Electrical Workshop II

Chapter Two

Design and Winding of Small Power Transformers

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Contents
 Transformer definition purpose, properties and type;
 Necessary parameters need to be considered during
transformer design;
 Design of sheet pack, winding coil and winding assembly of
transformer;
 Winding of coils (primary & secondary) using winding machine;
 Testing of the rewind transformer using different testing
mechanisms to check its efficiency.

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Winding machine of
transformer

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Megger(insulation resistance) test of transformer

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Objectives
 After studying this unit, the student will be able to
 State the purpose of a transformer.
 Construct transformer practically in the workshop.
 Identify the common types of transformers from their schematic
diagrams.
 Design small power transformer using design parameters.
 Choose the proper transformer taps to obtain the desired output
voltage.
 Read transformer winding diagrams and connect a transformer for
the desired primary and secondary voltage.
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 Test re-winded transformer using different testing mechanisms.

Purpose of
Transformer
A transformer is a static (or stationary) piece of apparatus by
means of which electric power in one circuit is transformed into
electric power of the same frequency in another circuit.
 It can raise or lower the voltage in a circuit but with a
corresponding decrease or increase in current.

 The purpose of a transformer is to change electrical voltage to

a different value.
 The method of transferring electrical energy by a transformer
is done indirectly.

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 The physical basis of a transformer is mutual induction between
two circuits linked by a common magnetic flux.
 In its simplest form, it consists of two inductive coils which are
electrically separated but magnetically linked through a path of low
reluctance.
 The two coils possess high mutual inductance.
 If one coil is connected to a source of alternating voltage, an
alternating flux is set up in the laminated core, most of which is
linked with the other coil in which it produces mutually-induced e.m.
f. (according to Faraday’s Laws of Electromagnetic Induction e = M
di/dt).
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 If the second coil circuit is closed, a current flows in it and so
electric energy is transferred (entirely magnetically) from the first
coil to the second coil.
 The first coil, in which electric energy is fed from the a.c. supply
mains, is
called primary winding and the other from which energy is drawn
out,
is called secondary winding.

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Transformer Construction
 The simple elements of a transformer consist of two coils having
mutual
inductance and a laminated steel core.
 The two coils are insulated from each other and the steel core.
 Other necessary parts are: some suitable container for
assembled core and windings; a suitable medium for insulating
the core and its windings from its container.
 The core is constructed of transformer sheet steel laminations
assembled to provide a continuous magnetic path with a
minimum of air-gap included.
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 The core laminations (in the form of strips) are joined.
 The joints in the alternate layers are staggered in order to
avoid the presence of narrow gaps right through the cross-
section of the core.
 Such staggered joints are said to be ‘imbricated’.

 Constructional, the transformers are of two general

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types;
(i) core-type and (ii) shell type
 Core type transformers, the windings surround a considerable
part of the core.
 In the simplified diagram for the core type transformers, the
primary and secondary winding are shown located on the
opposite legs (or limbs) of the core, but in actual construction,
these are always interleaved to reduce leakage flux.
 Half the primary and half the secondary winding have been
placed side by side or concentrically on each limb, not primary
on one limb (or leg) and the secondary on the other.

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 Shell type transformer, the core encircles the winding of the
transformer.
 The laminations are cut in the form of a long strip of E’s, and I’s as
shown in the figure below.
 To reduce the high reluctance at the joints where the lamination
are butted against each other, the alternate layers are stacked
differently to eliminate continuous joint.
 The shell type transformer has three limbs or legs.
 The central limb carries the whole of the flux, and the side limb
carries the half of the flux.
 Hence the width of the central limb is about to double to that of
the outer limbs.

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 Difference between Core type and Shell type
Transformer

CORE TYPE SHELL TYPE

• In this type, winding surrounds the • In this type, core surrounds the
core winding
• Laminations are usually in the • Laminations are usually in the
form of alphabet letter L form of alphabet letter E and L
• Flux is equally distributed on the • Side limbs carry the half of the
side limbs flux while the central one carries
• Primary and secondary both the whole flux
windings are wound on the side • Both windings are wound on the
limbs central limb
• Cylindrical • Multilayer and Sandwich type
• Better cooling because more • Natural cooling is not very
surface is exposed to external effective so fans are used
atmosphere • Output is high because of less
• Output is less because of more losses so efficiency is high in this
losses so less efficiency type
• Easy in design and construction • Comparatively complex 15
Types of Transformer
 Step up/Unit transformer:- located at output of a generator to
step up the voltage level to transmit the power.
 Step down/Substation transformer:- located at main distribution
or
secondary level transmission substations to lower the voltage
levels for
distribution 1st level purposes.
 Distribution Transformer:- located at small distribution substation.
 Special Purpose Transformer (Instrument Transformer):-E.g.
 It lowers the
Potential voltage levels
Transformer (PT) ,for 2nd level
Current distribution
Transformer purposes.
(CT).

