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TRANSFORMER PARALLELING

When the amount of power to be transformed is greater than the capacity of the existing
transformer, it is necessary to connect two or more transformers in parallel.

Necessity for parallel

• Load sharing
• Efficiency
• Redundancy
• Cost minimization

Disadvantages
• Increases the short circuit currents that increase necessary breaker capacity
• Increased risk of circulating currents running from one transformer to another
transformer, circulating currents that diminish load capability, and increased losses

Conditions for transformer paralleling

➢ The turn ratio and voltage rating should be the same
➢ The polarities of the transformer should be the same
➢ Percentage impedance should be the same
➢ Ratios of the resistance to reactance (X/R) should be the same
➢ Phase displacement between primary and secondary should be the same
➢ The phase sequence of the transformer should be the same
➢ The frequency should be the same
➢ Tap changes should be the same

The above conditions are verified with a different case using ETAP

Case (1): Transformer with the Same rating:

In case 1, Both the transformer ratings are the same for parallel operation, by the results the 30
MVA load is equally shared by the both transformers
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Figure 1.1 Transformer with the same Rating

Case (2): Transformer with different MVA Rating:

Figure 1.2 Transformer with different Rating

In case (2), both transformers are designed with different MVA ratings for parallel operation.
From the simulation results, the loads are shared equally with an equal ratio Because the
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loading on both transformers is equivalent, the difference MVA rating of the transformers does
not pose a difficulty in parallel operation.

Case (3): Transformer with different Impedance:

Figure 1.3 Transformer with Different Impedance

In case 3, both the transformers, the load is not equally shared, because the lower impedance
of the transformer is a higher percentage of the load compared to the higher impedance of the
transformer. then the transformer T8 is overloaded during parallel operation, so, the
transformer with the different impedance is not suitable for parallel operation

Case (4): Transformer with Different Voltage:

In case 4, for parallel operation both transformers are designed with different voltages, the load
is not equally shared because. power shared transformer T3 is higher than transformer T4. So,
the transformer with a different voltage is not suitable for parallel operation.
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Figure 1.4 Transformer with different voltage

Case (5): Transformer with different tap changer:
If the tap is changed, the LV side current will decrease and the voltage will vary.

If you manually change the tap in OLTC, that implies you're using the master and slave
paradigm. When the master transformer tap is changed from one position to another, the slave
transformer is given the same condition, and the slave transformer tap is changed to the same
position as the master transformer tap, producing a large circulating current.
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Figure1.5 Transformer with Different Tap Changer

Case (6): Transformer with Different Vector Group:

Figure 1.6 transformers with different vector groups

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In case 6, For parallel operation, both transformers are designed with different Vector groups.
Transformer T1 configures as Dyn1 and Transformer T2 configures as Dyn11. From simulation
results, a huge amount of circulating current flows in this condition. So, the transformer with
different vector groups is not suitable for parallel operation

Case (7): Transformer with Different X/R Ratio:

Figure 1.7 transformer with different X/R ratio

In case 7, For parallel operation, both transformers are designed with different Vector groups.
Transformer T3 configures as X/R ratio is 20 and Transformer T4 configures as X/R ratio is
40. From the simulation results from power, a factor is not equal and it directly depends on
copper loss because when resistance is increased, the X/R ratio is reduced and the Voltage
group of the transformer is high in transformer T3 and low in T4. So, the transformer with
different vector groups is not suitable for parallel operation