A SIMULATION MODEL FOR TRANSFORMER INTERNAL FAULTS, BASE FOR THE STUDY OF PROTECTION AND

MONITORING SYSTEMS

P. Bertrand *, A. Devalland **, P. Bastard ***

* Merlin-Gerin, ** France-Transfo, *** Ecole Suerieure dElectricit6. France

INTRODUCTION
- HV winding : 1556 turns wound in 8 layers
The study of intemal faults in transformers, i.e. the The external coil is fitted with taps as shown in figure 1.
calculation of the fault current and its external detection
(phase currents) as a function of the location and the
amplitude of the fault, is of great interest from several
points of view :
- evaluation of protection devices efficiency in order to
get improvement.
- diagnosis of a true fault using current recordings.
- preventive action when manufacturing transformers,
and at first heavy duty ones (e.g. arc furnace
transformers), consisting of reinforced insulation in
layer: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
meas where faults may be difficult to detect.
figure 1 : details of a n H V winding
Our main purpose was to develop a transformer differential
protection, with improved internal fault detection. It is the Recordind method
reason why we have tried to get a deep insight into the
phenomenon. The short circuits were simulated by closing a contactor.
The tested transformer was supplied at reduced voltage by an
Although several measuring results appear in publications autotransformer wired in series with an isolating
((11, [2]), the studies are recent and the papers remain transformer.
incomplete [31.
Eight measurement channels connected to a PC enabled
This situation has led us to manufacture a special, multiple recording of the supply voltages, the phase currents and the
output transformer. This device, designed on the basis of a fault current, triggered by the contactor closing.
100 kVA M V L V transformer, has enabled us to cany out
numerous turn-to-turn and turn-to-earth short-circuits. Turn-to-tum faults
In association with these tests we have developed a digital
model of the transformer, validated by the actual
measurements.
This model, when applied to a HV network transformer, has
enabled the efficiency of the usual protection devices to be
examined, in particular that of the transformer differential
protection.
figure 2 : c u r r e n t distribution in the windings
1. CARRIED OUT M E A S U R E " E
The recorded currents are reduced to the rated voltage, then
Descriotion of the test transformer expressed in per unit values, taking the primary rated
current as reference.
This transformer was manufactured by France-Transfo on
the basis of a distribution transformer for which the At first, the origin of the fault is fixed as being on a phase
specification is as follows : terminal of the transformer and the number of short-
circuited turns varies. The current in one phase and the
rated power : 100 kVA current in the fault are shown in figure 3. When a large
transformation ratio : 5500V / 410V number of turns are short-circuited, the current is mostly
coupling : D y n limited by the short circuit power supplying the
short-circuit voltage : 3.96% transformer; the high values of recorded current show that
LV winding : 67 turns wound in 2 layers this short-circuit power is high.

n
I . L I . I
 x In I!
600

400

200

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
span of the fault % location of the fault %
figure 3 : turn-to-turn fault : span influence figure 6 : turn-to-earth fault : location
influence
Then, the span of the fault remains fixed to half a layer (that
is 6.25 % of the winding), and its origin moves. It can be Conclusien
noticed that the fault position in the winding has very little
effect, at least for this type of winding technology. The results presented here give a synthetic view of the
measurements carried out. Nevertheless, it is difficult to
xIn
reach any practical conclusion because the results depend a
so
lot both on the testing conditions (short circuit power of
the test circuit) and on the transformer (low power, thus
40
high winding resistance). It is essential to generalize the
results by calculation.
30
2. MODEL OF INTERNALFAULT
20
Purpose of the model
10
This digital model enables the results obtained with the 100
0 kVA test transformer to be extended to HV network
0 20 40 60 80 100 transformers.
location of the fault % It has been validated by the measurements. It thus fits well
to tranformers wound in long layers. It could also be
figure 4 : turn-to-turn fault : location influence extended to other types of windings, through an additional
experimental validation operation.

Tum-to-earth faults Two requirements have steered us in the production of the

ET$E
model :
- ease of use, which implies first the use of available data
only,
- compatibility with a standard transient program.
Consequently, the model produced is an extension of the
transformer model of EMTP (Electromagnetic Transient
2E Program).

- -
- -
figure 5 : current distribution in the windings
The position of the fault along the winding moves. The
fault current and the current in one phase are shown in
figure 6.
. . .
Calculation nnnc&
EMTP gives the opportunity of modeling the transformer
by coupled circuits. An auxiliary routine, BCTRAN,
calculates the [R.L] matrix from the results of the no-load
and short circuit tests of the transformer [4].

