Three Phase Transformers

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 Three Phase Transformer

• A three phase system is used to generate and transmit large amount of

power.
• Three phase transformers are required to step up and step down voltages
in various stages of a power system network.

Transformer for 3-ph circuit can be constructed in following ways,

1. Three separate single-phase transformer are suitably connected for 3-ph
operation. (3-ph bank of transformer).
2. A single 3-ph transformer unit in which the cores and windings for all the
3-phs are combined in a single structure.

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Advantages of a three-phase unit transformer
• It takes less space
• It is lighter, smaller and cheaper
• It is slightly more efficient
• The costly high voltage terminals to be brought out of the
transformer housing are reduced to three rather than six
necessary for three separate single-phase transformers.

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Choice of transformers for three phase circuits

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 Construction
• Construction of the magnetic core of a 3-ph core type transformer may be
understood by considering three single phase core type transformer
positioned at 120° to each other.

• If balanced 3-ph sinusoidal voltages are applied to the windings, the

fluxes Øa, Øb and Øc will also be sinusoidal and balanced.
• If the three legs carrying these are merged, the total flux in the merged leg
is zero. This leg can therefore be removed because it carry no flux (Fig. (b))

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• Usually the structure shown in Fig.(c) with the three limb in same plan is
used. Each leg carry both high voltage and low voltage windings.
• Since it is easier to insulate the lv winding from the core than the hv
winding, the lv winding are placed next to the core with suitable
insulation between the core and lv winding. The hv winding are placed
over the lv winding with suitable insulation between them.

• Since the magnetic paths of legs ‘a’ and ‘c’ are greater than that of leg ‘b’,
the construction is not symmetrical, but the resultant imbalance in
magnetizing currents is not significant.

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• The shell type 3-ph transformer can be constructed by stacking three 1-ph
shell transformers as shown in Figure.

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 Three phase transformer groups

• There are many combinations in which hv and lv windings of

transformers employed in 3-ph systems my be connected. Therefore a
uniform method of grouping these is necessary.

• 3-ph transformers are divided into four main groups according to the
phase difference between the corresponding LINE voltages on the hv and
lv side.

Group 1—no phase displacement

Gropu2– 180° phase displacement
Group 3– (-30°) phase displacement
Group 4-- (+30°) phase displacement

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 Group 1

• Y-Y connection

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Δ-Δ connection

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Group-2 (180° phase displacement)

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 Transformers connections
• There are four possible connections for 3-ph transformer bank,
1. Delta primary-Delta Secondary (Δ-Δ)
2. Star Primary-Star Secondary (Y-Y)
3. Delta Primary-Delta Secondary (Δ-Y)
4. Star Primary-Delta Secondary (Y-Δ)
All transformer in the bank must have same kVA rating.

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 Delta-Delta connection
• The secondary winding a1a2 corresponds to the primary winding A1A2,
the terminal A1 and a1 have same polarity.
• The polarity of terminal ‘a’ connecting a1 and c2 is the same as that of ‘A’
connecting A1 and C2.
• The secondary line-line voltages Vab, Vbc and Vcb are in phase with the
primary line-line voltages VAB, VBC and VCA with voltage ratios equal to
the turns ratio:
VAB/Vab=VBC/Vbc=VCA/Vca=a
The current ratios when the magnetizing current is neglected are:
IAB/Iab=IBC/Ibc=ICA/Ica=IA/Ia=IB/Ib=IC/Ic=1/a
• It can be seen from phasor diagram that the primary and secondary line
voltages are in phase. This connection is called 0° connection

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Delta-Delta connections with 0° Phase shift

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Delta-Delta connection with 180° phase shift
• Connections of the phase windings are reversed on either side, phase
difference of 180° is obtained between primary and secondary.
• Here b1c2, c1a2 and a1b2 are connected to form delta on secondary
winding.

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Advantages:
• The Δ-Δ connection is satisfactory for both balanced and unbalanced
loading.
• If third harmonic is present, it circulates in the closed path and therefore
does not appear in the output voltage wave.
• If one transformer fails the remaining two transformers will continue to
supply three phase power. This is called open delta or(V--V) connection.
Limitation
• No neutral point available. Therefore, it is useful when neither primary nor
secondary needed neutral and the voltages are low and moderate.

