Transformer

Transformer is an electromagnetic (mutual induction)

device.

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Role of The Transformer in Energy
Transportation
A power station generates electricity at around 11000 volts.
Transformers increase it to very high voltages up to 220,000 volts
since it is economical to transmit a high voltage along the cables.
Then the voltage is decreased at a substation before it is distributed
to homes.
A transformer performs many important functions in
prominent areas of electrical engineering. In electrical
power, transformer makes it possible to convert electric
power from a generated voltage of 11kV to higher values
of 132kV and 220kV thus permitting transmission of huge
amounts of power over long distances to appropriate
distribution points at large savings in cost of transmission
lines as well as power losses.
At distribution points transformers used to reduce these
high voltages to a safe level of 400/230 V for use in
homes, offices, etc. Transformers are also used in
telephone circuits, radio & television circuits,
instrumentation circuits and control circuits.
Mutual inductance

a changing current
through a nearby coil
produces a changing
magnetic field. Transformer
makes use
of this
⇒ induces voltage in the effect!
coil

No movement
is involved!
Introduction
A transformer is a device that converts one AC voltage
to another AC voltage at the same frequency.

It consists of one or more coil(s) of wire wrapped

around a common ferromagnetic core. These coils are
usually not connected electrically together. However,
they are connected through the common magnetic flux
confined to the core.
A power station generates electricity at 11000 volts.
Transformers increase it to very high voltages up to 220,000
volts since it is cheaper to transmit a high voltage along the
cables. Then the voltage is decreased at a substation before
it is distributed to homes.
 Transformer
soft-iron core

input output
electrical electrical
energy energy

primary coil alternating mag-field secondary coil

primary coil + secondary coil + core = transformer

Operation
a) AC in primary coil produces electromagnetic flux
b) Secondary coil links with the receiving flux and
produces Current & Voltage

S
N

S
N
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Main components:

-- transformer core
-- windings / coils not physically connected to each
other

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Types and construction

Core form Shell form

Windings are wrapped

Windings are wrapped
around the center leg of a
around two sides of a
laminated core. Usually,
laminated square core.
windings are wrapped on
top of each other to
decrease flux leakage
and, therefore, increase
efficiency.
 Types and construction

Lamination
types

Laminated steel cores Toroidal steel cores

Ideal Transformer

● Voltage/current relationships for an ideal

transformer
– no real power losses
– magnetic core has infinite permeability
– no leakage flux
● The “primary” side of the transformer is the side
that usually receives power from a line, and the
secondary is the side that usually delivers power
to a load.
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 Ideal transformer contd…
Consider a lossless transformer with an input
(primary) winding having Np turns and a secondary
winding of Ns turns.

The relationship between the voltage applied to the

primary winding vp(t) and the voltage produced on the
secondary winding vs(t) is

Here a is known as the turn ratio of the

Turns Ratio

The voltages in the primary & secondary coils depend on no.

of turns in coils:

V N
=
V
P N
p

s s
where
Vp = primary voltage
Vs = secondary voltage
Np = no. of turns of primary coil
Ns = no. of turns of secondary coil
 Types of Transformers
• Based on TURNS RATIO
1. step-up
turns ratio > 1
VS > VP
IS < IP

2. step-down
turns ratio < 1
VS < VP
IS > IP

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 Currents in a transformer
If no power is lost in a transformer:
power input to primary coil = power output from secondary coil

primary I secondary I
Vp × Ip = Vs × Is
primary voltage secondary
N V I voltage
= =
sN sV I
p

p pN Is
= (no power loss)
N
s I
p

p s
 4 Currents in a transformer
primary secondary
4400 turns 220 turns

Power input Power output

220 V a.c. 11 V a.c. = 11 × 10
= 220 ×
supply = 110 VA
0.5
= 110 VA
primary I = 0.5 A secondary I = 10 A

If no power is lost in the transformer,

voltage: 220 V → 11 V
current: 0.5 A → 10 V

If there is a power loss, secondary current < 10 A

Ideal transformer contd…

The phase angles of primary and secondary

voltages are the same. The phase angles of
primary and secondary currents are the same also.
The ideal transformer changes magnitudes of
voltages and currents but not their angles.
Example
Currents in the coils of transformer

Assume no power loss in the transformer.

(a) Find the no. of turns in secondary coil.

Np = Ns = V N
3300 ? =
V
s sN
12 V
220 V a.c. 24 W 12
p p N
lamp =
220 3300
s

Ns =
180
Example contd…
Currents in the coils of transformer

Assume no power loss in the transformer.

(b) Find the current in secondary coil.

Ns = Current taken up by lamp:

Np =
3300 180

12 V
220 V a.c. 24 W P 24
lamp
I
= = =2A
V 12
Example contd…
Currents in the coils of transformer
Assume no power loss in the transformer.

(c) Find the current in primary coil.

Np = Ns = N I
3300 180
Is = 2 A
=
N
s Is
p

12 V 180
p I
220 V a.c. 24 W =
lamp 3300 2
p

Ip = 0.109
A
 Exercise
What is the turns ratio of the
transformer if the lamp
operates at 10 V? 220 V a.c.

Turns ratio of a transformer

number of turns in primary coil
=
( number of turns in secondary coil )
( primary voltage ) 220
= = = 22
secondary voltage ( 10 )
Power in an ideal transformer
Assuming that θp and θs are the angles between
voltages and currents on the primary and secondary
windings respectively, the power supplied to the
transformer by the primary circuit is:

The power supplied to the output circuit is

Since ideal transformers do not affect angles

between voltages and currents:

Both windings of an ideal transformer have the same

power factor.
Losses in a transformer

(1) Copper loss

This is the I2R loss due to the small internal (ohmic)

resistance of the transformer winding and hence
proportional to the load.

(2) Core losses (Iron losses)

These are the losses associated with the transformer
core and do not depend on the load (constant from
no-load to full-load). There are two types of core
losses.
 Core losses
(a) Hysterisis loss

This is the energy loss occurred in magnetizing and

demagnetizing (reversing the magnetic flux due to ac)
the core and proportional to the frequency of supply. This
depends upon the type of iron used to construct the core
and consequently the core material is carefully chosen.

b) Eddy current loss

This is the energy loss due the eddy current circulated
inside the core and created by the changing magnetic
flux.
Improving efficiency of transformers
Energy losses due to above 3 factors:

1 Resistance of coils
Coils have some resistance, they are
heated when I flows through them.

Use thicker
copper wires!
How to ↓ R?
Improving efficiency of transformers
2 Magnetization & demagnetization of the
core
− Work has to be done in changing
magnitude & direction of magnetic field
in the core.
⇒ heat is given out
− Energy lost can be reduced by using
soft iron core.
can be magnetized &
demagnetized easily
Improving efficiency of transformers
3 Eddy currents in the core
eddy
metal core current eddy currents

As core lies in a
changing B-field, iron core
currents are induced
to flow in closed loops
Improving efficiency of transformers
3 Eddy currents in the core
Heating due to eddy current is reduced by using
laminated core.

laminated
iron core
Improving efficiency of transformers
laminated core =
thin sheets of soft iron which are insulated from
each other to give a high resistance
eddy currents

v.s.

laminated
iron core iron core
Improving efficiency of transformers

Transformer is a very efficient device.

Well designed transformers can have
an efficiency of over 90%.
 Tappings of a transformer
secondary coil can be
tapped at different points
⇒ gives different
voltages

0V
2V
4V
low voltage ~
220 V a.c. 6V
power supply 8V
in laboratories 10 V
contains a special 12 V
transformer
 Practical Transformers

Single-phase equivalent circuit of a transformer.

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