Instrument Transformers

Transformers used in conjunction with measuring instruments for measurement purposes

are called “Instrument Transformers”. Transformers used for measurement of current are called
as a “Current Transformers” and that used for voltage measurements are called “Voltage
Transformers”.

Uses and Advantages of Instrument Transformers

a) When used for extension of ranges of instruments, their reading are not dependent on
their constants (R, L, C) and number of instruments in circuit and hence gives accurate
results
b) Current transformers have been standardized at 5A secondary winding current and
voltage transformers at 110V secondary winding voltage which are very moderate rating
due to which there is a great reduction in the cost of instrument transformers and also
their replacement is very easy on account of their standardization.
c) Measuring circuit is isolated from the power circuit. Normally it is impossible to bring
the high voltage lines directly to the switchboard to be connected to instruments as even
for voltages upto a few thousand volts, it would be difficult to insulate the equipment to
provide safety. With the instrument transformers, only the leads from the secondary
windings are brought to switchboard for connections.
d) There is low power consumption in the metering circuit as their ratings have considerably
come down and more instruments can be operated from a single instrument transformers.

Basic definitions

a) Transformation ratio = Primary winding current for C.T

Secondary winding current
R = Primary winding voltage for P.T
Secondary winding voltage

b) Nominal ratio = Rated Primary winding current for C.T

Rated Secondary winding current
Kn = Rated Primary winding voltage for P.T
Rated Secondary winding voltage

c) Turns ratio = No. of turns in Secondary for C.T

No. of turns in Primary
n = No. of turns in Primary for P.T
No. of turns in Secondary

If there is no compensation then Kn = n

Ideal case R =n
 d) Ratio correction factor = Transformation ratio
Nominal ratio

e) Burden :- It is convenient to express load across the secondary winding as the output in
volt – ampere at the rated secondary winding voltage. Rated burden is the volt – ampere
loading which is permissible without errors.

Current Transformers

 Primary winding connected in series with the line carrying the current to be measured.
 Primary consists of few turns and hence no appreciable voltage drop across it.
 Secondary has large number of turns.
 Ammeter or wattmeter coil is connected to secondary i.e. CT operates with its secondary
winding nearly under short circuit conditions. So one of the secondary terminal is
earthed.

rP xP IP IS xS rS
b
Io
Ie Im xe IP
VP c
RO X nIS a
O re
  d
IO
 Ie
o Im
Transformation ratio 
IS
R = Primary winding current .
Secondary winding current VS
ISRS
IP
=
IS ISXS ES
Ideal case R = Kn
K R
% error  n
R
Assumption : lagging power factor load
I P  oc  ob 2  bc 2
ob  oa  ab
oa  nI S
aod  bac as od ac  I o
aod  90      bac
ab  ac cos(90     )
 I o cos(90     )
 I o sin(    )
bc  ac sin( 90     )
 I o cos(   )
I P  (nI S  I o sin(    )) 2  ( I o cos(   )) 2
I o2 and hence ( I o cos(   )) 2 is very small when compared to nI S hence neglecting that
I P  nI S  I o sin(    )
IP I
R   n  o sin(    )
IS IS
I
Also R  n  o (sin  cos   cos  sin  )
IS
Where (90 - ) is no load power factor
Hence Iocos = Im and Iosin = Ic
I m sin   I c cos 
R  n
IS
Ratio error
It is clear that value of transformation ratio (actual ratio) is not equal to the turns ratio.
Also the value is not constant, but depends upon the magnetizing and loss components of the
exciting current, the secondary winding load current and its power factor. This means that the
secondary winding current is not a constant fraction of the primary winding current but depends
upon the factors listed above. This introduces considerable errors into current transformers

Percentage ration error = nominal ratio – actual ratio x 100

actual ratio
= Kn – R x 100
R

Phase angle:

 The angle by which the reversed secondary current differs from the primary current is
phase angle of the transformers.
 Angle is +ve if secondary reversed leads primary and viceversa
Here the angle 
bc bc
tan   
ob oa  ab
I o cos(   )
tan  
nI S  I o sin(    )
I o is very small when compared to nI S hence neglecting that
 I o cos(   )
tan  
nI S
 itself is very small and hence tan  
I cos(   )
 o
nI S
I cos  cos   sin  sin 
 o radians
nI S
i.e
I cos   I c sin  180
Phase angle error =   m  deg ress
nI S 

Approximate formulas

If  is very small then cos  1 and sin   0

Therefore approximate formulae are
I
R  n c
IS
I
and  m
nI S
i.e errors depend on Ic and Im

Precautionary measures

The secondary winding circuit of a current transformer should not be open while primary
winding is energized and is carrying current. If so, primary winding mmf remains the same while
the opposing secondary winding mmf reduces to zero. Therefore the resultant mmf is equal to
the primary winding mmf IpNp which is very large producing large flux and saturating the core.
This induces a high voltage in secondary winding which could be dangerous to transformers
insulation.

Problem.

1. The exciting current of a ring core current transformer, of ratio 1000/5A when operating at full
primary current and with a secondary burden of non – inductive resistance of 1 is 1A at a power
factor of 0.4 calculate
(i) the phase displacement between primary and secondary winding currents
(ii) the ratio error at full load, assuming that there has been no compensation.

Io
R  n  sin(    )
IS
Is = 5A,  = 0 as burden is resistive.
Exciting current Io = 1A
No load pf = 0.4 = cos(90 – )
Therefore  = 2335`
n = 1000
5
= 200
Io 1
R  n  sin(    )  200  sin( 0  2335' )
IS 5
= 200.0793
Kn  R
% error 
R
= 200 – 200.0793 = – 0.0396
200.0793
I o cos(   ) 1cos(0  2335)
 
nI S (200)5
i.e  = 0.0009181rad
or  = 0.0526

In order to eliminate the ratio error, we must reduce the secondary winding turns or in other
words we must reduce the turns ratio until R = Kn.

