TRAFOTECH 2018: Tenth International Conference on Transformers

POSSIBILITY OF 400kV AUTO TRANSFORMER WITH NEUTRAL END

TAPPING FOR BETTER RELIABILITY
Satyam Dewangan
TBEA Energy India Private Limited, Vadodara

INTRODUCTION Earlier constant flux design has been selected to

keep in mind of Reactive power compensation
In Indian Power transmission, the most of high
through the LV winding. Now the Reactive power
voltage transformers are interconnecting
compensation is done through new technique like
transformer of 400/220/33kV 3phase or
STATCOM. Hence now a days LV voltage is used
765/400/33kV 1phase. The 765kV auto
for only Station auxiliary feeding purpose and in
transformer is having tap winding on the neutral
such case variable flux design is also acceptable.
side, while in 400kV auto transformer taps are
provided on 220kV side of 400kV winding. The
TRANSFORMER CHARACTERISTICS
impedance pattern of this transformer is such
that the winding arrangements are either “LV- In this proposed transformer, taps are provided
Tap-MV-HV” or “LV-MV-Tap-HV”. The tapping on neutral side of HV and MV winding to vary
lead take out from inside 220kV tap winding is voltage on HV side. This type of transformer are
really big challenge for transformer design. VFVV type (variable flux variable voltage). In this
Because of the complex geometry of winding type of transformer flux density in core vary with
leads, it is practically impossible to get the actual respect to the tap position.
overshoot voltage on tapping terminals. These
tapping leads are connected in line side of 220kV
winding which gives high impulse overshoot
voltage on its terminal. In recent years many Transformer rating considered for calculation of
failures happened in 400/220/33kV transformer various parameter shown in table 1
because of either tap winding or tap lead or tap
changer. MVA 500MVA
Recently Powergrid has come up with tap less Voltage Class 400/220/33kV
400/220/33kV auto transformer. The tap less Impedance (HV-MV) 12.5% Normal tap
auto transformer is highly reliable compare to
“with tap” transformer. Tap less is best solution HV Insulation level SI1050/LI1300/AC570
for this rating transformer, however in Power
MV Insulation level LI950/AC395
network removing complete tapping range may
be difficult. So the other solution is to provide the LV Insulation level LI250/AC95
tapping on neutral side of the transformer. This
Winding Arrangement LV-Tap-MV-HV
transformer will be more reliable than the
conventional auto transformer. The voltage class Table 1: Transformer rating
of taping winding and tap changer will reduce to
neutral end voltage so the overall cost of TAPPING RANGE SELECTION
transformer will also reduce. On other side, The tapping range is important in variable flux
providing tap on neutral side become variable transformer. Higher the tapping range flux density
flux transformer. The variable-flux transformer at normal tap need to reduce to limit the flux
means flux density in core varies with respect to density at extreme tap depend upon the tap
tap position. The main issue with variable flux connection. Also the LV voltage may exceed
design is the variable LV voltage. The LV voltage beyond the expectable limit of LV system
will vary with respect to different tap position.
In case of Auto Transformer, The Taps on IV line
side gives constant flux in all tap position and if
taps on neutral side is used then this will become
variable flux design.

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 TRAFOTECH 2018: Tenth International Conference on Transformers

