Technical information on Kappa products

Instrument transformers are used for measurement and

protective application, together with equipment such as
meters and relays. Their role in electrical systems is of
primary importance as they are a means of "stepping down"
the current or voltage of a system to measurable values,
such as 5A or 1A in the case of a current transformers or
110V or 100V in the case of a voltage transformer. This
offers the advantage that measurement and protective
equipment can be standardized on a few values of current
and voltage.

Voltage transformers

Current transformers

Kappa has published a reference manual on

instrument transformers

Voltage transformers

Principle of operation

Definitions

Standards

Tests

Typical Specifications

Principle of operation

The standards define a voltage transformer as one in which

"the secondary voltage is substantially proportional to the
primary voltage and differs in phase from it by an angle
which is approximately zero for an appropriate direction of
the connections."

This, in essence, means that the voltage transformer has to

be as close as possible to the "ideal" transformer. In an
"ideal" transformer, the secondary voltage vector is exactly
opposite and equal to the primary voltage vector, when
multiplied by the turns ratio.

In a "practical" transformer, errors are introduced because

some current is drawn for the magnetization of the core and
because of drops in the primary and secondary windings
due to leakage reactance and winding resistance. One can
thus talk of a voltage error,which is the amount by which
the voltage is less than the applied primary voltage ,and the
phase error, which is the phase angle by which the reversed
secondary voltage vector is displaced from the primary
voltage vector.

Kappa designs its VT's so that the resistance and reactance

drops are minimized. It also uses the best grades of cold
rolled grain oriented electrical steels which enables
operation at optimum levels of magnetic induction, thus
reducing both the size and the cost of the VT.

Definitions

Typical terms used for specifying a voltage transformer

(VT)

a. Rated primary voltage: This is the rated voltage of

the system whose voltage is required to be stepped
down for measurement and protective purposes.

b. Rated secondary voltage: This is the voltage at

which the meters and protective devices connected
to the secondary circuit of the voltage transformer
operate.

c. Rated burden: This is the load in terms of volt-

amperes (VA) posed by the devices in the secondary
circuit on the VT. This includes the burden imposed
by the connecting leads. The VT is required to be
accurate at both the rated burden and 25% of the
rated burden.
d. Accuracy class required: The transformation errors
that are permissible, including voltage (ratio) error
and phase angle error. Phase error is specified in
minutes. Typical accuracy classes are Class 0.5,
Class 1 and Class 3. Both metering and protection
classes of accuracy are specified. In a metering VT,
the VT is required to be within the specified errors
from 80% to 120% of the rated voltage. In a
protection VT, the VT is required to be accurate
from 5% upto the rated voltage factor times the rated
voltage.

e. Rated voltage factor: Depending on the system in

which the VT is to be used, the rated voltage factors
to be specified are different. The table below is
adopted from Indian and International standards.

Rated Rated time

Method of connecting primary
voltage
winding in system
factor
1.2 Continuous Between phases in any network
Between transformer star-point
and earth in any network
1.2 Continuous
Between phase and earth in an
1.5 for 30
effectively earthed neutral system
seconds
1.2 Continuous Between phase and earth in a non-
1.9 for 30 effectively earthed neutral system
seconds with automatic fault tripping
1.2 Continuous Between phase and earth in an
1.9 for 8 hours isolated neutral system
without automatic fault tripping
or in a resonant earthed
system without automatic fault
tripping

f. Temperature class of insulation: The permissible

temperature rise over the specified ambient
temperature. Typically, classes E, B and F.

g. Residual voltage transformer (RVT): RVTs are

used for residual earth fault protection and for
discharging capacitor banks. The secondary residual
voltage winding is connected in open delta. Under
 normal conditions of operation, there is no voltage
output across the residual voltage winding. When
there is an earth fault, a voltage is developed across
the open delta winding which activates the relay.
When using a three phase RVT, the primary neutral
should be earthed, as otherwise third harmonic
voltages will appear across the residual winding. 3
phase RVTs typically have 5 limb construction.

h. Metering Units:11kV metering units consist of one

3 phase VT and 2 CT's connected together in a
single housing. This can be used for three phase
monitoring of energy parameters. It is used with
trivector meters and energy meters.

Standards

The Indian and international standard references for VT s

are as given in the table below:

Standard Standard Number Year

Indian IS 3156 1992
British BS 3841 1973
British BS 7625 1993
British BS 7729 1994
International IEC 186 1987
Electro technical
Commission (IEC)
Australian AS 1243 1982
American ANSI C.57.13 1978

Kappa manufactures VT s to all these standards. Our

designs are backed up by extensive type testing at national
and international laboratories.

Tests

A number of routine and type tests have to be conducted on

VT s before they can meet the standards specified above.
The tests can be classified as:
 a. Accuracy tests to determine whether the errors of
the VT are within specified limits

b. Dielectric insulation tests such as power frequency

withstand voltage test on primary and secondary
windings for one minute, induced over-voltage test ,
impuse tests with 1.2u/50u wave, and partial
discharge tests (for voltage>=6.6 kV) to determine
whether the discharge is below the specified limits.

c. Temperature rise tests

d. Short circuit tests

e. Verification of terminal markings and polarity

Kappa conducts routine tests on each and every VT

produced and all designs are type tested.

Typical specification for a 11 kV VT

System voltage: 11 kV
Insulation level voltage (ILV) : 12 /28/75 kV
Number of phases: Three
Vector Group: Star / Star
Ratio: 11 kV/ 110 V
Burden: 100 VA
Accuracy: Class 0.5
Voltage Factor: 1.2 continuous and 1.5 for 30 seconds
With provision for fuse

Double and triple secondary VT s are also manufactured.

Current transformers

Principle of operation

Definitions

Standards

Tests

Typical Specifications
Principle of operation

A current transformer is defined as "as an instrument

transformer in which the secondary current is substantially
proportional to the primary current (under normal
conditions of operation) and differs in phase from it by an
angle which is approximately zero for an appropriate
direction of the connections." This highlights the accuracy
requirement of the current transformer but also important is
the isolating function, which means no matter what the
system voltage the secondary circuit need be insulated only
for a low voltage.

The current transformer works on the principle of variable

flux. In the "ideal" current transformer, secondary current
would be exactly equal (when multiplied by the turns ratio)
and opposite to the primary current. But, as in the voltage
transformer, some of the primary current or the primary
ampere-turns is utilized for magnetizing the core, thus
leaving less than the actual primary ampere turns to be
"transformed" into the secondary ampere-turns. This
naturally introduces an error in the transformation. The error
is classified into two-the current or ratio error and the phase
error.

Kappa CT s are designed to minimise the errors using the

best quality electrical steels for the core of the transformer.
Both toroidal (round) and rectangular CT s are
manufactured.

Definitions

Rated primary current: The value of current which is to

be transformed to a lower value. In CT parlance, the "load"
of the CT refers to the primary current.

Rated secondary current: The current in the secondary

circuit and on which the performance of the CT is based.
Typical values of secondary current are 1 A or 5 A. In the
case of transformer differential protection, secondary
currents of 1/ root 3 A and 5/ root 3 A are also specified.

Rated burden: The apparent power of the secondary circuit

in Volt-amperes expressed at the rated secondary current
and at a specific power factor (0.8 for almost all standards)
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