Materials and Components

DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS
Introduction:

The distribution transformer forms vital equipment in the power

network. It forms the majority of the population in the network.
Hence the reliabi-lity is all the more important. Unlike other
power transformers, distribu-tion transformers will be energized
through out the day, which means No load loss plays prominent
role. Hence, all day efficiency is to be given due importance.

Design of distribution transformer is intricate to the extent that it

has to accommodate all the necessary fittings (including LV & HV
Cable boxes wherever applicable) and accessories with necessary
external clearances.

Since distribution transformers forms the major portion of power

net work, energy efficiency distribution transformers are gaining
its importance recently. Already Bureau of Energy Efficiency (as
per the directions of Central Government), are formulating
guidelines of energy efficiency transformer with different star
ratings.

The Motto of Star ratings is MORE STARS MORE SAVINGS.

Components of DT:
The important components of a Distribution Transformer are listed
below
i.

Core for the magnetic circuit.

ii.

Primary and secondary windings for the electric circuits.

iii.

Off-load tap-change of the primary side (Optional). Normally Small

capa-city DT may not have tap changer.

iv.

Main tank to house the core and windings with cooling fins or
pipes, breather and explosion vent.

v.

Conservator tank with associated Buchholtz relay and piping

(Optional) Small capacity DT may not have conservator.

vi.

Insulating oil, filled up in the tank which also acts as a cooling

medium for conduction of heat, generated in the windings.

vii. H.V. and L.V. bushings to bring out the terminal connections of the
windings.
Types of Transformers:
Conventional 3 phase DT:

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Materials and Components

These DT are generally delta (11 kV) - star (LV) vector group. Star-star
vector group DT are also used. The standard ratings are 25, 50, 63, 75,
100, 160, 250, 315, 500, 630, 1000 as per IS.
Single Phase DT:
The Single phase DT are two types namely Phase-Neutral (P-N) DT are
of Voltage ratio 6.35 kV (11/3) / 240 volts and Phase-Phase (P_P) DT
are of Voltage Ratio 11 kV/240Volts. The merits and demerits of the
two systems are dealt in Line Manual.
In case of phase to neutral system, a continuous earth wire is required
to be drawn on LT insulators from the neutral of 33/11 kV substation.
This earth wire has to be earthed at all the poles The P- N single phase
DTs are to be connected between one phase wire and a neutral wire.
The neutral current will flow through the earth and neutral conductor.
The transformers can be hooked on single PCC poles and LT service
connections can be given from the secondary side of the distribution
transformers with a fuse switch unit/circuit breaker on the secondary
side. The single phase transformers could be oil filled type or
encapsulated type. The cost of resin encapsulated transformer is high
and therefore these have not been popular in India. The failure of
single-phase distribution transformer is reported to be less as compared
to conventional distribution transformers because only two or three
connections with ABC cable are given and no over-loading of the
transformers is reported.
Self Protected (CSP) DT:
The salient features of CSP transformers are:
A HV cartridge fuse link is provided in the HV bushings for protection
of transformer against internal faults.
A LV side circuit breaker, which is sensitive to current and also
temperature is provided immersed in oil to protect the transformer
against short circuits and also over loads.
The transformer has a signal light which glows when the transformer
is over-loaded condition arise.
LV circuit breakers and HV fuse links, which are internally mounted,
prevent consumers meddling.
The LV circuit breakers and HV fuse link are well coordinated such
that the HV fuse link does not blow for a secondary fault, but only
the
LV circuit breakers acts
Since it is completely scaled, there is no scope for ingress of
moisture
or pilferage of oil.
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Materials and Components

Requirement of maintenance is minimum.

