Simulation of Interwire Short Circuits in Transformer

Windings by Means of Simulink MATLAB

Daniil I. Ivanchenko1, Artem I. Smirnov2

#
Electromechanical Faculty; Department of Electrical Engineering
Saint Petersburg Mining University
Saint Petersburg, Russia
1
Ivanchenko_DI@pers.spmi.ru, 2 smiartem@mail.ru

Abstract— The paper deals with simulation of transformer
interwire faults in Simulink MATLAB. Transformer with short
circuited wires was simulated as multiwinding transformer.
Model was applied for analysis of transients in power
transformer, such as interwire fault, transformer inrush, and
fault in transformer connections. Simulation results were
compared to experimental data, obtained with laboratory
transformer, and showed satisfactory precision. Presented model
allows calculation of transformer fault currents and analysis of
other transients, such as inrush and overload.
insulation winding end winding fault happen. Interwire fault
could happen between coils of same or different phases. Short
circuits between coils and wires of transformer windings are
most common for early stages of transformer faults.
In cases of interwire fault transformer can be considered as
multiwinding transformer [12]. Structural model of ideal
single-phase transformer in case of interwire fault is presented
on fig.1.

Keywords—Transformer; short circuit; interwire fault;

simulation; transient

I. INTRODUCTION
Power transformers are important part of any electric power
system, and significantly affect the sustainability and reliability
of power supply. The transformer reliability is dependent on
effective relay protection operation. Main problems in relay
protection are failures in case of turn-to-turn fault in the Fig. 1. Structural model of transformer with interwire fault
transformer and in unjustified tripping in case of transients in A. Secondary winding interwire fault
energy system outside the protected zone [1], [2].
In case of short circuit between wires of second winding
As a result of growing energy capacity of modern industry W2 , two magnetically coupled coils are formed. First coil
[3], [4], [5] the failure of relay protection in case of interwire
fault will lead significant damage caused to the transformer by have number of turns W2b = βW2 , β < 1 and is short
fault currents and results high repair costs.
circuited. Second coil have number of turns W2 h = (1 − β )W2 .
The major methods for increasing sensitivity of relay
protection are calculation of components most sensitive to Short circuit current is specified by resistance R2b , leakage
interwire faults from transformer currents. Examples of such inductance Ls 2b , number of short-circuited turns W2b and
components are symmetrical components, dq0 transform,
wavelet transform and other [6], [7], [8], [9]. In order to fault resistance Rarc−b . Calculation of Ls 2b и R2b is
estimate and improve algorithms of relay protection, simulation
established by means of electromagnetic field theory [13],[14].
of transformer transients is required [10], [11].
For a first approximation it is possible to consider, that the
This study is dedicated to development of transformer parameters of short circuited part if winding W2 b are
model in Simulink MATLAB, which would provide
calculation of transformer transients in cases of internal faults proportional to relative number of short circuited turns:
in transformer, and other transients such as transformer inrush,
R2b = βR2 ; Ls 2b = βLs 2 (1)
required for relay protection configuration.
II. TRANSFORMER SIMULATION Where R2 и Ls 2 – resistance and leakage inductance of
Internal short circuits in transformer occur if insulation of secondary winding of healthy transformer, which related to
transformer windings is damaged. In case of main insulation parameters of short circuit Rsc and Lsc by formulas:
damage ground faults take place; in case of longitudinal

977 978-1-7281-0339-6/19/$31.00 ©2019 IEEE

 Rsc 2 L 2 2 W (2) flux to current characteristic of magnetic core, ie – excitation
R2 = ⋅ n21 ; L2 s = sc ⋅ n21 ; n21 = 2
2 2 W1 current of transformer.
The current i2 of secondary winding with number of turns Excitation current ie is calculated from current of
W2 h = (1 − β ) ⋅ W2 passes through equivalent resistance Re transformer windings i1 , i2 and current of short circuited
and inductance Le of the load. Parameters of winding W2 h wires i1b , i2b as magnetomotive forces of magnetic circuit in
are calculated as: loaded and unloaded transformer Fl and Fnl are equal:
Ls 2 h = (1 − β ) ⋅ Ls 2 ; R2 h = (1 − β ) ⋅ R2 (3) Fl = Fnl ; Fnl = ieW1 ; (6)
F1 = i1W1h − i1bW1b − i2W2 h − i2bW2b
Currents i2 , i2b and current of short circuited mesh isc 2
in winding W2b are calculated from Kirchhoff equations for Considering relation between currents i1b , i2b , currents
circuit on fig.1: i1 , i2 and currents isc1 , isc 2 , the equation can be established:

