Testing Current And Current Transformers From Omicron

By Ben Riley on 24th April, 2013

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When Only The Highest Accuracy Will Do 

Omicron current and voltage transformers (generally referred to as instrument transformers) have been used for measurement and protection purposes in electricity grids for more than 100 years. They have always worked reliably but changes in power networks and smart grid have led to greater levels of accuracy being required, which must be verified through testing.

To date, instrument transformers have needed to be removed, replaced by a laboratory for testing. This can obviously take a lot of time and costs a great deal of money, which has caused many to shy away from such high voltage testing altogether. However, Omicron offers testing systems which allow highly accurate, automated inspections in line with the appropriate standards and which can be used directly on site.

Instrument Transformers As Testing & Protective Equipment
Current and voltage transformers serve measurement and protective purposes. They convert relatively high currents and voltages into low, safe, and easily measurable values, while at the same time electronically isolating high voltage and secondary equipment. Instrument transformers are therefore, key elements in the accurate recording of energy flows in power grids.

Strict Requirements
Ensuring security of supply and fault-free operation, means compliance with strict requirements in terms of operational reliability. After all, the goal is for the transformer’s accuracy to remain constant and for it to require as little maintenance as possible throughout its 40 year service life. Class requirements therefore have to be met, otherwise, safety related faults can occur, which in turn can generate high cost and jeopardise safe operation. Added to this is the fact that transmission networks are increasingly being converted to smart grids creating new requirements in terms of flexibility, transmission performance and feed options.

Unparalleled Products From Omicron
Omicron has developed many special capabilities in the field of instrument transformer testing technology. The time, effort and money that instrument transformer testing used to involve, often prevented regular inspections from taking place. But Omicron now offers systems which allow simple on-site testing and enable operators to meet many diverse transformer testing requirements.

Video : Testing of IEC 61850 Automated Substations With Omicron CPC 100

In substations with automation systems according to IEC 61850, network technologies are used for different types of information exchange. Binary information like switch positions or switching commands can be transmitted via the substation network. Analog voltage and current values can also be transmitted. From instrument transformers or sensors, the merging unit collects the measured values, merges these sampled values into a data stream belonging to one feeder, and publishes them to the substation network. The Omicron CPC 100 can test the ratio and polarity of instrument transformers in IEC 61850 applications.

Omicron High Voltage Testing Current & Voltage Transformers

Category:  Electrical Safety & Arc Flash

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