Grade - 12 -4- Tr.

May
APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC INDUCTION
❖ Induction coil
❖ AC generator
❖ Transformer

Induction coil
- One of useful applications of electromagnetic induction is an induction coil.
- In 1851, a German instrument maker named Heinrich Ruhmkorff showed how an electric spark
30 cm long could be produced by using a battery of only a few volts. The apparatus he used is
called an induction coil or Ruhmkorff spark coil.
- Induction coil consists of a core of soft iron wires around which is wrapped a coil of a few turns
of thick insulated wire. This coil is called the primary.
- Around the primary is wound the secondary coil, which has many turns of thin insulated wire.
- Two metal rods A and B having insulated handles are connected to the ends of the secondary.
- The gap between A and B is adjustable.
- The primary is connected to a battery.

- When the switch S is pressed a current flows through the primary.

- As soon as the current flows in the primary an induced emf develops in every turn of the
secondary.
- Since the secondary consists of many turns, the induced emf is very high indeed.
- As the current flows through the primary, the soft iron core becomes an electromagnet which
attracts a soft iron armature mounted on the spring.
- When this happens, the platinum contacts are separated and hence the current stops flowing.
- As soon as the current stops flowing, very high induced emf develops in the secondary again.
- Since there is no current in the primary, the soft iron core becomes demagnetized.
- At that moment the armature is returned by the spring to its original position.
- The contact is remade again and the whole process is repeated.
- When the primary is connected to a 6 V battery a voltage of about 30000 V can develop across
the terminals A and B.
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- When the terminal of A and B are kept a small distance apart, sparks are formed between them.
- A capacitor is connected across the platinum contacts to prevent sparking and wearing a way of
contacts.
- The induction coil is used in the ignition system of motor cars.
- The primary of an induction coil is connected to a 6 V or 12 V battery and the secondary is
connected to a sparking plug.
- As a very high voltage is set up between the two terminals of the plug, sparking occurs and the
mixture of gases is ignited.

AC Generator
- A generator is an electromagnetic device which converts mechanical energy into electrical
energy.
- Most generators give out alternating current. AC generators are also called alternators.

Working principle of an AC generator

- AC generators work on the principle of Faraday's law of
electromagnetic induction.
- A simple AC generator consists of a rectangular coil mounted on
an axle which is fixed between the poles of a permanent magnet.
- When the coil is rotated, the magnetic field through it changes.
- This induces a current in the coil.
- Using Fleming's right-hand rule, the induced current flows from A
to B, and C to D in the coil.
- This induced current flows through the two slip rings (S1 and S2)
and then through the external load from P to Q as shown in figure
(b).
- The two slip rings (S1 and S2) each make sliding contact with two
fixed carbon brushes (B1 and B2) respectively.
- When the coil has rotated through 180°, the sides of the coil will
have changed places.
- Now the current flows from B to A and D to C in the coil, and from Q to P in the external load.
- Every time the coil turns through 180°, the current reverses its direction.
- This is an alternating current which changes its direction when the coil is vertical.
- If the speed of rotating coil is doubled, both the frequency of the alternating current and the rate
of cutting of the magnetic lines of force will be doubled.
- This means that the maximum output voltage is also doubled.
- When the number of turns in the coil is doubled, the frequency of the output voltage is the same
although its magnitude is doubled.

Factors affecting the induced electromotive force of a generator

- The induced electromotive force of a generator can be increased by_
▪ increasing the speed of rotation of the coil,
▪ increasing the area of the coil,
▪ increasing the number of turns in the coil, and
▪ using stronger magnets.
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Calculation of induced electromotive force of a generator
- The shaft (axle) of the coil is rotated by an external force such as falling water or an engine.
- If a wire loop is rotating with the constant angular velocity 𝜔,
𝜃=𝜔t
∅B = BA cos 𝜔 t
𝑑∅
The induced emf, E =- 𝐵
𝑑𝑡
𝑑
= - BA ( cos 𝜔t)
𝑑𝑡
= - BA 𝜔 sin 𝜔 t

For a coil of N loops, E = N B A 𝜔 sin 𝜔 t

Where , Em = NBA 𝝎
= Em sin 𝜔 t

Electric motor Vs Electric generators

- There is no structural difference between a generator and an electric motor. The difference lies
in the way energy is converted.
- In an electric motor, electrical energy is used to rotate the coil to provide mechanical energy.
- In the case of generators, mechanical energy is used to rotate the coil to produce electrical energy.

Eg11.4 The generator coil with 200 turns is rotated through one-fourth of a revolution in 15 ms. The
turn of circular coil has a 5 cm radius and is in a uniform magnetic field of 1.25 T. Find the
induced emf in 15 ms.

