A Study on Optimizing Cooling Design for a Power Transformer

Power transformers use insulating oil as a cooling medium to cool the winding and core. As the capacity of power transformers increases, they are equipped with radiators to increase the heat dissipation area and with cooling fans attached to the side or bottom of the radiators to improve cooling efficiency. However, the installation area cannot be infinitely increased, and there is an increasing demand for size reduction. To address this, transformer makers install pumps on the radiator pipes to increase the flow rate of the insulating oil, maximizing cooling efficiency. However, if the flow rate is too fast, there is a risk of flow electrification, so it is important for each company to establish a standard for the maximum flow rate to prevent this from happening. In this paper, we conducted simulations to examine the occurrence of flow electrification and achieve optimal cooling performance in the manufacturing of LS Electric's power transformers. These simulations were conducted prior to the actual production process to ensure efficient cooling and prevent flow electrification.