Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Single Phase Transformers


Single Phase Transformers

 Single phase transformers are designed to supply electric power to single-phase systems. These electrical devices transfer energy from one circuit to another via electromagnetic induction. Single phase power usually includes one hot lead and a grounded return line or neutral. Single phase electrical distribution is used mainly in residential and commercial applications, typically for lighting and heating. Single phase transformers carry many product specifications, including transformer type, winding turns, cooling method, core type, output voltage, and mounting or form factor. Performance specifications, approvals, and features are also important parameters to consider.   
There are many types of single phase transformers. Products include audio, balun, buck-boost, constant voltage (CVT), constant current, distribution, fly back (FBT), generator step-up (GSU), harmonic mitigating, high frequency, high voltage, impedance matching, and industrial control transformers. Categories of single phase transformers also include interface, inverter, isolation, leakage, lighting, medical, multi- ratio, neutral grounding, power, rectifier, resonant, solar power, and substation transformers. Auto transformers and variac or variable auto transformers are also available from single phase transformer suppliers. 
Like other types of transformers, single phase transformers may be used to increase or decrease the voltage from one side of the transformer to the other. The turn ratio or number of windings on the primary and secondary sides of the device determines the change in voltage. Step-up transformers produce a secondary voltage that is larger than the primary voltage. Step-down transformers have a secondary voltage that is smaller than the primary voltage. Variable single phase transformers are devices with a setting for changing the turn ratio as needed. One-to-one transformers are single phase transformers with a turn ratio of 1:1 or near 1:1.  
Cooling method, core type, output voltage, and mounting or form factor are additional product specifications to consider when selecting single phase transformers. There are four choices for cooling method: dry-type or air cooled, oil filled, water cooled, and other. Core types are listed as laminated, split, toroidal, and other. The output voltage is either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). There are many mounting or form factor styles for single phase transformers. Choices include chassis mount, chip transformer, dish or disk, H-frame, modular jack, pad mounted, printed circuit board (PCB), and pole mounted.  
Selecting single phase transformers requires an analysis of performance specifications (including the single-phase primary configuration) as well as compliance with regulatory standards. Performance specifications include operating frequency range, maximum primary voltage rating, maximum secondary voltage rating, maximum secondary current rating, power rating and operating temperature. The single-phase primary configuration is listed as single, dual, quad (2+2) 5-lead, ladder, or other. In terms of regulatory standards, single phase transformers that are sold in Europe must be Ro HS and WEEE compliant.  

Transformers parallel circuit
Transformers are placed in parallel by electric utilities when they want to provide a ‘stronger’ voltage source and will result in higher available fault current that can be delivered downstream.  Usually the utility transformer can serve its own load but two are put together to achieve with a ties primary and secondary bus to ‘stiffen’ the voltage to ride through system load changes. Because here we have more transformers connected in parallel. So even if, one of the transformers gets into a fault or is taken out for maintenance or repair, the load can continued to be serviced. Therefore by this we can reduce the spare capacity also. 
Before two or more transformers connected in parallel and to share a common load satisfactorily, there are some conditions to be satisfied. Those are the voltage ratio (turns ratio) and the per unit impedance of each machine on its own base must be the same. When two transformers are connected in parallel, the impedances of the transformers must match (within 10%) to divide the load approximately equally between the two transformers or to divide the load according to the rating of each transformer. If the transformers to be connected in parallel are equipped with load tap changing windings, then the impedances for each of the tap changer positions must match. If these conditions are not met, then one of the transformers could conceivably carry a continuous overload, resulting in overheating.
Also the polarity must be the same, so that there is no circulating current between the transformers. The polarity of connection in the case of single phase transformers can be either same or opposite. Inside the loop formed by the two secondary the resulting voltage must be zero. If wrong polarity is chosen the two voltages get added and short circuit results.     The phase sequence must be the same and no phase difference must exist between the voltages of the two transformers. When these requirements are satisfying we can have a good parallel operation of transformers which is very useful and favourable in practice.

Generally, application of parallel transformers allows achieving the following benefits:

1)      Reducing the total capacity of electrical transformers (as compared to separate their work). The decrease of total installed capacity is reached:
·         by lowering the overall  demand load to the diversity of loads connected to different transformers
·         by using a higher load rate of parallel transformers
·         less required backup in case of electrical transformer failure
      2)   Reduction of electricity losses in electrical transformers due to a possible disconnection of unloaded transformers
      3)    Improving the power quality due to the stable level of short circuit current throughout the network
      4)  Increasing the reliability of operation of protective devices in the case of phase-to-earth short circuits in the network.
     5)   Possibility of placing electrical transformers in operation phase-by-phase



1 comment:

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