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Transformer Voltage Regulation

Transformer voltage regulation is the ratio or percentage value by which a transformers output terminal
voltage varies either up or down from its no-load value as a result of variations in the connected load
current

We have seen in this series of turorials about the transformer, that when the primary winding of a
transformer is energised, it produces a secondary voltage and current at an amount determined by the
transformers turns ratio, (TR). So if a single-phase transformer has a step down turns ratio of 2:1 and 240V is
applied to the high voltage primary winding, we would expect to see an output terminal voltage on the
secondary winding of 120 VAC because we have assumed it to be an ideal transformer.

However in the real world this is not always true as being a wound magnetic circuit, all transformers suffer
from losses consisting of I2R copper losses and magnetic core losses which would reduce this ideal secondary
value by a few precent to say 117 VAC, and this is normal. But there is also another value related to
transformers (and electrical machines) which also has an affect on this secondary voltage value when the
transformer is supplying full power, and this is called “regulation”.

Transformer Voltage Regulation

Voltage Regulation of single-phase transformers is the percentage (or per unit value) change in its secondary
terminal voltage compared to its original no-load voltage under varying secondary load conditions. In other
words, regulation determines the variation in secondary terminal voltage which occurs inside the
transformer as a result of variations in the transformers connected load thereby affecting its performance
and efficiency if these losses are high and the secondary voltage becomes too low.
When there is no-load connected to the transformers secondary winding, that is its output terminals are
open-circuited, there is no closed-loop condition, so there is no output load current (IL = 0) and the
transformer acts as one single winding of high self-inductance. Note that the no-load secondary voltage is a
result of the fixed primary voltage and the turns ratio of the transformer.

Loading the secondary winding with a simple load impedance causes a secondary current to flow, at any
power factor, through the internal winding of the transformer. Thus voltage drops due to the windings
internal resistance and its leakage reactance causes the output terminal voltage to change.

A transformers voltage regulation change between its secondary terminal voltage from a no-load condition
when IL = 0, (open circuit) to a fully-loaded condition when IL = IMAX (maximum current) for a constant
primary voltage is given as:

Transformer Voltage Regulation as a Fractional Change

 
Note that this voltage regulation when expressed as a fraction or unit-change of the no-load terminal voltage
can be defined in one of two ways, voltage regulation-down, (Regdown) and voltage regulation-up, (Regup). That is
when the load is connected to the secondary output terminal, the terminal voltage goes down, or when the
load is removed, the secondary terminal voltage goes up. Thus the regulation of the transformer will depend
on which voltage value is used as the reference voltage, load or non-load value.

We can also express transformer voltage regulation as a percentage change between the no-load condition
and the full-load conditions as follows:

Transformer Voltage Regulation as a Percentage Change

 
So for example, if a single-phase transformer has an open-circuit no-load terminal voltage of 100 volts and
the same terminal voltage drops to 95 volts on the application of a connected load, the transformers voltage
regulation would therefore be 0.05 or 5%, ((100 – 95)/100)*100%). Therfore a transformers voltage
regulation can be expressed as either a unit change value or as a percentage change value of the no-load
voltage.

Transformer Voltage Regulation Example No1

The primary winding of a 500VA, 10:1 single-phase step-down transformer is fed from a constant 240Vrms
supply. Calculate the percentage regulation of the transformer when connected to an impedance of 1.1Ω

Data given: VA = 500, TR = 10:1, VP = 240V, ZS = 1.1Ω, find %Reg.

 
Therefore, VS(no-load) = 24 Volts

 
Therefore, VS(full-load) = 23.45 Volts

 
Then the percentage down regulation calculated for the transformer is given as: 2.29%, or 2.3% rounded-off

Transformer Voltage Regulation Example No2

A single-phase transformer with a voltage regulation of 4% has a secondary terminal voltage of 115.4 volts at
full load current. Calculate its no-load terminal voltage when the load is removed.
 
Then we can see that a change in the connected load creates a change in the transformers terminal voltage
between its “no-load” voltage and its “full-load” voltage therby making transformer voltage regulation a
function external to the transformer. Thus the lower the percentage voltage regulation the more stable the
transformers secondary terminal voltage will be no matter what the load current value is. If the connected
load is purely resistive, then the voltage drop would be smaller. Thus an ideal transformer would have zero
voltage regulation, that is VS(full-load) is equal to VS(no-load) as there would be zero losses.

So we now know that a transformers voltage regulation is the difference between its full-load voltage and
no-load voltage to its maximum rated secondary current which can be expressed as a ratio or as a percentage
(%) value. But why does the secondary voltage change or drop with changes in load current.

Transformers on-load
When a transformers secondary winding is supplying a load, there are magnetic iron losses within the
laminated core and copper losses due to the resistivity of its windings, and this is true for both the primary
and secondary windings.

