Hydrodynamics and heat transfer in cooling channels of oil-filled power transformers with multicoil windings

Abstract

The analysis of heat transfer and oil flow in power transformers at natural convection of cooling oil is carried out by numerical simulation of the fluid dynamic problem in axisymmetrical formulation (CFD-approach). The effects of self-organization structure of oil flowing in the form of the unidirectional flow in the groups of horizontal channels between winding coils have been revealed. The flow features have an influence on the thermal state of winding coils of the transformer with the natural cooling system. At such oil flowing, in different channels, the heat transfer coefficient varies within the limits of 50-100 W/(m2 K), and the radial component of velocity is changed over the range of 2.1·10-4-2.2·10-3 m/s. Thus the region with maximum temperature values is removed towards oil flowing along the coil radius. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.