12MainClassesOfPowerTransformer

SIEMENS View of the main production hall of the Nuremberg transformer plant.

TransformerClasses//
Transformersareusedforawidevarietyofpurposes,withthecompleterangeofvoltage
andpowerratingsaswellasmanyspecialfeaturesforparticularapplications.
Thefollowingcoversthemaintypes:

1.Transformersforelectronics
Transformersforelectroniccircuitsorforlowvoltagepowersuppliesareusedtomatchthesupply
voltagetotheoperatingvoltageofcomponentsoraccessories,ortomatchtheimpedanceofa
loadtoasupplyinordertomaximizepowerthroughput.Theymaybeusedtomatchimpedances
inprimaryandsecondarycircuits.
ThecoreisusuallyconstructedinlowpowertransformersfromCandIlaminationsorfromE
andIlaminations.Thewindingsareusuallyofroundenamelledwire,andtheassemblymaybe

varnishedorencapsulatedinresinformechanicalconsolidationandtopreventingressof
moisture.
Increasingnumbersofthistypeoperateathighfrequenciesinthekilohertzrangeanduse
laminationsofspecialsteeloftencontainingcobalttoreducetheironlosses

2.Smalltransformers
Theseareusedforstationary,portableorhandheldpowersupplyunits,asisolatingtransformers
andforspecialapplications,suchasburnerignition,shavers,showerheaters,bellsandtoys.
Theymaybeusedtosupplythreephasepowerupto40kVAatfrequenciesupto1MHz.These
transformersareusuallyairinsulated,thesmallerunitsusingenamelledwindingswiresandring
coresandthelargerunitsusingCandIorEandIlaminatedcores.
SafetyisamajorconcernforthesetransformersandtheyareidentifiedasclassI,classIIor
classIII.ClassIunitsareinsulatedandprotectedbyanearthterminal.ClassIItransformershave
doubleinsulationorreinforcedinsulation.ClassIIItransformershaveoutputsatSafetyExtraLow
Voltages(SELV)below50Vacor120Vdc.

3.Distributiontransformers
Theseareusedtodistributepowertodomesticorindustrialpremises.Theymaybesingle
phaseorthreephase,polemountedorgroundmounted,andtheyhaveratingsrangingfrom16
kVAupto2500kVA.
Thewindingsandcoreareimmersedinmineraloil,withnaturalcooling,andtherearetwo
windingsperphase.Theprimary(highvoltage)windinghasahighestvoltagerangingfrom3.6kV
to36kVthesecondary(lowvoltage)windingvoltagedoesnotexceed1.1kV.Thehighvoltage
windingisusuallyprovidedwithoffcircuittappingsof2.5percent,or+22.5percent,3
2.5percent.

Thepreferredvaluesofratedoutputare16,25,50,100,160,250,400,630,1000,
1600and2500kVA,andthepreferredvaluesofshortcircuitimpedanceare4or6
percent.

Lossesareassignedfromlists,forinstancefromBS72811,orbyusingalosscapitalization
formula.
Thecoreandwindingsofatypicaldistributiontransformerratedat800kVA,11000/440are
showninFig.1.

Figure 1 Core and winding of an 800 kVA, 11 000/440 V distribution

transformer

4.Supplytransformers
Theseareusedtosupplylargerindustrialpremisesordistributionsubstations.Ratingsrangefrom
4MVAto30MVA,withprimarywindingsratedupto66kVandsecondarywindingsupto36kV.
Transformersinthisclassarefluidcooled.Mostsupplytransformersusemineraloilbutfor
applicationsinresidentialbuildings,oilrigsandsomefactories,thecoolantmaybesynthetic
esters,siliconefluidorsomeotherfluidwithahigherfirepointthanmineraloil.

5.Transmission(orintertie)transformers
Theseareamongthelargestandhighestvoltagetransformersinuse.Theyareusedtotransmit

powerbetweenhighvoltagenetworks.Ratingsrangefrom60MVAto1000MVAandthe
windingsareratedforthenetworkswhichtheylink,suchas33,66,132,275and400kVinthe
UK,orvoltagesupto500kVor800kVinothercountries.
Theimpedanceofatransmissiontransformerisusually18percentintheUK,or8percentin
continentalEurope,butforsomesystemconditions,animpedanceofupto30percentisused.

Figure 2 Core and windings of a 1000 MVA, 400/275 kV transmission transformer

Transmissiontransformersareoilfilled,andareusuallyfittedwithoilpumpsandradiatorfansto
assistcoolingofthewindingsandcores.TheyareusuallyfittedwithOLTCs,butsomenetworks
at400kVand275kVarelinkedbytransformerswithoutregulatingwindings.
Thecoreandwindingsofathreeleggedtransmissiontransformerratedat1000MVAand400
kV/275kV/11kVareshowninFig.2.

6.Generator(orstepup)transformers
Powerisusuallygeneratedinlargepowerstationsattypically1820kV,andgenerator
transformersareusedtostepupthisvoltagetothesystemvoltagelevel.Thesetransformersare
usuallyratedat400,500,630,800or1000MVA.
GeneratortransformersareusuallyfittedwithregulatingwindingsandOLTCs.

7.Phaseshiftingtransformers

Wherepoweristransmittedalongtwoormoreparalleltransmissionlines,thepowerflowdivides
betweenthelinesininverseproportiontothelineimpedances.Higherpoweristherefore
transmittedthroughthelinewithlowestimpedanceandthiscanresultinoverloadonthatline,
whentheparallellineisonlypartlyloaded.

