Transformers

THREE-PHASE TRANSFORMERS
Transformers for three-phase circuits can be constructed in one of two ways:

- three single-phase transformers connected in a three-phase bank.
- three sets of windings wrapped on a common core, as below.
A single three-phase transformer is lighter, smaller, cheaper, and slightly more

efficient, but using three separate single-phase transformers has the advantage that
each unit in the bank could be replaced individually in the event of trouble. A utility
would only need to stock a single spare single-phase transformer to back up all three
phases, potentially saving money.
Three-Phase Transformer Connections

The primaries and secondaries of any three-phase transformer can be independently
connected in either a Wye (Y) or a delta (  ). This gives a total of four possible
connections for a three-phase transformer bank:
1) Wye- wye (Y - Y)
2) Wye-delta (Y -  )
3) Delta-wye (  -Y)
4) Delta-delta (  -  )
The impedance, voltage regulation, efficiency, and similar calculations for three-
phase transformers are done on a per-phase basis.
WYE-WYE CONNECTION
This connection is shown below.
Yasin A. Al Shiboul, Al Balqa Applied University, Faculty of Engineering Technology, EE Department

In this connection, the primary voltage on each phase of the transformer is given by
V
VP  LP . The primary-phase voltage is related to the secondary-phase voltage by
3
the turns ratio of the transformer. The phase voltage on the secondary is then related
to the line voltage on the secondary by VLS  3VS . Therefore, overall the voltage
ratio on the transformer is:
V LP 3VP
 a
V LS 3VS
The Y-Y connection has two very serious problems:
1) If loads on the transformer circuit are unbalanced, then the voltages on the phases
of the transformer can become severely unbalanced.
2) Third-harmonic voltages can be large.
Notice thet if a three-phase set of voltages is applied to the Y-Y transformer, the
voltages in any phase will be 120 0 apart from the voltages in any other phase.
However, the third-harmonic components of each of the three phase voltage will be in
phase with each other, since there are three cycles in the third harmonic for each cycle
of the fundamental frequency. There are always some third-harmonic components in
transformer voltage because of the nonlinearity of the core, and these components add
up. The result is a very large third-harmonic component of voltage on top of the
fundamental voltage. This third-harmonic voltage can be larger than the fundamental
voltage itself.
Both the unbalance problem and the third-harmonic problem can be solved using one
of two techniques:
1) Solidly ground the neutrals of the transformers, especially the primary winding's
neutral. This connection permits the additive third-harmonic components to cause a
current flow in the neutral instead of building up large voltages. The neutral also
provides a return path for any current imbalances in the load.
2) Add a third (tertiary) winding connected in  to the transformer bank. If a third

 -connected winding is added to the transformer then the third-harmonic
components of voltage in the  will add up, causing a circulating current flow within
the winding. This suppresses the third-harmonic components of voltage in the same
manner as grounding the transformer neutrals.
The  -connected tertiary windings need not even be brought out of the transformer
case, but they often are used to supply lights and auxiliary power within the substation
where it is located. The tertiary windings must be large enough to handle the
circulating currents, so they are usually made about one-third the power rating of the
two main windings.
One or the other of these correction techniques must be used any time a Y-Y
transformer is installed. In practice, very few Y - Y transformers are used, since the
same jobs can be done by one of the other types of three-phase transformers.
WYE-DELTA CONNECTION
This connection is shown in the following figure.

In this connection, the primary line voltage is related to the primary phase voltage by
VLP  3VP , while the secondary line voltage is equal to the secondary phase voltage
VLS  VS . The voltage ratio of each phase is:
VP
a
VS
The relationship between the line voltage on the primary side of the bank and the line
voltage on the secondary side of the bank is:
VLP 3VP
  3a
VLS VS
Notice that this connection has no problem with the third-harmonic components in its
voltages, since they are consumed in a circulating current on the  side. This
connection is also more stable with respect to unbalanced loads, since the  partially
redistributes any imbalance that occurs.
This arrangement does have one problem, though. Because of the connection, the
secondary voltage is shifted 30° relative to the primary voltage of the transformer.
The fact that a phase shift has occurred can cause problems in paralleling the
secondaries of two transformer banks together. The phase angles of transformer
secondaries must be equal if they are to be paralleled, which means that attention
must be paid to the direction of the 30° phase shift occuring in each transformer bank
to be paralleled together.
Notice that, the connection shown in the previous figure will cause the secondary
voltage to be lagging if the system phase sequence is abc (positive sequence). If the
system phase sequence is acb (negative sequence), then the secondary voltage will be
leading the primary voltage by 30°.
DELTA- WYE CONNECTION

This connection is shown in the following figure.

In this connection, the primary line voltage is equal to the primary-phase voltage
V LP  VP , while the secondary voltages are related by VLS  3VS . Therefore, the
line-to-line voltage ratio of this transformer connection is:
VLP VP 1 VP a
  
VLS 3VS 3 VS 3
This connection has the same advantages and the same phase shift as the Y- 
transformer. The connection shown in the previous figure makes the secondary
voltage lag the primary voltage by 30 0 , as before.
DELTA-DELTA CONNECTION.
This connection is shown in the figure below.
In this connection:
V LP  VP and V LS  VS , thus:

V LP VP
 a
V LS VS
This transformer connection has no phase shift associated with it and no problems with
unbalanced loads or harmonics.

Transformers

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THREE-PHASE TRANSFORMERS

Transformers for three-phase circuits can be constructed in one of two ways:

A single three-phase transformer is lighter, smaller, cheaper, and slightly more

Three-Phase Transformer Connections

Yasin A. Al Shiboul, Al Balqa Applied University, Faculty of Engineering Technology, EE Department

2) Add a third (tertiary) winding connected in  to the transformer bank. If a third

Yasin A. Al Shiboul, Al Balqa Applied University, Faculty of Engineering Technology, EE Department

DELTA- WYE CONNECTION

Yasin A. Al Shiboul, Al Balqa Applied University, Faculty of Engineering Technology, EE Department

Yasin A. Al Shiboul, Al Balqa Applied University, Faculty of Engineering Technology, EE Department

Yasin A. Al Shiboul, Al Balqa Applied University, Faculty of Engineering Technology, EE Department

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