This paper describes an optical voltage transducer(OVT) for a 35kV system based on Pockels effect in a BGO(Bi₄Ge₃O₁₂) crystal. OVT used to measure the voltage of power are superior to conventional electromagnet-induced voltage transducer in many aspects, thus it has great potential to applications. It has some advantages. These advantages are: 1)Optics provides total galvanic separation between the measuring point at high voltage (HV) potential and the measuring equipment at ground potential. 2)Transmission of measuring signals in optical fibers is immune to induced electromagnetic noise even in EMI-environment of switchyards and other high voltage installations. 3)Optics and especially optical fibers make the insulation costs independent of voltage levels thus giving an economical advantage at voltage levels above 100kV. 4)The use of optics is expected to reduce the weight of the transducers. 5)Optical transducers are expected to have a large bandwidth than conventional transducers. 6)The output-signals from an optical transducer are easily interfaced with computers and electronically operated equipment such as digital relays. New techniques developed in electronics and optical field including fiber optic technology bring new contributions to the measurement of voltage and electric field. A Pockels voltage sensor has been widely introduced to electrical power transmission and distribution systems and some advantage of the optical voltage measuring techniques are reported. In this paper, a brief summary of electro-optic effects and the principle of OVT is proposed. The signal processing schemes of different optical path and features are analyzed. The basic principle of OVT is to modulate the irradiance of the light-directed to OVT by an optical fiber-according to the potential difference between the HV-line and the ground potential. The modulation of the light is accomplished by placing a material-that has an optical property (the birefringence), which is sensitive to the electrical field strength (Pockels effect)-inside the OVT.

Date Published: 19 May 2006
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 6150, 2nd International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Optical Test and Measurement Technology and Equipment, 61502D (19 May 2006); doi: 10.1117/12.676888

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6150:
2nd International Symposium on Advanced Optical Manufacturing and Testing Technologies: Optical Test and Measurement Technology and Equipment
Xun Hou; Jiahu Yuan; James C. Wyant; Hexin Wang; Sen Han, Editor(s)