Transformers

TRANSFORMERS
 Presentation outline
 Need
Working Principle
Types of Transformers
Construction Features
Transformers Accessories
Major Transformers in Power Plants
Transformer Losses
Condition Monitoring of Transformers
 WHY TRANSFORMER
• TO OPTIMISE COST OF BULK TRANSMISSION
OF POWER FROM GENERATORS TO
CONSUMERS
• REDUCTION IN TRANSMISSION LOSS
• TO REDUCE OR INCREASE VOLTAGE IN AC
SYSTEM
• ENABLES SAFE SUPPLY VOLTAGE TO
CONSUMERS
• ISOLATION OF TWO SYSTEMS FOR VOLTAGE
REGULATION
 Definition of Transformer as per Stds
IEC 60076-1

A static piece of apparatus with two or more windings

which, by electromagnetic induction, transforms a
system of alternating voltage and current into another
system of voltage and current usually of different
values and at the same frequency for the purpose of
transmitting electrical power.

IEEE C57.12.80-2002
A static device consisting of a winding, or two or more
coupled windings with or without a magnetic core for
introducing mutual coupling between electrical
circuits.
 What are the Types of
Transformers
Power transformers : Used in transmission
network of higher voltages, deployed for step-up
and step down transformer application (400 kV,
200 kV, 110 kV, 66 kV, 33kV,22kV)

Distribution transformers: Used for lower

voltage distribution networks as a means to end
user connectivity. (11kV, 6.6 kV, 3.3 kV, 440V,
230V)
 Working Principle
• If a time-varying voltage is applied to the primary winding
of turns, a current will flow in it producing a magnetomotive
force (MMF). Just as an electromotive force (EMF) drives
current around an electric circuit, so MMF tries to drive
magnetic flux through a magnetic circuit. The primary
MMF produces a varying magnetic flux in the core, and,
with an open circuit secondary winding, induces a back
electromotive force (EMF). In accordance with Faraday's
law of induction, the voltage induced across the primary
winding is proportional to the rate of change of flux:  
 Working Principle

Vp/Vs = Np/Ns
where
• Vp and Vs are the voltages across the primary
winding and secondary winding,
• Np and Ns are the numbers of turns in the
primary winding and secondary winding,
• dΦP / dt and dΦS / dt are the derivatives of the
flux with respect to time of the primary and
secondary windings.
 Classifications

Transformers are adapted to numerous engineering

applications and may be classified in many ways:
• By power level:
(from fraction of a volt-ampere(VA) to over a thousand
MVA),
• By application:
(power supply, impedance matching, circuit isolation),
• By frequency range:
(power, audio, radio frequency(RF))
• By voltage class:
(a few volts to about 750 kilovolts)
 Classifications
• By cooling type:
(air cooled, oil filled, fan cooled, water cooled (Natural/ Forced)
etc.)
• By purpose:
(distribution, rectifier, arc furnace, amplifier output, etc.).
• By ratio of the number of turns in the coils
Step-up The secondary has more turns than the primary.
Step-down The secondary has fewer turns than the primary.
• Connection :
• Single phase, Star / star, Star delta etc
• Construction :
• Core Type Shell Type
 Classifications
• Isolating
• Intended to transform from one voltage to the same
voltage. The two coils have approximately equal
numbers of turns, although often there is a slight
difference in the number of turns, in order to
compensate for losses (otherwise the output voltage
would be a little less than, rather than the same as, the
input voltage).
• Variable
• The primary and secondary have an adjustable number
of turns which can be selected without reconnecting
the transformer.
 Basic Components of a
Transformer

• •Current conductors – Primary & Secondary

Windings
•Magnetic flux conductor - Laminated Steel Core

and also

Insulation
•Cooling
•Protection
•Supporting accessories
 COMPONENTS - CORE

Core

-The “conductor” for the flux

-The skeleton for mechanical rigidity of the active
part
-The core, an unbroken path for magnetic flux

CRGO or Cold Rolled Grain Oriented Steel is available

in various grades (generally called M3, M4, M5 & M6).
 Core

• In all types of transformers, the core is

constructed of sheet steel lamination to provide
continuous magnetic path with a minimum of air
gap. The steel used should have high
permeability and a low hysterisis loss at the
usual operating flux densities. The eddy currents
loss is minimised by laminating the core with the
laminations being insulating from each other by a
high coat of core plate varnish or by an oxide
layer on the surface. The thickness of laminations
vary from 0.30 mm to 0.5mm
 Types

