Special features of transformers for particular purposes

Table 7.3 Combustion

NOMEX aramid

gases

729

from

Off-gases, mg/g sample

Burning at 900 1000 C

CO2
CO
C2 H4
C2 H2
CH4
N2 O
HCN
NH3
H2 O

Excess air

Deficient air

2100
< 10

1900
100
<1
1
<2
4
8

< 0.5
<2
2
10

gives details of the products of combustion from NOMEX aramid paper at

900 1000 C for the cases of both excess and insufficient air.

7.9 SCOTT- AND LE BLANC-CONNECTED TRANSFORMERS

Scott- and Le Blanc-connected transformers were once widely used as a means
of interconnecting three-phase and two-phase systems. Nowadays the use of
three-phase systems is so universal that the requirement for such connections no longer exists. They can also be used to reduce the extent of phase
unbalance when single-phase loads are supplied from three-phase supplies
which means that the possibility exists that they might still occasionally be
encountered in this mode of operation. Earlier editions of this work included a
much more detailed treatment but the following brief descriptions are provided
for completeness and to provide some coverage of all aspects of transformer
design and operation.
The Scott connection
The Scott connection is one means of making the three-phase to two-phase
transformation and utilises two single-phase transformers connected to the
three-phase system and to one another to achieve this. In Figure 7.32, if A, B
and C represent the three terminals of a three-phase system and N represents
the neutral point, the primary windings of three single-phase transformers
forming a delta-connected three-phase bank may be represented by the lines
AB, BC and CA. If it is desired to arrange the primary windings in star, the
corresponding lines on the diagram are AN, BN and CN. If, in the diagram, AN
is continued to the point S, the line AS is perpendicular to the line BC, and it
is evident that it would be possible to form a three-phase bank using only two
single-phase transformers, their respective primary windings being represented
in phasor terms by the lines AS and BC. With this connection it is possible to

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Special features of transformers for particular purposes

Figure 7.32 Phasor derivation of the Scott connection

form a three- to three-phase bank consisting only of two single-phase transformers. At the same time it is also possible, by giving each transformer a
single secondary winding, to form a three- to two-phase bank. These secondary
windings are represented in the diagram by the lines a1 a2 and b1 b2 .
The simplest form of Scott group utilises two single-phase transformers
having primary turns in the ratio AS to BC. Both have the same number of
secondary turns dictated by the required secondary phase voltage. The primary
of the transformer having the larger number of turns, i.e. equivalent to BC,
also has its primary winding centre tapped and the connection brought out for
connection to one primary pole of the other transformer.
The first transformer is known as the main transformer and the other
is known as the teaser, and the ratio of primary turns on teaser to main
transformer can be deduced from an examination of Figure 7.32. ABC is an
equilateral triangle
p for which the ratio of the length of perpendicular AS to side
AB is equal to 3/2:1, i.e. 0.866:1. Each secondary winding is simply a singlephase winding, and the voltage across it and the current in it are precisely as
would be expected for any single-phase transformer. On the three-phase side,
if the line voltage is V, then:
voltage across main transformer D V
and voltage across teaser transformer D 0.866 V
1000 kVA
p
3V
1000 kVA
p
current in teaser transformer
3V

current in main transformer

where the required group output is stated in kVA.

By multiplying the voltage across each transformer by its current, the equivalent size of each is obtained. In the case of the main transformer, this is equal
to 0.577 times the group output; and in the case of the teaser transformer, 0.5
times the group output. Therefore, in a Scott-connected group, the two-phase
windings are equivalent to the windings of two ordinary single-phase windings

Special features of transformers for particular purposes

731

of the same output, but on the three-phase side the winding of the main transformer is increased in size by 15.5% above what would be required in a
single-phase transformer of the same output. Assuming that the primary and
secondary windings of an ordinary single-phase transformer each occupies
about the same space, then, for a Scott-connected group, the main transformer
will need to be about 7.75% larger than a single-phase transformer providing
the same output, but the teaser transformer size will not be increased.
Figure 7.33 shows the arrangement of windings and connections for the
Scott group for which the neutral point on the three-phase side is brought out
for connection to earth if required. As will be apparent from examination of
the geometry of the equilateral triangle ABC of Figure 7.32, the position of
the neutral divides the primary winding turns of the teaser transformer in the
ratio of 2:1.

