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2006 IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition Latin America, Venezuela

Applications of Optical Current and Voltage

Sensors in High-Voltage Systems
Farnoosh Rahmatian, Member, IEEE-PES, and Abraham Ortega

AbstractVarious applications of optical current and voltage

sensors are explored. Wide bandwidth, linearity, high accuracy,
and light weight of these sensors make this technology suitable
for numerous applications: high-accuracy wide dynamic range
revenue metering, regular protection applications, capacitor
bank unbalance protection (low ratio CTs), current measurement
in HVDC systems, and power quality monitoring including
measurement of harmonics near static VAR compensators and
fast transient measurements. The fiber optic CT with a unique
flexible head packaging (rope-shaped wrap-around sensor head)
has novel application in generator monitoring and protection.
Due to their light weight and ease of deployment, both the
flexible-head optical CT and the optical VT are great tools as
portable calibration systems for live in-situ calibration and
monitoring applications.
Index Terms- Current measurement, voltage measurement,
high-voltage techniques, optics, optical current sensor, optical
voltage sensor, transducers, optical fiber devices, power
measurement.

I. INTRODUCTION

PTICAL voltage and current sensors for high-voltage

(HV) and/or high-current (HC) measurements offer
attractive features such as exceptional accuracy over wide
dynamic range, wide bandwidth, light weight and small size,
adjustable turn-ratio, integrated functions (e.g., voltage and
current sensing in one device), as well as safety and
environmental benefits (elimination of oil or SF6 insulation, no
open secondaries, and no ferro-resonance). Fiber-optic current
sensors can also offer features such as a flexible form factor
window-CT design, and the ability to measure very high
currents easily. The combination of all these features
translates into highly flexible technology, suitable for various
different applications where traditionally different types of
products or technologies were used. In this paper, we review
some of the applications of a fiber optic current sensor,
NXCT, and an optical voltage sensor, NXVT.
II. APPLICATIONS
The NXCT uses an in-line fiber optic interferometric
design described in detail in [1] and [2]. The sensing head is
in the form of an optical fiber encircling the current carrying
F. Rahmatian is with NxtPhase T&D Corp., Vancouver, BC V6M 1Z4
Canada (e-mail: frahmatian@nxtphase.com).
Abe Ortega is with NxtPhase T&D Inc., Phoenix, AZ 85027 USA (e-mail:
aortega@nxtphase.com).

1-4244-0288-3/06/$20.00 2006 IEEE

conductor in one or several complete turns. It accurately

integrates the magnetic field around the current carrying
conductor(s) that it encircles, determining the current through
its aperture. The sensing fiber can be packaged in fixed size
windows or in a flexible cable. The NXVT uses a shielded
distributed electric-field sensor design described in detail in
[3] and [4]. It achieves an accurate integration of the electric
field between its two terminals, which is the definition of
voltage difference between those two points.
Figure 1 shows the primary sensors of the NXCT and the
NXVCT (combined optical voltage and current transformer)
used in air-insulted substations (AIS). Details of the NXCT
columns structure, its physical characteristics, and its
applications flexibility are provided in [5]. In summary, the
NXCT column consists of a dry type composite insulator (no
gas or oil insulation used), with a fiber-optic window CT at
the top. The NXVT and NXVCT columns consist of hollow
composite insulators, slightly pressurized (200 kPa) with dry
nitrogen, containing three miniature electric field sensors
selectively located inside the column. Optical fibers connect
the columns with the associated electronics located remotely
in the control room. The NXVCT is identical in structure to
NXVT, except a fiber optic CT head is added on the top and
its associated fiber(s) is routed through the NXVT column.
Due to its light weight, the NXCT can be suspended or
cantilevered off other substation structures, eliminating the
need for civil work associated with erecting CTs. Figure 2
shows an NXCT attached to and suspended from a 420 kV
class live-tank circuit breaker.
Compared to using a
conventional free-standing CT (also shown in Figure 2), the
NXCT offers significant cost savings by eliminating the
footing and civil work, reducing the substation real-estate
used, providing excellent seismic performance, and
eliminating CT saturation.
NXCT, NXVT, and NXVCT provide excellent accuracy
over wide dynamic range; accordingly, they are ideal solutions
for high-voltage energy metering applications. The NXCT is
especially attractive in applications where stringent accuracy
at both high and low currents is required (e.g., with
independent power producers and wind farms). The NXCT
can offer better than 0.15% class accuracy from 0.1% to 200%
of rated current [6]. Ref. [5] contains accuracy measurement
data for an NXCT for primary currents from 2 A to 3600 A.
The optical sensor shows 0.1% accuracy over this entire range.
Figure 3 shows accuracy data for a 362 kV class NXVT,
meeting and exceeding the requirements of both IEC 0.2 and
IEEE 0.3 accuracy classes. Figure 4 shows a three-phase

