Voltage Transformer

Part III
 VOLTAGE TRANSFORMER
• Voltage Transformer (VT) = Potential Transformer (PT).
• Function:
– reduce power system voltage to standard lower value.
– Isolate the protective relays & other instruments from HV power
system.
– Provide voltage signals reflected to primary voltage to the protective
relay and other instruments.
• VT rating of secondary voltage have been standardized -> to
ease interchangeability among multivendor protective relay
and other instruments.
• VT rating of secondary voltage = VLL=110 V or VLN = 110/ √3 V.
 Equivalent circuit of VT

VT equivalent circuit = Power transformer

equivalent circuit.

The equivalent circuit of VT is as viewed from

primary side and all quantities are referred to
that side.
Es = Secondary induced voltage
Ip = Primary current
Is = Secondary current
Rp, Xp = Primary resistance and leakage reactance respectively
Rs, Xs = Secondary resistance, and leakage reactance.
Io = VT primary excitation current
Im = Magnetizing component of the exiting current I 0 required to produce flux
Ic = Iron (core) loss component of the exciting current I 0 supplying core losses.
V’s = Secondary terminal voltage referred to the primary side =kV s
I’ s = Secondary current referred to primary side = I s /K
R’ s = Secondary resistance referred to primary side = K 2 R s
X’ s = Secondary leakage reactance referred to primary side = K 2 X s
Z’ b = Secondary burden referred to primary
= K2 Zb,
Φ = Phase angle of the burden
β = Phase angle error
= Angle between Vp and reversed secondary voltage, V’ s
θ = Angle between V’s and Ip
φm = Core flux
 Percentage Ratio Error

• Where
 NPTEL Role of Tuning Reactor
• Assuming ideal transformer, voltage drops due to capacitance divider
thevenin impedance, Zth affects voltage received by the protective relay.
• To increase accuracy -> compensate voltage drop with tuning reactor
• From the corresponding equivalent circuit,
NPTEL-CCVT in Power Line Communication
• CCVT = coupling capacitor voltage transformer.
• Function of capacitance potential divider
– to reduce primary line voltage then feed to the primary of voltage
transformer hence reduce the turn ratio -> smaller size of VT.
– to provide a shunt path to high frequency signal used in power line
carrier communication
• Normal application of CCVT is where power line carrier
communication is implemented
– HV
– EHV
• For example, RF signal (50 – 400 kHz) can be coupled to power
line for communication.
•At high frequency, the capacitive shunt
impedance = very small -> these signals (RF
signal) can be tapped by the capacitance
potential divider.
•How to avoid this? Use small drainage reactor
connected in series with capacitance potential
divider.
•Function of drainage reactor: block path to
ground for RF signal. at RF, drainage reactor
impedance is high.
•Also, compensating reactor and transformer
leakage reactance by their inductive nature,
block the path of RF signal.
•Function of tuning pack: to tapped the RF
signal and provides low impedance for RF
signal.
NPTEL-Ferro resonance problem in CCVT

• Non-linearity of iron cores contributes -> ferro

resonance.
• Ferro resonance suppression circuit ->
included in the secondary of the CCVT.
– Function: To eliminate the dangerous over
voltages caused by ferro resonance.
– Side effect: can aggravate CCVT transients.
NPTEL-Transient Response of CCVT
• ideal transformer with a RLC circuit can be described as:

• The corresponding differential equation is given by.

• Lets say a solid 3 - phase fault occurs near the CCVT bus at t=t0.
v(t) = 0 for t≥t0 . Thus, during fault the governing differential
equation is given by .
• This equation is expressed in standard form as follows:

• where is natural frequency in radians per second and is the damping

constant.

• Thus, and .

• Because of the property of tuning reactor, = 50 or 60 Hz.

• We know from the background in network analysis that response of such a
circuit to step excitation, depends upon .
• Since R is quite small, . It results to under damped
response.
• The response depends upon
– the damping and
– point on the voltage waveform where the fault strikes.
• This transients is called subsistence transients.
• Fig 8.7 shows subsistence transients of CCVT.
• It can be seen that subsistence transients can reduce
the accuracy of distance relays.
CCVT subsistence transient
 VT errors
• VT errors less serious than CT errors.
• Two type of error
– Ratio error
– Phase angle error
 Ratio Error
• Defination: Error due to a difference in the
actual transformation ratio and the nominal
(rated) transformation ratio.
• Or

