A Secondary
Applications 1. Indoor Outdoor
switchgear
cubicles
2. Higher primary
current ratings.
When secondary low peak voltage high peak voltage
gets open
Fine turns ratio not possible when Always possible
adjustment primary rating is
low
Saturation factor

•Ips/Ipn is called
• Instrument Security Factor (FS) for the measuring CTs, and
• Accuracy Limit Factor (ALF) for the protective CTs.

•These two saturation factors are practically the same,

•FS or ALF = (Vsat/Vrated)*Inom.
CT - Knee Point Voltage
 CT excitation curve
 is the magnetizing characteristic (plot between secondary applied voltage and the
corresponding magnetizing current)
 Knee point voltage
 Corresponds to the point on excitation curve beyond which an increase of 10% in exciting e.m.f.
produces an increase of 50% in the exciting current
 is defined as the point on the excitation curve where the tangent is at 45 degree to the abscissa.
 represents the point beyond which the CT becomes non-linear.
 Metering class Protection class Protection special
class
Application Measuring Protection Unit Protection

CT Selection Ratio Ratio Ratio

Accuracy class Accuracy class Knee Point Voltage

(0.1,0.2,0.3, 0.5,1,3,5) (5P, 10P, 15P) (Vk)
Burden (15,20,30VA) ALF (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, CT Secondary winding
30) resistance (RCT)
corrected to75OC

ISF (3.5.7) Burden (15,20,30VA) Ie (Excitation current)

at Vk or a stated % of
Vk.
CT Selection example: e.g.: 2000/1, Class 0.2, e.g. : 5P20, 40VA, ALF- e.g. : 200/1, PS Class,
20VA, ISF – 5 5 Vk > 200V, RCT < 2.0
ohms, Ie < 30mA at
Vk/4
Applicatio IEC 60044-1 IEC 60044-6 IEEE C57.13 / ANSI
n
Metering 0.1,0.2,0.3, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2
0.5,1,3,5 (burden @ p.f. 0.9)
Protection 5P, 10P, 15P C100, T100,
C200, T200,
C400, T400,
C800, T800
(burden@ p.f. 0.5)
Protection PX TPS, TPX,
special TPY, TPZ
CT - Remanance
Remanance flux is the value of flux, that would remain in
the core, 3 mins after interruption of exciting current of
sufficient magnitude to induce the saturation flux.
CT Air gap Remanance Application
Class
TPS No High upto 85% high impedance circulating
current protection
TPX No High upto 85% line protection.
TPY small Low <10% line protection with auto-
reclose.
TPZ Large Negligible 0% special applications such as
differential protection of
large generators
CT specification – ANSI (IEEE Std C57.13- 1993)
CT classes as per ANSI Volt at Burden
  ANSI 100A (ohm)
CT is furnished with excitation 
characteristics which can be used 
to “Calculate” the CT  C100 100 1
C performance.
same as C rating but the knee- C200 200 2
point voltage must be at least 70% 
of the secondary terminal voltage  C400 400 4
K rating.
the ratio error must be determined 
T by ‘Test’. C800 800 8
•The standard current transformer secondary winding is rated at 5A as per        
ANSI standards. (20times of 5A is max. recommended CT secondary current).
CT Saturation
AC saturation
To avoid saturation, the
CT shall develop adequate
voltage such that
Vx > If (Rct+Rl+Rb)
 where,
 If = Fault current on CT secondary (Amps) In case of  Rl (lead 
resistance)
 Rct = CT Secondary resistance (Ohms)
1Φ to  Two-way
 Rl = CT Secondary total lead resistance
ground 
(Ohms) faults
 Rb =CT secondary connected burden
(Ohms) 3Φ faults One-way
CT Saturation
DC saturation
Decaying dc
current introduces
during a fault.
CT Saturation - Excursion of flux waveform Φ

Is well within the saturation shoots past the saturation limits

limits with AC current waveforms quickly with DC transients
CT Saturation
CT shall have enough capacity to
develop the following voltage
not to saturate at all for a
combination of AC and DC
transient.
Vx > If (1+X/R) (Rct+Rl+Rb)

Saturation due to DC transient

distorts the AC waveform
output as well
CT saturation – how to avoid
CT saturation can be avoided
By increasing the CT ratio (thereby reducing actual
secondary current during fault to less than 100A)
By reducing the secondary connected burden
 by reducing the connected relay burden,
 reducing the lead resistance (by either
 reducing the distance between the relay to the CT,
 multiple parallel runs of CT leads,
 thicker wire size etc.)

Most of the faults are ground faults which tend to

have lesser DC offset and associated saturation
issues. The ground faults tend to have more
resistance (lower X/R ratio)
Protection Current Operati Transient AC Remarks
demand ng time saturation saturation
Time OC 20-30 In NO YES
High-set 1 cycle YES YES high speed of
Phase or Operation is to be
Ground OC ensured.
Distance 1.5 In YES NO Saturation is accepted
Protection after the operation of the
Zone-1 operation.
Differential YES Saturation voltage is of
protection concern
(Biased)
Differential 1 cycle knee point voltage
protection rather is of concern
(High
impedance)
High Impedance Diff.
Protection

setting VR >K x If x (RL + RCT ) (Volts)

 If = Secondary Fault current (Amps)
 RL = CT secondary lead resistance (Ohms)
 RCT = CT secondary resistance (Ohms)
 K = Margin Factor (=1 for full saturation)
CT requirements
-for various Protection applications
 High Impedance Differential scheme
Vk≥2.If.(Rct+2.Rl)
 RCT= CT secondary winding resistance
 Rlead = lead resistance of the farthest CT in parallel group
 If = Maximum through fault current up to which relay should remain stable (referred to CT secondary)

 Biased Differential scheme

Vk≥ K.2.IR.(Rct+2.Rl)
 IR= Relay rated current
 K = Constant specified by the manufacturer usually based on conjunction test (the constant is usually
chosen to ensure positive operation of highest differential unit on severe internal fault with extreme
CT saturation)
 Distance Protection scheme
Vk≥ (1+X/R).If.(Rr+Rct+n.Rl)
 X/R = Primary system reactance/resistance ratio (to account for the DC component of the
fault current)
 If= Maximum CT secondary current for fault at zone1 reach point
 Zrelay = Relay ohmic burden
 If limited by
Transformer Maximum through fault Z1%
current
Busbar Maximum through fault switchgear breaking capacity
current
Generator Maximum through fault X d”
current
Motor Maximum starting current 6x load current for DOL
Motors
Shunt reactors Maximum charging current X
Short feeders Maximum through fault for fault at busbar
current