Essential Questions When Designing a Power Transformer

We asked one of our lead engineers, what are the essential questions you ask when designing a custom power transformer?

He broke down these questions into five primary categories that cover 90% of the applications

1 – The Type of Transformer

What type of transformer does it need to be? The most common are:

• Single Phase
• 2-Phase
• 3-Phase

Don't worry; we specialize in the not-so-common types as well.

2 – Primary (The Input Section)

• What is the input voltage?
• What is the input current?

3 – Secondary (The Output Section)

• What is the desired output voltage?
• What is the desired output current?

If the secondary is DC, what is the rectifier topology? The most common are:

• Full Wave Bridge
• Bridge
• Center-Tapped
• Single Phase

4 – Finish (The Connectors)

What type of connectors do you need for your application? The most common are:

• Wire leads
• Terminal Block
• Solder Lugs (Used primarily on PCB boards)
• Copper Terminals

5 – Geometry (The Size)

What is the desired size or the space restrictions of the transformer?

In more complex applications, there may be a few other considerations categories to discuss, such as:

Regulation

The voltage regulation of the transformer is the percentage change in the output voltage from no-load to full-load. Voltage regulation will vary as the power factor varies. The regulation is measured in percentage.

Temperature

• What is the ambient temperature range the power transformer will be working within?
• What is the maximum allowable temperature rise?
• Will there be any cooling?

Testing

Some applications will require additional testing to receive a particular certification. For example, many transformers built for defense require a MIL-SPEC certification, which subjects random samples to vibration testing.

Regardless of your project's complexity, our engineering team has the expertise to design the ideal solution for your application.