The transformers are of two general types

distinguished from each other by the manner in
which the primary and secondary coils are placed
around the laminated steel core. They are
(a) shell type and
(b) core type.
Transformer Construction
CORE Type Transformer
SHELL Type Transformer
Wound core
Stacked core
 Transformer Insulation

• Minor insulation Like inter turn insulation, is achieved

using cellulogic paper.
• Major insulation Between primary and secondary,
phase to phase and inner coil to core. This is achieved
by Bakelite, wooden blocks, cellulogic paper cylinders.
• Transformer Oil: derivative or petroleum crude. This
has good dielectric strength.
also a good cooling medium and absorbs heat from the
windings in transformer.
 Transformer Insulation

• Thus mineral oil has a flash point of 140°C and 160°C

fire point. This also 'can Sustain the combustion with its
own energy, once it catches fire. Thus this is unsuitable
for the transformer located indoors.
• The indoor transformers are filled with a synthetic liquid
known as silicate liquid. This is fire assistant and has
flash point well above 300°C.
Transformer Oil
 USE OF TRANSFORMER OIL WITH CRUDE BASE
AS NAPTHANIC/ PARAFFINIC
• NAPTHANIC BASE OILS GENERALLY HAVE HIGHER
RESISTIVITY VALUES WHEN COMPARED TO
PARAFFINIC BASE OILS AND HAVE BETTER OXIDATION
STABILITY.
• EQUALLY GOOD PARAMETERS CAN BE ACHIEVED
WITH PARAFFINIC BASE OILS ALSO, WHEN PROPERLY
REFINED.
• OIL PARAMETERS ARE IMPORTANT. BASE OF OIL IS
NOT IMPORTANT(NONE OF THE STANDARDS SPECIFY
THE BASE OF OIL)
 USE OF TRANSFORMER OIL WITH CRUDE BASE
AS NAPTHANIC/ PARAFFINIC
• PRESENT NTPC SPEC. IS IN LINE WITH IS:335 (1993).
• SUGGESTED IS TO HAVE OIL WITH LOW VISCOSITY
AS COMPARED TO PRESENTLY BEING USED FOR
BETTER COOLING AND FOR BETTER OIL FLOW.
• BHEL IS IN THE PROCESS OF FURTHER UPGRADING
THE TRANSFORMER OIL PARAMETERS FOR HIGHER
VOLTAGE CLASS TRANSFORMERS TO HAVE BETTER
STABILITY OF OIL CHARACTERISTICS.
 Accessories & Auxiliaries

• Tap Changer(s)-(On load/Off load)

• Tank
• Radiators
• cooling fans, oil pumps, oil to water heat
exchangers (Cooling ONAN / ONAF/ OFAF/ OFWF
external coolers)
• Bushings
• Buchholz Relay/Oil Surge Relay
• Temperature Indicators- WTI , OTI
• Oil Level Indicators
• Pressure Relief Device
• Marshalling Box/Control cubicle
• Oil Preservation Systems: Conservators (gas
sealed, Bellows/membrane sealed) Breathers
Thermo siphon Filters
RADIATORS
Buchholz Relay
 Buchholz's Relay
• This has two Floats, one of them with surge catching
baffle and gas collecting space at top. This is mounted
in the connecting pipe line between conservator and
main tank.This is the most dependable protection for a
given transformer.
• Gas evolution at a slow rate, that is associated with
minor faults inside the transformers gives rise to the
operation or top float whose contacts are wired for
alarm. There is a glass window with marking to read
the volume of gas collected in the relay. Any major
fault in transformer creates a surge and the surge
element in the relay trips the transformer.size of the
relay varies with oil volume in the transformer and the
mounting angle also is specified for proper operation
of the relay.
 BUCHHOLZ PROTECTION
• Alarm element Operates When a specified volume of
gas gets collected in Chamber during

Broken down core bolt insulation

 Shorted Laminations
 Bad Contacts
 Overheating of winding parts
• Trip element Operates by Oil surge in the event of
serious fault
Short Circuit between Winding Phases or
within Windings
Puncture of Bushing
Off Load Tap Changer
 Conservator

