Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE) PDF Download

Goals of the lesson

In the previous lesson we have seen how to draw equivalent circuit showing magnetizing reactance (Xm), resistance (Rcl), representing core loss, equivalent winding resistance (re) and equivalent leakage reactance (xe). The equivalent circuit will be of little help to us unless we know the parameter values. In this lesson we first describe two basic simple laboratory tests namely (i) open circuit test and (ii) short circuit test from which the values of the equivalent circuit parameters can be computed.  Once the equivalent circuit is completely known, we can predict the performance of the transformer at various loadings. Efficiency and regulation are two important quantities which are next defined and expressions for them derived and importance highlighted.  A number of objective type questions and problems are given at the end of the lesson which when solved will make the understanding of the lesson clearer.

Key Words: O.C. test, S.C test, efficiency, regulation.  

After going through this section students will be able to answer the following questions.

  • Which parameters are obtained from O.C test?
  • Which parameters are obtained from S.C test?
  • What percentage of rated voltage is needed to be applied to carry out O.C test?
  • What percentage of rated voltage is needed to be applied to carry out S.C test?
  • From which side of a large transformer, would you like to carry out O.C test?
  • From which side of a large transformer, would you like to carry out S.C test?
  • How to calculate efficiency of the transformer at a given load and power factor?
  • Under what condition does the transformer operate at maximum efficiency?
  • What is regulation and its importance?
  • How to estimate regulation at a given load and power factor?
  • What is the difference between efficiency and all day efficiency?

Determination of equivalent circuit parameters 

After developing the equivalent circuit representation, it is natural to ask, how to know equivalent circuit the parameter values. Theoretically from the detailed design data it is possible to estimate various parameters shown in the equivalent circuit. In practice, two basic tests namely the open circuit test and the short circuit test are performed to determine the equivalent circuit parameters. 

Qualifying parameters with suffixes LV & HV 

For a given transformer of rating say, 10 kVA, 200 V / 100 V, 50 Hz, one should not be under the impression that 200 V (HV) side will always be the primary (as because this value appears first in order in the voltage specification) and 100 V (LV) side will always be secondary.  Thus, for a given transformer either of the HV and LV sides may be used as primary or secondary as decided by the user to suit his/her goals in practice.  Usually suffixes 1 and 2 are used for expressing quantities in terms of primary and secondary respectively – there is nothing wrong in it so long one keeps track clearly which side is being used as primary.  However, there are situation, such as carrying out O.C & S.C tests (discussed in the next section), where naming parameters with suffixes HV and LV become imperative to avoid mix up or confusion.  Thus, it will be useful to qualify the parameter values using the suffixes HV and LV (such as rHV, re LV etc. instead of re1, re2).  Therefore, it is recommended to use suffixes as LV, HV instead of 1 and 2 while describing quantities (like voltage VHV, VLV and currents IHV, ILV) or parameters (resistances rHV, rLV and reactances xHV, xLV) in such cases.

  25.2.2 Open Circuit Test  To carry out open circuit test it is the LV side of the transformer where rated voltage at rated frequency is applied and HV side is left opened as shown in the circuit diagram 25.1. The voltmeter, ammeter and the wattmeter readings are taken and suppose they are V0, I0 and W0 respectively. During this test, rated flux is produced in the core and the current drawn is the noload current which is quite small about 2 to 5% of the rated current. Therefore low range ammeter and wattmeter current coil should be selected. Strictly speaking the wattmeter will record the core loss as well as the LV winding copper loss. But the winding copper loss is very small compared to the core loss as the flux in the core is rated. In fact this approximation is builtin in the approximate equivalent circuit of the transformer referred to primary side which is LV side in this case. 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 The approximate equivalent circuit and the corresponding phasor diagrams are shown in figures 25.2 (a) and (b) under no load condition.

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Figure 25.2:  Equivalent circuit & phasor diagram during O.C test 

Below we shall show how from the readings of the meters the parallel branch impedance namely Rcl(LV) and Xm(LV) can be calculated. 

Calculate no load power factor cos θTesting, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Hence θ0 is kn own, calculate sin θ0 

Calculate magnetizing current Im = I0 sin θ0

Calculate core loss component of current Icl = I0 cos θ0

Magnetising branch reactance Xm(LV)  = Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Resistance representing core loss Rcl(LV)  = Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 We can also calculate Xm(HV) and Rcl(HV) as follows:

                                          Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)  

If we want to draw the equivalent circuit referred to LV side then Rcl(LV) and Xm(LV) are to be used. On the other hand if we are interested for the equivalent circuit referred to HV side, Rcl(HV) and Xm(HV) are to be used.

