Optical High-Voltage Sensor Based on Fiber Bragg Grating and PZT Piezoelectric Ceramics

Electric power facilities, such as substations, rely on voltage transformers (VTs) for measurement and protection. These pieces of equipment are bulky and heavy and tend to explode, destroying nearby equipment and posing a threat to substation personnel. Optical voltage transducers offer many improvements on traditional inductive and capacitive VTs, such as linear performance, wider dynamic range, lighter weight, smaller size, and improved safety. This paper relates to the development of a high-voltage sensor system using a PZT piezoelectric crystal as a transducer and a fiber Bragg grating as a sensor for an optical VT for a 13.8-kV class. The results show that the developed sensor is capable of attaining the International Electrotechnical Commission 0.2%-accuracy class for the revenue metering system.