Localized Surface Vibration and Acoustic Noise Emitted From Laboratory-Scale Transformer Cores Assembled From Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel

Magnetostriction of grain-oriented 3% SiFe sheets was measured prior to assembly into model transformer cores. Core vibration was measured using a laser scanning vibrometer and harmonic spectra of acoustic noise were evaluated from the microphone outputs. Explanations show why no correlation exists between vibration harmonics profiles and A-weighted acoustic noise spectra. High localized vibration did not cause high noise due to phase differences in surface vibrations, and it is shown that this is the main reason why the A-weighted noise of a three-phase core can be less than that of an equivalent single-phase core. Noise from cores assembled from low magnetostriction materials was not always lowest because of the variable effect of electromagnetic forces.