TRANSFORMER

What is a Transformer
A Transformer is a static electrical machine which transfers AC electrical power
from one circuit to the other circuit at the constant frequency, but the voltage level
can be altered that means voltage can be increased or decreased according to the
requirement.

It works on the principle of Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic Induction which

states that “ the magnitude of voltage is directly proportional to the rate of change
of flux.”

Contents:

 Necessity of a Transformer
 Construction of a Transformer
 Types of Transformer
 EMF Equation of a Transformer
 Losses in the Transformer
 Efficiency of the transformer
Necessity of a Transformer
 TRANSFORMER
Usually, electrical power is generated at 11Kv. For economical reasons AC power
is transmitted at very high voltages say 220 kV or 440 kV over long distances.
Therefore a step-up transformer is applied at the generating stations.

Now for safety reasons the voltage is stepped down to different levels by step
down transformer at various substations to feed the power to the different locations
and thus the utilisation of power is done at 400/230 V.

If (V2 > V1) the

voltage is raised on the output side and is known as Step-up transformer

If (V2 < V1) the voltage level is lowered on the output side and is known as Step
down transformer.

Construction of a Transformer

It mainly consists of

1. Magnetic circuit (consisting of core, limbs, yoke and damping structure).

2. Electrical circuit (consisting of primary and secondary windings)
3. Dielectric circuit (consisting of insulations in different forms and used at
different places)
4. Tanks and accessories (conservator, breather, bushings, cooling tubes, etc.)
Types of Transformer

The various types are described below

1. Position of the windings concerning the core

 Core type
 Shell type
2. According to the transformation ratio or number of turns in the windings
 Step up
 TRANSFORMER
 Step down
3. Types of services

 Power transformer
 Distribution transformer
 Instrument transformer
 Current transformer
 Potential transformer
 Auto-transformer

4. On the basis of the supply

 Single-phase
 Three-phase
5. On the basis of cooling

 Air Natural (AN) or Self air-cooled or dry type

 Air ForceD (AF) or Air Blast type
 Oil Natural Air Natural (ONAN)
 Oil Natural Air Forced (ONAF)
 Oil Forced Air Forced (OFAF)
 Oil Natural Water Forced (ONWF)
 Oil Forced Water Forced (OFWF)
EMF Equation of the Transformer

EMF Equation is given below

Where E1 and E2 are the voltages and N1, N2 is the number of turns in the primary
and the secondary windings respectively.

Losses in the Transformer

 TRANSFORMER
1. Core or iron losses
 Hysteresis loss
 Eddy current loss
2. Copper losses
3. Stray losses
Efficiency of the Transformer

Transformer efficiency is defined as the ratio of the output power to the input
power and is expressed in the equation below

TYPS OF OIL

Transformer oil: Testing, Types, and Properties

Transformer oil types have properties that contribute to the safe and smooth
operation of the transformers. Hence, it’s a critical element in electrical power
systems. Let's find out more about transformer oil through the article below.

Table of Contents

1. What is the transformer oil?

2. Types of Transformer Oil

a. Naphthenic Oil
 TRANSFORMER
b. Paraffinic Oil

3. Ideal Properties of Transformer Oil

a. Electrical Properties of Transformer Oil

b. Chemical Properties of Transformer Oil

c. Physical Properties of Transformer Oil

4. Transformer Oil Testing

5. Why is Transformer Oil Testing Important?

1. What is the transformer oil?

Transformer oil (also known as insulating oil) is a special type of oil that has excellent
electrical insulation and is stable at high temperatures. Oil-immersed transformers use
oil for the purpose of insulation, stopping the discharge and aura discharge, and at the
same time dissipating the heat of the transformer (i.e. acting as a coolant).

Transformer oil is also used to preserve the transformer’s core and windings by fully
immersed them inside the oil. Another important property of the insulating oil is the
prevention of oxidation of the cellulose-made paper insulation. The transformer oil
likes as a barrier between the atmospheric oxygen and the cellulose – avoiding direct
contact and hence minimizing oxidation. The level of transformer oil is measured using
a MOG (Magnetic Oil level Gauge).