Short circuit test

Short circuit test is generally carried out by energizing the HV side with LV side shorted. Voltage applied is such that the rated current flows in the windings. The circuit diagram is shown in the figure 25.3. Here also voltmeter, ammeter and the wattmeter readings are noted corresponding to the rated current of the windings.  

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Figure 25.3:  Circuit diagram during S.C test 

Suppose the readings are Vsc, Isc and Wsc. It should be noted that voltage required to be applied for rated short circuit current is quite small (typically about 5%). Therefore flux level in the core of the transformer will be also very small. Hence core loss is negligibly small compared to the winding copper losses as rated current now flows in the windings. Magnetizing current too, will be pretty small. In other words, under the condition of the experiment, the parallel branch impedance comprising of Rcl(HV) and Xm(LV) can be considered to be absent. The equivalent circuit and the corresponding phasor diagram during circuit test are shown in figures 25.4 (a) and 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Figure 25.4:  Equivalent circuit & phasor diagram during S.C test 

Equivalent resistance ref. to HV side re(HV) = Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Equivalent impedance ref. to HV side ze(HV)Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Equivalent leakage reactance ref. to HV side xe(HV) = Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 We can also calculate re(LV) and xe(LV) as follows:

                                                                 Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Once again, remember if you are drawing equivalent circuit referred to LV side, use parameter values with suffixes LV, while for equivalent circuit referred to HV side parameter values with suffixes HV must be used.

Efficiency of transformer

In a practical transformer we have seen mainly two types of major losses namely core and copper losses occur. These losses are wasted as heat and temperature of the transformer rises. Therefore output power of the transformer will be always less than the input power drawn by the primary from the source and efficiency is defined as  

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

We have seen that from no load to the full load condition the core loss, Pcore remains practically constant since the level of flux remains practically same. On the other hand we know that the winding currents depend upon the degree of loading and copper loss directly depends upon the square of the current and not a constant from no load to full load condition. We shall write a general expression for efficiency for the transformer operating at x per unit loading and delivering power to a known power factor load. Let,  

KVA rating of the transformer be  = S 

Per unit degree of loading be  = x

Transformer is delivering  = x S KVA 

Power factor of the load be  = cos θ

Output power in KW  = xS cos θ

Let copper loss at full load (i.e., x = 1)  = Pcu

 Therefore copper loss at x per unit loading  = x2 Pcu

Constant core loss  = Pcore

 Therefore efficiency of the transformer for general loading will become:

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

If the power factor of the load (i.e., cos θ) is kept constant and degree of loading of the transformer is varied we get the efficiency Vs degree of loading curve as shown in the figure 25.5. For a given load power factor, transformer can operate at maximum efficiency at some unique value of loading i.e., x. To find out the condition for maximum efficiency, the above equation for η can be differentiated with respect to x and the result is set to 0. Alternatively, the right hand side of the above equation can be simplified to, by dividing the numerator and the denominator by x. the expression for η then becomes: 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

For efficiency to be maximum, d/dx (Denominator) is set to zero and we get, 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

The loading for maximum efficiency, x  = Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

                                                                                  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Thus we see that for a given power factor, transformer will operate at maximum efficiency when it is loaded to  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)S KVA. For transformers intended to be used continuously at its rated KVA, should be designed such that maximum efficiency occurs at x = 1. Power transformers fall under this category. However for transformers whose load widely varies over time, it is not desirable to have maximum efficiency at x = 1. Distribution transformers fall under this category and the typical value of x for maximum efficiency for such transformers may between 0.75 to 0.8. Figure 25.5 show a family of efficiency Vs. degree of loading curves with power factor as parameter. It can be seen that for any given power factor, maximum efficiency occurs at a loading of X= Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE) Efficiencies ηmax1, ηmax2 and ηmax3 are respectively the maximum efficiencies corresponding to power factors of unity, 0.8 and 0.7 respectively. It can easily be shown that for a given load (i.e., fixed x), if power factor is allowed to vary then maximum efficiency occurs at unity power factor. Combining the above observations we can say that the  efficiency is obtained when the loading of the transformer is X= Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)and load power factor is unity. Transformer being a static device its efficiency is very high of the order of 98% to even 99%. 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Figure 25.5:  Efficiency VS degree of loading curves. 