The principle used to calculate a turn-to-turn or turn-to-earth

fault is to split the faulty winding. Thus the initial matrix
representing a three phase transformer (6 windings) is a

1.21.2
6x6 matrix;it becomes a 7x7 matrix to study a turn-to-earth
fault and an 8x8 matrix for a turn-to-turn fault. Once
calculated, these matrices are directly used by E M F , as any
other element.
. .
of a windine
In order to explain the calculation
carried out, we chose as an example to
split winding nO1.
The initial values calculated from the no-load and short
circuit tests of the transformer are the self inductances of
the windings, L1 et L2. as well as the mutual inductance
M12. Splitting winding 1 involves calculating the new self
inductances, L1' et L1" and mutual inductances, M1'1",
M i 7 3 Mi"2.
These inductances can be calculated from two leakage
factors; these factors are of great importance ; the precision
of the model is directly linked to the precision of their
evaluation.
- 01'1" is the leakage factor between windings 1' and 1".
- 01'2 is the leakage factor between the largest of the two
windings 1' and 1" and the secondary winding.
Using these factors, calculations can be carried on, based
on two simple principles :
- self-consistency : the connection in series of windings
1' and 1" must enable the initial results to be met.
- proportionality : the transformation ratio between
windings 1' and 1" is equal to the turn ratio (good
approximation in equation 5 below).
M;ls, dispersions
1 q,l,,=l--
L1, .LIS.
Table of initial equations
10 M y , = M l z - M r ~
Table of final equations
1.21.3
The leakage inductance between two coils can be calculated
from the electromagnetic energy stored in the coils. This is
simplified by the following hypotheses :
- current density is constant in the windings,
- field H is parallel to the axis of the core,
- field H is symmetric in relation to the core axis,
- no saturation phenomena occurs.
This calculation has been extensively detailed. We give
below a reminder of the way to get the leakage inductance
between the primary and the secondary winding of a
transformer:
- first of all, the shape of field H is plotted (figure 8).
- the stored energy in the windings can then be calculated
depending on their dimensions :
W =h j j j H 2 d v + ~ ~ j j H Z d v + h j j j H 2 d v ,
"a vb "C
where va,vb and vc are the respective volumes of the
internal winding, the inter-winding space and of the
external winding.
- finally the total leakage inductance reduced to
winding 1, LCC, is calculated using the equation
1
W =-Lcc.i?, where i l is the current in winding 1 used
2
to plot the shape of field H .
figure 8 : field shape created by two concentric
coils
Usually, the result of this calculation, LCC,is corrected by a
coefficient. Here, we can determine exactly this coefficient,
since the short-circuit test has enabled the actual value of
Lcc to be calculated.
k1 = Lcct,,/Lccis thus a first corrective factor.
When the windings are not of the same height, a second
corrective factor is applied ( [ 6 ] ):
a b c
 -
Using the tools described above, it becomes possible to only involves windings spanning at least once the full
evaluate the leakage factors that we need. As an example, winding height.
consider the leakage factor between the two parts 1' and 1"
of the external winding 1 created by a turn-to-earth fault. 3. APPLICATION : S T v R K ! U U U R Y FAULTS IN A

I . .
escriDtioIL;
- rated power : 15 MVA
- short-circuit voltage : 9.8%
no-load current : 0,46%
-
no-load losses : 11.3 kW
-
- short-circuit losses : 98.5 kW
HV winding : (delta)
- rated voltage : 33000V & 12% with 17 taps
- 8 layers of 80 turns + 1 layer of 80 turns (tap changer)
- internal diameter : 590 mm, radial thickness : 77 mm,
height : 780 mm
figure 9 : field shape created during a turn-to-
LV winding : (star)
earth fault
- rated voltage : 16100V
- 5 layers of 36 turns
The plot of the field shape (figure 9) enables the stored
- internal diameter : 436 mm, radial thickness : 64 mm,
energy W in the faulty winding to be calculated and thus the
height : 780 mm
total leakage inductance Lccl' reduced to winding 1'. This
inductance is corrected by the factor k l previously
Turn-to-earth faults
calculated and by the factor k2 if one of the coils 1' and 1"
spans over less than a layer.
The differential current in a phase and the residual current
(which is also the fault current) are shown in figures 11 and
The leakage factor between the two coils 1' et 1" is
12, for a fault with 1 Q resistance and for two different
calculated by (J,,,~~
LCC
= 2,
L,.
the self inductance of portion earthing systems :
- for a directly earthed system, the zero-sequence current
1' being evaluated from the self inductance of the whole
depends only few on the fault position and is
winding : L,. = L l - essentially limited by the zero-sequence short circuit
[nr:nl,,r power (150 MVA for this calculation).
- for a neutral earthed through an impedance of high
The result of this calculation applied to the test transformer
is shown in figure 10. The leakage factor rapidly increases enough value (fault current limited to 500 A or less), the
when the fault occurs on an outer layer. Moreover, there is a zero-sequence current varies between 0.5 and 1 time the
slight decrease in leakage when the 2 winding parts are limited current ; it is well known that a zero-sequence
overlapped. overcurrent protection is the best way of detecting this
fault.

