TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
Specifying current transformers
for protection purposes
Specifying current transformers can be a daunting task especially if information is not available, or the engineer has
not gained sufficient experience in the task. It is common to find many parameters to be out of specification resulting
in mal-operation, or non-operation of protection equipment leading to severe equipment damage or personnel risks.
This article provides some basic understanding of current transformers and how these may be specified.
Current transformers are manufactured
in many different construction types,
and sizes. DIN 42600 standard and its
dimensions provides a universal type series
of transformers which are used worldwide
in switchboards, commonly referred to as
block type or DIN current transformers.
Single turn primary transformers are
mostly used whereas wound primary
transformers are generally used for low
ratios. The magnetic core is responsible
for determining the amount of current that
can be transferred through the transformer
to the secondary core as well as the
accuracy of the current being transferred.
Fig. 1 shows how magnetic circuits and
secondary cores can differ in size. In
general the more stringent the electrical
parameters required on the secondary
core the larger the magnetic core should
be. For example, a class PX secondary
core will require a larger magnetic circuit
than say a class 5P core which in turn is
larger than a metering class core.
Generally speaking it is common for
one block not have more than two or
three cores per block, as it is limited by
the physical dimensions of the design.
Switchgear manufacturers use different
types of configurations in their designs,
but once they have completed designs
together with type test certification they
are limited to the amount of cores
they can fit within the certified current
transformer and switchgear design. For
this reason switchgear manufacturers who
Fig. 1: Typical DIN current transformers.
a) Wound primary type current transformer. b) Single-turn type current transformer.
use fully certified designs including the
components, will limit the amount of cores
that can be installed in their switchgear.
It is not uncommon to find the
manufacturer cannot manufacture a
transformer according to the specified
parameters. In almost every case the
problem is the current transformer has
been incorrectly specified, the safety
coefficients used are too high, or too
many safety coefficients have been
added to the calculations. If the core
requirements are high it may necessitate
that two cores be split across two current
transformer blocks.
What are key parameters?
The current transformer key parameters
are the values given to the current
transformer to ensure proper operation.
The IEC 61869-2 standard provides the
following definitions for the parameters
which will be considered in this article.
The rated transformation ratio (Ip/Is)
where:
Ip =primary current
Is =secondary current
The parameter where the current
transformer starts to saturate and is given
as the nominal accuracy limit factor (ALF)
for protection cores. The rated burden of
the current transformer (Sn).
These parameters are shown on the
rating plate.
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by Bryan Johnson, ABB
Basic principles
Relay burden (Sr)
The relay burden is the input current
burden imposed by the relay on the
current transformers. This is determined
by the input impedance of the relay and
is normally published in the relay user
guide or technical information sheet.
For this article we will use the following
input impedances:
At 5 A input and 0,020 Ω impedance,
Sr = 0,5 VA
At 1 A input and 0,100 Ω impedance,
Sr = 0,1 VA
Lead loop burden (SL)
The burden of the connecting leads
between the current transformer and
the protection relay must be taken into
account. Over short distances this burden
is almost insignificant however over
longer distances the burden can play a
significant role in the functionality of the
protection circuit.
RL=  x l/A x k
where:
 = resistivity of the conductor material
(for copper at 20°C = 0, 0178 μΩ)
l = length of the conductor
A = cross-sectional area
k = 1,2 for a four wire system and
k = 2 for a six-wire system
For the burden of the leads we use:
SL = In2 x RL
For simplicity we will consider the relay
burden together with the lead burden as
the total load burden given as:
Sb = Sr + SL
Current transformer ratio
The ratio of the current transformer is
based on the transformer principle where:
Ip/Is = Ns/Np
 TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
Current transformer secondary core
resistance (Rct)
The secondary core resistance features
quite prominently in the calculations, so
we will pause here a moment to provide
some guidance of how to calculate the
resistance. The resistance is dependent
on many factors so it is impossible to
calculate the actual resistance with
certainty.
To start the process we need to know the
secondary resistance using either, values
based on previously manufactured
current transformers, the manufacturer
value, or a formula which will give
as value that is good enough to start
the calculation process to determine Fig. 2: Current transformer rating plate.
other parameters. The calculation
must of course be repeated with the
actual resistance values given by the
manufacturer to determine the final
parameters.
The approximation formula we will use
is given as:
Rct = m x 8,4 x (1 – Sb/50) x Ns/1000)0,925
where:
m = 1 for 1 A secondary and
m = 0,1 for 5 A secondary Fig. 3: Current transformer connections, 6-wire and 4-wire (common return conductor).

