The chief losses in a transformer are the losses that occur in the core. These are the the eddy current loss and the hysteresis losses. About 1 to 4 percent of the power which passes through a transformer is lost due to these losses.The losses in the distribution transformers constitute nearly 20% of the total losses in the distribution system. Since transformers are online continually, the no load losses of the transformers is constant throughout the day regardless of the load.
The Amorphous Metal Transformer is fast emerging as an efficient alternative to the conventional transformer. The Amorphous Metal transformer has a core which is made of ferromagnetic materials such as Iron or Cobalt in a glass former such as phosphorous, silicon or boron.
Metglas, as this substance is known, has high susceptibility, low coercivity and high resistance. The low coercivity reduces the hysteresis losses while the high resistance greatly reduces the eddy current losses.
By using Amorphous Metal Transformers, it is estimated that many millions of units of electricity can be saved. Amorphous Metal Transformers are widely used in developing economies such as India and China in an effort to bring down the distribution losses.
Some of the other advantages of Amorphous Metal Transformers are the lower operating temperature, higher overloading capability, slower ageing of the winding insulation and better performance when subjected to harmonics.