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Engineering
 M INRUSH CURRENT
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JAMSHORO

Dr. Mukhtiar Ahmed Mahar

Department
Professor
of
Electrical Department of Electrical Engineering
Engineering
Mehran University of Engineering and
Technology Jamshoro
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material as provided in globally accepted law of many countries.
The contents of presentations are intended only for the
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Engineering
 What is Inrush Current?
➢ When you first turn on an electrical device, the
maximum, instantaneous input current drawn by the

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electrical device is called the Inrush Current.

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➢ This current is also called input surge current.

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 What is Inrush Current?
Example:

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➢ Incandescent light bulbs – draw large currents until their
filaments warm up .

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➢ AC electric motors - draw several times their normal full
loads current when first energized

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➢ Power converters – draw high inrush current relative to
their steady currents

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 What is Inrush Current of Transformer?
◼ When a transformer is taken off-line, a certain amount of residual
flux remains in the core due to the properties of the magnetic core
material. The residual flux can be as much as 50 to 90% of the

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maximum operating flux, depending the type of core steel.

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◼ When voltage is reapplied to the transformer, the flux introduced
by this source voltage builds upon that already existing in the core.
In order to maintain this level of flux in the core, which can be

E well into the saturation range of the core steel, the transformer can
draw current well in excess of the transformer’s rated full-load

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current.

JAMSHORO ◼ When an unloaded transformer is switched on to a supply, the

initial magnetizing current is generally much larger than the
steady-state magnetizing current and often much larger than the
Department rated current of the transformer.
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◼ The electric power engineering: LL Grisgby)

 What is Inrush Current of Transformer?
➢ The steady-state magnetizing current of a
transformer is about 1% of the full load current.

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➢ Depending on the transformer design, the
magnitude of this current inrush can be
anywhere from 3.5 to 40 times the rated full-

U load current.

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➢ The waveform of the inrush current is similar to
a sine wave, but largely skewed to the positive

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or negative direction.

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 What is Inrush Current of Transformer?
➢ The inrush current of transformer decays rapidly,

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dropping to the normal no-load current within 5 to 10
cycles, it may exceed 40 times the full-load rating

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during the first half cycle.

E ➢ This inrush current can have an effect on the operation

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of relays and fuses located in the system near the
transformer. This high inrush must be taken into
JAMSHORO consideration when selecting fuses and circuit
breakers.
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➢ The inrush current of transformer contains several
harmonics of higher order frequency.
 Magnitude of Inrush current depends:

M ➢the magnitude and phase angle of the

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voltage wave at the instant the switch is
closed,
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➢the magnitude and direction of the
T residual flux in the iron.
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➢The magnitude of residual magnetism left in the core,

when a transformer is switched off from the supply,
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of depends upon the core material and the power factor of
Electrical the load supplied.
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 Transformer Flux - Demagnetized Case
1

M 0.5

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Flux (pu)

0.01 0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04

E 0.5

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1.5
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Time (s)
Transient Flux
Prospective Flux
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 Magnitude of Inrush current depends:

M ➢ The inrush current is also affected by the type and

U magnitude of the load connected to the secondary.

E ➢ Inductive loads increase the inrush, where as resistive

loads and capacitive loads decrease the inrush.
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Department Closing the switch to a transformer is a random event.

of
Electrical Hence, the inrush current may be zero, very large or
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some value in between.
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 Conditions of inrush current to be consider

➢ Switching in at zero voltage no residual magnetism

M ➢ Switching in at zero voltage with maximum residual

U magnetism having a polarity opposite to that to which
the flux would normally attain under equivalent

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normal voltage conditions

T ➢ Switching in at zero voltage with maximum residual

magnetism having the same polarity as that to which
JAMSHORO the flux would normally attain under equivalent
normal voltage conditions
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 Conditions of inrush current to be consider
➢ Switching in at maximum voltage no residual
magnetism
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➢ Switching in at maximum voltage with maximum
U residual magnetism having a polarity opposite to that
to which the flux would normally attain under
E equivalent normal voltage conditions

T ➢ Switching in at maximum voltage with maximum

residual magnetism having the same polarity as that to
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which the flux would normally attain under equivalent
normal voltage conditions. (pp:500 JP )
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 Switching in at zero voltage - no residual magnetism

M If there is no residual magnetism and

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the switch is closed at the instant the
voltage wave is zero, Maximum inrush will
E be occur if the switch is closed at this instant.

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 Demagnetized – Improper Switching Time (0 deg)
Voltage

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E Magnetizing Current

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 Demagnetized – Improper Switching Time (0 deg)
Voltage

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Magnetizing Current

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 Switching in at maximum voltage - no residual
magnetism

M ➢If there is no residual magnetism and the

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switch is closed at the instant the voltage
wave has its maximum value, the current
E will be limited to the transformer no-load
T current, and there will be no inrush.
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 Demagnetized – Proper Switching Time (~90 deg)
Voltage

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E Magnetizing Current

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 Switching in at maximum
residual magnetism

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 Why Do You Need to Limit Inrush Current?

➢ Causes intense localized heating leading to insulation

M damage

U ➢ Production of excessive mechanical stresses (100 times)

Voltage drop at the consumer’s end

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T ➢ Blowing of fuses

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 Why Do You Need to Limit Inrush Current?

M ➢ Radio-frequency interference with the neighboring

communication lines and circuits (specially in case of

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traction transformers)

E ➢ Parallel resonance in ac systems

T ➢ False signals to over-current and differential relays.

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➢ The transient induced voltage (peak) on the secondary
side may be some times large enough to damage the
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circuit components specially the power semiconductor
Electrical device.
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