Design & Simulation of a step-down

single-phase Transformer

Surname & Initials: Mkhize PN

Student number: 22314112
Course: Electrical Power Eng.
University: DUT
Submission date: 24/04/25
Abstract

This report presents the analysis of a single-phase transformer that was simulated using
Multisim under different load conditions. For no-load, full-load, and different load resistance
scenarios identified as ¼, ½, ¾, and double load, key electrical parameters such as primary
and secondary voltages, currents, and real power were recorded. The secondary voltage is
kept at 220 V regardless of the load, showing consistent voltage regulation across every
case.
Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................. 4
Body ............................................................................................................................ 5
How does a transformer work? ................................................................................... 5
Transformer Components. ....................................................................................... 5
Transformer equations ............................................................................................... 6
Calculations ............................................................................................................. 6
Multisim simulation ................................................................................................... 8
Observation table .................................................................................................... 14
Observation discussion ........................................................................................... 14
Load vs Efficiency graph ........................................................................................... 15
Load vs Voltage regulation graph ............................................................................... 16
Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 17
Introduction

This report is all about the design and simulation of a 5 kVA step-down single-phase transformer
with 3300V primary voltage and 220V secondary voltage. So, a transformer is an AC machine
which transfers power from one circuit to another at some frequency, but voltage level is
changed [ 1 ]. The main purpose of this report is to explain how this given transformer can be
designed and simulated using Multisim. The aim is to evaluate and compare the key parameters
such as primary & secondary voltage, primary & secondary current, primary & secondary power,
regulation and efficiency of that given transformer under different load conditions. This report
assumes an ideal (100% efficient) transformer, where core losses are ignored and the design
focuses on basic transformer theory, which depends on Faraday’s Law of Electromagnetic
Induction.
Body
(Note: Every discussion is to be assumed we are using an ideal transformer)

How does a transformer work?

Basically transformers operate according to Laws which are known as Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s
Law. So, Faraday’s Law states that Emf is induced whenever there are changes in the magnetic
field related to the circuit and the magnitude of that magnetic field is proportional to the rate of
change of the magnetic flux [ 1 ]. Lenz’s law states that the direction of an induced Emf is
always such that it tends to set up a current opposing the motion of flux responsible for inducing
that Emf [ 2 ]. Transformers need AC to work because they depend on a constantly changing
magnetic field to transfer energy from one coil to another. If the current doesn’t change like in
DC there’s no changing magnetic field, so the transformer can't do its job.

Transformer Components.

1. Windings

Transformers have insulated copper wires called windings which are wound around the
core and there are two of these windings. We first have the primary winding, which is
connected to the input power supply and receives the incoming AC voltage than the
secondary winding, which provides the load with the converted voltage. [ 3 ]

2. Core

The core's function is to effectively transmit the magnetic flux between the windings; it
usually consists of laminated iron. It gives the varying magnetic field a path, which is
crucial to induce voltage. [ 4 ]

3. Insulation

Insulation function is to protect against electrical short circuits and prevent the
transformer from high-voltage breakdown, insulation is placed between the windings and
between the windings and the core. [ 5 ]
Transformer equations

N2 E2 I1
o = = I2
N1 E1
o E1= 4.44f∅mN1
o E2= 4.44f∅mN2
o P1=P2
𝑃
o √𝑘×𝑓

Where:
E1 = primary voltage

E2 = secondary voltage

N1 = number of turns in the primary coil

N2 = number of turns in the secondary coil

P1 = Primary power
P2 = Secondary power

∅m = Maximum magnetic flux

Calculations

Let begin by calculating our Actual area.

Net area = √𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚𝑽𝑨

= √𝟓𝟎𝟎𝟎
= 70.71𝒄𝒎𝟐

𝑵𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒂
Actual area= (assume Ks=0.9)
𝑲𝒔
𝟕𝟎.𝟕𝟏
= 𝟎.𝟗
∴ A = 78.57𝒄𝒎𝟐

Since we now have the actual area, we can calculate our number of turns using the formula:
 𝐸1 𝐸2
[N1 = 4.44𝑓𝐵𝐴] and [N2 = 4.44𝑓𝐵𝐴]

𝐸1
Primary turns(N1) = 4.44𝑓𝐵𝐴

3300
= 4.44(50)(1.2)(78.47×10−4 )

= 1577
𝐸2
Secondary turns(N2) = 4.44𝑓𝐵𝐴

220
= 4.44(50)(1.2)(78.47×10−4 )

= 105

𝑃
Core size = √𝑘×𝑓

5000
= √0.45×50

= 14.9cm2

To calculate the conductor size, we have to first calculate the Primary and secondary
currents. Let’s assume current density(J)= 2.3 A/mm2

𝑃 5000
I1 = 𝐸1 = 3300 = 1.52A
𝑃 5000
I2 = 𝐸2 = = 22.73A
220

𝐼1 1.52
∴ A1 = = = 0.66mm2
𝐽 2.3

𝐼2
A2 = = 9.88mm2
𝐽

Where A1= primary conductor area and A2= secondary conductor area
Multisim simulation

1) No load circuit

XWM1

XMM2 V I

T1 XMM1
V1
3300Vrms
50Hz
0° 1577:105
 There is no current flowing through either the primary or secondary windings
because there is no device connected to the secondary side (load is 0). For this
reason, I₁ = I₂ = 0. The secondary voltage (220 V) remains available even in the
absence of any load. This is due to the fact that transformers are made to keep the
rated voltage constant while they are powered on. Thus, although the output
voltage is "ready," power is not being supplied. Since there isn't any actual power
transfer occurring, the wattmeter readings are zero.