Transformer
- One of another useful application is the construction of transformers that are commonly used
today.
- Different electrical appliances need different working voltages.
- The doorbell may work on a 6 V supply whereas a picture tube in old television sets may need
several thousand volts.
- Transformers are used to provide the different voltage requirements of the appliances from the
mains supply.

Transformer
A transformer is used to change the voltage of an alternating current.

Construction of Transformer
- The core of a transformer is built up of thin iron sheets of high resistance, called lamination.
- These iron sheets are made to be electrically insulated from one another.
- Two coils, each consisting of many turns of wire, are wound on the core.
- One of these coils connected to an alternating voltage source is called the primary coil and is
denoted by P
. -The other coil S, called the secondary coil, is connected to an electrical device to which electrical
power to be supplied.

(a) Simple transformer (b) its symbol (c) actual photograph of a transformer
Grade - 12 -7- Tr. May
Operation of Transformer
- When an alternating voltage is applied to the primary P, an alternating current flow through it.
- The alternating current in the primary produces an alternating magnetic flux in the core and nearly
all the flux passes through the secondary S.
- This changing magnetic flux produces an induced emf and an induced current in the secondary.
- Hence, an alternating voltage is obtained from the secondary.
- The voltage in the secondary and the voltage in the primary has the same frequency.
- The use of laminated iron (mumetal) core is to minimize the power loss due to the induced current
flowing in the core.
- There is also a power loss due to heating of wire used in the coils when the current flows through
them.

Power of Transformer
- In a systematically constructed transformer, the power losses are so small that the power input
can be assumed to be equal to the power output. [ideal transformer]
power input = power output
𝑉𝑝 𝐼𝑝 = 𝑉𝑠 𝐼𝑠
When
Vp = voltage applied to the primary
Vs = voltage obtained from the secondary
Ip = current flowing in the primary
Is = current flowing in the secondary

- As the product of voltage and current is the same on both coils of a transformer, it follows that a
transformer which increases the voltage will reduce the current in the same proportion, and vice
versa.

Turns ratio of Transformer

𝑁
- The ratio 𝑠 is called the turns ratio [of the transformer.
𝑁𝑝

𝐸𝑠 𝑁𝑠
=
𝐸𝑝 𝑁𝑝

Where, Ep = induced emfs in the primary coil

Es = induced emfs in the secondary coil
Np = number of turns in the primary coil
Ns = number of turns in the secondary coil
- Since the same magnetic flux passes through both the primary and secondary windings in an ideal
transformer, the emf in each coil is proportional to the number of turns in the coil.

Transformer Equation
- In an ideal transformer,
▪ with no power losses,
▪ Ep = Vp and
▪ Es = Vs.
Es V N I
= s= s= s
Ep Vp Np Is
Where, Es = induced emf in secondary coil
Ep = induced emf in primary coil Np = number of turns on primary coil
Vs = voltage obtained from the secondary coil Is = current flowing in secondary coil
Vp = voltage applied to the primary coil Ip = current flowing in primary coil
Ns = number of turns on secondary coil
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Step-up transformer
- Vs > Vp when Ns > Np.
- If the secondary has more turns than the primary, the voltage obtained from the secondary is
greater than the voltage applied to the primary. Such a transformer is called a step-up transformer.

Step-down transformer
Vs < Vp when Ns < Np.
- If the secondary has fewer turns than the primary, the voltage obtained from the secondary is
smaller than the voltage applied to the primary. Such a transformer is called a step-down
transformer.

Eddy currents
- In a transformer, the changing magnetic field not only induces currents in the secondary coil, but
also currents in the iron core itself.
- These currents flow in little circles in the iron core and are called eddy currents.

Efficiency of a transformer
- The efficiency of a transformer is the ratio of the output power to the input power as usual.
- Most of the transformers have full load efficiency from 95% to 98.5%. Because of power losses,
there is no ideal transformer with 100% efficiency.

To improve the efficiency of a transformer, the following features should be taken into
consideration.

- Soft magnetic material should be used to make the core.

- A laminated core should be used to reduce the flow of eddy current.
- A special core design should be used to ensure that the magnetic field from the primary coil
completely links with the secondary coil.
- Low-resistance copper wires should be used as coils to reduce energy loss in the form of heat.

Notes:
- Transformers work on AC, but not on DC.
- Unless there is a changing current in the input coil, no voltage is induced in the output coil.
- Note that, a transformer connected to a DC supply can be damaged as the high current flowed
through the input coil can make it overheat.