All day efficiency  

In the earlier section we have seen that the efficiency of the transformer is dependent upon the degree of loading and the load power factor. The knowledge of this efficiency is useful provided the load and its power factor remains constant throughout.  For example take the case of a distribution transformer. The transformers which are used to supply LT consumers (residential, office complex etc.) are called distribution transformers. For obvious reasons, the load on such transformers vary widely over a day or 24 hours. Some times the transformer may be practically under no load condition (say at mid night) or may be over loaded during peak evening hours. Therefore it is not fare to judge efficiency of the transformer calculated at a particular load with a fixed power factor. All day efficiency, alternatively called energy efficiency is calculated for such transformers to judge how efficient are they. To estimate the efficiency the whole day (24 hours) is broken up into several time blocks over which the load remains constant. The idea is to calculate total amount of energy output in KWH and total amount of energy input in KWH over a complete day and then take the ratio of these two to get the energy efficiency or all day efficiency of the transformer. Energy or All day efficiency of a transformer is defined as

ηall day  = Energy  output  in  KWH  in  24hours /Energy  input  in  KWH  in  24  hours

              =Energy  output  in  KWH in  24 hours /Output  in  KWH  in  24  hours + Energy loss in 24 hours

              =Output  in  KWH  in  24 hours /Output  in  KWH  in  24 hours + Loss in core in 24 hours + Loss in the Winding in 24 hours

              =Energy output  in  KWH  in  24 hours /Energy output  in  KWH  in  24  hours + 24P core + Energy loss (cu) in the winding in 24 hours

With primary energized all the time, constant Pcore loss will always be present no matter what is the degree of loading. However copper loss will have different values for different time blocks as it depends upon the degree of loadings. As pointed out earlier, if Pcu is the full load copper loss corresponding to x = 1, copper loss at any arbitrary loading x will be x2 Pcu. It is better to make the following table and then calculate ηall day.

Time blocks KVA Loading Degree of loading xP.F of loadKWH outputKWH cu loss 
T1 hoursS1x1 = S1/Scos θ1S1 cosθ1 T1x12 Pcu T1
T2 hoursS2x= S2/Scos θ2S2 cos θ2T2x22 Pcu T2
Tn hoursSnxn = Sn/Scos θnSn cos θnTnxn2 Pcu Tn

 Note that  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 Energy output in 24 hours  =  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Total energy loss = Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Regulation  

The output voltage in a transformer will not be maintained constant from no load to the full load condition, for a fixed input voltage in the primary. This is because there will be internal voltage drop in the series leakage impedance of the transformer the magnitude of which will depend upon the degree of loading as well as on the power factor of the load. The knowledge of regulation gives us idea about change in the magnitude of the secondary voltage from no load to full load condition at a given power factor. This can be determined experimentally by direct loading of the transformer. To do this, primary is energized with rated voltage and the secondary terminal voltage is recorded in absence of any load and also in presence of full load. Suppose the readings of the voltmeters are respectively V20 and V2. Therefore change in the magnitudes of the secondary voltage is V20 – V2. This change is expressed as a percentage of the no load secondary voltage to express regulation. Lower value of regulation will ensure lesser fluctuation of the voltage across the loads. If the transformer were ideal regulation would have been zero.  

Percentage  Regulation  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

For a well designed transformer at full load and 0.8 power factor load percentage regulation may lie in the range of 2 to 5%. However, it is often not possible to fully load a large transformer in the laboratory in order to know the value of regulation. Theoretically one can estimate approximately, regulation from the equivalent circuit. For this purpose let us draw the equivalent circuit of the transformer referred to the secondary side and neglect the effect of no load current as shown in the figure 25.6. The corresponding phasor diagram referred to the secondary side is shown in figure 25.7.

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Figure 25.6: Equivalent circuit ref. to  secondary.  Figure 25.7: Phasor diagram ref. to  secondary. 

It may be noted that when the transformer is under no load condition (i.e., S is opened), the terminal voltage V2 is same as V20. However, this two will be different when the switch is closed due to drops in I2 re2 and I2 xe2. For a loaded transformer the phasor diagram is drawn taking terminal voltage V2 on reference. In the usual fashion I2 is drawn lagging V2, by the power factor angle of the load θ2 and the drops in the equivalent resistance and leakage reactances are added to get the phasor V20. Generally, the resistive drop I2 re2 is much smaller than the reactive drop I2 xe2. It is because of this the angle between OC and OA (δ) is quite small. Therefore as per the definition we can say regulation is  

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 An approximate expression for regulation can now be easily derived geometrically from the phasor diagram shown in figure 25.7. 

