Development and hardware implementation of a compensating algorithm for the secondary current of current transformers

The conventional method of dealing with current-transformer (CT) saturation is overdimensioning of the core so that CTs can reproduce up to 20 times the rated current without exceeding 10% ratio correction. However, this not only reduces the sensitivity of relays, as some errors may still be present in the secondary current when a severe fault occurs, but also increases the CT size. An algorithm is described for estimating the secondary current corresponding to the CT ratio under CT saturation using the flux/current (λ/i) curve, and the results of hardware implementation of the algorithm using a digital signal processor are also presented. The main advantage of the algorithm is that it can improve the sensitivity of relays to low-level internal faults, maximise the stability of relays for external faults, and reduce the required CT-core cross-section significantly