Abstract--Embarking from the sensing principle of electronic

transformer, the paper introduced the type and the constitution

of electronic current transformer and electronic voltage
transformer. By comparing the active and passive optical
transformer in our country, we pointed out that the passive
optical transformer have excellent measurement quality, it also
have the same practical conditions as the active optical
transformer. The paper elaborated the application project of
electronic transformer in digital substation, and pointed out that
the using of electronic transformer would accelerate the
application of digital substation from the experiment site to the
popularization.

Index Terms--Adaptive optical current transducer (AOCT);
Adaptive optical voltage transformer (AOVT); Digital substation;
Electronic current transformer; Electronic voltage transformer

I. INTRODUCTION
ITH the development of digital technology, digital
substation [1] will become the inevitable trend of
substation construction after the synthesis automation
technology. As an important part of digital substation,
electronic transformer signal measurement quality and
running stability are the important guarantee of substation and
electric network steady operation. After several decades of
research and development, electronic transformer with
different principle now has been widely used in different
voltage classs substation. This paper mainly introduced
electronic transformer and its application in the substation
combining with many years research results of electronic
transformer in the authors team.

Hongxing Wang is with School of Electrical Engineering and Automation,
Harhin Institute of Technology, Haerbin, China (e-mail:
hxw200106@yahoo.com.cn).
Guoqing Zhang is with School of Electrical Engineering and Automation,
Harbin Institute of Technology, Haerbin, China. (e-mail:
guoqingz@126.com).
Zhizhong Guo is with School of Electrical Engineering and Automation,
Harbin Institute of Technology, Haerbin, China. (e-mail: zhizhongg@bixj-
xjgc.com).
Jiaying Wang is with School of Electrical Engineering and Automation
Harhin Institute of Technology, Haerbin, China (e-mail:
wjy811212@tom.com).
Xingguo Cai is with School of Electrical Engineering and Automation,
Harbin Institute of Technology, Haerbin, China. (e-mail:
xingguo@hope.hit.edu.cn).

978-1-4244-1762-9/08/$25.00 2008 IEEE

II. THE PRINCIPLE AND PRACTICAL PROGRESS OF ELECTRONIC
TRANSFORMER
Electronic transformers which have analog quantity voltage
output or digital output are used for frequency of 15~100 Hz
electrical metering equipment and relay protection device [1-
2]. It includes all kinds of power system transformer with
electronic measurement output, covers a variety of
measurement principles, methods and measuring transmission
[3]. According to the sensing part whether needs to provide
source, the electronic transformer can be divided into active
transformer and passive transformer, the main principle of two
kinds of transformer is shown in TABLE I.

TABLE I
THE MAIN ACHIEVE PRINCIPLE OF ELECTRONIC TRANSFORMER

Current Transformer Voltage Transformer
Active
Faradays law of
electromagnetic induction
Voltage divider
Passive
Faraday magneto-optic
effect
Pockels effect
Converse piezoelectric effect
Compared with the traditional transformers, the electronic
transformers have some advantages, such as simple insulation,
wide dynamic range, wide measuring frequency bandwidth,
small volume, light weight, anti-electromagnetic interference,
and easy digital signal transmission, which are receiving the
universal attention and applying gradually in the project [2].
A. Electronic Current Transformer
1) Active Electronic Current Transformer:
The active electronic current transformer is mainly divided
into two kinds, the Rogowski coil transformer and the low
power loss iron core coil transformer. The basic principle of
low power loss iron core coil transformer is the same as
traditional electromagnetic transformer. The low power loss
iron core coil transformer is mainly used in measuring the
metering signal. The Rogowski coil is the air coil winded on
the non-ferromagnetism skeleton, so it avoid the problem of
magnetic saturation and magnetic hysteresis et al.
The operating principle of Rogowski coil current transformer
is shown in Fig.1.The current-carrying conductor passes
through the centre of coil. When the current is passing through
the conductor, there will be an induced electromotive force e
in the both ends of the coil. The relationship between e and
primary current is shown in (1).
0
( )
2
NS Mdi di
e t
dt R dt

= = (1)
Application of Electronic Transformers in
Digital Substation
Hongxing Wang, Guoqing Zhang, Zhizhong Guo, Jiaying Wang, and Xingguo Cai
W

Where
0
is the vacuum magnetic permeability; N is the turn
number of coil; S is the cross-sectional area of per turn coil; R
is the distance between coil center and conduction bar center.
As can be seen from (1), the output voltage of Rogowski coil
are proportional to current slew rate, if acquiring the integral
of output voltage, the value of primary current is gained.