NXVCT system used for accurate measurement of energy at a

500-kV inter-tie between two utilities [7].

provides performance information for an NXCT system used

for a shunt capacitor bank unbalance current protection
application in Alberta, Canada. In this application, the NXCT
is used as a low ratio 230 kV class window CT, to detect small
currents down to 0.1 A. Use of the NXCT allowed
elimination of safety concerns associated with low-ratio HV
conventional wire-wound CTs.
This NXCT provided
measurement over a very wide dynamic range, from 0.1 A to
1000 A, using two outputs from the same NXCT (see [5] for
details).
Percent of Rated Voltage (%)
20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

1.0

IEC 0.2%
Accuracy Class

0.8

Ratio Error (%)

0.6

200
50
40

IEEE 0.3%
Accuracy Class

30

0.4

20

0.2

10

0.0

-0.2

-10

-0.4

-20

Ratio Error (%)

Phase Error (minutes)

-0.6
-0.8

-30
-40

-1.0

Phase Error (minutes of arc)

-50
0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Applied Voltage (kV)

Fig. 3. Accuracy test results for a 362 kV class optical VT. The
NXVT meets and exceeds the requirements of IEC 0.2 and IEEE 0.3
accuracy classes.

Fig. 1. A 362 kV class NXCT (left) and a 362 kV class NXVCT

(right).

Fig. 4. A three-phase 550 kV class NXVCT combined voltage and

current measurement system for accurate inter-tie metering.

Fig. 2. NXCT mounted on a 420 kV class live tank circuit breaker.

The same NXVCT system can be used for other voltage

and current measurement applications in a substation. For
example, [8] contains results from 230 kV class NXVCT
systems used for a combined metering and substation
protection application in Arizona, as well as shunt capacitor
bank monitoring in British Columbia, Canada. Ref. [5] also

The NXVT can also be used as a portable reference VT for

calibration of other VTs. Figure 5 shows a portable 500 kV
VT calibration system, using an NXVT-550. The NXVCT is
built into a mobile trailer. It can be transported horizontally
and, once in the substation, it can be erected using radiocontrolled hydraulics to connect to live HV lines. The NXVT
is an ideal solution for this application because:
it is much lighter than conventional wire-wound or
capacitive VTs (easy to transport);
it provides full dielectric withstand for the voltage
class;
it can be connected to the HV line without
requiring an outage (and it represents less than 1

mA load on the HV line);

it provides convenience and safety (the only
connection between the NXVT trailer and other
equipment/people outside the trailer area is via
optical fibers which provide excellent insulation
and isolation); and
due to its wide bandwidth, it can also be used for
temporary power quality monitoring in a HV
system.
This NXVT has been prepared for calibrating 500 kV
capacitive VTs (CVTs) throughout a utilitys EHV network, in
order to improve the performance and convergence of the state
estimator, see [9]. The same device has also been used for
measuring power quality and harmonics on a 500 kV line next
to a static VAR compensator. Figure 6 shows the magnitude
of harmonics measured using this NXVT on a similar system.

Fig. 5. A 550 kV class NXVT as a portable calibration reference.

% of Fundamental Frequency

1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Harmonic #

.
Fig. 6. Field measurement of harmonics using a 550 kV portable NXVT.
Values up to the 25th harmonic are shown here. The fundamental frequency
of the system was 60 Hz.

