2/21/2017 Core Balance Current Transformer | Electrical Concepts

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Electrodynamometer
Instruments Core  Balance  Current  Transformer  or  CBCT  is  a  ring  type
Electrodynamic Type current  transformer  through  center  of  which  a  three  core  cable
Instrument – Construction or three single core cables of three phase system passes. This
and Working Principle
type  of  current  transformer  is  normally  used  for  earth  fault
Symmetrical Fault and Short protection  for  low  and  medium  voltage  system.  A  typical  Core
Circuit kVA
balance Current Transformer is shown in figure below.
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2/21/2017 BOOKS Core Balance Current Transformer | Electrical Concepts

Secondary  of  CBCT  is  connected  to  Earth  Fault  Relay.  During
normal  operating  condition  as  the  vector  sum  of  three  phase
current i.e. (Īa + Īb + Īc =0) is zero therefore no residual current
MY FAVORITE BOOKS in the primary will be present. Here residual current means zero
sequence current. Therefore there will not be any flux developed
in the CBCT core and hence no current in the secondary circuit
of CBCT.

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Working Principle of CBCT:

Let Īa, Īb and Īc be the three line currents and Φa, Φb and Φc
be  corresponding  components  of  magnetic  flux  in  the  core.
Assuming that the CT is operating in the linear region (Read B­H
Curve  to  get  idea  of  linearity),  magnetic  flux  because  of
individual phase current will be directly proportional to the phase
current and hence we can write as below,

Φa = kIa

Φb = kIb

Φc = kIc 
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2/21/2017 Core Balance Current Transformer | Electrical Concepts

where  k  is  constant  of  proportionality.  Mind  here  that  same

constant of proportionality is used as all the three phase current
are  producing  magnetic  flux  in  the  same  core  i.e.  magnetic
material.

Thus the resultant magnetic flux in the CBCT core,

Φr = k(Īa + Īb + Īc) …………………..(1)

But we know from theory of symmetrical components,

Īa + Īb + Īc = 3Ī0 = Īn

Where,  Io  is  zero  sequence  current  and  In  is  neutral  current.
Hence we can write as

Φr = kĪn  …………………………(2)

Now let us consider two cases:

Case1: During normal condition

Īa + Īb + Īc = 0

Hence from equation (1),

Net  resultant  flux  in  the  CBCT  Core,  Φr  =  0  which  means  no
secondary  current  and  therefore  the  Earth  Fault  Relay  won’t
operate.

Case2: During earth fault, three phase current passing through
the  center  of  Core  Balance  Current  Transformer  will  not  be
balanced rather a zero sequence current will flow. For example
for single line ground fault,

If = 3Ia0 = In

Thus from equation (2),

Net  magnetic  flux  in  the  CBCT  core,  Φr  will  have  some  finite
value  which  in  turn  will  induce  current  in  the  secondary  circuit
due  to  which  earth  fault  relay  will  operate.  Because  of  this
reason,  a  Core  Balance  Current  Transformer  or  CBCT  is  also
called Zero Sequence Current Transformer.
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2/21/2017 Core Balance Current Transformer | Electrical Concepts

Advantage of Core Balance Current Transformer:
The  advantage  of  using  CBCT  for  earth  fault  protectionis  that
only  one  CT  core  is  used  instead  of  three  core  as  in
conventional  system  where  the  secondary  winding  of  three
cores  are  connected  residually.  Thus  the  magnetizing  current
required  for  the  production  of  a  particular  secondary  current  is
reduced  by  one  third  which  is  a  great  advantage  as  the
sensitivity of protection is increased.

Also, the number of secondary turn does not need to be related
to  the  cable  rated  current  because  no  secondary  current  flows
under normal operating condition as the currents are balanced.
This  allows  the  number  of  secondary  turns  to  be  chosen  to
optimize the effective primary pick­up current.

Core  Balance  Current  Transformer  is  normally  mounted  over  a

cable  at  a  point  close  to  the  cable  gland  of  the  Switchgear.  In
case  cables  are  already  laid  in  a  Switchgear,  physically  split
core, which is also known as Slip­over type CT, are used.

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