Transformer Oil

2. Types of Transformer oil

 TRANSFORMER
There are two main types of transformer oil used today: Paraffin-based transformer oil
and naphtha-based transformer oil.
a. Naphthenic Oil

 The mineral insulating oil is derived from particular crudes, which include extremely
low n-paraffin known as wax.

 This oil's pour point is low compared with the paraffinic type due to less wax content.

 The boiling point of this oil is approximately 425 °C.

 As compared with other oil, this is more readily corroded.

 The products of oxidation are soluble within the oil.

 The corrosion of paraffin-based crudes generates an unsolvable sludge to increase the

viscosity. So it will reduce the capacity of heat transfer, service life, and overheating.

 These oils include aromatic compounds at relatively fewer temperatures, like -40°C.

b. Paraffinic Oil
 Mineral insulating oil derived from special crudes contains a substantial amount of n-
paraffin, i.e., wax.

 This oil's pour point is high compared with the naphthenic type due to high wax content.

 The boiling point of this kind of oil about 530 °C.

 Oxidation of this oil is less.

 Oxidation products are insoluble within the oil.

 Even though the naphthenic type is more readily corroded than paraffinic, the oxidation
products are soluble within the oil that results in a decrease of problem.

In theory, Paraffin-based oil is not as easily oxidized as naphtha-based oil is, producing
less sludge. Cause sludge naphtha-based oil is more soluble than paraffin-based oil, so
whatever sludge naphtha-based oil generates is more easily removed than the sludge
from paraffin-based oil. If sludge builds up at the bottom of a transformer container,
it'll interfere with the transformer operation.
 TRANSFORMER
The Naphtha-based oil and paraffin-based oil do not contain dissolved wax. This wax
can increase the pour point and potentially cause issues, but in warmer climates where
the temperature never gets very low, this is not an issue.

However, paraffin oil is the most commonly used type of oil in transformers worldwide,
despite naphtha-based oil has more apparent superiority.

3. Ideal Properties of Transformer Oil

Some specific properties of insulating oil should be considered to determine the
serviceability of the oil.
The properties (or parameters) of transformer oil are:

 Electrical properties: Specific resistance, dielectric strength, dielectric dissipation

factor.

 Chemical properties: Water content, acidity, sludge content.

 Physical properties: Interfacial tension, viscosity, flash point, pour point.

a. Electrical Properties of Transformer Oil
 Dielectric Strength of Transformer Oil

The dielectric strength of transformer oil is also known as the transformer oil's
breakdown voltage (BDV). Breakdown voltage is measured by observing at what
voltage, sparking strands between two electrodes immersed in the oil, separated by a
specific gap. A low value of BDV indicates the presence of moisture content and
conducting substances in the oil.

For measuring BDV of transformer oil, a portable BDV measuring kit is generally
available at the site. In this kit, oil is kept in a pot in which one pair of electrodes are
fixed with a gap of 2.5 mm (in some kit, it 4mm) between them. Now slowly rising
voltage is applied between the electrodes. The rate of increasing voltage is controlled
at 2 KV/s and observe the voltage at which sparking starts between the electrodes - that
means at which voltage dielectric strength of transformer oil between the electrodes has
been broken down.
 TRANSFORMER

This measurement is taken 3 to 6 times in the same oil sample, and we take the average
value of these readings. BDV is the primary indicator of the health of oil. So it’s a
popular and important test of transformer oil and it can be easily carried out at the site.

Dry and clean oil gives BDV results, better than the oil with moisture content and other
conducting impurities. The minimum breakdown voltage of transformer oil or dielectric
strength of transformer oil at which this oil can safely be used in the transformer is
considered 30 KV.

 Specific Resistance of Transformer Oil

This is another important property of transformer oil. The specific oil resistance is a
measure of DC resistance between two opposite sides of one cm3 block of oil. Its unit
is ohm-cm at a particular temperature. With an increase in temperature, the resistivity
of oil decreases rapidly.

Just after charging a transformer after long shut down, the oil temperature will be at
ambient temperature, and during full load, the temperature will be very high. It may go
up to 90ºC at an overload condition. The insulating oil's resistivity must be high at room
temperature, and it should have good value at high temperatures.
That is why specific resistance or resistivity of transformer oil should get measured at
27ºC and 90ºC.

