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Chapter 2

The method given in [19] allows the determination of the core loss from the measured data under non-sinusoidal excitation without artificial separation of the hysteresis and eddy current losses. Harmonic components are taken into account. The computed results are compared with the IEC method. A voltage regulator with a large capacitor bank is better than a conventional rotating machine source from the point of view of getting as sinusoidal voltage as possible for core loss measurements. The no-load loss test and the calculation of parameters of shunt branch of the equivalent circuit of a transformer have been elaborated in Chapter 1. Now, special topics/case studies related to the no-load test are discussed.
2.5.1 Asymmetrical magnetizing phenomenon Unlike in a bank of three single-phase transformers having independent magnetic circuits, a three-phase three-limb transformer has interlinked magnetic circuit. The excitation current and power drawn by each phase winding are not the actual current and power required by the corresponding magnetic sections of the core. The current drawn by each phase winding is determined by the combination of requirements of all the three core branches. Consider a three-phase three-limb core shown in figure 2.7. Let the magnetomotive force required to produce instantaneous values of fluxes ( and ) in the path between points P1 to P2 for the phase windings (r, y and b) be respectively. There is an and inherent asymmetry in the core as the length of magnetic path of winding y between the points P1 and P2 is less than that of windings r and b. Let the actual currents drawn be Ir, Iy and Ib.

Figure 2.7 Three-phase three-limb core with Y connected primary

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.

Magnetic Characteristics The following equations can be written:

49

(2.14) (2.15) (2.16) For a Y-connected winding (star connected without grounded neutral), Ir+Iy+Ib=0 It follows from equations 2.14 to 2.17 that (2.18) (2.19) (2.20) where Iz is the zero-sequence component of the currents required to establish the required magnetomotive forces, (2.21) Higher the magnetizing asymmetry, higher is the magnitude of I z. The magnetomotive force, NIz, is responsible for producing a zero-sequence leakage flux in the space outside core between points P1 and P2 [20]. The magnitude of this zero-sequence leakage flux is quite small as compared to the mutual flux in the core. For convenience, the reluctance of the magnetic path of winding y between points P1 and P2 is taken as half that of windings r and b. For sinusoidal applied voltages, fluxes are also sinusoidal, and the excitation current required then contains harmonics due to non-linear magnetic characteristics. Thus, the required excitation currents in three-phases can be expressed as (harmonics of order more than 3 are neglected)
(2.22) (2.23)

(2.17)

(2.24) where Ic is the core loss component, and a negative sign is taken for third harmonic components [21] to get a peaky nature of the excitation current (for a sinusoidal

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.

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Chapter 2

flux, excitation current is peaky in nature due to non-linear magnetic characteristics). Substituting these expressions in equation 2.21,
(2.25) After substituting this expression for Iz and expressions for and from equations 2.22 to 2.24 in equations 2.18 to 2.20, the actual excitation currents drawn are

(2.26)

(2.27)

(2.28) The condition that the sum of 3rd harmonic currents in three phases has to be zero (since the neutral is isolated) is satisfied by above three equations. The essence of the mathematical treatment can be understood by the vector diagrams of fundamental and third harmonic components shown in figure 2.8. The magnitudes of Ir and Ib are almost equal and these are greater than the magnitude of Iy. The current Iy, though smallest of all the three currents, is higher than the current The currents in the outer limbs required to excite middle phase alone are slightly less than that needed to excite outer limbs alone ( and ).In actual practice, the currents Ir and Ib may differ slightly due to minor differences in the characteristics of their magnetic paths (e.g., unequal air gap lengths at corner joints). The third harmonic component drawn by phase y is greater than that of phases r and b. Since the applied voltage is assumed to be sinusoidal, only the fundamental component contributes to the power. The power corresponding to phase r will be negative if Iz is large enough to cause the angle between Vr and Ir to exceed 90. Negative power is read in one of the phases during the no-load loss test for transformers whose yoke lengths are quite appreciable as compared to limb heights increasing the asymmetry between the middle and outer phases. It has been proved in [22] that for a length of central limb between points P1 and P2 equal to half that of outer limbs (reluctance of central limb is half that of outer limbs) in figure 2.7,

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.

Magnetic Characteristics

51

Figure 2.8 Magnetizing asymmetry

Ir:Iy:Ib=1:0.718:1

(2.29)

The effect of change in excitation is illustrated for r phase in figure 2.9. During no-load loss test, losses are generally measured at 90%, 100% and 110% of the rated voltage. The magnetizing component of excitation current is more sensitive to the increase in flux density as compared to the core loss component. Consequently as the voltage is increased, the no-load power factor decreases. The value of Iz also increases and hence the possibility of reading negative power increases with the increase in applied voltage. When the angle between Vr and Ir is 90, the r phase wattmeter reads zero, and if it exceeds 90 the wattmeter reads negative.

Figure 2.9 Effect of excitation level

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.

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Chapter 2

The magnetizing asymmetry phenomenon described above has been analyzed by using mutual impedances between 3 windings in [23]. It is shown that phase currents and powers are balanced if mutual impedances Zry, Zyb and Zbr are equal. These impedances are function of number of turns and disposition of windings, winding connections within a phase and more importantly on dimensions and layout of the core. These mutual impedances, which are unbalanced in threephase three-limb core (Zry=Zyb Zbr), redistribute the power shared between the three phases. The form of asymmetry occurring in the phase currents and powers is different for three-limb and five-limb cores. It is reported that there is star point displacement in a five-limb transformer, which tends to reduce the unbalance caused by the inequality of mutual impedances. Similar analysis can be done for a delta connected primary winding, for which the measured line current is the difference between currents of the corresponding two phases. It can be proved that [24] when the delta connected winding is energized, for Yd1 or Dy11 connection, line current drawn by r phase is higher than that drawn by y and b phases, which are equal (Ir-L>Iy-L=Ib-L). For Yd11 or Dy1 connection, the line current drawn by b phase is higher than that drawn by r and y phases, which are equal (Ib-L>Iy-L=Ir-L). It should be noted that, for the delta connected primary winding also, the magnetic section corresponding to y phase requires least magnetizing current, i.e., but the phasor addition of

two phase currents results into a condition that line current Iy-L equals the current of one of the outer phases. 2.5.2 Magnetic balance test This test is performed at works or site as an investigative test to check the healthiness of windings and core. In this test, a low voltage (say, 230 V) is applied to a winding of one phase with all other windings kept open circuited. Voltages induced in the corresponding windings of other two phases are measured. When a middle phase (y) is excited, voltage induced in r and b phases should be in the range of 40 to 60% of the applied voltage. Ideally it should be 50% but due to difference in reluctance of the magnetic paths corresponding to r and b phases (on account of minor differences in air gaps at joints, etc.), some deviation from the expected values need not be considered as abnormal. When r (or b) phase is excited, one may get y-phase induced voltage as high as 90% and the voltage induced in b (or r) phase as low as 10% for a healthy core. The addition of r.m.s. voltages induced in unexcited phases need not necessarily be equal to the voltage applied to the excited phase due to non-linear characteristics of the magnetic circuit and the harmonics present in the fluxes of the unexcited limbs. The results of the magnetic balance test should be taken as indicative ones and some other test (e.g., no-load loss test at rated voltage in manufacturers works) should be performed to confirm the conclusions. The magnetic balance test can be

Copyright 2004 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.