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A Semester of First Year Physics with Peter Eyland
Lecture 17 (Transformers)
In this lecture the following are introduced:
The Transformer as a Mutual Inductor
The Uses of Transformers
The Construction of Transformers
The Ideal Transformer
The Complex Mutual Impedance of a Transformer
The Ideal Transformer as a multiplier for Potential Difference
The Ideal Transformer as a multiplier for Current
The Ideal Transformer with a Complex Load
The Reflected and Shunt Impedances in Equivalent Circuits
Transformers
A transformer is a mutual inductor: a device
that transfers electrical energy between
electrically isolated circuits by using the
magnetic field associated with current.
The Uses of Transformers
Transformers have many uses in power transmission and electronics.
For example, they can be used to
minimise energy losses in transporting electricity over long distances, and
match loads with internal resistance so that there is maximum power transfer, and
couple signals between electronic stages.
See Page No.10 of 12 for Example Calculation
#1
The Construction of Transformers
The basic transformer has two coils of insulated
highly conductive copper wire wound around a
straight iron core.
In practice, the coils are often wound separately
around a rectangular iron core.
The core traps the magnetic field inside it and so
mimimises loss of magnetic flux.
The core is not a solid piece of metal but laminated
(layers clamped together) to minimise energy loss
due to eddy currents that are induced in it.
Transformers that operate at many MHz, may be
wound on a core of ferrite, a special ceramic
magnetic material. Sometimes the coils are wound
around a hollow non-magnetic former so that the
core material is air.
The Ideal Transformer
The ideal transformer has the following properties:
Zero resistance in the wires.
No hysteresis (i.e. energy loss) when the core is magnetising and de-magnetising.
The individual self-inductances and the mutual inductance do not change with current.
All the magnetic flux from the one coil passes through all the turns of the other coil.
The capacitance between the turns is zero.
The Complex Mutual Impedance of a Transformer
In the diagram on the right, the subscripts "p" and
"s" stand for primary and secondary.
The primary coil is connected to the source and the
secondary coil is connected to the load.
Let the current in the primary coil be given by:
The e.m.f. across the secondary coil is then: Where is the complex mutual impedance:
the ratio of potential produced over initiating current.
The negative sign means that the secondary e.m.f.
will lag the primary current by 90
0
.
#2
The Ideal Transformer as a multiplier for Potential Difference
Review: See Mech. Eng. Lecture 7
(Electromagnetism) when link available.
In this case the secondary circuit is open circuited, as
shown below
Now from the definition of complex mutual
impedance, given above:
It is seen that the primary e.m.f. has been multiplied
by the turns ratio, .
The negative sign means that there is a phase
reversal (indicated by the current directions).
The Ideal Transformer as a multiplier for Current
In this case the secondary coil is short-circuited, as
shown in the diagram below.
#3
The primary current has been divided by the turns ratio, .
As before, the negative sign means that there is a phase reversal and the currents flow as indicated.
The Ideal Transformer with a Complex Load
Four equivalent single loop circuits are developed. A series and a parallel equivalent circuit representing the
view from the primary side and a series and a parallel equivalent circuit representing the view from the
secondary side.
A complex load is added to the secondary circuit, as
shown in the diagram.
From energy conservation, the e.m.f.s supplying
energy equal the potential differences produced.
For the circuit shown, this gives these equations.
Equation for the primary circuit:
The task is to take the loop equations and eliminate
the secondary current from them. From the second
equation the secondary current is found in terms of
the primary current. This is then substituted into the
first equation.
Primary Reflected Impedance in Series
The equation above, for the primary circuit e.m.f. and
#4
current, allows the original two-loop circuit to be re-
drafted as a single primary loop with a series
impedance, as shown on the right - with
This impedance can be thought of as the impedance
reflected from the secondary circuit.
Primary Reflected Impedance in Parallel
the one-loop circuit with the reflected impedance, can
also be re-drafted with a parallel (or shunt)
impedance.
The equalising condition is that this new parallel circuit must draw the same current from the e.m.f. as the
original circuit. The original circuit and the equation for the primary circuit are repeated below.
