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Field and power loss distribution on covers of power transformers

A. Pelikant and J. Turowski
Institute of Electrical Machines and Transformers, Technical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
Keywords Bushing, Electromagnetics, Reliability, Safety, Transformers Abstract Heavy current bushings passing through steel cover plates and housing walls of power transformers, generators and other large power equipment are thermally hazardous elements of construction and a source of additional power losses. Safety and reliability of such expensive objects and safety of power delivery often depend on the proper design of these elements. In the paper a computer analysis, based on Maxwell equations and analytical representation of electromagnetic field was carried out. Non-linear permeability of solid steel was considered with the help of analytical approximation. Eddy current losses have been calculated and compared using different methods of calculation and experiments. The method of forecasting possible excessive heating and hot spot with the help of electromagnetic criteria was used. Various constructional means of loss and hot spot reduction were proposed and examined.

COMPEL The International Journal for Computation and Mathematics in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Vol. 17 No. 1/2/3, 1998, pp. 302-306. MCB University Press, 0332-1649

1. Basic concept Heavy current bushings of power transformers (Figure 1) are typical and one of the most hazardous elements of structure. Even the local, pointwise field concentration and overheating can destroy the transformer oil and isolation, it can actuate the protection system and disconnect the object from service. The problem of prediction and reduction of losses, and possible destruction of an object by local excessive heating, caused by uncontrolled eddy currents becomes especially important both from the safety and economical point of view. Unplanned automatic shutdowns of a power plant cost more than US$500,000 a day each and capitalised cost of 1kW of load losses in one power transformer is about US$3,000. This is why reliability is, nowadays, one of the most important elements of design and the product quality assessment. Also, ecological aspects must be taken into account: each 1kWh of superfluous electrical energy redundantly burns about 0.4kg of coal. The method of calculation of eddy current losses in covers, steel walls and other constructional parts is based on the Poyntings Theorem adapted in 1957[2] to the form applicable to the calculation of power loss considering all the aspects mentioned above (see also Figure 2). Turowskis formula for active power P in watts, dissipated in metal wall with the surface A has a general form ([1], p. 193):
The work was sponsored by the state research grant No. 8 T 10A 042 08 of the KBN the Polish State Committee for Scientific Research, for which the authors express their thanks.

where

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= (kd) 1 screening coefficient considering a sheet thickness d. When d is smaller than the length of wave in a metal met = 2. In the case of steel sheet the coefficient has a form Fe and in that case the value of 1.4kd instead of kd should be introduced ([1], p. 193) into the formula, x = 1.05 to 1.14 non-linear approximation semiempirical coefficient. In this paper the calculation was carried out with the help of integral (1). Field Hms(x, y) on the cover surfaces was calculated with the help of Biot-Savart law:
Y

H2

Y H2 H1 2 i2=i x
Figure 1. Field distribution calculation on the surface of transformer cover: (a) three-phase; (b) single-phase[1, p. 254]

r1 =

i3 a

i1

r2

i2 x

i1=i 0 a
Cover Losses, W 280

Cover Losses, W 1000

800

240

600

200

400

160

200

120

r2

r3

H3

H1

r1

0 600 800 1000 Turret Current, A Key Measurement Linear Calculations Non-linear Calculations Non-linear with Correction 1200 1400 1600

80 50 100 150 200 Turret Distance, mm Key Linear Calculations Non-linear Calculations Non-linear with Correction 250 300

Figure 2. Influence of bushing current and distance a between bushings on power losses in flat cover without gap, linear at r = 1,000 and non-linear at 800A

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(2) Integration and summing (2) gives a full formula for field distribution for every current:

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(3) Where: i is number of bushing (phases). The above mentioned formula gives a fully analytical and easy to use description in cylindrical coordinates for a three-phase cover: (4) and analogicaly for a single phase cover:

(5) The numerical integration of equation (1) with the help of Simpsons method, with a variable integration step was used. Four basic models presented in Figure 3 with six different covers were analysed: A. flat cover with three, three-phase bushings, without gaps between holes (Figure 1);

Figure 3. Field strength distribution over the surface of the cover without and with nonmagnetical insert

B. like (A), but with non-magnetic metal inserts of thickness b between Field and power holes; loss distribution C. Like (A), but with metal turrets; and on covers D. Like (B), but with metal turrets. 2. Concluding remarks (1) Though a finite element, finite difference, equivalent reluctance, boundary and other mesh methods are most popular nowadays, the analysis of field and losses in solid metal cover plates and turrets, caused by three-phase high, current bushings of power transformers has shown that, in this case, a 3D analytically numerical approach based on BiotSavart law and numerical integration (1) of analytically expressed Poyntings vector is the most effective engineering tool. (2) The designed programme has delivered a lot of practical information in the form of numerous families of graphs. It gives the possibility to carry out a fast interactive analysis and optimisation of structure taking into account various parameters, materials, geometry, excitation currents, iron saturation, skin-effect and local overheating hazard. (3) The calculations have been confirmed by many detailed measurements on practical models as well as by analytical approximating formulae[1]. (4) Having field Hms(x, y) distribution (Figure 3) and graphs in Figure 4 we can easily find a hot-spot of excessive temperature on the cover and/or on a turret surface[1].

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Figure 4. Influence of bushing distance a on magnetic field distribution on a surface of steel cover. Bushing currents 800A

References 1. Turowski, J., Elektrodynamika Techniczna, WNT, Warszawa, 1993. 2. Turowski, J., Losses in cover plates of single- and three-phase power transformers (in Polish), Rozprawy Elektrotechniczne, No. 1, 1959, pp. 87-119. Further reading A decade of nuclear progress, Power Engineering Review, No. 5, 1989, p. 25.

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Allan, T.H. and Harrison, Design for reliability of high voltage power transformers and reactors, GEC Review, Vol. 1, 1985, pp. 44-50. Pawluk, K., Sikora, R., Stoll, R.L., Sykulski J. (editor), Turowski, J. and Zakrzewski, K., Computational Magnetics, Chapman & Hall, London, Glasgow, Weinheim, Dubai, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, Madras, Delhi, Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Stellenbosch, 1995. (Extended translation from Polish, Editor J.Turowski, Ossolineum, Wroclaw 1990). Turowski, J., Losses in cover plates of power transformers at various methods of their reduction, (In Polish), Archiwum Elektrotechniki, No. 4, 1959, pp. 529-56. Turowski, J., Stray losses and local overheating hazard in Transformers, Part 2, CIGRE Plenary Session, Report 12-10, Paris 1972, pp. 7-11. Turowski, M. and Kopec, M., 3D hybrid analytically-numerical computation of tank losses in three-phase power transformers, COMPEL, James & James, London, March 1994, pp. 105-8. Yunyou, Y., Yongbin, C., Renyuan, T. and Yan, L., Application of high precision boundary element method of 3D eddy current fields due to leads in transformer, Proceeding of Intern.Conference on Electromagnetic Field Problems and Application, ICEF 92, paper OB22, Hangzhou, China, 14-16 October 1992, pp. 97-8.