u μ 2 = R2 hi2 + L2 h ⋅
di2
+ u2 ; ie = i1 − isc1α − n21 ⋅ (isc 2 β + i2 a ) (7)
dt
C. Simulink MATLAB implementation simulation
dΦ
u μ 2 = n21u μ1 ; u μ1 = W1 ⋅ 1 ; (4) In accordance with previously established set of constitutive
dt equations of transformer, structural diagram of the calculation
di2b (fig.2) was developed.
u μ 2b = R2bi2 + Ls 2b ⋅ + Rarc 2i2 ;
dt
u μ 2b = βn21u μ1 ; i2b = i2 + isc 2
Where Φ1 – magnetic flux of core with length lc , on which
coils W1 и W2 are situated, u 2 – load voltage.
B. Primary winding interwire fault
In case of shirt circuit in primary winding, two magnetically
coupled coils with the number of turns W1b = αW1 and
W1h = (1 − α )W1 are formed. The parameter α is a relative
number of short circuited turns. Parameters of those coils
R1b , Ls1b and R1h , Ls1h are calculated as: Fig. 2. Structural diagram of calculation of transformer constitutive
equations
Ls 2 h = (1 − β ) ⋅ Ls 2 ; R2 h = (1 − β ) ⋅ R2 (5)

Where Rsc , Lsc – rated short circuited values of healthy

transformer.
Currents i1 , i2 b and current of short circuited mesh isc1 are
calculated from Kirchhoff equations in the same order as for
short circuit in secondary winding:
di1
u1 = R1hi1 + Ls1h ⋅ + u μ1 ;
dt
dψ 1
u μ1 = F1 (ia ) = ; ia = (ie − iμ ); (5)
dt
di
u μ1b = αu μ1 = R1bisc1 + Ls1b ⋅ sc1 + Rarc1isc1 ;
st
iμ = F2 (ψ 1 ); isc1 = i1 + i1b
Fig. 3. Structural diagram of SimPower BlockSet connection implemenation
Where F1 (ia ) – current to voltage characteristic of As the simulation of transients in transformer in cases of
nonlinear resistor, equivalent to magnetic losses, F2 (ψ 1 ) – transients in electric grid is required, it those were implemented

978
by means of SimPowerSystems BlockSet. In order to couple
calculation blocks in Simulink with models, made with
SimPowerSystems BlockSet library, model of transformer was
connected through Controlled Current Source and Voltage
Measurement blocks.
Structural diagram of connection of three-phase delta-wye
transformer is represented on fig.3.Each phase of three-phase
transformer represented by single-phase transformer.
Subsystems Phase_A, Phase_B and Phase_C, are structural
diagrams of calculation of single phase transformer constitutive
equation
III. SIMULATION RESULTS
Simulation results are represented by means of
oscillograms of transformer winding currents for cases of
interwire faults, external fault and inrush currents for modelled
power transformer 35\6 kV, 6 MVA.

Current of short-circuited mesh in case β = 0.05 , current

of primary and current of secondary windings, rated to primary
winding, are represented on fig. 4. Peak value of current in
short-circuited mesh with fault resistance 1 mOhm is 3400 A.
Fig. 4. Short circuit current - а) and current of primary (1) and related
Interwire fault cases the increase of primary winding phase current of secondary (2) windings - b) for the case of 5% short circuted wires
current peak value from 107 A to 136 A. Meanwhile secondary in secondary winding
winding phase current peak value, rated to primary winding, is
slightly reduced from 107 A to 104 A. In healthy phases
primary winding phase current peak value increases to 113 A
and 118 A respectively, while secondary winding phase current
peak value decreases to 106 А and 108 А respectively.
Comparison of experimental data obtained for laboratory
single-phase laboratory transformer and with simulation results
showed good correspondence. Error in calculation of
instantaneous current values was not higher than 8%.
Oscillograms of rated currents of primary and secondary
winding currents in case of short circuit between 4% of Fig. 5. Current of primary (1) and related current secondary (2) windings
secondary windings are represented on fig. 5. This diagram in case of 4% short circuted wires in secondary winding
shows that winding currents in case of interwire short-circuit
Transformer inrush currents are represented on fig.6 and
change insignificantly. In order to identify interwire fault, more
form dynamical nonsinusoidal and asymmetrical system of
detailed analysis of signals is required.
three-phase currents.

Fig. 6. Inrush curents of three-phase transformer.

Calculation of primary winding currents in case of external

fault in secondary winding connections is represented on fig.7.
External fault currents have significant aperiodical component.
After the fault clearance current transients are caused by
voltage recovery and are similar to inrush currents of

979
transformer (fig.6). Secondary windings currents transients are
similar to those of primary windings.
Fig. 7. Primary winding currents during the external fault – а) and after
failt clearance – b).
IV. CONCLUSIONS
In case of interwire faults transformer can be viewed as
multiwinding transformer. Fault currents are limited by
resistance and leakage inductance of formed coils, and fault
resistance.
In order to implement developed structural diagram of
calculation of transformer constitutive equations into
SimPowerSystems BlockSet model, transformer was connected
through Controlled Current Source and Voltage Measurement
blocks.
Model was applied for analysis of transients in power
transformer, such as interwire fault, transformer inrush, and
fault in transformer connections. Results of simulations
showed, that developed model adequately represents those
processes.
The developed model allows simulation and analysis of
interwire faults and other transients in one-phase or three-phase
transformers.
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