Thermal Analysis of the Natural Convection Cooling Type Transformer

Thermal Analysis of the Natural Convection Cooling Type Transformer

The life expectancy of a transformer largely depends on the temperature-rise it experiences. If the temperature-rise exceeds limits specified in the design standards, the aging of insulating materials is accelerated and the capability of the cooling medium is deteriorated. Consequently, applicable limits for the temperature-rise are essential in designing the transformer and the coolers, demanding the estimation of the transformer's thermal behavior. In order to analyze the temperature characteristics of the transformer, numerical analysis by way of the commercial CFD code has been carried out, and temperature-rise testing to verify computed results was performed. The results obtained in this study show that there is a good agreement between computed outcomes and experimental outcomes.