CIGR 1996 : 34-108

DIGITAL OPTICAL INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS PROMOTING NEW APPROACHES TO

EHV SUBSTATION LAYOUTS.

M. ADOLFSSON*, L. BERTILSSON, M. BJARME, A. JANSSON, J. JOHANSSON

ABB Switchgear
Ludvika, Sweden
D. ARMSTRONG, N. PILLING, G. SPENCE
The National Grid Company plc
Leatherhead, UK

1. SUMMARY
This paper describes a digital optical measuring system
for EHV substations and discusses its properties and
influence on substation layout.
The paper also reports from an installation where the
optical system is used in parallel to an identical
protection system operated from conventional
instrument transformers.
Keywords:
EHV Substation, Digital,
Fibreoptics, Current-transducer,
Voltage-transducer.

2. OPTICAL INSTRUMENT TRANSFORMERS

Optical Instrument Transformers, OIT:s, have been
under development for a number of years. A
commercial break through has however not been
reached. There have been problems with the technology
which are now largely being overcome, but difficulties
remain in interfacing the output from OITs to existing
metering, protection and control systems.
Digital technology is now taking over in all fields of
secondary equipment. Metering, protection and control
systems are based on software in computers. This
change in technology opens the possibility to use OITs
with low level digital or analog outputs.

*ABB Switchgear AB, Dept. IT, S-771 80 LUDVIKA, Sweden

The safety advantages of OITs are well recognized: a

signal transmission immune to electromagnitic
interference, full galvanic insulation and designs
without oil or pressurized gas.
3. EHV SUBSTATION LAYOUT
The small dimensions and the low weight of OITs
allows them to be handled easily and transported at
lower costs, when compared to conventional ITs. More
important is however the possibility to integrate the
OITs in other high voltage apparatus. In this way
completely new pieces of equipment can be formed.
Optical CTs can be integrated onto circuit breakers, to
get the optimal position from a functional point of view.
The optical fibre used for signal transmission can either
be included in a separate suspension insulator or
integrated in the circuitbreaker insulator. By this
arrangement, the area of the substation can be reduced
by 5 to 15 % dependent on substation layout and voltage
level.
The optical fibres can also be included in other
equipment such as disconnector switches or support
insulators, but the economical advantages are then less
obvious.
Integration of OITs on circuit breakers also gives
considerable economical advantages. Civil work is
reduced since no separate foundations for instrument
transformers are required. The number of clamps and
earthing connections are reduced. Costs for cabling are
also reduced since common cable trenches and terminal
boxes are used.

4. DOIT - DIGITAL OPTICAL INSTRUMENT

TRANSFORMER
4.1 Functional description
The DOIT system consists of DOCT:s, Digital Optical
Current Transducers, in the high voltage busbar for
current measurements, DOVT:s, Digital Optical Voltage
Transducers in the switchyard for voltage measurements
and a DOIM, Digital Optical Interface Module in the
control room. The signal transmission between
transducers and interface is by an optical fibre system
including high voltage links and fibre optic cables.

The light for powering the electronics is received by the

same component as is used for converting the measured
values to light pulses. This component is a specifically
designed
gallium
arsenide
diode
PLD,
Photoluminescence Diode, which has very high
efficiency in both directions.
The transducer is operated at a sampling rate of 2000
Hz, using low power levels for the converter circuit.
This allows reliable, low power laser diodes to be used
as source for the supply power. The electronics is
encapsulated in a military grade hybrid circuit, placed
inside the screened enclosure formed by the transducer
housing.
Compared to conventional current transformers, the
DOCTs have small dimensions and low weight. As an
example a 500 kV DOCT weights less than 100 kg.
4.3 Voltage Transducer
In the transducer, DOVT, Digital Optical Voltage
Transducer, the voltage is measured using a capacitive
voltage divider, connected to high voltage and ground,
with an output voltage suitable for electronic circuits.
The voltage is filtered and converted to a digital form
with an A/D-converter. Identical electronic circuits are
used for the voltage transducer and for the current
transducer. A block diagram of the DOVT is shown in
figure 2.

Fig 1. DOCT block diagram.