 OC = OD since, δ is small  

Therefore, OC – OA  = OD – OA 

                                  = AD

                                  = AE + ED 

                                  = I2 re2 cos θ2 + I2 xe2 sin θ2

So per unit regulation, R  = Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

                               Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

                            Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

It is interesting to note that the above regulation formula was obtained in terms of quantities of secondary side.  It is also possible to express regulation in terms of primary quantities as shown below: 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Now multiplying the numerator and denominator of the RHS by a the turns ratio, and further manipulating a bit with a in numerator we get: 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 Now remembering, that  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)  we get regulation formula in terms of primary quantity as: 

                                        Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 Neglecting no load current: R  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

 Thus regulation can be calculated using either primary side quantities or secondary side quantities, since: 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Now the quantity  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE) represents what fraction of the secondary no load voltage is dropped in the equivalent winding resistance of the transformer.  Similarly the quantity Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)represents what fraction of the secondary no load voltage is dropped in the equivalent leakage reactance of the transformer.  If I2 is rated curerent, then these quantities are called the per unit resistance and per unit leakage reactance of the transformer and denoted by ∈and ∈respectively.  The terms  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE) andTesting, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)are called the per unit resistance and per unit leakage reactance respectively.  Similarly, per unit leakage impedance ∈z,can be defined.  It can be easily shown that the per unit values can also be calculated in terms of primary quantities as well and the relations are summarised below. 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

It may be noted that the per unit values of resistance and leakage reactance come out to be same irrespective of the sides from which they are calculated.  So regulation can now be expressed in a simple form in terms of per unit resistance and leakage reactance as follows.  

 per unit regulation, R = ∈r cos θ2 + ∈xsin θ2

and % regulation R  =  Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

For leading power factor load, regulation may be negative indicating that secondary terminal voltage is more than the no load voltage. A typical plot of regulation versus power factor for rated current is shown in figure 25.8. 

Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

                                                                                                    Figure 25.9:  LV and HV windings in both the limbs.

To keep the regulation to a prescribed limit of low value, good material (such as copper) should be used to reduce resistance and the primary and secondary windings should be distributed in the limbs in order to reduce leakage flux, hence leakage reactance. The hole LV winding is divided into two equal parts and placed in the two limbs. Similar is the case with the HV windings as shown in figure 25.9.  

The document Testing, Efficiency & Regulation | Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE) is a part of the Electrical Engineering (EE) Course Basic Electrical Technology.
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FAQs on Testing, Efficiency & Regulation - Basic Electrical Technology - Electrical Engineering (EE)

1. What is testing efficiency and why is it important in the context of regulation?
Ans. Testing efficiency refers to the ability of a regulatory system to effectively evaluate the safety and efficacy of a product or service. It is important because efficient testing ensures that adequate levels of scrutiny are applied to minimize risks and protect the public. By streamlining the testing process, regulatory agencies can effectively allocate resources and expedite the approval or certification of products and services.
2. How does testing efficiency impact the time it takes for a product or service to enter the market?
Ans. Testing efficiency plays a significant role in determining the time it takes for a product or service to enter the market. A more efficient testing process allows for faster evaluation and approval, reducing the time-to-market. This can be crucial for industries where innovation is rapid, as delays in regulatory approvals may hinder competitiveness and delay the availability of new products or services to consumers.
3. What are the key factors that contribute to testing efficiency?
Ans. Several factors contribute to testing efficiency, including the availability of standardized testing protocols, clear regulatory guidelines, sufficient resources and expertise within regulatory agencies, effective communication between regulators and industry stakeholders, and the use of modern technology and automation in the testing process. Streamlining these factors can lead to improved efficiency in evaluating the safety and efficacy of products or services.
4. How can regulatory agencies ensure both efficient testing and adequate regulation?
Ans. Regulatory agencies can ensure both efficient testing and adequate regulation by adopting risk-based approaches. This involves focusing resources on areas where risks are highest, such as novel technologies or products with potential safety concerns, while employing streamlined processes for well-established products or services. Additionally, collaboration with industry stakeholders, continuous evaluation of testing protocols, and leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can further enhance efficiency without compromising regulatory standards.
5. How does regulation influence testing efficiency in different industries?
Ans. The impact of regulation on testing efficiency can vary across industries. In highly regulated sectors such as pharmaceuticals or medical devices, stringent testing requirements may be necessary to ensure public safety, which can potentially increase the time and resources required for testing. Conversely, in less regulated industries or those with more flexible regulatory frameworks, testing efficiency can be improved by adopting risk-based approaches and leveraging existing evidence or data from similar products or services. Balancing regulation and testing efficiency is crucial to ensure adequate protection while promoting innovation and market access.
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