5.

OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

CHAPTER 5: OPTIMUM CIRCUMSCRIBING CIRCLE DIVISION

METHOD (OCCDM) TO GET THE OPTIMIZED DESIGN OF THE
CORE THROUGH MAXIMUM FILL FACTOR

5.1 Transformer Core Design Optimization

“Cold Rolled Grain Oriented” (CRGO) silicon steels are used for
laminations of the Power Transformers. “Cold Rolled Grain Oriented”
(CRGO) sheets have superior magnetic properties in the direction of
rolling. Thickness of the CRGO sheets is of the order of 0.23mm to 0.33
mm. These CRGO Steel Laminations are stacked together to form a
magnetic core for the Transformer. The commercially available CRGO
steel sheets have 3% of Silicon. Higher the Silicon content, increases
the resistivity and reduces the eddy current losses. But Silicon Content
above 3.5% makes the CRGO silicon steel sheets brittle. Silicon content
of 3% to 3.25% is used in commercial grades of CRGO steel.
The”following features and properties influence for selecting”the CRGO
steel sheet as magnetic”core circuits for transformers.

Core”loss is independent of the load which is applied on the transformer.

By using CRGO steel sheets, core loss is low which results in reduction
of the constant losses.”Low apparent power input (Low hysteresis loss)
results in low no load current.”Good mechanical processing properties.
Low magnetostriction results in low noise level.

Figure 5.1 Transformer Core Assembly

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

5.2 Important of Core Optimization

Core”for power transformers are normally constructed of stacks of” thin

laminations often arranged to approximate a circular shape. Because of the
limited number of lamination” widths available the circular shape consists of a
finite number of stacks or steps with all the laminations in a given step
having”the same width. Thus the circular shape is not completely filled” with
flux carrying steel.”The stacking pattern must be optimized for a given number
of steps” in order to fill the circular area with as much core steel”as possible.
In addition because of the insulating,” non-ferromagnetic coating applied to
the laminations, the area of the lamination stacks must be corrected for this
coating thickness in order to arrive” at the true flux carrying area of the core.
This correction or stacking factor is normally about 96%; that is the actual
core carrying area is about 96% of the geometric stack area.

Practically because of restricted number of standard sheet widths are kept in

inventory as well as stack “heights are also discredited only the thickness of
an individual sheet cannot build up the core area. A practical method of
handling this is to optimize, assuming continuous variables as was done here,
and then to readjust the stack dimensions to correspond to the nearest
discredited choices available in such a way that the stacks do not fall outside
the core circle. In addition, there”must often be room for the tie or flitch plates
on the outside of the core stack.

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

Figure 5.2 Core Slitting, V-notch, Core Miter Joints and Staking

5.3 Optimum Circumscribing Circle Division Method:

As far as the optimum design of transformer is concerned, researchers

generally. concentrate on minimizing cost, no load and load. losses etc. by
choosing K-factor, .flux density, current density etc. as design variables. But,
the design of core has remained an .unexplored area. Transformer
manufacturing Industry .uses traditional technique to find out the core design
dimensions. However, in that method, the .fill factor for the desired number of
steps is not maximized. The advantages of maximizing the fill factor includes
reduced diameter .and hence reduced copper material and .associated cost
and losses, increased .efficiency, etc. Here a new method referred .as
optimum circumscribing circle .division method (OCCDM), is suggested to
maximize the fill factor for the .desired number of steps in the transformer
core.”

