Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.

Surat Pyari

MODULE – 3
Prepared

Dept. of EEE 3b) SINGLE PHASE TRANSFORMER

HKBK College of Engg Bangalore
SINGLE PHASE TRANSFORMERS
 A transformer is a device which converts magnetic energy into electrical energy. 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.
 A magnetic iron circuit called “core” is commonly used to wrap around these coils. Though
these two coils are electrically isolated, they are magnetically linked.
 The single-phase transformer works on the principle of Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic
Induction. Typically, mutual induction between primary and secondary windings is
responsible for the transformer operation in an electrical transformer.
 A single phase voltage transformer basically consists of two electrical coils of wire, one
called the “Primary Winding” and another called the “Secondary Winding”. For this tutorial
we will define the “primary” side of the transformer as the side that usually takes power, and
the “secondary” as the side that usually delivers power. In a single-phase voltage transformer
the primary is usually the side with the higher voltage.
 These two coils are not in electrical contact with each other but are instead wrapped together
around a common closed magnetic iron circuit called the “core”. This soft iron core is not
solid but made up of individual laminations connected together to help reduce the core’s
magnetic losses.
 The primary and secondary windings are electrically isolated from each other but are
magnetically linked through the common core allowing electrical power to be transferred
from one coil to the other. When an electric current passed through the primary winding, a
magnetic field is developed which induces a voltage into the secondary winding and this
basic operating principle of a simple transformer.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3CubKnkO4c

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 1

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

 Transformer

Where:
VP – is the Primary Voltage

VS – is the Secondary Voltage

NP – is the Number of Primary Windings

NS – is the Number of Secondary Windings
Φ (phi) – is the Flux Linkage
 Notice that the two coil windings are not electrically connected but are only linked
magnetically. A single-phase transformer can operate to either increase or decrease the
voltage applied to the primary winding. When a transformer is used to “increase” the voltage
on its secondary winding with respect to the primary, it is called a Step-up transformer.
When it is used to “decrease” the voltage on the secondary winding with respect to the
primary it is called a Step-down transformer.
 However, a third condition exists in which a transformer produces the same voltage on its
secondary as is applied to its primary winding. In other words, its output is identical with
respect to voltage, current and power transferred. This type of transformer is called an
“Impedance Transformer” and is mainly used for impedance matching or the isolation of
adjoining electrical circuits.
 The difference in voltage between the primary and the secondary windings is achieved by
changing the number of coil turns in the primary winding ( NP ) compared to the number of
coil turns on the secondary winding ( NS ).
 As the transformer is basically a linear device, a ratio now exists between the number of
turns of the primary coil divided by the number of turns of the secondary coil. This ratio,
called the ratio of transformation, more commonly known as a transformers “turns ratio”,
( TR ). This turns ratio value dictates the operation of the transformer and the corresponding
voltage available on the secondary winding.
 It is necessary to know the ratio of the number of turns of wire on the primary winding
compared to the secondary winding. The turns ratio, which has no units, compares the two
windings in order and is written with a colon, such as 3:1 (3-to-1).

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 2

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

 This means in this example, that if there are 3 volts on the primary winding there will be 1
volt on the secondary winding, 3 volts-to-1 volt. Then we can see that if the ratio between the
number of turns changes the resulting voltages must also change by the same ratio, and this is
true.
 Transformers are all about “ratios”. The ratio of the primary to the secondary, the ratio of the
input to the output, and the turns ratio of any given transformer will be the same as its
voltage ratio. In other words for a transformer: “turns ratio = voltage ratio”. The actual
number of turns of wire on any winding is generally not important, just the turns ratio and
this relationship is given as:
 A Transformers Turns Ratio

Assuming an ideal transformer and the phase angles: ΦP ≡ ΦS

 Note that the order of the numbers when expressing a transformers turns ratio value is very
important as the turns ratio 3:1 expresses a very different transformer relationship and output
voltage than one in which the turns ratio is given as: 1:3.

Construction of Single Phase Transformer

 A single phase transformer consists of two windings viz. primary winding and secondary
winding put on a magnetic core. The magnetic core is made from thin sheets
(called laminations) of high graded silicon steel and provides a definite path to the magnetic
flux. These laminations reduce the eddy-current losses while the silicon steel reduces
the hysteresis losses.
 The laminations are insulated from each other by enamel insulation coating. The thin
laminations are stacked together to form the core of the transformer. The air-gap between the
laminations should be minimum so that the excitation current being minimum.
 For a single phase transformer, there are two types of transformer constructions viz. the core
type and the shell type.

Core Type Transformer Construction

 In core type construction of the transformer, the magnetic circuit consists of two vertical lags
(called limbs) and two horizontal sections called yokes. To minimise the effect of leakage
flux, half of each winding is placed on each limb (see the figure).
 The low-voltage winding is placed next to the core while the high-voltage winding over the
low-voltage winding to reduce the insulation requirements. Therefore the two windings are
arranged as concentric coils and known as cylindrical winding.

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 3

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

 The laminations of the core type transformer are of U-I shape as shown in the figure.

Shell Type Transformer Construction

 In the shell type construction of transformer, the magnetic circuit consists of three limbs,
both the primary and secondary windings are placed on the central limb and the two outer
limbs complete the low reluctance flux path.
 The each winding is sub-divided into sections viz. the low voltage (LV) section and the high-
voltage (HV) section, which are alternatively put one over the other in the form of sandwich
(see the figure). Therefore, such windings are called sandwich winding or disc winding.