These losses produce a reactance and resistance in the

transformers winding providing an impedance path through
which the secondary output current, (IS) must flow as
shown.

As the secondary winding consists of both resistance and

reactance, it follows that an internal voltage drop must
occur in the windings of the transformer by an amount
depending on the effective impedance and the load current being supplied as Ohm’s Law states: V = I*Z.
Then we can see that as the secondary load current increases, the voltage dropped within the transformers
windings must also increase, and for a constant primary supply voltage, the secondary output voltage must
therefore fall.

The impedance (Z) of the secondary winding is the phasor sum of both its resistance (R) and the leakage
reactance (X) with a different voltage drop produced across each component. Then we can define the
secondary impedance as well as the no-load and full-load voltages as being:

 
Thus the secondary windings no-load voltage is defined as:

VS(no-load)  =  ES
and its full-load voltage is defined as:

VS(full-load)  =  ES – ISR – ISX

or VS(full-load)  =  ES – IS(R+jX)

∴ VS(full-load)  =  ES – IS*Z
Clearly then we can see that the transformers winding consists of a reactance in series with a resistance with
the load current being common to both. Since voltage and current are in-phase for a resistance, the voltage
drop across the resistor given as ISR must therefore be “in-phase” with the secondary current, IS.

However, in a pure inductor having inductive reactance, XL the current lags by 90o so the voltage drop across
the reactance given as ISX leads the current by an angle ΦL as its an inductive load.

Since the impedance, Z of the secondary winding is the phasor sum of the resistance and reactance, their
individual phase angles are given as:

 
As V = I*Z, the voltage drop across the secondary impedance is therefore given as:

Vdrop  =  IS(RcosΦ + XcosΦ)
and as VS(full-load) = VS(no-load) – Vdrop, the percentage regulation can be given as:
Lagging Power Factor Expression

 
For a positive regulation expression between cos(Φ) and sin(Φ) the transfomers secondary terminal voltage
will decrease (fall) indicating a lagging power factor (inductive load). For a negative regulation expression
between cos(Φ) and sin(Φ), the transfomers secondary terminal voltage will increase (rise) indicating a
leading power factor (capacitive load). Thus a transformers regulation expression is the same for both
leading and lagging loads, its just the sign that changes to indicate a voltage rise or fall.

Leading Power Factor Expression

 
Therefore a positive regulation condition produces a voltage decrease (drop) within the secondary winding
while a negative regulation condition produces a voltage increase (rise) in the winding. While leading power
factor loads are not as common as inductive loads (coils, solenoids or chokes), a transformer feeding a light
load with low currents may experience a capacitive condition causing the terminal voltage to rise.

Transformer Voltage Regulation Example No3

A 10KVA single-phase transformer provides a no-load secondary voltage of 110 volts. If the equivalent
secondary winding resistance is 0.015Ω and its total reactance is 0.04Ω, determine its voltage regulation
when supplying a load at 0.85 power factor lagging.

Data given: VA = 10000, VS(no-load) = 110V, R = 0.015Ω, X = 0.04Ω, find %Reg.

if cosΦ = 0.85,   Φ = cos-1(0.85) = 31.8o   ∴ sinΦ = 0.527
Secondary current is defined as:

IS = VA/V = 10000/110 = 90.9 Amps
Percentage voltage regulation is given as:
Transformer Voltage Regulation Summary
We have seen here in this tutorial about Transformer Voltage Regulation that when a transformers
secondary winding is loaded its output voltage can change and that this voltage change can be expressed
either as a ratio, or more commonly as a percentage value. With no-load connected there is no secondary
current which means that the secondary voltage is at its maximum value.

However when fully-loaded, secondary currents flow producing core losses and copper losses within the
winding. The core loss is a fixed loss due to the transformers magnetic circuit produced by the primary
winding voltage, while the secondaries copper loss is a variable loss that is related to the load current
demand connected to the secondary winding.

Then variations in load current will cause variations in the losses affecting regulation. The smaller the
transformers voltage regulation, the less the variation in secondary terminal voltage with changes in the
load, and this is very useful to have in regulated power supply circuits.

We also said that for a lagging power factor (inductive load), the secondary terminal voltage will decrease. If
the transformer supplies a very low lagging power factor, large secondary currents will flow resulting in poor
voltage regulation due to greater voltage drops in the winding.

A leading power factor (capacitive load), the output terminal voltage will rise. Therefore positive regulation
produces a voltage drop in the winding while a negative regulation produces a voltage rise in the winding.
While it is not possible to have a zero-voltage regulation condition (only ideal transformers), minimum
regulation and therefore maximum efficiency generally occurs when when the windings core losses and the
copper losses are approximately equal.

