1

Electrical Engineering &

Telecommunications
Lecturer:
Ted Spooner
Magnetic Circuits - Inductors &
Transformers
Elec1111 Elec1111
Rm124A EE email: e.spooner@unsw.edu.au
mmf & Flux
magneto motive force
.....mmf
mmf =NI
Flux
Reluctance R
I
N

R
Reluctance
+
V
I
R Resistance
electro motive force
.....emf
emf or Voltage
Current I
Resistance R
mmf & Flux Equations
Flux =mmf/Reluctance
=NI/R
I
N

R
Reluctance
+
V
I
R Resistance
Ohms law I =V/R
material of ty permiabili relative
.10 4 air of ty permiabili
circuit of length
area sectional cross
.
7 -
0
0
=
= =
=
=
=
r
r
l
A
A
l

R
Function Force Flow Resistance
to Flow
Electrical V
Emf
Volts
I
Current
Amps
R
Resistance
Ohms ()
Magnetic mmf
Amp turns

Flux
Weber (Wb)
R
Reluctance
2
Saturation affects in Magnetic
materials
=NI/R applies only in the linear region
Most magnetic materials only support a limited
amount of flux before they saturate.
This does not apply to air.

NI
Saturation
Most designs have
to limit the flux to
levels below
saturation.
Magnetic circuit with air gap
=NI/(R
m
+R
g
)
I
N

R
m
R
g
+
V
I
R
circuit
R
gap
I =V/(R
circuit
+R
gap
)
Faradays Law
emf =rate of change of flux coupled by a coil
* number of turns in the coil
emf =V =N d/dt
Voltage on coil d/dt ie flux change or
d/dt coupling coil Voltage on coil
A single coil on a
core is an Inductor L
........1
dt
di
L
dt
d
N V = =

I
N

3
Sinusoidal Voltage applied to an
Inductor
Inductor Load
-1
0
1
0 90 180 270 360
wt
Voltage
Current
Current and Flux have similar waveforms.
Add another coil and we have a
Transformer
I
1
N
1

V
1
V
2
I
2
R
load N
2
dt
d
N v

1 1
=
1
2
2
1
2
1
2 2 1 1
2 2 1 1
so cos cos
out Power in Power
i
i
N
N
v
v
i v i v
i v i v
= =
=
=
=

2
1
2
1
N
N
v
v
=
dt
d
N v

2 2
=
Impedance ratio
I
1
N
1

V
1
V
2
I
2
Z
L N
2 Z
LP
~
2
~
2
I
V
Z =
L
1
2
2
1
2
1
I
I
N
N
V
V
= =
2
2
1
2
2
1
~
2
~
2
1
2
~
2
2
1
~
2
~
1
~
1
. Z Z
I
V
I
V
I
V
Z

= = =
N
N
N
N
x
N
N
x
N
N
x
L LP
LP
Transformers work on ac NOT
dc
So what happens if we apply a DC voltage to a coil?
VappliedNd/dt
V =N d/dt
While V is const then d/dt is constant and the flux and
current increase linearly and the current can reach a
very high value if the voltage is not removed.
I
N

R
Reluctance
i
t=0
V
b
t=0
V
b
4
Transformer
How much current is drawn by a transformer if no load
is connected to the output?
Ideal transformer I
nl
=0 because =0
Real transformer I
nl
depends on the flux level,N, .
Transformer looks like an inductor.
If large reluctance then I
nl
will be large- losses.
That is why transformers are built with no airgaps.
peak is determined by v, N, and the frequency
Ideal Transformer
The windings have no resistance so no losses.
The core has zero reluctance so it requires no current
to establish a flux in the core.
No losses in the core due to stray currents.
All the flux produced by the primary winding couples
the secondary winding.
Real Transformer
The windings have resistance .. so losses
R
1
& R
2
.
R
1
R
2
The core has a non zero
reluctance so it requires
current to establish a flux in
the core.....X
m
.
Core has losses due to stray currents in the core R
m
.
X
m
R
1
R
2
R
m
X
m
R
1
R
2
Real Transformer
Some of the flux produced by the primary winding does
not couple the secondary winding X
1
.
R
m
X
m
R
1
X
1
R
2
R
m
X
m
R
1
X
1
R
2
X
2
Some of the flux produced by the secondary winding
does not couple the primary winding X
2
.
5
Real Transformer
Equivalent Circuit
R
m
X
m
R
1
X
1
R
2
X
2
Transformer SIZE
Related to the VA rating and the frequency.
Core material is limited in the amount of flux that it can
take for a given cross-sectional area without saturating.
) . cos( . .
max
t N
dt
d
N V

= =
For given V and then have to select a core size.
The core size then determines the which can be supported.
Then have to tailor the turns N to suit.
If is large then we need less N.
SO V and determine the size of the core and N.
) . sin( if
max
t =
dt
d
N V

=
Transformer SIZE
Related to the VA rating and the frequency.
The current determines the size of wire required and
with the number of turns this decides the volume of the
winding.
Two Transformers each rated at
1kVA
50Hz transformer weighs 30kg and has efficiency of 95%
20kHz transformer weighs 0.5kg and has efficiency of 99%
6
WHY Transformer?
Used to change voltage and current levels in
AC circuits
Without transformers:
Distribution of Electric Power is very difficult.
Use of power in appliances is difficult.
Transmission of Energy is done at high
voltage to decrease the current and hence
the I
2
R losses.
Transformer
Transfer energy from input to output
In at high voltage and low current and
Out at low voltage and high current.
OR Vice-Versa.
Size (volume) of transformer is related to its VA
rating.
Work on AC only...ideally sinusoidal V
) . cos( . then ) . sin( t A t A V if
dt
d
N V

Important design considerations

Size related to VA rating
Transformers are not ideal
They generate heat so need ventilation.
They have internal impedance so they give
you voltage drop (Regulation problems).
Example
What current flows in the capacitor?
TRANSFORMER
240V
50Hz
PRIMARY SECONDARY
5F
Turns ratio 12:8
7
Example
A transformer has a load connected to the
secondary terminals. The load requires 4 Amps
at 12 Volts and it has a powerfactor of 0.5 lagging.
The transformer has:
A primary winding resistance 50
A secondary winding resistance 0.05
A turns ratio of 20:1
What voltage needs to be applied to the primary
terminals of the transformer to ensure the load is
supplied with the correct voltage and current?