Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Transformer Interview Questions
Transformer Interview Questions
A. A transformer is a static electrical apparatus designed to convert alternating current from one voltage to
another .It transforms electrical energy from one circuit to another without any direct electrical connection,
with the help of mutual induction between to windings. It can be designed to “step up” or “step down”
voltages.
Q. In a Tap changing transformer on which side is the tap connected, primary side or secondary side?
A. Tapings are always connected to high voltage winding side, because of low current. If we connect tapings to
low voltage side, sparks will produce while tap changing operation due to high current.
Q. What current flows in the transformer primary when its secondary is open?
A. When the secondary is open, there is no current in the secondary of the transformer. The primary takes a
small current I0) from the source called no-load current which has a magnetizing component (I0 sinθ0)
producing the magnetic flux and a working component (I0 cosθ0) supplying real power for iron losses.
Q. What is tertiary winding? What is Three Winding Transformer? What are its advantages?
A. In some high rating transformers, one winding, in addition to the primary and secondary winding, is used.
This is known as Tertiary Winding of Transformer. Because of this third winding, the transformer is called Three
Winding Transformer.
Advantages:
1. It reduces the unbalancing in the primary due to unbalancing in three phase load.
2. It redistributes the flow of fault current
3. To supply an auxiliary load in different voltage level in addition to its main secondary load.(station lighting
and power)
4. As the tertiary winding is connected in delta formation in 3 winding transformer, it assists in limitation of
fault current in the event of a short circuit from line to neutral.
Q)During No load why the power factor of the transformer is very low ?
A. Current flowing through the transformer consists of two components. Magnetizing current (Im) which is in
quadrature (900) to the applied voltage and in phase current which is in phase to the applied voltage. During
no load condition most of the excitation current drawn by the transformer from the primary winding is to
magnetize the path. Hence excitation current drawn by the transformer during no load condition mostly
consists of magnetizing component of current which is used to provide magnetic field in transformer circuits
(Inductive nature). Therefore as the nature of the load is inductive, hence the power factor of transformer
during no load condition will by in the order of 0.1 to 0.2
Q)What is Polarity, When Associated With a Transformer?
A: Polarity is the instantaneous voltage obtained from the primary winding in relation to the secondary
winding. Transformers 600 volts and below are normally connected in additive polarity — that is, the terminals
of the high voltage and low voltage windings on the left hand side are connected together, This leaves one high
voltage and one low voltage terminal unconnected. When the trans¬former is excited, the resultant voltage
appearing across a voltmeter will be the sum of the high and low voltage wind¬ings. This is useful when
connecting single phase transform¬ers in parallel for three phase operations. Polarity is a term used only with
single phase transformers.
Q. How Do You Select a Transformer to Operate in an Ambient Higher Than 40° Centigrade?
ANSWER: If the 24 hour average ambient does not exceed 40° C, standard transformers can be used. When the
ambient exceeds 40° C use the following chart for de-rating standard transformers.
Maximum Maximum Percentage of
Ambient Loading
40° C 100%
50° C 92%
60° C 85%
70° C 78%
Instead of ordering custom built transformers to operate in ambient higher than 40° C, it is more economical to
use a standard transformer of a larger KVA rating.
Q. At what power maximum efficiency of power transformer and distribution transformer is designed
Maximum efficiency of the transformer is attained at certain load factor (α) when core losses of transformer is
equal to the copper losses.
PCore loss = α2 X PCopper loss
From the above equation for particular load factor (α) maximum efficiency of a transformer is designed when
core loss is equal to copper loss. For a transformer core losses remain same irrespective of the load and copper
losses varies based on the loading. For a transformer maximum efficiency is designed for particular load factor
when core and copper losses are same. Core loss for a transformer is designed based on the application of
transformer so that both core losses and copper losses will be same
For power transformer delivering bulk power employed in generating stations and other substations power it
deliver will not vary round the clock and delivers full load. Hence power transformers are designed to have
maximum power at full load. Whereas power deliver capacity of distribution transformers which deliver power
vary with time duration of the day. Hence distribution transformers are designed to have maximum efficiency
at 50% of the rated full load
Q. Does the transformer draw any current when its secondary is open?
Yes, no-load primary current.
Q. Why?
Cu loss depends on current in the primary and secondary windings. It is well-known that current required is
higher when power factor is lower.
It occurs when on account of some »inertia« in the system there is a phase shift between voltage and
current. This means that the current does not change polarity synchronous with the voltage. But the heat
generated in a winding as well as the eddy current losses generated in a transformer core depend on the
current only, regardless of whether it aligns with the voltage or not.
Therefore the heat is always proportional to the square of the current amplitude, irrespective of the phase
angle (the shift between voltage and current). So a transformer has to be rated (and selected) by apparent
power.
•Q. What are the reasons for Oil degradation? Answer:
1.Degradation
2.Oxidation
3.Contamination
a) Dielectric breakdown voltage indicates the presence of electrically conductive contaminants in oil.
b) Interfacial tension and acid number (sometimes called neutralization number or acidity) are affected by
oxidation and contamination.
c) Water content is temperature dependent.
d) Power factor is also temperature dependent.
•Q. What parameters or technical particulars are important to be considered while designing protection
scheme of the transformer? Answer:
1.Network Diagram showing the position of the transformer in the system
2.kVA or MVA rating of the transformer
3.Fault Level at the transformer
4.Voltage Ratio
5.Winding Connections
6.Per Unit Impedance
7.Neutral Point Earthing Resistance
8.Value of the System Earthing Resistance
9.Whether Indoor or Outdoor
10.Dry or Oil Filled
11.Length and area of cross section of the connecting leads between CTs and Relay Panel
A. A 3ph transformer is that transformer which is equivalent to three single phase transformer
but wound on one core and enclosed within one common case.
A. When three transformer are obtained in delta, one may be removed and two remaining unit
will carry 57.7% of the original three phase load and thus maintain the continuity of supply.
Q3. What advantage has the star connection over the delta connection ?
A. Each star connection transformer is wound for only 57.7% of line voltage . In hv transmission,
this admits of much smaller transformer being built for high voltage than possible with delta
connection, because of less insulation.
Q4. How to connect two single phase transformer to give three phase o/p from a three phase I/p
?
Q5. What is the supply rated o/p if two single phase transformer connect to give three phase o/p
from a three phase I/p?
Answer:Every power transformer has a vector group listed by its manufacturer. Fundamentally it tells you the
information about how the windings are connected (delta or wye) and the phace difference betweent the
current and voltage. EG. DYN11 means Delta primary, Wye Secondry and the current is at 11 o clock reffered to
the voltage.