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 Transformer Nameplate
 Transformer selection and sizing involve determining the
transformer’s basic parameters such as;
 primary and secondary voltages, KVA, winding connection,
power factor, cooling methods, winding conductor material,
types, mounting arrangement, efficiency, and frequency of
operation.
 All these parameters are written on a plate known as the
nameplate, which is fitted on the transformer.
 When you check on any transformer well, you will see a well-
fitted detailed sticker with all the transformer's necessary
parameters.
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Power transformer design
 The designer first needs several known factors to design a
transformer.
 incoming line voltage,
For a transformer usingthe operating
a sine frequency,
or square the secondary
wave, one needs to know
voltage(s),
the the secondary current(s), the target efficiency, the
physical size one can use, and the cost limitations(optional in the
 workshop).
Once these factors are known, design can begin.

1. Initial calculations
 The designer first starts with the primary voltage and frequency.
 Since they are a known factor, they are the first numbers to be
plugged into the equations.
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2. Type of iron (electrical steel)
 Each type of iron (steel) has a maximum flux density it can be run
at without saturating.
 When using the equations, the two most important are the number
of turns (N), and the core area (A) in square centimeters or inches,
and match it to the total power in watts or volt-amperes.
 The larger the core, the more power it will handle.
 Once this core size is calculated, one then finds the number of
turns for the primary.
 One then is looking at a transformer whose primary voltage will
cause a flux density of a specified amount due to the number of
turns in a certain type/size of core.
3. Secondary turns calculation
 Once the number of turns of the primary are calculated, the
secondary windings numbers can be calculated with the same
turns per volt.
 In reality, there are losses that have to be added, a rule of thumb
is to allow for 5% in losses (drops for voltage). (Transformers
below 300W often have higher regulation losses).
 It is best to have a slightly higher voltage than one too low.
 Beware, smaller transformers which have, a higher losses, and
the efficiency drops as the size goes down.
 Higher turns per volt coil thickness.
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4. Thickness of coil windings
 When calculating the, several things need to be considered.
 The voltage that each winding sees will determine the wires
insulation thickness.

 Once this voltage is known, the diameter of the selected

insulated wire can be used.

 By knowing the wire diameter, the number of turns per layer

can be calculated, and the number of layers by using the
window height and winding margins.

 The windows are the openings on either side of the core.

 The window area is simply found by multiplying the window
width by its height.
 Next, one adjusts the thickness of the insulation paper for the
layers of each winding due to the voltage between the coils.
 This thickness is added to the total coil thickness by multiplying
the paper
thickness by the number of layers.
5. Insulation
 The insulation materials used in transformer construction varies,
but are mainly the finish applied to the laminations, varnish or
coated insulation on the wire, paper, or plastic film for the coil, and
 The varnish that the completed transformer is dipped into at the
end of construction.
 The varnish dip that is applied, is generally done in a vacuum
chamber. Most varnish is a clear color, but some is dyed 23
black.
6. Wire selection
 The wire generally used in small transformer coils is magnet
wire.
 Magnet wire is generally a solid copper wire with an insulating
jacket such as varnish.
 Aluminum is sometimes used in power transformer windings
to reduce costs.
 The connections on smaller transformers are soldered, but
larger transformer connections, especially ones handling high
current, are brazed or welded.

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Cont..
 The wire is selected by its ability to carry the proper amount
of current without getting hot enough to melt the insulation or
wire itself.

 It is sized by its cross sectional area measured in circular

mils per ampere, or more commonly in engineering design
circles, amperes per square meter.

 In transformer use, the circular mils per ampere runs

anywhere from 500 cir. mils for intermittent operation, to 1500
cir. mils for heavy duty continuous operation.