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 Y-Y connection

• The phase current is equal to the line current and they are in phase.
• Line voltage is 𝟑 times the phase voltage. There is phase separation of 30°
between line and phase voltages.
• For an ideal transformer
VAN/Van= VBN/Vbn= VCN/Vcn=a
Current ratios IA/Ia=IB/Ib=IC/Ic=1/a
• The Y-Y connection has two very serious problems
1. If the neutral is not provided, the phase voltages tend to become severely
unbalanced when the load is unbalanced. Therefore, this connection is not
suitable for unbalancing in absence of a neutral connection.
2. The magnetising current of transformer is non-sinusoidal and contain third
harmonic, which does not produce sinusoidal flux. In balanced three phase
system third harmonic component in magnetizing current of primary current
are equal in magnitude and in phase with each other, which is directly
additive.

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• To avoid third harmonic problem in Y-Y connection without neutral, each
transformer is provided with third winding in addition to primary and
secondary winding, this is called tertiary winding and connected in Δ.
• This connection is called Y- Δ-Y connection.

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Teritary winding

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 Delta-Star connection

• In Δ-Y connection, the primary line voltage is equal to the primary phase
voltage (VLP=VpP).
• The relationship between secondary voltages is VLS= 3VpS. L-L voltage
ratio of this connection is

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• Figure shows phasor diagram of Δ-Y connection supplying a balanced load
at lagging pf.
• The secondary phase voltage Van leads the primary phase voltage VAN by
30°. Similarly Vbn leads by VBN and Vcn leads VCN by 30°. This connection is
called +30° connection.

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By reversing the connections on either side, the secondary
system voltage can be made to lag the primary system by 30° as
shown in Figure. This connection is called -30° connection.

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 Star-Delta connection

• In this connection, the primary line voltage is equal to 3 times the

primary phase voltage (VLP= 3VpP).
• The secondary line voltage is equal to the secondary phase voltage
(VLS=VpS). The voltage ratio of each phase is,
• VpP/VpS=a

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• There is phase shift of 30° lead between line-line voltages. Similarly phase
shift of 30° lead exist between respective phase voltages. This connection
is called +30° connection.

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 Parallel operation of three phase transformer
• The need for parallel operation of three-phase transformer arises more
frequently, since the generation, transmission and distribution of power is
almost always three phase.
• The following conditions must fulfilled for the successful parallel operation
of 3-ph transformers,
 The line voltage ratios of the transformers must be the same.
 The transformers should have equal per unit leakage impedances.
 The ratio of equivalent leakage reactance to equivalent resistance should
be the same for all the transformers.
 The transformers should have the same polarity.
 The relative phase displacement between the secondary line voltage of all
the transformers must be zero; i.e. the transformers to be connected in
parallel, must belong to the same phasor group.
 The phase sequence must be the same

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 Open Delta
• If one transformer of a Delta-Delta system is damaged or accidently
opened, the system will continue to supply 3-ph power, through a
reduced level.
• The resulting connection obtained, after the removal of one transformer
from Δ- Δ connection, is called open delta or V-V connection.
• Phasor sum of line to line supply voltages must be zero,

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• The supply terminals are directly connected to the transformer terminals
ABC. Therefore, the above voltage expression can also be written in terms
of the primary phase voltage of the transformer as,

• Based on the above equation phase or line voltages can be drawn in the
form of equilateral triangle,

• The secondary line voltages Vbc and Vca are directly available at the
secondary terminal voltages bc and ca. At no load Vbc and Vca are in phase
with VBC and VCA and their magnitudes are given by

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• Secondary line voltage Vab form the closing side of the secondary line
voltage triangle. This shows that secondary line voltage triangle is similar
to the primary line voltage triangle, therefore it can be written

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kVA delivered by open delta
In case of closed delta; Vph and Iph rated phase voltage and current
VL=Vph
IL= 3Iph
VA rating of the bank of three transformers in delta
= 3 VL*IL= 3Vph*( 3Iph)= 3Vph*Iph
• When one transformer is entirely removed from the closed delta, one may
have the impulse to say that VA rating of the open delta transformer
become 2Vph*Iph, but this is not true.
• In open delta case, VL=Vph
IL=Iph
• Current entering at terminal a or b is equal to the current leaving the
corresponding terminals.
• VA rating of open delta= 3VL*IL= 3Vph*Iph
• It is not 2Vph*Iph

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Power delivered to purely resistive load (Star Connected)

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• Power delivered to purely resistive load (Star Connected)

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 Scott three-phase/two-phase connection
• Phase conversion from three to two phase is needed in special cases, such
as in supplying 2-phase electric arc furnaces.
• Scott connection of two-single phase transformers is employed for
conversion of a three-phase system to two phase system or vice-versa.
• The two transformers are connected electrically but not magnetically.
• One transformer is called main transformer and the other is known as
auxiliary transformer or teaser.
• Figure shows the Scott transformer connection. The main transformer is
center tapped at D and is connected across the lines B and C of the 3-ph
side. It has primary BC and secondary a1a2.
• The teaser transformer is connected between the line terminal A and the
center tapping D.
• Frequently identical interchangeable transformers are used for the Scott
connection, in which each transformer has a primary winding of Tp turns
and is provided with tapping's at 0.289Tp, 0.5Tp and 0.866Tp.