Considering the tapping range +/-10%, the ratio WINDING ARRANGEMENT AND
error and LV voltage are shown in table 2 CONNECTION
In this transformer the windings are arranged in
following manner
Tap Position Ratio Error LV voltage
between HV- Core-LV-Tap-MV-HV.
MV From Core first winding is LV winding and second
Maximum 1.8% 41kV winding is Tap winding followed by MV and HV
winding. This arrangement is referred as
+10% voltage
constant ohmic impedance transformer.
Normal -0.3% 33kV Tapping winding is connected on neutral side of
MV winding of transformer. HV winding is
connected in series with MV winding.
Minimum 2.0% 26kV
OLTC selection
-10% voltage
In conventional design since tap is on 220kV line
Table 2: Ratio error and LV voltage at tapping side, 3 pole tap changer of 1200A and 300kV
range +/-10% class is used, while in this new type design the
At +/- 10% tapping range, LV voltage will tap changer is connected to neutral point of HV
increase by 24% compared to normal tap and and MV winding hence the OLTC rating can be
ratio error also will exceed beyond 0.5% limit. reduced to 800A and 123kV class. This will save
Hence +/-10% tapping range is not suitable the OLTC cost. The neutral end voltage is low
considering the IEC 60076-1 ratio error and impulse overshoot voltage will also reduce
requirement. Also LV voltage is 41kV which is so this will save the insulation cost of tap leads
unsafe for the loads connected to LV side of this and also simplify the tap winding insulation
transformer. arrangement.
So to limit the LV voltage and Ratio error, the Winding arrangement and connections are
tapping range need to reduce to +/-5% limit. shown in Fig. 1 and Fig.2
Tap Position Ratio Error LV voltage
between HV-MV
Maximum 0.3% 37kV
C L M H
+5% voltage V T V V
O
Normal -0.3% 33kV R A
E P

Minimum 0.3% 30kV

-5% voltage
Table 3: Ratio error and LV voltage at tapping
range +/-5%
In this tapping range the ratio error is within the
tolerance specified by IEC60076-1. Also the LV Fig. 1: Winding arrangement
voltage variation at maximum tap is around 12%
of rated voltage.
Therefore the suggested tapping range for this
transformer is +/-5% at 1.25% Step.

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 TRAFOTECH 2018: Tenth International Conference on Transformers

N Parameter 220kV end Neutral Remarks

H tapping end
V tappin
Conventiona
g
l design
Load loss 100% 100% Same
M Load loss
V No Load 100% 90% At Normal
loss tap
Copper 100% 97%
weight
T Core 100% 107%
A weight
P
Table 4: Losses and Weight comparison for
Conventional design and Neutral end tap
design.
Considering the No load loss capitalisation the
Fig. 2: Winding connection overall new design will be economical than the
conventional design. Insulation design will
DESIGN ASPECT simplify so this will further reduce the cost of
For designing of Variable flux transformer, the insulation structure.
important part is to consider the maximum flux
density at all tap position within the acceptable
limit. The flux density limit normally considered is
1.727T at 100% rated voltage. The LV voltage at
maximum tap is 37kV and normal tap is 33kV.
Therefore the maximum flux density at normal
tap shall be limited to (1.727*33/37) 1.535T
approximately, however this flux density need to
recalculate based on actual turn on various
tapping position.
This low flux density will increase the core weight
and because of low flux density the No load loss
will reduce at normal tap position. Since the tap
winding voltage is reduced from 220kV class to
Neutral end voltage the clearances between LV
and tap winding can be reduced and this will
reduce the Copper weight and Core weight both.
Load loss, No load loss, CRGO and Copper
weight comparing to conventional transformer
are mentioned in table 4.

Fig. 3: Magnetic field plot HV-MV at Normal

tap

IMPEDANCE PATTERN
Calculated impedance between HV-MV, MV-LV
and HV-LV are mentioned table 5.

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 TRAFOTECH 2018: Tenth International Conference on Transformers

Tap Position Windings Calculated

Impedance IV Variation IV Variation
Constant Flux Variable Flux
Maximum HV-MV 11.1% (Line tap) (Neutral tap)
+5% voltage Load Loss 100.0% 100.0%
Normal HV-MV 12.5% No Load Loss 100.7% 88.2%
Copper Weight 100.0% 93.9%
Minimum HV-MV 14.1% Core Weight 100.7% 105.7%
Estimated
-5% voltage 100.2% 97.4%
Captilised cost
Normal MV-LV 58.0% OLTC Location IV Line side Neutral Side

