Comparative design and economic analysis of dry-type power transformers: Comparative study of copper and aluminum windings

Authors

Article ID: 760
69 Views

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18686/cest760

Keywords:

dry-type transformer; transformer design; power rating; cost optimization; weight; winding material

Abstract

This paper explores the effect of winding material selection on the design and performance of dry-type distribution transformers with power ratings from 400 kVA to 3,000 kVA. Each transformer is manufactured with specific limits for electromagnetic and heat conditions: leakage impedance kept at 6% with a ±10% allowance, a magnetic flux density of 1.7 T, and winding temperature rise kept under 100 K, in accordance with IEC 60076-11 guidelines. The number of turns, core dimensions, conductor cross-sectional area, and the space between windings were adjusted to satisfy these conditions across varying power levels. The study is structured in two stages. First, losses, cost, and weight are individually evaluated for both materials (copper and aluminum) across different power ratings. Second, a comparison between copper and aluminum windings is performed to highlight trade-offs in efficiency, material usage, and design impact. Experimental results reveal that although copper offers improved conductivity and compactness, aluminum remains a viable alternative, especially where cost and weight are priority concerns. The outcomes provide practical insights for transformer designers aiming to optimize material usage in medium-voltage dry-type applications. These findings contribute to the development of energy-efficient and sustainable transformer designs, which are critical for the advancement of clean energy systems. Implementing optimized material selection can support reduced environmental impact and promote sustainable power distribution solutions in modern electrical networks.

Downloads

Published

2026-06-11

How to Cite

Dawood, K., Alperen Çakir, M., Kömürgöz Kırış, G., & Tursun, S. (2026). Comparative design and economic analysis of dry-type power transformers: Comparative study of copper and aluminum windings. Clean Energy Science and Technology, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.18686/cest760

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 3 (2026): In progress

Section

Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Kamran Dawood, Muhammed Alperen Çakir, Güven Kömürgöz Kırış, Semih Tursun

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

1. Cai S, Chen C, Guo H, et al. Fire resistance test of transformers filled with natural ester insulating liquid. The Journal of Engineering. 2019; 2019(16): 1560–1564. doi: 10.1049/joe.2018.8853 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1049/joe.2018.8853

2. Dawood K. Leakage reactance variation in dry-type transformers due to spacer positioning: A FEM and experimental study. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal. 2026; 75: 102303. doi: 10.1016/j.jestch.2026.102303 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jestch.2026.102303

3. Xing Y, Yi J, Zhang H, et al. Research on a Green Manufacturing Evaluation Method for Dry-Type Transformers. In: Proceedings of the 2025 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Electrical, Automation and Computer Engineering (ICEACE); 26 December 2025; Changchun, China. pp. 1308–1313. doi: 10.1109/ICEACE67491.2025.11439240 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEACE67491.2025.11439240

4. Dawood K, Gezer F, Tursun S. Cost and Weight Comparison Between Dry-Type Transformer and Oil-Type Transformer. In: Proceedings of the 2024 16th Electrical Engineering Faculty Conference (BulEF); 19 September 2024; Varna, Bulgaria. pp. 1–4. doi: 10.1109/BulEF63204.2024.10794970 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/BulEF63204.2024.10794970

5. Gawrylczyk KM, Banaszak S. Recent Developments in the Modelling of Transformer Windings. Energies. 2021; 14(10): 2798. doi: 10.3390/en14102798 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en14102798

6. Saroha S, Shekher V, Kumar P, et al. Review of Transformer Core and Winding Design with Material Used. In: Advances in Materials and Mechanical Engineering, Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. Springer; 2021. pp. 39–49. doi: 10.1007/978-981-16-0673-1_5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0673-1_5

7. Qian X, Xu G, Zhang X, et al. Research on identification method of transformer winding material based on vibration characteristic. International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics. 2024; 74(2): 141–153. doi: 10.3233/JAE-230109 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/JAE-230109

8. Aziz M, Indarto A, Hudaya C. Study of material characteristics of core and winding to minimize losses on power transformer. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2021; 673(1): 012008. doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/673/1/012008 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/673/1/012008

9. Wang S, Wang S, Zhang N, et al. Calculation and Analysis of Mechanical Characteristics of Transformer Windings Under Short-Circuit Condition. IEEE Transactions on Magnetics. 2019; 55(7): 1–4. doi: 10.1109/TMAG.2019.2898183 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.2019.2898183

10. Georgilakis PS, Gioulekas AT, Souflaris AT. A decision tree method for the selection of winding material in power transformers. Journal of Materials Processing Technology. 2007; 181(1–3): 281–285. doi: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2006.03.036 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2006.03.036

11. Dawood K, Çakir MA, Tursun S. Experimental Comparison of Aluminum and Copper Costs in Transformer Windings. In: Proceedings of the 2024 11th International Conference on Information Technology, Computer, and Electrical Engineering (ICITACEE); 29 August 2024; Semarang, Indonesia. pp. 134–137. doi: 10.1109/ICITACEE62763.2024.10762764 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICITACEE62763.2024.10762764

12. Villibor J, Neto EW, Lopes G, et al. Technical and economic analysis of copper utilization on new windings of repaired distribution transformers originally designed for aluminum. In: Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC); 16–19 June 2019; Calgary, AB, Canada. pp. 335–339. doi: 10.1109/EIC43217.2019.9046570 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/EIC43217.2019.9046570

