Chapter 5 –

Transformer

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 I am a dedicated Teacher that was
named by my parents as:

DR. NORZANAH ROSMIN

[email protected]
[email protected]
Mobile: 019-7100453, Off:075557174
Room: P19a 05-02-04
 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

Contents

■ (1) Single Phase Transformer

■ (2) Turns and Voltage / Current Ratios
■ (3) Transformer Losses

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

Single Phase Transformer

• Transformers are one of the important electrical components,
widely used in power systems & electronics.
• It is an electromagnetic device that functions to raise or lower
a.c. voltage or a.c. current levels.
• It transfers power from one side to the other at the same
frequency. It alters the voltage and current of both sides
without any electrical connection, and are electromagnetically
linked.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

Single Phase Transformer

■ This provides circuit isolation from one side to the other.

(i.e. isolates primary to secondary)
■ Example: In power generation systems, transformer is
used at the generation station to raise the voltage
supplied by the generator (at 22kV) to a higher voltage
(275kV) sent to the transmission system, to enable the
energy be sent farther away. (step up)

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

BASIC OPERATION OF A TRANSFORMER

• In its most basic form a transformer consists of:

1. A primary coil or winding.

2. A secondary coil or winding.
3. A core that supports the coils or windings.

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Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

•This is a shell type transformer with

its primary and secondary winding.
•Take note of the laminated core and
the enamel insulated wire. (for
insulation between winding & turns)

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Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

■ The primary winding is connected to a 50

hertz ac voltage source. The magnetic field
(flux) builds up (expands) and collapses
(contracts) about the primary winding.
■ The expanding and contracting magnetic
field around the primary winding cuts the
secondary winding and induces an
alternating voltage into the winding.
■ This voltage causes alternating current to
flow through the load. The voltage may be
stepped up or down depending on the
design of the primary and secondary
windings.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

THE COMPONENTS OF A TRANSFORMER

■ The principle parts of a transformer and their functions

are:
– CORE, which provides a path for the magnetic lines of flux.
– PRIMARY WINDING, which receives energy from the ac source.
– SECONDARY WINDING, which receives energy from the
primary winding and delivers it to the load.
– ENCLOSURE, which protects the above components from dirt,
moisture, and mechanical damage.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

THE CORE

CORE CHARACTERISTICS

■ The composition of a transformer core depends on such factors as voltage,

current, and frequency.
■ Commonly used core materials are air, soft iron, and steel. Each of these
materials is suitable for particular applications and unsuitable for others.
■ Generally, air-core transformers are used when the voltage source has a
high frequency (above 20 kHz).
■ Iron-core transformers are usually used when the source frequency is low
(below 20 kHz).
– A soft-iron-core transformer is very useful where the transformer must be
physically small, yet efficient.
– The iron-core transformer provides better power transfer than does the air-core
transformer.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

An important point to remember is that the

THE CORE most efficient transformer core is one that offers
the best path for the most lines of flux with the
least loss in magnetic and electrical energy.
CORE CHARACTERISTICS

■ A transformer whose core is constructed of

laminated sheets of steel dissipates heat readily;
thus it provides for the efficient transfer of power.
– The majority of transformers contain laminated-
steel cores.
– These steel laminations are insulated with a
non-conducting material, such as varnish, and
then formed into a core.
– It takes about 50 such laminations to make a
core an inch thick.
– The purpose of the laminations is to reduce
certain losses which will be discussed later.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

THE CORE
There are two main shapes of cores
used in laminated-steel-core
transformers.
■ Hollow-Core Transformers
– So named because the core is
shaped with a hollow square
through the center. Notice that the
core is made up of many
laminations of steel. It shows how
the transformer windings are
wrapped around both sides of the
core.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

THE CORE
■ Shell-Core Transformers
– The most popular and efficient
transformer core is the SHELL CORE.
As shown, each layer of the core
consists of E- and I-shaped sections of
metal. These sections are butted
together to form the laminations. The
laminations are insulated from each
other and then pressed together to form
the core.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

THE WINDINGS
TRANSFORMER WINDINGS

• As stated above, the transformer consists

of two coils called WINDINGS which are
wrapped around a core.
• The transformer operates when a source
of ac voltage is connected to one of the
windings and a load device is connected
to the other.
• The winding that is connected to the
source is called the PRIMARY WINDING. An exploded view of a
• The winding that is connected to the load shell-type transformer. The
primary is wound in layers
is called the SECONDARY WINDING. directly on a rectangular
cardboard form.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

THE WINDINGS

• In the transformer shown in

the cutaway view in figure,
the primary consists of many
turns of relatively small wire.
• The wire is coated with
varnish so that each turn of
the winding is insulated from
every other turn.
• In a transformer designed for
high-voltage applications,
sheets of insulating material,
such as paper, are placed
between the layers of
windings to provide
additional insulation.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

THE ENCLOSURE
■ The enclosure of a transformer depends on
its need.
– If the transformer is small and to be
installed inside a device, then it is
better to not have an enclosure. The air
will act as insulation and heat transfer
agent.
– If the transformer is large, with high
voltage and current ratings and placed
outdoors or inside a building, then a
conductive enclosure (steel) is required
to isolate the internals from the
environment and contain the oil which
provides insulation and heat
dissipation.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

