E-PILLAR ENGINEERING SERVICES

TESTING PROCEDURE OF CT

Testing and Commissioning Procedures

1. Objective
a. Test Equipment required
b. Test procedures
2. Mechanical Check and Visual Inspection
3. Insulation Resistance Test
4. Polarity Test
5. Secondary winding Resistance Test
6. Turns Ratio Test
7. Primary Injection Test
8. Knee point Test / Magnetization Curve test
9. Commissioning Test

1. Objective:

➢ To Confirm The Physical Condition And Electrical Characteristics Of Current Transformer

Installed In The Installation. Ensure The CT Is Connected To System Properly In All Respect
(Primary And Secondary).

Applicable Standards:

➢ IEC 60044-1: Instrument transformers – current transformer.

➢ IEC 60694: common specifications for HV switchgear.

a. Test Equipment Required

Required equipment for testing:

1. Insulation tester
2. Polarity tester
3. Digital low ohmmeter
4. Current source (Tong tester), Multi-Meter
5. Auto-transformer, loading transformer (0-2500A)
6. Primary current injection set

b. Test Procedures

b.1. Mechanical Check and Visual Inspection :

1. Verify nameplate ratings are in accordance with the approved drawings and specifications.
2. Inspect for physical damage/ defects and mechanical condition.
3. Verify correct connection of transformers with system requirements.
4. Verify that adequate clearances exist between primary and secondary circuit wiring.
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TESTING PROCEDURE OF CT

5. Verify tightness of accessible bolted electrical connections by physically.

6. Verify that all required grounding and shorting connection provided.
7. Verify all shorting blocks are in correct position, either grounding or open as required.
8. Verify single point grounding of each core done properly. Grounding point shall be nearer to the
CT location. However grounding shall be at relay point in case of several CT secondary’s
connected together like differential protection.

2. Insulation Resistance Test

The voltage shall be applied between:

➢ Primary to Earth
➢ Primary to Secondary
➢ Secondary to Earth
➢ Secondary to Secondary

Test voltage limits mentioned in table below. The ambient temperature shall be noted down during
test.
Applied Voltage (V)
System Rated Voltage Measured Values Time (Sec)
(in Primary)
415 -660 V 500 V >1 GΩ 1 minute
660 V- 3.3 kV 2500 V >100 GΩ 1 minute
Above 3.3 kV 5000 V >1 TΩ 1 minute

Applied Voltage (V)

System Rated Voltage Measured Values Time (Sec)
(in Secondary)
All ratings 500 V >1 GΩ 1 minute

Primary to Earth:
➢ Connect the Earth lead of the IR Tester to the earth Terminal
➢ Connect HV lead of the IR Tester to either P1 or P2 of the current Transformer
➢ Switch “ON” the IR Tester and Select the required voltage range in IR Tester
➢ press the Test button take down the readings
➢ Switch “OFF” the IR Tester
Primary to Secondary:
➢ Connect HV lead of the IR Tester to either P1 or P2 of the current Transformer
➢ Connect Earth lead of the IR Tester to either S1 or S2 of the current Transformer
➢ Switch “ON” the IR Tester and Select the required voltage range in IR Tester
➢ press the Test button take down the readings
➢ Switch “OFF” the IR Tester
Secondary to Earth
➢ Connect Earth lead of the IR Tester to the earth terminal
➢ Connect HV lead of the IR Tester to either S1 or S2 of the current Transformer
➢ Switch “ON” the IR Tester and Select the required voltage range in IR Tester
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TESTING PROCEDURE OF CT

➢ press the Test button take down the readings

➢ Switch “OFF” the IR Tester
Between Secondary Cores:
➢ Connect HV lead of the IR Tester to either S1 or S2 of the current Transformer
➢ Connect Earth lead of the IR Tester to either S1 or S2 of the other core of the current Transformer
➢ Switch “ON” the IR Tester and Select the required voltage range in IR Tester
➢ press the Test button take down the readings
➢ Switch “OFF” the IR Tester
➢ Discharge the voltage from the CT with respect to earth.
3. Polarity Test

➢ Polarity test is to confirm the polarity marking on the CT primary and secondary and verify it is
matching with drawing.
➢ More ever it is giving an idea, how to connect the secondary’s to make the protection (like
directional, differential) and metering function properly.
➢ Isolate CT secondary from the load and make circuit connection as shown in Figure 1.
➢ Close and open the battery switch connected on the primary. Observe the pointer is moving +ve
direction, while closing and –ve direction while opening for correct polarity.

