BASICS OF DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS ACCORDING TO POWERTRANSFORMER.US

BASICS OF DISTRIBUTION TRANSFORMERS ACCORDING TO POWERTRANSFORMER.US
Review on the basics of a distribution transformer’s principle of operation and construction.

Distribution Transformers convert high-voltage electricity to lower voltage levels acceptable for use in homes and business.

Electrical energy is passed through distribution transformers to reduce high-distribution voltage levels down to end-use levels. Nearly all energy used in the United States passes through at least one distribution transformer before being consumed by an end-use appliance, motor, or other piece of equipment. Transformers are found in all sectors of the economy: residential, commercial, and industrial.

General Purpose Distribution Transformers

 They are generally used for supply appliance, lighting, motorized machine and power loads from electrical distribution systems. They are either ventilated or totally enclosed, and are available with either aluminum or copper windings in standard ratings from 50VA up to 750 kVA.

Non-Linear (K-Factor) Distribution Transformers

The use of electronic equipment has continued to grow in both offices and industrial plants. Offices now include computers, fax machines, copier, printers, cash registers, UPS's and solid-state ballasts. They all contribute to the distortion of the current waveform and the generation of Harmonics. The K-Factor transformer are designed to tolerate the harmonic distortion associated with these loads.

Distribution Transformer Basics

Copper or aluminum conductors are wound around a magnetic core to transform current from one voltage to another. Liquid insulation material or air (dry-type) surrounds the transformer core and conductors to cool and electrically insulate the transformer.

Since small distribution transformers do not generate much heat, a higher proportion of theses tend to be dry-type. Dry-types are less flammable, and are therefore often selected for use when they must be located in confined spaces on a customer's premises.

Distribution transformers are used in electric power systems. The final part of the distribution system at medium voltage is the distribution transformers. Due to the Iow impedance voltage, this type of power distribution transformer will not substantially limit the short circuit current in the case of a fault on its secondary side. It is therefore common practice that power distribution transformers have to be type tested to their ultimate short-circuit conditions. Power distribution transformers may be oil filled or dry-filled.  Manufacturer offers a complete range of power distribution transformers, which can be certified in one test access very efficiently.

You use a power distribution transformer when you have no interest in what happens below the LV terminal of the power distribution transformer. You use a power distribution transformer element if you are interested in modeling loads or lines on the LV side of the power distribution transformers. If you have a node with a power distribution transformer, any loads on that node are assumed to be applied at the LV side of the power distribution transformer. Modeling the power distribution transformer give you the benefit of computer values for secondary voltages, and transformer losses due to series (or copper) losses and due to no load (or core energization losses.

Transformer Design Characteristics:

Transformers consist of two primary components:

• A core made of magnetically permeable material.
• A conductor, or winding, typically made of a low resistance material such as aluminum or copper.