Klaus Bohnert ABB FOCS

contribution presented by
Hubert Brändle Fiber-Optic Current
ABB Switzerland Sensor
Summer Workshop of Swiss Chapter of IEEE PES, 05-06-02
© ABB Group - 1 -
6-Jun-05
 ABB FOCS - Fiber-optic current sensor

FOCS for high-voltage FOCS for electrochemical

substations industry
© ABB Group - 2 -
6-Jun-05
 Optical Current Sensor in HV Substations

Merits

„ No magnetic saturation
„ Small size and low weight
„ Integration into circuit breakers, bushings, etc
„ Smaller installation costs
„ High accuracy, large dynamic range
„ High bandwidth
„ Substation electronics isolated from high voltage
„ No risk of catastrophic failure (explosion)
© ABB Group - 3 -
6-Jun-05
 Fiber-Optic Current Sensor (FOCS)

Orthogonal linear
y light waves
x Left and right
circular light waves

retarder
Fiber
Light source, detection,
signal processor
Reflector
Current
out
conductor

∆φ Sensing
F fiber coil

∆φ F = 4V N ∫ H • ds
© ABB Group - 4 -

Current-induced phase shift:

6-Jun-05

∆φF = 4 V N I
 Fiber Quarterwave Retarder

sensing fiber
elliptical- core
fiber λ/4 retarder

L B/4
.5 mm
~1
45° splice

elliptical-core fiber

circular
45°
polarization

λ /4
fiber core
linear
polarization
© ABB Group - 5 -
6-Jun-05
 Temperature Compensation of Faraday Effect
retardation ρ

1.04 effect of temperature dependent retarder, ρ = 100.4°

Reflective current sensor -4 -1
-40°C with (1/ρ) δρ/δT = -2.2x10 °C
1.02
Normalized Scale Factor

Normalized Scale Factor

1.03
90°C
combined contributions
1.01
1.02 contribution from
temperature-dependent Verdet constant
-4 -1
(1/V) δV/δT = 0.7x10 °C
1.01
1.00

1.00 80 90 100 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80

Retardation (deg) Temperature (°C)
© ABB Group - 6 -
6-Jun-05
 FOCS for HV Circuit Breaker

Optical fiber
coil

Current
conductor

Light source &

signal processor
Fiber cable

Output
© ABB Group - 7 -
6-Jun-05
 FOCS for HV Circuit Breaker
Conventional current
measurement
Circuit breakers
SF6 gas
Circuit breaker

Sensing fiber coil

Current

Fiber cable
Sensor
electronics
© ABB Group - 8 -
6-Jun-05
 FOCS for HV Circuit Breaker
Conventional 170 kV current Sensor installation
transformers in 170 kV breaker

Current sensor
© ABB Group - 9 -
6-Jun-05
 FOCS for Electrochemical Industry
Aluminum smelting (Hall-Heroult
process)
- Al2O3 is dissolved in molten cryolite (Na3AlF6)

- Pure Al is produced by electrolysis:

2Al2O3 + 3C ---> 4Al + 3CO2

Total smelter current: up to 500 kA

Energy use: 15.7 kWh / kg Al

World production in 2002: 21.2 Million tons

(110 smelters)
© ABB Group - 10 -
6-Jun-05

Carbon anodes
 Hall Effect Based DC Current Transformers

400 kA
© ABB Group - 11 -
6-Jun-05
 Fiber-Optic Current Sensor

cu
rre
nt
© ABB Group - 12 -
6-Jun-05
 Fiber-Optic Current Sensor
© ABB Group - 13 -
6-Jun-05
© ABB Group - 14 -
6-Jun-05

FOCS for Power Rectifier

 Signal vs Current

Relative error (%)

±1%
1
100
Signal (kA)

10 -1

-2
10 100
© ABB Group - 15 -

Current (kA)
6-Jun-05
 Sensor Signal vs Fiber Coil Temperature

1.008
Constant current
experiment
Signal (normalized)

1.004
theory
±0.1%

1.000

0.996

0.992
-20 0 20 40 60 80
Coil temperature (°C)
© ABB Group - 16 -
6-Jun-05
 Signal vs Time

Signal at constant current

24 h period 50 day period

1.004 1.004
I = 7693 A DC, 1 fiber loop
±0.1 % ±0.1 %
1.002

Signal (normalized)
1.002
Signal (normalized)

1.000 1.000

0.998 0.998

Data points with 1s averaging

0.996 0.996
0 6 12 18 24 0 10 20 30 40 50
Time (hours) Time (days)
© ABB Group - 17 -
6-Jun-05
 Signal vs Conductor Position

1.002
Fiber coil
±0.1 % Conductor
Signal (normalized)

1.001

1.000

0.999
I = const

0.998
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
© ABB Group - 18 -

Conductor position
6-Jun-05
 FOCS Calibration
Reproducibility at repeated sensor head
assembly and disassembly
1.002
Constant current
+/-0.1%
1.001
Normalized signal

1.000

0.999

0.998
© ABB Group - 19 -

1 2 3 4
Repetition number
6-Jun-05
 Sensor Insensitive to Vibration
Vibration-induced signal versus acceleration

Signal in terms of equivalent current (Arms) Coil

15 vibration frequency = 50 Hz
housing

vibration direction : Vibration

10
coil
housing

5 Sensor for high-voltage

substation

0
© ABB Group - 20 -

0 2 4 6 8 10
Acceleration (g)
6-Jun-05
 ABB Fiber-Optic Current Sensor

Nominated for Swiss Technology Award 2005, Hermes Award 2005

© ABB Group - 21 -
6-Jun-05