There are mainly two kinds of losses in a transformer,namely

(1)core loss.
(2)Ohmic loss.
1.Core loss:

These core losses in transformer consists of two components hysteresis loss and
eddy current loss
i.e. core loss=hysteresis loss+eddy current loss.
hysteresis losses depends on applied voltage and its frequency
eddy current loss is proportional to squre of the applied votage and is independent of
frequency f.
3.Ohmic loss:
when transformer is loadded ohmic losses(i^2*r)occurs in both the primary and
secondary winding resisrances.
In addition to core loss the follwing loss has to be taken into consideration

Stray losses: Leakage fields present in the transformer induce eddy currents in
conductors,tanks,channels,bolts etc. and these eddy currents give rise to stray
losses.
Divisionbyzer0
Oct20-05, 02:02 AM
CORE LOSSES:

I. the energy dissipated in the core due to hysterisis over one cycle is the area
enclosed by the hysterisis loop:
E_{\mbox{per cycle}}=\oint B(H)dH,

where B and H are the magnetic field (flux density) and magnetizing intensity (or
auxilliary field or just "H") present in the core. Physically, this loss is understood as
the energy required to orient and reorient the magnetic domains in the
ferromagnetic material, when the direction of the magnetic field changes due to the
A.C. current. The rate of dissipation is basically the area enclosed by the curve times
the frequency.

II. Eddy current is a consequence of faraday's law of voltage induction: when A.C.
current is applied to the windings, this changing current results in a magnetic flux
which "flows" through the core of the transformer-- this flux is proportional to the
current, so it is also CHANGING in time. Time changing fluxes induce time changing
electromotive forces. The induced emf's are loops which are essentially around the
path of the flux in a cylindrical manner; since the core material (iron) is a conductor,
the induced emf's will give rise to currents that swirl around the loop of the emf.

OHMIC LOSS:
This one is the easiest to understand-- The copper windings of the primary and
secondary of the transformer are (obviously) conductors, so some energy will be
dissipated in them. The copper wire of the primary and secondary will have total
resistances of R_{P} and R_{S}; energy will dissipate in them at a rate of
P_{\mbox{ohmic}}=I_{P}^2R_{P}+I_{S}^2R_{S}.
Note that the resistances of the wires depend on frequency to some extent-- higher
frequency, higher resistance (skin effect).

STRAY LOSSES:
Since the world is not "ideal" air has some finite albeit small magnetic
permeability \mu_{\mbox{air}}\approx\mu_{0}=4\pi \times 10^-^7\mbox{H/m},
which means it presents a LARGE reluctance to magnetic flux, so some of the flux
will "leak" out of the core of the transformer. As a model, you can view the air and
core as two reluctances (the magnetic analog of resistnace) in "parallel". The smaller
reluctance - the path formed by the iron core - will take most of the flux, since the
larger reluctance - the air - is not infinite in value some flux loops out and passes
through it. If there are conducting materials in the path you can again have losses
from the farady induction in those materials.

Hope this helps. If you aren't familiar with the concept of reluctance, I suggest
searching magnetic circuits concepts, also search for the full equivalent circuit model
of the transformer. All of these losses, can be modelled to an approximation with
inductances and resistances.

Eddy current
.
Electromagnetism

Eddy currents (also called Foucault currents[1]) are currents induced in

conductors, opposing the change in flux that generated them. It is caused
when a conductor is exposed to a changing magnetic field due to relative
motion of the field source and conductor; or due to variations of the field
with time. This can cause a circulating flow of electrons, or a current, within
the body of the conductor. These circulating eddies of current create induced
magnetic fields that oppose the change of the original magnetic field due to
Lenz's law, causing repulsive or drag forces between the conductor and the
magnet. The stronger the applied magnetic field, or the greater the electrical
conductivity of the conductor, or the faster the field that the conductor is
exposed to changes, then the greater the currents that are developed and the
greater the opposing field.

The term eddy current comes from analogous currents seen in water when
dragging an oar breadthwise: localised areas of turbulence known as eddies
give rise to persistent vortices.
Eddy currents, like all electric currents, generate heat as well as
electromagnetic forces. The heat can be harnessed for induction heating. The
electromagnetic forces can be used for levitation, creating movement, or to
give a strong braking effect. Eddy currents can also have undesirable effects,
for instance power loss in transformers. In this application, they are
minimised with thin plates, by lamination of conductors or other details of
conductor shape.

Self-induced eddy currents are responsible for the skin effect in conductors.
[2]
The latter can be used for non-destructive testing of materials for
geometry features, like micro-cracks.[3] A similar effect is the proximity
effect, which is caused by externally-induced eddy currents.[4]

History
French physicist Léon Foucault is credited with having discovered Eddy
currents in 1855.

Explanation

As the circular plate moves down through a small region of constant

magnetic field directed into the page, eddy currents are induced in the plate.
The direction of those currents is given by Lenz's law.

When a conductor moves relative to the field generated by a source,

electromotive forces (EMFs) can be generated around loops within the
conductor. These EMFs acting on the resistivity of the material generate a
current around the loop, in accordance with Faraday's law of induction.
These currents dissipate energy, and create a magnetic field that tends to
oppose the changes in the field.
Eddy currents are created when a moving conductor experiences changes in
the magnetic field generated by a stationary object, as well as when a
stationary conductor encounters a varying magnetic field. Both effects are
present when a conductor moves through a varying magnetic field, as is the
case at the top and bottom edges of the magnetized region shown in the
diagram. Eddy currents will be generated wherever a conducting object
experiences a change in the intensity or direction of the magnetic field at any
point within it, and not just at the boundaries.

What is an Eddy Current?

Answer:
An eddy current is the current is induced in little swirls ("eddies") on a large
conductor (picture a sheet of copper).
If a large conductive metal plate is moved through a magnetic field which
intersects
perpendicularly to the sheet, the magnetic field will induce small "rings" of
current
which will actually create internal magnetic fields opposing the change. This
is why
a large sheet of metal swung through a strong magnetic field will stop as it
starts
to move through the field. All of its kinetic energy will cause a major change
in
the magnetic field as it enters it which will induce rings of current which
will
oppose the surrounding magnetic field and slow the object down. In effect,
the kinetic
energy will go into driving small currents inside the metal which will give
off that
energy as heat as they push through the metal.

If this isn't a satisfying answer, consider a simple wire loop being moved
through
a magnetic field. If you've learned anything about motors and/or generators,
you will have probably learned that a current will be induced in this loop in
a similar fashion. Likewise, a wire loop being pushed into a magnetic field
will
induce a current which will make it difficult to continue pushing. Likewise,
it
will resist being pulled out as well. An eddy current does the same thing, but
instead of being forced in the path of the loop, it is allowed to travel in
the "eddy" pattern that nature provides.

To get rid of eddy currents, slits can be cut in metals so that large eddies
cannot occur. This is why the metal cores of transformers are often
assembled
in small laminations with an insulator in between. This prevents AC energy
from
being lost to eddies generated within the magnetic core (which typically is
also conductive because it is a metal like iron).

Now, sometimes eddy currents are a good thing. Mentioned above, eddy
currents
help turn kinetic energy quickly into other forms of energy. Because of this,
braking systems have been created which take advantage of it. Adding a
magnetic
field around a spinning piece of metal will cause eddy currents in that metal
to
create magnetic fields which will slow the object spinning down quickly as
long as
the magnetic is strong enough.

Now, this can be taken one step farther and a circuit can be built which
shuffles
kinetic energy turned into electrical energy back into a battery.
This is what many Hybrid cars do (and Dean Kamen's "Segway" not only
when it
is stopping but when it is going downhill).