2014 International Conference on Power System Technology (POWERCON 2014)
2014
Experimental Study on Operational Reliability of
a Kind of All Fiber-Optic Current Transformer
Xiang LIU1, Hao XIAO2, Jing DAI1, Keqin GUO1, Fan YANG1, Xiaozhou WANG1, Pen CHEN1
(1.China Electric Power Research Institute 2. Beijing SWT Science&Technology Development
Co.,Ltd)
 reliability of the All Fiber-Optic Current Transformer with
Abstract—Compared with other kinds of electronic instrument
transformers, the All Fiber-Optic Current Transformer (FOCT)
have the advantages of high accuracy, wide dynamic range ,
strong ability to resist electromagnetic interference environment,
simple and flexible of installation. But because of the short-time
application, the operation reliability of FOCT can’t be assessed
base on the operational log we have now. According to this
situation, the study on the structure and work environment had
been done, in order to find the main environment parameter
which affect on the aging of FOCT.Then the accelerated aging
tests had been done on the components of a FOCT such as photo
detector, optical source and optical phase modulator Then the
mean time between failures (MTBF) of these components had
been estimated base on the results of aging tests. Finally we can
assess the operation reliability of FOCT. The results indicated
that the MTBF of SLD light source is shorter than other Optical
Components in the current transformer which was studied on .
And dual-redundant design could be used to increase the MTBF
of optical sensor parts. Thus the MTBF of this all-optical current
transformer could satisfy the requirement of 30 years
long-term stable operation of instrument transformers.
Index Terms—All Fiber-Optic Current Transformer
(FOCT)ˈˈoperation reliability, accelerated aging test, mean time
between failures (MTBF)ˈOptical Components
I. INTRODUCTION
W ith the development of electronic transformer technology,
the All Fiber-Optic Current Transformer (FOCT) has
advantages over other types of electronic transformers, because
of its high accuracy, wide dynamic range, strong ability to resist
electromagnetic interference environment, simple and flexible
installation of fiber sensing coil, which has very broad
application prospects [1]. However, the high process
requirements for the product and production capacity of the
production limiting the large-scale application of the product,
coupled with the shorter product application time, so it is
difficult to assess the long-running reliability according to the
existed running record.
In this paper, in order to study the long-term operation
POWERCON 2014 Paper No CP2387
Chengdu, 20-22 Oct.
engineering development experience we did a research on an
important indicator of an FOCT’s reliability - mean time
between failures (MTBF).
II. ACCELERATED LIFE TEST METHOD
For the research of the products mean time between failures
(MTBF) , in addition to statistics in engineering applications, in
general, in the laboratory mostly without changing the product
failure modes and failure mechanisms and using the
accelerated life test method to increase the stress test thus to
shorten the test time.[2-5]
The All Fiber-Optic Current Transformer is composed of
circuit portion with electronic components and optical portion
with optical components. For part of the circuit, its mean time
between failures (MTBF) can be calculated according to the
parameter components [6] and by the U.S. military standard,
Chinese national and military standard and other relevant
standards. The manufacturer can choose electronic components
based on the products life expectancy, and experience has
shown that the life of the circuit portion composed of mature
and high quality electronic components tends to have a longer
life than the optical portion [7]. Therefore, the life of the All
Fiber-Optic Current Transformer is directly determined by the
optical components.
The primary optical elements of a fiber-type current
transformer include a photo detector, a SLD light source and a
Y waveguide phase modulator. The schematic diagram of the
optical sensor shows in Figure 1.
Y waveguide phase modulator
coupler
Light
source
photodetector
detector
lock-in
amplifier
signal source
output
Fig.1 Optical current transformer sensor schematic section
Its reliability block diagram shows in Figure 2.
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 2014 International Conference on Power System Technology (POWERCON 2014)
phase modulator
photodetector
Y<
Light source
waveguide
