TRANSFORMER

PART 1
OBJECTIVES
 1. Define the operation and principles of single phase transformer
 2. Define the different types and classifications of transformer
 3. Solve problems related to the topic
TRANSFORMER
Device that transfers electric energy from one alternating-current circuit to
one or more other circuits, either increasing (stepping up) or reducing (stepping
down) the voltage. Transformers are employed for widely varying purposes;
e.g., to reduce the voltage of conventional power circuits to operate low-voltage
devices, such as doorbells and toy electric trains, and to raise the voltage from
electric generators so that electric power can be transmitted over long distances.
TRANSFORMER
One of the main reasons that we use alternating AC voltages and currents in our homes and
workplace’s is that AC supplies can be easily generated at a convenient voltage, transformed
into much higher voltages and then distributed around the country using a national grid of
pylons and cables over very long distances.
The reason for transforming the voltage to a much higher level is that higher distribution
voltages implies lower currents for the same power and therefore lower I2*R losses along the
networked grid of cables. These higher AC transmission voltages and currents can then be
reduced to a much lower, safer and usable voltage level where it can be used to supply electrical
equipment in our homes and workplaces, and all this is possible thanks to the basic Voltage
Transformer.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
A transformer basically is very simple static (or stationary) electro-magnetic passive
electrical device that works on the principle of Faraday’s law of induction by converting
electrical energy from one value to another.
The transformer does this by linking together two or more electrical circuits using a
common oscillating magnetic circuit which is produced by the transformer itself. A transformer
operates on the principals of “electromagnetic induction”, in the form of Mutual Induction.
WORKING PRINCIPLE
Mutual induction is defined as the property of the coils that enables it to oppose the changes
in the current in another coil. With a change in the current of one coil, the flow changes too thus
inducing EMF in the other coil.
Mutual induction is the process by which a coil of wire magnetically induces a voltage into
another coil located in close proximity to it. Then we can say that transformers work in the
“magnetic domain”, and transformers get their name from the fact that they “transform” one
voltage or current level into another.
SINGLE PHASE VOLTAGE
TRANSFORMER
A single phase voltage transformer basically consists of two electrical coils of wire, one
called the “Primary Winding” and another called the “Secondary Winding”. In a single-phase
voltage transformer the primary is usually the side with the higher voltage.
These two coils are not in electrical contact with each other but are instead wrapped
together around a common closed magnetic iron circuit called the “core”. This soft iron core is
not solid but made up of individual laminations connected together to help reduce the core’s
magnetic losses.
SINGLE PHASE VOLTAGE
TRANSFORMER

When a transformer is used to “increase” the voltage on its secondary winding with respect
to the primary, it is called a Step-up transformer. When it is used to “decrease” the voltage on
the secondary winding with respect to the primary it is called a Step-down transformer.
TRANSFORMER CONSTRUCTION
(SINGLE-PHASE)
A TRANSFORMERS TURNS
RATIO
Transformers are all about “ratios”. The ratio of the primary to the secondary, the ratio of
the input to the output, and the turns ratio of any given transformer will be the same as its
voltage ratio. In other words for a transformer: “turns ratio = voltage ratio”. The actual number
of turns of wire on any winding is generally not important, just the turns ratio and this
relationship is given as:

It is necessary to know the ratio of the number of turns of wire on the primary winding
compared to the secondary winding. The turns ratio, which has no units, compares the two
windings in order and is written with a colon, such as 3:1 (3-to-1).
EXAMPLE PROBLEM
A voltage transformer has 1500 turns of wire on its primary coil and 500 turns of wire for
its secondary coil. What will be the turns ratio (TR) of the transformer?
EXAMPLE PROBLEM
If 240 volts is applied to the primary winding of 3:1 turns ratio, what will be the resulting
secondary no load voltage.
TRANSFORMER ACTION
Transformer action is a phenomenon by which EMF(Electro-motive force) is induced in
from one coil to the other coil by electro magnetic induction. It is the basic principle of electric
transformers.
When a certain AC voltage is applied to a coil, current, proportion to the applied voltage
and inversely proportional to the impedance, flow through the coil. This generates a varying
magnetic field around the coil. When this varying magnetic field links with another coil, EMF is
induced in it.
TRANSFORMER EMF
EQUATION

Where:
ƒ = is the flux frequency in Hertz,  = ω/2π
Ν = is the number of coil windings.
Φ = is the amount of flux in webers
ω = the angular frequency
EXAMPLE PROBLEM
A single phase transformer has 480 turns on the primary winding and 90 turns on the
secondary winding. The maximum value of the magnetic flux density is 1.1T when 2200 volts,
50Hz is applied to the transformer primary winding. Calculate:
a). The maximum flux in the core.
b). The cross-sectional area of the core.
c). The secondary induced emf.
a). The maximum flux in the core.

b). The cross-sectional area of the core.

c). The secondary induced emf.

Since the secondary voltage rating is equal to the secondary induced emf, another easier way to
calculate the secondary voltage from the turns ratio is given as:
ELECTRICAL POWER IN A
TRANSFORMER
Another one of the transformer basics parameters is its power rating. The power rating of a
transformer is obtained by simply multiplying the current by the voltage to obtain a rating in Volt-
amperes, (VA).
Although the transformer can step-up (or step-down) voltage, it cannot step-up power. Thus, when a
transformer steps-up a voltage, it steps-down the current and vice-versa, so that the output power is
always at the same value as the input power. Then we can say that primary power equals secondary
power, ( PP = PS ).