Cast Resin Distribution Transformers:
The coils are put in the resin bath under vacuum conditions which helps
to impregnate the resin into the small voids of the coil. When cooled,
the coil becomes one solid part. This prevents the inter coil vibrations
due to axial forces produced during short circuit. These transformers
are 2.5 to 3 times expensive as compared to the conventional
transformers.
The main advantages of Resin cast transformers is that they are fireresistant and are ideally suited for installation in the multi-storeyed
buildings and mines where protection against fire is to be achieved
even at a higher cost. In buildings these DT can be used without a
transformer tank. But a tank is necessary when exposed to sun as ultra
violet rays affect the Resin. Another advantage of DT is that they have
higher short circuit withstand capability as compared to the
conventional transformers.
Amorphous Core Transformers:
The conventional transformer core, being metal, possesses crystalline
structures in which atoms form ordered, repeating patterns. The
amorphous alloy, being metallic glass, differs from conventional metal
in that the atoms are arranged in a near random way. This novel, noncrystalline structure lends the material unique material properties.
Metallic glass alloys combine the strength and hardness characteristics
of a silicate glass with the plasticity and toughness common to metals.
Perm-magnetic metallic glass alloys magnetize and de-magnetize more
easily than any other known material. Use of such materials for
transformer cores thus brings down the core loss.
Properties of Amorphous Metals:
Amorphous alloys for electromagnetic applications are based on alloys
of iron, nickel and cobalt. Their properties may vary from alloy to alloy
but in general they have:

Higher electrical resistivity.

More flexibility without loosing hardness.

Higher tensile strength.

Ease of Magnetization.

Ability to change magnetic orientation with small expenditure

of
energy.

Ability to be produced from non strategic metals at very high

speed.

Some Aspects of Amorphous Core:

Thickness of the core is 0.025 mm.

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Materials and Components

It is available in the form of ribbon and so wound core is made

which covers large surface area.

Advantages of AMT:
The main advantages of AMT are less iron (No load) losses, due to
better magnetic properties of amorphous core. The Comparison of no
load loss of AMDT with normal cored (CRGO) is shown in Table 1.
Table 1:
Load Loss of CRGO Core and Amorphous Core
Transformer
No Load Loss in (Watts)
Rating of
%reduction No
Transformer in
Load Loss by
Amorphous
CRGO
Core
kVA
Amorphous Core
Core
63

180

45

75

100

260

66

74.6

200

500

160

68

315

580

200

65

500

650

250

61.5

Economic Analysis:
As seen from Table 1.6.1 transformers with amorphous alloys in their
core have losses around 25 to 30% of their equivalent CRGO steel
cored transformers. The adoption of AMDT to improve efficiency will
involve drastic change in manu-facturing process which will no doubt
involve investment.
The decision to purchase more or less efficient transformer should be
based on a long range view of future energy generation and capacity
costs over 25 + years that the equipment will be in service. Economic
analysis, based on incremental generation costs, projected capacity
additions to meet future demand, reserve margin requirements and the
current cost of capital are used by the worlds leading utilities to judge
the cost effectiveness of more efficient and costlier versus less efficient
and cheaper transformers.
An expert committee consisting of experts from SEBS, CBIP, and IERMA
with REC as convener was formed to evolve a scientific basis for utilities
to compare different offers of energy efficient transformers having
higher cost with present day less expensive low efficient transformers.
The expert committee decided following formula to arrive at capitalized
cost of transformer.
Capitalized cost of transformers = Ic + (A Wi) + (B Wc)
Where Ic = Initial cost of transformer quoted by manufacturer in Rs.

(1 r )n 1
n
r(1 r )

A = H Ec

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H = No. of service hours per year

Ec = Energy cost in Rs/kwh
r = Rate of interest
n = Life of transformer in years
B = A L.S.
L.S. = Loss load factor
= 0.2 LF + 0.8 (LF)2
L.F. = Load Factor
Wi = No load loss in kW.
Wc = Load loss in kW.
Based on above formula, the capitalized cost of CRGO steel core and
Amorphous Metal Core transformers for various rating is given in Table
2.
Table 2: Capitalized Cost of CRGO Core and Amorphous Core
Transformer

Capacity of
Transformer
(kVA)

Initial cost (Rs.)

