EE – 19 MODULE 4

TRANSFORMER TESTS

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the lessons, the students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding of several fundamentals concepts used throughout the

Manual including Transformer tests;

2. Demonstrate Open-circuit test, and Short-circuit test; and

3. Apply the problem-solving methodology used in this Module.

4.1 . Introduction

Transformers’ performance can be calculated based on their equivalent circuit that

contains equivalent resistance or , equivalent reactance or , the conductance

or resistance , and the magnetizing suscepatance or . These constants or the

parameter can be determined by two tests; the open circuit test and short circuit tests. These

tests are convenient and economical, because these can provide data without actually

loading the actual transformer.

Figure 52. Small transformer

4.2. The Open-circuit or the No-load Test

The purpose of this test is to determine no-load loss or core loss and no-load

which is helpful in finding and .

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In this test one of the windings of the transformer is left open and the other is

connected to its supply. A wattmeter, voltmeter and ammeter are connected in the supply

side. When voltage is applied, the flux will be set up in the core; hence, iron losses will

occur and these will be recorded by wattmeter. Cu loss is negligible in the supply side and

nil in the open side. Hence, the wattmeter reading represents practically the core loss under

no load condition.

It must be noted that is very small, and the coils of the voltmeter and the

wattmeter are connected such that current does not pass through them in the current coil of

wattmeter.

Sometimes, a high-resistance voltmeter is connected across the secondary. The

reading of the voltmeter gives the induced e.m.f. in the secondary winding. This helps to

find transformation ratio K.

Figure 53 shows a wattmeter connected to the transformer’s high side.

Figure 53

= cos ∴ cos = /

∴ = cos , = cos ∴ = / and = /

Or since the current is practically all-exciting current when a transformer is on no-

load (i.e. ≅ ) and as the voltage drop in primary leakage impedance is small*, hence

the exciting admittance of the transformer is given by = = / .

The exciting conductance is given by = or = /

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The exciting susceptance = ( − ).

Example 4.1

In the no-load test of a single-phase transformer, the following test data were

obtained:

Primary voltage: 220 V; Secondary voltage: 110 V;

Primary current: 0.5 A; Power input: 30 .

Find the following:

(i) its turns ratio (ii) its magnetising component during no-load current (iii) its loss

component (iv) the Cu loss.

Resistance of primary winding is 0.6 ohm

Solution:

(i) Turn ratio, ⁄ = 220⁄110 =

(ii) = cos ; cos = 30⁄220 × 0.5 = 0.273; sin = 0.962

= sin = 0.5 × 0.962 = .

(iii) = cos = 0.5 × 0.273 = .

(iv) Primary Cu loss = = 0.5 × 0.6 = 0.15

∴ Primary Cu loss = 30 − 0.15 = .

4.3.

Transformer core loss depends on the frequency and maximum flux density when

the thickness of the core lamination and its volume are being given. Core loss is composed

of hysteresis-loss and eddy-current loss. Equations for these losses are given respectively
.
= and = where Q is a constant. For the total core loss, it

is the summation of hysteresis and eddy current loss and given by this equation

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.
= + = +

Finding for constants P and Q, we must do an experiment wherein, using two

different frequencies but with the same maximum flux density, calculate eddy current and

hysteresis losses separately.

Example 4.2

In a transformer, the core loss is 52 at 40 and 90 at 60 measured at

the same maximum flux density. Calculate the eddy current and hysteresis loss at 50 Hz.

Solution:

For the same maximum flux density, we can use these equations:

Total core loss = + or / = +

∴ 52⁄40 = + 40 and 90⁄60 = + 60 ; ∴ = 0.9 and = 0.01

At 50 , the two losses are

= = 0.9 × 50 = ; = = 0.01 × 50 =

Example 4.2

The maximum flux density and a waveform factor are maintained constants during

a power loss test on a 10 kg specimen of sheet steel laminations. During this tests, the

following results were obtained:

Frequency (Hz) 25 40 50 60 80

Total loss (watt) 18.5 36 50 66 104

Calculate the eddy current loss per kg at a frequency of 50 Hz.

Solution:

For the same maximum flux density, we can use this equation;

= + or / = +

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The values of / for different frequencies are as under:

25 40 50 60 80

/ 0.74 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.3

The graph between and / has been plotted in Figure 54. As seen from it,

A=0.5 and B=0.1

Figure 54

∴ Eddy current loss at 50 = = 0.01 × 50 =

∴ Eddy current loss/kg = 25/10 = .

Example 4.3

The hysteresis loss in a 6.6 kV, 60 Hz transformer is 480 W. What will be the loss

when the transformer is connected to a 6.9 kV, 40 Hz source?