4.2 Current Transducer

In the transducer, DOCT, Digital Optical Current
Transducer, the current is measured using a low voltage
current transformer with a burden resistor connected
across the secondary terminals. The voltage is filtered
and converted to digital form with an A/D-converter
having a dynamic range of 17 bits. The design of the
current transformer is simple compared to a
conventional CT since the burden is very small and
constant and can be optimized for the current
transducer. The design is also very flexible, allowing
rated currents from 600 to 6000 A, depending on the
detailed mechanical design. A block diagram of the
DOCT is shown in figure 1.

Fig 2. DOVT block diagram.

4.4 Fibre System

The fibre system of the DOIT uses standard 62.5/125
micrometer fibre with ST connectors. This allows use of
mass-produced high quality components developed for
telecommunications.
For insulation of the DOCTs on line potential, fibre
optic high voltage suspension or support insulators are
used. The links consist of a fibre reinforced epoxy
member with a polymer outer insulation. The design has
very high mechanical strength and low weight compared
to ceramic insulators. Polymer high voltage fibre optic
links has been successfully used since 1985.
4.5 Digital Optical Interface Module
One DOIM, Digital Optical Interface Module, can
handle six independent current or voltage channels. It
includes the laser diodes to power the transducers and
detector circuits to receive and decode light pulses from
the transducers. In the DOIM there are also circuits to
automatically self-supervise signal levels, timing and
parity of the received messages.
The output from the DOIM is a fully digital serial
protocol, controlled by a DSP, Digital Signal Processor,
allowing flexibility to implement different protocols.

Fig 4. Blockdiagram of field trial installation.

Fig 3. Digital optical interface module, as free standing unit

and included in a line protection.

The DOIM can either be a selfcontained unit with its

own enclosure and power supply, connected to the
station battery or a module included in a numerical
protection or control system. When the DOIM is used as
a part of a protection system, the normal input
transformers and A/D-converter are removed and
replaced by the DOIM providing digital signals directly
to the signal processing part of the relay. A photograph
of the DOIM as a separate unit and included in a line
protection is shown in figure 3.

5.
TESTS
ON
TRANSFORMERS

OPTICAL

INSTRUMENT

A block diagram of the test installation used with the

NGC is shown in figure 4. A photograph of the DOCT
in the test installation is shown in figure 5.

The technology used in optical instrument transformers

is very different from that used in conventional CTs.
Although some of the tests which are presently required
for conventional CTs are approriate to OITs, some new
tests are required. The test requirements for OITs are
presently being considered by the IEC.
Accuracy, temperature rise and short circuit tests
broadly in line with IEC185 and 186 can be performed.
The DOCT insulation is polymeric and tests according
to IEC 1109 can be performed. NGC have a facility to
carry out insulator accelerated aging tests in a heavily
polluted environment at the Dungeness Insulator
Testing Station in the UK.
The part of the optical instrument transformer placed in
the control room will be in the same environment as the
relays and should be tested according to IEC 255. These
tests include extensive EMC tests, environmental
temperature and supply voltage variation tests. These
tests have been done on the DOIT system.
In addition to these standardized tests, there are more
specifically designed type tests to assess the correct
behaviour of the DOIT under abnormal conditions. One
test is sensitivity to magnetic field from a short circuit
current in an adjacent busbar. Another test is to check
the behaviour in case of a fibre break. If the fibre
transmission is broken, the self-supervision should
operate and stop any false operation on a relay
connected to the optical instrument transformer. For
optical current transformers integrated on circuit
breakers, there must not be any false signals when the
circuit breaker is operated. This means a requirement to
withstand mechanical acceleration levels in the order of
20 g (HPL420/31B2 circuit breaker operated off load)
without affecting the output. These tests have been done
on the DOIT system.

6. TEST INSTALLATION
In order to gain experience using the DOCT in an
operational environment and driving a protective relay,
collaborative field trials are necessary. One such trial
has been started with the National Grid Company plc in
the UK. In this trial two identical distance protection
systems have been installed, one using signals from
conventional current and voltage transformers and the
other with signals from DOCTs and conventional CVTs.
The protection systems consists of numerical line
protection, digital fault recorder and interface to a PC
for data collection and supervision.

Fig 5. DOCT installed in a substation.

