Performance of CTs in

POWERGRID

S. Victor P. Selvakumar
Dy. General Manager (OS)
 Population of CTs in
POWERGRID

Make Population
(Approx.)
ABB 700
BHEL 1000
CGL 800
AREVA/ WSI 1100
TELK 200
Others 200
Total 4000
 Types of CTs

• Dead Tank Design

– Hair Pin Design
– Eye Bolt Design
• Live tank Design
Live Tank CTs
 Dead tank CTs

Hairpin design and Eye Bolt design

CT Standards

• IEC 60044 – 1

• IS 2705
 CT Design

Core Material – The main aim is to give

high accuracy with low saturation factor.
Core Material is made of CRGO Silicon
steel

For very low loss characteristics, µ

material (Alloy of Ni-Fe) is used
 CT accuracies

As per IEC-60044(1)

Metering Core – ±0.2 or 0.5% at rated

Currents

Protection Cores – ± 1% at rated

current
 Accuracies as per IEC-60044-1

Class 5% of 20% of 100% of 120% of

rated I rated I rated I rated I

0.2 0.75 0.35 0.2 0.2

0.5 1.5 0.75 0.5 0.5

 Protection Cores

Class Current Error at Composite Error at

rated Primary rated accuracy limit
Current Primary Current

5P ±1% ±5%

10P ±3% ±10%

 Ratio Error

Ratio Error = (KnIs- Ip)*100/ Ip

Kn = Rated transformation ratio

Ip = Actual primary current
Is = Actual secondary current
 Phase Angle Error

The difference in Phase between

the Primary and Secondary
current vectors
 Knee Point Voltage

• 10% increase in Voltage will lead to

30% or more increase in Current.
 Insulation Levels

For Windings having Um greater than

300kV, the rated insulation level is
determined by rated switching and
lightning impulse withstand voltage

For voltages < 300kV, insulation levels

are decided by lightning impulse and
power-frequency withstand voltages
 Insulation Levels
System 1 min Switching Lightning
Voltage Power Impulse Impulse
Freq. withstand withstand
Voltage Voltage Voltage
220kV 395kV - 950kV
460kV 1050kV
400kV 630kV 1050kV 1425kV
 Creepage Distances

Pollution Levels Creepage distance

Light 16mm/kV

Medium 20mm/kV

Heavy 25mm/kV

Very Heavy 31mm/kV

 Routine Tests at Factory
 Verification of Terminal Markings
 Power Frequency withstand test on Primary
winding
 Partial Discharge measurement
 Power Frequency withstand test on Secondary
winding
 Power Frequency withstand tests between sections
 Inter-Turn Over voltage Test
 Determination of Errors
 Pre Commissioning Tests

Polarity Test
Magnetization Curve Test
Ratio Test
Primary Current Injection Test
Secondary Current Injection Test
 Failure of Current Transformers

2
1 .5
FAILURES
% age CT

1
0 .5
0
 Reasons of CT Failures
• About 30 nos. CTs have failed due to poor
impregnation and paper wrapping at works.
• About 90 nos. CTs have failed due to pre-
mature ageing of almost all makes
• 2 no. CT failed after repair at site.
Moisture entry due to N2 gas leakage
Primary Insulation Failure due to
moisture entry
Raipur CT failure (AREVA)
Insulation puncture
Nalagarh CT Failure (WSI/AREVA)
Failure of Primary Insulation
 Condition Monitoring
Checking of Bellow expansion - M
Visual Inspection for leakages - M
Tan Delta Measurement – 2Y
Thermovision Scanning - Y
Nitrogen Pressure Checking – 2Y
DGA testing of Oil - SOS
CT TESTING –TAN DELTA
CT Insulation
 Capacitance and Tan Delta
Measurement
• CTs with Test Tap- Ungrounded Specimen Test mode
(UST)
• CTs without Test Taps – Grounded Specimen Test
(GST) mode with jumpers disconnected
• Values to be monitored w.r.t. factory/ pre-
commissioning values
• Sudden change in measured values indicate faster
deterioration of insulation.
• Precautions: P1/P2 to be shorted. Porcelain surface to
be thoroughly cleaned. Test Tap to be reconnected to
Earth after the Test
 Capacitance and Tan Delta
Measurement – Contd.

• Connection of Test Tap to be ensured

otherwise it may lead to slow arcing in the
soldering area and insulation may fail in due
course of time.
• Measurement of Tan Delta of C2 (insulation
between last foil on which test tap wire is
soldered to the ground) to be carried out.
• Measurement in GSTg mode with P1/P2
terminal guarded.
CT Equivalent Circuit
UST Mode of Measurement

Earth will be connected to N Point

Hence only CHL will be measured
GST Mode of Measurement

Here measurement is made for the

Parallel combination of CH and CHL
GSTg Mode of Measurement

Here measurement is done for CHE

as L is guarded
 Recovery Voltage Measurement

• 2.0kV (d.c.) to be applied between HV and

Test Tap for time tc followed by shorting for
time td.
• Then Recovery Voltage to be measured.
• Time constant to be computed with different
readings.
• Low value of time constant (RC) indicate
insulation degradation
 Recovery Voltage Measurement

Vdc
Vr
tc Vr

td
Vr

Time
Time
Performance of CVTs
in POWERGRID
S. Victor P. Selvakumar
Dy. General Manager (OS)
Population of CVTs in
POWERGRID
Make CVTs
ABB 650
BHEL 315
CGL 680
AREVA/WSI 1050
Others 85
Total 2780
CVT Construction Details
CVT Construction Details
There are 280 – 300 elements in
C1 & C2
C1 will be about 260 to 280 elements
C2 will be 15 to 20 elements

