Simulation Analysis of Inrush Current of Three Phase Transformer Based on

MATLAB
Yundong Song 1, Hongde Jia2,Xiaofeng Xu 2, Li Yu2
1. State Grid Liaoning Electric Power Co., Ltd., Shenyang 110006
E-mail: songyundong@126.com
2. Shenyang Institute of Engineering, Shenyang 110136, China
E-mail: yulixxx@126.com

Abstract: This paper presents a phenomenon of inrush current in three-phase transformer closing switch without load, a
simulation model of three-phase transformer no-load switching inrush current was built by using the SimPowerSystems
software package of simulink in Matlab software, and the simulation result was analyzed by Fourier transform analysis,
which directly showing the characteristics of the three-phase transformer inrush current waveform.
Key Words: Transformer, Inrush Current, Simulation analysis, Fourier transform

1 INTRODUCTION
Transformer is important electrical equipment in power
system, which can connect different voltage levels of power
grid and transform energy, so the transformer operating
conditions affect the security and stability of power system
operation. When the transformer is closed with no-load, the
no-load current will be a transient process, which may occur
considerable impulse current and the value can be several
times the rated current because the primary winding
inductance coil. The impulse current appeared during
closing switch without load is called inrush current [1]. The
inrush current often leads to differential protection Fig 1. Simulation model of three-phase transformer inrush current
disoperation of transformer, so as to find a solution of inrush
of transformer protection measures through the research and In the simulation system, , the phase difference of the
analysis on the characteristics of inrush current. It is very electric potential between the three-phase sources is about
important to improve the correct rate of transformer 15 degrees, In addition, the settings are exactly the same.
protection [2]. The parameter setting of the three-phase source is shown in
Figure 2.
Transformer inrush current is related to many factors such
as the saturation of iron core, the size of core remanence,
switching phase angle and the size of transformer capacity
[3] [4]. Therefore, it is more complicated to analyze on
project. This paper used the matlab software to simulation
and analysis the transient process of transformer inrush
current produced by transformer no-load switching.

2 SIMULATION MODEL OF
TRANSFORMER INRUSH CURRENT
Simulation model of three-phase transformer no-load
switching inrush current was built by using the
SimPowerSystems software package of simulink in matlab
software, as shown in Figure 1 [5].
Fig 2. The parameter setting of three-phase source

In order to make the simulation analysis simple, the

three-phase transformer (two windings) with “saturated

978-1-5090-4657-7/17/$31.00 2017
c IEEE 3983
 core” was choosed, the wiring of transformer windings was The transformer inrush current waveform of Figure 4 was
designed for Y type wiring on both sides and the voltage analyzed by Fourier transform and the results were shown in
level was selected 35kV. The transformer parameter is Figure 5.
shown in Table1.
Selected signal: 25 cycles. FFT window (in red): 2 cycles

Table1. Transformer parameter 600

400
Rrated Capacity 50MVA
200
Rated Frequency 50Hz
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
Winding Parameter R1=0.003pu,L1=0.09pu Time (s)

Iron Loss 500pu DC = 239.4 , THD= 160.13%

160

The input of transformer was controlled by using 140

three-phase breaker, the three-phase fault simulated 120

transformer protection zone fault. The inrush current and 100

M ag ( % of D C)
the fault current in the protection area are simulated by 80

changing the closing switch time of three-phase circuit

60
breaker and three-phase fault.
40

3 SIMULATION AND ANALYSIS 20

0
When the internal fault occurs in the transformer, the 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Harmonic order
3 3.5 4 4.5 5

differential current of the transformer is transformed from a

transient state to a steady state after the fault, as shown in Fig 5. The harmonic analysis of transformer inrush current
Figure 3.
5000 The results of FFT analysis show that most of the
Ia
4000 Ib transformer inrush current waveform contains a large
Ic
3000 number of non periodic components, and the two harmonic
2000
is the main component [6]. There is a large DC component
1000
in the results of simulation, but it is not certain that the
I(A)

0
inrush current is also true under some other conditions. The
-1000
inrush current will induce the malfunction of transformer
protection; therefore, we must accurately identify the inrush
-2000
current and prevent the disoperation of transformer
-3000
differential protection. We can avoid the disoperation of
-4000
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
t(s)
0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 differential protection by identifying the different
Fig 3. The waveform of transformer fault current
characteristics between transformer inrush current and
short-circuit current.
In the process of inrush current produced by the transformer 4 CONCLUSION
closed switch without load, the current waveform appeared
singularity near the core’s desaturation time. The Waveform This paper used the MATLAB software to build the
was showing spire wave with intermittent and was partial to three-phase transformer inrush current simulation model in
one side of the timeline, simultaneously, contained a large Simulink simulative platform, and simulated under the
number of high harmonics,as shown in Figure 4. situation of the transformer closed switch without load and
800 transformer fault by setting the reasonable parameters of
600
Ia each module. The Characteristics of three phase transformer
Ib

400 Ic
inrush current waveform were visually displayed and
verified by the FFT analysis, which was showing spire wave
200
with intermittent and was partial to one side of the timeline
I(A)

0
and contained a large number of frequency doubling even
-200 high frequency components. The transformer close switch
-400 without load that is a transient process, the current
-600
waveform will be distorted and product harmonic
components. At the same time, under certain conditions, the
-800
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25
t(s)
0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 power system may be resonant and product overvoltage.
Fig 4. The waveform of transformer inrush current The accurate simulation of transformer inrush current plays
an important role in the research and analysis of relay
protection. The simulation of inrush current can be realized
by using MATLAB software, which can simulate the inrush

3984 2017 29th Chinese Control And Decision Conference (CCDC)

current of transformer based on different conditions and [3] J.L. He, Principle of relay protection, China Electric Power
requirements. It provides the basis for transformer Press, Beijing, China, 2003
protection algorithm. [4] S.P. Huang, Simulation Research on the process of the
transformer no-load switching transients Base on MATLAB,
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[2] H.R. Sun, Simulation and Analysis of Three Phase
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2017 29th Chinese Control And Decision Conference (CCDC) 3985