‘All- optical’ transducers
These instrument transformers are based entirely on optical material and are fully passive. The sensing function is achieved directly by the sensing material and a simple fiber optic cable running between the base of the unit and the sensor location provides the communication link.
The sensing element is made of an optical material that is positioned in the electric or magnetic field to be sensed. In the case of a current measuring device the sensitive element is either located free in the magnetic field (Figure 6.19(a)) or it can be immersed in a field-shaping magnetic ‘gap’ (Figure 6.19(b)). In the case of a voltage-sensing device (Figure 6.20) the same alternatives exist, this time for elements that are sensitive to electric fields. The possibility exists of combining both sensors within a single housing, thus providing both a CT and VT within a single compact housing that gives rise to space savings within a substation.
In all cases there is an optical fiber that channels the probing reference light from a source into the medium and another fiber that channels the light back to analyzing circuitry. In sharp contrast with a conventional free-standing instrument transformer, the optical instrument transformer needs an electronic interface module in order to function. Therefore its sensing principle (the optical material) is passive but its operational integrity relies on the interface that is powered in the control room (Figure 6.21).
Similar to conventional instrument transformers there are ‘live tank’ and ‘dead tank’ optical transducers. Typically, current transducers take the shape of a closed loop of light-transparent material, fitted around a straight conductor carrying the line current (Figure 6.22). In this case a buki-glass sensor unit is depicted (Figure 6.22(a)), along with an ‘all-optical’ sensor example, as shown in Figure 6.22(b). Light detectors are basically very sensitive devices and the sensing material can thus be selected in such a way as to scale-up readily for larger currents. ‘all-optical’ voltage transducers however do not lend themselves easily for extremely high line voltages. Two concepts using a ‘full-voltage’ sensor are shown in Figure 6.23
Although ‘all-optical’ instrument transformers were first introduced 10-15 years ago, there are still only a few in service nowadays. Figure 6.24 shows a field installation of a combined optical CT/VT.