G.N.I.T.S.

– EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

AIM: 1. Study the performance of current Transformer and potential Transformers.

2. Determine voltage distribution and string efficiency of suspension insulator with
and without guard ring.
APPARATUS:
For CT and PT
S.No Apparatus Range Quantity
1. 1-Φ Auto transformer 230/0-260V 01
2. Current source transformer 0-20A 01
3. Voltage source transformer 0-400V 01
10/5A, 01
4. Current transformer
20/5A 01
400/110V, 01
5. Voltage transformer
220/110V 01
6. Digital Ammeters 0 – 20A 02
7. Digital Voltmeters 0 – 500V 02
8. Connecting Wires - As required

For Insulator
S.No Apparatus Rating Quantity
1. 1-Φ Auto transformer 230/0-110V 01
2. Digital Voltmeter 300V 01
2 µF 03
3. Capacitors 10 µF 04
1 µF 03
4. Connecting wires --- As required

THEORY:
1. Current transformers reduce high voltage currents to a much lower value and provide a
convenient way of safely monitoring the actual electrical current flowing in an AC
transmission line using a standard ammeter. The principal of operation of a basic
current transformer is slightly different from that of an ordinary voltage transformer.
Current transformers can reduce or “step-down” current levels from thousands of
amperes down to a standard output of a known ratio to either 5 Amps or 1 Amp for
normal operation. Thus, small and accurate instruments and control devices can be used
with CT’s because they are insulated away from any high-voltage power lines. There are
a variety of metering applications and uses for current transformers such as with
Wattmeter’s, power factor meters, watt-hour meters, protective relays, or as trip coils
in magnetic circuit breakers, or MCB’s.

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 G.N.I.T.S. – EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

2. Potential transformer or voltage transformer gets used in electrical power system for
stepping down the system voltage to a safe value which can be fed to low ratings meters
and relays. The system voltage is applied across the terminals of primary winding of
that transformer, and then proportionate secondary voltage appears across the
secondary terminals of the PT. The secondary voltage of the PT is generally 110V. In an
ideal potential transformer or voltage transformer, when rated burden gets connected
across the secondary; the ratio of primary and secondary voltages of transformer is
equal to the turn’s ratio and furthermore, the two terminal voltages are in precise phase
opposite to each other. But in actual transformer, there must be an error in the voltage
ratio as well as in the phase angle between primary and secondary voltages.
3. Insulator A string of suspension insulators consists of a number of porcelain discs
connected in series through metallic links. Each disc forms a capacitor C as shown in Fig.
This is known as mutual capacitance or self-capacitance. However, in actual practice,
capacitance also exists between metal fitting of each disc and tower or earth. This is
known as shunt capacitance C1. Due to shunt capacitance, charging current is not the
same through all the discs of the string. Therefore, voltage across each disc will be
different. Obviously, the disc nearest to the line conductor will have the maximum
voltage. Thus referring to Fig. V1 will be much more than V2 or V3.

Fig. String of Suspension insulators

STRING EFFICIENCY:
The voltage applied across the string of suspension insulators is not uniformly distributed
across various units or discs. The ratio of voltage across the whole string to the product
of number of discs and the voltage across the disc nearest to the conductor is known as
string efficiency.
Voltage across the string
String efficiency =
n × Voltage across disc nearest to conductor
Where n = number of discs in the string.

Page 2 of 8
 G.N.I.T.S. – EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

String efficiency is an important consideration since it decides the potential distribution

along the string. The greater the string efficiency, the more uniform is the voltage
distribution.
METHODS OF IMPROVING STRING EFFICIENCY:
(I) BY USING LONGER CROSS-ARMS. The value of string efficiency depends upon the
value of K i.e., ratio of shunt capacitance to mutual capacitance. The lesser the value of K,
the greater is the string efficiency and more uniform is the voltage distribution. In
practice, K = 0·1 is the limit that can be achieved by this method.
(II)BY GRADING THE INSULATORS. In this method, insulators of different dimensions
are so chosen that each has a different capacitance. The insulators are capacitance
graded i.e. they are assembled in the string in such a way that the top unit has the
minimum capacitance, increasing progressively as the bottom unit (i.e., nearest to
conductor) is reached. This method has the disadvantage that a large number of
different-sized insulators are required.
(III) BY USING A GUARD RING.
The potential across each unit in a string can be equalized
by using a guard ring which is a metal ring electrically
connected to the conductor and surrounding the bottom
insulator as shown in the Fig. The guard ring introduces
capacitance between metal fittings and the line conductor.
The guard rings contoured in such a way that shunt
capacitance currents i1, i2 etc. are equal to metal fitting line
capacitance currentsi′1, i′2 etc. The result is that same
charging current I flows through each unit of string.
Consequently, there will be uniform potential distribution
across the units.

