ELG 3316

Electric Machines and Power Systems

Transformer Laboratory : Transformer Equivalent Circuit

 The Safety Glasses Supplied Must Be Worn in the Lab

 Use only the equipment and cables on your own bench. Do not remove them from other
benches.

 If any difficulties arise call a TA.

 If you smell something burning turn off the power immediately and summon a TA.

 If you hear unexpected sounds emanating from the equipment, turn off the power
immediately and summon a TA.

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1. Background

 The equivalent circuit of a practical (as opposed to idealised) single-phase power transformer is shown in Fig.1(a), and the approximate
equivalent circuit in Fig.1(b). This is discussed in the course notes, and in Chapter 2 of the textbook. However, sufficient background
material is provided in this document to enable you to carry out the required lab measurements.

 Consult Appendix I for information on referring impedances to the primary or secondary side of the transformer.

 Fig.2 shows the approximate equivalent circuit of Fig.1(b) with all impedances referred to the primary side.

 Fig.3 shows the approximate equivalent circuit of Fig.1(b) with some of the impedances referred to the secondary side.

 In performing the tests involved in this lab we will think in terms of the approximate equivalent circuit configuration, and will henceforth
in this lab document refer to it simply as the equivalent circuit (that is, we will not keep using the adjective “approximate”).

 Consult Appendix II for information on transformer ratings, voltage regulation & efficiency.

 Consult Appendix III for information on power meters.

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Fig.1(a) : Equivalent Circuit of a Power Transformer with Annotations

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 Fig.1(b) : Approximate Equivalent Circuit of a Power Transformer
[Similar to Fig.1(a), Except That The Shunt Branch Has Been Moved To The Primary Terminals]

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Fig.2 : Approximate Equivalent Circuit of a Power Transformer : All Quantities Referred to the Primary Side
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Fig.3 : Approximate Equivalent Circuit of a Power Transformer : Some Quantities Referred to the Secondary Side
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2. Goals
In this laboratory we wish to perform a set of measurements on an actual transformer (shown in Fig.4, with further information in Table 1),
so that we can determine the values of the equivalent circuit parameters of the transformer referred to the primary side. This set of
measurements consists of the so-called open circuit and short circuit tests on the transformer, plus some DC resistance measurements.
Details can be found in Section 2.5 of the textbook, as well as the course notes on transformers. However, sufficient material will be
presented in this document to enable you to perform the measurements with understanding. You will need to use your knowledge of AC
power circuit analysis to determine the values of the equivalent circuit parameters from your measurements, and then use the equivalent
circuit to compute some operational performance data for the transformer (eg. efficiency; voltage regulation).

3. Equipment
Table 1 : Ratings of the Transformer

Single-Phase Transformer 120/208 Volts 60 Hz

Rating of Winding#1 Voltage 120 V – AC
Current 0.5 A
Rating of Winding#2 Voltage 208 V – AC
Current 0.3 A
Rating of Winding#3 Voltage 120 V – AC
Current 0.5 A
Circuit Protection Type Auto-Reset Fuse

Table 2 : Measuring Instruments Available in the Power Lab

AC Voltmeter 0 – 500 V
AC Ammeter 0 – 10 A
Metrix PX120 Digital Powermeter (Wattmeter) 0 – 1kW; 600 V; 10A
(Note that the powermeter will display both current and voltage in addition
to power quantities)
Variable Supply 0 – 120 V (Use the 4-N phase of the three-phase Lab-Volt
power supply as a single-phase source).

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Fig.4 : Lab-Volt Single-Phase Transformer Model 8341-20
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Fig.5 : Metrix PX120 Digital Power Meter (Wattmeter)

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4. Preparatory Work

 Each group must bring a paper copy of these instructions to the lab with them. There is no room on the
lab benches for laptops.

Determine the following before you arrive at the lab :

We will use Winding#1 (between terminals 1 and 2 marked in Fig.4) as the “low-voltage (LV) winding”, and Winding#2 (between terminals
3 and 4 marked in Fig.4) as the “high-voltage (HV) winding”.

Q1 - What is the rated current of the low-voltage winding and the high-voltage winding of this transformer?