The minimum standard specific resistance of transformer oil at 90ºC is 35 × 1012 ohm-
cm, and at 27ºC, it is 1500 × 1012 ohm-cm.

 Dielectric Dissipation Factor of Tan Delta of Transformer Oil

The dielectric dissipation factor is also known as the loss factor or tan delta of
transformer oil. When an insulating material is placed between the live part and the
grounded part of electrical equipment, leakage current will flow. As an insulating
material is dielectric, the current through the insulation ideally leads the voltage by 90º.
Here voltage means the instantaneous voltage between the live part and ground of the
equipment. But in reality, no insulating materials are perfect dielectric in nature.
 TRANSFORMER

Hence current through the insulator will lead the voltage with an angle a little bit shorter
than 90º. The tangent of the angle by which it is short of 90º is called the dielectric
dissipation factor or simply tan delta of transformer oil. More plainly, the leakage
current through insulation does have two-component one resistive or active, and another
one is capacitive or reactive. Again it is clear from the above diagram, the value of ′δ′
is also known as loss angle.

If the loss angle is small, then the resistive component of the current IR is small, which
indicates a high resistive property of the insulating material. High resistive insulation is
a good insulator. Hence it is desirable to have a loss angle as small as possible. So we
should try to keep the value of tanδ as small as possible. The high value of this tanδ is
an indication of the presence of contaminants in transformer oil.

Hence there is a clear relationship between tanδ and resistivity of insulating oil. If the
value of tan-delta increases, the resistivity of the insulating oil gets decreased and vice
versa. So both the resistivity test and tan delta test of transformer oil are generally not
required for the same piece of the insulator or insulating oil.

In one sentence, it can be said that tanδ is a measure of the imperfection of the dielectric
nature of insulation materials like oil.

b. Chemical Properties of Transformer Oil

 Water Content in Transformer Oil

Moisture or water content in transformer oil is highly undesirable as it affects the oil's
dielectric properties adversely. The water content in oil also affects the paper insulation
of the winding and core of a transformer. Paper is highly hygroscopic. Paper absorbs
the maximum amount of water from oil, affecting paper insulation property and
reducing its life. But in a loaded transformer, oil becomes hotter; hence the solubility
of water in oil increases.
 TRANSFORMER

As a result, the paper releases water and increases the water content in transformer oil.
Thus the temperature of the oil at the time of taking a sample for the test is critical.
During oxidation, acids get formed in the oil; the acids give rise to the solubility of
water in the oil. Acid, coupled with further, water decompose the oil, forming more acid
and water. This rate of degradation of oil increases. We measure the water content in
oil as ppm (parts per million units).

The water content in an oil is allowed up to 50 ppm recommended by IS–335(1993).

The accurate measurement of water content at such low levels requires a sophisticated
instrument like Coulometric Karl Fischer Titrator.

 Acidity of Transformer Oil

Acidic transformer oil is a harmful property. If oil becomes acidic, the water content in
the oil becomes more soluble in the oil. The acidity of oil deteriorates the insulation
property of paper insulation of winding. Acidity accelerates the oxidation process in the
oil. Acid also includes the rusting of iron in the presence of moisture.

The acidity test of transformer oil can be used to measure the acidic constituents of
contaminants. We express the acidity of oil in mg of KOH required to neutralize the
acid present in a gram of oil. This is also known as a neutralization number.

c. Physical Properties of Transformer Oil

 Inter Facial Tension of Transformer Oil

The interfacial tension between the water and oil interface is the way to measure the
attractive molecular force between water and oil. in Dyne/cm or milli-Newton/meter.
Interfacial tension is exactly useful for determining the presence of oil decay products
and polar contaminants. Good new oil generally exhibits high interfacial tension. Oil
oxidation contaminants lower the IFT.

 Flashpoint of Transformer Oil

The Flashpoint of transformer oil is the temperature at which oil gives enough vapors
to produce a flammable mixture with air. This mixture provides momentary flash on
the application of flame under standard condition. Flashpoint is important because it
 TRANSFORMER
specifies the chances of fire hazard in the transformer. So it is desirable to have a very
high flash point of transformer oil. In general, it is more than 140º(>10º).

