Optimizing and Identifying Losses Within Transformer Tanks

Asher Mitchell
December 14th, 2016

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Abstract:

Transformer losses are a source of electrical losses on a national and global

level. Transformer losses consist of an estimated 40% of all non-generating public utility

losses nationally, and produce an estimated $4 billion in losses annually1. Optimizing

these machines would reduce the amount of money the power grid loses and would be

environmentally beneficial, as it would reduce the need for more electricity to

compensate for the losses. Losses, simply put, are just energy escaping the system and

can be calculated through finding the difference between the voltage entering the

transformer and the total voltage leaving. Most losses are not easily observable,

occurring within the windings and core of the transformer. All of the mechanisms behind

all of these losses are currently unclear, and there are no widely accepted solutions.

This experiment was designed to identify a possible cause of losses in the larger

system of the transformer. It was hypothesized that metal tanks, which enclose and

protect the transformer, could be a possible cause for transformer losses. These tanks

are created mostly out of stainless steel, with variants such as increased carbon or

special annealing depending on the environment. Because the tank surrounds the

transformer, the tank is part of the enclosed system. Tanks have not previously been

recognized as a potential cause for transformer losses and therefore, comprehensive

background information is scarce. In order to gather information, this experiment began

with a wide scope looking to identify any losses caused by a transformer tank.

Transformer tanks could cause losses through restricting cooling airflow, improper

1
Georgilakis, P. S. (n.d.). Environmental Cost of Distribution TransformerLosses.Applied Energy,
3146-3155. Retrieved from http://users.ntua.gr/pgeorgil/Files/J54.pdf
2
insulation, or magnetic interference. The first two possibilities were addressed by tests

conducted with tanks comprised of a non-magnetic 406 stainless steel. However, the

estimated largest generator of losses is the magnetic interference from magnetic tanks,

which will be the focus of a future experiment that will be set up by the data from this

experiment. This experiment tested non-magnetic tanks compared to magnetic tanks

and identified any losses caused by the physical structure of the tank, serving as a

basis for extrapolation for future tests on magnetic tanks. The transformer enclosed in

the non-magnetic tank should not produce an output with significant difference from the

output of the transformer without a tank. The data produced affirms our beliefs that a

non-magnetic tank will not affect the output, from that information it can be concluded

that the shape of a transformer tank has a negligible effect on the transformer, and can

proceed to test magnetic tanks.

Introduction:

Transformers are machines that have the ability to receive an electrical current of

a defined wattage, an amount of electricity described in watts, and can manipulate that

current into a number of separate currents of different voltages and frequencies while

maintaining mostly the same wattage. A difference in wattage between the input and

output power would be considered a loss. Transformers are extremely useful, as they

allow powerful alternating currents (AC) to transport high voltage electricity across large

distances and then transform it into smaller more usable direct currents (DC). These DC

currents power smaller electronics ranging from lightbulbs to phones. The larger AC

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currents are unusable for smaller electronics because they travel in larger wavelengths,

which would leave these devices without power, periodically interrupted with large,

possibly destructive, surges of electricity.

Losses in electrical systems are the biggest flaw of many current devices. These

losses occur for a number of reasons, but result in a total output wattage less than the

initial input wattage, leaving electricity lost in the system or dissipating as heat. Heat

losses can be calculated through the equation, heat losses = (current)^2 * (resistance in

resistor)2. Losses can be caused by errors in the design of a machine, unpredicted

outside interference, but mostly through the dissipation of energy as the current passes

through resistors in the transformer. The goal of this research is to minimize these

losses in transformers in order to optimize the performance of these machines.

Identifying losses caused by transformer tanks is a key step towards identifying all of

the losses in the entire transformer system. Although the tank is not thought of as a

large creator of losses, it is important to observe if tanks do cause losses because they

are in near constant contact with operating transformers. Within the boundaries of

losses created by a transformer tank, this experiment assessed the effect of the shape

and design of the tank on losses as opposed to testing other properties of the tank. This

is why testing is carried out with a non-magnetic tank, as it has few other pertinent

properties (magnetism specifically) that could interfere with the transformers function.

Methodology:

2
Load-No load Losses of Transformer. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from
http://ecetutorials.com/transformer/losses-of-transformer-noload-and-load/
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 Tanks were designed and manufactured before experimentation began. The

metal used in the construction of the tanks was 1 cm thick 406 non-magnetic stainless

steel purchased from McMaster Carr. The tanks were then designed to fit closely

around the rectangular transformer, with two different lids: one flat and one four inches

extended. The difference in space between transformers and tanks allows for analysis

of the effect of the tank volume on the transformer. This experiment utilized only a 20

long by 8 wide by 10 tall three-phase transformer, because it produced a greater

observable effect through transforming larger amounts of energy.

