ECE 321 Experiment No: 4

Energy Systems Lab 1 Fall 2010

EXPERIMENT 4

TRANSFORMERS 1
TRANSFORMER:
The transformer, which is made up of two or more coils or windings linked magnetically,
with or without a core to shape and enhance the magnetic flux, is used in many
applications to transform voltages, current, and impedance, and to isolate circuits from
each other electrically. Transformers have no moving parts and rely on the interaction
between electrical and magnetic phenomena for operation.

PRELIMINARY (Discuss prior to starting the experiment):

Do you expect a transformer load to be inductive, capacitive or resistive?

On an open circuit test, would you expect the current to be low or high?

On a transformer short circuit test, how would you calculate rated current?

What is the variac and what do we use it for during this experiment?

How does the test table ‘back’ connection work?

Typically, in industry, the low side is indicated with an “X” and the high side is
indicated by an “H”.

For a mostly inductive load, what do you expect the real power to be? Large or small?
(For example, consider what the power factor would be and what the associated angle
between current and voltage in a mostly inductive circuit.)

Why is it particularly important to isolate your meters during transformer

experiments?

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this experiment is to find the approximate equivalent circuit parameters
of a transformer using short circuit and open circuit tests.

APPARATUS
1. Test table
2. 3 Multimeters
3. 500W Wattmeter
4. One phase of a three phase variac
5. One phase of a 5 kVA single-phase transformer
6. Current transformer

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ECE 321 Experiment No: 4
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PROCEDURE:

1) Wattmeter Setup
a) Remember, current is measured in series and voltage is measured in parallel
b) Use Figure 1 as a reference for how to set up the wattmeter
c) NOTE: Change the CT ratio depending on the expected current in each section
d) Remember the ‘tap’ method to check that the wattmeter goes upscale.

Figure 1: Method for power measurement using a wattmeter

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2) Open Circuit Test:
a) 240-240 Open Circuit Test
i) Refer to Figure 2. Connect the low voltage windings of the transformer in
series and the high voltage windings in parallel.

Figure 2: Open Circuit Test: Series Connection on Low Voltage Winding

ii) Based on the series/parallel connections, use the transformer name plate
information and record the voltage rating for both the transformer high side
and low side. Add that information to Figure 2.
iii) Connect the low side windings through the test table and to the 230V AC
power panel.
iv) Use the test table back connection for the high side voltage measurement. (If
you’re facing the BACK of the test table, it’s on the lower left hand side.)
v) The following devices will be used for measurements. Set up each device and
make sure all meters are isolated to protect them from transformer inrush.
(1) The wattmeter setup described in Figure 1 to measure IOCX, POCX,
and VOCX
(2) A multimeter to measure VOCH, the AC voltage from the output of
the test table back connection
vi) After the TA approves your setup, energize the circuit.
vii) Measure and record the low side quantities VOCX, IOCX, POCX, and the high side
voltage VOCH.
viii) Use the CT ratio and wattmeter ratio to calculate the actual low side current
and power.

CT Ratio: Wattmeter Ratio:

VOCX:
IOCX_meas: IOCX_calc:
POCX_meas: IOCX_meas:
VOCH:

ix) Isolate the meters and open the circuit breaker on the distribution panel.
x) Disconnect the input cables to provide a visual disconnect.

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xi) Use Equation 1 to find the power factor angle, θ. Does this value make sense
with your predictions?

POCX_calc = |VOCX||IOCX_calc|cos(θ) (Eq. 1)

b) 120-240 Open Circuit Test

i) Reconnect the low voltage windings in parallel as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 2: Open Circuit Test: Parallel Connection on Low Voltage Winding

ii) As shown in Figure 2, use the 120VAC from the distribution panel and connect
it to the “Input” and “Common” terminals of one phase of the variac. Then,
connect “Output” of the variac to Line 1 of the test table, and “Common” to
Line 2.
iii) Once the TA has approved the setup, energize the circuit.
iv) Use the variac to adjust VOCX to half of the value measured in part a.
v) Measure and record VOCX, IOCX, POCX, and VOCH.

CT Ratio: Wattmeter Ratio:

VOCX:
IOCX_meas: IOCX_calc:
POCX_meas: IOCX_meas:
VOCH:

vi) Adjust the variac output to 0V.

vii) Isolate the meters, deenergize the circuit, and disconnect from the source.
viii) Remove the multimeter used to measure VOCH.