 Pour Point of Transformer Oil

It is the minimum temperature at which oil starts to flow under the standard test
condition. The pour point of transformer oil is a valuable property mainly at the places
where the climate is icy. If the oil temperature falls below the pour point, the
transformer oil stops convection flowing and obstruct cooling in a transformer.
Paraffin-based oil has a higher value of pour point than Naphtha-based oil, but in India,
it does not affect the use of Paraffin oil due to its warm climate condition. The pour
point of transformer oil mainly depends upon wax content in the oil. As Paraffin-based
oil has more wax content, it has a higher pour point.

 Viscosity of Transformer Oil

In a few words, the viscosity of transformer oil can be said that viscosity is the resistance
of flow in normal conditions. Resistance to the flow of transformer oil means
obstruction of convection circulation of oil inside the transformer. Good oil should have
a low viscosity so that it offers less resistance to the conventional flow of oil, thereby
not affecting the cooling of a transformer. The low viscosity of transformer oil is
essential, but it is equally important that the viscosity of oil should increase as little as
possible with a decrease in temperature. Every liquid becomes more viscous if the
temperature decreases.

4. Transformer Oil Testing

Transformer oil needs to be tested to ensure that it works for today's standards. Testing
standards and procedures are defined by various international standards, and
the ASTM sets most of them.

Oil testing consists of measuring the breakdown voltage and other chemical and
physical properties of the oil, either through in a laboratory or portable test equipment.
The transformer's lifespan is increased through proper testing, reducing the need to pay
for the replacement.

Factors to Test:
Here are the most common things to look for when performing a transformer oil test:

 Standard Specification for Mineral Insulating Oil Used in Electrical Apparatus (ASTM
D3487)
 TRANSFORMER
 Acid number (ASTM D664)
 Dielectric breakdown voltage (ASTM D877)
 Liquid power factor (ASTM D924-08)
 Interfacial tension (ASTM D971)
 Specific resistance (ASTM D1169)
 Corrosive sulfur (ASTM D1275)
 Visual examination (ASTM D1524)
Note: ASTM stands for the American Society for Testing and Materials.

These tests will help determine if the oils are clean and create a baseline of properties
that need to be tested periodically. Although there are a large number of available tests,
they are expensive. So it's best to use them as diagnostics if an issue occurs during
primary testing.

The recommended frequency is dependant on the power and the voltage. If the results
from the test are showing some red flags, the frequency will have to increase. Even if
the cost of testing is high, the expense should be compared to the cost of replacing a
transformer and the downtime associated with losing the transformer.

It's important to understand the difference between excessive and normal gassing rates.
The amount of dissolved gas in transformer oil can be found by using a dissolved gas
analysis (DGA) test. The gassing rate will vary based on the loading, transformer
design, and insulation material.

5. Why is Transformer Oil Testing Important?

Transformer oil testing is important to:

 Determine the essential electrical properties of transformer oil

 Identify if a certain oil is suitable for future use
 Detect whether regeneration or filtration is needed
 Reduce oil costs and enhance component life
 TRANSFORMER
 Prevent untimely failures and maximize safety
=> Keep in mind, and transformer oils can last for up to 30 years. So taking the proper
testing procedures now will save you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Transformer Basics
Transformers are electrical devices consisting of two or more coils of wire used to
transfer electrical energy by means of a changing magnetic field

In this tutorial about transformer basics, we will se that a transformer has no

internal moving parts, and are typically used because a change in voltage is
required to transfer energy from one circuit to another by electromagnetic
induction.

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 (hence the name transformer) 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
 TRANSFORMER
equipment in our homes and workplaces, and all this is possible thanks to the
transformer basics of the Voltage Transformer.

A Typical Voltage Transformer

The Voltage Transformer can be thought of as an electrical component
rather than an electronic component. 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 basics operate on the principals of
“electromagnetic induction”, in the form of Mutual Induction.
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.
Transformers are capable of either increasing or decreasing the voltage and
current levels of their supply, without modifying its frequency, or the amount of
electrical power being transferred from one winding to another via the
magnetic circuit.
A single phase voltage transformer basically consists of two electrical coils of
wire, one called the “Primary Winding” and another called the “Secondary
Winding”. For this tutorial we will define the “primary” side of the transformer
as the side that usually takes power, and the “secondary” as the side that
usually delivers power. 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
 TRANSFORMER
“core”. This soft iron core is not solid but made up of individual laminations
connected together to help reduce the core’s magnetic losses.
The primary and secondary windings are electrically isolated from each other
but are magnetically linked through the common core allowing electrical power
to be transferred from one coil to the other. When an electric current passed
through the primary winding, a magnetic field is developed which induces a
voltage into the secondary winding and this transformer basics operating
principle shown below.

