Power Transformers Exporters Explain The Effects Of Leakage Inductance

Operation of transformers at extreme frequencies brings unique design problems due to several reasons. In this post, power transformers exporters will explain the effects of leakage inductance and winding capacitance on the transformer health. These issues are creating big trouble for transformer and users have to know about them in order to fix them and have seamless performance.

Operating at single frequency needs fewer turns and so, there is less capacitance and leakage inductance with which user has to deal. High frequency designs need more care to specify the winding specification. This is due to the physical orientation and spacing of the windings determines winding capacitance and leakage inductance.

Leakage inductance

Leakage inductance is usually distributed across the windings of the transformer due to the flux setup by the primary winding. This flux doesn’t connect the secondary winding and so, it increases the leakage inductance in every winding without contributing to the mutual flux.

Leakage inductance is an inductive component equipped in a transformer. Any magnetic flux that doesn’t link the primary winding to the secondary one acts as inductive impedance and thus, leakage impedance is an additional inductance prior the primary of an ideal transformer.

In specific applications like switched-mode power supplies and lighting ballasts, transformer’s leakage inductance may play a significant role in the product design. Due to this reason, accurate measurement of leakage inductance is a critical test function for the manufacturers.

Ideal transformer- there are no losses in ideal transformer. Voltages are transformed in the direct ratio of the turns; and currents are transformed in the inverse ratio of turns.

Real transformer – In a real transformer, there are some flux in the primary winding that don’t link the secondary winding. This leakage flux plays no role in the transformer action and can be represented as extra inductive impedance that is in series with the primary winding.

How to minimize leakage inductance?

Leakage inductance is highly influenced by magnetic core geometry. If you need to minimize leakage inductance, the primary winding need to be wound on a long tube closer to the secondary wound using a minimum of insulation.

Can manufacturers help in reducing the risk of leakage inductance?

You can try and contact manufacturers in your town. Power transformers exporters and suppliers are already providing their clients best practice guidelines to avoid occurrence of problems in the transformer.