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CoreofTransformerandDesignofTransformerCore|Electrical4u

Core of Transformer and Design of Transformer Core

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Purpose of Transformer Core

In an electrical power transformer, there are primary, secondary and may be tertiary
windings. The performance of a transformer mainly depends upon the flux linkages
between these windings. For efficient flux linking between these windings, one low
reluctance magnetic path common to all windings should be provided in the
transformer. This low reluctance magnetic path in transformer is known as core of
transformer.

Influence of Diameter of Transformer Core

Letusconsider,thediameteroftransformercorebeD
Then,crosssectionalareaofthecore,

Now,voltageperturn,

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WhereBmisthemaximumfluxdensityofthecore.

EisproportionaltoD2.
Thereforevoltageperturnisincreasedwithincreaseindiameteroftransformercore.
AgainifvoltageacrossthewindingoftransformerisV.
ThenV=eN,whereNisthenumberofturnsinwinding.
IfVisconstant,eisinverselyproportionaltoN.Andhence,D2isinverselyproportional
to N. So, diameter of the core is increased, the number of turns in the transformer
windingreduced.Reductionofnumberofturns,reductioninheightofthecorelegsin
spite of reduction of core legs height increased in core diameter, results increase in
overall diameter of magnetic core of transformer. This increased steel weight
ultimatelyleadstoincreasedcorelossesintransformer.Increaseddiameterofthecore
leadstoincreaseinthemaindiameteronthewinding.Inspiteofincreaseddiameter
ofthewindingturns,reducednumberofturnsinthewindings,leadstolesscopperloss
intransformer.
So, we go on increasing diameter of the transformer core, losses in the transformer
corewillbeincreasedbutatthesametime,loadlossorcopperlossintransformeris
reduced.Ontheotherhand,ifdiameterofthecoreisdecreased,theweightofthesteel
in the core is reduced which leads to less core loss of transformer, but in the same
time,thisleadstoincreaseinnumberofturnsinthewinding,meansincreaseincopper
weight,whichleadstoextracopperlossintransformer.So,diameterofthecoremust
beoptimizedduringdesigningoftransformercore,consideringboththeaspects.

Material for Transformer Core

Themainproblemwithtransformercoreis,itshysteresislossandeddycurrent loss
intransformer.Hysteresislossintransformermainlydependsuponitscorematerials.It
isfoundthat,asmallquantityofsiliconalloyedwithlowcarboncontentsteelproduces
material for transformer core, which has low hysteresis loss and high permeability.
Becauseofincreasingdemandofpower,itisrequiredtofurtherreducethecorelosses
and for that, another technique is employed on steel, which is known as cold rolling.
Thistechniquearrangestheorientationofgraininferromagneticsteelinthedirectionof
rolling.
The core steel which has under gone through both the silicon alloying and cold rolling
treatmentsiscommonlyknownasCRGOSorColdRolledGrainOrientedSiliconSteel.
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Thismaterialisnowuniversallyusedformanufacturingtransformercore.
Although this material has low specific iron loss but still it has some disadvantages,
like, it is susceptible to increase loss due to flux flow in direction other than grain
orientation and it also susceptible to impaired performance due to impact of bending
andblankingthecuttingCRGOSsheet.Boththesurfacesofthesheetareprovidedwith
aninsulatingofoxidecoating.

Optimum Design of Cross Section of Transformer Core

ThemaximumfluxdensityofCRGOsteelisabout1.9Tesla.Meansthesteelbecomes
saturated at the flux density 1.9 Tesla. One important criteria for the design of
transformer core, is that, it must not be saturated during the transformers normal
operationmode.Voltagesoftransformerdependuponitstotalmagnetizingflux.Total
magnetizing flux through core is nothing but the product of flux density and cross
sectionalareaofthecore.Hence,fluxdensityofacorecanbecontrolledbyadjusting
thecrosssectionalareaofthecoreduringitsdesign.