Accuracy limit factor (ALF)

The nominal accuracy limit factor ratio
of value of primary current up to which
the current transformer will comply with
the requirements for composite error to
the rated primary current. This factor
applies to protection cores. The standard
nominal ALF values are 5, 10, 15, 20,
and 30.
Rated accuracy class
The rated accuracy class defines the
accuracy of the current transformed.
For protection circuits the standard
composite error values are 5 and 10.
How do we interpret the
parameters?
In the earlier section we considered the
secondary current could be calculated Fig. 4: Simplified current transformer equivalent circuit.
exactly based on the ratio, which is not
strictly true as we ignored the magnetising
current of the iron core. parameters are derived from the where:
magnetising core these parameters are
The current transformer cores are Cl = class of the secondary core
interdependent on one another. That is
designed to operate at the class rating
to say if we change any one or more of Fa = actual accuracy limit factor of the
(5P, 10P), up to the nominal accuracy
the current transformer parameters then secondary core
limit factor in the case of protection cores
the other parameter(s) will also change.
while supplying the rated burden. Sn = burden of the secondary core
For example for a protection core, the
Each secondary core has its own unique Using Ohm’s law we can see that the
following is true:
magnetising core which is responsible induced secondary voltage is given as
for the key parameters. As all of these Cl1, Fa1, Sn1 ≈ Cl2, Fa2, Sn2 ≈ Cl3, Fa3, Sn3 Vs can be calculated as follows:

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TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
Vs = Is x (Rct + Rb)
Vs = Fn x In (Rct + Rn)
Vs = Fa x In (Rct + Rb) {Using actual
load}
We can derive that:
Fa = Fn x (Rct + Rn)/(Rct + Rb)
What should the required accuracy
limit factor be?
To comply with protection requirements,
the current transformer should have
an actual accuracy limit factor greater
than that required by the protection
relay element. The upper limit of this is
determined by the amount the secondary
circuit can handle, as a rule this is taken
as the maximum limit the relay can
manage.
For protection systems the accuracy limit
must suit the fault level for the protection
function to operate under fault conditions
and for the stability of the protection
system.
Fig. 5: Overcurrent and earth fault protection system.
The widely used protection is IDMT
and instantaneous over current (O/C)
and earth fault (E/F) current protection However if FLR 3, which is based on transformer and the relay, we calculate
functions. We will use these protection prospective fault levels is lower than a loop resistance of:
functions to determine the required that required by the protection functions
accuracy limit factor. If the actual ALF RL =  x l/A x 1,2
(FLR1- 2), then we can use FLR 3. For
exceeds the required ALF then we are ease of reference we will signify this as = 0,0178 x 5/2,5 x 1,2 = 0,042 Ω
satisfied that the core can produce FRQ = Minimum of (FLR1-2 and FLR3).
enough output for the protection relay. For a 1 A circuit we calculate the lead
However the ALF should not exceed the We then arrive at the following hypothesis: burden as:
relay limit as it is possible to damage If Fa ≥ FRQ then the current transformer SL = In2 x RL
the secondary core, lead wiring or is correctly sized.
protection relays. = 12 x 0,042 = 0,042 VA
If Fa < FRQ then current transformer is Therefore the total protection circuit
To determine the required ALF, we note
under sized. burden is expected to be:
that the inverse definite mean time (IDMT)
curve becomes a definite time curve after Example Sb = 0,1 + 0,042 = 0,142 VA
approximately 25 times. Therefore we
Check if a protection core with a ratio Step 2: Calculate the estimated current
can consider the following formula while
2000:1, 5P20 15 VA [i.e. a composite transformer internal resistance and
using a safety coefficient of 1,6 we arrive
error of ≤5% at 20 times its nominal burden circuit.
at a required ALF for the IDMT protection
function (FLR1) = 40. current while supplying a burden of
Rct = m x 8,4 x (1- Sb/50) x
15 VA] is suitable for a system with a
(Ns/1000)0,925
To calculate the instantaneous protection 20 kA fault level for overcurrent and earth
function (primary short circuit current, IPSC) fault protection. = 1 x 8,4 x (1- 15/50) x
for the required ALF (FLR2) we use a value (2000/1000)0,925
of 25 times, with a safety coefficient of We can check the actual accuracy limit
factor of the protection core as follows: = 11,2 Ω
1,6 and we arrive at FLR2 = 40.
Step 1: Calculate the expected burden of Sct = In2 x Rct
We can also calculate the required
accuracy limit factor based on the the protection circuit = 12 x 11,2 = 11,2 VA
prospective fault current (FLR3). As we Sb = Sr + SL Step 3: Calculate the actual accuracy
want to be sure that we make allowance
For a 1 A circuit the expected protection limit factor
for any small errors we multiply this by a
safety coefficient between 1,5 and 2,0. relay burden is calculated as: Fa = Fn x (Sct + Sn)/(Sct + Sb)
FLR3 = 1,5 x IPSC/CT ratio Sr = I R = 1 x 0,1 = 0,1 VA
2 2
= 20 x (11,2+15)/(11,2+0,142) =
46,2
To decide on which limit factor we should Using a 2,5 mm 2 copper conductor
use the greater of FLR1 and FLR2 which connected in a four wire system with Step 4: Check the actual limit factor is
we can call FLR1-2, a distance of 5 m between the current greater than the required limit factor.