Single Phase Voltage Transformer

In other words, for a transformer there is no direct electrical connection

between the two coil windings, thereby giving it the name also of an Isolation
Transformer. Generally, the primary winding of a transformer is connected to
the input voltage supply and converts or transforms the electrical power into a
magnetic field. While the job of the secondary winding is to convert this
alternating magnetic field into electrical power producing the required output
voltage as shown.

Transformer Construction (single-phase)

 TRANSFORMER
 Where:
 VP – is the Primary Voltage
 VS – is the Secondary Voltage
 NP – is the Number of Primary Windings
 NS – is the Number of Secondary Windings
 Φ (phi) – is the Flux Linkage

Notice that the two coil windings are not electrically connected but are only
linked magnetically. A single-phase transformer can operate to either increase
or decrease the voltage applied to the primary winding. 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.
However, a third condition exists in which a transformer produces the same
voltage on its secondary as is applied to its primary winding. In other words,
its output is identical with respect to voltage, current and power transferred.
This type of transformer is called an “Impedance Transformer” and is mainly
used for impedance matching or the isolation of adjoining electrical circuits.
The difference in voltage between the primary and the secondary windings is
achieved by changing the number of coil turns in the primary winding ( NP )
compared to the number of coil turns on the secondary winding ( NS ).
As the transformer is basically a linear device, a ratio now exists between the
number of turns of the primary coil divided by the number of turns of the
secondary coil. This ratio, called the ratio of transformation, more commonly
known as a transformers “turns ratio”, ( TR ). This turns ratio value dictates
the operation of the transformer and the corresponding voltage available on
the secondary winding.
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).
This means in this example, that if there are 3 volts on the primary winding
there will be 1 volt on the secondary winding, 3 volts-to-1 volt. Then we can
see that if the ratio between the number of turns changes the resulting
voltages must also change by the same ratio, and this is true.
 TRANSFORMER
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:

A Transformers Turns Ratio

Assuming an ideal transformer and the phase angles: ΦP ≡ ΦS

Note that the order of the numbers when expressing a transformers turns
ratio value is very important as the turns ratio 3:1 expresses a very different
transformer relationship and output voltage than one in which the turns ratio is
given as: 1:3.

Transformer Basics Example No1

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.

This ratio of 3:1 (3-to-1) simply means that there are three primary windings
for every one secondary winding. As the ratio moves from a larger number on
the left to a smaller number on the right, the primary voltage is therefore
stepped down in value as shown.

Transformer Basics Example No2

If 240 volts rms is applied to the primary winding of the same transformer
above, what will be the resulting secondary no load voltage.
 TRANSFORMER

Again confirming that the transformer is a “step-down” transformer as the

primary voltage is 240 volts and the corresponding secondary voltage is lower
at 80 volts.
Then the main purpose of a transformer is to transform voltages at preset
ratios and we can see that the primary winding has a set amount or number of
windings (coils of wire) on it to suit the input voltage.
If the secondary output voltage is to be the same value as the input voltage on
the primary winding, then the same number of coil turns must be wound onto
the secondary core as there are on the primary core giving an even turns ratio
of 1:1 (1-to-1). In other words, one coil turn on the secondary to one coil turn
on the primary.
If the output secondary voltage is to be greater or higher than the input
voltage, (step-up transformer) then there must be more turns on the
secondary giving a turns ratio of 1:N (1-to-N), where N represents the turns
ratio number. Likewise, if it is required that the secondary voltage is to be
lower or less than the primary, (step-down transformer) then the number of
secondary windings must be less giving a turns ratio of N:1 (N-to-1).