Equating the impedance from the original primary circuit equation with the impedance of the new parallel
combination of primary coil and shunt impedance (without Z
P
) gives.
This gives the shunt impedance needed for equivalence.
#5
The equivalent parallel primary circuit is shown on
the right, where the shunt impedance is the
secondary circuit impedance divided by the square of
the turns ratio.
The self-inductance of the primary coil Lp will usually
be large when compared with the shunt impedance.
As with all parallel combinations where one element
is large compared with the other, the large element
can be neglected in favour of the small element. This
means that Lp can be neglected and the circuit will
simply be:
The equivalent parallel primary circuit has the primary e.m.f., the original primary impedance, and a primary
shunt impedance .
Equation for the secondary circuit.
The task here is to take the circuit loop
equations and eliminate the primary
current from them.
#6
Re-writing the second equation with the
primary current as the subject:
Substituting the primary current gives the
equation for the secondary circuit.
Secondary Reflected Impedance in Series
The equation for the secondary circuit e.m.f. and
current, allows the original two-loop circuit to be re-
drafted as a single secondary loop with a secondary
e.m.f. and a series impedance, as shown on the
right:
The secondary e.m.f. and reflected series impedance
are:
Secondary Reflected Impedance in Parallel
As done before with the primary circuit, the one-loop
circuit with the reflected impedance, can also be re-
drafted with a parallel (or shunt) impedance.
#7
The equalising condition is that the same
current is drawn from the e.m.f. as in the
equation for the secondary circuit (shown
on the right).
Equating the impedance from the secondary circuit equation with the impedance of the new parallel
combination of secondary coil and shunt impedance (without ZS) gives.
This gives the shunt impedance needed for equivalence.
The equivalent parallel secondary circuit is shown on
the right, where the shunt impedance is the primary
circuit impedance multiplied by the square of the
turns ratio.
The self-inductance of the secondary coil LS will
usually be large when compared with the shunt
impedance. As with all parallel combinations where
#8
one element is large compared with the other, the
large element can be neglected in favour of the small
element. This means that LS can be neglected and the
circuit will simply be:
The equivalent parallel secondary circuit has a secondary e.m.f.
the original secondary impedance, and a secondary shunt impedance .
The four equivalent single loop circuits are:
equivalent primary series circuit equivalent primary parallel circuit
equivalent secondary series circuit equivalent secondary parallel circuit
Example 1
For the circuit shown, find the power dissipated in the
load resistor.
(Note that the circuits are not ideally coupled since
, but this does not materially affect the
situation).
Since the load is on the secondary side, choose the
equivalent secondary series circuit.
#9
The equivalent secondary e.m.f. is: The reflected impedance is given by:
The secondary equivalent circuit is then: The secondary current is given by:
Substituting for the primary e.m.f. The average power dissipated in the load resistor
depends on the r.m.s. current:
#10
Example 2
In the circuit shown, power is supplied at 1000
rad.s
-1
. The primary circuit has a 400R resistor and a
10H capacitor. The transformer is ideal with mutual
inductance of 500mF and primary self-inductance of
400mF. Find the load required for maximum power
transfer.
Note: This question requires a knowledge of the
maximum power transfer theorem.
Since the load is on the secondary side, choose the
equivalent secondary series circuit.
Where
For maximum power transfer the
external load impedance must equal
the complex conjugate of the internal
impedance of the source.
The complex conjugate of the internal
impedance gives
This means that the load has to be a 400R resistor, and a capacitor
with reactance 325R, i.e.
#11
Summarising:
Transformers are mutual inductors and used in power tranmission, load matching and coupling electronic
stages.
Transformers typically have two coils of insulated highly conductive copper wire wound around a iron core.
The ideal transformer has no resistance, no hysteresis loss, constant self and mutual inductance, no flux loss
and no capacitance.
The complex mutual impedance is , and
The open circuit potentials give
The short circuit currents are
For a transformer with a complex load:
equivalent primary series circuit equivalent primary parallel circuit
equivalent secondary series circuit
div align="center">
equivalent secondary parallel circuit
Acknowledgement: These notes are based in part on "Alternating Current Circuit Theory" by G.J.Russell and
K.Mann NSWUP 1969.
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