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 TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

FLR1 = 1,6 x 25 = 40
FLR2 = 1,6 x 25 = 40
FLR3 = 1,5 x IPSC/CT ratio
= 1,5 x 20 000/2000 = 15
The required accuracy limit factor
required is:
FRQ = Minimum (FLR1-2 and FLR3)
= Minimum (40 and 15) = 15
Fa ≥ FRQ and 46,2 ≥ 15
Conclusion: the current transformer
is adequately sized for the protection
function.
If the actual limit factor is greater than
100 then the relay, current transformer or
secondary wiring will be damaged. Most
relays can only sustain a high current of
100 x In for 1 s.
If the fault level was increased say to
40 kA, will the current transformer still
be suitable?
In this case we will only need to check
what happens to FLR3
FLR3 = 1,5 x IPSC/CT Ratio
= 1,5 x 40 000/2000 = 30 Fig. 6: Metering and earth fault protection combined on metering core.
FRQ = 30
Fa ≥ FRQ and 46,2 ≥ 30 Parameter Description Unit Parameters with different primary current ratings
Conclusion: the current transformer is IP CT primary current A 100 200 400 800 1200 1600 2000
adequately sized. Primary short
IPSC kA 31,5 31,5 31,5 31,5 31,5 31,5 31,5
circuit current
What are the recommended
Sn CT rated burden VA 15 15 15 15 15 15 15
parameters?
CT secondary
Actual accuracy limit factors IS A 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
current
An accuracy limit factor (Fa) of around Cl Class 5P 5P 5P 5P 5P 5P 5P
40, provides an ideal solution for the Nominal CT
following reasons: Fn accuracy limit 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
factor
• The accuracy limit factor is sufficiently
Actual accuracy
high enough for most protection Fa 373 222 132 80 62 52 46
limit factor
requirements.
Equivalent knee
• Current transformer manufacturers Vkpa point voltage for V 275 286 306 347 384 422 458
can generally match the parameters, class PX
including the calculated secondary Required knee
resistance, the ALF, and the rated Vkpz V 531 464 419 291 280 272 267
point voltage
burden for the ratio selected,
Table 1: Calculated parameters of a current transformer.
within the space limitations of the
switchgear.
• In cases where more than one core is
should be selected from between 0,75 Determining the current transformer
required in the DIN block, reducing
and 30 VA. primary ratio
the accuracy limit factor allows
more room for additional current A good place to start is by selecting Protecting electrical equipment requires
transformer cores. the burden in the middle of the range, isolating the faulted area as quickly as
i.e. 5 or 10 VA and then calculate the possible from the system, while keeping
Current transformer rated burden
rated and actual accuracy limit factors the rest of the system running. Selecting
To ensure the current transformer is not as appropriate. The burden can be a current transformer ratio is difficult, if
oversized, it is a good idea to reduce the decreased or increased to achieve the not impossible, to achieve as we need
burden for lower ratios. Typical burdens required ALF. to consider the limits. The upper limit