Q2 - What is the turns ratio N1/N2, assuming N1 is the number of turns on the LV side, and N2 the number of turns on the HV side?

(Hint : Consult the rating information provided in Section 3).

Q3 – Using AC circuit analysis, derive a set of relations you will use to determine the numerical values of the equivalent circuit parameters
from your measurements.

When you arrive at the lab provide answers to the above simple questions/requirtements to a TA.

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5. Procedure

5.1 Open Circuit Test

 Ensure that the power supply is turned off.

 We want to open-circuit the secondary winding terminals of the transformer and connect a source to the terminals of the primary
winding. Using the form of the equivalent circuit shown in Fig.2, the situation is then as shown in Fig.6(a). In other words, for this
test the LV winding is connected to the power supply and the HV winding is open circuited.

 Therefor connect the physical circuit as shown Fig.6(b).

Do not energize the circuit until a TA has first checked your connections.

 With 120 Volts applied to the low voltage winding (that is, Voc  V1  120 volts), record the input current ( I oc  I1 ), active input
power ( Poc ), reactive input power ( Qoc ) and apparent power ( Soc ). [The voltage might not quite reach 120 Volts, so record the actual
value of Voc as read from the voltmeter].

 Turn off the power supply (that is, actually flip the switch).

 Remove all connecting leads.

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 (a)

(b)

Fig.6 : Configuration for Performing Open Circuit Test on Transformer. (a) is the Equivalent Circuit
Interpretation and (b) the Experimental Setup.
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5.2 Short Circuit Test

 Ensure that the power supply is turned off.

 We want to short circuit the primary winding terminals of the transformer and connect a source to the terminals of the secondary
winding. Using the form of the equivalent circuit shown in Fig.3, the situation is then as shown in Fig.7(a). In other words, in this test
the LV side is short circuited, and a source is connected to the HV side.

 Therefore connect the circuit as shown in Fig.7(b).

Do not energize the circuit until a TA has first checked your connections.

 IN THIS TEST YOU SHOULD NEVER TURN THE INPUT VOLTAGE TO 120 VOLTS AS THE CURRENT IN THE
SHORTED LOW-VOLTAGE WINDING SIDE (AND HENCE ALSO THE HIGH-VOLTAGE WINDING) WILL INCREASE
BEYOND THEIR RATED VALUES. DO NOT LET THE CURRENTS GO BEYOND THEIR RATED VALUES.

 Apply a small voltage to the energized HV winding and note the resulting input current. Increase the voltage just enough to get the
rated input current. Record the input voltage ( Vsc  V2 ), input current ( I sc   I 2 ), active power ( Psc ), reactive input power ( Qsc ),
apparent power ( S sc ), and PF.

 Turn off the power supply (that is, actually flip the switch).

 Remove all connecting leads.

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 (a)

(b)

Fig.7 : Configuration for Performing Short Circuit Test on Transformer. (a) is the Equivalent Circuit
Interpretation and (b) the Experimental Setup.
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5.3 Winding DC Resistance Test

 Ensure that the power supply is turned off and the transformer is physically disconnected from the supply.

 A multimeter (on a DC resistance-meter setting) will be used for this test.

 Connect a short conducting strap between the terminals of the resistance-meter, and use the adjustment dial (if necessary) to have the
meter read zero Ohms.

 Measure the DC resistance between terminals 3 and 4 (this is the resistance R2 of the secondary side, which in this case is the HV
side).

 Measure the DC resistance between terminals 1 and 2 (this is the resistance R1 of the primary side, which in this case is the LV side).

6. Determination of the Equivalent Circuit Parameter Values of the Transformer

Equivalent Circuit
Use the quantities measured in Sections 5.1 through 5.3 to determine the equivalent circuit parameters of the transformer, referred to the
primary side, as directed in Section 7.

7. Transformer Lab Report

Write a report1 on the Transformer Lab with the sections in your report numbered as follows (the numbers in square brackets are the marks
assigned to each section):

1. Introduction [3]
(Just a paragraph describing what was done and what is being reported. In order to obtain the full four marks it must be very well-written. The type of thing you
will have to write for your boss when you later work in industry. You need not repeat the descriptions contained in this lab document.)

