2/25/2019 Advantages and Applications of zigzag transformer - Engineering Tutorial

ENGINEERING TUTORIAL
(HTTPS://ENGINEERINGTUTORIAL.COM)

 SHARE

Electrical Machines (https://engineeringtutorial.com/category/electrical-engineering/electrical-

machines/)

Advantages and Applications of zigzag transformer

Post on: April 16, 2016  Bharadwaj (https://engineeringtutorial.com/author/admin/)  0
(https://engineeringtutorial.com/advantages-applications-zig-zag-transformer/#respond)

SPONSORED SEARCHES

3 Phase Transformer Winding Wire

Coil Winding Earthing System

Zig Zag transformer

ZIg Zag transformer is a special purpose transformer used in power system, which is also called as
“interconnected start winding”. Even though this type of transformer connection is not useful in
transforming power, it has many features combining Star and Delta type winding connections.

https://engineeringtutorial.com/advantages-applications-zig-zag-transformer/ 1/8
2/25/2019 Advantages and Applications of zigzag transformer - Engineering Tutorial

Zig Zag transformer winding connections

Zig Zag transformer has six coils in which three are outer coils and three are inner coils as shown in the
gure. The outer coil windings are called as ZIG winding and inner coil windings are connected as ZAG
winding. The zig winding of one phase is connected in series with the zag winding of another phase so it is
called interconnected star winding where two star winding coils are interconnected each other.  In each
phase two coil windings will have same number of turns but they are wounded in opposite directions to
cancel the mismatch voltages. Following are the connections of zig zag winding coils

1) The outer coil of phase ‘a’ is connected with the inner coil of phase ‘b’

1) The outer coil of phase ‘b’ is connected with the inner coil of phase ‘c’

1) The outer coil of phase ‘c’ is connected with the inner coil of phase ‘c’

The inner coil second terminals are connected together and connected to neutral terminal to pass the zero
sequence current components.

The interconnection of winding of different phases introduces 30 phase shift between zig winding and the
corresponding line to neutral voltage. The zig-zag winding have 15.47% more turns compared to
conventional transformers to get the same magnitude of voltages. Hence the cost of zig zag transformer is
high and it is essential in some applications to be used.

Zig Zag Transformer applications or uses

https://engineeringtutorial.com/advantages-applications-zig-zag-transformer/ 2/8
2/25/2019 Advantages and Applications of zigzag transformer - Engineering Tutorial

Grounding Transformer

It can be used as earthing transformer in a delta connected (no neutral terminal) system or an ungrounded
start connected (three terminal star) where in neutral is not available for grounding. The zig zag transformer
used for earthing of delta connected transformer.

In delta connected transformer there will not be path to zero sequence components and no protection can
be performed for these components which increases and stress and heating in the windings. The zig zag
transformer provides a neutral for the proving a path to zero sequence components during line to ground
fault and allows the protection to be operated due to this fault. In the obsence of grounded neutral, voltages
of healthy would increase line to line voltage level, stressing the insulation connected to equipment. Thug
Zig zag transformer not only helps in protection it also reduces the voltages stress under symmetrical fault
conditions.

2) Power Electronic converters

In power electronic converters the zig zag transformer is used to eliminate the DC magnetizing component
presented due to improper ring angles. The improper ring angles of power electronic components (SCR)
may introduce DC magnetizing component and this is canceled in each limb of zig zag transformer due to
opposite direction of DC magnetizing component of currents owing in the windings on the same limb.

3) Earthing reference or earthing transformer

Zig zag transformer offers low impedance path to zero sequence components under fault conditions so it
can be perfectly used as earthing transformer with and earthing reference. If the earthing current has to be
limited under fault conditions, a suitable resistor can be placed in zig zag neutral terminal.

4) Harmonic voltages presented in system to some extent can be cancelled in zigzag windings due to
opposite connection of winding coils.

Advantage of Zig zag transformer

The following are the advantages of zigzag transformer compared to Scott transformer and other grounding
transformers

1. Less cost compared to Scott transformer

2. Provides low impedance to zero sequence currents
3.  Harmonic voltages suppression
4. It provides perfect isolation between ground and component

https://engineeringtutorial.com/advantages-applications-zig-zag-transformer/ 3/8
2/25/2019 Advantages and Applications of zigzag transformer - Engineering Tutorial

Related Articles :
Zigzag Transformers Theory (https://engineeringtutorial.com/zigzag-transformers-theory/)

Types of Transformers (https://engineeringtutorial.com/types-transformers/)

Losses of Transformer (https://engineeringtutorial.com/losses-of-transformer/)

Transformers Questions & Answers Part-4 (https://engineeringtutorial.com/transformers-questions-

answers-part-4/)

What is a transformer tap changer? (https://engineeringtutorial.com/transformer-tap-changer-2/)

Faults in a Transformer (https://engineeringtutorial.com/faults-in-a-transformer/)

Engineering Tutorial Keywords:

zigzag wounded transformer

dc response of zig-zag transformer
zigzag transformer application
zig zag transformer protection
zig zag connection advantage
Zig Zag connection
what is zig zag transformer
cooling zig zqg transformer windings
advantages of zig zag grounding transformer
advantages of unit of zig zag winding transformer system protection

https://engineeringtutorial.com/advantages-applications-zig-zag-transformer/ 4/8