• Where
 Phase Angle Error
• Definition: Error due to the phase difference
between the primary voltage and the reversed
secondary phasors.
• Overall error within the accuracy specified limits
must be maintained by asserting these
characteristic into VT winding.
– the internal resistance and reactance to an appropriate
magnitude, and
– minimum magnetizing and loss components of the
exciting current required by the core.
 Limits of VT Errors for Protection
• VT accuracy (5% to 150% of nominal voltage):
– For meter/instruments -> normal system voltage
– For protection -> wide range of voltages under
faults
ISS : 3156 (Part III) 1966 : Error of VT for
protection purpose
 Type of VTs
• Following are three types of voltage
transformers.
– Electromagnetic type VTs
– Coupling Capacitor Voltage Transformers (CCVTs)
– Opto-electronic VTs
 Electromagnetic type VTs
• This type of a VTs is conveniently used up to 132 kV. It is similar to a conventional wound type transformer with
additional features to minimise errors.
• As its output is low, it differs from power transformers in physical size and cooling techniques.
• In the UK, a 3-phase construction with 5 limbs is used.
• While in the USA single phase construction is more common.
• The voltage rating of a VT governs its construction.
• For lower voltages, up to 3.3 kV, dry type transformers with varnish impregnated and taped windings are quite
satisfactory. For higher voltages, oil immersed VTs are used.
• Recently VTs with windings impregnated and encapsulated in synthetic resins have been developed for higher voltages.
• This technique has made it possible to use dry type VTs for system voltages up to 66 kV.
• For voltages above 132 kV, if electromagnetic type VTs to be used, several VTs are connected in cascade.
• In cascade connection, the primary windings of CTs are connected in series, though each primary is on a separate core.
• Coupling coils are provided along with each primary to keep the effective leakage inductance to a low value.
• They also distribute the voltage equally.
• Such an arrangement is conveniently placed in a porcelain enclosure.
• Electromagnetic type VTs are used at all power system voltages and are usually connected to the bus.
• However coupling capacitor voltage transformers (CCVTs) are more economical at higher system voltages.
• As the voltage decreases, the accuracy of electromagnetic type VTs decreases but is acceptable down to 1% of normal
voltage.
 Coupling Capacitor Voltage Transformers
(CCVTs)
• At higher voltages, electromagnetic type VTs become very expensive and hence it is a common practice to use a
capacitance voltage divider as shown in Fig. 3.18.
• V2may be only about 10% or less of the system voltage.
• This arrangement is called a coupling capacitor voltage transformer (CCVT) or a capacitor type VT and is used
at132 KV and above.
• CCVT is one of the most common voltage sources for relaying at higher voltages.
• The reactor L is included to tune the capacitor VT to reduce the ratio and phase angle errors with the variation of
VA burden, frequency, etc.
• The reactor is adjusted to such a value that at system frequency it resonates with the capacitors.
• Capacitor VTs are more economical than electromagnetic type in this range of system voltage, particularly where
high voltage capacitors are used for carrier-current coupling.
• The transient performance of a capacitor type VT is inferior to that of an electromagnetic type.
• A capacitor type VT has the tendency of introducing harmonics in the secondary voltage.
• High voltage capacitors are enclosed in a porcelain housing.
• The performance of the voltage divider type capacitor VT is not as good as that of the electromagnetic type.
• The performance of high speed distance relays is less reliable with capacitor type VTs.
• Hence, the decision regarding the choice of a VT will depend whether economy in VT cost or relay performance is
more important for a particular power line.
• Errors of capacitor type VTs can be reduced by reducing its burden.
• It is due to the fact that the series connected capacitors
perform the function of a potential divider if the current
drawn by the burden is negligible compared to the current
flowing through the capacitors connected in series.
• An electronic amplifier having high input impedance and VA
output high enough to supply the VA burden can be included
in the capacitor type VT arrangement.
• Such an arrangement gives a good transient response.
• Finally, it can be concluded that the secondary voltage
supply seldom creates any problem but problems with
secondary current supply arise frequently.
 Opto-electronic VTs
• The operation of an opto-electronic VT is based on the fact that the voltage
difference between the conductor and the ground manifests in an electric
field between the two electrodes.
• The opto-electronics send a circular polarized light beam that travels through
an optical fiber up the column.
• The light beam passes through three strategically placed Pockels cells on the
return path.
• The circular polarization changes to elliptical polarization as the light passes
through a cell.
• The elliptical polarized lights from each cell are sent back to the opto-
electronics at the ground level.
• The weighted measurements of the change of polarization in the three cells is
used to determine the voltage difference between the conductor and the
ground.