2. A current transformer has a bar primary and 200 secondary winding turns. The secondary
winding burden is an ammeter of resistance 1.2 and reactance 0.5, the secondary winding has
a resistance of 0.2 and reactance 0.3. The core requires the mmf of 100A for magnetization
and 50A for core losses.
a) Find the primary winding current and ratio error when the ammeter in the secondary winding
circuit indicates 5A.
b) How many turns could be reduced in the secondary winding in order that the ratio error be
zero for this condition.

Total secondary winding resistance = 1.2 + 0.2

= 1.4
Total secondary reactance = 0.5 + 0.3
= 0.8
I
R  n  o sin(    )
IS
 not given. But given Im = 100A and Ic = 50A

I m sin   I c cos 
R  n
IS
X 0.8
  tan 1 P  tan 1  2944'
RP 1 .4

n = 200
R = 200 + 50×0.8682+100×0.4955
5
R = 218.592
Ip = n×Is normal
now Ip = R×Is
= 218.592×5
= 1093A.

b) To eliminate error
i. e Kn = R
i. e 200 = n + 50×0.8682+100×0.4955
5
or n = 181.408

i.e No of turns to be removed from secondary = 19

Testing of current Transformers

Testing of instrument transformers for finding their ratio and phase angle errors may be
broadly classified as

a) Absolute methods
Errors are determined in terms of constants i.e. resistance, inductance and
capacitance of testing circuits Ex : Mutual Inductance method
b) Comparison methods
The errors of transformers under test are compared with those of a standard
current transformer. Ex: Silsbees method

Variable Mutual inductance method

~ RP IP

C.T IP
IS RPIP

RS e
B
u
V.G e`=IsωM
r
d
e IS
n
e`
M
O
RP and RS are low non – inductive resistances RP is fixed and RS is variable (fine and course) .
Voltage drop across resistance RP is matched against voltage drop across RS. A vibration
galvanometer is put in the circuit to indicate the balance condition. In order to obtain zero
deflection the magnitude and phase of voltage drops should be same. If there is no phase
difference between IP and IS, the balance occurs at a point where IPRP = ISRS. So there is a
resultant voltage ‘e’ due to the phase difference between IPRP = ISRS. A variable mutual
inductance is put to compensate for the phase difference. By varying the mutual inductance, the
drop ISωM(e`) is made equal to ‘e’ so as to obtain the balance.

From the phasor diagram drawn under balance condition

I S M M
tan   
I S RS RS
M
For small angles tan    
RS
I S RS I R 1
cos   or P P 
I P RP I S RS cos 
I RP
Ratio R  P 
I S RS cos 
R
For small angles R  P
RS
RP
So Rs and Rp should be chosen that ratio is nearly equal to the nominal ratio of C.T and the
RS
secondary load circuit includes the resistance Rs , primary winding of the variable mutual
inductance and also the impedance or original burden. So all must be taken into account while
stating the burden at which the errors have been measured.

Silsbees method

X – S Ip
~ IP
S

Standard C.T Test C.T X

Vq

ISX
X – S
ISS Burden ISX
Iq
W2
A I Ip
I

W1
Vp
Phase
Shifting
Transformer
 Two transformers, test and standard are connected with their primaries in series. An
adjustable burden is put in the secondary circuit of the test transformer. An ammeter and
wattmeter(current coil) is included in the secondary circuit of the standard transformer so that the
current may be set to desired value. The current coil of wattmeter W2 is connected such that it
carries the difference secondary current of the two transformers. Both the pressure coils are
supplied in parallel from a phase shifting transformer at a constant voltage V.

Two adjustments are to be done.

1) The phase of the voltage is so adjusted that wattmeter W1 reads zero. Under this
condition voltage V is in quadrature with Iss. The position of this voltage is shown as Vq.
W1q = VqIsscos90 = 0
W2q = Vq × component of I in phase with Vq.
= VqIq
= VqIsxsin(x – s)
2) The phase of the voltage is shifted through 90 so that it is along Iss as represented by Vp
W1p = VpIsscos0 = VpIss
W2p = Vp × component of I in phase with Vp.
= VpIp
= Vp[ Iss – Isxcos(x – s)]

If magnitude of voltage is kept same then V = Vp = Vq

 W1q = 0
W2q = VIsxsin(x – s)
W1p = VIss
W2p = V[Iss – Isxcos(x – s)]
= VIss – VIsx If (x – s) is small then cos(x – s) is nearly equal to 1
W2p = W1p – VIsx
Or VIsx = W1p – W2p

Ratio error
IP
Ratio of transformer under test is R X 
I SX
I
Ratio of transformer under test is RS  P
I SS

RX I I I VI
 P  SS  SS  SS
RS I SX I P I SX V I SX

RX W1P

RS W1P  W2 P
R 1
or X 
RS W
1  2P
W1P
 RX W
or  1 2 P
RS W1P

W2 P
RX  1   RS
W1P
Phase angle error
W2 q
sin(  X   S ) 
VI SX
VI  W2 P
cos( X   S )  SS
VI SX
W1P  W2 P

VI SX
sin(  X   S ) W2 q VI SX
tan( X   S )   
cos( X   S ) VI SX W1P  W2 P
If (x – s) is small then
W2 q
( X   S ) 
W1P  W2 P
W2 q
X  S
W1P  W2 P

Thus the ratio and the phase angle errors of the unknown current transformer is found in term of
standard current transformer whose ratio and phase angle error is known.