VECTOR GROUP CONNECTIONS OF TRANSFORMERS

Before a transformer can be connected to the external circuits, the internal connections within the transformer must be known so that the compatibility of the transformer with respect to the external circuit is checked and ensured at the design stage itself with respect to polarity, voltage, phase sequence etc. A transformer while transforming the applied voltage from one value to some other magnitude also introduces a phase shift between the applied voltage to the primary and the delivered output voltage on the secondary side. This phase shift is due to the internal connections of the three phase windings. The vector group notation indicates readily the phase shift between the primary and secondary voltages. The behaviour of protective relays also sometimes depends on the vector group connections. The information regarding the inter-phase connections is coded and contained in Vector Group Notations. VECTOR GROUP NOTATION: First symbol/symbols, capital letters: HV winding connection. Second symbol/symbols, small letters: LV winding connection. Third symbol, number: Phase displacement expressed as the clock hour number. Winding connection designations: High Voltage Always capital letters Delta - D Star - Y Interconnected star - Z Neutral brought out - N Low voltage Always small letters Delta - d Star - y Interconnected star - z Neutral brought out - n for auto transformer - a Phase displacement: Phase rotation is always anti-clockwise. (International adopted convention) The hour indicator is used as the indicating phase displacement angle. Because there are 12 hours on a clock, and a circle consists out of 360, each hour represents 30. Thus 1 = 30, 2 = 60, 3 = 90, 6 = 180 and 12 = 0 or 360. The minute hand is set on 12 o'clock and replaces the line to neutral voltage (sometimes imaginary) of the HV winding. This position is always the reference point. Because rotation is anti-clockwise, 1 = 30 lagging (LV lags HV with 30)and 11 = 330 lagging or 30 leading (LV leads HV with 30) The phase-bushings on a three phase transformer are marked either ABC, UVW or 123 (HV-side capital, LV-side small letters)

Two winding, three phase transformers can be divided into four main categories (Clock hour number and phase displacement of those most frequently encountered in practice in brackets) Group I - (0 o'clock, 0) - delta/delta, star/star Group II - (6 o'clock, 180) - delta/delta, star/star Group III - (1 o'clock, -30) - star/delta, delta/star Group IV - (11 o'clock, +30) - star/delta, delta/star (Minus indicates LV lagging HV, plus indicates LV leading HV) Group I Example: Dd0 (no phase displacement between HV and LV) The conventional method is to connect the red phase on A/a, Yellow phase on B/b, and the Blue phase on C/c. Other phase displacements are possible with unconventional connections (for instance red on b, yellow on c and blue on a) By doing some unconventional connections externally on one side of the transformer, an internal connected Dd0 transformer can be changed either to a Dd4(-120) or Dd8(+120) connection. The same is true for internal connected Dd4 or Dd8 transformers. Group II Example: Dd6 (180 displacement between HV and LV) By doing some unconventional connections externally on one side of the transformer, an internal connected Dd6 transformer can be changed either to a Dd2(-60) or Dd10(+60) connection. Group III Example: Dyn1 (-30 displacement between HV and LV) By doing some unconventional connections externally on one side of the transformer, an internal connected Dyn1 transformer can be changed either to a Dyn5(-150) or Dyn9(+90) connection. Group IV Example: Dyn11 (+30 displacement between HV and LV) By doing some unconventional connections externally on one side of the transformer, an internal connected Dyn11 transformer can be changed either to a Dyn7(+150) or Dyn3(-90) connection. Additional Note By doing some unconventional connections externally on both sides of the transformer, an internal connected groupIII or groupIV transformer can be changed to any of these two groups. Thus, an internal connected Dyn1 transformer can be changed to either a: Dyn3, Dyn5, Dyn7, Dyn9 or Dyn11 transformer, by doing external changes on both sides of the transformer. This is just true for star/delta or delta/star connections. Changes for delta/delta or star/star transformers between groupI and groupII can just be done internally.