CURRENT TRANSFORMER CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

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 G.N.I.T.S. – EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

PROCEDURE:
1. Connect the circuit diagram for 10/5A CT.
2. 1-Φ Variac should be in minimum position.
3. Keep change over switch in CT mode, then switch on mains.
4. Apply current by varying 1-Φ Variac to primary side of CT in steps of 2A starting
from 2A upto 10A.
5. Note down the primary and secondary digital ammeter readings.
6. Bring back the 1-Φ Variac to its minimum position and switch off the mains.
7. Connect the circuit diagram for 20/5A CT.
8. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
9. Apply current by varying 1-Φ Variac to primary side of CT in steps of 4A starting
from 4A upto 20A.
10. Note down the primary and secondary digital ammeter readings.
11. Bring back the 1-Φ Variac to its minimum position and switch off the mains.

TABULAR FORM:
For 10/5A CT Ratio is 0.5
CT Primary CT Secondary Calculated % Error
S.No
(A) (A) Ratio
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

For 20/5A CT Ratio is 0.25

CT Primary CT Secondary Calculated % Error
S.No
(A) (A) Ratio
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Page 4 of 8
 G.N.I.T.S. – EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

POTENTIAL TRANSFORMER CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

PROCEDURE:
1. Connect the circuit diagram for 220/110V PT.
2. 1-Φ Variac should be in minimum position.
3. Keep change over switch in PT mode, then switch on mains.
4. Apply voltage from the 1-Φ Variac to primary side of PT in steps of 40V starting
from 40V upto 200V.
5. Note down the primary and secondary digital voltmeter readings.
6. Bring back the 1-Φ Variac to its minimum position and switch off the mains.
7. Connect the circuit diagram for 440/110V PT.
8. Repeat steps 2 and 3.
9. Apply voltage from the 1-Φ Variac to primary side of PT in steps of 80V starting
from 80V upto 400V.
10. Note down the primary and secondary digital voltmeter readings.
11. Bring back the 1-Φ Variac to its minimum position and switch off the mains.

TABULAR FORM:
For 220/110V PT Ratio is 0.5
PT Primary PT Secondary Calculated % Error
S.No
(V) (V) Ratio
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Page 5 of 8
 G.N.I.T.S. – EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

For 440/110V PT Ratio is 0.25

PT Primary PT Secondary Calculated % Error
S.No
(V) (V) Ratio
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

INSULATOR CIRCUIT DIAGRAM:

WITHOUT GUARD RING

MCB Fuse C1 C E4 STRING

S4

C1 C E3
S3 E
1 Phase,
230V, 50 Hz,
C E2
AC Supply C1
S2

1-Phase, G C E1
0 – 230 V S1
Variac
Fig : Without Guard Ring

WITH GUARD RING STRING

C1 C E4 C2
MCB Fuse S7 S10
S4

C1 C E3
S8 C2 S11
S3
1 Phase,
230V, 50 Hz,
C E2
AC Supply C1 C2
S2 S9 S12

1-Phase, G C E1
0 – 110 V S1
Variac

GUARD
RING
Fig : With Guard Ring

Page 6 of 8
 G.N.I.T.S. – EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

PROCEDURE:
Without Guard Ring:
1. Connect the circuit as per circuit diagram for without guard ring.
2. Switch on the mains.
3. Apply voltage from the 1-Φ Variac across the string in steps of 20V starting from
30V upto 110V.
4. Note down voltage across S1 and S2(which is to be noted as E1); S2 and S3(which is
to be noted as E2); S3 and S4(which is to be noted as E3) ; S4 to G( which is to be
noted as E4); S1 to G( which is to be noted as E).
5. Bring back the 1-Φ Variac to its minimum position and switch off the mains.
6. Calculate the string efficiency without guard ring.

With Guard Ring:

1. Connect the circuit as per circuit diagram for with guard ring. Make connections
between S1-S10, S1-S11 and S1-S12
2. Switch on the mains.
3. Apply voltage from the 1-Φ Variac across the string in steps of 20V starting from
30V to 110V.
4. Note down voltage across S1 and S2(which is to be noted as E1); S2 and S3(which is
to be noted as E2); S3 and S4(which is to be noted as E3) ; S4 to G( which is to be
noted as E4); S1 to G( which is to be noted as E).
5. Bring back the 1-Φ Variac to its minimum position and switch off the mains.
6. Calculate the string efficiency with guard ring.

CALCULATIONS:
Voltage across the string
String Effciency 
number of units in the string  Voltage across the unit near the power conductor

TABULAR COLUMNS:
Without Guard Ring:

S.No E(V) E1(V) E2(V) E3(V) E4(V) String

Efficiency
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Page 7 of 8
 G.N.I.T.S. – EEE DEPARTMENT
POWER SYSTEMS LAB
III B.Tech EEE-II Semester Experiment No: 1
Testing of CT, PT and Insulator Strings

With Guard Ring:

S.No E(V) E1(V) E2(V) E3(V) E4(V) String
Efficiency
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

RESULT:

Name Roll No Sign Date Marks Incharge

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