Figure 7.33 Connections for non-interchangeable Scott group

Interchangeable groups
When the Scott connection was in common use it was often considered inconvenient that the pair of transformers constituting the Scott group were not
interchangeable and because the cost of making them so was quite modest,
this was commonly done. It is only necessary to provide each primary winding
with the full number of turns with the centre point of each brought out to an
external terminal. Each primary must then have a tapping brought out at 86.6%
of the total turns, and, if a neutral connection is required, a tapping must be
brought out at the appropriate position on each primary for this purpose. A
diagram of connections for such a group is shown in Figure 7.34. Although
it might appear that a large number of connections are required, it should be
remembered that these transformers would normally only be used at 415 V or
lower and with ratings of only a few kVA, so that the size of the leads and
terminals, and consequently their cost, will not be great.
Three-phase to single-phase
In Figure 7.35 the current distribution in a Scott group is shown for three
different conditions. Figure 7.35(a) shows the current distribution when the

732

Special features of transformers for particular purposes

Figure 7.34 Connections for interchangeable Scott group

Figure 7.35 Loadings of Scott-connected groups

teaser transformer only is loaded; Figure 7.35(b) shows the corresponding

distribution when the secondary of the main transformer only is loaded;
Figure 7.35(c) is a phasor diagram of currents showing a combination of the
conditions in the first two figures for the main transformer only.
Referring to Figure 7.35(a) it can be seen that the current in the teaser
windings on the three-phase side divides into two equal parts on passing to
the main transformer, these two parts being in opposite directions. If the two
halves of the primary winding on the main transformer are wound in such
a way that there is a minimum magnetic leakage between them, these two
currents will balance one another, and the main transformer will offer very
little impedance to the flow of current even though its secondary is opencircuit. If, however, the coupling between these two halves is loose, the main
transformer will appear as a choke to the current of the teaser transformer. It
can be seen that the Scott connection will operate as a fairly effective means

Special features of transformers for particular purposes

733

of supplying a single-phase load from a three-phase supply provided the main

transformer is wound with its primary halves closely coupled. This is best
achieved by winding them as two concentric windings on the same limb of
the core. With this arrangement the single-phase load is distributed between
the three phases of the supply equally in two phases with double the current
in the third phase. When used in this way no load is applied to the secondary
of the main transformer.
The Le Blanc connection
The alternative connection to the Scott for transforming from a three-phase to
a two-phase supply is the Le Blanc connection. Although this latter connection
has been accepted by engineers from the end of the nineteenth century it has
not gained the same popularity as the Scott connection and is by no means so
well known.
Figure 7.36 shows the combined voltage phasor diagrams of the Scott and
Le Blanc connections and it will be seen that the phase displacement obtained
by both methods is identical and that the connections are interchangeable.
It follows therefore that transformers having these connections will operate
satisfactorily in parallel with each other if the normal requirements of voltage
ratio and impedance are met.

Figure 7.36 Phasor diagrams illustrating interchangeability of Scott

and Le Blanc connections

The primary of the Le Blanc-connected transformer shown in Figure 7.36

is connected in three-phase delta which is the normal interphase connection
in the case of a step-down unit supplied from an HV source. Where the
primary three-phase winding is connected in delta the inherent advantage of

734

Special features of transformers for particular purposes

this winding for the suppression of third-harmonic voltages will be apparent.

For fuller details of this aspect reference should be made to Chapter 2. Where
the three-phase side is the secondary, i.e. when the transformer is operating
two- to three-phase it would be more convenient to use a star connection on
the three-phase side.
A core of the three-limb, three-phase design is employed for the construction
of a Le Blanc-connected transformer compared with two single-phase cores for
the Scott-connected transformer. In addition to a somewhat simpler standard
core arrangement the Le Blanc transformer is less costly to manufacture due
to the fact that for a given rating less active materials are required for its
construction. The fact that a three-phase core, and hence a single tank, can
be employed to house the Le Blanc transformer means that the unit is more
economical in floor space than the Scott transformer, particularly if compared
with the arrangement of two separate single-phase cores each in its own tank.
From the phasor and connection diagrams of Figure 7.37 , which is drawn
to show the arrangement of windings for a three- to two-phase Le Blanc
transformer, it will be seen that the HV primary is identical with that of any
delta-connected winding and is constructed as such. The voltage of the output
winding is established across the four two-phase terminals a1 a2 and b1 b2 and
the LV turns are so designed that the voltage phasor a1 a2 is equal to b1 b2 .
From the geometry of the phasor diagram the quadrature relationship between
a1 a2 and b1 b2 will immediately be apparent.