LED (light-emitting diode) is light source of LED
Fig. 1. The structure diagram of Rogowski coil current transformer.

The Rogowski current transformer based on Faradays law of
electromagnetic induction solves the problem of
electromagnetic saturation, but it cannot be used to measure
steady direct current according to its basic principle. It also
can not assure the accuracy in measuring the slow change non-
periodic component. The Rogowski current transformer can
not reconstruct the change of dynamic current completely [3]

because the measured frequency bandwidth is limited by the
principle of measurement.
2) Passive Electronic Current Transformer:
The passive electronic current transformer is also called
optical current transformer (OCT) which realize the primary
current measurement by using of optical principle, and at
present more researches are mainly based on the principle of
Faraday magneto-optic effect. As shown in Fig. 2, after the
linear polarized light pass through Faraday magneto-optical
material in magnetic field, the polarization plane will be
deflected. The relationship between deflection angle and
magnetic intensity is:

=
L
Hdl V (2)
Where is the magnetic permeability of magneto-optical
material, V is verdet constant of magneto-optical material, L is
the polarized light optical path length in the magneto-optical
material, H is the magnetic intensity.

Fig. 2. The principle of Faraday magneto-optic effect.
As shown in (2), the deflection angle is only proportional to
magnetic intensity; therefore, the principle of Faraday
magneto-optic effect has good measurement linearity, not only
can measure the changing current, but also can measure the
steady continuous current [3-8]. The optical current
transformer based on the principle of Faraday magneto-optic
effect avoids the question of measuring frequency band in
measuring principle [3-8]. However, temperature drift of
measurement accuracy and long-term operation stability are
the two major technical problems impeding the application of
optical current transformer practical. The subject term
composed by Harbin Institute of Technology and North China
Electric Power University proposed achieve principle of
adaptive optical current transducer (AOCT) [4]. The AOCT
obtained the high accuracy stable state measurement result by
using adaptive method to solve the temperature drift of
measurement accuracy. The AOCT has ideal dynamic
response capability under trouble circumstance, and it also
solved the instability of optical material in long-term running
by using solenoid collecting magnetic field optical structure,
which enabled OCT to achieve the practical degree. The OCT
is operating well in Baoding electrical network for 25 months.
The test result [3-4] indicated that the stable state measuring
accuracy grade of AOCT can reach to 0.2 and maximum peak
instantaneous error of non-periodic component electric is less
than 1%. Fig. 3 is the 110kv OCT developed by our
research term. It has a good running state since it is installed
in the XGZ substation in Heihe city in Heilongjiang province
in November 2007.





Fig. 3. The 110kV optical current transformer running in the XGZ substation
in Heihe city.

Both Rogowski coil current transformer and optical current
transformer have no saturated characteristic, the former cant
effectively deliver changing direct component-current and low
frequency component current, but the latter doesnt have
survey band limiting and can obtain entire fidelity current
waveform of primary current. So the latters dynamic
measurement quality is better than the former.
Polarization Plane Rotation
Angle of Polarized Light
Magnetooptic Material
Incident Light
Polarize
Emergent Light
Polarized Light
Magnetic Field Coming
from Measured Current B
Detector
PIN Type
Photodetector
Metering
A/D
Convertor
LED
Optical Fiber
Protection
Signal
Process

Integral
Transformation
Coil
Bus Bar
i

B. Electronic Voltage Transformer
1) Active Electronic Voltage Transformer:
The realize form of active electronic voltage transformer
mainly have resistor divider, capacitive divider and series
induction voltage divider. The structure diagram of active
voltage transformer is shown in Fig. 4. After going through
the divider, pretreatment, A/D convertor, and LED
transformation, the measured high voltage was delivered to
control room as the form of digital optical signal. the
measured high voltage will undergo electro-optical
transformation and the corresponding signal processing which
processed by PIN control room and the signal processing
circuit, then the electronic signal which applied to
microprocessor protection and metering will be exported. The
key technology of active electronic voltage transformer is the
stability of the sensor measurement accuracy, source supply
technology, long-distance electronic modules reliability and
maintainability.