Phaseshiftingtransformersareusedtolinktwoparallellinesandtocontrolpower
flowbyinjectingavoltage90outofphase(inquadrature)withthesystemvoltageinto
oneline,ateitherleadingorlaggingpowerfactor.Wherethetransformercontrolsthe
phaseanglebutnotthevoltage,theunitisknownasaquadraturebooster.Wherethe
voltageisalsocontrolled,theunitisknownasaphaseshiftingtransformer.

Figure3showsa2000MVA,400kVquadratureboostertransformeronsitetheunitissplit
betweentwotanksinordertomeetconstructionlimitationsofsizeandweight.

Figure 3 2000 MVA 400 kV quadrature booster transformer in two tanks on site

8.Convertertransformers
WherepoweristransmittedthroughanHVDCsystem,aconverterstationisusedtochangeAC
powertoDCusingmultiplerectifierbridges.Directcurrentpowerisconvertedbacktoacusing
inverterbridges.ConvertertransformershandleacpowerandpoweratmixedAC/DCvoltagesby
combiningthepowerflowthrough12phasesofrectifier/inverterbridgesthroughdcvalve
windings.
Theinsulationstructuremustwithstandallnormalandabnormalconditionswhenacvoltageis
mixedwithDCvoltageofdifferingpolaritiesovertheoperatingtemperaturerange.

ThepresenceofDCcurrentsmayalsocauseDCsaturationofthecore,leadingtoabnormal
magnetizingcurrentsandvariationsinsound.

Figure 4 Schematic diagram of ac/dc transmission system

Aphaseofathreephaseconvertertransformerbanktypicallycomprisesahighvoltageprimary
windingandtwosecondaryAC/DCvalvewindings.Threesuchtransformerstogetherformthetwo
secondarythreephasesystemsoneisconnectedindeltaandtheotherinstar.Eachsecondary
systemfeedsasixpulsebridgeandthetwobridgesareconnectedinseriestoforma12pulse
arrangement,asshownschematicallyinFigure4
Twosuchtransformerbanksareusedwiththesecondarycircuitsconnectedinoppositepolarity
toforma215kVdctransmissionsystem.

9.Railwaytransformers

Transformersforrailwayapplicationsmaybetracksideunitstosupplypowertothetrack,oron
boardtransformersinthelocomotiveorunderthecoaches,topowerthedrivemotors.
Tracksidetransformersaresubjectedtounevenloadingdependinguponthepositionofthetrain
intherailwaysystem.Onboardtransformersaredesignedforthelowestpossibleweight,
resultinginahighlossperformance.Moderntraincontrolsystemsusingthyristors,GTOsor
IGBTssubjectthetransformerstosevereharmoniccurrentsthatrequirespecialdesign
consideration.

10.Rectifierandfurnacetransformers
Specialconsiderationisneededfortransformersinindustrialapplicationsinvolvingarcfurnacesor
heavycurrentdcloadsinelectrochemicalplant.

Theprimarywindingsinsuchcasesareusuallyratedat33kVor132kVinthe
UK,butthesecondarywindingscarrymanythousandsofamperesandare
ratedatlessthan1kV.
Currentsharingbetweenparallelpathsinthetransformerbecomesimportantbecauseofthe
magneticfieldscreatedbythehighcurrents.Thesestrongmagneticfieldscancauseexcess
heatinginmagneticsteelsiftheseareusedinthestructureofthetransformer,becauseofthe
flowofproximitycurrentsinthesteel.Toreducethisexcessheating,nonmagneticsteelisoften
usedtoformpartofthetankorthecover.
TheOLTCsinfurnacetransformersaresubjecttoaheavydutytheymayperformhundredsof
thousandsofoperatingcyclesayear,whichismorethanalifetimesdutyformanytransmission
transformers.

11.Drytypetransformers
Adrytypeconstructionispossiblewhereahighertemperatureclassofinsulationisrequiredthan
isofferedbycelluloseandaclassOorclassKfluid.
Drytypetransformersusenoncellulosicsolidinsulationandthewindingsmaybevarnishdipped
toprovideaclassCcapability,orvacuumencapsulatedinepoxyresintoformaclassFor
classHsystem.Ratingsaregenerallyupto30MVAatvoltagesupto36kV,butcastresin
transformershaverecentlybeensuccessfullymanufacturedat110kVusinganovelwinding
design.Overloadperformanceislimitedbutitcanbeaugmentedbytheuseofcoolingfans.
Thistypeismoreexpensivethanafluidfilledequivalent,andbecauseofthereducedfirerisk
theyareusedinspecialapplicationswherethepublicareinvolved,suchasundergroundtunnels,
residentialblocksofflatsoroilrigs.

Figure 5 Drytype 2500 kVA, 11 000/440 V transformer with cast resin

encapsulation

Atypicalcastresintransformerrated2500kVA,11000/440VisshowninFigure5.

12.Gasfilledtransformers
Forapplicationswherelowflammabilityisparamount,designshavebeendevelopedinwhichthe
transformerisinsulatedandcooledwithSF6gas.Thisprovidesanalternativetodrytype
constructionwheretheriskoffiremustbeeliminatedandthepossiblecontaminationofthe
environmentbyoilspillagemustbeavoided.
HighvoltageSF6transformersareavailableatratingsupto300MVAat275kVandprototype
designshavebeentestedatupto500kV.Gasfilledtransformersandreactorsaremoreexpen
sivethanoilfilledunitsbutthecostsmaybejustifiedtoeliminateariskoffire,particularlyata
sitewherethecostoflandishighandwheretheoverallfootprintoftheunitcanbereducedby
theeliminationoffirefightingequipment.
SOURCE:NewnesElectricalPowerEngineersHandbookD.F.Warne