Ratio of C1/ C2 is 20 to 22
400/ 20 = 20kV (Tap Voltage)
 Compensating Reactor

Compensating Reactor is provided to

compensate for the phase displacement in
Capacitor elements
wL = 1/w (c1+c2)
L = 1/ w2 (c1+c2)
 Ferro Resonance
Ferro resonance in CVTs is due to the
Capacitance in Voltage Divider in series
with the inductance of the Transformer and
series reactor. This circuit is brought to
resonance by various disturbances in the
network that may saturate the iron core of
the transformer, over heat electro magnetic
unit and lead to insulation breakdown.
 Ferro Resonance Circuit
• Ferro resonance circuit is provided in
CVT Secondary to suppress Ferro
resonance oscillations
• There can be active or passive Ferro
resonance circuits
• It can be RLC circuit (ABB)
or RL circuit (CGL)
or Resistance (BHEL, WSI, AREVA)
 CVT Secondary Voltage
CVT Secondary Voltage v = k * V * C1/ (C1+C2)
V – Primary Voltage
k – Secondary Transformer Transformation
ratio

Note: Puncturing of C1 – Secondary Voltage will

increase
Puncturing of C2 – Secondary Voltage will
decrease
 CVT VA ratings
• As per POWERGRID specifications, VA
ratings for core-1, core-2 and core-3 are
50VA, 50VA and 50VA respectively. Earlier
CVTs it was 200/ 200/ 50VA
• CVT accuracies are guaranteed if connected
burdens are within 25% to 100% of the rated
burdens
• In POWERGRID, with static meters and static/
numerical relays, connected burdens are 10
to 20 VA in each core which are very low as
compared to earlier rated burdens.
 PD Measurement

CT PT CVT Test Voltage

Pre-stress
Before IEC-185 IEC-186 IEC-358 Voltage-436kV
Revision Test Voltage-
266kV(10pC)
Pre-stress
After IEC- IEC- Yet to be Voltage–504kV
revision 60044(1) 60044(2) revised Test Voltage-
420kV(10pC)
 Failures of Capacitive Voltage
Transformers

4
3
2
% age per
year

1
0

YEA R
 REASONS OF FAILURES OF CVTs

• WRINKLES ON ALUMINUM FOIL

• POOR SOLDERING QUALITY
• POOR QUALITY OF PAPER(LOCAL SOURCE)
• PINHOLES IN BELLOWS
• SNAPPING OF BELLOW CONNECTION
• OVERHEATING OF DAMPING RESISTOR
• SHORTING OF TRANSFORMER CORES
• FAILURES OF FR CIRCUIT COMPONENTS
• RUSTING OF COUPLING BOLTS (BETWEEN FLANGE
AND EMU TANK)
• RUSTING OF FLANGE
 Reasons of CVT Failures
• LOOSENESS OF CORE BOLTS
• SNAPPING OF CONNECTION BETWEEN PRIMARY
WINDING AND COMPENSATING REACTOR
• FAILURE OF VARISTORS PROVIDED IN
SECONDARY
• ENTRY OF MOISTURE IN CAPACITOR STACKS
• POOR GASKET QUALITY
• ALMOST ALL COMPONENTS OF CVTs HAVE
SHOWN FAILURE TREND
Rusting of EMU Tank
EMU Tank Transformer Winding
shorted
Top Bellow with uneven surface
and soldered material
Failure of Capacitor Element in
Rusting and shearing off of Coupling
Bolts and also entry of Moisture in
the stack
Mechanical shearing of the Bolt/ Stud
 Matter of Concern
• In POWERGRID, there have been many pre-
mature failures of CVTs.
• CVTs have given unreliable performance so
far. Against life of about 30-35 years, failures
have occurred after 8-10 years of service.
• About 900 CVTs of almost all makes CVTs
needs to be refurbished/ repaired at
manufacturers works.
• This will need huge expenditure to be met
from O&M budget affecting POWERGRID
profitability.
Condition Monitoring of CVTs
• Secondary Voltage Measurement – variation
in voltages indicates shorting/ puncturing of
capacitor elements.
• Capacitance and Tan Delta Measurement

Precautions: Porcelain surfaces need to be

thoroughly cleaned before measurements.
 Secondary Voltage measurement
Periodic measurement to be carried out. In case of
doubt, simultaneous measurement to be carried
out with another feeder/ Bus CVT.
For 400kV CVTs puncturing of one Capacitor
element in C1 side is likely to increase Secondary
Voltage by about 0.35 – 0.45% (0.22 – 0.28V)
Failure of one Capacitor element in C2 side is
likely to decrease Secondary Voltage by 5 – 6%
(3.2 – 3.8V)
 Capacitance and Tan delta
measurement of stacks

Change in Capacitance value above 6%,

CVT need to be replaced
Tan delta values more than 0.003 from
pre-commissioning value needs
replacement
Low/ Negative values of Tan Delta
Lower values of Capacitance and Tan Delta
in case of CVTs are due to parallel tapping
at Intermediate point (20-22kV). At this point,
there will be two parallel paths. Hence
measured current flowing through C2, will
be less than C1 and lower value of
measured capacitance. Due to losses in
Voltage Transformer Winding, Tan Delta
value may also be less or even negative.
Hence, values should be compared w.r.t.pre-
commissioning values only and not with
factory values
Thank
youvictor@powergridindia.com