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All tables and figures must be numbered and have informative captions. “Results” is not an informative caption.
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 2. Tabulated Measurements [3]
(As recorded in Sections 5.1 through 5.3. All tables must indicate clearly which quantities are being tabulated and what their units are).

3. Determination of the Equivalent Circuit Parameters [20]

This is your response to Section 6. These calculations must be done while you are still in the lab.

Explain and show the expressions used to do this.

Explain how you determine all quantities referred to the LV side. Sketch the equivalent circuit with the actual numerical values of the parameters filled in.

Your calculations must include the following (with comments):

 In the case of the short circuit test, compare the value of PF calculated using Vsc , I sc and Psc , and the PF displayed by the Wattmeter.
  found from the short circuit test results to that obtained using the DC resistance measurements of R1 and R2 in Section 6.3.
Compare the value Req

4. Computation of the Transformer Performance Under Load Conditions [20]

Use the equivalent circuit to calculate the efficiency and voltage regulation of the transformer for the following load situations :
(a) Full Load, Unity Power Factor
(b) Full Load, Power Factor of 0.8 (Lagging)
(c) Full Load, Power Factor of 0.8 (Leading)

Explain and show the expressions used to do this. Tabulate the numerical values of the efficiency and voltage regulation.

5. Concluding Remarks [4]

(See if you can comment on the performance of this transformer based on statements made in Chapter 2 of the textbook. No marks for merely saying "we did
this" or "we did that").

Thus the report is graded out of 50 marks.

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Appendix I : The Ideal Transformer & The Referred Impedance Concept

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Appendix II : Transformer Rating, Voltage Regulation & Efficiency

Full-Load of a Transformer

In this case, the “device” mentioned below is the transformer.

 Rated Voltage : The device can continuously operate at the rated voltage without being damaged due to insulation
failure.

 Rated Current : The device can continuously operate at the rated current without being damaged due to thermal
destruction.

 Volt-Ampere Rating : The product of rated voltage and rated current.

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Voltage Regulation of a Transformer

As stated in the course textbook : “The (full-load) voltage regulation of a transformer is defined as the
change in the secondary terminal voltage from no-load to full-load and is usually expressed as a
percentage of the full-load value. In power systems applications, regulation is one figure of merit for a
transformer; a low value indicates that load variations on the secondary of that transformer will not
significantly affect the magnitude of the voltage being supplied to the load. It is calculated under the
assumption that the primary voltage remains constant” as the load is altered.

Vnoload  V full load

Full-Load Voltage Regulation   100 %
V full load

Some engineers also refer to the voltage regulation when the transformer is not necessarily on full load.
Obviously what they mean is

Vnoload  Vspecified load

Voltage Regulation at Specifed Load   100 %
Vspecified load

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Efficiency of a Transformer

The efficiency of any device is defined as

Output Power in the Desired Form

  100 %
Total Input Power

For a transformer2 the input power is electrical (60 Hz), and the output power is electrical (60 Hz). Thus
we have (with the "  100%" omitted for convenience)

Pout Pout
 
Pin Pout  Ploss

The power loss Ploss consists of “copper loss” ( Pwindings ) in the windings, and losses in the core ( Pcore ) due to
hysteresis and eddy currents. In other words, Ploss  Pwindings  Pcore .

2
But not necessarily for a rotating machine, where the input or output power may be mechanical.
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Appendix III : Digital Powermeter (“Wattmeter”)
A digital powermeter (“Wattmeter”) samples the voltage and current thousands of times per second. With a voltage sample and current
sample taken at each time instant, we in effect know v(t ) and i (t ) over time. The product p(t )  v(t ) i(t) is the power variation with time,
and the meter`s processor continuously finds its average value over a period T  1 f to give the average power P . The same processor uses
the sampled values to determine the magnitude of the RMS voltage ( VRMS ) and RMS current ( I RMS ), the product of which is the apparent
power S . It can thus compute the power factor PF  P S . Clearly such a digital powermeter can similarly compute related quantities such
as the reactive power Q.

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