The ideal shape of crosssection of a transformer core is circular. For making perfect
circularcrosssection,eachandeverysuccessivelaminationsteelsheetshouldbecutin
different dimension and size. This is absolutely uneconomical for practical
manufacturing. In reality, manufacturers use different groups or packets of predefined
number of same dimension lamination sheets. The group or packet is a block of
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laminated sheets with a predefined optimum height (thickness). The core is an

assembly of these blocks in such a successive manner as per their size from core
centralline,thatitgivesanoptimumcircularshapeofthecrosssection.Suchtypical
crosssectionisshowninthefigurebelow.
Oilductsareneededforcoolingthecore.Coolingductsarenecessarybecausehotspot
temperaturemayrisedangerouslyhighandtheirnumberdependsonthecorediameter
andmaterialsthatgetusedforcore.Inadditiontothat,clampplatesmadeofsteelare
neededoneithersidesofthecoretoclampthelamination.Thesteelsheetlamination
blocks, oil ducts, and clamping plates all should lie within the peripheral of optimum
corecircle.
The net sectional area is calculated from the dimensions of various packets and
allowanceismadeforthespacelostbetweenlamination(knownasstackingfactor)for
whichsteelsheetof0.28mmthicknesswithinsulationcoatingisapproximately0.96.
Areaisalsodeductedforoilducts.Theratioofnetcrosssectionalareaofcoretothe
grosscrosssectionalareainsidetheimaginaryperipheralcircleisknownasUtilization
factor of transformer core. Increasing numbers of steps improve the Utilization factor
butatthesametime,itincreasesmanufacturingcost.Optimumnumbersofstepsare
between6(forsmallerdiameter)to15(largerdiameter).

ManufacturingofTransformerCore
Duringcoremanufacturinginfactorysomefactorsaretakenintoconsideration,

1.Higherreliability.

2.Reductioninironlossintransformerandmagnetizingcurrent.

3.Loweringmaterialcostandlaborcost.

4.abatementofnoiselevels.

Quality checking is necessary at every step of manufacturing to ensure quality and

reliability.Thesteelsheetmustbetestedforensuringthespecificcorelossorironloss
values. The lamination should be properly checked and inspected visually, rusty and
bendlaminationshouldberejected.Forreducingthetransformernoises,thelamination
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shouldbetightlyclampedtogetherandpunchholesshouldbeavoidedasfaraspossible
tominimizecrossfluxironlosses.Theairgapatthejointoflimbsandyokesshouldbe
reduced as much as possible for allowing maximum smooth conducting paths for
magnetizingcurrent.
CornerJointingofLimbswithYokes

Corelossesintransformerhappenmainlydueto,

1.Magneticfluxflowalongthedirectionofthegrainorientation,

2.Magneticfluxflowperpendiculartothedirectionofthegrainorientation,thisisalso
knownascrossgrainironlosses.Thecrossgrainlossmainlyoccursinthezonesof
corner jointing of limbs with yokes and it can be controlled to some extent by
applyingspecialcornerjointingtechniques.Therearenormallytwotypesofjoints
usedintransformercore,

1.Interleavedjoints

MENU

2.Mitedjoints

InterleavedJointsinTransformerCore
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Interleavedjointintransformercoreisthesimplestformofjoints.Thisjointisshownin
thefigure.Thefluxleavesandentersatthejointinperpendiculartograinorientation.
Hence cross grain losses are high in this type of joints. But considering the low
manufacturingcost,itispreferabletouseinsmallratingtransformer.

MitredJointsinTransformerCore

Herethelamination'sarecutat45.Thelimbsandyokelaminationedgesareplaced
facetofaceattheMitredjointsintransformercore.Herethefluxentersandleavesthe
lamination, gets smooth path in the direction of its flow hence, cross grain loss is
minimumhere.Howeveritinvolvesextramanufacturingcostbutitispreferabletouse
in electrical power transformer where loss minimization is the main criteria in
designingoftransformercore.

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