Transformer

Introduction
• Transformer is a machine that has no moving parts
but is able to transform alternating voltages from
high to low (step-down transformer ) and vice versa
(step-up transformer).
• Transformers are used extensively in all branches of
electrical engineering from the large power
transformer employed in the T&D network to the
small transformer of an electronic amplifier

slide 1
 Transformer
Introduction (cont)
• A simple transformer consists of two coils wound
on a closed iron core as shown:

Primary Secondary

slide 2
 Construction of Transformer
Basically, a transformer has two windings:
• primary winding
• Secondary winding
Each winding consists of many turns and are wound
on a laminated iron core. The iron core is insulated
with the windings. The core itself forms a closed
iron magnetic circuit. Consequently, the windings
encircle the core and the core encircles the windings.

slide 3
 Construction of transformer
• Core type
-- windings are wound around two legs of a
magnetic core.

slide 4
 Construction of transformer
• Shell type
-- windings are wound around the center leg of a
three-legged magnetic core

slide 5
 Ideal Transformer
Assumptions:
1. The winding resistances are negligible (R = 0)
2. All fluxes are confined to the core and link
both windings (leakage flux = 0)
3. Permeability of the core is infinite (I1= 0)
4. No eddy current and hysteresis losses

slide 6
 Ideal Transformer (cont)
When an A.C. voltage v1 applied to the primary winding:
dΦ
v1  e1  N1        (1)
dt
The core flux also links the secondary winding, then:
dΦ
v2  e 2  N2        (2)
dt
From equations (1) and (2):
v1 N1
 a
v2 N2
slide 7
 Ideal Transformer (cont)

• when a load is connected to the secondary winding, i2 will

flow and will provide an mmf N2i2 for the core.
• i1 would immediately flow to establish another mmf N1i1 to
oppose N2i2 since no mmf is required to establish a flux in
the ideal core
Then: N1i1  N2i2  0
N1i1  N2i2
i1 N2 1
 
i2 N1 a
slide 8
 Ideal Transformer (cont)

If the supply voltage is sinusoidal, then in rms values:

V1 N1
 a
V2 N2
I1 N2 1
 
I2 N1 a

V1I1  V2I2
input VA  output VA

slide 9
Emf Equation of a Transformer (1/2)

 = m sin2ft
instantaneous value of induced emf / turn
=  d/dt volts
=  2fm cos2ft volts
= 2fm sin(2ft  /2) volts
slide 10
Emf Equation of a Transformer (2/2)

rms value of induced emf / turn

= 0.707 x 2fm volts
= 4.44 x fm volts

Hence E1 = 4.44N1fm volts

E 2 = 4.44N2fm volts

E1 N1

E 2 N2

slide 11
 Example

A 200kVA, 6600/400V, 50 Hz single-phase step-down

transformer has 80 turns on the secondary. Calculate:
(a) the approximate values of the primary and
secondary currents; (b) the approximate number of
primary turns; and (c) the maximum value of the flux.

Ans: 30.3A, 500A; 1320; 0.0225Wb

slide 12
 Practical Transformer

• the windings have resistances

• not all windings link the same flux
• permeability of the core material is not infinite,
and core losses occur when the core material
is subjected to time-varying flux

slide 13
 Impedance Transfer (Not in
BEE Syllabus)
The impedance of the secondary winding, Z2
V2
Z2 
I2
The input impedance, Z1
V1 aV2 2 V2
Z1   a
I1 I2 /a I2
 a2 Z2
 Z' 2
slide 14
 Impedance Transfer (cont) (Not in
BEE Syllabus)
An impedance Z2 connected in the secondary will appear
as an impedance Z’2 looking from the primary

slide 15
 Impedance Transfer (cont) (Not in
BEE Syllabus)
An impedance from the primary side can also transferred
to the secondary side, and in that case its value has to be
divided by the square of the turns ratio
1
Z' 1  2 Z1
a

Impedance transfer is very useful because it

eliminates a coupled circuit in an electrical
circuit and thereby simplifies the circuit

slide 16
 Voltage Regulation
• Any source having internal impedance suffers a
change in voltage when supplied power to a load.
• With power transformers, this is important
because there is a legal limit by which the voltage
at the consumer terminals may vary. (i.e.  6 %)

V2 NL  V2 L V1  V'2 rated
V.R.  OR V.R. 
V2 L V'2 rated

slide 17
 Example

Consider the transformer in Example 2.2. Determine the

voltage regulation in percentage for the following load
conditions.