0,020 -

; o l8
0,015 L.n /c

0.00 0.20 0.40 0,60 0.80 1.00

location of the fault %

figure 10 : calculated leakage factor

0 20 40 60 80 100
Comoarison between calculation and measurement location of the fault %

By reproducing 16 turn-to-earth faults and several tens of figure 11 : turn-to-earth fault; directly earthed
turn-to-turn faults, we have noticed a difference between the system
calculated currents and the recorded currents which never
exceeds 10 % in modulus and 10" in phase. The correlation
between tests and simulation is even better when the fault

1.21.4

.location of the fault %
figure 12 : turn-to-earth fault: neutral current
limited to 500A.
Tun-to-turn faults
The turn-to-tum fault current has been calculated by varying
the fault span, the short circuit power of the system and the
fault resistance.
As soon as the number of short-circuited turns is large, the
value of differential current depends basically on the
system's short-circuit power. When the fault involves less
than 10 % of the winding, this current is very sensitive to
the fault resistance, the value of which is not controlled.
A turn-to-turn fault is usually detected by a differential
protection relay. Indeed, this is the main reason for using
this protection. Its sensitivity, of around 30 %, enables
detection, in the simulated case, of faults involving at least
13 turns.
This example shows how useful the protection is : the fault
between two layers is easily detected. It also shows its
performance limit : detection of a fault between two turns
seems impossible. It would, however, be interesting to
improve the sensitivity of such a relay. Indeed, the short
circuiting of one adjusting step, i.e. 1.5 % of the winding,
creates a differential current of 20 to 50 % of rated current,
depending on the fault resistance ; in order to ensure correct
detection, a sensitivity of 10% would be required.
figure 13 : differential current in a turn-to-turn
fault of variable span
1.21.5
- curve 1 : R fault = O.OOlQ, infinite SC power
- curve 2 : R fault = 0,OOlQ. SC power = 15OMVA
~ cuwe 3 : R fault = 0,lQ; infinite SC power
- curve 4 : R fault = 0,lQ SC power = 15OMVA
, -,
/
2,-./ 4
.'/
,
.
.
-/
,7
/
r/*
/.'
I-
/
1 2 3 4
span of the fault %
figure 14 : detail for faults of small span
CONCLUSION
The calculation of currents during an internal fault in a
transformer requires a model validated by measurements. In
order to be of general use , this model must be compatible
with a standard transient software and only require data
which are available. The model presented meets all these
requirements. It would be worth improving it, in order to
take into account different transformer winding
technologies.
In the third part of this report, we have shown with an
example the use that could be made of such a model : it
enables quantitative evaluation of the quality of a
transformer protection. Other uses are planned such as the
evaluation by the transformer manufacturer of the
consequences of possible faults, and the diagnosis of actual
faults by the user.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[ I ] GEC ALSTHOM MEASUREMENTS Protective Relay
Application Guide. 1987
[2] S . AUSTEN STIGANT A.C. FRANKLIN The J&P
Transformer Book. Newnes-Butterworths
[3] J.L. BINARD J.C. MAUN Power Transformer
Simulation including Inrush Currents and Internal Faults
32me confkrence internationale IMACS-TCI P O , Nancy,
France 1990
[4] V. BRADWADJN H.W. DOMMEL 1.1 DOMMEL
Matrix Representation of Three-phase N-Winding
Transformers. IEEE Transactions, vol. PAS-I01 n06,
1982
[ 5 ] M. DENIS-PAPIN La pratique Industrielle des
Transformateurs. Editions Alibin Michel. 1951