Application of power current microsensors to current measurements in gas-insulated switchgears

Modern primary distribution substations often adopt SF6 gas insulated switchgears (GISs) to reduce the overall construction space. Traditional current transformers (CTs), which are generally used in GISs for current measurement, consist of magnetic cores. These cores are bulky and increase the minimum space required inside GISs. Moreover, the occurrence of faults causes saturation in traditional CTs; this leads to distortion of detected current waveforms, which in turn triggers false responses in protective systems. The recently proposed power current microsensors based on the Hall effect have many advantages over traditional CTs, including smaller volume, quicker response, and wider measurement range, and they do not face the above-mentioned saturation problem. This study assesses the feasibility of replacing traditional CTs inside GISs with power current microsensors, taking into account certain actual conditions, including: (1) the actual distance between two adjoining cables inside GISs, (2) the worst...