How can energy losses in a transformer be minimised?
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In a transformer, reducing the resistance of the wires minimizes energy losses, as power loss is proportional to the square of the current and the resistance.
Transformer losses come from two sources: resistive heating in the windings (cut by using thick, low-resistance copper wire) and losses in the iron core from eddy currents and hysteresis. The core losses are reduced by laminating the core into thin insulated sheets, which limits eddy currents, and by using a soft magnetic material with low hysteresis loss. Together, good winding design and a laminated low-loss core keep transformer energy losses to a minimum.