Resistive Capacitive Voltage Dividers

for Gas Insulated Switchgear

Introduction
Power quality has become a major concern, both for
electricity providers and their customers. As todays
electrical equipment is far more sensitive than electrical
devices of the past, a reliable picture of the HV line
voltage is needed to determine the origin of power
disturbances.

RC Voltage Divider
High Voltage Terminal

R13

Harmonics measurements
Unlike capacitive voltage transformers (accuracy on narrow
frequency band only) and inductive voltage transformers
(harmonic frequency resonances between winding inductances and stray capacitances), RC Voltage Dividers are
linear from DC up to 20 kHz. Harmonics can be measured
with an accuracy better than 1 % (see Fig. 2) and a phase
displacement less than 1 on this frequency range.

Ratio Error [%]

Both for power quality measurements and for measurements at rated frequency, Trench Resistive Capacitive
Voltage Dividers (RC Voltage Dividers) are able to
measure over a large frequency band with a high
accuracy. They are an effective solution for a modern
SMART Grid infrastructure.

Measurements at rated frequency

Trench RC Voltage Dividers cover all IEC and ANSI metering
requirements (class 0.2 or lower). They can also be used for
protection purposes according IEC or ANSI.

C11

-2

1a

-1

-3

1n

C22

External Burden
Coaxial Cable

R24

Ck

Rk

Ground Terminal

-4

CB

10

100

10.000

1.000

100.000
1.000.000
Frequency [Hz]

Fig. 2: Magnitude versus frequency test

over the entire bandwidth

R13:

Primary Resistance

R24:

Secondary Resistance

F:

Spark Gap

RB:

Load Resistance

C11:

Primary Capacitance

C22:

Secondary Capacitance

Ck:

Stray Capacitance

C B

Burden Capacitance

Ratio Error [%]

Fig. 1: Equivalent Circuit Diagram of an RC Voltage Divider

500
400
Capacitive Voltage
Transformer 420 kV

300
200

Inductive Voltage
Transformer 420 kV
RC Voltage
Divider 420 kV

100
0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Frequency [Hz]

Fig. 3: Bandwidth comparison of an Inductive Voltage

Transformer, a CVT and an RCVD

Fig. 4: RCVD 145T

Fig. 5: RCVD 420

Design
Trench RC Voltage Dividers are designed based on the
long experience with capacitive dividers and capacitors
for different applications (capacitive voltage transformers,
coupling capacitors, dividers for DC applications or test
labs, energy storage capacitors or grading capacitors).
The resistors connected in parallel to the capacitor
windings are designed to guarantee an extremely low resistance variation through time, electrical stress and
temperature.
The insulation system is made of oil / paper-polypropylene
mounted in a composite housing. The whole design is
directly mounted into the GIS in the common SF6-gas
compartment.
Trench RC Voltage Dividers are designed to allow an easy
and fast customization to specific customer requirements.

Features
Available for voltage levels 72.5 kV 145 kV
(three-phase design) and 245 kV 550 kV
(single-phase design)
Accurate from DC up to 20 kHz
Bandwidth up to 2 MHz
Ferroresonance-free (no saturable cores)
Excellent transient characteristics
Conform to microprocessor-based secondary technology
Short-circuit proof design
Disconnection during commissioning tests on site
not necessary, e.g. in case of DC-tests (cable tests)
Significant size and weight reduction

Technical Data

RCVD 145T

3-Phase Units
Type

RCVD
72T

RCVD
123T

RCVD
145T

Um

[kV]

72.5

123

145

AC

[kV]

140

230

275

BIL

[kV]

325

550

650

SIL

[kV]

Output voltage

[V]

As required (typically 100/3)

Rated voltage factor

Accuracy range

1.5 or 1.9
[kHz]

0 20

Rated burden

1 M + 500 pF

Metering class

according to IEC or ANSI

Protection class
Temperature range

[C]

-30 +55

Insulation class

Weight

[kg]

90

90

90

Height

[mm]

770

770

770

Min. field distance

[mm]

575

575

575

RCVD 245

RCVD 300 420

RCVD 420 550

Single-Phase Units
Type

RCVD
245

RCVD
300

RCVD
362

RCVD
420

RCVD
550

Um

[kV]

245

300

362

420

550

AC

[kV]

460

460

510

630

680

BIL

[kV]

1050

1050

1175

1425

1550

SIL

[kV]

850

950

1050

1175

Output voltage

[V]

As required (typically 100/3)

Rated voltage factor

Accuracy range

1.5 or 1.9
[kHz]

0 20

Rated burden

1 M + 500 pF

Metering class

according to IEC or ANSI

Protection class
Temperature range

[C]

-30 +55

Insulation class

Weight

[kg]

110

160

160

Height

[mm]

1257

1852

1852

Min. phase distance

[mm]

400

490

490

1601)
2602)
18521)
15222)
4901)
6462)
1)
2)

260
1522
646

Design RCVD 300 420

Design RCVD 420 550

Trench Factories
Trench Austria GmbH
Paschinger Strasse 49
Postfach 13
A-4060 Linz-Leonding
Austria
Phone: +43-732-6793-0
Fax: +43-732-671341
Trench Brasil Ltda
Via Expressa de Contagem, 2685
Contagem, Minas Gerais
CEP 32370-485
Brazil
Phone: +55-31-3391-5959
Fax: +55-31-3391-1828
Trench China
MWB (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
No. 3658, Jiancheng Road
Minhang, Shanghai
P. R. China
200245
Phone: +86-21-54720088
Fax: +86-21-54723118

Trench High Voltage Products Ltd.,

Shenyang
No. 2 Zhengliang Er. Road
Jing Shen Xi San Street
Dao Yi Economic Development Zone
Shenyang 110136 P. R. China
Phone: +86-24-89722688
Fax: +86-24-289737200
Trench Italia S.r.l.
Strada Curagnata, 37
IT-17014 Bragno
Cairo, Montenotte (SV)
Italy
Phone; +39-019-5161-111
Fax: +39-019-5161-401
Trench Limited
Bushing Division
432 Monarch Avenue
Ajax, Ontario
Canada L1S 2G7
Phone: +1-905-426-2665
Fax: +1-905-426-2671

Trench France S.A.

16, Rue du Gnral Cassagnou
B.P. 70 F-68 302
St. Louis, Cedex
France
Phone: +33-3-89-70-2323
Fax: +33-3-89-67-2663

Trench Limited
Coil Products Division
71 Maybrook Drive
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada M1V 4B6
Phone: +1-416-298-8108
Fax: +1-416-298-2209

Trench Germany GmbH

Nrnberger Strasse 199
D-96050 Bamberg
Germany
Phone: +49-951-1803-0
Fax: +49-951-1803-224

Trench Limited
Instrument Transformer Division
390 Midwest Road
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada M1P 3B5
Phone: +1-416-751-8570
Fax: +1-416-751-6952

The Trench Group is your partner of choice for electrical

power transmission and distribution solutions today and
for the development of your new technology solutions
of tomorrow.

Trench Limited
Power Line Carrier Division
330 Finchdene Square
Scarborough, Ontario
Canada M1X 1A5
Phone: +1-416-847-5400
Fax: +1-416-291-5581