Transformer Action
We have seen that the number of coil turns on the secondary winding
compared to the primary winding, the turns ratio, affects the amount of voltage
available from the secondary coil. But if the two windings are electrically
isolated from each other, how is this secondary voltage produced?
We have said previously that a transformer basically consists of two coils
wound around a common soft iron core. When an alternating voltage ( VP ) is
applied to the primary coil, current flows through the coil which in turn sets up
a magnetic field around itself. This effect is called mutual
inductance according to Faraday’s Law of electromagnetic induction.
 TRANSFORMER
The strength of the magnetic field builds up as the current flow rises from zero
to its maximum value which is given as dΦ/dt.

As the magnetic lines of force setup by this electromagnet expand outward

from the coil the soft iron core forms a path for and concentrates the magnetic
flux. This magnetic flux links the turns of both windings as it increases and
decreases in opposite directions under the influence of the AC supply.
However, the strength of the magnetic field induced into the soft iron core
depends upon the amount of current and the number of turns in the winding.
When current is reduced, the magnetic field strength reduces.
When the magnetic lines of flux flow around the core, they pass through the
turns of the secondary winding, causing a voltage to be induced into the
secondary coil. The amount of voltage induced will be determined
by: N*dΦ/dt (Faraday’s Law), where N is the number of coil turns. Also this
induced voltage has the same frequency as the primary winding voltage.
Then we can see that the same voltage is induced in each coil turn of both
windings because the same magnetic flux links the turns of both the windings
together. As a result, the total induced voltage in each winding is directly
proportional to the number of turns in that winding. However, the peak
amplitude of the output voltage available on the secondary winding will be
reduced if the magnetic losses of the core are high.
If we want the primary coil to produce a stronger magnetic field to overcome
the cores magnetic losses, we can either send a larger current through the
coil, or keep the same current flowing, and instead increase the number of coil
turns ( NP ) of the winding. The product of amperes times turns is called the
“ampere-turns”, which determines the magnetising force of the coil.
So assuming we have a transformer with a single turn in the primary, and only
one turn in the secondary. If one volt is applied to the one turn of the primary
coil, assuming no losses, enough current must flow and enough magnetic flux
generated to induce one volt in the single turn of the secondary. That is, each
winding supports the same number of volts per turn.
 TRANSFORMER
As the magnetic flux varies sinusoidally, Φ = Φmax sinωt, then the basic
relationship between induced emf, ( E ) in a coil winding of N turns is given by:

emf = turns x rate of change

 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
This is known as the Transformer EMF Equation. For the primary winding
emf, N will be the number of primary turns, ( NP ) and for the secondary
winding emf, N will be the number of secondary turns, ( NS ).
Also please note that as transformers require an alternating magnetic flux to
operate correctly, transformers cannot therefore be used to transform or
supply DC voltages or currents, since the magnetic field must be changing to
induce a voltage in the secondary winding. In other words, transformers DO
NOT operate on steady state DC voltages, only alternating or pulsating
voltages.
If a transformers primary winding was connected to a DC supply, the inductive
reactance of the winding would be zero as DC has no frequency, so the
effective impedance of the winding will therefore be very low and equal only to
the resistance of the copper used. Thus the winding will draw a very high
 TRANSFORMER
current from the DC supply causing it to overheat and eventually burn out,
because as we know I = V/R.

Transformer Basics Example No3

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.

 TRANSFORMER
Since the secondary voltage rating is equal to the secondary induced emf,
another easier way to calulate 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 ). Small single phase
transformers may be rated in volt-amperes only, but much larger power
transformers are rated in units of Kilo volt-amperes, ( kVA ) where 1 kilo volt-
ampere is equal to 1,000 volt-amperes, and units of Mega volt-amperes,
( MVA ) where 1 mega volt-ampere is equal to 1 million volt-amperes.
In an ideal transformer (ignoring any losses), the power available in the
secondary winding will be the same as the power in the primary winding, they
are constant wattage devices and do not change the power only the voltage to
current ratio. Thus, in an ideal transformer the Power Ratio is equal to one
(unity) as the voltage, V multiplied by the current, I will remain constant.
That is the electric power at one voltage/current level on the primary is
“transformed” into electric power, at the same frequency, to the same
voltage/current level on the secondary side. 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 ).

