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3-phase 500 kVA transformer primary current

Short answer

For ideal transformer, primary line current I_L1 = S/(√3 V_L) = 500×10³/(√3×11000) = 26.24 A. Phase current in delta winding = 26.24/√3 = 15.15 A. Current drawn is 26.24 A at 0.8 lagging pf.

A 500 kVA, 50 Hz, 11 kV/400 V, 3-phase transformer has delta/star connection. Calculate the current drawn by the transformer from primary side when it delivers full load at rated terminal voltage at 0.8 lagging p.f. Assume ideal transformer operation.

For an ideal transformer, losses and voltage drops are zero, so input VA equals output VA. The primary is delta connected, so the line current is 3\sqrt{3} times the phase current.

Output at full load: S=500S = 500 kVA, power factor 0.8 lagging.

Primary line current

S=3 VLIL⇒IL1=500×1033×11000=26.24 AS = \sqrt{3}\,V_L I_L \quad\Rightarrow\quad I_{L1} = \frac{500\times 10^3}{\sqrt{3}\times 11000} = 26.24\ \text{A}

Primary phase current (delta)

Iph1=IL13=26.243=15.15 AI_{ph1} = \frac{I_{L1}}{\sqrt{3}} = \frac{26.24}{\sqrt{3}} = 15.15\ \text{A}

(Check: Iph1=5000003×11000=15.15I_{ph1} = \dfrac{500000}{3\times 11000} = 15.15 A.)

Power drawn

P=Scos⁡ϕ=500×0.8=400 kW,Q=500×0.6=300 kVARP = S\cos\phi = 500 \times 0.8 = 400\ \text{kW}, \qquad Q = 500\times 0.6 = 300\ \text{kVAR}

For an ideal transformer the input power factor equals the load power factor (0.8 lagging), so the current lags the voltage by cos⁡−10.8=36.87∘\cos^{-1}0.8 = 36.87^\circ.

Answer: the transformer draws a line current of 26.24 A26.24\ \text{A} from the 11 kV supply (phase current 15.15 A15.15\ \text{A} in each delta winding) at 0.8 lagging power factor.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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