During commissioning, the optical fibre system was

checked using an OTDR. A current primary injection
test was also done to check system operation.
Another commissioning/routine test was performed
using an automatic secondary injection test set to
simulate a large number of fault cases simultaneously
checking the operation of the relays. For this test a
testmodule was used instead of the actual transducer.
The testmodule consists of an identical electronic circuit
as is used in the transducer, but with an input designed
to take outputs from the secondary test set rather than
from the primary system. The operation of the two relay
systems with identical settings were tested with DOIT
and conventional inputs respectively. The testing
showed a very good correspondence between the two
systems. See figure 6.
Phase current and voltage rms values from both the
conventionally driven and DOIT driven systems are
recorded on an hourly basis and "snap shot" waveform
recordings
are
taken
weekly.
Environmental
temperature is also recorded and used to assist in
evaluating the performance of the equipment. In case of
relay operation, the fault recorders will record current
and voltage information from the two systems. System
diagnostic information can also be recorded and used in
evaluation of the field trial.
All recorded information can be remotely accessed from
a remote PC using a telephone modem connection.

%
1,5
1,4
1,3
1,2
1,1
1
0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

Temperature (Deg C)

Fig 8. Comparison between DOCT and conventional CT

versus temperature, difference in %.

By picking recordings at different current levels the

current dependence of the deviation can be evaluated.
An example of such a plot is given in figure 9.

Fig 6. Operating area of the line protection with DOIT system

inputs. Crosses give limits of operation resulting from relay
test.

7. FIELD EXPERIENCE

The field trial is expected to last at least two years but it

is possible to present some data collected during the first
year. In figure 7, the deviation in % between current
measured by the DOCT and the current measured by a
conventional CT is plotted as a function of time. The
recorded values are rms values taken over ten periods of
the power frequency, at intervals of 24 hours. The
conventional CT is a class X type (low reactance
specified in terms of having a high kneepoint) with
accuracy of 1% at typical load currents.
%
1,5
1,4
1,3
1,2
1,1
1
0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

1,5
1,4
1,3
1,2
1,1
1
0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0

60

70

80

90

100 110 120

Days since May 1:st -95

Fig 7. Comparison between DOCT and conventional CT,

showing difference in % as a function of time.

By picking recordings at different temperatures the

temperature dependence of the variation can be
evaluated. An example of such a plot is given in figure
8.

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% of nominal current

Fig 9. Comparison between DOCT and conventional CT

versus current, difference in %.

There have been no primary system faults on the

protected feeder so far and thus the operation of the
relay systems have been recorded. There have been no
false operations.
At the beginning of the test period recurrent parity
errors occured on one of the channels. For the trial
installation the DOIT system is set to shut down for any
kind of malfunction, even for a single parity error,
pending remote reset. Switching to a DOVT circuit in a
different position within the panel eliminated the parity
errors. The cause of the parity errors is subject to
investigation but is thought to be related to RFI in the
control room equipment.
"Snap shot" waveform recordings revealed infrequent
incorrectly sampled instantaneous values of current. The
same behaviour is also seen on rms values taken over
one single period of the power frequency, where
infrequent values show errors of around +/- 2%. This is
caused by a design defect in the DOIT circuits which,
for the trial, has been compensated for by a software
change in the DOIM. A circuit modification on future
DOITs is expected to rectify this problem.

8. CONCLUSION
The DOIT system using optically powered electronics
and digital signal transmission offer several advantages:
- Few, low stressed components in the
transducer gives high reliability.
- Easy installation.
- No apparent mechanical sensitivity.
- The accuracy performance is restricted to the
transducer, no additional errors from signal transmission
and processing.
The DOIT system is widely used for protection in series
capacitor installations. The result of this trial confirms
that the equipment fulfills the requirements for line
protection and that a broader application in substations
is suitable.
9. REFERENCES
[1]

Ahlgren L. et al
A new optoelectronic measuring system for
EHV substations.
Paper 23-09, 1988 CIGR Session, Paris

[2]

Adolfsson M. et al
EHV Series Capacitor Banks. A New
Approach to Platform to Ground Signalling,
Relay Protection and Supervision.
IEEE Transaction on Power Delivery, Vol4,
No2, April 1989