Dear Colleagues,
The 2nd seminar of the Spring Friday Seminar Series 2023 “Enhanced Measurement Quality of Transient Events with Optical Current Transformers: In-Depth Overview and Field Study Insights” Nikolay Ivanov (Skoltech , Russia) was given on May 19th.
Abstract:
Nowadays, new kinds of sensing technologies have been developed that also suits for power system applications. One of the promising technologies is based on optical sensors. So called, optical current transformer (OCT), is an instrument transformer that can measure currents in high-voltage power systems. Over the years, the integration of OCTs into power systems has shown their potential to enhance the quality of measurements during transient events, thus improving the monitoring, control, and protection capabilities of power systems. This presentation aims to shed light on OCT technology by providing an in-depth exploration of OCTs, their fundamental principles, design, and applications in modern power systems. The first part of the presentation will begin with an overview of the technology and the main components of OCTs. The numerous advantages of OCTs over traditional electromagnetic
current transformers (EMCTs) will be highlighted, such as improved accuracy, reduced size and weight, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and enhanced safety due to their dielectric nature. A comparison between OCTs and EMCTs will be presented, emphasizing the benefits and limitations of each technology. The second part of the presentation will delve into studies that have been carried out to investigate the capabilities of OCTs in enhancing power system protection performance. This will be achieved through an examination of the results from field tests in a 500 kV substation that offer a thorough analysis of OCTs’ performance under various transient conditions. In particular, these studies investigate the comparative analysis of EMCT and OCT performance during inrush current events, demonstrating the impact of the saturation effect of EMCT on measurements of inrush current.
The DC blocking method and the 2nd blocking method for transformer differential protection will be compared for both OCTs and EMCTs to demonstrate how power protection systems can benefit from OCT adaptation. The presentation will also showcase modelling results of inrush current that aim to support the findings obtained from the field tests and further explore
the performance of transformer differential protection under different conditions. Additionally, the presentation will explore the operation of OCTs under single phase-to-ground fault. At the end, the presentation will touch upon current research trends and future prospects for OCTs, including the potential for seamless integration with digital substations.
About the author :
Nikolay Ivanov is an accomplished Electrical Engineer specializing in Power Plants and Electrical Substations. Having earned both his
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the Samara State Technical University in Russia, Nikolay has since built a successful career in the
field. After graduation, Nikolay worked as a design engineer for relay protection and control systems in electrical substations. Currently, Nikolay is pursuing his PhD degree at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech), where his research focuses on cutting-edge digital technologies in the power and energy sector. In particular, his research in optical instrument transformers examines their impact on the performance of power protection systems. Collaborating closely with an industrial partner, Nikolay’s research promises to drive advancements in both the practical and theoretical realms.
The Friday Seminar Series is a part of the AMPaC Megagrant project supported by The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russian Federation, Grant Agreement No 075-10-2021-067, Grant identification code 000000S707521QJX0002.”