Basic of Electronics Technology

Chapter 4
Transformer
 Introduction

• A transformer is an electrical device based on the principles

of electromagnetic inductance for transferring electrical
energy from one circuit to another of the same frequency.

• The electrical energy is always transferred without a change

in frequency, but may involve changes in magnitudes of
voltage and current.
 Basic Construction
• A transformer consists of two conductors wound around a
core
• One winding is known as the primary winding and the other
as the secondary winding.
 Construction of the core transformer
• Shell-type form (E-I)
– Probably used most frequently in electrical work.
– This design operates at 98 percent or higher
efficiency.

A) Core type B) Shell type

• Core-type form (U-I)
– The primary winding is on one leg of the
transformer and the secondary winding is on the
other leg.
– The core is made up of many laminations of steel.

A) Core type B) Shell type

 Types and symbols of transformer
• Iron-core
– Types of transformer – Multiple winding transformers,
Autotransformer, Centre-tap transformer, Iron-core
transformer.
– This transformer usually used when the source frequency
is low (below 20Hz)
– Figure 5-8 show the symbol of Iron-Core type’s
transformer.
• Air-core
– Types of transformer – Air core transformer
– This transformer usually use when the voltage source has a
high frequency (above 20Hz).
– Figure 5-9 shows the symbol of Air-Core type transformer.
Air-Core

Primary Secondary
winding winding

Figure 5-9: Air-core transformer

• Powder iron-core
– Types of transformer – Iron powder-core transformer
– Figure 5-10 shows the symbol of Powder Iron-Core
transformer.
Powder Iron-core

Primary Secondary
winding winding

Figure 5-10: Powder Iron-core transformer

 Windings
• The basic construction of a transformer consists of two kinds
of winding around the core, the primary winding and the
secondary winding.
• The primary winding is the coil that receives the energy
meanwhile the secondary winding is the coil that provides
the energy at a transformed or changed (increased or
decrease) voltage.
Vp = Primary voltage
Vs = Secondary voltage
Ep = Emf induced in the primary winding
Es = Emf induced in the secondary winding
Ip = Primary current
Is = Secondary current
 Winding ratio
• The winding ratio of a transformer is the ratio of the number
of turns in the primary winding to the number of turns in the
secondary winding.

Number of turns in the primary winding

Winding Ratio =
Number of turns in the secondary winding

Expressed as,
Np
n=
Ns
 Voltage Ratio
• The ratio between the primary voltage, V1 and the secondary
voltage, V2.

Primary voltage
Voltage Ratio =
Secondary voltage

The voltage ratio is related to the winding ratio based on the principle of electromagnetic
inductance:

Vp Np
Voltage ratio = = = n
Vs Ns
 Current Ratio
• The transformation ratio of a transformer is defined by the
turn’s ratio:

Is Vp Np …. (3.3)
= = = n
Ip Vs Ns

Load

The secondary current, Is can

only flow if the secondary terminal is
connected to a load as shown in
Figure 5-18. The voltage and current
relationship is:
V1 I1 = V2 I2

Figure 5-18: Transformer circuit

Step-up transformer
Step-down transformer
Isolation Transformer