(a) 75% full load, 0.6 power factor lagging.

(b) 75% full load, 0.6 power factor leading.
(c) Draw the phasor diagram for condition (a) and (b).

slide 18
Magnetic Circuit of a Transformer :

• It is assumed that the flux is contained in the core. A small amount of the flux
escapes the core into the surrounding low permeability air - this is referred to
as leakage flux.

• In ferromagnetic materials, the permeability varies according to the amount

of flux already in the core. This non-linear effect (saturation) adds
inaccuracies to the results as the reluctance calculations depend upon the
permeability.

slide 19
Magnetic Behaviour of Ferromagnetic Materials

B-H Characteristic
The B-H characteristic demonstrates the magnetic behaviour of a ferromagnetic
material. Permeability m is defined by the following equation:
B=mH
m is constant in free space but not true for iron or other ferromagnetic materials
as magnetomotive force (mmf) is applied.

Ni N

=BA

Fig. 7. Coil wounded on a ferromagnetic core.

slide 20
B-H Characteristic (cont’d)

Start with 0 DC current and slowly raise current to a possible maximum

value. When flux produced in the core is plotted versus the mmf producing it,
the resulting plot looks the one shown in Fig. 8.

 (Wb)

Transition: knee of the curve

 (AT)
Unsaturated
region
Saturated
region

Fig. 8. Saturation or magnetization curve

slide 21
Energy Losses in a Ferromagnetic Core

Hysteresis loss
Eddy current loss

slide 22
Hysteresis Loss

• Apply a magnetic field intensity, H, to a sample iron.

• Magnetic fields of the atoms in small domains are aligned with the applied
field.
• If the applied field is reduced to zero, the domains return to their original
orientations.
• If H is increased in the reverse direction, the domains align in the reverse
orientations.
H

+
e

slide 23
 Hysteresis Loss (cont’d)
• For an ac system, if the applied field is varied through a cycle,
during some interval of time energy flows from the source to the
coil-core assembly and during some other interval of time energy
returns to the source.
• However, the energy flowing in is greater than the energy returned.
Therefore, during a cycle of variation of the applied field, there is a
net energy flow from the source to the coil-core assembly.
• This energy loss goes to heat the core. The loss of power in the core
due to the hysteresis effect is called hysteresis loss.

slide 24
Eddy Current Loss
• This current leads to core loss for ac operation. The solid iron core itself is
an electrical conductor, acting much like shorted turns. As the magnetic
field changes, voltages are induced in the core causing current, known as
eddy currents to circulate in the core material. As a result, power is
dissipated in the core according to P = v2/R.

• The eddy current loss can be reduced in two ways:

• A high-resistivity core material can be used.
• A laminated core can be used. The core can be laminated with thin
sheets of iron that are electrical insulated from one another. The
orientation of the sheets is selected to interrupt the flow of current.
Thus, the resistance is higher for eddy currents, and the loss is greatly
reduced. Another approach is to make the core with powdered iron
held together by an insulated binder.

slide 25
 Transformer Losses
• Copper losses ( I2R losses ) in primary and
secondary windings
PC = I12 R1 + I22 R2
• Iron losses ( Core losses )
(a) Hysteresis loss
Ph = KhBmaxx f V watts
where Kh= a constant
f = frequency
V = Volume
Bmax = maximum flux density
x = coefficient varies from 1.6 - 2.0
with different grades of iron.
slide 26
 Transformer Losses
• Iron losses ( Core losses )
(b) Eddy Current loss
Pe = KeBmax2 f2 t2 V watts
where Ke= a constant
f = frequency
V = Volume
Bmax = maximum flux density
t = thickness of lamination.

