CFD ANALYSIS OF DIRECTED OIL FLOW IN POWER TRANSFORMERS

The most efficient cooling system of power transformers is achieved by guiding the oil directly into the windings from the bottom. The design aims to determine the optimum dimension of the cooling ducts and barriers layout in order to reduce the pressure drop, balance the oil flow between windings and avoid stagnant regions with poor cooling. The paper focuses on the simulation of the oil flow distribution in the LV and HV windings. 3D modeling of the windings and CFD analysis were performed, followed by analytical verification of the results. Design improvement and minimization of pressure loss were obtained. The proposed CFD procedure enforces traditional capital-intensive design processes of power transformers with a simulation driven design method.