Recent development of optical electric current transformer and its obstacles

Conventional electromagnetic induction-based current transformers suffer from issues such as bulky and complex structures, slow response times, and low safety levels. Consequently, researchers have explored combining various sensing technologies with optical fibers to develop optical current transformers that could become the primary choice for power systems in the future. With the maturation of optoelectronic technology, optical current transformers have emerged. They offer outstanding advantages, including high sensitivity, integration, stability, and the ability to operate in complex environments. This review categorizes optical current transformers based on different principles, including all-fiber current transformers, those based on magnetostrictive effects, magneto-optic effects, and thermal effects. It also discusses their principles, structures, manufacturing techniques, and signal processing, while forecasting their future development trends.