Fault Mechanism of Fiber Optical Current Transformer Based on Signal Processing Method

The fiber optical current transformer (FOCT) with sine wave modulation has been widely used in the DC transmission project, while its fault rate is much higher than that of an electromagnetic current transformer, which seriously threatens the safe operation of power grid. In order to investigate the fault mechanism of FOCT, the output signal model of the FOCT photodetector is established, and its basic methods of modulation and demodulation are analyzed to explore the influencing factors of the signal processing method used in the calculation of measured current. It is found that the reduction of the second harmonic component in the photodetector output is the root cause of FOCT fault, and the optical path, modulation signal amplitude, and measured current are important factors affecting the second harmonic component. The influencing law of three factors on the second harmonic component is calculated by simulation and the characteristic differences between them are given. Finally, the fault simulation test of FOCT light intensity and a modulation circuit were carried out in the laboratory, and the results verify the correctness of theoretical analysis. The research in this paper provides reference for fault analysis and reliability improvement of FOCT.