TYPES OF THREE-PHASE

TRANSFORMER
CONNECTIONS &
APPLICATION
 Learning Objectives

 Introduction

 Types of Three-phase Transformer Connections

 General Considerations for Three-Phase

Transformer Applications

 Advantages and Disadvantages

 Recommendations
 To familiarize with the common variations of three-
phase transformer connections

 To familiarize with the applicability of each

transformer connection for specific systems

 To determine the advantages and disadvantages of

each transformer connection

 To be able to properly select the appropriate

transformer connection for specific types of systems
Three-Phase
Transformer
Connections
 Three-phase Transformer Connections

The three-phase transformer can be

constructed by either:

1. Banking of three individual single-phase

transformers

2. Combined with one core - single tank

three-phase unit
The individual single-phase transformers can
be banked by several configurations. Some of
the common configurations are the following:

 Delta-Wye

 Wye-Delta

 Delta-Delta

 Wye-Wye

 Open-Delta
The single unit three-phase transformer
windings are connected also by the same
configuration but its connections are made in
one single core. Some other connections are
the following:

 Zig-Zag

 Scott and T connection

Comparison between Three Single-phase and Single
Tank Three-Phase Transformers
 Types of Common
Transformer
Connections and
their Characteristics
A. Delta-Wye Transformer Connection
A. Delta-Wye Transformer Connection
A. Delta-Wye Transformer Connection

Three-phase excitation current wave forms (solid) and the third

harmonic components combined (dotted).
A. Delta-Wye Transformer Connection
• Type of three-phase electric power
transformer design with Delta-connected
windings on its primary and Wye/Star
connected windings on its secondary.

• A neutral wire can be provided on wye

output side.

• Either a single three-phase transformer, or

built from three independent single-phase
units.
• Equivalent term is Delta-Star transformer.
A. Delta-Wye Transformer Connection
• Phase voltage = Line voltage / 1.732
• Phase current = Line current
• Used universally for connecting generators
to transmission systems because of two very
important reasons:

1. Generators are usually equipped with

sensitive ground fault relay protection.

2. Rotating machines can literally be

shaken apart by mechanical forces
resulting from zero-sequence currents.
The ∆-connected winding blocks zero-
sequence currents on the transmission
system from the generator.
A. Open Delta - Open Delta Transformer Connection
A. Wye – Wye Transformer Connection
A. Wye – Wye Transformer Connection
•The most obvious way of transforming voltages
and currents in a three-phase electrical system is
to operate each phase as a separate single-
phase system. This requires a four-wire system
comprised of three phase wires plus a common
neutral wire that is shared among the three
phases. Each phase is transformed through a set
of primary and secondary windings connected
phase-to neutral.
The term ‘‘Y-Y connection’’ should be obvious from the fact that the
vector diagrams of the primary and secondary windings both
resemble the letter Y. Each phase of the primary and secondary
circuits is 120 electrical degrees out of phase with the other two
phases. This is represented by angles of 120° between the legs of the
primary Y and the secondary Y in the vector diagram. Each primary
winding is magnetically linked to one secondary winding through a
common core leg. Sets of windings that are magnetically linked are
drawn parallel to each other in the vector diagram. In the Y-Y
connection, each primary and secondary winding is connected to
a neutral point. The neutral point may or may not be brought out to
an external physical connection and the neutral may or may not be
grounded.
A. Wye – Delta Transformer Connection
A. Wye – Delta Transformer Connection
There are times when a grounded Y-Δ transformer is used
for no other purpose
than to provide a good ground source in an otherwise
ungrounded system.
Take, for example, a distribution system supplied by a Δ-
connected (i.e., ungrounded)
power source. If it is required to connect phase-to-
ground loads to this system a grounding bank is
connected to the system
A. Delta – Delta Transformer Connection
• Type of three-phase electric power
transformer design with Delta-connected
windings on its primary and Delta
connected windings on its secondary.

• No neutral wire provision.

• Either a single three-phase transformer, or

built from three independent single-phase
units.

• Phase voltage = Line voltage

• Phase current = Line current / 1.732
 Connection in three identical transformers are
symmetrical or balanced

 Currents & voltages in each of the phase are the

same and their relationship to the line voltages and
currents are identical

 kVA rating of the bank = 1.732 x E x I

 Associated power in balanced three-phase loads =

1.732 x E x I

 kVA present in the transformers is equal to the kVA

delivered to the circuit
 General
Considerations for
Transformer
Connection
Applications
General Considerations for Transformer
Connection Applications

• To be familiar with the general

transformer characteristics is essential
for the selection of the appropriate
connection to meet a given service
requirement.
The following are the transformer general
characteristics:

A. Ratio of kVA output to the kVA rating of

the bank

B. Degree of Voltage Symmetry

C. Voltage and Current Harmonics

D. other operating peculiarities

A. Ratio of kVA output to the kVA rating of the bank

 Connection in three identical transformers are

symmetrical or balanced

 Currents & voltages in each of the phase are the

same and their relationship to the line voltages and
currents are identical

 kVA rating of the bank = 1.732 x E x I

 Associated power in balanced three-phase loads =

1.732 x E x I

 kVA present in the transformers is equal to the kVA

delivered to the circuit
 Thus, ratio of kVA load to the kVA present in the
bank is UNITY or equals to 1.0

 This characteristic can be made as reference for

proper selection of transformer connections
based on system kVA requirements
kVA output/kVA rating Ratio of various Transformer Connections

Transformer kVA output/kVA rating Ratio

Connection = 1.0 (100%) < 1.0

Delta-Wye 
Wye-Delta 
Wye-Wye 
Delta-Delta 
Open-Delta 86.6%
T-type 86.6%
Zig-Zag 86.6%
B. Degree of Voltage Symmetry
 Another basis is the symmetry with respect to the
lines and with respect to the neutral

 Delta and Zig-zag:

 voltage and current symmetry with respect to
the three lines and lines to neutral

 All other connections possess varying degrees of

dissymmetry; although three-phase load is
balanced, introduce objectionable operating
features such as:
 Unbalanced regulation
 Current distortion
 Open-Delta and T :
 Dissymmetrical with respect to the three lines
and with respect to neutral

 Wye-Wye connection:
 Current dissymmetry between lines and neutral

 Wye-Delta or Delta-Wye connection:

 Complete symmetry for all practical purposes is
maintained by the presence of the Delta
C. Voltage and Current Harmonics
 Open-Delta and T :
 introduces unbalanced regulation and third-
harmonic magnetizing currents in the circuit

 Wye –Wye :
 introduces third-harmonic voltage
 Current dissymmetry between lines and
neutral
 subjects parallel telephone circuits to serious
interference
 subjects the system itself to dangerous
overvoltages under certain conditions
 Wye connection:
 Thus, Wye-Wye connection with isolated
neutral is not recommended

 Balanced Three-phase Delta-Delta, Wye-Delta, &

Delta-Wye connection (equal and symmetrical
windings and core):
 Do not introduce third harmonics and their
multiples into the line

 Wave shapes of the magnetizing currents to

such banks are superior to the wave shapes
of dissymmetrical banks
 Paralleled banks of Three-phase Delta-Wye and
Wye-Delta (same rating):

 Fifth, seventh, seventeenth and nineteenth

harmonics = 180 degrees apart in phase

 Transformer magnetization line harmonics are

minimized.
 Symmetry & Harmonic Delta- Wye- Delta Wye- OpenD Zig-
T
Characteristics and Effects Wye Delta Delta Wye elta Zag
Voltage symmetry to the
three lines
    
Voltage symmetry to the
lines to neutral
    

Current symmetry to the lines     

Current symmetry to the lines
to neutral
   
Current Dissymmetry
between lines & neutral

Dissymmetrical with respect
to three lines and neutral
 
Unbalanced regulation  
Introduces third-harmonic
magnetizing currents
 
Introduces third-harmonic
voltage

Serious interference to
parallel telephone circuits

Dangerous system
overvoltages

D. Other operating peculiarities
Transformers having equal characteristics (rating
and symmetry) such as the Delta-Wye, Wye-Delta,
and Delta-Delta, other factors must be considered
in order to select the appropriate connection type.

 Delta-Wye :
 Neutrals can be derived either for loading or
grounding

 Less expensive design in very high-voltage

(small line currents) systems since phase
voltage = E / 1.732
 Balanced three-phase loads equally divided
among the phases regardless of unequal or
different impedances of banked transformers

 Unaffected by different transformer ratios

 However, when banking transformers having

widely different kVA ratings leads to
disproportionate sharing of loads among the
three phases.
 Delta-Delta:
 No neutrals available for loading or grounding

 Less expensive design in very large current

(low-voltage) since phase current = I / 1.732

 Balanced three-phase loads unequal division of

loads among the phases when banking with
different transformer impedances

 When banking transformers having widely

different kVA ratings leads to proportionate
sharing of loads among the three phases.
 Advantages &
Disadvantages of
Each Transformer
Connection
A. Delta-Wye Transformer Connection advantages

• One of the major advantages of the ∆-Y

connection is that it provides harmonic
suppression. Recall that the magnetizing current
must contain odd harmonics for the induced
voltages to be sinusoidal.
• In the ∆-Y connection, however, the third
harmonic currents, being equal in amplitude and
in phase with each other, are able to circulate
around the path formed by the ∆-connected
winding.
A. Delta-Wye Transformer Connection advantages

• Another important advantage of the ∆-Y

connection is that it provides ground current
isolation between the primary and secondary
circuits. Assuming that the neutral of the Y-
connected secondary circuit is grounded, a load
connected phase-to-neutral or a phase-to-ground
fault produces two equal and opposite currents in
two phases in the primary circuit without any
neutral ground current in the primary circuit.
A. Wye - Wye Transformer Connection advantages

•The primary and secondary circuits are in phase; i.e.,

there are no phase angle displacements introduced
by the Y-Y connection. This is an important
advantage when transformers are used to
interconnect systems of different voltages in a
cascading manner.