Wide bandwidth and wide dynamic range make the NXVT

and the NXCT very useful tools as measurement equipment
for recording fault conditions. For example, [10] shows
details and waveforms measured using these optical sensors
during a staged fault test of a 500 kV series capacitor bank
system. The bandwidth and dynamic range of the sensors
allowed accurate measurement of MOV (metal oxide varistor)

voltage and current, fault currents, and various other

parameters. The NXCTs wide dynamic range allowed for
accurate recording of both primary fault current (11 kA) and
secondary arc currents (harmonic-rich currents < 50 A). Table
I provides a summary of the parameters measured from the
waveforms obtained.
More detailed information and
waveforms are given in [10].
TABLE I.
SUMMARY O F PARAMETERS M EASURED U SING NXVT
A ND NXCT D URING 5 S TAGED FAULTS ON A
500 kV SERIES C APACITOR B ANK.
Units
Fault number
Primary arcing time
Secondary arcing time
Number of voltage peaks clipped by MOV
MOV energy absorbed
MOV Voltage Peak (absolute value)
MOV Current Peak (absolute value)
Approx. MOV Voltage ringing frequency
Primary Fault Current Peak (absolute value)
Approximate secondary fault current (peakto-peak)

MJ
kV
kA
Hz
kA

1
36
425
1
2.39
196
6.4
610
11

2
36
863
3
10.7
204
12
610
11

3
4
5
36
36
42
606 290 276
3
2
5
10.2 3.42 13.6
204 202 205
12 12.8 13
620 620 620
11
11
11

120

160

120

ms
ms

160

160

The NXCT can also be used in high-voltage DC (HVDC)

applications. The HVDC sensor is effectively the same as the
AC product, since the bandwidth of the CT starts at DC. Both
protection and high-accuracy DC metering applications (better
than 0.2% class) can be served with the NXCT.
Figure 7 shows the sensing head and electronics associated
with a flexible form factor (F3) fiber optic CT, the NXCT-F3.
The flexible sensing head is an all-dielectric fiber cable which
can be wrapped around a current carrying conductor to
measure current. NXCT-F3 provides a great amount of
flexibility in application because of its large aperture size and
all-dielectric structure. Some of its key features are:
the ability to measure very high currents, in excess of 500
kA,
ease of installation around large conductors,
avoidance of the need to break the current carrying path
for installing the head,
the capability to be installed on live lines (depending on
user practices),
insensitivity to conductor positioning through the current
sensing loop, and
the ability to measure AC, DC, and high frequency
currents.
These features make the NXCT-F3 ideal for applications such
as DC current measurement at very high currents (e.g., metal
smelters and electro-chemical processes), electric power
generation applications (measurement, protection, and
monitoring), retrofit applications, live-line measurements,
portable calibration systems, and HVDC testing. Figure 8
shows a 0.1% class NXCT-F3 installed at a chemical plant,
operating at a DC current of 25 kA. The flexible sensor-head
cable is wrapped around the large DC conductor. The ability
to measure DC (as well as AC), compact size, the ability to be
installed without breaking the large rigid bus, and insensitivity
to positioning have made the NXCT-F3 an ideal solution for
high current DC applications.
Other applications of the NXCT-F3 include generation CT
applications, field calibration applications, temporary bushing

CTs, and power quality monitoring. More details for these

and other applications of the NXCT are given in [5].

power systems.
IV. REFERENCES
[1]

Fig. 7. NXCT-F3. The flexible sensing head is an all-dielectric fiber

cable permanently attached to the grey enclosure at one end. The other
end of the sensing cable will be secured in the same enclosure after
wrapping the cable around the current carrying conductor(s).

