Autotransformers (Section 5.

10)
1.0 Introduction
Autotransformers are heavily used in
transmission level voltage transformation,
e.g., between different combinations of
500kV, 345kV, 230kV, !kV, 3"kV, 5
kV, and !# kV. $hy is this%
2.0 The 2-winding autotransformer
&ecause load ta' changers and ste'(voltage
regulators are autotransformers, we will
s'end some time studying autotransformers.
Autotransformers are also used in
connecting two different high voltage levels,
e.g., 230 to 345 kV, or 230 to 345 kV, when
the voltage ratio is not very great.

An autotransformer may be built from a 2(

winding transformer by connecting one
terminal of the low voltage side to one
terminal of the high voltage side, as shown
in )ig. .

*

+

+
,

-
2
-

*
2
.
2

+
2

.

V
,

)ig.
$e may re(draw )ig. as in )ig. 2, where
we see that -
2
is o'en, and the load is
connected from -

to *
2
.

+
/

*

+
,

.

V
/

-
2
-

*
2
.
2

+
2

+

V
,

)ig. 2
2
0ote that in )ig. 2, the currents +

and +
2
are
the currents through the res'ective windings,
and the voltage .

and .
2
, are the voltages
across the res'ective windings. 1he
transformer iron core and windings are
e2actly as in the two winding case, and so
all standard relations between winding
currents and voltages still a''ly. 1hat is,
1
2
2
1
2
1
I
I
N
N
E
E
= =
34
&ut in addition, we have two more relations5
2 1
E E V
L
+ =
324
2 1
I I I
S
+ =
334
/et6s look at the voltage and current
transformation.
1
1 2
1
2 1
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
2 1
1
1
1
N
N N
N
N N
N
E
E
N
N
E
E
E E
V
V
S
L
+
= + =
+
=
+
=
+
=
344
1his says that the autotransformer, in the
configuration of )ig. 2,
is a ste'(u' transformer, since 70
2
80

9
3we could make it a ste'(down transformer
by connecting -

, instead of -
2
, to *

4.
3
has a voltage transformation less than 2,
since 0
2
80

: because 0
2
is on the low, or
-(side of the transformer 3if we connected
*
2
to -

, we could obtain 70

80
2
4.
$hat about the current transformation%
1
1 2
1
2 1
2
2
2 2
1
2
2
2 1
1
1
1
N
N N
N
N N
N
I
I I
N
N
I
I I
I
I
L
S
+
= + =
+
=
+
=
+
=
354
0ote that the current transformation is
in'ut8out'ut, whereas the voltage
transformation is out'ut8in'ut. +f we look at
both in terms of out'ut8in'ut, we see5
1
1 2
N
N N
V
V
S
L
+
=
3!4
1 2
1
N N
N
I
I
S
L
+
=
3;4
1his shows that whatever ha''ens to the
voltage going from in'ut to out'ut, the
4
o''osite ha''ens to the current, so that the
in'ut 'ower, V
,
+
,
, is e<ual to the out'ut
'ower, V
/
+
/
.
$hat about the kVA rating%
=efine the voltage and current ratings of the
* side as V
*>
and +
*>
, so that the kVA rating
of the two(winding transformer is
,
>
?V
*>
+
*>
3"4
+f the two(winding transformer is o'erated at
these rated values on the * side, then the -
side voltage and current will be
V
->
?V
*>
30
2
80

4 3#4
+
->
?+
*>
30

80
2
4 304
res'ectively.
0ow let6s assume that the transformer is
o'erating at the same voltage and current
levels as indicated in e<s. 3"4, 3#4, and 304,
but the connection between -
2
and *

is
made.
5
+n this case, the in'ut voltage is still V
*>
.
&ut the in'ut current will be, according to
e<. 334,
+
*>
7+
->
?+
*>
7+
*>
30

80
2
4?+
*>
370

80
2
4 34
1herefore, the rated kVA for this device is5
,
auto>
?V
*>
+
*>
370

80
2
4?,
>
370

80
2
4 324
&y e<. 324, we see that the 'ower rating of
the autotransformer is 370

80
2
4 times the
'ower rating of the same device when
o'erated as a regular two(winding
transformer.
1his does 0@1 mean that for a given in'ut
kVA, we get more out'ut kVA with the
autotransformer. 1his is not the case.
$hat it does say is that whereas the regular
two(winding transformer is limited to a
ma2imum, say 50 AVA, then the unit when
!
connected to an autotransformer can carry
50370

80
2
4 kVA. +t is a very chea' way to
get increased ca'acity out of a transformerB
1o get ma2imum ca'acity increase, we want
0

90
2
, which means the single winding side
of the autotransformer should be the high
voltage side, as we have assumed in )ig. 2.
&ut recall e<. 3445
1
2
1
1 2
1
N
N
N
N N
V
V
S
L
+ =
+
=
,o when 0

90
2
, the voltage transformation
of the autotransformer must lie within 2.
A''lications of autotransformers that take
advantage of ma2imum increased ca'acity
are when the voltage transformation
re<uirements are relatively low, e.g.,
2308345, 3458500. 1his is why they are so
attractive in transmission(level voltage
transformation a''lications, as stated in the
introduction to these notes.
;
)rom where does the increased ca'acity
come%
1he 'ower transferred through induction
does not change. &ut with an
autotransformer, you also get 'ower
transferred through conductionB
>eferring to )ig. 2, re'eated below for
convenience, we see

+
/

*

+
,

.

V
/

-
2
-

*
2
.
2

+
2

+

V
,

)ig. 2
,
,
?V
,
+
,
?V
,
3+

7+
2
4?V
,
+

7V
,
+
2
334
1he first term of e<. 334 is the 'ower
transferred by induction. 1he second term is
the 'ower transferred by conduction.
"
1hree('hase transformers may be develo'ed
using 3 single('hase transformers connected
together as in )ig. 2.
#