• Conservator With the variation of temperature there

is corresponding variation in the oil volume. To
account for this, an expansion vessel called
conservator is added to the transformer with a
connecting pipe to the main tank. In smaller
transformers this vessel is open to atmosphere
through dehydrating breathers (to keep the air dry).
In larger transformers, an air bag is mounted inside the
conservator with the inside of bag open to atmosphere
through the breathers and the outside surface of the
bag in contact with the oil surface.
Buchholtz relay
 SILICA GEL BREATHER

conservator
 Breather

• Both transformer oil and cellulosic paper are highly

hygroscopic. Paper being more hygroscopic than
the mineral oil The moisture, if not excluded from
the oil surface in conservator, thus will find its way
finally into the paper insulation and causes
reduction insulation strength of transformer. To
minimise this the conservator is allowed to breathe
only through the silicagel column, which absorbs
the moisture in air before it enters the-conservator
air surface.
•The Drycol Breather (A) operates by drawing moist,
warm air (B) from an air space or from outside via the
air inlet tube (C), and returning it to the conservator
(D) as cold dry air. A series of thermoelectric modules
are used to alternately cool and heat the units vertical
central duct (E) in an automatic continuously repeated
cycle, extracting moisture as frost and ice, and melting
it to escape via a drain tube (F).
Winding / Oil Temperature Indicator
 Pressure Relief Device/Expansion vent

• Transformers tank is a pressure vessel as the inside

pressure can group steeply whenever there is a fault
in the windings and the surrounding oil is suddenly
vaporized. Tanks as such are tested for a pressure
with stand capacity of 0.35 Kg/ cm". To prevent
bursting of the tank, these tanks are in addition
provided with expansion vents with a thin
diaphragm made of bakelite/copper/glass at the end.
In present day transformers, pressure relief devices
are replacing the expansion vents. These are similar
to safety valves on boilers (spring loaded).
Pressure Relief Device( PRD)
 Temperature Indicators

• Most of the transformer (small transformers have

only OTI) are provided with indicators that
displace oil temperature and winding temperature.
There are thermometers pockets provided in the
tank top cover which hold the sensing bulls in them.
Oil temperature measured is that of the top oil, where
as the winding temperature measurement is indirect.
This is done by adding the temperature rise
• due to the heat produced in a heater coil (known as
image coil) when a current proportional to that flowing
in windings is passed in it to that or top oil. For proper
functioning or OTI & WTI it is essential to keep the
thermometers pocket clean and filled with oil.
 Cooling of Transformers

• Heat is produced in the windings due to current flowing in the

conductors (I- R) and in the core on account of eddy currents
and hysteresis losses.
Types: ONAN, ONAF, OFAF, OFWF
• Air Cooled: In small dry type transformer heat is dissipated
directly to the atmosphere.
• Oil Cooled: In oil immersed transformers heat is dissipated by
thermo-syphon system action. The oil serves as the medium for
transferring the heat produced inside the transformer to the
outside atmosphere. Based on Thermo-syphon principle.
 Cooling of Transformers
• Forced Oil forced Air: As the size of the transformer
becomes large, the rate of oil circulating by thermo
syphon action becomes insufficient to dissipate all the
heat produced and an artificial means of increasing the
circulation have to be adopted; namely forced oil
circulation by electric pumps, providing large radiators
with forced air draft, cooling by electric fans which are
automatically switched on and off depending upon the
loading of transformer. In very large transformers special
coolers with water circulation may have to be employed.
 Different transformers in a power
Plant
• Generator Transformer (GT)
 Station Transformer (ST)
 Unit Auxiliary Transformer (UAT)
 Excitation Transformer
 Neutral Grounding Transformer
 Auxiliary transformers
 Tie / Auto transformer
 Generator Transformer
• Generator Transformer The generator is connected to
this transformer by means of isolated bus ducts. This
transformer is used to step up the generating voltage of
around 15KV to grid voltage. This transformer is
generally provided with OFAF cooling. It is also provided
with off circuit/on load taps on the high voltage side. This
transformer has elaborate cooling system consisting of
number of oil pumps and cooling fans apart from various
accessories.
 Unit Auxiliary Transformer
• The UAT draws its input from the main bus-duct
connecting generator to the generator Transformer. The total
KVA capacity of unit auxiliary transformer required can be
determined by assuming 0.85 power factor and 0.9 efficiency
for total auxiliary motor load. It is safe and desirable to provide
about 20% excess capacity than circulate so as to provide for
miscellaneous auxiliaries and possible increase in auxiliary
load. With higher unit ratings and higher steam conditions, the
auxiliary power required also increases and limitations imposed
by the switchgear voltages available, indicate the maximum
size of unit auxiliary transformer which can be used.
 UAT
• For large units, it has become necessary to use more than
one auxiliary transformer. In selecting a unit auxiliary
transformer, care has to be taken that the percentage
impedences of the transformers for the proposed unit should
satisfy the following conflicting requirements.
• The maximum short circuit currents on auxiliary bus should
be limited within the maximum switchgear rating available,
• The maximum permissible voltage dip while starting the
largest single auxiliary motor, usually boiler feed pump, shall
remain within acceptable limits.
 GT (3X200 MVA)