15 Comments

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Md Aftab Alam
No

Posted on July 24th 2021 | 4:53 pm

 Reply

Stathis
What do you mean “No”?

Also, are you a medical doctor?

Posted on August 04th 2021 | 9:17 am

 Reply

vinay gupta
I would like to know about voltage drop in 11/.433 kv transformer if design LV voltage is 415. How
much voltage we can get at 75% load at .9 PF and at 100 % load
Posted on June 27th 2021 | 3:59 pm
 Reply

Ndungu mwangi
Great articlea

Posted on March 22nd 2021 | 4:44 pm

 Reply

Prisco Obregoso Boco III

Thank you very much for the clear and simplified explanations on the matter. Its a great help for me
who will try to produce electricity for home use.

Posted on December 16th 2020 | 9:54 pm

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Ton
Very nice really !

Posted on October 20th 2020 | 7:56 pm

 Reply

Andrew Pullen
I am trying to understand core-leakage transformers, like those used for driving neon signs or
magnetrons in microwave ovens.

These transformers are usually shell type with the primary and secondary separated and placed at
either extreme end of the central core leg. Small laminated blocks are then placed between the centre
leg and outer core legs as an alternative, higher reluctance path for the primary flux when a secondary
load’s current counteracts some of that primary flux.

These “leakage blocks” usually have their laminations oriented perpendicular to the laminations in the
main core and they are often wrapped in paper to increase the reluctance further.
I assume that these transformers have a regulation of 100% and it is possible to dead short the
secondary almost indefinitely.

I am interested so see some of the mathematics and vector diagrams used to design such transformers
and how one would go about some specific design examples.

My main interest is in discharge lamps and I would like to glean a better understanding of how these
leakage transformers are used in “CWA” and “constant voltage” type lamp control gear so common in
the North American Realm.

In the lamp control gear the “cold” end of the secondary is often connected to a tap low down on the
primary turning them into a sort of autotransformer and a capacitor is placed in series with the top end
of the secondary to both raise the power factor and impedance match to the lamp. I would very much
love to be led through the design process for such a piece of gear.

The capacitive reactance of the capacitor used is generally about twice the inductive reactance of the
secondary leakage inductance so series resonance is avoided!

They are an interesting class of transformer, and despite the semiconductor lighting revolution are still
surprisingly common in battery chargers, welders, microwave ovens and discharge lighting and as such
deservre their own chapter in this tutorial series.

Posted on September 19th 2020 | 1:05 pm

 Reply

Peter
Confusing and overexplained. Examples are unrealistic. Try use some real transformers specs and
explain why household 240V in reality goes up to 260Volts (Vpp).

Posted on September 07th 2020 | 6:29 am

 Reply

Wayne Storr
Actually household 240Vrms would be 339V peak, or 678V peak-to-peak.

So if your houshold voltage is 260V peak-to-peak, (as you have stated) then you have only
130V peak, or 92 volts rms. Then please contact your electricity supplier.

Posted on September 07th 2020 | 7:59 am

 Reply
jose targino
olha boa noite ou bom dia muito bom as aulas de vcs legal

Posted on August 04th 2020 | 4:51 am

 Reply

Dermot
In Transformer Voltage Regulation Example No2, the formula reads

V(No Load) – V(Full Load) /

V(No Load)

Then you substitute the V full load values into the V(No Load) positions.

It looks as if the formula is wrong?

Posted on June 05th 2020 | 10:45 am

 Reply

Wayne Storr
Thanks

Posted on June 05th 2020 | 12:34 pm

 Reply

johnny
excellent presentation, this teacher is the teacher that every student hopes for

Posted on May 24th 2020 | 12:00 am

 Reply

Thomas DeWoody
As I understand it, the primary current in a power transformer with no load on the secondary would lag
primary voltage by nearly 90 degrees, and increasing current in the secondary due to the addition of
resistive load would drive the increasing primary current to a lower phase angle. Is there some
theoretical minimum phase angle ( maximum power factor) for the primary current when loaded by the
secondary? Or do practical limitations due to I^2 R and core losses prevent the approach to a power
factor of 1.0 in the primary?

Posted on May 07th 2020 | 12:42 pm

 Reply

Wayne Storr
With no-load on the secondary, an exciting primary current flows to establish the flux in the
transformers wound-core. This exciting current consists of copper-loss current, core-loss
current and magnetising current which has a combined phase angle less than 90o. The core-
loss and magnetising currents represent the reactive power of the winding, while the I2R
copper-loss represents the real power and an increase in secondary loading will cause an
increase in primary current resulting in a change of phase angle at an amount given by
cos(R/Z)

Posted on May 07th 2020 | 4:04 pm

 Reply