3) Short Circuit Test

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a) 480-120 Short Circuit Test
i) Connect the transformer as shown in Figure 4. Notice that the high side is now
connected to Lines 1 and 2 and the low side is shorted.
H1
TEST TABLE TEST TABLE LEFT SIDE

BACK CONNECTION

X1 X3

H2
120 V
H3

X2 X4

VARIAC

H4
Figure 4: Short Circuit Test: High Side in Series and Low Side in Parallel

ii) Examine the transformer name plate and record the voltage ratings on the high
and low side on Figure 4.
iii) Using the transformer kVA rating and the high side voltage, calculate the rated
high side current that you will expect to see through the test table.
High Side Rated Current:
What CT ratio should you use?
Expected current reading on the multimeter (IH_rated/CT ratio):
iv) Connect the input terminals of the variac to the 120V AC distribution panel.
v) Have the instructor check your connections and your expected current.
vi) Energize the circuit.
vii) The variac output should already be at 0V from the last section. Double check
by looking at the voltage on the input to the test table.
viii) With the meters isolated to avoid transformer inrush, close the test table
circuit breakers. Check the current in line to make sure it is close to 0A. If it
isn’t, deenergize the circuit and recheck the connections.
ix) SLOWLY increase the input voltage using the variac until the current in Line 1
is equal to your calculated rated current that you expect on the multimeter. (It
only takes about a 1-2 inch total turn, so go slow or you will blow the
transformer bank fuses.)
x) Adjust the test table switch to measure voltage on the output side of the table.
Measure and record VSCH, ISCH, and PSCH.

CT Ratio: Wattmeter Ratio: VSCH:

ISCH_meas: ISCH_calc:
PSCH_meas: PSCH_calc:

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xi) Return the variac output to 0V, deenergize the circuit, open the circuit breaker
on the distribution panel and disconnect source.
b) 240-120 Short Circuit Test
i) Connect the transformer as shown in Figure 5. Notice that the high side is now
connected to Lines 1 and 2 and the low side is shorted
TEST TABLE TEST TABLE LEFT SIDE

BACK CONNECTION

H1 H3
X1 X3

120 V

X2 X4

VARIAC
H2 H4

Figure 5: Short Circuit Test: High Side Parallel and Low Side Parallel

ii) CAREFULLY repeat the short circuit test from (3a) but with the new
configuration shown in Figure 5. Have the instruction check your connections
and current predictions before energizing the circuit.

High Side Rated Current:

What CT ratio should you use?
Expected current reading on the multimeter (IH_rated/CT ratio):

CT Ratio: Wattmeter Ratio: VSCH:

ISCH_meas: ISCH_calc:
PSCH_meas: PSCH_calc:

iii) After recording the data, return the variac output to 0V, deenergize the circuit,
open the circuit breaker on the distribution panel and clean up.

TABULAR FORM: (BE SURE TO INCLUDE THESE RESULTS IN YOUR REPORT)

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Open Circuit Test:

VOCX IOCX POCX RCX  OCX XMX

Short Circuit Test:

VSCH ISCH PSCH REQH ZEQH XEQH

SUMMARY:

The first part of the experiment is open circuit of a transformer. This means the
transformer is under no load conditions. The primary input current IOCX under no-load
conditions is not at 90 degrees behind VOCX but lags it by an angle OCX < 90.

No load input power (POCX) is

POCX VOCX  IOCX  cos  OCX 

Under an open circuit test, primary no load current I OCX is small, so copper loss is
negligibly small and hence wattmeter reading represents the core loss.

Under the short circuit test, applied voltage is a small percentage of normal voltage, core
losses are very small. Therefore, the wattmeter reading represents full load copper loss.

REPORT:

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Energy Systems Lab 1 Fall 2010
1. Using the data found in each of the open circuit tests calculate GCX and BCX.
GCX is given by
GCX=POCX/VOCX2 (1)
BMX is given by
IOCX
YOCX
VOCX
(2)

2 2
BMX YOCX  GCX
(3)
2. Using the data found in each of the short circuit tests calculate REQH and XEQH.
REQH is given by
PSCH
REQH
2
ISCH
(4)
XEQH is given by
VSCH
ZEQH
ISCH
(5)

2 2
XEQH ZEQH  REQH
(6)
3. Draw the approximate transformer equivalent circuits with all parameters referred to
the low voltage side with the windings in parallel. Show the calculated values of each
parameter. Remember to include units. Remember the short circuit test was
performed with the voltage applied to the high voltage side!

4. Consider the basic transformer equation E = 4.44Nfmax. Is the core flux of Figure 2,
the same as the core flux of Figure 3?
N LV
a=
N HV

I
HV
R X
eq ,LV eq ,LV
I a
LV

R c ,LV
a2Z
120 V V LV aV LOAD ,HV
X c,LV HV

Figure 6: Transformer Equivalent Circuit

(Note: LV and X both indicate the Low Voltage side. HV and H both indicate the High Voltage side.)

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