Fundamentals of

Power System Protection

CRITERIA TO AVOID CT SATURATION

To avoid CT saturation during maximum offset, allowing a margin for remanent flux, the following
criteria should be met.

X 
20 ≥  + 1 ⋅ I F ⋅ Z B
R 
Where:
X
is the tangent of the characteristic angle of the fault current
R
IF is the maximum fault current in per unit of CT rating
ZB is the total burden in per unit of the ANSI standard burden
The X/R ratio determines the decay rate of the asymmetrical wave. It is determined by taking the tangent
of the characteristic angle of the fault current. That is, if the fault study reports that the fault current has
an angle of 75°, the X/R ratio = tan 75° = 3.73.
To calculate the per unit fault current, divide the fault current by the CT rating, as reported by a fault
study. For example, if the CT has a 2000/5 ratio, divide the fault current, in primary amps, by 2000.
Likewise, if the CT is set on a 1200/5 ratio, divide the fault current by 1200 in primary amps.
The total burden is calculated by summing the resistances of the devices in the CT circuit: which is equal
to the sum of the lead resistance and the relay resistance. When using the per-unit formula, the CT
secondary winding resistance does not have to be included since the ANSI standard is based on the CT
terminal voltage. The CT secondary winding resistance should be included in the total burden calculation
if the saturation calculation is performed using the actual excitation voltage, the actual fault current, and
actual total burden.
To calculate the per-unit burden, divide the total burden by the ANSI standard burden as dictated by the C
rating of the transformer. Although the ANSI standard burden is not purely resistive, it can be considered
as such for the purpose of this calculation. The standard burden can be calculated by dividing the C rating
by 100. If the CT is not at full ratio, the standard burden must be reduced by the ratio of the tap rating to
the full rating. For example, for a 2000/5, C800 CT tapped at 1200/5, the standard burden is:
800 1200
⋅ = 4.8 Ω
100 2000
The lead resistance is determined by the wire size, length, CT connection, and fault type. For single-
phase-to-ground faults, the lead resistance is equal to 2 times the one-way resistance. For three-phase
faults with wye CTs, the lead resistance is equal to the one-way resistance. For three-phase faults with
delta CTs, the lead resistance is equal to 3 times the one-way resistance.
The following formula can be used to determine the lead resistance, in ohms per 1000 feet:
Ω / 1000' = e 0.232G − 2.32
Where:
G = AWG gauge number

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