Chapter 5 Transformer

Prepared by Mr. Lim Cheng Siong Faculty of Electrical Engineering Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Contents
Single Phase Transformer Turns and Voltage / Current Ratios Transformer Losses

Single Phase Transformer

Transformers are one of the important electrical components, widely used in power systems & electronics. It is an electromagnetic device that functions to raise or lower a.c. voltage or a.c. current levels. It transfers power from one side to the other at the same frequency. It alters the voltage and current of both sides without any electrical connection, and are electromagnetically linked.

Single Phase Transformer

This provides circuit isolation from one side to the other.

(i.e. isolates primary to secondary) Example: In power generation systems, transformer is used at the generation station to raise the voltage supplied by the generator (at 22kV) to a higher voltage (275kV) sent to the transmission system, to enable the energy be sent farther away. (step up)

BASIC OPERATION OF A TRANSFORMER

In its most basic form a transformer consists of:

1. A primary coil or winding.

2. A secondary coil or winding. 3. A core that supports the coils or windings.

This is a shell type transformer with its primary and secondary winding. Take note of the laminated core and the enamel insulated wire. (for insulation between winding & turns)

 The primary winding is connected to a

50 hertz ac voltage source. The magnetic field (flux) builds up (expands) and collapses (contracts) about the primary winding.

The expanding and contracting

magnetic field around the primary winding cuts the secondary winding and induces an alternating voltage into the winding.

This voltage causes alternating current

to flow through the load. The voltage may be stepped up or down depending on the design of the primary and secondary windings.
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THE COMPONENTS OF A TRANSFORMER

The principle parts of a transformer and their functions

are:
CORE, which provides a path for the magnetic lines of flux. PRIMARY WINDING, which receives energy from the ac source. SECONDARY WINDING, which receives energy from the primary winding and delivers it to the load. ENCLOSURE, which protects the above components from dirt, moisture, and mechanical damage.

THE CORE
CORE CHARACTERISTICS

The composition of a transformer core depends on such factors as voltage,

current, and frequency. Commonly used core materials are air, soft iron, and steel. Each of these materials is suitable for particular applications and unsuitable for others. Generally, air-core transformers are used when the voltage source has a high frequency (above 20 kHz). Iron-core transformers are usually used when the source frequency is low (below 20 kHz).
A soft-iron-core transformer is very useful where the transformer must be physically small, yet efficient. The iron-core transformer provides better power transfer than does the air-core transformer.

An important point to remember is

that the most efficient transformer core is one that offers the best path for the most lines of flux with the least loss in magnetic and electrical energy.

THE CORE
CORE CHARACTERISTICS

A transformer whose core is constructed of

laminated sheets of steel dissipates heat readily; thus it provides for the efficient transfer of power. The majority of transformers contain laminatedsteel cores. These steel laminations are insulated with a non-conducting material, such as varnish, and then formed into a core. It takes about 50 such laminations to make a core an inch thick. The purpose of the laminations is to reduce certain losses which will be discussed later.

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THE CORE There are two main shapes of cores used in laminated-steel-core transformers. Hollow-Core Transformers So named because the core is shaped with a hollow square through the center. Notice that the core is made up of many laminations of steel. It shows how the transformer windings are wrapped around both sides of the core.

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THE CORE Shell-Core Transformers

The most popular and efficient transformer core is the SHELL CORE. As shown, each layer of the core consists of E- and I-shaped sections of metal. These sections are butted together to form the laminations. The laminations are insulated from each other and then pressed together to form the core.

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THE WINDINGS
TRANSFORMER WINDINGS As stated above, the transformer consists of two coils called WINDINGS which are wrapped around a core. The transformer operates when a source of ac voltage is connected to one of the windings and a load device is connected to the other. The winding that is connected to the source is called the PRIMARY WINDING. The winding that is connected to the load is called the SECONDARY WINDING.

An exploded view of a shell-type transformer. The primary is wound in layers directly on a rectangular cardboard form.

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THE WINDINGS
In the transformer shown in the cutaway view in figure, the primary consists of many turns of relatively small wire. The wire is coated with varnish so that each turn of the winding is insulated from every other turn. In a transformer designed for high-voltage applications, sheets of insulating material, such as paper, are placed between the layers of windings to provide additional insulation.

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THE ENCLOSURE
The enclosure of a transformer depends on
its need. If the transformer is small and to be installed inside a device, then it is better to not have an enclosure. The air will act as insulation and heat transfer agent. If the transformer is large, with high voltage and current ratings and placed outdoors or inside a building, then a conductive enclosure (steel) is required to isolate the internals from the environment and contain the oil which provides insulation and heat dissipation.

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Contents
Single Phase Transformer Turns and Voltage / Current Ratios Transformer Losses

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TURNS AND VOLTAGE RATIOS

The total voltage induced into the secondary winding of a transformer is determined mainly by the RATIO of the number of turns in the primary to the number of turns in the secondary, and by the amount of voltage applied to the primary.

