4  Application

400 kV 765 kV
Coupling transformer with current transformers 
(1 x 400 kV side and 2 x 765 kV side, distance 500 m).
To each current transformer a GPS-synchronized CPC 100
is connected to supply the test current.

Current transformer
3,200:1
Current transformer
3,200:1 CPC 100 with CMGPS

Current transformer
3,200:1

400 kV:765 kV coupling transformer CPC 100 with CMGPS

CPC 100 with CMGPS (YNyn0, 2,000 MVA)

When full power

is required
GPS-synchronized measurement Differential protective relays are used to protect
power transformers. These devices measure and
using the CPC 100 compare the currents on the high- and medium-
voltage side. If the sum of the currents flowing
into the transformer does not match the currents
flowing out, the protective relay trips. Eskom
(South Africa) needed to test the protective relay
scheme of a 400 kV to 765 kV power transformer,
whose current transformers are located some
500 m apart. The testing devices used therefore
had to meet two requirements. Firstly, they had
to be synchronized due to the large distance be-
tween the measuring points, and secondly they
By Alexander Dierks, Alectrix and also had to be capable of providing sufficiently
Jan Cronjé, Eskom PTM Witbank, South Africa
high test currents. The CPC 100 from OMICRON
perfectly fulfills these requirements.

OMICRON  Magazine | Volume 2 Issue 2 2011


765 kV line as new backbone
Eskom is the energy supply company in South Africa. The majority
of power plants in South Africa are located in the north-east.
However, the main load centers of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth,
and Durban are located further to the south-west. A 765 kV grid
has been under construction for three years and is set to connect
these regions to the power plants. To date, connection has been
Application  5
via a 400 kV grid. However, due to growing energy requirements,
this grid had to be upgraded to higher voltages, for which 400 kV
to 765 kV transformers are needed in the substations. A complete
inspection of the relay configuration, the setting parameters, the
secondary wiring, as well as the polarity of the current transform-
ers needs to be performed during commissioning.
OMICRON  Magazine | Volume 2 Issue 2 2011
6  Application

210 A at 180˚

400 A at 0˚

210 A

Problem: Asymmetry within the Measured at the relay on the secondary side: 

output current would have tripped 2 x 105 A on the 765 kV side, 400 A on the 400 kV side,
the protective relay immediately. results in a stabilization current of 210 A with very small
differential current – the protective relay does not trip.

Looking for a new testing method
To date, testing the configuration of the
protective devices involved the trans-
former being short-circuited on the
medium-voltage side and injected from
a three-phase supply on the high-voltage
side. All currents were then measured on
the primary and secondary side of the
current transformers, which allowed the
configuration of the respective protective
element to be scrutinized. This same test,
however, cannot be applied to 400 kV to
765 kV transformers. A typical primary test
current of 5.5 A would result in barely any
measurable current on the secondary side
of the 3,200 : 1 current transformers used.
Eskom therefore was looking for a new ap-
proach and utilized the universal CPC 100
testing system from OMICRON.
Three testing devices, each
synchronized via GPS
The set-up is problematic, as the dis-
tance between the current transformers
on the high- and medium-voltage side
is around 500 m. The only way to take
measurements is therefore to use three
synchronized CPC 100 units (two of which
are on the high-voltage side). Two chal-
lenges need to be mastered. Firstly, the
phase angle of the testing system's output
signals needs to be synchronized, and
secondly the fault inception must be time-
synchronized. For the first challenge, the
mains voltage is used as the basis for the
phase synchronization and fed in to the
V1 AC input. The respective supply must
be in phase synchronism for this to work.
GPS real-time technology is used to ensure
time-synchronism. Here, the binary output
signal from a CMGPS is fed into the binary
input.
Successful measurement
Initial testing in a laboratory, during
which the test current of 1 A was ramped
up to 80 A, highlighted an asymmetry.
Whereas the test curves of two CPC 100
units were absolutely identical, the third
was initially one and a half waves off. This
would have caused the protective relay to
trip immediately. However, a second test
then led to the desired successful result.
The test object was initially injected with
10 A, and was then ramped up via an
intermediate step of 40 A to 80 A using
the sequencer test card. The test set-up
was subsequently recreated for the actual
system to be tested. 400 A was injected
on the medium-voltage 400 kV side. As
per the winding factor of 1.91, currents
of 2 x 105 A were injected on the high-
voltage 765 kV side. The stabilization
current of 210 A could then be read off
from the measurement curves. However,
the key was that the protective relay did –
as desired – not operate. The relay in fact
only tripped (correctly) during simulation
of a fault in the transformer, during which
the fault current was increased to 3,000 A.
OMICRON's CPC 100 proves its value
With the universal testing device CPC 100
from OMICRON, Eskom has found a per-
fect solution for measuring its differential
protective elements. Following the good
test results, the GPS-synchronized testing
procedure is now to be included in the
testing standard. The values gained using
this approach allow reliable assessment
to be made about the operability of the
differential protective relay. The tried and
tested CPC 100 really proved its value.
Eskom
Eskom is the energy supply company
in South Africa. Some 95% of the
energy requirements in South Africa
and 45% of the energy requirements
throughout the whole of Africa are
covered by Eskom.

OMICRON  Magazine | Volume 2 Issue 2 2011   www.eskom.co.za