ASANSOL INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT –

POLYTECHNIC

ASANSOL

ELECTRO-TECHNOLOGY IN MINING LAB 4TH SEM

EXPERIMENT NO 06

NAME OF THE EXPERIMENT:

Construction:
Basically a transformer consists of two inductive windings and a laminated steel
core.
The coils are insulated from each other as well as from the steel core.

Fig 1.1: Detailed construction of transformer

A transformer may also consist of a container for winding and core assembly (called
as tank), suitable bushings to take over the terminals, oil conservator to provide oil in the
transformer tank for cooling purposes etc. The figure at left illustrates the basic
construction of a transformer.
 Transformer laminated steel sheet shapes in all types of transformers, core is constructed by
assembling (stacking) laminated sheets of steel, with minimum air-gap between them (to achieve
continuous magnetic path).

The steel used is having high silicon content and sometimes heat treated, to provide high
permeability and low hysteresis loss. Laminated sheets of steel are used to reduce eddy current loss.
The sheets are cut in the shape as E, I and L.

Fig 1.2 Different types of laminations

To avoid high reluctance at joints, laminations are stacked by alternating the sides of joint. That
is, if joints of first sheet assembly are at front face, the joints of following assemble are kept at back
face.

CORE
The core acts as support to the winding in the transformer. It also provides a low
reluctance path to the flow of magnetic flux. It is made of laminated soft iron core in order to reduce
eddy current loss and Hysteresis loss. The composition of a transformer core depends on such as factors
voltage, current, and frequency.
The diameter of the transformer core is directly proportional to copper loss and is inversely
proportional to iron loss. If the diameter of the core is decreased, the weight of the steel in the core is
reduced, which leads to less core loss of the transformer and the copper loss increase. When the diameter
of the core is increased, the vise-versa occurs.
 Fig 1.3: Main parts of transformer

WINDING
Two sets of winding are made over the transformer core and are insulated from each other.
Winding consists of several turns of copper conductors bundled together, and connected in series.
Winding can be classified in two different ways:
1) Based on the input and output supply
2) Based on the voltage range
Within the input/output supply classification, winding are further categorized:
Primary winding - These are the winding to which the input voltage is applied.
Secondary winding - These are the winding to which the output voltage is applied.
Within the voltage range classification, winding are further categorized:

 High voltage winding - It is made of copper conductor. The number of turns made shall be the
multiple of the number of turns in the low voltage winding. The conductor used will be thinner
than that of the low voltage winding.
 Low voltage winding - It consists of fewer number of turns than the high voltage winding. It is
made of thick copper conductors. This is because the current in the low voltage winding is
higher than that of high voltage winding.

Input supply to the transformers can be applied from either low voltage (LV) or high voltage (HV)
 winding based on the requirement.

CONSERVATOR
The conservator conserves the transformer oil. It is an airtight, metallic, cylindrical drum that is
fitted above the transformer. The conservator tank is vented to the atmosphere at the top, and the normal
oil level is approximately in the middle of the conservator to allow the oil to expand and contract as the
temperature varies. The conservator is connected to the main tank inside the transformer, which is
completely filled with transformer oil through a pipeline.

BREATHER
The breather controls the moisture level in the transformer. Moisture can arise when temperature
variations cause expansion and contraction of the insulating oil, which then causes the pressure to
change inside the conservator. Pressure changes are balanced by a flow ofatmospheric air in and out of
the conservator, which is how moisture can enter the system. If the insulating oil encounters moisture,
it can affect the paper insulation or may even lead to internal faults. Therefore, it is necessary that the
air entering the tank is moisture-free.

The transformer's breather is a cylindrical container that is filled with silica gel. When the atmospheric
air passes through the silica gel of the breather, the air's moisture is absorbed by the silica crystals. The
breather acts like an air filter for the transformer and controls the moisture level inside a transformer. It
is connected to the end of breather pipe.

TAP CHANGER
The output voltage of transformer varies according to its input voltage and the load. During
loaded conditions, the voltage on the output terminal decreases, whereas during off-load conditions the
output voltage increases. In order to balance the voltage variations, tap changers are used. Tap changers
can be either on-load tap changers or off-load tap changers. In an on-load tap changer, the tapping can
be changed without isolating the transformer from the supply. In an off-load tap changer, it is done after
disconnecting the transformer. Automatic tap changers are also available.

COOLING TUBES
Cooling tubes are used to cool the transformer oil. The transformer oil is circulated through the
cooling tubes. The circulation of the oil may either be natural or forced. In natural circulation, when the
temperature of the oil raises the hot oil naturally rises to the top and the cold oil sinks downward. Thus
the oil naturally circulates through the tubes. In forced circulation, an external pump is used to circulate
 the oil.

BUCHHOLZ RELAY
The Buchholz Relay is a protective device container housed over the connecting pipe from the
main tank to the conservator tank. It is used to sense the faults occurring inside the transformer.
It is a simple relay that is operated by the gases emitted during the decomposition of transformer
oil during internal faults. It helps in sensing and protecting the transformer from internal faults.

EXPLOSION VENT
The explosion vent is used to expel boiling oil in the transformer during heavy internal faults in
order to avoid the explosion of the transformer. During heavy faults, the oil rushes out of the vent. The
level of the explosion vent is normally maintained above the level of the conservatory tank.