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TURNS AND CURRENT RATIOS

The total voltage induced into the secondary winding of a transformer is determined mainly by the RATIO of the number of turns in the primary to the number of turns in the secondary, and by the amount of voltage applied to the primary.

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TURNS AND CURRENT RATIOS

The number of flux lines developed in a core is proportional to the magnetizing force (IN AMPERETURNS) of the primary and secondary windings. The ampere-turn (I x N) is a measure of magnetomotive force; it is defined as the magnetomotive force developed by one ampere of current flowing in a coil of one turn. The flux which exists in the core of a transformer surrounds both the primary and secondary windings. Since the flux is the same for both windings, the ampere-turns in both the primary and secondary windings must be the same.

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 By dividing both sides of the equation by IPNS, you obtain: Notice the equations show the current ratio to be the
inverse of the turns ratio and the voltage ratio. This means, a transformer having less turns in the secondary than in the primary would step down the voltage, but would step up the current.

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 Example: A transformer has a 6:1 voltage ratio. Find the current in the secondary if the current in the primary is 200 milliamperes.

The above example points out that although the voltage across the secondary is one-sixth the voltage across the primary, the current in the secondary is six times the current in the primary.

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Contents
Single Phase Transformer Turns and Voltage / Current Ratios Transformer Losses

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TRANSFORMER LOSSES
If the turns ratio of the transformer is increased to 1:2, the number of turns on the secondary is twice the number of turns on the primary. This means the opposition to current is doubled. Thus, voltage is doubled, but current is halved due to the increased opposition to current in the secondary. The important thing to remember is that with the exception of the power consumed within the transformer, all power delivered to the primary by the source will be delivered to the load. The form of the power may change, but the power in the secondary almost equals the power in the primary.

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TRANSFORMER LOSSES

Practical power transformers, although highly efficient, are not

perfect devices. Small power transformers used in electrical equipment have an 80 to 90 percent efficiency range, while large, commercial powerline transformers may have efficiencies exceeding 98 percent.
The total power loss in a transformer is a combination of three types of losses. One loss is due to the dc resistance in the primary and secondary windings. This loss is called COPPER loss or I2R loss. The two other losses are due to EDDY CURRENTS and to HYSTERESIS in the core of the transformer. Copper loss, eddy-current loss, and hysteresis loss result in undesirable conversion of electrical energy into heat energy.

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TRANSFORMER LOSSES

Copper Loss
Whenever current flows in a conductor, power is dissipated in the resistance of the conductor in the form of heat. The amount of power dissipated by the conductor is directly proportional to the resistance of the wire, and to the square of the current through it. The greater the value of either resistance or current, the greater is the power dissipated. The primary and secondary windings of a transformer are usually made of low-resistance copper wire. The resistance of a given winding is a function of the diameter of the wire and its length. Copper loss can be minimized by using the proper diameter wire. Large diameter wire is required for high-current windings, whereas small diameter wire can be used for low-current windings.

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TRANSFORMER LOSSES

Eddy-Current Loss
The core of a transformer is usually constructed of some type of ferromagnetic material because it is a good conductor of magnetic lines of flux. Whenever the primary of an iron-core transformer is energized by an alternating-current source, a fluctuating magnetic field is produced. This magnetic field cuts the conducting core material and induces a voltage into it. The induced voltage causes random currents to flow through the core which dissipates power in the form of heat. These undesirable currents are called EDDY CURRENTS. To minimize the loss resulting from eddy currents, transformer cores are LAMINATED. Since the thin, insulated laminations do not provide an easy path for current, eddy-current losses are greatly reduced.

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TRANSFORMER LOSSES

Hysteresis Loss
When a magnetic field is passed through a core, the core material becomes magnetized. To become magnetized, the domains within the core must align themselves with the external field. If the direction of the field is reversed, the domains must turn so that their poles are aligned with the new direction of the external field. Power transformers normally operate from either 60 Hz, or 400 Hz alternating current. Each tiny domain must realign itself twice during each cycle, or a total of 120 times a second when 60 Hz alternating current is used. The energy used to turn each domain is dissipated as heat within the iron core. This loss, called HYSTERESIS LOSS, can be thought of as resulting from molecular friction. Hysteresis loss can be held to a small value by proper choice of core materials.

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TRANSFORMER EFFICIENCY
To compute the efficiency of a transformer, the input power to and the output power from the transformer must be known. The input power is equal to the product of the voltage applied to the primary and the current in the primary. The output power is equal to the product of the voltage across the secondary Example. If the input power to a transformer is 650 watts and the output power is 610 watts, what is and the current in the secondary. The the efficiency? difference between the input power and the output power represents a power loss. You can calculate the percentage of efficiency of a transformer by using the standard efficiency formula shown:

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 Now assume that the voltage at primary is 50V and the ratio of primary turns to secondary turns is 100:10. What are the voltage and current at secondary?
Example. If the input power to a transformer is 650 watts and the output power is 610 watts, what is the efficiency?

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