Capitalized Cost
(Rs.)
CRGO
Amorphous
Steel
Metal Core
Core

Break
even
Point

CRGO
Steel
Core

Amorphous
Metal Core

63

30,000

35,500

1,01,412

78,807

21.5

100

40,000

50,000

1,42,495

1,12,107

28.1

200

70,800

96,890

2,57,337

2,12,643

45.1

315

1,11,247

1,61,609

3,47,416

3,18,666

96.7

500

1,18,000

2,12,555

4,12,711

4,23,991

It is seen that the capitalized cost of AMT is much less than CRGO for
smaller ratings. However, the difference reduces with increase in rating
and the trend reverses for transformers above of 315 kVA.
Transformer Construction:

Core

Windings

Insulation

Core coil assembly

Tank

Fittings and accessories

Core:
Types: 1) CRGO

2) Amorphous

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Materials and Components

CRGO: (Cold Rolled Grain Oriented Silicon Steel)

Available grades : M3, M4, M5, MOH etc.
Thicknesses: 0.23mm; 0.27mm; 0.30mm etc
Annealing Temp.: 8000 C
Saturation Flux Density: 1.92 Tesla
Amorphous Metal:
Available Ribbons: 5.6; 6.7 & 8.4
Thicknesses: 0.023mm
Annealing Temp: 3600 C
Saturation Flux Density: 1.58 Tesla.
Advantages of Amorphous Metal Transformers:

No-load loss reduced to a rock bottom low of 75% as compared to

CRGO transformers.

Less magnetizing current.

Cumulative saving of energy cost.

Total owning cost to customer is much less.

Better demand side management.

Less temperature rise of core.

Less noise level due to less magnetostriction.

As the sheet thickness of the material is 10 times lesser to that of

conven-tional grade material, the eddy current losses in the
amorphous core are less.

Core Construction:
Stacked Core (CRGO)

Three Limbed core type

Wound core (CRGO & Amorphous)

Shell type
Core type
Stacking Factor:
The lamination factor depends on

Flatness of the steel lamination.

Surface roughness.

Stack pressure.

Thickness variation (non uniform)

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Materials and Components

Steel thickness (thicker lamination increase the lamination

factor).

Type of insulation coating.

Assembly method (interleaved, or butt stacks).

ASTM A 719 standard defines the lamination factor, S, of a

stacked laminated core as the ratio of solid volume of steel
stack (calculated from weight and density) to the actual
volume of the compressed stack (determined from its
dimension).

S = 100 (Solid Volume by wt and density)/(Measured

Volume).

Three Limbed Stacked Core:

Shell Type
Construction:

Wound Core

Core Type Wound Core:

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Materials and Components

Windings:
Winding Materials:

Copper

Aluminum

Covering:

Super Enamel

Double Paper

Selection of Conductor Size mainly depends upon Current Density.

Parameters Effecting Current Density:

Load Losses.

Short Circuit Thermal ability.

Winding Temperature Gradients corresponding to the guaranteed

winding temperature rise.

Any Customers stipulation.

Further, a maximum current density

3.8 Amp/mm for copper and
2.2 Amps/mm for aluminum
can be taken meeting the above mentioned considerations.
Types of Windings:

LV Winding: LV winding will be predominantly Spiral winding

with two layers or foil winding.

HV Winding: HV winding will be generally of multilayer helical

for 11 kV transformers and cross over coils in case of 22 kV and
33 kV transformers.

CCA of Stacked Core Construction & Single Coil Winding:

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Materials and Components

CCA of
Stacked Core Construction & Cross over Coils:

Shell Type Wound Core Transformer:

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Materials and Components

Tank:

Tank shall be designed maintaining the required internal

clearances from the CCA depending on the Voltages.

Normally for distribution transformers, rectangular tanks will be

preferred.

The tank is manufactured with mild steel; and shall be robust in

construction. Proper stiffening shall be provided wherever
necessary.

Tank shall be provided with sufficient cooling area by using

different types of cooling arrangements like cooling tubes,
pressed steel radiators and corrugated fins etc.

Transformers with Cooling Tubes:

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Materials and Components

Transformer with Radiators:

Corrugated Tank:

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Materials and Components

Advantages:

Compact in size.

Improved heat dissipation.

Elegant appearance.

Due to vertical oil channel greater stability is achieved.

Oil expansion during service can be absorbed by expansion in

corrugation.

No blockage of oil flow into the fins.

Oil cleaning is easier and less expensive.

Fittings & Accessories:

Rating & diagram plate,

VE Logo plate,

Off-circuit tap switch,

Earthing terminals,

Tank lifting lugs,

Top cover lifting lugs,

Drain cum sampling valve & filter valve,

Oil level gauge,

Pressure relief device or explosion vent,

Thermometer pocket,

Silicagel breather,

Bottom channels,

Conservator,

Oil filling plug and

Bushings.

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