coupler
Fig.2 Block diagram of the optical sensor reliability
Reliability Block Diagram shows that the whole system is a
series of system and any failure of a subsystem could lead to the
failure of the entire system of optical sensors. Therefore, that is
the subsystem determines the mean time between failures
(MTBF) of the entire FOCT, which determines the operational
reliability of the product.
To research the life of the optical devices, it usually selected
the temperature as accelerated stress in the accelerated aging
test. The test temperature must be higher than the temperature
used in its normal operating, but cannot exceed the maximum
design temperature[8, 9]. According to the relevant reliability
tests standards, in this paper, the optical components
accelerated life test program will be described as below:
Sample Test status: working continuously;
Accelerated Stress options: temperature;
Accelerated test temperature stress levels˖85ć˗
Number of test samples: more than 6;
Failure criteria: selected the main concerned parameters
according to the different selected samples;
Test period: tested once every two or three weeks;
Test Stop time: selected the Timing Fix Test or Censoring
Life Test according to the context;
Data processing and expected life: According to Bell Core
reliability standards "GR-468-Core Generic Reliability
Assurance
Requirements for Optoelectronic Devices Used in Telecommu
nications Equipments " to build a model and predict the mean
time between failures (MTBF) of product under the normal
operating temperature. Taking the operational environmental of
All Fiber-Optic Current Transformer into account, 25 ć set to
be the normal operating temperature for the optical
components.
III. LIFE EVALUATION DUE TO THE TEMPERATURE
ACCELERATED AGING TEST OF THE OPTICAL COMPONENTS
In this paper, the optical components of FOCT used as
samples are produced by Beijing SWT Science &Technology
Development Co. ,Ltd. ).An optical components temperature
aging test life model was built to study the optical components
of electronic transformer operational reliability.
According to the recommendation of Bell Core reliability
standards "GR-468-Core Generic Reliability Assurance
POWERCON 2014
Chengdu, 20-22 Oct. 2014
Requirement for Optoelectronic Devices Used in
Telecommunications Equipment" [10] .
The life of optoelectronic device can be calculated according
detector
to Arrhenius model. Arrhenius life model is the most typical
and widely used acceleration model, Arrhenius life calculation
model is shown in formula (1).
Ea § 1 1 ·
Ln ¨  ¸
k © Tn Ts ¹
TAF e
Ls ˄1˅
L L
Wherein, n is the life under the normal stress, s is the life
under a high temperature condition, Tn is the absolute
temperature of normal operating, Ts is the absolute temperature
at a high temperature, Ea is the failure activation energy (eV), k
is the Boltzmann constant, 8.62 × 10- 5eV / K. Tn, Ts, and the
value of k in formula (1) is easy to get, Ea could be get on the
basis of conventional failure data processing, GR-468-Core
gives the recommended value for parts of the data which are
difficult to be processed.
A. Censored Test and average life estimated
Using the reliability test based on life evaluation is to
determine the working life in working condition, the
distribution of life, loss of efficiency and their types. And thus
the corresponding reliability index can be calculated. The test
can be divided into the reliability tests in laboratory and
reliability tests in field.
In the life tests, it better to choose a larger sample size and a
longer time .However, for the time or quantities are always
limited. It may be too long to take the all components failure
test. For the life T is a random variable. The time or quantity
used for life test is impossible to be completely, so the test can
only be the “censored type” life testing. And mainly in the
following two modes:
(1) Type I Censoring Life Test with fixed time: Take n
components or devices for the life test, set from the beginning
of the test t = 0 to t = te the end and a total of m devices fail, as
Type I Censoring Life Test. Assuming the life of n elements or
devices comply with the exponential distribution, and
independent of each other, the mean time between failures
(MTBF) of components or devices can be calculated as:
m
¦ t  (n  m)t
i e
MTBF i 1
˄2˅
m
(2) Type II Censoring Life Test with fixed number: Take n
components or devices to have life test simultaneously, set
from t = 0 to start the test, stop the test immediately when there