Where:
ΦP is the primary phase angle and ΦS is the secondary phase angle.
TRANSFORMER BASICS –
EFFICIENCY
A transformer does not require any moving parts to transfer energy. This means that there
are no friction or windage losses associated with other electrical machines. However,
transformers do suffer from other types of losses called “copper losses” and “iron losses” but
generally these are quite small.
Copper losses
Also known as I2R loss is the electrical power which is lost in heat as a result of circulating
the currents around the transformers copper windings, hence the name. Copper losses represents
the greatest loss in the operation of a transformer. The actual watts of power lost can be
determined (in each winding) by squaring the amperes and multiplying by the resistance in
ohms of the winding (I2R).
TRANSFORMER BASICS –
EFFICIENCY
Iron losses
Also known as hysteresis is the lagging of the magnetic molecules within the core, in
response to the alternating magnetic flux. This lagging (or out-of-phase) condition is due to the
fact that it requires power to reverse magnetic molecules; they do not reverse until the flux has
attained sufficient force to reverse them.
TRANSFORMER EFFICIENCY

Generally when dealing with transformers, the primary watts are called “volt-amps”, VA to
differentiate them from the secondary watts. Then the efficiency equation above can be modified to:
TRANSFORMER EFFICIENCY
TRIANGLE
TRANSFORMER
CONSTRUCTION
A simple two-winding transformer construction consists of each winding being wound on a
separate soft iron limb or core which provides the necessary magnetic circuit.

This magnetic circuit, know more commonly as the “transformer core” is designed to
provide a path for the magnetic field to flow around, which is necessary for induction of the
voltage between the two windings.
TRANSFORMER CORE
CONSTRUCTION
Generally, the name associated with the construction of a transformer is dependent upon
how the primary and secondary windings are wound around the central laminated steel core.
The two most common and basic designs of transformer construction are the Closed-core
Transformer and the Shell-core Transformer.

In the “closed-core” type (core form) transformer, the primary and secondary windings are
wound outside and surround the core ring. In the “shell type” (shell form) transformer, the
primary and secondary windings pass inside the steel magnetic circuit (core) which forms a shell
around the windings as shown above.
TRANSFORMER CORE
TYPES
COMPARISON CHART
Basis for Comparison Core Type Transformer Shell Type Transformer
Definition The winding surround the core. The core surround the winding.

Lamination Shape The lamination is cut in the form of Lamination are cut in the form of the
the L strips. long strips of E and L.

Copper Require More Less

Other Name Concentric Winding or Cylindrical Sandwich or Disc Winding
Winding.

Limb Two Three

Insulation More Less
Winding The primary and secondary winding Primary and secondary windings are
are placed on the side limbs. placed on the central limb

Losses More Less

Maintenance Easy Difficult
Output Less High
TRANSFORMER LOADING
Transformers can provide a voltage on their secondary winding but to transfer electrical
power between their input and output they need to be loaded. We have assumed that the
transformer is ideal, that is one in which there are no core losses or copper losses in the
transformers windings. However, in real world transformers there will always be losses
associated with the transformers loading as the transformer is put “on-load”
TRANSFORMER “NO-LOAD”
CONDITION

The ammeter above will indicate a small current flowing through the primary winding even
though the secondary circuit is open circuited. This no-load primary current is made up of the
following two components:
 An in-phase current, IE which supplies the core losses (eddy current and hysteresis).

 A small current, IM at 90o to the voltage which sets up the magnetic flux.
EXAMPLE PROBLEM
A single phase transformer has an energy component, IE of 2 Amps and a magnetizing
component, IM of 5 Amps. Calculate the no-load current, Io and resulting power factor.
TRANSFORMER “ON-LOAD”
TRANSFORMER “ON-LOAD”
The turns ratio of a transformer states that the total induced voltage in each winding is
proportional to the number of turns in that winding and also that the power output and power
input of a transformer is equal to the volts times amperes, ( V x I ). Therefore:
TRANSFORMER RATIO
The voltage ratio of a transformer is equal to the turns ratio of a transformer as: “voltage
ratio = turns ratio”. Then the relationship between the voltage, current and number of turns in a
transformer can be linked together and is therefore given as:

Note that the current is inversely proportional to both the voltage and the number of turns.
This means that with a transformer loading on the secondary winding, in order to maintain a
balanced power level across the transformers windings, if the voltage is stepped up, the current
must be stepped down and vice versa. In other words, “higher voltage — lower current” or
“lower voltage — higher current”.
TRANSFORMER RATIO
TRANSFORMER LOADING
CURRENT
The total current drawn from the supply by the primary winding is the vector sum of the no-
load current, Io and the additional supply current, I1 as a result of the secondary transformer
loading and which lags behind the supply voltage by an angle of Φ. We can show this
relationship as a phasor diagram.
TRANSFORMER LOADING
CURRENT
TRANSFORMER
IMPEDANCES
Actual real life, transformer windings have impedances of both XL and R. These impedances
need to be taken into account when drawing the phasor diagram as these internal impedances
cause voltage drops to occur within the transformers windings. The internal impedances are due
to the resistance of the windings and an inductance drop called the leakage reactance resulting
from the leakage flux. These internal impedances are given as:
COMBINING TRANSFORMER
IMPEDANCES
TRANSFORMER VOLTAGE
REGULATION
The voltage regulation of a transformer is defined as the change in secondary terminal
voltage when the transformer loading is at its maximum, i.e. full-load applied while the primary
supply voltage is held constant. Regulation determines the voltage drop (or increase) that occurs
inside the transformer as the load voltage becomes too low as a result of the transformers
loading being to high which therefore affects its performance and efficiency.