Total iron losses, Pi = Ph + Pe

slide 27
 Transformer Efficiency
Output power
Efficiency 
Input power
Output power

Output power  losses

Output VA  power factor

η 
Onput VA  power factor  core loss  I2R losses

slide 28
Three Phase Transformers
• Three phase transformers play an important role in these
systems
• Almost all major generation & Distribution Systems in the
world are three phase ac systems
• Transformer for 3 phase is either:
(a) constructed from 3 single phase transformers, or
(b) another approach is to employ a common core for the three
sets of windings of the three phases
• The construction of a single three phase transformer is is
lighter, smaller, cheaper and slightly more efficient
• There is an advantage that each unit in the bank could be
replaced individually in the event of a fault, however this does
not outweigh the other advantages of combined 3 ph. unit
slide 29
 Three Phase Transformers
• The two constructions

slide 30
Three Phase Transformers
• How the core of compact three phase is built
• φa+φb+φc=0 and central leg can be removed
•

slide 31
 Three Phase Transformers
3 phase transformer connections :
The windings of primary and secondary (in any construction)
can be connected in either a wye (Y) or delta (Δ)
This provides a total of 4 possible connections for 3
phase transformer:
(a) Wye-wye Y-Y
(b) Wye-delta Y-Δ
(c) Delta-wye Δ-Y
(d) Delta-Delta Δ-Δ

slide 32
Three Phase Transformers

slide 33
 Advantages of Three Phase Transformers
over bank of three single phase transformer:

• Being prewired and ready to install, these can be

easier to install.
• To provide the same KVA, the core material
required is very less compared to a bank
of three single phase transformers.
• It is lighter and smaller.
• It requires less space to install.
• Higher efficiency
slide 34
 Auto-transformer
• transformer having a part of its windings common to the
primary and secondary
• when a load is connected across b and c, then a current I2 will
flow through the load. The current I2 will produce an m.m.f. in
the core which will be balanced by a current I1 flowing in the
complete winding

slide 35
Auto-transformer
The voltages and currents
are related by the same turns
ratio as in a two-winding
transformer:

V1 N1
 a
V2 N2

I1 N2 1
 
I2 N1 a

slide 36
 Advantages of Auto-transformer

• It effects a saving in winding material (copper or

aluminum), since the secondary winding is part of
the primary current.
• Lower copper loss, therefore efficiency is higher
than in the two winding transformer.
• Lower leakage reactances, lower exciting current.
• Variable output voltage can be obtained.

slide 37
 Disadv. of Auto-Transformer

• There is a direct connection between the primary

and secondary sides.
• Should an open-circuit develop between points b
and c, the full mains voltage would be applied to
the secondary.
• The short-circuit current is much larger than for
normal two-winding transformer

slide 38
 Application of Auto-transformer
• Boosting or bucking of a supply voltage by a small
amount. (The smaller difference voltage between the
output and input voltages the greater is the saving of
winding material.)
• Starting of a.c. machines, e.g. induction motor, where
the voltage is raised in two or more steps from a small
value to the full supply voltage.
• Continuously variable a.c. supply voltages, normally
connected between a low voltage supply in and a high
voltage supply out.
• Production of very high voltages, e.g. 275kV and 400kV
grid system
slide 39
 Example 2.6
A 1, 100 kVA, 2000/200 V two-winding transformer is connected
as an autotransformer as shown in Fig. E2.6 such that more than
2000 V is obtained at the secondary. The portion ab is the 200 V
winding, and the portion bc is the 2000 V winding. Compute the
kVA rating as an autotransformer.

slide 40
 Example 2.6 (cont)

The current rating of the winding are:

100,000
I ab   500 A
200
100,000
I bc   50 A
2,000

Therefore, for full-load operation of the autotransformer,

the terminal currents are:
I H  500 A
I L  500  50  550 A

slide 41
 Example 2.6 (cont)

Now, VL = 2000V and VH = 2200V

Therefore,
2000  550
kVA |L   1100 (ans )
1000
2200  500
kVA |H   1100 (ans )
1000

Note: A 1, 100 kVA, two-winding transformer when connected as

an autotransformer can deliver 1100 kVA.

slide 42