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• Figure shows the Scott transformer connection. The main transformer is
center tapped at D and is connected across the lines B and C of the 3-ph side.
It has primary BC and secondary a1a2.
• The teaser transformer is connected between the line terminal A and the
center tapping D.
• Frequently identical interchangeable transformers are used for the Scott
connection, in which each transformer has a primary winding of Tp turns and
is provided with tapping's at 0.289Tp, 0.5Tp and 0.866Tp.

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 Phasor Diagram
• The input supply line voltage of Scott connection is balanced therefor,

𝑉𝑎𝑏 + 𝑉𝑏𝑐 + 𝑉𝑐𝑎=0

• Neglecting the transformer internal impedance drops, the voltage vab or

VAB must be equal to the voltages induces in AD and DB. Therefore, on
traversing the circuit a ADBb,

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• Hence VAD, the voltage across the teaser, is 0.866 of that across the main
and leads it by 90° as sown in Fig (b)
• Voltage belonging to a phase winding, on the same core, are drawn
parallel to each other in the phasor diagram. Therefore the secondary
voltages Vad and Vbc (shown in Fig. (c)) are parallel to VAD and VBC
respectively. Since the voltage between Vad and Vbc is 90°, these
voltages for the 2-ph system. Thus 3-ph system can be converter into
two phase system.
• However the converse is also true, ie, is two phase voltages are applied to
terminals ad and bc the the voltages at the terminals A,B and C will form a
3-ph system voltages.
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Phasor Diagrams (Scott connection)

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 Three phase to six phase conversion
• Rectifiers convert ac power to dc power. A smooth waveform is obtained
on the dc side as the number of phases is increased.
• Objectionable harmonics in alternating current are also reduced with a
greater number of phases.
• The efficiency of conversion from ac to dc by rectifier and thyristor circuits
increases with the increase in number of phases. Six phase therefore is
preferable to 3-ph for rectification.
• The following schemes of conversion are commonly used for 3-ph to 6-ph
transformation,
 Double star
 Double delta
 Six-phase star
 Diametrical

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Double star connection
• For 3-ph to 6-ph transformation, three identical transformers are used.
• Each transformer unit has its secondary winding split into two equal
sections. The primary must be connected in delta.
• One set of three secondary's is connected in star and other set is
connected in reversed star.
• the output terminals for one star to form neutral n and the output
terminals of second star to form second neutral n1.
• Fig b shows the phasor diagram of the primary. Fig. c shows phasor
diagram of secondary.
• Terminals a1b1c1 and a4b4c4 are connected to 6-ph load terminals
1,3,5,4,2,6 respectively.
• The two neutral points n and n1 can be connected together. This neutral
point will serve as the neutral point of dc supply from rectifier. Thus a true
6-ph star system with a neutral is obtained.

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In order to determine the connections of the transformer terminals to the load
terminals the transformer terminals are marked 1,2,3,4,5,6 in clock wise direction as
shown in Fig (d).
Six voltages are obtained which are displaced by 60° from each other.

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 Double delta connection
• In this method three identical single-phase transformers are used. Each
transformer has one primary.
• The secondary winding of each transformer is split into two equal
sections.
• One set of three secondary sections-a1a2, b1b2, c1c2 is connected in
normal delta by connecting
--starting end a1 of the first to the finishing end b2 of the second.
-- starting end b1 of the second to the finishing end c2 of the third.
-- starting end c1 of the third to the finishing end a2 of the first.
• The other set a3a4,b3b4, c3c4 of the secondary winding is connected in
reverse delta by connecting
---finishing end a4 of the first to the starting end b3 of second and so on
• The double delta connection has the advantage of better harmonic
elimination, but since most of rectifier circuit require a secondary neutral,
this connection is not suitable for rectifier circuits.

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 Six-phase star connection

• Figure shows the six phase star connection. The secondary

have centre taps which are connected together to from the
neutral on the six-phase side.
• Six-phase load terminals 1,2,3,4,5,6 are connected to six
transformer secondary terminals a1c2b1a2c1b2 respectively.

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