Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology

Burla, Odisha

Introduction to Transformers
By

DR. RABINDRA KUMAR SAHU

Professor

Department of EEE, VSSUT, Burla

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 Overview of Transformers

In most cases, appliances are manufactured to work

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 The transformer used to increase the voltage is called
step-up transformer, while that is used to decrease the
voltage is called step-down transformer.
The step-down transformers are generally used to
decrease the voltage at substations for consumer’s use,
whereas step-up transformers are required to increase
the voltage at the generating station for transmission
purpose.
In a transformer electrical energy is transferred from one
circuit to another circuit without the use of moving parts.
So it has highest efficiency out of all the electrical
machines
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10/14/2020
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(i) Single Phase Transformer
A single-phase transformer is an electrical device that
accepts single-phase AC power and gives single-phase AC
power as output.
A transformer is a device which converts magnetic energy
into electrical energy.

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 It consists of two electrical coils called as a primary
winding and secondary winding. The primary winding of
a transformer receives power, while the secondary
winding delivers power.
Applications:
• Transmitting electrical energy over long distances
through wires.
• Transformers with several secondary's are used in
television and radio receivers where several different
voltages are required.
• Used as voltage regulator
• Used almost everywhere in day to day life.
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(ii) Three Phase Transformer
A three-phase transformer is made of three sets of
primary and secondary windings, each set wound around
one leg of an iron core assembly. Essentially it looks like
three single-phase transformers sharing a joined core as
in figure below

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 Applications
• 3-phase transformers are used in power supply such
as Power station generator, Network transformer,
Distribution transformer, Substation transformer etc.
• Power stations and substations use 3-phase
transformers to step-up or step-down the voltages.
• Laboratories use 3-phase variacs i.e. 3-phase auto
transformers to supply power to induction and
synchronous motors.
• 3-phase transformers are used in buck-boost
converters etc.
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 (iii) Auto Transformer
The autotransformer has only one winding, which is
common to both the primary and the secondary.

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 The working principle is same as that of normal
transformer, difference is that it has only one winding
divided into primary and secondary.
Applications:
• Used for starting of induction motors.
• Used to compensate voltage drops in transmission and
distribution lines, called as booster transformers.
• Used for continuously variable supply.
• Used in control equipment for 1-phase and 3-phase
electrical locomotives.
• Used as interconnecting transformers in 132 kV/330

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kV system etc.
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 (iii) Instrument Transformer
These are special type of transformers used for the measurement of
voltage, current, power and energy.
As the name suggests, these transformers are used in conjunction
with the relevant instruments such as ammeters, voltmeters, watt
meters and energy meters.
Such transformers are of two types :
(i) Current Transformer (or Series Transformer)
(ii) Potential Transformer (or Parallel Transformer)
Current transformers are used when the magnitude of AC currents
exceeds the safe value of current of measuring instruments.
Potential transformers are used where the voltage of an AC circuit
exceeds 750 V as it is not possible to provide adequate insulation on
measuring instruments
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 Applications:
• Used mainly in measurement and protective equipment. Also
used to provide energy to protective relays.
• Current transformers (CTs) are used in the design of switch-
mode power supplies, capacitor discharge surge testing, the
development of motor controllers and electronic variable speed
drives, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, lightning
simulation tests for surge arrestors etc.
• Potential transformers (PTs) are used in electrical metering
systems, electrical protection systems, distance protection of
feeders, synchronizing generators with grid, impedance
protection of generators etc.
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