3D Electromagnetic Field Analysis Applied to Evaluate the Accuracy of a Voltage Transformer under Distorted Voltage

Abstract

Voltage transformers (VTs) are an important element of the measuring system that allows measuring the energy flow in medium and high voltage networks. Additional problems with the accuracy of the measurement introduced by the appearance of sources and nonlinear receivers cause deformation of the voltage shape in the energy system. Due to the high metrological requirements, the design of voltage transformers requires high accuracy (for class 0.2 ∆U ≤ 0.2, phase displacement ≤10 min), which is not possible with the use of analytical methods using approximate models. Therefore, only the application of numerical modeling by the finite element method, taking into account real three-dimensional phenomena, allows achieving high modeling accuracy. The article concerns the phenomenon of the influence of voltage higher harmonics of supply voltage on the accuracy (up to the 100th harmonic) of the measuring inductive voltage transformer (IVT). The applied modeling method takes into account the phenomena in the transformer core and the circuit equations resulting from the winding arrangement, which allows for the study of the deformation voltage transformation. Experimental tests on a real model to evaluate the method used were necessary. The article presents simulations for a model transformer, and results have been confirmed by experimental tests.