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TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
Fig. 7: Knee point voltage.
is determined by the maximum fault
current and the desired ALF/knee-point
voltage for stability, while the lower
limit is determined by the lowest setting
desirable to detect low-current faults. The
current transformer selection is therefore
a compromise between these two limits.
The selection is an attempt to cover the
widest range possible to initiate a trip,
while maintaining stability and preventing
faulty trips.
If we consider the current range from
near zero current up to the peak fault
level current we will need to consider
range from 1 to 100 kA, which is virtually
impossible using current transformers with
magnetic cores. One method to cover the
range is to break up the protection system
into overlapping ranges and consider
multiple protection zones.
Determining the current transformer
secondary ratio
In theory the secondary current does not
matter and is often a user preference,
however it is necessary to check
that the selected current transformer
ratio is feasible and can be built by
the manufacturer. It is therefore not
uncommon to find that by changing the
secondary current from 1 to 5 A and vice-
versa, it may become easier and hence
more cost effective to produce the desired
transformer. Generally, it is preferable to
use 1 A secondary windings because the
currents are lower and the calculations
more practical.
Overcurrent protection
The most widely used protection system
is overcurrent (OC) and earth fault
(EF) protection systems. As a rule we
Fig. 8. Example of a restricted earth fault high impedance protection scheme.
recommend selecting a primary ratio
that is approximately 10 to 20% above
the maximum load current of the circuit,
and rounding this off to the nearest 100.
All of the current produced by the current
transformer flows through the protection
relay during the fault condition. It is
important, therefore, to ensure that the
current flowing through the relay does not
exceed the maximum short time current
of the relay, normally given as 100 x In
rated for 1 s.
Selecting earth fault protection
The earth fault current is often limited to
a few hundred Ampere. The protection
relay together with the selected current
transformer ratio should be able to detect
at least 30% of the anticipated earth
fault current. If the earth fault current is
derived from the line current transformers
where, due to a high ratio, low detection
of the earth fault current is impractical,
then we recommend Toroidal current
transformers be used, as shown in Fig. 6.
Another method of detecting low earth
fault currents is to use the metering core
as shown in Fig. 7.
Differential protection
In many cases protection relay requirements
specify a class PX rating. These are normally
found in high impedance differential
protection systems, such as transformer
differential, bus-zone differential, or
restricted earth fault differential schemes,
where a current transformer’s output is
balanced against another. These cases
require the core to be accurate up to the
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specified knee point voltage, for stability
for during fault conditions. The required
knee point voltage is calculated based
on the prospective fault current, the loop
resistance of the secondary circuit, and
may include a safety coefficient. The
required knee point voltage is determined
as Vkpz
Vkpz = k x Issc (Rct + Rb)
where:
k = Safety coefficient of 1,5 to 2
Rb = Lead loop resistance plus the
relay input resistance
Issc = Secondary short circuit current
= Ipsc/CT ratio.
In some cases extraordinarily high
voltages, which may exceed the insulation
level of the secondary wiring and
protection relay, are present. Although
these calculations are mathematically
correct they often overlook the fact
that a current transformer cannot be
manufactured within the space constraints
of the switchgear.
It is common for this oversight to occur
where the current transformer ratio is
small compared with the prospective fault
current. The most practical method to
correct this error is to increase the current
transformer’s ratio, even if this means
changing other current transformers in
the system.
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 TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION

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Increasing the current transformer’s ratio
Assume we are required to provide a class PX current
transformer with a suitable ratio to ensure stability with a
fault level of 31,5 kA. The required knee point voltage is
calculated using the following formulas, to ensure stability.
Table 1 shows the calculated knee point voltage (Vkpz) required
as well as the key parameters of actual ALF (Fa) and equivalent
knee point voltage for various ratios from 100:1 to 2000:1.
For example when selecting a current transformer with a
ratio of 100:1 at an accuracy limit factor of 373 (Fa) will only
produce an equivalent saturation voltage of around 275 V
(Vkpa) compared with the required voltage of 531 V (Vkpz).
Using the ratio at 1200:1 and above brings the actual ALF
(Fa) down to an acceptable level around 62, increases the
equivalent saturation voltage (Vkpa = 384 V) and reduces the
required voltage (Vkpx = 280 V).
To provide stability for differential protection we need to
ensure the current transformer equivalent knee point voltage is
greater than the required knee point voltage, while the actual
ALF is above the desired value but below the maximum value
of 100. Our experience to best way to achieve this criteria is
first to adjust the current transformer ratio to come close to the
criteria, and then tweak the current transformer by adjusting
the other parameters such as Rct or class rating.
Contact Bryan Johnson, ABB, Tel 010 202-6071,
bryan.johnson@za.abb.com 

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