Fig. 4. The structure diagram of active electronic voltage transformer.

At present, the highest level of voltage transformer based on
resistor divider is only 132 kV. It nearly can not used in
practice because of the limitations of the resistance power and
accuracy in UHP net work [9]. The advantage of high-voltage
measurement system based on capacitance divider is
obviously analyzed from the measurement principle, but this
kind of transformers have more serious flaw in primary
sensing structure and the electromagnetic shielding. So its
application still needed to gain more project experience and
there is no successful project application report at present. In
recent years, some researchers have developed a series of
induction divider measurement system by using of non-
saturable reactor to divide voltage [9]. It has been applied in
the project. But this principle is still used sentimental iron
coil. Compared with the traditional voltage transformer,
ferroresonance still exists.
2) Passive Electronic Voltage Transformer:
The Passive electronic voltage transformer is usually named
as optical voltage transformer (OVT), the measure principle of
OVT is divided into two kinds: one is based on Pockels effect
and the other is based on converse piezoelectric effect. The
present study and application is focused on the OVT based on
the Pockels effect, and the product has been on sale. The OVT
based on converse piezoelectric effect has the advantages of
simple optical system and low cost, but its application is
limited by the need of special fiber and the complicated
adjusting of signals [10].
The Pockels effect suggest that the refraction index of some
crystal will be changed under the effect of externally electric
field, the change of refraction index will induce obviously
optical effects. Under the effect of externally electric field, a
linearly polarized light will be separated into two beam with
the polarization direction vertical to each other when it pass
through the electro-optic crystal, the phase difference is in
direct proportion to the voltage, which is expressed as (3).

U
U
kE = = (3)
Where E is the externally electric field in crystal, k is a
constant related to the crystal properties and the incidence
wavelength. U is the externally voltage added in crystal. U

is
the half-wave voltage of the crystal, half-wave voltage is the
externally voltage added in crystal when the phase difference
of two birefringence beam induced by Pockets effect reach
to 180. If we transfer the changing of phase difference to the
changing of output light intensity, we can get the voltage after
the optic-electronic transform and the corresponding signal
processing. Fig. 5 is the principle picture of the optical voltage
transformer.


Fig. 5. The principle diagram of optical voltage transformer.

The method of measuring voltage based on the Pockels effect
is same with the method of measuring current based on the
Faraday magneto-optic effect, so is the advantages and
disadvantages. So far the stability in long-running of the
optical voltage transformer is a technique difficult in the
process of practicality and productivity [10-12]. The authors
research team have dedicate to the study of the adaptive
optical voltage transformer (AOVT). Benefiting from the
successful experience of adapting optical current transformer,
we studied the adapting optical voltage transformer with
closed loop system properties. We do believe that the adaptive
optical current transformer will realize practicality quickly.
Comparing the active electronic voltage transformer based on
the principle of voltage divider to the passive electronic
Optical Fiber Optical Fiber
Collimating
Lens
Polarizer
X1
/4
Waveplate
Collimating
Lens
X3
X2
Detector
Electro-optic Crystal
LED
Signal
Process
V
PIN Type
Photodetector
High-voltage Bus Bar
Metering
Z1
A/D
Convertor
Signal
Pre-process
LED
Z2
Optical Fiber
Protection
PIN Type
Photodetector
Signal
Process
Voltage
Divider