13. Magdaleno-Adame S, Olivares-Galvan JC, Escarela-Perez R, et al. Study of parameters influencing the performance of connectors used for load and temperature tests on transformers. In: Proceedings of the 2012 IEEE International Symposium on Electrical Insulation; 10–13 June 2012; San Juan, PR, USA. pp. 311–314. doi: 10.1109/ELINSL.2012.6251479 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ELINSL.2012.6251479

14. Phani Kumar Mokkapaty S, Weiss J, Schramm A, et al. 3D Finite Element analysis of magnetic shunts and aluminum shields in clamping frames of distribution transformers. In: Proceedings of the 2015 IEEE International Autumn Meeting on Power, Electronics and Computing (ROPEC); 4–6 November 2015; Ixtapa, Mexico. pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ROPEC.2015.7395069 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ROPEC.2015.7395069

15. Liu W, Wang Z, Zhang W. The Application of All-Aluminum Electrical System in Wind Power. New Energy Exploitation and Application. 2025; 4(1): 71–82. doi: 10.54963/neea.v4i1.914 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54963/neea.v4i1.914

16. Girgis RS, Te Nijenhuis EG, Gramm K, et al. Experimental investigations on effect of core production attributes on transformer core loss performance. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery. 1998; 13(2): 526–531. doi: 10.1109/61.660924 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/61.660924

17. Girgis RS, Mechler GF. Other factors contributing to the core loss performance of power and distribution transformers. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery. 2001; 16(4): 648–653. doi: 10.1109/61.956752 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/61.956752

18. Najafi A, Iskender I. Comparison of core loss and magnetic flux distribution in amorphous and silicon steel core transformers. Electrical Engineering. 2018; 100(2): 1125–1131. doi: 10.1007/s00202-017-0574-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00202-017-0574-7

19. Hashemi MH, Akkus A. Core Loss Analysis of Power Transformers with Different Core Steps Using Finite Element Method. In: Proceedings of the 2024 10th International Conference on Electrical Energy Systems (ICEES); 22 August 2022; Chennai, India, pp. 1–6. doi: 10.1109/ICEES61253.2024.10776909 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEES61253.2024.10776909

20. Zhou C, Zhao J, Wang H, et al. Analysis of Core Loss Characteristics of Linear Phase-Shifting Transformer. Energy Reports. 2023; 9: 702–711. doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2023.05.125 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2023.05.125

21. Zeng Y, Gong D, Zu Y, et al. Temperature-Compensated Multi-Objective Framework for Core Loss Prediction and Optimization: Integrating Data-Driven Modeling and Evolutionary Strategies. Mathematics. 2025; 13(17): 2758. doi: 10.3390/math13172758 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/math13172758

22. Jia X, Lin M, Su S, et al. Numerical study on temperature rise and mechanical properties of winding in oil-immersed transformer. Energy. 2022; 239: 121788. doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.121788 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.121788

23. Yu X, Tan Y, Wang H, et al. Thermal analysis and optimization on a transformer winding based on non-uniform loss distribution. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2023; 226: 120296. doi: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120296 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120296

24. Beheshti Asl M, Fofana I, Meghnefi F, et al. A Comprehensive Review of Transformer Winding Diagnostics: Integrating Frequency Response Analysis with Machine Learning Approaches. Energies. 2025; 18(5): 1209. doi: 10.3390/en18051209 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en18051209

25. Samal M, Lakshmi Prasanna K, Mishra P, et al. Accurate Estimation of Transformer Winding Capacitances and Voltage Distribution Factor Using Driving Point Impedance Measurements. IEEE Access. 2024; 12: 133670–133684. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3460968 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2024.3460968

26. Wang J, Xing Y, Ma X, et al. Numerical Investigations for Vibration and Deformation of Power Transformer Windings under Short-Circuit Condition. Energies. 2023; 16(14): 5318. doi: 10.3390/en16145318 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en16145318

27. Zhou X, Ma Y, Tian T, et al. Calculation and analysis of mechanical properties of transformer windings accounting for actual operating characteristics. AIP Advances. 2025; 15(11): 115013. doi: 10.1063/5.0299135 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0299135

28. Jun L, Hao Y, Dong Z, et al. Research on nonlinear vibration of transformer winding based on static analysis of axial pressing process. Scientific Reports. 2025; 15(1): 34910. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-18779-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-18779-0

29. Wu S, Zhang F, Dang Y, et al. A Mechanical-Electromagnetic Coupling Model of Transformer Windings and its Application in the Vibration-Based Condition Monitoring. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery. 2023; 38(4): 2387–2397. doi: 10.1109/TPWRD.2023.3242266 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRD.2023.3242266

30. Al-Dori O, Şakar B, Dönük A. Comprehensive Analysis of Losses and Leakage Reactance of Distribution Transformers. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering. 2022; 47(11): 14163–14171. doi: 10.1007/s13369-022-06680-1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-022-06680-1

31. Xian R, Wang L, Zhang B, et al. Identification Method of Interturn Short Circuit Fault for Distribution Transformer Based on Power Loss Variation. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics. 2024; 20(2): 2444–2454. doi: 10.1109/TII.2023.3292972 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/TII.2023.3292972

32. León-Martínez V, Peñalvo-López E, Montañana-Romeu J, et al. Assessment of Load Losses Caused by Harmonic Currents in Distribution Transformers Using the Transformer Loss Calculator Software. Environments. 2023; 10(10): 177. doi: 10.3390/environments10100177 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/environments10100177