Figure 7.37 Phasor and connection diagrams of a Le

Blanc-connected transformer

The phase relationship between the winding sections a and c which comprise
one phase of the two-phase output is 120 apart so that each section a and c must
have 57.7% of the number of turns required to develop the specified
phase
p
voltage a1 a2 . Further, the winding sections a and c must have 3 times the
number of turns of winding sections a0 and c0 , resulting in winding sections a0
and c0 having 33.3% of the number of turns corresponding to the phase voltage
b1 b2 . It follows that winding section b must have 66.6% of the number of turns
corresponding to the phase voltage b1 b2 . These fixed relationships of number

Special features of transformers for particular purposes

735

of turns between the winding sections a, a0 , b, c and c0 follow from the basic
voltage phasor diagram.
When transforming from a three-phase HV supply to an LV two-phase
output quite definite limitations are therefore imposed upon the design of
the secondary winding of a Le Blanc-connected transformer due to the fact
that only whole numbers can be employed for the winding turns, while at the
same time certain fixed ratios of turns must be maintained between sections of
windings. These conditions are accentuated by an LV winding having comparatively few turns. In addition to these considerations of voltages of the various
sections of the two-phase side, the ampere-turns of each phase of the primary
winding are balanced by the phasor sum of the ampere-turns of the components
of the secondary windings of the two-phase winding on the same phase.
The Le Blanc connection can be arranged for either two-phase three-wire
or four-wire output windings, and will transform from three- to two-phase
or vice versa with the three-phase side connected in either star or delta. The
former is invariably employed for three-phase LV secondary windings and the
latter for HV three-phase primary windings.
When supplying a balanced three-phase load from a star-connected
secondary the regulation of the Le Blanc transformer will be comparable with
that of a three-phase star/star-connected transformer and if it is required to load
the transformer windings between line and neutral, and so cause appreciable
unbalanced loading, a tertiary delta-connected winding should be provided.
The phasor and winding diagrams shown in Figure 7.38 illustrate the modification necessary to the two-phase side of a Le Blanc transformer when the
mid-points are required to be available on the two-phase winding. Compared
with the arrangement of the windings of Figure 7.37 it will be seen that each
winding section a, a0 , b, c and c0 of the diagram is subdivided into halves and
interconnected to provide the mid-points at a2 and b2 of Figure 7.38.

Figure 7.38 Phasor and connection diagrams of a Le

Blanc-connected transformer when mid-points are required on the
two-phase windings

736

Special features of transformers for particular purposes

7.10 RECTIFIER TRANSFORMERS

The requirement for DC power supplies is nowadays relatively uncommon.
The advent of inexpensive and rugged thyristor drives has meant that AC
three-phase motors can now be used for traction as well as for all types of
hoists, winders, rolling mills and the like which might hitherto have relied
on DC-derived Ward Leonard supplies. Telephone exchanges now operate
with solid-state digital controls drawing currents of only a few amps so that
large batteries of Plante cells are no longer necessary. The exceptions are
certain process plants, aluminium smelters, electrolytic gas production plants,
electroplating plants and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) systems and
there are still some locations, such as power stations, both fossil fuelled
and nuclear, where the provision of a large battery represents the ultimate
guarantee of supply security for essential plant such as turbine barring gear,
lubricating and jacking oil supplies, or post-trip reactor cooling systems.
Most power stations will also have batteries for control and operation of
HV switchgear.
For large plants such as aluminium smelters, rectifier transformer ratings
may be as large as 20 to 60 MVA, taking a supply at 33 kV and providing a
low-voltage output to the rectifiers at between 500 and 1000 V. LV currents
may therefore be as high as 10 30 kA and the LV conductors will need to
have a substantial cross-section. This usually means that in order to bring
out the large cross-section LV leads, the low-voltage winding must be made
the outer winding rather than occupying its usual position next to the core
and it will probably consist of a number of parallel disc-wound sections
arranged axially with their ends connected directly to vertical copper busbar
risers.
For power station battery supplies, the rectifier transformers will be very
much smaller and of more conventional construction with the low-voltage
winding next to the core. They will probably be supplied at 3.3 kV or 415 V
with output voltages of 220 or 110 V.
Regardless of their rating, the feature which singles out rectifier transformers for special attention is the problem of harmonic currents created by the
thyristor rectifiers and fed back into the supply system. The problem has two
aspects: the additional heating which these produce within the transformer,
and the waveform distortion which is created on the supply network.
In the case of the first of these, the important requirement is that they should
be taken into consideration when designing the cooling for the transformer and
also when carrying out any temperature rise test. Ideally the temperature rise
test should be carried out with the transformer coupled to its rectifier, although
this might not be practicable in the case of the larger rectifier transformers.
This is one of the recommendations of BS 4417:1981 Specification for semiconductor rectifier equipments which sets out the particular requirements of
rectifier transformers.
It is the second aspect, however, which can be the most serious, particularly for the very large rectifier loads, and especially if the loads from a