GENERATOR

Unit TRF: 21/11 K.V. (35 MVA)

4UA 4UB

SA SB
IN THE EVENT OF UNIT TRIPPING AUTO CHANGEOVER
FROM UT TO STATION WILL TAKE PLACE
 Station Transformers

• The station transformer is required to feed power to

the auxiliaries during start ups. This transformer is
normally rated for the initial auxiliary load
requirements of unit. In typical cases, this load is of
the order of 60% of the load at full generating
capacity. But in large stations where more than one
units are operating, the station transformers should
have sufficient capacity to start two units at a time in
addition to feeding the common auxiliaries. It is also
provided with on load tap changer to cater to the
fluctuating voltage of the grid.
 Instrument Transformers

• . Step down values to safe levels for measurement

• . Potential Transformers
• . Also called voltage transformers
• . Standard output 120V
• . Current Transformers
• . Standard output of 1 or 5 amps
• . Metering and relaying standards
• . Can produce high voltages if open circuited
 Rectifier transformers
• Output of the main transformer is connected to the
rectifier unit.
 Transformer connections :
- Delta/Star…used in Generating stations for
Step-up.
- Star/Delta…used in Receiving stations for
Step-down
* All GTs are Delta/Star connected.
All Tie T/Fs are Star/Star connected.
 STAR / STAR connection

STAR / DELTA connection

STAR DELTA
 Transformer losses

1. Load loss (or copper loss)

2. No load loss (or iron loss)

• The total transformer loss, PTOTAL, at any

load level can then be calculated from:
 PTOTAL = PNO-LOAD+ (% Load)2 x PLOAD
Transformer Loss vs. Load
Winding resistance
Current flowing through the windings causes resistive heating of
the conductors (I2 R loss). At higher frequencies, skin effect
and proximity effect create additional winding resistance and
losses.
• Magnetostriction
Magnetic flux in the core causes it to physically expand and
contract slightly with the alternating magnetic field, an effect
known as magnetostriction. This in turn causes losses due to
frictional heating in susceptible ferromagnetic cores.
• Stray losses
Not all the magnetic field produced by the primary
is intercepted by the secondary. A portion of the
leakage flux may induce eddy currents within
nearby conductive objects, such as the
transformer's support structure, and be
converted to heat.
Copper Losses
Core Losses
 On-Line
Monitoring
 ON LINE MONITORING EQUIPMENT ON TRANSFORMER

1. DGA to be monitored on all transformers periodically.

Periodicity depends on the nature of evaluation of
gases.

2. HYDRANE directly mounted on the transformer and in

contact with transformer oil.
The use of this device is to detect the change in fault
gases, to monitor their evolution. As an alarm is
triggered oil is sampled from the transformer to
evaluate the nature and severity of the fault.
 7. ON LINE MONITORING EQUIPMENT ON TRANSFORMER
Contd.

3. Acoustic PD measurement.
In case DGA results indicate the presence of high discharges
Acoustic PD measurement is done.
Acoustic PD detector consists of sensor which can sense
sound vibrations produced due to occurrence of discharges in
oil.
The sensor has pre-amplifier and filter circuit to eliminate
environmental noise

4 Infrared thermography
With the help of infrared thermo-vision camera, the thermo-
image of transformer is prepared
This scanning helps in detecting overheated zones, loose &
corroded connection.
 OFF LINE MONITORING
1. Frequency Response Analysis
• Short circuit forces could move the winding.
• Can also change winding inductance and capacitance.
• Conventional tests are not sensitive to winding
movement.
• Such changes can be effectively detected by FRA
Method
• Sweep frequency input is given in the winding.
• Input & response recorded.
• FFT analysis of response to obtain the finger print of the
winding.
• These finger prints are compared periodically to assess
the condition of winding.
2. Recovery voltages measurement
It indicates the content of water in the insulation.
PRINCIPLE
•Sample of discharged insulation
•Charge with DC voltage and note time
•Sample to be short circuited for predetermined period of
time ( approximately half of the charged time)
•Open the terminal and measure voltage.
3. Tan- & Capacitance by standard bridge.
4. Resistance & magnetizing current.
5. Maintenance schedule call for daily , quarterly, yearly, two
yearly maintenance requirement. Over and above after 7 to
10 years, thorough overhauling and inspection of core-coil
assembly by lifting tank top cover / core-coil assembly
needed
In overhauling sludge deposited on coil is removed and coil
assembly which may become loose is tightened. All other
clampings & cleats etc. are also tightened
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