Power in a Transformer
 TRANSFORMER

Where: ΦP is the primary phase angle and ΦS is the secondary phase angle.
Note that since power loss is proportional to the square of the current being
transmitted, that is: I2R, increasing the voltage, let’s say doubling ( ×2 ) the
voltage would decrease the current by the same amount, ( ÷2 ) while
delivering the same amount of power to the load and therefore reducing
losses by factor of 4. If the voltage was increased by a factor of 10, the current
would decrease by the same factor reducing overall losses by factor of 100.

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).
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.
Their reversal results in friction, and friction produces heat in the core which is
a form of power loss. Hysteresis within the transformer can be reduced by
making the core from special steel alloys.
The intensity of power loss in a transformer determines its efficiency. The
efficiency of a transformer is reflected in power (wattage) loss between the
primary (input) and secondary (output) windings. Then the resulting efficiency
 TRANSFORMER
of a transformer is equal to the ratio of the power output of the secondary
winding, PS to the power input of the primary winding, PP and is therefore high.
An ideal transformer would be 100% efficient, passing all the electrical energy
it receives on its primary side to its secondary side. But real transformers on
the other hand are not 100% efficient. When operating at full load capacity
their maximum efficiency is nearer 94% to 96%, which is still quite good for an
electrical device. For a transformer operating at a constant AC voltage and
frequency its efficiency can be as high as 98%. The efficiency, η of a
transformer is given as:

Transformer Efficiency

Where: Input, Output and Losses are all expressed in units of power.
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:

When learning about transformer basics, it is sometimes easier to remember

the relationship between the transformers input, output and efficiency by using
pictures. Here the three quantities of VA, W and η have been superimposed
into a triangle giving power in watts at the top with volt-amps and efficiency at
the bottom. This arrangement represents the actual position of each quantity
in the efficiency formulas.

Transformer Efficiency Triangle

 TRANSFORMER

and transposing the above triangle quantities gives us the following

combinations of the same equation:

Then, to find Watts (output) = VA x eff., or to find VA (input) = W/eff., or to find

Efficiency, eff. = W/VA, etc.

Transformer Basics Summary

Then to summarise this transformer basics tutorial. A Transformer changes
the voltage level (or current level) on its input winding to another value on its
output winding using a magnetic field. A transformer consists of two
electrically isolated coils and operates on Faraday’s principal of “mutual
induction”, in which an EMF is induced in the transformers secondary coil by
the magnetic flux generated by the voltages and currents flowing in the
primary coil winding.
Both the primary and secondary coil windings are wrapped around a common
soft iron core made of individual laminations to reduce eddy current and
power losses. The primary winding of the transformer is connected to the AC
power source which must be sinusoidal in nature, while the secondary winding
supplies electrical power to the load. Having said that, a transformer could be
used in reverse with the supply connected to the secondary winding provided
the voltage and current ratings are observed.
 TRANSFORMER
We can represent this transformer basics in block diagram form as follows:

Basic Representation of the Transformer

The ratio of the transformers primary and secondary windings with respect to
each other produces either a step-up voltage transformer or a step-down
voltage transformer with the ratio between the number of primary turns to the
number of secondary turns being called the “turns ratio” or “transformer ratio”.
If this ratio is less than unity, n < 1 then NS is greater than NP and the
transformer is classed as a step-up transformer. If this ratio is greater than
unity, n > 1, that is NP is greater than NS, the transformer is classed as a step-
down transformer. Note that single phase step-down transformer can also be
used as a step-up transformer simply by reversing its connections and making
the low voltage winding its primary, and vice versa as long as the transformer
is operated within its original VA design rating.
If the turns ratio is equal to unity, that is n = 1, then both the primary and
secondary have the same number of coil turns so therefore the voltages and
currents will be the same for both the primary and secondary windings.
This type of 1:1 transformer is classed as an isolation transformer as both the
primary and secondary windings of the transformer have the same number of
volts per turn. The efficiency of a transformer is the ratio of the power it
delivers to the load to the power it absorbs from the supply. In an ideal
transformer there are no losses so no loss of power then PIN = POUT.
In the next tutorial to do with Transformer Basics, we will look at the
physical Construction of a Transformer and see the different magnetic core
types and laminations used to support the primary and secondary windings.