TRANSFORMERS

13
OBJECTIVES

After completing this chapter, you

will be able to:
electronic
cirCuiTs.
electrical and
transformer in
Sfate the applicatioms ofa transformer
S t a t e the principle of operation
ofa two-winding
tansformer.
D r a w the circuit symbol ofa turns-ratio.
transformer. of its
Derive the basic emfequation ofa to be ideal. transformer
in terms

impedance by
a
conditions for transformer current and
Statethefour voltage,
transformation of
State the relations for no-load current.
should have reduced.
transformer these can be
State why a the no-load current.
and howv
the two components of losses o c c u r in the core,
Define eddy-current
the hysteresis and transformers.
E x p l a i n why shell-type
construction core-type and
of reactance in both the primary and
Explain the primary
current.
leakage
meant by load
conuponent of we include
a
resistance and a
S t a t e what is
circuit ofa transformer
in the equivalent to the secondary,
State why to the primary
or

secondary side. transformer as referred

simplified eguivalent
cicuit of a transformer.
obtain
State how we a
dorwn' and 'regulation up'of
a a transformer.
'regulation maximun regulation of
State the meaning of and condition for
zero regulation
D e r i v e the condition for transformer.
commercial efficiency'
and 'all-day eficiency'ofa
Define maximum etficiency of a
transformer and disadvantages of
and state the advantages
Derive the condition of into an autoiransformer,
how to convert a two-uwinding transformer 'short-circuit
Explain and
'open-circuit test'
doing i.
parameters'of a transformer by conducting
Explain how to get the equivalent circuit
test.

13.1 INTRODUCTION

electrical energy form one

circuit to another
efficient device for transferring
A transformer is a highly in its frequency. There exists
no simple
level to another), without any change
(usually from one ac voltage to ac
in de voltages. Thus, the transformer has provided a feature
device that can accomplish such changes
that lacks in dc power system.
power system

Applications
A key application of transformers is in economically transmitting and distributing electrical power ov
long distances; thus, permitting generation to be located remotely from the points of demand. The genera

Some large transformers are able to transfer 99.75 % of their input power to their output.
 Transformers 373

iee is to generate ac voltage at about

I1 kV, then step up by means of a transformer to
ractice

132 KV, 220 kV and 400 KV for the transmission lines. This conversion aids the transmission higher voltages
of huge
of132
ical power at low cost. High-voltage lines carry low currents, and hence the cost of lines and the power
electrica

nss afre tremendously reduced. At distribution points, other transformers are used to step the voltage down to
nV or 220V for use in industries, offices and homes. Since there are no moving parts in a transformer, it
ractically needs almost no maintenance and supervision. A transformer also electrically isolates the end user
mcontact with the supply voltage.
Apart from the above, small-s1ze transformers are used in communication circuits, radio and TV circuits,
telephone circuits, instrumentation and control systems. Audio transformers are used to couple stages of
amplifier and to match devices such as microphones and record player cartridges to the input impedance of
the amplifiers. The use of audio transformers permits to cary on two-way conversation over a single pair of
Wires.

13.2 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

A transformer operates on the principle of mutual induction between hwo coils. Figure 13. la shows the
general construction of a transformer. The vertical portions of the steel core are termed limbs, and the top
and bottom portions arecalledyokes. The two coils Pand S, having N, and N, turns, are wound on the limbs.
Thesetwowindings are electrically unconnected but are linked with one another through a magnetic fux in
thecore. The coil P is connected to the supply and is therefore called primary; coil S is connected to the load
and is termed the secondary.
Basically, two principles are involved in the operation of atransformer. Firstly, an electric curent produces
amagnetic field (clectromagnctism), and secondly, a changing magnetic field within a coil induces an emf
across the ends of the coil (electromagnetic induction). A changing current in the primary circuit creates a
changing magnetic field; in turn, this magnetic field induces a voltage in the secondary circuit. Thus, energy
is transferred from one circuit to the other.

Core
ro

Core

N E2 |Load E N E
*********************

Primary Secondary
(a) Construction. (b) Circuit symbol.

Fig. 13.1 A transformer

Figure 13.1b shows the circit symbol of a transformer. The thick line denotes the ironcore. By having
erent ratios N/N2 of the two windings, power at lower or at higher voltage can be obtained. When N
t h e transformer is called a step-up transformer, and when N, < N1, the transformer is called a step-down
transformer.
 374 Basic Electrical Engineering

EMF Equation
transformer snown in rig. 13.la.De
COnsider a
sinusoidally varying voltage , applicd to the primary of the
tO this voltage, a sinusoidally varving magnetic flux is set up in the core, which can de represented as

= Sin or = Pm Sin 27t (13.1)

where Pn 1S the peak value of the flux andfis the frequency of sinusoidal variation o mux. As per the law of

as
winding of N turns is given
electromagnetic induction, the induced emf in a

e=-Nag Sin or)= -No) cos ø t = aNDn sin (o1- T/2) (13.2)
dt
-N(Pm
dt
value ot the induced emf Eis
oNo Therefore, the rms
of the induced emf is E
=

Thus, the peak value

given as

m NGn 21tfN m -
4.44 N Pm
E-
2
or E 4.44/NO (13.3)
This equation, known as emfequation oftransformer, can be used to find the emf induced in any winding

(primary or secondary) linking with flux dD

Effect of Frequency
The emf of a transformer at a given flux increases with frequency (see Eq. 13.3). By operating at higher

frequencies,transformers can be made physically more compact because a given core is able to transfer
more power without reaching saturation, and fewer turns are needed to achieve same impedance. However,
properties such as core losses and conductor skin effcct also increase with frequeney. Aireraft and military
equipments employ 400-Hz power supplies which reduces core and winding weight.

EXAMPLE 13. 1

The primary ofa 50-Hz, step-down transformer has 480 turns and is fed from 6400-V supply. Find (a) the peak value
ofthe fiux produced in the core, and (h) the voltage across the secondary winding ifit has 20 turns

Solution
(a) Using Eq. 13.3, we get
E 6400
=
0.06 Wb =60 mWb
4.44/N 4.44 x 50x 480
(b) The voltage induced in the secondary winding is given as

E 4.44/N, Pn= 4.44 x 50 x 20 x 0.06 266.4V

13.3 IDEAL TRANSFORMER

We shall describe the
physical construction and
Here, we define the ideal transformer as a circuit equivalent circuit of an actual transformer a little
lae
element. We shall then
The
explore its properties in voltage
higher the frequency, the greater is the tendency for the
outer layer (i.e., its skin), thereby reducing its effective area ofcurrent in the conductor to confine itself witnn its
cross section.