Transformers

Current
Electric current is the drift of electrons
from an area of negative charge to an area
of positive charge. Current is measured in
Amperes (A).
Direct Current
In DC (direct current) electrons flow in one
direction, from the negative part of the circuit
towards the positive side. In DC the voltage and
current stays the same at all times.
DC Voltage Over Time
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Time in Seconds
V
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l
t
a
g
e

i
n

V
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Alternating Current
An alternating current (AC) circuit is one in
which the direction and amplitude of the
current flow changes at regular intervals.
The polarity of the AC voltage source
changes at regular intervals resulting in a
reversal of the current flow.
Discuss:
Alternations
Cycle
Hertz
Amplitude

Text: pages
122 - 125
Transformers
What are they?
Why are they used?
How do they work?
Real World Examples
Center Tap what?
Calculating: Es/Ep/Is/Ip/Ps/Pp/Ns/Np

What is a Transformer?
A Transformer is a device that is used to
transfer electrical energy from one circuit
to another through electromagnetic
induction.
Typically transformers are used to step up
or down voltage between two circuits
(though there are other uses).
Electromagnetic Induction
When a conductor passes through, or is
passed by, a magnetic field, a current is
produced in the conductor.
Demo
How Transformers Work
Alternating current is
passed through the primary
coil (the input) which
creates a changing
magnetic field in the iron
core.
The changing magnetic
field then induces
alternating current of the
same frequency in the
secondary coil (the output).

How Transformers Work

Step Up Transformer
A step up transformer has more turns of wire on the
secondary coil, which makes a larger induced voltage in
the secondary coil. It is called a step up transformer
because the voltage output is larger than the voltage
input.
If the secondary coil has twice as many turns of wire
then the output voltage will be twice the input voltage.


Turn Ratio:
1:2
Step Down Transformer
In a step down transformer the voltage output is
smaller than the voltage input. If the secondary
coil has half as many turns of wire then the
output voltage will be half the input voltage.





(Decreasing the voltage does not decrease the
power. As the voltage goes down, the current
goes up.
Turn Ratio:
2:1
What is the Turn Ratio?
The turn ratio is all about the windings in the
primary coil vs. the windings in the secondary
coil. If there are more windings on the primary
than the Secondary the transformer will be a
Step down. If there are more windings on the
secondary then the transformer will step down
voltage.
The Ratio of one set of turns to another will help
you identify how much your voltage and current
will change. If a Transformer is said to have a
2:1 Ratio it means for every 2 turns of wire on
the primary there is 1 on the secondary.
Real World Uses of Transformers
Utilities distribute electricity over large areas using high
voltages, commonly called transmission voltages.
Transmission voltages are normally in the 35,000 volt to
50,000 volt range. High voltage allows the utility to use
small sizes of wire to transmit high levels of power, or
watts. You can recognize transmission lines because they
are supported by very large steel towers that you see
around utility power plants and substations.
Real World Uses of Transformers
As this electricity gets closer to its point of
use it is converted, through the use of
transformers, to a lower voltage normally
called distribution voltage. Distribution
voltages range from 2,400 to 25,000 volts
depending upon the utility. Distribution lines
are the ones that feed the pole mount and
pad mount transformers located closest to
your home or place of business. These
transformers convert the distribution voltages
to what we call utilization voltages. They are
normally below 600 volts and are utilized for
operating equipment, including light bulbs
and vacuum cleaners in our homes, to motors
and elevators where we work.
Transformer Schematic Symbol

What is a Center Tap?

Voltage Primary Vs. Voltage
Secondary
Voltage Primary of Ep is the voltage
across the primary coil.
Voltage Secondary of Es is the voltage
across the secondary coil.
In a Step up transformer Es will be larger
than Ep and in a step down it will be the
exact opposite.
Turn Ratio and Voltage
The transformer equation relates the
number of turns of wire to the difference in
voltage between the primary and secondary
coils.
Ep/Es = Np/Ns
Ep is the voltage in the primary coil.
Es is the voltage in the secondary coil.
Np is the number of turns of wire on the primary coil.
Ns is the number of turns of wire on the secondary coil.

Demo
Calculating Turn Ratio
The Turn Ratio can be calculated by
dividing the number of Secondary turns by
the number of Primary turns.
Turn Ratio = --------------

N = The number of turns in the coil.

Ns
Np
i.e. Turn Ratio = 500 turns in Secondary / 100 Turns in Primary
Turn ratio = 5
Ratio = 1:5
Text p. 169-170
i.e. Turn Ratio = 75 turns in Secondary / 750Turns in Primary
Turn ratio = 0.1
Ratio = 10:1
Or just divide the large number by the
smaller number
Current Primary vs. Current
secondary
Current Primary or Ip is the current that
flows through the primary coil.
Current Secondary or Is is the current that
flows through the secondary coil.

The current is inversely proportional to the
turns ratio:
Is/Ip = Np/Ns
Demo
Power Primary vs. Power
Secondary
Power, which is the work that can be done
by a circuit is measured in Watts. It is
calculated by multiplying the voltage by
the current. P = IxE

In a transformer the Pp is equal to the Ps.
Transformer Formulas
There are two points to remember
1. Transformers only work with alternating current.
Using direct current will create a magnetic field in the
core but it will not be a changing magnetic field
and so no voltage will be induced in the secondary coil.

2. Using a step up transformer to increase the voltage
does not give you something for nothing. As the voltage
goes up, the current goes down by the same proportion.
The power equation shows that the overall power
remains the same, P = V x I Power = Voltage x Current.

Oscilloscope
An electronic measuring instrument that
creates a visible two-dimensional graph,
on a screen, of one or more continuously
varying voltages or currents.