•Since the phase-to-neutral voltage is only 57.7% of

the phase-to phase voltage, the windings of a Y-Y
transformer require fewer turns to produce the same
level of excitation in the core compared to windings
connected across the phases.
A. Wye - Wye Transformer Connection advantages

•If the neutral end of a Y-connected winding is

grounded, then there is an opportunity to use
reduced levels of insulation at the neutral end of the
winding. A winding that is connected across the
phases requires full insulation throughout the winding.

•A Y-Y transformer may be constructed as an

autotransformer, with the possibility of great cost
savings compared to the two-winding transformer
construction.
A. Wye - Wye Transformer Connection disadvantages

• The presence of third (and other zero-sequence)

harmonics at an ungrounded neutral can cause
overvoltage conditions at light load. When
constructing a Y-Y transformer using single-phase
transformers connected in a bank, the measured
line-to-neutral voltages are not 57.7% of the
system phase-to-phase voltage at no-load but are
about 68% and diminish very rapidly as the bank is
loaded.
A. Wye - Wye Transformer Connection disadvantages

. Under certain circumstances, a Y-Y connected three-

phase transformer can produce severe tank
overheating that can quickly destroy the transformer.
This usually occurs with an open phase on the primary
circuit and load on the secondary.
A. Wye - Wye Transformer Connection disadvantages

. Severe over-voltages due to Series resonance between

the third harmonic magnetizing reactance of the
transformer and line to-ground capacitance.

. If a phase-to-ground fault occurs on the primary circuit

with the primary neutral grounded, then the phase-to-
neutral voltage on the un-faulted phases increases to
173% of the normal voltage. This would almost certainly
result in over-excitation of the core, with greatly
increased magnetizing currents and core losses.
A. Wye - Wye Transformer Connection disadvantages

• If the neutrals of the primary and secondary are both

brought out, then a phase-to-ground fault on the
secondary circuit causes neutral fault current to flow in
the primary circuit. Ground protection relaying in the
neutral of the primary circuit may then operate for faults
on the secondary circuit.

•The obvious remedy for some of the disadvantages of

the Y-Y transformer connection would be to simply
solidly ground both the primary and secondary neutrals.
In fact, this is standard practice for virtually all Y-Y
transformers in systems designed by utility companies.
A. Wye - Wye Transformer Connection disadvantages

•Unfortunately, solidly grounding the neutrals alone does

not solve the problem of tank overheating, ferro-
resonance, and operating primary ground protection
during secondary faults.
A. Advantages of Delta-Delta or Ungrounded
Wye-Delta Connection:
•More economical transformer installation for smaller
three-phase service with some single-phase loads is
possible.

•The load is isolated from ground faults on the utility

side.

•DG would not typically feed utility-side ground faults

except when resonance occurs.

•Ungrounded interconnection can be provided for

inverter-based systems requiring it.
A. Disadvantages of Delta-Delta or Ungrounded
Wye-Delta Connection:
•Utility-side SLG faults are difficult to detect.

•Utility arresters are subjected to high steady-state

over-voltages if islanded on an SLG fault. This is true
for delta-wye connections as well.

•These connections are highly susceptible to

ferroresonance in cable-fed installations.

•There are more restrictions on switching for utility

maintenance.
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Select the proper kVA output to kVA rating ratio
that is appropriate for your system kVA
requirements.

 Evaluate if system loads can tolerate voltage and

current dissymmetry which can lead to
unbalanced regulation, current distortion and
interference in other systems (i.e. telephone
circuits and other communication systems)

 Evaluate if system loads are composed mostly of

non-linear loads which can produce undesired
system harmonics.
 Check if there are presence of line-to-neutral loads
which necessitates neutral connection from the
transformer.

 Evaluate if system can tolerate voltage and current

harmonics which can easily damage sensitive
electronic equipment, etc.

 Evaluate if system can not tolerate power

interruption due to single-line-to-ground faults
(SLG) due to critical opportunity loss or loss of
lives such as in some areas of Healthcare facilities
and hospitals
 Evaluate if neutral system ground is necessary for
easier ground fault detection in the system in order
to avoid electrical fires due to arcing ground faults
(i.e. hazardous areas, petro-chem facilities, wood
manufacturing plants, etc.)

 Last but not the least, don’t forget about the

bottomline:

PRACTICAL
ECONOMICS
 THE END!!
Thank you for
listening!!