2) Full load

When the connected load draws the maximum rated power (5 kW), the
transformer is said to be operating at full load. Power values on the primary and
secondary sides match, indicating effective energy transfer. For 5 kW of power,
the current draw of 22.69 A makes sense when the secondary side voltage is
constant at 220 V
 3
3) load
4

Currently, the transformer is delivering 6.65 kW, or roughly 75% of the maximum
9 kW rating that your data shows at full capacity. This is precisely what we would
anticipate from a ¾ load. As the load increases, so does the current on both the
primary and secondary sides. The transformer maintains voltage under varying
loads, demonstrating good voltage regulation, as the secondary voltage stays at
220 V.
 4) Half load

This power level (9.98 kW) is higher than what you recorded at full load (5 kW) and ¾ load
(6.65 kW), suggesting that there is a discrepancy. Unless there is a labeling error in your table or
the load values indicate something else, you would anticipate power of about 2.5 kW for half
load if the full load is 5 kW.
 1
5) load
4

The simulation's highest load was applied to the transformer at the ¼ load setting, which
produced 20 kW of power and drew 90.79 A from the secondary side. Since the load resistance
was greatly decreased, more current was able to pass through the transformer, as evidenced by
the high-power output. Strong voltage regulation, a desirable feature in well-designed
transformers, is shown by the secondary voltage's stability at 220 V in spite of this high loading.
The transformer effectively managed the load with no discernible power loss, as evidenced by
the corresponding increase in primary current to 6.04 A and the matching primary power of 20
kW. This outcome shows how the transformer continues to function even in the face of severe
loading.
6) Double load

In opposition to heavier load conditions, the secondary current decreased in this si

mulation scenario because the transformer was connected to a higher resistance lo
ad (19.36 Ω). Consequently, the delivered power decreased to 2.494 kW.
Despite being referred to as a "double load," the increased resistance actually resu
lted in a lower power draw. the transformer drew 11.35 A of current while
maintaining a constant secondary voltage of 220 V.
Observation table

Load Primary Primary Primary Secondary Secondary Secondary Regulation Efficiency

Voltage Current Wattmeter Voltage Current Wattmeter %
V1 (V) I1 (A) W1(W) V2 (V) I2 (A) W2(W)

No 3300 0 0 220 0 0 100% 0

Load
Full 3300 1.51 5kW 220 22.69 5kW 0 100%
load
3 3300 2.02 6.65kW 220 30.27 6.65kW 0 100%
4
load
1 3300 3.02 9.98kW 220 45.39 9.98kW 0 100%
2
load
1 3300 6.04 20kW 220 90.79 20kW 0 100%
4
load

Observation discussion

Voltage regulation- The secondary voltage remains constant at 220 V for all load
conditions. This implies ideal voltage regulation, which is theoretically perfect but rare
in practical transformers.

Efficiency- At all load levels, the transformer exhibits 100% efficiency, which means no
losses are noted. Due to core and copper losses, efficiency is usually between 95 and
99%. Most likely, this dataset is based on simplified experiments or ideal conditions.

Input Power & Output Power- This supports the idea of no losses even more. Input power
will be slightly higher than output power in real transformers.
Load vs Efficiency graph

Efficiency(%)
120

100

80

60

40

20

0
No load full load Three quarter Half load one quarter

According to the load vs. efficiency graph, the transformer's efficiency is 0% when there
is no load and increases to 100% when there is a full load and a quarter load. It stays at
this level under all loading circumstances. This behavior points to the perfect transformer
model, in which power conversion results in no energy loss. Transformer efficiency
fluctuates and typically peaks between 75 and 100 percent load in real-world situations
due to core losses that occur even when there is no load and copper losses that rise with
load.
Load vs Voltage regulation graph

Voltage regulation(%)
120

100

80

60

40

20

0
No load full load Three quarter Half load one quarter

Voltage regulation drops sharply from 100% at no load to 0% at full load and stays at 0%
for all other load levels, according to the load vs. voltage regulation graph. An ideal
transformer situation is represented by this pattern, in which the secondary voltage
remains precisely constant regardless of the load. In actual transformers, internal
impedance causes the voltage to decrease slightly as the load increases, resulting in
positive voltage regulation. Since regulation is typically measured between no-load and
full load rather than as an absolute value, the graph's 100% regulation at no load is
practically incorrect and appears to misrepresent the idea. All things considered, the
graph makes real transformer behavior easier to understand and is best understood as a
component of a theoretical exercise.
Conclusion

In this study, Multisim was used to perform a thorough analysis of a single-phase transformer
under various load conditions. The simulation demonstrated that the transformer had outstanding
voltage regulation, sustaining a constant 220 V output under a variety of load scenarios, such as
full load, no load, and resistance variations. The findings showed a direct correlation between
load resistance and current draw, with higher resistance producing lower current and power and
lower resistance producing higher current and power. Additionally, under most load conditions,
the input and output power values matched, demonstrating the transformer's efficient power
transfer and low losses. All things considered, the simulation effectively demonstrated the
transformer's capacity to manage fluctuating load demands while maintaining steady
performance, enhancing its applicability for real-world uses.

References

[1] D. Halliday, R. Resnick, and J. Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, 10th ed. Hoboken, NJ,
USA: Wiley, 2014.

[3] OpenStax, College Physics. Houston, TX, USA: Rice University, 2020. [Online]. Available:
https://openstax.org/books/college-physics/pages/23-3-faradays-law-of-induction

[3] E. Hughes, Electrical and Electronic Technology, 12th ed. Harlow, England: Pearson
Education Limited, 2016.

[4] S. J. Chapman, Electric Machinery Fundamentals, 5th ed. New York, NY, USA: McGraw-
Hill Education, 2011.

[5] M. H. Rashid, Electric Circuits, Devices and Systems, 3rd ed. Boston, MA, USA: Pearson,
2014.