voltage transformer based on the principles of optics, both of
them can solve the problem of ferromagnetic resonance. But
the sensor of the former is affected by the capacitance, so the
measurement accuracy is bad. However, the latter have
excellent linearity and measurement precision; moreover, it is
passive and not effected by the electromagnetic interference.
All of the advantages of the passive electronic voltage
transformer made it become an ideal project of independent
installed voltage transformer. It will be realized practicality
after avoiding the effects of temperature and the vibration
completely.
III. APPLICATION OF ELECTRONIC TRANSFORMERS IN DIGITAL
SUBSTATION
Digital substation is a modernization substation which can
realize the information sharing and interoperability between
the intelligent devices. It is layer-by-layer constructed by the
electronic transformers, the primary intelligent devices, and
the secondary networking equipment on the bases of the
IEC61850 protocol [13-15]. The system of digital substation is
compartmentalized to process level, bay level and station level
according to IEC61850. The functions of the process level are
achieved by the devices of the bay level in the existing
system. With the application of the electronic transformers
and intelligent switching technology, the separation of the
process level functions separated from the bay level device
has become an inevitable trend in the future Digital substation.
The primary requirement of the digital substation is to realize
digital measurement output in process level, this is the final
demand to the secondary output of the new transformer.
Electronic transformer can transmit digital signal of samples,
which is most compatible to be used in digital substation.
Nowadays, transforms based on different principles are being
applied in engineering. However, optical transformers have
excellent quality of dynamic measurement. A set of optical
transformer can realize measurement, metering, control,
protection and fault recorder in the same time, so it has a
greater potential in the application of digital substation. As is
shown in Fig. 6, the optical measurement system (OMS)
which face to the bay lever is composed of optical voltage
transformers, current transformers and merging unit (MU), a
merging unit is the digital interface between electronic
transformers, intelligentzed primary facility and the secondary
facility. In this system, optical voltage transformers, current
transformers and merging unit are the facilities of process
level, and microcomputer protecting equipment and interval
control device belong to the facilities of bay level. The outputs
of optical voltage and current transformers are digital signals
and communicate with MU on 10M Ethernet following IEC
61850-9-1 point-to-point one-way communication protocol.
MU communicates with microcomputer protecting equipment
of 100MB Ethernet following IEC 61850-9-2 one-to-many
one-way communication protocol. This can insure the
rapidity, reliability and anti-interference capability of
sampling data transmission. The OMS is the basic measuring
unit of constructing digital substation. With the development
and practicality of electronic transformer, OMS will be widely
applied in process level.


Fig. 6. The block diagram of Bay-oriented optical measurement system.

Electronic transformer as the decisive equipment for building
the digital substation, the applied situation at the site is still
need accumulate experience. There also exist the problems of
communication reliability and network organizing in the
process level. Therefore, the process level of digital substation
should be realize gradually according to the first system
requirements, it should be first pilot operate in a single
interval, then promote to the whole substation after
accumulating enough operating experience, and then realize
the digital for the whole substation.
IV. CONCLUSION
The electronic transformer is the basic equipment to
construct digital power system. The electronic transformer
will operate on basic measure in modern power system.
Compared with tradition transformer, the electronic
transformer is superior in insulation, dynamic range,
saturation capability, bulk, price et al. These advantages will
be more obvious with the enhancement of voltage grade. At
present, Many electronic transformers have run into operation,
for example, the six adaptive optics current transformers
(AOCT) developed by Harbin Institute of Technology and
North China Electric Power University cooperating with two
sets of WXH-823 computer-line protection form the fiber-
optical current differential protections, this device has been put
into test operation in an 35kv power plant grid connection tie-
line between power grids in Baoding SCY substation and
KGZ substation, and has been operating well yet. As an
important component of digital substations, the electronic
transformer will be generalizing application in power system
after accumulating of operating experience. It also will speed
up the development of digital substations from the pilot to
wider application. It made the realization of the power system
protection, control, measurement, data communications
integration become possible.
OMS=OCT+OVT+MU
To Station Level
Process Level
OCT
OVT
Ethernet
Merging Unit
Microcomputer
Protective Device
Bay
Controll
Bay Level

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VI. BIOGRAPHIES
Hongxing Wang was born in Hebei province
in China, 1977. He is now a Ph.D. candidate of
Harbin Institute of Technology. His main
research areas are optical measurement technique
and its application in power system.





Guoqing Zhang was born in 1969, china. He
is now an assistant professor of Harbin Institute
of Technology. His main research areas are
optical measurement technique and its
application in power system.





Zhizhong Guo was born in 1961, China. He
has been a professor of Harbin Institute of
Technology from 1994. From 1999, he worked at
Beijing XJ Electric CO., LTD, China. His main
research areas are informatization, automation
and optimization of power system, stability
analysis and control for power system and
optical measurement technique.


Jiaying Wang was born in 1981, china. She
is now a Ph.D. candidate of Harbin Institute of
Technology. Her main research areas are optical
measurement technique and its application in
power system.





Xingguo Cai was born in 1945, china. He is
now a professor of Harbin Institute of
Technology. His main research areas are
informatization, automation and optimization of
power system, stability analysis and control for
power system.