Selection of Current Transformers

and Wire Sizing in Substations

Sethuraman Ganesan
ABB Inc.
Allentown, PA

Presented to:

59th Conference for Protective Relay Engineers

Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
April 4-6, 2006
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Discussion Paper

Characteristics of CT
Metering and Protection Class
Specifications of CTs
CT Wiring and other issues
IEEE Std C57.13, Guide C37.110
IEC Std 60044-6

CT Simplified Circuit and Phasor

IP

IP/n

1:n
a

IS

e
RCT

c
Xm

RB

IE

f
Vef
ISRCT

IS

Vcd=n. Vab

IP
n

IE
3

Metering

Metering class Typical Spec 0.3 B-0.1

Meters can be off Protection CTs

Thermal stress
Auxiliary CTs
Burdens of auxiliary CTs, accuracy

Summation CTs

Protection Class CTs

Ratings, Ratio
Polarity
Class, Knee point voltage, Excitation
characteristics

Magnetizing
Voltage

Vx
Vk

10A(10%)
Secondary Current
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AC Saturation

Severe Saturation
Too large CT secondary burden,
currents

Ideal

Actual

CT ratings to avoid AC saturation

Vx > If (RCT+RL+RB)
Vx = Saturation Voltage
If

= CT secondary current during fault

RCT= CT Secondary Resistance- Ohms

RL = CT lead Resistance- Ohms
RB = CT Connected burden ResistanceOhms

CT Transient Saturation

Caused by DC Transients in the power

system
2
1
Current

DC

AC
1

-1
-2

Cycles

CT Transient Saturation (Minimum Math!)

= current , v = voltage = Flux in the magnetic core,

all instantaneous;

v (d /d t)

where d /d t represents the rate of change of flux.

i (d /d t)
Integrating,

i
Rewriting,

i (Flux is decided by area under the

time function i)
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Flux during AC currents

v i d/dt

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Flux during DC Transients

v i d/dt

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CT ratings to avoid Transient saturation

Vx > If (1+X/R) (RCT+RL+RB)

Where,
X, R= Primary system reactance and
resistances
Avoiding CT saturation may not always be
possible.

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Waveforms during AC+DC Transients

Ideal CT secondary current

Actual CT secondary current

Time
DC (Ideal CT)

Saturation

AC+DC Actual in CT

13

Typical ANSI Class C CT

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Specifications for ANSI CTs

Classification Letter C, K or T
C Performance can be Calculated, low leakage
reactance
K- Same as C but with Knee point 70% of secondary
terminal voltage

T- Performance to be Tested

Recommended maximum secondary current

100A
Error max: 10% at 100A, so 10A error

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Class C CTs
C800- Develops >800V
At 100A current
At connected burden of 8 Ohms
Internal voltage > 800 + 100RCT

Burden 1,2,4,8 Ohms for C100, C200,

C400,C800 etc (RBx100A = C Volt Rating)

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Class C CTs
To avoid AC Saturation, in C800,
100(RCT+ 8) > If (RCT+RL+RB)
Typically
If

< 100A

Connected

burden RL+RB < 8 Ohms

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Class C CTs
To avoid DC Saturation, in C800,
100(RCT+ 8) > If (1+X/R)(RCT+RL+RB)
Normally If < 100A, Connected burden is less

than design burden;

Define Ni = 100/ If ( Ideally >1)
Define Nr = (RCT+ 8) / (RCT+RL+RB ) (Ideally >1)
The equation above becomes

Ni. Nr > (1+X/R)

In other words CT saturation is avoided if
(1+X/R) < Ni. Nr
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Remanence
Remanence, Residual flux
Similar to permanent magnetism
Reduces available excursion of flux to

translate currents
If is the per unit of maximum flux remaining

as residual flux, CTs have to be oversized by a

factor
1/(1- )
If = 0.9, the above factor is 10, that bigger
CT is required!!!
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Remanence
Reduce
Gap

in the steel core

Different
Biased

core materials

core

Account for remanence Increase

Reduce

the CT size- Not an option always

the burdens, leads etc.

Make

the relay faster- to operate before CT

saturation starts

Increased
Special

slope

relays with algorithms

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CT- Time to saturate

2

t/T
1

Vx / (IRT)
Vx = Saturation Volts
I = Symm. Secy Current, A
R = Secy. Circuit Resist,
Ie = Exciting Current, A
T = Primary Circuit Time Constant, Cycles
t = Time to saturate in Cycles

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Calculating Lead Resistance - Example

Data
CT C400, 1000/5A, RCT = 0.25 Ohms
Fault Primary = 10kA at X/R = 15
Relay burden = Negligible
Calculations:
If = 10000/CTR = 10000/200 = 50A
Ni= 100/ 50 = 2
Nr = 4.25/(0.25+RL)
Checking for adequacy,
(1+X/R) > Ni.Nr
(1+15) > 2 x 4.25 /(0.25 + RL)
< 0.28 Ohms
RL
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CT Lead wires
AWG Numbers are logarithmic
Numbers increase with resistance
(= decrease with thicker wires)
AWG #10 has 1 Ohms for 1000feet wire
Note: AWG # 13 has double the resistance
AWG #10 is most popular (easier to calculate the

resistances!)
AWG#12 is adequate in most of the applications

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Case Study Fig 1

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Case Study Fig 2

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Case Study Fig 3

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Case Study Fig 4

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Conclusion
A thorough understanding of the application of

CT is required
Previous experience of CT wire sizing may not
always be correct in a newer application
More than adequate CT sizes and cable sizes
waste resources
Application check is recommended, always for
critical applications

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