Solution:
.
Using = and = 4.44 or = 4.44 ;

since P is constant then;

=
4.44

where = 1/4.44

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.
∴ =
.
= …(i)

from (i) to find the value of P using = 6.6 , = 60 , and = 480 ;

. .
∴ 480 = (60)

= 4.3337 × 10

if = 6.9 , = 40 , and = 4.3337 × 10 ;

. .
∴ = 4.3337 × 10 (40)
=
∴ The hysteresis loss after being connected to a 6.9 kV, 40 Hz source is 657 W.
Example 4.4

A normal voltage and frequency of a transformer is 440 V, 50 Hz, and it is found

that of total iron losses is 2500 W. But when the applied voltage and frequency was set to

220 V, 25 Hz, the iron loss became 850 W. Calculate the eddy current loss at normal

voltage and frequency.

Solution:

The flux density in both cases is the same because in the second case voltage as

well as frequency are halved.

Hysteresis loss;
.
= ∝ =

and eddy current loss;

= ∝ =

Total iron loss

= + = + ∴ / = +

Now, when = 50 ; = 2500

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= 250 ; = 850

Using this values above,

2500/50 = + (50) and 850/25 = + (25) ∴ = 0.64

∴ = = 0.64 × 50 =

= 2500 − 1600 = 900

4.4.

This is an economical method for determining the following:

(i) , and of the transformer.

(ii) loss at full load or any desired load.

(iii) Knowing or , for the voltage drop and regulation of the transformer.

Figure 55 shows the short circuit configuration in which one side of the transformer

is being shorted.

Figure 55

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Figure 56

In this test, the voltage applied to the transformer is small compared to its normal

voltage, therefore the mutual flux produced by this transformer is also small. Hence,

core loss is also very small from the wattmeter reading.

Figure 56 shows the equivalent short circuit condition. If is the voltage required

to circulate rated load currents, then = / .

Also =

∴ = /

∴ = ( − )

Figure 57 (a) present the equivalent vector diagram for short-circuit test. Figure 57

(b) shows the impedance triangle wherein you can determine the equivalent resistance to

primary.

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Figure 57

4.5. ?

The reason why the transformers rating is in kVA and not in kW is that loss of

transformer depends on the current and iron loss with respect to voltage. The total

transformer loss depends on volt-ampere (VA) and not on phase-angle between voltage

and current, in other words it is independent of the load power factor

Example 4.5

A 30 kVA single-phase transformer with a turn ratio of 76000/230 has a

resistance and reactance referred to primary are 21 ohms and 34 ohms respectively.

Calculate the short-circuit voltage referred to the primary and its power factor.

Solution:

= 230⁄6000 = 23⁄600, = 34 Ω

= + / = 20.9 Ω

= ( + )= 20.9 + 34 = 40 Ω

= 30,000⁄6000 = ; = = 5 × 40 =

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ℎ . .= / = 20.9/40 = .

Example 4.6

A single-phase, 10 kVA, 500/250 V, 50 Hz transformer has the following constants:

= 0.2 Ω; = 0.5 Ω

= 0.4 Ω; = 0.1 Ω

= 1500 Ω; = 750 Ω

Determine the reading of the instrument when it is connected to open-circuit and

short circuit tests.

Solution:

For Open Circuit Test

= / = 500⁄750 = 2⁄3; = / = 500⁄1500 = 1/3

∴ = + = 0.745

No-load primary input = = 500 × 1⁄3 = 167

The voltmeter, ammeter and wattmeter which are connected the primary will read

500 V, 0.745 A and 167 W respectively.

For Short-Circuit Test

Suppose S.C. test is performed by short-circuiting the l.v. winding, i.e; the

secondary so that all instruments are in the primary.

= + ′= + / ; Here = 1⁄2 ∴ = 0.2 + (4 × 0.5) = 2.2 Ω

Similarly, = + ′ = 0.4 + (4 × 0.1) = 0.8 Ω

= (2.2 + 0.8 ) = 2.341 Ω

Full load primary current

= 10,000/500 = 20 ∴ = = 20 × 2.341 = 46.8

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Power absorbed = = 20 × 2.2 = 880

Primary instrument will read: 46.8 V, 20 A, 880 W

Example 4.7

A single-phase transformer with a turns ratio of 230/115 V with a load current of 5

A, has a power-factor of 0.86 lagging. The no-load current is 0.2 A at 0.21 lagging-power

factor. Calculate the primary current and its power-factor.

Solution:

L.V. current of 5 is referred to as a 2.5 current on the primary (H.V.) side, at a

power factor of 0.86 lagging. To this, the no-load current should be added, as per the phasor

diagram in Figure 58. For the load current it has a phase angle of 30° lagging and the no-

load has 80° lagging.

Figure 58

Active components of currents = 2.5 × 0.866 × 0.2 × 0.208

= 2.165 + 0.0416

= .

Along the perpendicular direction, reactive components will added up.

Reactive component = 2.5 × 0.5 + 0.2 × 0.9848

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= 1.25 + 0.197 = 1.447

= 2.2066 − 1.447
.
= tan = . °
.

. . = cos 33.25 ° = .

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