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

II. Existing Technique (1)

Estimation of core x-sectional area Ai, We know

Et = K t √Q

Et = 4.44 f ∅m

Et = 4.44 f Bm Ai

Et
Ai =
4.44 f Bm

d = Diameter of circumscribe circle, For Square core, Gross Area,

d
Agi = = 0.5 d2
√2

Let stacking factor,K i = 0.9 Actual or Net Iron.area Ai = 0.9 ∗ Agi,

Ai = 0.45 d2 (0.45 value for square core and take ‘K’ as a general case), so
A
Ai = Kd2 or d = √ Ki

Graphical method to calculate dimensions of the core

a
b

Ө
b a
2-Step
Or Cruciform- Core

Consider 2 step core

90
θ= , n = No of Steps
n+1
i. e. n = 2
90
θ= = 30
2+1
so a = dcosθ, b = sinθ
Percentage fill
gross area of stepped core Kd2 4
= = ∗
area of circumscribinbing circlle πd2 K i

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

0.625d2 4
= 2
∗ = 0.885 or 88.5 %
πd 0.9

For 4 step core

No of steps 1 2 3 4

% Fill 63.7% 79.2% 84.9% 88.5%

Figure 5.3. Geometry Design for Figure 5.4 Arrangement of Steps in

Steps in Core Core

In Figure 5.3, circumscribing circle is divided into four equal parts, say
quadrants, each of 90 degree. To arrange 5 steps. in the core, 5 lines in one
quadrant are. to be injected.
“𝛼1 Denotes a space angle left at both side. in one quadrant, 𝛼2 denotes a
space angle between two steps means. between each step the space angle
is. equal. d is the diameter of circumscribing. circle. In figure 5.3 and 5.4
steps of different sizes in the core of the transformer are shown by. different
color and numbers. The steps are injected in core one. by one by using the
following mathematical operation. illustrated by an example.”
Here we take 100 KVA 11/0.433 KV, 3-Phase Distribution transformer. Having
following design variables. 𝐵𝑚 = 1.4 𝑇𝑒𝑠𝑙𝑎𝛿 = 3.2 𝐴⁄𝑚𝑚2. Height to width ratio
= 2.5. 𝐴𝑖 = 0.014479 𝑚2 .
AFRS = angle for remaining.steps, Fill = filling % of circumscribing circle,
𝐴𝑖 = net iron area of lamination in circumscribing circle. The whole procedure
is illustrated to arrange 5 steps in the core. For 𝛼1 = 18 and𝛼2 = 13and the

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

step length for 1st step is 𝑎1 = cos 𝛼1 ∗ 𝑑. similarly, the step. length for 2nd step
can be calculated as 𝑎2 = cos(𝛼1 + 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑
Generalizing the. above expression, other step lengths are obtained as
𝑎3 = cos(𝛼1 + 2 ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑
𝑎4 = cos(𝛼1 + 3 ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑
𝑎5 = cos(𝛼1 + 4 ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑
These values without. multiplication of ‘d’ are0.9511, 0.8527, 0.7135,
0.5377, 0.3343. In the same way, to find .out the stack width of the steps, the
mathematical. expressions are
𝑏1 = sin 𝛼1 ∗ 𝑑
𝑏2 = sin(𝛼1 + 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑 − 𝑏1
𝑏3 = sin(𝛼1 + 2 ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑 − 𝑏1 − 2 ∗ 𝑏2
𝑏4 = sin(𝛼1 + 3 ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑 − 𝑏1 − 2 ∗ (𝑏2 + 𝑏3 )
𝑏5 = sin(𝛼1 + 4 ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑 − 𝑏1 − 2 ∗ (𝑏2 + 𝑏3 + 𝑏4 )
where 𝑏1 𝑏2 𝑏3 𝑏4 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏5 are stack lengths of. the steps, These values without
multiplication of ‘d’ are 0.308866, 0.106698, 0.089192, 0.071249, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 0.049657
The real gross cross section area. of lamination in the core, denoted by 𝐴5 is
𝐴5 = 𝑎1 ∗ 𝑏1 + 2 ((𝑎2 ∗ 𝑏2 ) + (𝑎3 ∗ 𝑏3 ) + (𝑎4 ∗ 𝑏4 ) + 𝑎5 ∗ 𝑏5 ) …. [1]

𝐴5 = 0.2937 ∗ 𝑑 2 + 2 ∗ 𝑑 2 ∗ (0.09098 + 0.06357 + 0.0383 + 0.01659)

