The welding transformer

info.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Workshop/advice/coils/leak/weld/index.html

This photograph shows the construction of the transformer used in a small (150 ampere),
inexpensive electric arc welding unit. You see that it is essentially a shell type of core. The
windings are on separate bobbins, with the primary on the right and the secondary on the
left. Between them however, is an important modification to the magnetic design.

Observe the separate bar protruding from the back of the transformer. This bar,
comprising a set of stacked laminations, is linked by a lead screw to the current
adjustment control on the front panel. By turning the current control wheel the position
of the bar may be altered.

With the bar out in the position

shown, the core behaves in much the
same way as an ordinary mains
transformer. That is, the primary and
secondary share the same magnetic
flux path. This strong linkage results
in the highest current being available
to the welding electrode.

When the control wheel is rotated so

that the bar is withdrawn back into
the core then the flux generated by
the primary winding need no longer
travel through the secondary in order
to form a closed loop. It instead has
the option of following the shorter path through the bar; and this is what most of it will
decide to do.

There are three effects as a result of this change in the flux path due to this 'magnetic
shunt':

With less flux through the secondary its emf will fall.

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 The weakened energy coupling
between the primary and
secondary means that a load on
the secondary is no longer fully
compensated for by increased
primary current. Normally,
secondary current produces an
mmf which opposes the primary
flux, which the primary then
compensates for by increasing
its own current draw. Now,
however, the secondary flux can
drop without the primary flux
having to drop too.

The primary is now less 'aware' of the secondary and just looks like a big choke, or
inductor. The primary current will fall to a low value even if the welding electrode
presents a low resistance.

E-mail:R.Clarke@surrey.ac.uk
Last modified: 2006 August 6th.

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