are m sets of equipments failure, as Type II Censored tests.
Assuming life n components or devices comply with the
exponential distribution, and independent of each other, the
mean time between failures (MTBF) of components or devices
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 2014 International Conference on Power System Technology (POWERCON 2014)
can be calculated as
m Ea § 1
¦ ti  (n  m)tm
i 1
MTBF ˄3˅
m The sample’s working life can be calculated at the normal
B. The heat aging test of PIN-FET photo detectors module
The role of the detector is to achieve photoelectric
conversion. In FOCT, it is generallyused PIN / FET
photo-detector componentsintegratedby PIN detector and FET
amplifiers. It has the advantage ofgood photoelectric
conversion linearity, low drive voltage, fast response, small
temperature coefficient, stable performance, low price, easy to
use, etc.
11 samples which produced in accordance with the
producing standard of manufacture and meets the product
specifications ware selected and the sample number ware set
from 11960 to 11971. According to GR-468-Core specification
requirements of the detector life test, accelerated aging test
environment should be used to select the aging chamber with
automatic power control, or automatic current control function.
The 11 samples were placed in an aging test chamber, the
chamber temperature set to be 85 ć. The samples were heat in
the accelerated aging test. In contrast to the performance of
sample before and after the test, at room temperature, the
sample failure criterion for the voltage response variation İ
20%.
Due to the Project time limitation, the samples had
experienced so far about 3,000 hours of high-temperature aging.
According to the manufacturer's product testing methods, the
optical parameters of the sample were tested during the test and
after the test, the test results shown in Figure 3.
Fig.3 Curve of photo detectors voltage response after heat aging
Figure 3 shows: 11 samples after 3000 hours of
high-temperature 85 ć of aging, none of the products failure.
Thus it can be drawn that mean time between failures of
PIN-FET optical receiver module at 85 ć more could be than
3000 hours.
According to the results, it can use the Arrhenius model to
calculated the working life of the product at 25 ć. For Ea,
using the GR-468-Core 0.35eV recommended value for the
POWERCON 2014 Paper No CP2387
Chengdu, 20-22 Oct. 2014
calculation. The details show in calculation formula (4).
1· 0.35 § 1 1 ·
Ln ¨  ¸ 
TAF
Ls
k T T 5 ¨ ¸
e © n s ¹ e 8.62u10 © 25 273 85 273 ¹ 9.84 ˄4˅
operating temperature:
Ln TAF x Ls t 9.84 u 3000 29506h
The life test is Type I Censored test, the sample mean time
between failures should not be less than 11 × 29506 = 324566h,
about 37 years.
C. The heat aging test of SLD light source
The light source used in FOCT is generally super
luminescent diode (SLD), which has good spatial coherence
and weak temporal coherence, high enough output power,
broad spectrum and good radiation resistance, good stability
and reliability.
11 samples which meet the requirements were selected, and
the samples No. from 23 to 33.The heat aging test was taken
under 85 ć, and the working current was kept at 100mA.
Before, during and after the test we measured the output optical
power of SLD samples. We consider that greater than 10%
decrease in power as output failure criteria. Due to the limited
time of the project, the test time was 2000 hours.
The test results as shown in Figure 4.
Fig.4 Curve of SLD light source output power after heat aging
After 2000 hours aging test at 85 ć, the 11 SLD power
source did not appear failure. the working life at room
temperature 25 ć can be calculated by using Arrhenius Life
Model, according to the sample at 85 ć working life . Wherein,
taking Ea as 0.4 eV according to the GR-468-Core
specifications. The result of the SLD samples MTBF is about
150698h, about 27 years.
D. The heat aging test Y waveguide phase modulator
The effect of the phase modulator in the detection system is
to produce the square wave phase modulation wave and the
nonreciprocal phase difference by the circuit, thereby the
optical phase signal can be demodulated by the closed-loop
feedback detection method. Typically the optical modulator
used in FOCT is the LiNbO3integrated modulator, which has
the advantage of wide bandwidth and low modulation voltage.
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 2014 International Conference on Power System Technology (POWERCON 2014) Chengdu, 20-22 Oct. 2014

