TRANSFORMERS

JOSIA JACOB

Abstract - Transformer is an electrical device that can be used for distribution

of voltage through a transmission line in a suitable manner for commercial and

household purposes. It can control the power of alternating current thereby

increasing the efficiency of distributing electrical energy.

Through the application of Faraday’s law of Induction, this use of

electromagnetic energy has many uses in the power industry. This report will

review the description, functionality, various applications and some energy

losses of transformers.
 EEL 3472C Fall 2018

INTRODUCTION

Transformer is a device that behaves under the phenomenon of electromagnetic

induction to transfer energy from one circuit to another by changing the voltage
and current. It was in 1884 Ottó Bláthy with the help of Zipernowsky and Déri
designed the first high voltage circuit transformer. Later, the first commercial
transformer was invented in 1886 by William Stanley. His transformer was used
in the electrification of Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Later in 1891, Mikhail
Dobrovsky designed the three phase transformers in Germany. In the 1880’s DC
power was used to transmit power, but it was not beneficial to transmit power
over large distance. The two ways to transmit power was to use high voltage on
a slim wire or a low voltage on a huge wire. Both cases were not practical
because you would not be able to step up or step down the voltage. However,
with AC power, we can move high voltage over a long wire and use a
transformer to step down the voltage before it is distributed to the households
[1].

Transformers can be grouped in various ways. The ones that are constructed
based on functionality: step-up transformer, step-down transformer; those based
on core type or shell type; the others based on winding: two winding
transformer, single winding (auto type), three winding (power transformer); and
those that are based on the arrangement of coil: cylindrical or disk type; the ones
based on the usage type: power transformer, distribution transformer, instrument
transformer (or current transformer) [2]. Other special types of transformer
include autotransformer, zigzag transformer and pulse transformer. There are
much more transformers than the ones above as they can come in a variety of
forms for different applications
EEL 3472C Fall 2018

HOW DOES A TRANSFORMER WORK?

The basic underlying principle that gives way to this technology is electromagnetic

induction. Magnetic field is produced in a current carrying conductor in a clockwise or

counterclockwise direction. In a similar fashion, when current passes through a coil, it

produces magnetic field as shown in Figure 1. The magnetic field fluctuates because of

the current flowing through the coil. Then, as the first coil is linked with a secondary

winding, the fluctuating magnetic field will induce an EMF (electromagnetic force) in the

secondary coil due to electromagnetic induction. The net EMF in the secondary coil will

be based on the number of turns in the first coil. The resulting EMF in the second coil can

be calculated based on the applied input voltage. Therefore, the voltage can be

transformed by changing the number of turns. By reducing the number of turns in the

secondary winding, we can produce an output voltage that is less than the input voltage,

such a transformer is known as a “Step-down Transformer.” Contrarily, by increasing the

number of turns in the secondary winding, the secondary output voltage will be greater

than the primary input voltage, such one is called a “Step-up Transformer.” Most

transformers have built in cooling system to reduce the increased power ratings. Large

transformers are filled with transformer oil to circulate the transformer tank so that it cools

the electrical insulation and windings. It can also be cooled through air, oil, water and

other combinations.
EEL 3472C Fall 2018

TRANSFORMER TYPES AND APPLICATIONS

Transformer core is an essential part in the construction of a transformer because it

effectively transfers the magnetic flux in the primary winding to the secondary winding.

Transformers can be classified as core and shell type. In a core type transformer, the

winding that surrounds a core could be constructed in different ways. Transformers can

be constructed for single phase, two-phase, three phases and more. A single-phase core

type transformer of two winding is constructed using a core type construction (as show in

Figure 2). It is commonly used to lower long distance signals for electronic devices [3].

A three-phase transformer can be made by placing the primary and the secondary coil

concentrically. Then, the low voltage windings are connected in a delta configuration and

the high voltage windings are connected in a star configuration (as shown in Figure 3).

Thus, a three-phase power can be used to draw four output wires and one neutral. Three

phase transformers are commonly used by power distribution grids [4]. A transformer that

is used to transform a two-phase electric power from a three-phase power is called the

Scott-T-transformer (refer Figure 4) [5]. Shell type construction (refer Figure 2) is more

complex than core type. It is commonly used for small transformers and it is better than

core type in terms of mechanical strength and leakage flux [6]. Even though core type is

more economical, shell type is preferred because of its short circuit characteristics.

Cylindrical or disk type transformers (as shown in Figure 5) are used in low voltage high
EEL 3472C Fall 2018
current transformer applications. The windings are wound along the length of the cylinder

with suitable disks in between the parallel strands to minimize circulating currents [7].

Another type of transformer is autotransformer in which portions of the same

winding acts as both the primary and secondary windings of the transformer. It is used to

step up or step down the voltage for equipment that are designed for a given voltage.

Other applications include power transmission and distribution, speakers: for audio

amplification, and railways: to increase transmission distance [8]. Similarly, current

transformers operate to step up or step down the current and it is used for the ammeters.

Also, air core transformer is a special type of transformer that is used in radio-frequency

circuits. It has its windings wrapped around a nonmagnetic form thereby reducing

undesirable characteristics caused by a ferromagnetic core material. They are frequently

used to tune radio frequencies to resonance by paralleling it with a capacitor [5].

Pulse transformer (refer Figure 7) is a special type of transformer that is used for

transmitting rectangular electrical pulses. Small versions of these transformers are used

in digital logic and telecommunications circuits to match logic drivers to transmission

lines. To minimize distortion of the shape, pulse transformer needs to have low values of

leakage inductance and distributed capacitance otherwise it can create power losses in

semiconductors. Also, zigzag transformer is a special purpose transformer that is used as

a grounding transformer for a 3-phase system to permit the grounding of the neutral line

and as an autotransformer to supply 3-phase power [9,12].