5. Secondary winding Resistance Test:

➢ Secondary resistance test is to verify the CT secondary winding resistance with specified one and
no discontinuity in the winding. This value can be used in other calculations.
➢ Loop resistance to ensure load is connected properly and circuits not left open. The circuit
connection shall be made as shown Figure 2 for secondary resistance. Measure the dc resistance
value and record.
➢ The same shall be done for all taps and cores. These values are influenced by temperature, so
ambient temperature must be recorded during this test. The circuit connection shall be made as
shown Figure 2 for loop resistance.
➢ Measure the dc resistance including CT and load, phase by phase and values can be compared
between them.
Limits:
➢ The value must be within specified on name plate after the effect of temperature taken in to
account. If not factory test results shall be taken as reference.
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TESTING PROCEDURE OF CT

Figure 2 – CT resistance / Loop Resistance Test

Notes:
➢ Ohmmeter connection for CT resistance excluding burden.
➢ Ohmmeter connections for CT loop resistance including burden.

7. Turns ratio Tests

➢ This test is to ensure the turn’s ratio of CT at all taps. The circuit connection shall be made as
shown Figure 4. The primary current of minimum of 25% rated primary current to be injected
on primary side of CT with secondary’s shorted and the secondary current can be measured and
recorded for all cores.
Limits:
➢ The obtained turn’s ratio should match with rated nameplate ratio.
8. Primary Injection Test

➢ This test is to ensure the CT circuits are properly connected with respected cores and there is no
mix up in the circuit (phase identification).
➢ The circuit connections shall be made as shown in Figure 4. Single point grounding shall be
verified for CT circuits, before starting this test. Inject 25% of rated primary current between one
phase and earth with all connected burden.
➢ Measure secondary current at all points of CT circuits. It shall be done for other phases.

Core identification:

➢ When one CT is having several cores used for different purposes. The cores can be identified
during primary injection test by shorting the one of the core at CT terminal itself and check there
is no current only at relevant load. The same can be verified for other cores.
➢ Inject 25% of rated primary current between phase to phase with all connected burden. Measure
secondary current at all points of CT circuits. It shall be done for other phases.
Limits:
➢ Secondary current should only be observed at respective phase and neutral leads during Phase to
earth injection.
➢ Secondary current should only be observed at respective phases and no current on neutral during
Phase to phase injection.
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TESTING PROCEDURE OF CT

Figure 4 – Primary injection / Ratio test

9. knee-point / Magnetization Curve test :

➢ Magnetization Curve test is to confirm the magnetization characteristics of CT with nameplate

specification.
➢ This test shall be conducted before ratio test and after secondary resistance and polarity test, since
residual magnetism left in the core due to DC test (polarity, resistance), which leads additional
error in ratio test. The meters used for this test shall be having true RMS measurement.
➢ Demagnetization
➢ Before start the test demagnetize the core by Inject voltage on secondary terminals and increase
up to where considerable increment in current with small voltage increment. Now start decreasing
the voltage to zero, the rate at which increased.
➢ Magnetization test
➢ Now increase the voltage and monitor the excitation current up to the CT reaching near to
saturation point. Record the reading of voltage and current at several points. Plot the curve and
evaluate the Vk and Img from the graph.
Limits:
➢ Class X CT:
The obtained Vk should be greater than specified one; mag current should be less than specified
one.
Protection class CT:

The secondary limiting voltage can be calculated as follow:

➢ Vslv = Is * ALF (Rct + (VA/Is*Is))

➢ Where:
Is – rated secondary current
Rct – CT secondary resistance
VA – rated CT burden
ALF – Accuracy limit factor
➢ The mag current (Img) drawn at Vslv can be obtained from graph.
➢ The following criteria should be satisfied.
➢ Img < accuracy class * ALF * Is
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TESTING PROCEDURE OF CT

Metering Class CT:

Accuracy can be ensured as follow:

➢ Img at Vs (= 1.2 * VA / Is) should be less than (accuracy class * Is)

➢ And instrument security factor to be verified.

10. Commissioning Test

➢ After commissioning, secondary current measurement shall be carried out in CT circuits. Phase
angle check shall be done for correct direction.