= 0.71258 ∗ 𝑑 2
Also𝐴𝑖 = 0.014479 𝑚2 . The diameter of. circumscribing circle is given by
𝐴
𝑑 = √ 𝑖⁄(𝐴 ∗ 0.9) ∗ 103 [2]
5

Substituting and A5, d = 150.25 millimeter. Using the equation

4∗𝐴𝑛
𝐹𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = ∗ 100 [3]
𝜋∗𝑑2
The maximum fill factor obtained. for five number of steps is 90.77 %.
This illustration leads to the. following general expressions,
𝑎𝑛 = cos(𝛼1 + (𝑛 − 1) ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑 [4]
𝑏1 = sin 𝛼1 ∗ 𝑑
𝑏2 = sin 𝛼1 ∗ 𝑑 − 𝑏1
For n >2,

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

𝑏𝑛 = sin(𝛼1 + (𝑛 − 1) ∗ 𝛼2 ) ∗ 𝑑 − 𝑏1 − 2 ∗ ∑𝑛𝑘=3 𝑏𝑘−1 [5]

𝐴𝑛 = 𝑎1 ∗ 𝑏1 + ∑𝑛𝑘=2 2 ∗ 𝑎𝑘 ∗ 𝑏𝑘 [6]

Where 𝐴𝑛 denotes the gross cross section. area of the lamination in the core.

By following the same procedure, the fill. factor for various values of n can be
calculated. A table is prepared.containing maximum fill factors for number of
steps varying from 2 to 22.

TABLE 5.1 Fill Factor for Calculations of Core Steps

n α1⁰ AFRS⁰ α2⁰ Full %

2 32 26 52 78.68
3 25 40 20 85.09
4 21 48 16 88.59
5 18 54 13 90.76
6 15 60 12 92.22
7 15 60 10 93.336
8 14 62 9 94.145
9 13 64 8 94.786
10 12 66 7.25 95.297
11 12 66 6.5 95.696
12 11 68 6.2 96.07
13 10 70 5.8 96.369
14 9 72 5.5 96.623
15 8 74 5.2 96.839
16 7 76 4.9 97.025
17 6.5 77 4.7 97.193
18 6 78 4.4 97.353
19 5.5 79 4.2 97.476
20 5 80 4 97.593
21 4.5 81 3.9 97.703
22 4 82 3.7 97.798

5.4 Case Study

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

The OCCDM technique was applied to the. 15 MVA transformer core having
19 steps. By OCCDM method. the steps were increase up to 22 due to
optimum fill factor application. The core diameter and net area. was reduced
by 3 mm and 24 cm2. respectively. The developed design data after
implementation. of OCCDM technique is presented in table 5.2.”

Figure 5.5 Complete Core Assembly by OCCDM Design Optimization

Table 5.2 Comparison of Core Optimization Result
Significant Conventional Design result after Difference
Parameters Design Result OCCDM method

Core Loss (watt) 9422 9210 212

Impedance (ohm) 9.18 9.21 0.03

Copper Loss (watt) 70180 69615 565

Total Loss (watt) 79602 78725 877

Efficiency (%) 99.25 99.37 0.122

Temperature Rise
71.44 64.42 7.02
(Degree.Cen.)

Cost (Rupees) 6077352 6166102 88750

5.5 Conclusion

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 5.OCCDM Method to Get Optimized Design of The Core

Various“mathematical concepts have been adopted to calculate the useful

iron area which. acquire minimum air gap to release. the most efficient
magnetic circuit aimed to have optimum. No Load Loss of power transformer.
It is the Optimum Circumscribing Circle Division. Method developed for
power transformer core. design concluded to the reduction of. losses by
Approx.3%.On the other side cost. is hiked by Approx.1.4%. As this
method provides. the loss reduction, It can be very useful for
designer/manufacturer the low cost transformer.

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