 EEL 3472C Fall 2018

ENERGY LOSSES IN A TRANSFORMER

Transformer efficiency improves with increasing transformer capacity. The four

main causes of energy losses in transformer are resistance of windings, flux

leakage, eddy currents and hysteresis. Current flowing through a winding

contribute to heat loss depending on the resistance of the copper wire used. Flux

leakage associated with the coils can give rise to eddy currents that can be

converted to heat. Eddy currents are produced in the transformer core because

of the changing magnetic field that results in heat loss. However, these currents

can be reduced by laminating the core as shown (in Figure 8). Hysteresis losses

happen because of the repeating core magnetization process that expands energy

as heat [10]. To reduce the heat generated, magnetic materials with low

hysteresis losses are generally used. Some transformers are operated at a higher

frequency because the voltage of a transformer increases with frequency. When

a transformer is operated at a higher frequency, the given core can transfer more

power without reaching the saturation level. However, properties such as core

loss and conductor skin effect can also be affected by frequency. Despite these

energy losses, transformers are typically 98 to 99 percent efficient [11].

EEL 3472C Fall 2018

SUMMARY

Transformer is an important technological innovation that was able to control

the power of alternating current and produce a desired voltage based on the

applied input voltage. Distribution transformers can be used to transmit power

over large distance with the use of a step-up and stepdown transformer. The

underlying principle of transformers is Faraday’s law of electromagnetic

induction. By applying this principle to different types of construction, we can

efficiently transmit power over many regions and electronic devices.

Transformers come in different shapes and form based on the functionality and

usage for various purposes. It is one of the most efficient longlasting devices

with few energy losses, that has advanced into many uses over the century.
EEL 3472C Fall 2018

CONCLUSION

Transformer is an important device that is used over the whole world for many

applications. The use of a transformer to transmit power over large distances

have benefitted the world by supplying electricity over remote regions. The

key theory that gave way to this important technology was Faraday’s law of

induction. By applying the law of induction, a transformer was designed to

transform electrical energy by changing the number of turns around a core.

Over the

100 years, transformers are still evolving to fit many special purposes such as

the current transformer and pulse transformer. Despite some of the energy

losses, transformers are still one of the highly efficient instruments used for

power distribution. Therefore, ranging from small household appliances to

large industry a transformer is used to obtain the desired voltage by changing

the input current.

EEL 3472C Fall 2018

REFERENCES

[1] Center, Copyright 2014 Edison Tech. “The History of the Transformer.” Katharine Burr Blodgett
- Engineering Hall of Fame, edisontechcenter.org/Transformers.html.

[2] “The Working Procedure on How Transformers Work - Types & Equations.” ElProCus - Electronic
Projects for Engineering Students, 13 Oct. 2018, www.elprocus.com/workingprocedure-on-how-
do-transformers-work/.

[3] “Single Phase Transformers: Operating Principles & Applications.” Blog, 14 Aug. 2017,
www.alliedcomponents.com/blog/single-phase-transformers-operating-principlesapplications/.

[4] “Three Phase Transformers Information.” Water Baths Information | Engineering360,

www.globalspec.com/learnmore/electrical_electronic_components/transformers/three_pha
se_transformers.

[5] “LATEST.” All About Circuits, www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/alternating-

current/chpt9/special-transformers-applications/.

[6] “Core Type and Shell Type Transformers.” StudyElectrical | Online Electrical Engineering Study
Site, www.studyelectrical.com/2017/11/core-type-and-shell-type-transformerscomparison-
application.html.

[7] “Transformer Construction of the Core and Transformer Design.” Basic Electronics Tutorials, 31
July 2018, www.electronics-tutorials.ws/transformer/transformer-construction.html.

[8] Croft, Terrell, and Wilford I. Summers. American Electricians' Handbook. McGraw-Hill, 1987.

[9] Singh, M. D., and K. B. Khanchandani. Power Electronics. Tata McGraw-Hill, 2007.

[10] Alani, et al. “Energy Losses In Transformer.” Mini Physics, Mini Physics, 30 Dec. 2015,
www.miniphysics.com/energy-losses-in-transformer.html.
[11] Keulenaer, Hans; Chapman, David; Fassbinder, Stefan; McDermott, Mike (2001). The Scope for

Energy Saving in the EU through the Use of Energy-Efficient Electricity Distribution Transformers.

Institution of Engineering and Technology. Retrieved 10 July 2014.

[12] Sankaran, C. “The Basics of Zigzag Transformers.” Electrical Construction & Maintenance
(EC&M) Magazine, 3 Dec. 2012, www.ecmweb.com/content/basics-zigzag-transformers.
EEL 3472C
Figure 1. Magnetic field inside a coil
carrying current
Photo courtesy of James Ko
Fall 2018
Figure 3. 3-Phase Transformer Wye &
Delta Connection
Photo courtesy of Ahmad Osama

Figure 4. Scott T Transformer

Photo courtesy of L/C Magnets
Figure 2. Core Type vs Shell Type
Photo courtesy of “Construction of a
Transformer”

Figure 5. Circular (or Disc) Type

Winding
Figure 8. Laminated Core
Photo courtesy of LearnEngineering
Photo courtesy of Hydraulics&Pneumatics
 EEL 3472C Fall 2018

Figure 7. Pulse Transformer

Photo courtesy of QuickField

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