An investigation of the harmonic characteristics of transformer excitation current under nonsinusoidal supply voltage

This paper investigates the effect of supply voltage harmonics on the excitation current of a typical 25 kVA single-phase distribution transformer. A complete analytical model is developed to calculate the time domain waveform and the harmonic components of the excitation current. The key findings are: the phase angles of the supply voltage harmonics determine whether or not those voltage harmonics increase or decrease the distortion of the input current (with respect to the sinusoidal supply voltage case). A peaked input voltage wave distorted by 3rd, 7th, 11th, etc. harmonic components, or a flattened input voltage wave distorted by 5th, 9th, 13th, etc. harmonics, creates a flattened current (i.e., decreases the current harmonics and distortion). A flattened input voltage wave distorted by 3rd, 7th, 11th, etc. harmonic components, or a peaked input voltage wave distorted by 5th, 9th, 13th, etc. harmonics, creates a peaked current (i.e., increases the current harmonics and distortion): The 3rd harmonic component in the supply voltage has the highest effect on the current harmonics and distortion. The effect of higher voltage harmonics gradually diminishes with frequency. The magnitudes of the individual current harmonics follow the same decreasing/increasing pattern of changes as does current distortion variation. The corresponding variations in harmonic current phase angles is negligible.