 For most applications, 800 to 1000 cir. mils is a good starting

point.
7. The core stack
 The core stack is the total amount of the steel laminations needed
to produce the correct core area for the power in watts, or volt
amperes that the transformer is required to handle.
 The core can be stacked in two different ways when using steel
laminations.
 The most common is the interleaved fashion where each
lamination is staggered opposite to the other (turned 180 degrees
opposite the other).
 This provides for the least amount of air gap in the core, and the
highest efficiency.
 The other way is butt stacked. In this way, all the E type lams
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stacked on one side, and all the I type lams are stacked on the
other.
8. Stacking Factor
 When using the formulas to calculate the core area, a stacking
factor should be included.
 It varies by the thickness of the material, type, and whether it is
either butt stacked, or interleaved. This factor ranges from around
0.80 to 0.98.
 The stacking factor is needed due to each iron lamination having a
thin coating of insulation on each face.
 This coating thereby insulates each lamination from the other
minimizing eddy currents.
 The stacking factor adjusts the core size due to the extra
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thickness of this insulative coating so that the proper amount of
iron is used in the core.
Cont..
 Without this factor placed into the equations, the core would
be slightly under-sized in iron content, even though the core
stack equaled the calculated measurement.

 The core in mention, not using the stacking factor, would then
have a slightly higher flux density than what was wanted.

 It is the ratio of sum of pure steel length to the designed

length of laminated core.

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9. Scrapless Laminations
 When EI and other laminations are produced, they are literally
punched out of a coiled strip of electrical steel with a punch
press.

 To reduce the amount of scrap as much as possible, the

lamination is dimensioned in such a way that if one placed
two E laminations with their open ends toward each other, the
two sections that make the windows would make the two I's
needed when all four pieces are punched out at once.

 Due to this, the window width, and the leg width is generally
1/2 the width of the tongue.
 The window height would be equal to 1/2 the width of the
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whole E lamination.
 The lamination height would be equal to the window height
plus the width of the window or leg.
10. Core Stack Assembly
 There are several ways that the core stack is held together after
assembly.
 One way, is using mechanical fasteners, but this can promote a
problem, if the fastener is made of a magnetic material, and the
screw hole in the lamination is too far into the flux path of the
lamination.
 If the magnetic flux cuts through a magnetic fastener, it causes the
fastener to heat up, acting like a short-circuit, which in reality, is
what happens, allowing the flux lines to mingle between the
laminations as if they were shorted together.
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 To cure this, the fastener holes in the laminations are generally
placed in the far corner of the laminations, where the least amount
Cont..
 Also, magnetic fasteners have been used by adding a paper
sleeve over the screw, to insulate it somewhat, or a non-
magnetic fastener, such as made from Aluminum or Brass, have
been used.
 Some transformers, today, have a welded seam placed on the
outside of the laminations to hold them together, but this can
cause a small amount of loss, the same way a magnetic screw
would allow the magnetic flux to mingle between the insulated
laminations.
 Since it is on the outside surface of the lamination, though, and
away from the majority of the magnetic flux toward the center
and coil, the loss is generally low. 31
11. Watts versus volt-amperes
 A transformer's power handling ability is determined in two
different ways.
 If the transformer's secondary is supplying a totally resistive load,
one can simply use wattage, or the voltage multiplied by the
current.
 However, if the transformer's secondary is supplying a reactive
load, containing capacitance and or inductance, one must use
volt-amperes in place of watts.
 Volt-amperes, (S) or (VA), is simply the RMS voltage times the RMS
current, or, equivalently, wattage (P) divided by a power factor, or P
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/ PF = VA.
 For example: 1000 watts (P) / 0.80 (PF) = 1,250 Volt-amperes (VA).
 Design Parameters of Transformer
(for detail design referee Lab Manual )
 For designing a transformer, we need;
1.Power rating
2.Voltage levels (primary and secondary)
3.Currents on both sides
4.Primary and secondary coils wire diameter/size
5.Iron Core area
6.Numbers of turns (primary and secondary)

 As we are going to design small transformer (of small power rating) so we are
neglecting core and copper losses as they doesn’t matters in small
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transformers.
Calculations:
•

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2. Core Area Calculations
•

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3. Selection of winding wires and strips
•

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 Example
•

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Cont..
•

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Cont..
•

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 Exercise-1(lab)
• Design, construct and test performance of

single phase shell-type transformer with rated

power 200VA, intermittent duty, primary

voltage is 220v and secondary voltage is 48V

at 50Hz operating frequency.

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 Assignment(lab)
 Design, construct and test performance of
three phase core-type autotransformer with

rated power 600VA, intermittent duty, primary

voltage is 380V star connection and secondary

voltage is 110V star connected at 50Hz

operating frequency.

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 Thank you
for
your Attention!!

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