What are the factors upon which a transformer vector group depends? While designing an electrical system how does one make a decision on what vector group should be chosen for a transformer? Vector Groups are the IEC method of categorizing the primary and secondary winding configurations of 3-phase transformers. Windings can be connected as delta, star (wye), or interconnected-star (zig-zag). Winding polarity is also important, since reversing the connections across a set of windings affects the phase-shift between primary and secondary. Vector groups identify the winding connections and polarities of the primary and secondary. From a vector

group one can determine the phase-shift between primary and secondary. The first criterion to consider in choosing a vector group for a distribution transformer for a facility is to know whether a delta-star or star-star is required. Utilities often prefer star-star transformers, but these require 4-wire input feeders and 4-wire output feeders (i.e. incoming and outgoing neutral conductors). For distribution transformers within a facility, often delta-star are chosen because these transformers do not require 4-wire input; a 3-wire primary feeder circuit suffices to supply a 4-wire secondary circuit. That's because any zero sequence current required by the secondary to supply earth faults or unbalanced loads is supplied by the delta primary winding, and is not required from the upstream power source. The method of earthing on the secondary is independent of the primary for delta-star transformers. The second criterion to consider is what phase-shift you want between primary and secondary. For example, Dy11 and Dy5 transformers are both delta-star. If the phase-shift is not considered, then either transformer will do the job. Phase-shift is important when paralleling sources - where the phase-shifts of the sources are to be identical. While paralleling transformers, it is required to have the same the same vector group. If a transformer is to be replaced, the new transformer should also belong to the same vector group, otherwise the existing VTs and CTs used for protection and metering will not work properly. Using a Dyn1 instead of Dyn11 does not have any specific advantage. The only difference being -300 phase shift instead of +300 phase shift.

COMMENTS ON SELECTION OF POWER TRANSFORMERS (Dy11 Vs Yy0) Delta / star (Dyn11) : Advantages: 1. Third harmonic voltages are eliminated since the third harmonic current is circulated in the primary delta. 2. The secondary neutral may be earthed or it can be utilized for a four-wire supply. Disadvantages: 1. No neutral is available on the primary side for earthing. This is not necessarily a disadvantage, as the system on the primary side of the transformer is usually earthed. Star / star (Ynyn0) : Advantages: 1. Due to relatively large conductors the inter turns electrostatic capacitance is high and hence the magnitude of stress due to transient voltage on the windings is reduced. 2. Insulation stresses are a minimum since the average voltage to earth is 1/(2 3) of the line voltage. 3. Third harmonic voltages are only a small percentage of the fundamental. 4. Cost is low compared to a Dy transformer.

Problems associated with the use of Yy connected power transformers : 1. Operation of EF relays on magnetizing inrush: As the neutral of the EHV star winding is solidly earthed , the magnetizing inrush current in the three phases does not add up vectorially to zero, as a result of which a residual charging inrush flows into the ground through the EHV- neutral and back to the source neutral. This magnetizing in rush operates the instantaneous EF relays (50N). Hence it is essential to adopt a REF protection for EHV winding. 2. Nuisance tripping due to stray fault currents: The EHV neutral of the Yy power transformers of the consumer is solidly earthed as also the source neutral at the EB end. At the EB substation all the system neutrals (11,33,66,110 and others) are interconnected to a buried grounding grid within the premises of the out door switchyard. Hence the earth fault current of any adjacent feeder can return via consumers EHV neutral and 3 phase conductors of the feeder, back to the EB neutral. A stray fault current of If, enters the EHV neutral divides into three flowing through each phase of transformer (If/3) and line back to the source neutral at the EB substation. This stray current in each phase (If/3) is a zero sequence quantity and it is summed up as If in the residual circuit. Hence the residually connected EF relays associated with the transformer trips. This can be solved by providing directional earth fault relay instead of nondirectional earth fault relays. Though Dy transformer is preferred, Yy transformer is acceptable, provided the earth fault protection is designed properly.