Weight reduction of amorphous alloy core electrical transformers for aircraft applications

Abstract

Catalogues of manufactured transformers show that amorphous alloy core transformers applied to 50 or 60 Hz lines have about 70% core electrical losses reduction when compared to same power output transformers made with Grain Oriented (GO) Silicon Iron (FeSi) core, however amorphous alloy core transformers are also heavier than FeSi core transformers. Such weight fact makes apparently prohibitive the use of amorphous alloy core transformers onboard aircrafts, but more electrical aircrafts (MEA) require much more electrical power, which means more FeSi core losses, therefore ways of electrical losses reduction onboard must be studied. This paper shows by calculations that transformers with amorphous alloy core can be less heavy and have reduced losses than an equal calculated power output transformer with GO FeSi core if core temperature, safety limits for core induction value and cooper wire cross section area reduction are considered.