Application of electrical steels in transformer cores

Probably, more than 90% of the GO electrical steel produced each year is used in transformers cores, and this proportion is likely to continue in the foreseeable future. The beginning of this book chapter provides sufficient grounding for non-experts in basic aspects of the principles, terminology, design, operation and characteristics of transformers needed to understand the role of the magnetic core. Next, practical and electromagnetic aspects of strip wound and laminated cores are introduced followed by a description of flux transfer and localised losses in cores. Causes and effects of core faults are described briefly, and the chapter concludes with an introduction to the process of loss capitalisation in evaluating the total ownership cost (TOC) of a transformer.