Here I take the opportunity for solving one of the puzzles of many station

engineers in KPTCL, in the mode of indication of percentage impedance volts in many

power transformers. This can be illustrated by 2 numbers of 100MVA transformers in
NRS Bangalore, one NGEF make and the other ABB. In the NGEF make transformer
the percentage impedance volts (for 100MVA base) are indicated as 9.3, 9.88, and 12.16
for tap 1, tap 5 and tap 17 respectively. Here one can observe that the percentages are in
the increasing order. In the adjacent ABB transformer, the percentage impedance volts
(100MVA base) are indicated as 10.23, 10.02 and 9.81 for tap numbers 1, 5 and 17. Here
the percentages are in decreasing order. This complete mode of opposite indication of
the percentage volts is confusing the station engineers.

First of all the % impedance volts are given in the name plate for giving us an idea
of the total equivalent impedance and also for “heat-run” purposes. Here it must be noted
that in the olden days (as in NGEF transformer), the percentage impedance volts was for
applying the voltage on HV and keeping the secondary short circuited. When the OLTC
is on tap 1, 9.3% impedance volts was imposed on HV to produce a current of 875
amperes (LV rated current for 100 MVA base) in the short circuited winding. At tap 5,
the numbers of turns in the HV were reduced and to produce the same 875 amperes of
short circuit current in LV, you require higher impedance volts and so it is 9.88%. If the
OLTC is on tap 17, the available HV turns are still reduced and to produce the same
current of 875 amperes in the LV you need to apply still higher voltage namely 12.16%
impedance voltage.

But one would always like to handle a lower level of voltages for any purpose,
including the “heat-run” of a transformer. So the wiser move would be shorting the HV
winding and applying voltage to the LV. When HV is short circuited at tap 1 you need
10.23% impedance volts applied to the LV, to produce rated 100 MVA based HV current
of 262.5 amperes. When the same HV is short circuited at tap 5, the number of turns there
on gets reduced. So we need to apply reduced percentage impedance volts to the LV
namely 10.02. If the HV winding is short circuited at tap number 17, the number of turns
in HV winding is still reduced. So to produce the same current of 262.5 amperes in this
HV, we can provide still lower impedance percentage volts and that is 9.1%.
Thus a healthy change has been brought out in latest transformer name plate
indications, from the practical point of view. Hence both the name plates of NGEF and
ABB transformers of NRS, Rajajinagar Bangalore are correct, though appear to be
indicating opposites (suitable to the times and years of manufacture.)

-------------G. A. Narayana Swamy B. E. Retired engineer KEB----------------