Contents

■ Single Phase Transformer

■ Turns and Voltage / Current Ratios
■ Transformer Losses

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TURNS AND VOLTAGE RATIOS

– The total voltage induced
into the secondary winding
of a transformer is
determined mainly by the
RATIO of the number of
turns in the primary to the
number of turns in the
secondary, and by the
amount of voltage applied
to the primary.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TURNS AND CURRENT RATIOS

– The number of flux lines developed
in a core is proportional to the
magnetizing force (IN AMPERE-
TURNS) of the primary and
secondary windings.
– The ampere-turn (I x N) is a
measure of magnetomotive force;
it is defined as the magnetomotive
force developed by one ampere of
current flowing in a coil of one turn.
The flux which exists in the core of
a transformer surrounds both the
primary and secondary windings.
Since the flux is the same for both
windings, the ampere-turns in both
the primary and secondary
windings must be the same.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

■ By dividing both sides of the equation by IPNS, you obtain:

■ Notice the equations show the current ratio to be the

inverse of the turns ratio and the voltage ratio. This
means, a transformer having less turns in the secondary
than in the primary would step down the voltage, but
would step up the current.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

■ Example: A transformer has a 6:1 voltage ratio.

■ Find the current in the secondary if the current in the primary is 200 milliamperes.

The above example points out that although the voltage across the secondary is one-sixth the
voltage across the primary, the current in the secondary is six times the current in the primary.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

Contents

■ Single Phase Transformer

■ Turns and Voltage / Current Ratios
■ Transformer Losses

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TRANSFORMER LOSSES

– If the turns ratio of the transformer is

increased to 1:2, the number of turns on
the secondary is twice the number of turns
on the primary. This means the opposition
to current is doubled. Thus, voltage is
doubled, but current is halved due to the
increased opposition to current in the
secondary. The important thing to
remember is that with the exception of the
power consumed within the transformer,
all power delivered to the primary by the
source will be delivered to the load. The
form of the power may change, but the
power in the secondary almost equals the
power in the primary.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TRANSFORMER LOSSES

■ Practical power transformers, although highly efficient, are not

perfect devices. Small power transformers used in electrical
equipment have an 80 to 90 percent efficiency range, while large,
commercial powerline transformers may have efficiencies exceeding
98 percent.
– The total power loss in a transformer is a combination of three types of
losses. One loss is due to the dc resistance in the primary and
secondary windings. This loss is called COPPER loss or I2R loss.
– The two other losses are due to EDDY CURRENTS and to
HYSTERESIS in the core of the transformer.
• Copper loss, eddy-current loss, and
• hysteresis loss result in undesirable conversion of electrical energy
into heat energy.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TRANSFORMER LOSSES

■ Copper Loss
– Whenever current flows in a conductor, power is dissipated in the
resistance of the conductor in the form of heat. The amount of power
dissipated by the conductor is directly proportional to the resistance of
the wire, and to the square of the current through it. The greater the
value of either resistance or current, the greater is the power dissipated.
The primary and secondary windings of a transformer are usually made
of low-resistance copper wire.
– The resistance of a given winding is a function of the diameter of the
wire and its length. Copper loss can be minimized by using the proper
diameter wire. Large diameter wire is required for high-current windings,
whereas small diameter wire can be used for low-current windings.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TRANSFORMER LOSSES

■ Eddy-Current Loss
– The core of a transformer is usually constructed of some type of
ferromagnetic material because it is a good conductor of magnetic lines
of flux.
– Whenever the primary of an iron-core transformer is energized by an
alternating-current source, a fluctuating magnetic field is produced. This
magnetic field cuts the conducting core material and induces a voltage
into it. The induced voltage causes random currents to flow through the
core which dissipates power in the form of heat. These undesirable
currents are called EDDY CURRENTS.
– To minimize the loss resulting from eddy currents, transformer cores are
LAMINATED. Since the thin, insulated laminations do not provide an
easy path for current, eddy-current losses are greatly reduced.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TRANSFORMER LOSSES

■ Hysteresis Loss
– When a magnetic field is passed through a core, the core material
becomes magnetized. To become magnetized, the domains within the
core must align themselves with the external field. If the direction of the
field is reversed, the domains must turn so that their poles are aligned
with the new direction of the external field.
– Power transformers normally operate from either 60 Hz, or 400 Hz
alternating current. Each tiny domain must realign itself twice during
each cycle, or a total of 120 times a second when 60 Hz alternating
current is used. The energy used to turn each domain is dissipated as
heat within the iron core. This loss, called HYSTERESIS LOSS, can be
thought of as resulting from molecular friction. Hysteresis loss can be
held to a small value by proper choice of core materials.

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 (5) Transformer
Dr. Norzanah Rosmin

TRANSFORMER EFFICIENCY

– To compute the efficiency of a transformer,

the input power to and the output power from
the transformer must be known. The input
power is equal to the product of the voltage
applied to the primary and the current in the
primary. The output power is equal to the
product of the voltage across the secondary Example. If the input power to a transformer is 650
and the current in the secondary. The watts and the output power is 610 watts, what is
the efficiency?
difference between the input power and the
output power represents a power loss. You
can calculate the percentage of efficiency of a
transformer by using the standard efficiency
formula shown:

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– Now assume that the voltage at primary

is 50V and the ratio of primary turns to
secondary turns is 100:10. What are the
voltage and current at secondary?
Example. If the input power to a transformer is 650
watts and the output power is 610 watts, what is
the efficiency?

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