G. A. Sanders, J. N. Blake, A. H. Rose, F. Rahmatian, and C. Herdman,

Commercialization of Fiber-Optic Current and Voltage Sensors at
NxtPhase, 15th Optical Fiber Sensors Conference, Portland, OR, May
2002, pp. 31-34.
[2] J. Blake, P. Tantaswadi, R. T. de Carvalho, In-line Sagnac
interferometer current sensor, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery,
vol. 11, pp. 116-121, Jan. 1996.
[3] P. P. Chavez, F. Rahmatian, and N. A. F. Jaeger, Accurate voltage
measurement by the quadrature method, IEEE Transactions on Power
Delivery, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 14-19, Jan. 2003.
[4] P. P. Chavez, F. Rahmatian, and N. A. F. Jaeger, Accurate voltage
measurement with electric field sampling using permittivity shielding,
IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 362-368, Apr.
2002.
[5] F. Rahmatian and J. N. Blake, Applications of High-Voltage Fiber
Optic Current Sensors, Proceedings of the IEEE-PES General Meeting,
Montreal, Quebec, Jul. 2006, to be published.
[6] J. N. Blake and A. H. Rose, Fiber-Optic Current Transducer Optimized
for Power Metering Applications, Proceedings of the IEEE T&D
meeting, Dallas, TX, Sept. 2003, pp. 1-4.
[7] F. Rahmatian, G. Polovick, B. Hughes, and V. Aresteanu, FIELD
EXPERIENCE WITH HIGH-VOLTAGE COMBINED OPTICAL
VOLTAGE AND CURRENT TRANSDUCERS, in Proc. CIGRE
General Session 40, Aug. 29 - Sep. 3, 2004, paper A3-111.
[8] A. Klimek and C. Henville, Early Experiences with Protection
Applications of Optical Current & Voltage Transducers, in Proc. 2003
Western Protective Relay Conference.
[9] F. Rahmatian, J. H. Gurney, and J. A. Vandermaar, PORTABLE 500
kV OPTICAL VOLTAGE TRANSDUCER FOR ON-SITE
CALIBRATION OF HV VOLTAGE TRANSFORMERS WITHOUT
DE-ENERGIZATION, in Proc. CIGRE General Session 41, Aug. 29 Sep. 3, 2006, paper A3-103, to be published.
[10] F. Rahmatian, D. Peelo, G. Polovick, B. Sunga, and J. Lehtimaki
OPTICAL CURRENT AND VOLTAGE SENSORS IN EHV SERIES
CAPACITOR BANKS APPLICATION, in Proc. CIGRE SC A3 & B3
Joint Colloquium, Tokyo, Japan, Sep. 26-27, 2005, pp. 164-169.

V. BIOGRAPHY

Fig. 8. An NXCT-F3 current sensor used in high-current DC

applications. This sensor is used for metering, protection, and process
control at 25 kA DC. The sensing head cable is routed through an
insulating conduit.

III. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

In this paper, several applications of the NXVT optical
voltage sensor and the NXCT optical current sensor are
explored, and specific features of the sensors that make them
suitable for these applications are provided. The flexibility,
linearity, and other features of the technology allow the use of
the same sensors for various different applications. Even
though early optical voltage and current sensor use
emphasized replacement of conventional instrument
transformers in specific applications, as experience with these
new sensors expands, wider spread use in mainstream
applications is growing. Further, exploiting the unique
features of these sensors, new applications are emerging,
helping establish better protected and more robust electric

Farnoosh Rahmatian (S89, M91) was born in 1969. He received B.A.Sc.

(Hon.), M.A.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC, Canada, in 1991, 1993, and 1997, respectively, all in
electrical engineering. From 1997 to 2004, he was a Director of Research &
Development at NxtPhase Corporation, also in Vancouver, working on
precision high-voltage optical instrument transformers for use in high-voltage
electric power transmission systems. Since 2004, he has been the Director of
Optical Systems at NxtPhase T&D Corporation, focusing on application and
commercial use of optical voltage and current sensors. Dr. Rahmatian has
also been an adjunct professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at the University of British Columbia, and a member of: IEC
TC38 working groups on instrument transformers, Standards Council of
Canada, Canadian Standards Association, CIGRE, IEEE Power Engineering
Society, and IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society. He is an active member
of IEEE/PES working group on optical instrument transformer systems. Dr.
Rahmatian has received an R&D 100 award for the development of the optical
fiber current and voltage sensor in 2002.
Abraham Ortega was born in 1960. He received his B.S. and advanced
degree in nuclear engineering both from North Carolina State University in
1980 and 1983, respectively. He further received his MBA from the
University of Tennessee in 1989 and his M.S. in mechanical engineering from
the University of South Florida in 1993. Between 1983 and 1991, he has had
various progressive engineering responsibilities at Singer Link Simulations,
NUS Corp., and ABB Impell Corporation. He was a Senior Engineer at
Florida Power & Light between 1991 and 1996. He joined Landis and Gyr in
1997 as the Director of Marketing and Sales for Latin Americas, and he
served as V.P. of International Operations for Siemens PT&D between 1998
and 2003. Mr. Ortega joined NxtPhase T&D Corporation in 2004 in the
position of Director for International Business Development, focusing on
commercial application of HV optical current and voltage sensors.