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 4

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

 The core of the shell type transformer is made up either U-T shape or E-I shape (see the
figure).
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2hYUu8lPY0

Working of Single Phase Transformer

 A transformer is a static device that transfers electric power in one circuit to another circuit
of the same frequency. It consists of primary and secondary windings. This transformer
operates on the principle of mutual inductance.
 When the primary of a transformer is connected to an AC supply, the current flows in the coil
and the magnetic field build-up. This condition is known as mutual inductance and the flow
of current is as per the Faraday’s Law of electromagnetic induction. As the current increases
from zero to its maximum value, the magnetic field strengthens and is given by dɸ/dt.
 This electromagnet forms the magnetic lines of force and expands outward from the coil
forming a path of magnetic flux. The turns of both windings get linked by this magnetic flux.
The strength of a magnetic field generated in the core depends on the number of turns in the
winding and the amount of current. The magnetic flux and current are directly proportional to
each other.

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 5

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

 As the magnetic lines of flux flow around the core, it passes through the secondary winding,
inducing voltage across it. The Faraday’s Law is used to determine the voltage induced
across the secondary coil and it is given by:
N. dɸ/dt
where,
‘N’ is the number of coil turns
 The frequency is the same in primary and secondary windings.
 Thus, we can say that the voltage induced is the same in both the windings as the same
magnetic flux links both the coils together. Also, the total voltage induced is directly
proportional to the number of turns in the coil.

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 6

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 7

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

Types of Losses in a Transformer

 There are various types of losses in the transformer such as iron loss, copper loss, hysteresis
loss, eddy current loss, stray loss, and dielectric loss. The hysteresis losses occur because of
the variation of the magnetization in the core of the transformer and the copper loss occurs
because of the transformer winding resistance.
Iron Losses
 Iron losses are caused by the alternating flux in the core of the transformer as this loss occurs
in the core it is also known as Core loss. Iron loss is further divided into hysteresis and eddy
current loss.
Hysteresis Loss
 The core of the transformer is subjected to an alternating magnetizing force, and for each
cycle of emf, a hysteresis loop is traced out. Power is dissipated in the form of heat known as
hysteresis loss and given by the equation shown below:

Where
 KȠ is a proportionality constant which depends upon the volume and quality of the material
of the core used in the transformer,
f is the supply frequency,
Bmax is the maximum or peak value of the flux density.
 The iron or core losses can be minimized by using silicon steel material for the construction
of the core of the transformer.

Eddy Current Loss

 When the flux links with a closed circuit, an emf is induced in the circuit and the current
flows, the value of the current depends upon the amount of emf around the circuit and the
resistance of the circuit.
 Since the core is made of conducting material, these EMFs circulate currents within the body
of the material. These circulating currents are called Eddy Currents. They will occur when
the conductor experiences a changing magnetic field. As these currents are not responsible
for doing any useful work, and it produces a loss (I2R loss) in the magnetic material known
as an Eddy Current Loss.
The eddy current loss is minimized by making the core with thin laminations.
 The equation of the eddy current loss is given as:

Where,
Ke – coefficient of eddy current. Its value depends upon the nature of magnetic material like
volume and resistivity of core material, the thickness of laminations

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 8

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

Bm – maximum value of flux density in wb/m2

T – thickness of lamination in meters
F – frequency of reversal of the magnetic field in Hz
V – the volume of magnetic material in m3

Copper Loss or Ohmic Loss

 These losses occur due to ohmic resistance of the transformer windings. If I1 and I2 are the
primary and the secondary current. R1 and R2 are the resistance of primary and secondary
winding then the copper losses occurring in the primary and secondary winding will be
I12R1 and I22R2 respectively.
 Therefore, the total copper losses will be

 These losses varied according to the load and known hence it is also known as variable
losses. Copper losses vary as the square of the load current.

Transformer Efficiency:
 The Efficiency of the transformer is defined as the ratio of useful output power to the input power.
The input and output power are measured in the same unit. Its unit is either in Watts (W) or
KW. Transformer efficiency is denoted by Ƞ.

Where,
V2 – Secondary terminal voltage
I2 – Full load secondary current
Cosϕ2 – power factor of the load
Pi – Iron losses = hysteresis losses + eddy current losses
Pc – Full load copper losses = I22Res
 Consider, the x is the fraction of the full load. The efficiency of the transformer regarding x is
expressed as

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 9

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

 The copper losses vary according to the fraction of the load.

Maximum Efficiency Condition of a Transformer:

 The efficiency of the transformer along with the load and the power factor is expressed by the given
relation:

 The value of the terminal voltage V2 is approximately constant. Thus, for a given power factor the
Transformer efficiency depends upon the load current I2. In equation (1), the numerator is constant
and the transformer efficiency will be maximum if the denominator with respect to the variable I2 is
equated to zero.

i.e Copper losses = Iron losses

 Thus, the transformer will give the maximum efficiency when their copper loss is equal to the iron
loss.

 From equation (2) the value of output current I2 at which the transformer efficiency will be maximum
is given as

 If x is the fraction of full load KVA at which the efficiency of the transformer is maximum then,
Copper losses = x2Pc (where Pc is the full load copper losses)
Iron losses = Pi
 For maximum efficiency

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 10

Basic Electrical Engg 21ELE13/23 Prepared By : Prof.Afroz Pasha Prof.Surat Pyari

x2 Pc = Pi

Therefore
 Thus, output KVA corresponding to maximum efficiency

 Putting the value of x from the above equation (3) in equation (4) we will get,

 The above equation (5) is the maximum efficiency condition of the transformer.

Dept of EEE, HKBKCE Page 11