Once the tank was constructed, the three-phase transformer was tested with and

without the tank. The transformers input wires were attached to the power source

(generator) that remained off. Three colored output wires were plugged into the other

side of the generator to complete the circuit and to receive the electricity that passed

through. Each colored wire corresponded with an individual core. The AC current

clamp-on ammeters were clamped around each individual colored output wire. Once the

setup was complete it was repeated inside the non-magnetic tank.

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Figure 1: Setup of the experiment without the tank. Input is on the left, output on the

right.

Figure 2: Simplified diagram illustrating the direction of the power source and location of

clamp on ammeters in relation to colored wires.

There was a risk of the transformer overheating at higher voltages so the testing

of the transformers required precision and quick timing. Measurements were taken

approximately at every 5 volt increment ranging from 5-60 volts. This process involved

turning an imprecise knob on the generator quickly from 0 volts to the correct voltage

quickly, observing the measurements gathered by the clamp on ammeters, and

returning the knob to the 0 mark. Quickness in this process is essential to the safety of

the experiment especially when approaching 50 volts or more as the transformer may

overheat and damage the inner windings. The measurement for each integer of 5 volts

was repeated, with and without a tank, each test consisting of 5 trials.

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Results:

The results gathered illustrate the behavior of the transformer in a graph of the

total (sum) current of the charge at each average voltage (averaged over the 5 trials).

The current is the sum of the currents measured in the colored output wires, and the

voltage is the average at each integer over all trials. The graphs illustrates the

exponential relationship between current magnitude and input voltage.

Figure 2: Graph of Average Voltage, in volts, against the sum of currents in amperes

with and without transformer tanks. Figure 3 was recorded by associate James Saez

using different integers.

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Figure 3: Graph of the average individual wires in terms of voltage vs. current.

The data with the extended tanks was deemed insignificant early into the

experiment, as there was no reason any difference would be identified, and the

preliminary data indicated it would be the same.

Discussion/Conclusion:

The data gathered in this experiment demonstrated that non-magnetic tanks

have little to no effect on transformers, confirming the original hypothesis, as the voltage

vs. current graphs were very similar with no outliers. Because the transformer emitted

similar outputs with and without the non-magnetic tank, the physical structure of the

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tank created no additional losses. This eliminated the physical structure from the pool of

loss generating sources within the transformer system.

This data also provided a solid foundation for more promising future work, as

reliable transformer loss data is scarce, especially when it comes to isolating the effects

of tanks. The data gathered in this experiment will provide a base for future work

investigating the effect of magnetic tanks constructed out of martensitic 410 stainless

steel, which will likely prove more significant, as the magnetic force of the tank is likely

to interfere or interact with the magnetic field generated by the transformer.

Future work in this field can include looking into the benefits of magnetic tanks to

see if they can be manipulated to enhance the magnetic force of the transformer and

the development of plastic tanks as an alternative to costly and potentially interfering

metals.

Acknowledgements:

The success of this research was largely dependent upon the efforts of Qiong

Wu, James Saez, Dr. Francisco De Leon, the facilities of the NYU Power Engineering

Lab and the direction and support from my science research teacher, Erin Schmitz at

the Packer Collegiate Institute. Finally, none of the tanks would be built without the

invaluable machines at the NYU Civil Engineering Lab.

References:

Georgilakis, P. S. (n.d.). Environmental Cost of Distribution Transformer Losses.Applied

Energy, 3146-3155. Retrieved from http://users.ntua.gr/pgeorgil/Files/J54.pdf

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Araujo, A., Msc, Soudack, A., PhD, & Marti, J., PhD. (n.d.). Ferroresonance in Power
Systems: Chaotic Behavior. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Antonio_Araujo8/publication/3360588_Ferroresona
nce_in_power_systems_chaotic_behaviour/links/54ef31f10cf25f74d721ba6c.pd

D.o.o., M. (n.d.). Konar Steel Structures Inc. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from
http://www.koncar-mk.hr/products_and_services/energy/transformer_tanks

McMaster-Carr. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2016, from https://www.mcmaster.com/

Book, W. J., Hatfield, J. W., & Corp., W. E. (n.d.). Patent US4834257 - Reinforced wall
structure for a transformer tank. Retrieved December 15, 2016, from
https://www.google.com/patents/US4834257

(n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from

http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/sethna/hysteresis/WhatIsHysteresis.html

Introduction to Transformer Losses. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from

https://www.copper.org/environment/sustainable-energy/transformers/education/trans
_losses.html

Load-No load Losses of Transformer. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from
http://ecetutorials.com/transformer/losses-of-transformer-noload-and-load/

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