Basic Electrical Engineering

MODULE 3

Unit 3 (a): Single Phase Transformers:-

Syllabus: Necessity of transformer, Principle of operation, Types and construction of
transformers. emf equation, losses, variation of losses with respect to load, efficiency,
Condition for maximum efficiency.

Definition: Transformer is a static device which transfers electric energy from one electric
circuit to another with the desired change in voltage and current levels without any change in
power and frequency

CONSTRUCTION:

There are two basic parts of a transformer:

1) Magnetic core 2) winding

➢ The core of the transformer is either rectangular or square in size.

➢ The core is divided into i) Yoke ii)Limb
➢ Core is made up of silicon steel which has high permeability and low
hysteresis co-efficient.
➢ The vertical portion on which the winding is wound is called Limb.
➢ The top and bottom horizontal portion is called Yoke.
➢ The core forms the magnetic circuit
➢ There are 2 windings i) Primary winding ii) Secondary winding which forms
the Electric circuit. made up of conducting material like copper.
➢ The winding which is connected to the supply is called primary winding and
having 'N1' number of turns.
➢ The winding which is connected to a load is secondary winding and having
'N2' number of turns.

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TYPES OF TRANSFORMER:

Based on Construction the transformer are divided into:

a) CORE TYPE b) SHELL TYPE.

Core type transformer:

➢ the fig.1 shows the core type of transformer.

➢ This type of transformer has a single magnetic circuit.
➢ The core has 2 limbs and windings encircled the core
➢ The primary and secondary windings are wound on two limbs of the core .
➢ The core is made of very thin laminations of high grade silicon steel material
to reduce the eddy current loss and Hysteresis losses in the core.

Shell type transformer:

➢ The fig.2 shows the shell type of transformer.

➢ This type of transformer has a two magnetic circuit.
➢ The core has 3 limbs .
➢ The core surrounds the windings.
➢ The primary and secondary windings are wound on the central limb.
➢ The core is made of very thin laminations of high grade silicon steel material
to reduce the eddy current loss and Hysteresis losses in the core.

WORKING PRINCIPLE: - A transformer works on the principle of mutual induction

between two magnetically coupled coils

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Basic Electrical Engineering

➢ The fig shows the general arrangement of a transformer.

➢ An alternating voltage applied to Primary winding it circulates an alternating
current. This current produces an alternating flux in the iron core which
completes its path through common magnetic core as shown in dotted line in the
above fig .
➢ This flux induces an Emf 'E1' in primary winding.
➢ The flux also links secondary winding and thereby induces an emf 'E2' in
Secondary.
➢ Thus though there is no electrical contact between the two windings, an electrical
energy gets transferred from primary to secondary.

EMF EQUATION:
Principle:- Whenever a coil is subjected to alternating flux, there will be an induced emf in
Nd
it and is called the statically induced emf e =
dt

Let N1, N2 be the no. of turns of the primary and secondary windings, E1, E2 the induced emf
in the primary and secondary coils.  be the flux which is sinusoidal f be the frequency in Hz

Figure showing the sinusoidal varying flux of peak value Фm .

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Basic Electrical Engineering
Whenever a coil of N no- of tunes are linked by a time varying flux  , the average emf
induced in this coil is

Nd
e=
dt

As the flux is sinusoidal the change in flux from + m to - m is d  = 2 m, and this change
takes place in a duration dt = T/2 seconds.

The average induced emf in these N numbers of turns is

Eavg = N.d /dt = N.2 m / (T/2) = 4 mN/T = 4f m N volts (as f =1/T)

We know that the Form factor of a pure sine wave F.F. = Erms/Eavg = 1.11

Therefore, Erms = 1.11 Eavg.

= (1.11) (4f m N) = 4.44 f m N volts.

In the primary coil, N = N1, E1 = 4.44f m N1 volts

In the secondary coil, N = N2 , E2 = 4.44f m N2 volts

LOSSES AND EFFICIENCY:

There are two types of power losses occur in a transformer

1) Iron loss 2) Copper loss

1) Iron Loss (Pi): This is the power loss that occurs in the iron part. This loss is due to the
alternating frequency of the emf. Iron loss in further classified into two other losses.

a) Eddy current loss b) Hysteresis loss

The Iron losses are called as the constant losses.

a) Eddy current loss (We) :

➢ This power loss is due to the alternating flux linking the core, which will induced an
emf , due to which a current called the eddy current is being circulated in the core.
➢ As there is some resistance in the core with this eddy current circulation converts into
heat called the eddy current power loss.
➢ Eddy current loss is proportional to the square of the supply frequency.
➢ Eddy current loss can be minimized by using the core made of thin sheets of silicon
steel material, and each lamination is coated with varnish insulation to suppress the path
of the eddy currents.

b) Hysteresis loss (Wh): This is the loss in the iron core, due to the magnetic reversal of the flux
in the core, which results in the form of heat in the core. This loss is directly proportional to the
supply frequency.