Normal HV-LV 42.0% Table 6: Comparison of 400/220/33kV Auto

transformer
Table 5: Calculated impedance
In above comparison the IV variation with neutral
The above impedance pattern is matching with end tapping is more economical. In neutral end
existing constant ohmic transformer impedance tapping clearance between LV and tap winding
pattern. With above pattern there is no issue with can be reduced and this gives good saving in
parallel operation with constant ohmic impedance copper weight. In variable flux design the core
conventional transformer but the tap shall be flux density at normal tap need to be decreased
restricted up to +/-5% tapping range. and this has impact on core weight, this impact is
more in case of HV variation while this impact is
COMPARISION OF DIFFERENT DESIGN less on IV variation.
To get the clear picture of losses and weights, In a similar way 200MVA 400/132/33kV with +5%
different combination of design were made. to -5% taps auto transformer design has been
Capitalised cost has been calculated based on made with 4 different combination.
Core and Copper cost and cost of loss
capitalisation. 1. HV variation, constant flux design, tap
changer location IV side
200MVA 400/220/33kV with +5% to -5% taps 2. HV variation, Variable flux design, tap
auto transformer design has been made with 4 changer location Neutral side
different combination. 3. IV variation, constant flux design, tap
1. HV variation, constant flux design, tap changer location IV side
changer location IV side 4. IV variation, Variable flux design, tap
2. HV variation, Variable flux design, tap changer location Neutral side
changer location Neutral side Comparisons has been shown in table 7
3. IV variation, constant flux design, tap
changer location IV side
4. IV variation, Variable flux design, tap HV Variation HV Variation
changer location Neutral side Constant Flux Variable Flux
Comparisons has been shown in table 6 (Line tap) (Neutral tap)
Load Loss 100.0% 100.0%
No Load Loss 100.0% 88.9%
HV Variation HV Variation Copper Weight 100.0% 105.1%
Constant Flux Variable Flux Core Weight 100.0% 110.1%
(Line tap) (Neutral tap)
Estimated
100.0% 100.2%
Load Loss 100.0% 100.0% Captilised cost
No Load Loss 100.0% 83.8% OLTC Location IV Line side Neutral side
Copper Weight 100.0% 96.1%
Core Weight 100.0% 112.3%
Estimated IV Variation IV Variation
100.0% 98.1% Constant Flux Variable Flux
Captilised cost
OLTC Location IV Line side Neutral side (Line tap) (Neutral tap)

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 TRAFOTECH 2018: Tenth International Conference on Transformers

Load Loss 100.0% 100.0%

No Load Loss 101.6% 96.2%
Copper Weight 100.8% 100.3%
Core Weight 101.6% 102.7%
Estimated
100.4% 99.5%
Captilised cost
OLTC Location IV Line side Neutral Side
Table 7: Comparison of 400/132/33kV Auto
transformer
In above comparison also IV variation with
neutral end tapping is more economical. In HV
variation with neutral tap will have big impact on
core weight, while this impact is very less for IV
variation case. In 400/132/33kV with 132kV
variation the flux density variation is less and in
such design +10% to -10% tapping range is
possible within 0.5% ratio error

CONCLUSION
400/220/33kV and 400/132/33kV 3phase Auto
transformer with neutral end tapping is possible
with +/-5% tapping range. This transformer will
be economical than normal conventional
transformer. Since voltage and impedance is
similar with conventional constant ohmic
transformer hence parallel operation of such
transformer is possible with similar impedance
transformer. The great advantage of neutral
OLTC (apart from cost advantage) is less
maintenance liability as the diverter switch oil is
at neutral potential. With line end OLTC, if the oil
gets deteriorated flash over in diverter switch is
possible resulting in blast and consequent fire. In
case of OLTC is placed on neutral side it is very
safe for OLTC and tapping winding. The voltage
level on tapping winding is low therefore the
chances of dielectric failure of OLTC and tap is
low, therefore the reliability of such transformer is
high

REFERENCES
1. Powergrid technical specification for
400kV transformer

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