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8/17/2015

DifferencebetweenPowerTransformerandDistributionTransformer|EEP

electricalengineeringportal.com
http://electricalengineeringportal.com/differencebetweenpowertransformeranddistributiontransformer

DifferencebetweenPowerTransformerandDistribution
Transformer

Differencebetweenpoweranddistributiontransformer(Largedistributivetransformerby'PowertechTransformers'onpic)

Powertransformersareusedintransmissionnetworkofhighervoltagesforstepupandstepdownapplication
(400kV,200kV,110kV,66kV,33kV)andaregenerallyratedabove200MVA.
Distributiontransformersareusedforlowervoltagedistributionnetworksasameanstoenduserconnectivity.
(11kV,6.6kV,3.3kV,440V,230V)andaregenerallyratedlessthan200MVA.

TransformerSize/InsulationLevel:
Powertransformerisusedforthetransmissionpurposeatheavyload,highvoltagegreaterthan33KV&
100%efficiency.Italsohavingabiginsizeascomparetodistributiontransformer,itusedingeneratingstation
andTransmissionsubstation.highinsulationlevel.
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8/17/2015

DifferencebetweenPowerTransformerandDistributionTransformer|EEP

Thedistributiontransformerisusedforthedistributionofelectricalenergyatlowvoltageaslessthan33KV
inindustrialpurposeand440v220vindomesticpurpose.Itworkatlowefficiencyat5070%,smallsize,easyin
installation,havinglowmagneticlosses&itisnotalwaysfullyloaded.

IronLossesandCopperLosses
PowerTransformersareusedinTransmissionnetworksotheydonotdirectlyconnecttotheconsumers,so
loadfluctuationsareveryless.Theseareloadedfullyduring24hrsaday,soCulosses&Felossestakes
placethroughoutdaythespecificweighti.e.(ironweight)/(cuweight)isveryless.
Theaverageloadsarenearertofullloadedorfullloadandthesearedesignedinsuchawaythatmaximum
efficiencyatfullloadcondition.Theseareindependentoftimesoincalculatingtheefficiencyonlypowerbasis
isenough.
PowerTransformersareusedinDistributionNetworksodirectlyconnectedtotheconsumersoload
fluctuationsareveryhigh.thesearenotloadedfullyatalltimesoironlossestakesplace24hradayandcu
lossestakesplacebasedonloadcycle.thespecificweightismorei.e.(ironweight)/(cuweight).averageloads
areaboutonly75%offullloadandthesearedesignedinsuchawaythatmaxefficiencyoccursat75%offull
load.
Asthesearetimedependentthealldayefficiencyisdefinedinordertocalculatetheefficiency.

PowertransformersareusedfortransmissionasastepupdevicessothattheI2rlosscanbeminimizedfora
givenpowerflow.Thesetransformersaredesignedtoutilizethecoretomaximumandwilloperateverymuch
neartothekneepointofBHcurve(slightlyabovethekneepointvalue).Thisbringsdownthemassofthecore
enormously.Naturallythesetransformershavethematchedironlossesandcopperlossesatpeakload(i.e.the
maximumefficiencypointwhereboththelossesmatch).
Distributiontransformersobviouslycannotbedesignedlikethis.Hencethealldayefficiencycomesinto
picturewhiledesigningit.Itdependsonthetypicalloadcycleforwhichithastosupply.DefinitelyCoredesign
willbedonetotakecareofpeakloadandaswellasalldayefficiency.Itisabargainbetweenthesetwopoints.
Powertransformergenerallyoperatedatfullload.Hence,itisdesignedsuchthatcopperlossesareminimal.
However,adistributiontransformerisalwaysonlineandoperatedatloadslessthanfullloadformostoftime.
Hence,itisdesignedsuchthatcorelossesareminimal.
InPowerTransformerthefluxdensityishigherthanthedistributiontransformer.

MaximumEfficiency
Themaindifferencebetweenpoweranddistributiontransformerisdistributiontransformerisdesignedfor
maximumefficiencyat60%to70%loadasnormallydoesntoperateatfullloadallthetime.Itsloaddepends
ondistributiondemand.Whereaspowertransformerisdesignedformaximumefficiencyat100%loadasit
alwaysrunsat100%loadbeingneartogeneratingstation.
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8/17/2015

DifferencebetweenPowerTransformerandDistributionTransformer|EEP

DistributionTransformerisusedatthedistributionlevelwherevoltagestendtobelower.Thesecondaryvoltage
isalmostalwaysthevoltagedeliveredtotheendconsumer.Becauseofvoltagedroplimitations,itisusuallynot
possibletodeliverthatsecondaryvoltageovergreatdistances.
Asaresult,mostdistributionsystemstendtoinvolvemanyclustersofloadsfedfromdistributiontransformers,
andthisinturnmeansthatthethermalratingofdistributiontransformersdoesnthavetobeveryhightosupport
theloadsthattheyhavetoserve.
.
Alldayefficiency=(OutputinKWhr)/(InputinKWhr)in24hrswhichisalwayslessthanpowerefficiency.

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