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Basic Electrical Engineering
➢ Hysteresis loss can be minimized by using the core material having high permeability.

Total Iron loss Pi = We + Wh

2) Copper loss or I2R losses (Pcu) :

➢ This is the power loss that occurs in the primary and secondary coils when the
transformer is on load.
➢ This power is wasted in the form of heat due to the resistance of the coils.
➢ This loss is proportional to the sequence of the load hence it is called the Variable
loss where as the Iron loss is called as the Constant loss as the supply voltage and
frequency are constants

Total losses of the transformer = Pi + Pcu

Efficiency: It is the ratio of the output power to the input power of a transformer

𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟
ῃ=
𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟

Input = Output + Total losses

= Output + Iron loss + Copper loss

Efficiency =

outputpower
=
outputpower + Ironloss + copperloss
= V2 I2 cos 

V2 I2 cos  + Pi + Pcu

Where, V2 is the secondary (output) voltage, I2 is the secondary (output) current and

cosФ is the power factor of the load.

The transformers are normally specified with their ratings as KVA

Therefore,

(KVA) (103) cosΦ

Efficiency =
(KVA)(103) cosΦ + Pi + Pcu

Since the copper loss varies as the square of the load the efficiency of the transformer at
any desired load n is given by

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n (KVA)(103) cosΦ
Efficiency =
n (KVA)(103) cosΦ + Pi + (n)2 Pcu

where Pcu is the copper loss at full load

Pcu = I2R watts

CONDITION FOR MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY:

➢ In general for the efficiency to be maximum for any device the losses must be
minimum.
➢ Between the iron and copper losses the iron loss is the fixed loss and the copper
loss is the variable loss.
➢ When these two losses are equal and also minimum the efficiency will be
maximum.

Therefore the condition for maximum efficiency in a transformer is

Iron loss = Copper loss (whichever is minimum)

*******

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Basic Electrical Engineering
Problems
1. Find the number of turns on the primary & secondary side of a 440/230 V, 50 Hz single
phase transformer, if the net area of cross section of the core is 30 cm2& the maximum flux
density is 1 Wb/m2
2. A single phase transformer working at 0.8 p.f. has an efficiency 945 at both three fourth
full load & full load of 600kW. Determine the eefficiency at half full-load, unity power
factor.
3. A 600 kVA, 1 phase transformer has an efficiency of 92% both at full load & half load
upf. Determine its efficiency at 75% full load 0.9 p.f.
4. A 50 kVA, 400/200 V, single phase transformer has an efficiency of 98% at full load &
0.8 p.f., while its efficiency is 96.9% at 25% of full load & unity power factor. Determine
the iron & full load copper losses & voltage regulation, if the terminal voltage on full load
is 195 V.
5. A transformer is rated at 100 kVA. At full load its copper loss is 1200W & its iron loss is
960W. calculate (i) the efficiency at full, upf (ii) the efficiency at half load, 0.9 p.f (iii) the
load kVA at which maximum efficiency will occur.
6. The maximum efficiency at full load & upf of a single phase, 25 kVA, 500/1000 V, 50 Hz,
transformer is 98%. Determine its efficiency at (i) 75% load, 0.9 p.f. (ii) 50% load, 0.8 p.f.
(iii) 25% load, 0.6 p.f.
7. A single phase has 1000 turns on its primary & 400 turns on the secondary. An A.C voltage
of 1250 V, 50 Hz is applied to its primary side with the secondary open circuited. Calculate
the secondary emf, maximum value of flux density, given that the effective cross sectional
area of core is 60 cm2
8. A 250 kVA, 1 phase transformer has 98.135% efficiency at full load & 0.8 lagging p.f.
The efficiency at half load & 0.8 lagging p.f. is 97.751%. calculate the iron loss & full load
copper loss.
9. The primary winding of a transformer is connected to a 240 V, 50 Hz supply. The
secondary winding has 1500 turns. If the maximum value of the core flux is 0.00207 Wb,
determine the secondary emf, number of turns on primary, cross sectional area of the core
if the flux density has a maximum value of 0.465 Tesla.
10. A 40 kVA single phase transformer has core loss of 450 W & full load copper loss of 850
W. if the p.f. of the load is 0.8, calculate , (i) full load efficiency (ii) load corresponding to
maximum efficiency (iii) maximum efficiency at upf.

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