Current Measurement with Optical Current Transformer

Eslavath Sreenu
Roll no:12R91A0211
Eslavathsreenu499@gmail.com
An accurate electric current transducer is one of
the key components in power system
instrumentations. It is the signal source providing
current signals for revenue metering, control and
relaying
apparatus.
Conventional
current
transducers are transformers (CTs) with copper
wire windings and an iron core, which are now
widely used in power systems. With the short
circuit capacities of power systems get-ting larger,
and the voltage levels going higher, the
conventional CT becomes more and more bulky
and costly, and the performance limitations,
saturation of the iron core under large fault current,
low frequency response, make it difficult to obtain
accurate current signals under power system
transient conditions. With the computer control
techniques and digital protection devices being
introduced into power systems, conventional CTs
have caused further difficulties, as they are likely to
introduce electro-magnetic interference through the
ground loop into the digital systems. Because of the
advantages of MOCTs over conventional CTs, there
is a growing interest in using magneto-optical
current transducers (MOCTs) to measure the
electric current by means of Faraday Effect. These
advantages are high immunity to electromagnetic
interference, being able to provide high level
electric insulation, and wider frequency response.
MOCTs are ideal for the interface between power
systems and computer systems.
In 1845 Michael Faraday discovered that the
orientation of linearly polarized light was rotated
under the influence of a magnetic field when the
light propagated in a piece of glass and the
rotation angle was proportional to the intensity of
the magnetic field.
A polarizer is used to convert the randomly
polarized input light into linearly polarized light.
The orientation of the linearly polarized light
rotates an angle after the light has passed through
the magneto optical material fitted to the power line
because of the Faraday Effect.
Then another
polarization prism is used as an analyser, which is
45 degrees oriented with the polarizer, to convert

the orientation variation of the polarized light into

intensity variation of the light, and then this output
is sent to a photo detector. The purpose of using the
analyser is that photo detectors can only detect the
intensity of light, rather than the orientation of
polarization. The output optical signal from the
analyser can be calculated which is proportional to
the current passing through the line.
The device consists of two separate symmetrical
parts. In each part of the device, linearly polarized
light is arranged to pass through the optical glass
prism to pick up the Faraday rotation signal. The
polarization compensation technique is applied at
each corner of the prisms, so that the light passing
through the prisms remain linearly polarized. At the
other end of the prism, a metal mirror reflects the
light beam so that the light beam comes back to its
sending end via the same route while accumulating
the Faraday rotations. The two halves can be
assembled around the conductor. Thereby, the
rotation angles from the two halves of the sensor
are added up in the signal processing unit so that
the total rotation angle is the same as the rotation
angle from the optical path.
The use of MOCT has many advantages that they
are reasons of Expand its use. The equipment is
used in measurement and protection units of
substations from the distribution voltage to high
voltage. The use of electronicMonitoring systems
creates measurement, protection with high
reliability and wide dynamic range.
References:
[1] J. H. Harlow, Electric Power Transformer
Engineering, TheElectric Power Engineering
Series; 9. CRC Press LLC,2004.
[2] M. Xianyun, L.Chengmu, "A Method to
EliminateBirefringence of A Magneto-optic AC
Current TransducerWith Glass Ring Sensor
Head",IEEE Transactions onPower Delivery, Vol.
13, No. 4, pp. 1015-1019, 1998