8 Matching Y waveguide phase modulator were selected and

the heat aging test was taken under 85 ć.The insertion loss, the
splitting ratio, the half-wave voltage and polarization crosstalk
of the samples were measured before, during and after the test.
The samples failure criterions were set as˖1) insertion loss
variation> 0.8dB; 2) the change of the splitting ratio> 3%; 3)
pigtailed polarization crosstalk>-25dB; 4) half-wave voltage
variation of> 5%, any measurements that meet any items
should be judged as sample failure.
23500 hours aging duration test, the test results as shown in
follows:

Fig.7 Curve of Y waveguide extinction ratio after high temperature life

experiment

Fig.5 Curve of Y waveguide insertion loss after high temperature life

experiment

Table 1
Insertion loss variation of the Y waveguide around thermal aging test
Insertion loss Insertion loss
No. No.
variation (dB) variation (dB) Fig.8 Curve of Y waveguide voltage curve after thermal aging test
1 0.20 5 0.48
2 0.45 6 0.15 Table3
3 0.20 7 0.45 Y waveguide phase modulator half-wave voltage variation before and
4 0.24 8 0.39 after heat aging test
half-wave half-wave voltage
No. No.
voltage variation variation
1 1.5 % 5 1.2%
2 1.6% 6 1.5%
3 1.8% 7 1.7%
4 1.7% 8 1.8%
Results show that 8 samples after 23,500 hours in the heat
aging test, the amount of change of the insertion loss is 0.20dB
~ 0.48 dB, the splitting ratio is no more than 3.0%, pigtailed
polarization crosstalk is less than -29 dB, half-wave voltage
variation is 1.2% to 1.8%, so the variation range of all
Fig.6 Curve of Y waveguide splitting ratio after high temperature life
parameters meet the requirements, none of the samples fail.
experiment Life calculation using the Arrhenius model, based on the
working life of the sample at 85 ć calculated working life at
Table 2
Y waveguide phase modulator splitting ratio changes after heat aging tests
room temperature at 25 ć, which according to specification
splitting ratio splitting ratio GR-468-Core, Ea is taken 0.7eV, the calculated lifetime of Y
No. No.
changes changes waveguide phase modulator at room temperature 25 ć is
1 1.1% 5 1.5% longer than 2.3 h 106h.
2 0.4% 6 0.3%
This test is Type I Censoring Life Test with fixed time, the
3 0.2% 7 0.3%
4 2.8% 8 3.0% MTBF of the samples can be calculated as 1.8 × 107h, much
longer than 30 years.

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 2014 International Conference on Power System Technology (POWERCON 2014) Chengdu, 20-22 Oct. 2014

IV. CONCLUSION Hao XIAO, Ph.D, was born in 1980. He focuses on smart
With engineering development experience, operational sensors and measuring equipments in smart grid.
reliability assessment method of all-optical current transformer
is proposed. It take advantage of the accelerated life test to
predict the mean time between failures (MTBF) of all-optical
current transformer optical components and conduct research
on the operation reliability of all-optical current transformer.
The principal conclusions are as follows.
1) The operational reliability of all-optical current
transformer is determined by the life of the optical components.
According to the test results, the MTBF of SLD light source is
shorter than other optical components’.
2) Besides the SLD light source, the mean time between
failures of PIN-FET optical receiver and Y waveguide
components is more than 30 years. The general life requirement
for the traditional transformer is 30 years. Therefore,
dual-redundant design SLD light source could be used to
increase the mean time between failures of optical sensor parts.
Thus the mean time between failures of all-optical current
transformer could be more than 30 years in order to achieve the
target for long-term stable operation of FOCT.

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Xiang LIU,was born in 1981.He focuses on the reliability of

electronic instrument transformers,and the test of instrument
transformer,and also focuses on the measurement of
highvoltage.

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