Turbulent Natural Convection and Thermal

Behaviour of Cylindrical Gas-Insulated

Transmission Lines (GIL)
Abdellah Chakir and Hermann Koch
,41rstmct - This paper presents a numerical study of the natural
convection of gases in a horizontal armulus of gas-umdated
transmission lines (GIL). It consist of thermal analysis of high
voltage power gas insulated transmission lines, In different case
studies the inner cylinder is heated of a constant heat or kept at a
constant temperature, the outer cylinder is mamtained at constant
temperature. The cylinders are long ancl the flow is assumed to have
axially independent properties. The two dimensional analyses of the
heat transfer and fluid motion are performed for Rayleigh number
ranging from 10S to 100, the radius ratio is at 2,5. Comparisons are
made with experimental test set up and measurements.
Index Terms - Gas-Insulated Transmission Line, natural convection,
thermal behavimrr, numerical study, amnrli, experimental test set-up,
measurement
I. INTRODUCTION
Flows due to the natural convection between two horizontal
isothermal cylinders has been widely studied by many
authors. The study of this type of problem is usually
encountered in many fields specially in solar concentrators,
thermal storage plants, pressurised water reactors and
electrical Gas insulated transmission lines. Many
experimental and numerical works are carried out for laminar
case or turbulent flow with low Rayleigh number (till 10) and
for isothermal cylinders as boundary conditions. Only a few
papers studied the convection with non isothermal boundary
conditions and for a Rayleigh over than 107. The results of
these experimental and theoretical-numerical studies show the
dependence of the flow patterns on the Rayleigh number, the
Prandtl number and radius ratio. Investigations of the problem
experimental] y and numerically determined the temperature
distribution and the local heat transfer coefficients in air and
in water. The use of two fluid showed the Prandtl number
affect the transition characteristics. In another experimental
study it was shown, that the heat flow is substantially altered
on both cylinders due to the influence of the eccentricity of
the inner cylinder.
Good agreement for the temperatures profiles and the flow
pattern was found and the Graschoff transition number was
determined indirectly. It was shown, that the stream fimction
remain negative, i.e., no secondary counter-rotating cells
generation. The flow regions of convection a three
dimensional spiral flow divided into 5 regions: an inner
boundary layer near the inner cylinder, an outer boundary
layer near the outer cylinder, a vertical plume region above
the inner cylinder, a stagnant region below the inner cylinder,
and a core region surrounded by the four regions.
This study consists of thermal analysis of high voltage power
gas insulated transmission lines (GIL) based on the above
mentioned basic knowledge. Two coaxial cylinders of a
metallic sheath, an inner conductor and outer enclosure are
separated by a dielectric medium, mixture of gas SF6 and Nz.
The GIL is designed to be laid in underground or laid in
Tunnel with a cooling air flow. The cylinders are very larger
than the gap between the inner and outer cylinder, then the
two dimensional is applicable.
The results of the calculations and the experimental
measurements show that for the GIL a ve~ good heat transfer
from the conductor, which is represented by the inner pipe, to
the outer enclosure is given. The temperature drop between
conductor and enclosure is below 10 K. For the practical
application of the GIL this means that for a directly buried
GIL, or a GIL in a tunnel the thermal heat produced by the
current through the conductor is transported fast to the
surrounding of the GIL the soil or the ambient air, and leaves
low maximum temperatures at the conductor.
Compared to a solid insulated cable the maximum
temperatures are much lower at the transition point between
the outer cable or GIL surface and the soil or air around.
Specially in cases of high transmission power ratings of 1500
to 2000 MVA at 420 kV or 550 kV transmission voltage
levels the better heat transmission of the GIL is an important
advantage.
A. Chakir and H. Koch are with Siemens AG, Power Transmission and
Distribution, P. (). Box 3220, 91050 Erlangen, Germany
(e-mad: abdelIah,chakw@ev. slemens.de, hermann.koch@ev. siemens.de)
0-7803-7031-7/01/$10.00 (C) 2001 IEEE
0-7803-7173-9/01/$10.00 2001 IEEE 162
II. PROBLEM FORMULATION
In the present study numerical solutions are presented for the
steady-state, two dimensional natural convection in the
annulus between two horizontal concentric cylinders. The
inner, r,, is heated at constant flux or is kept at a constant
Temperature T, and the outer, rO, is cooled at constant
temperature TO. The thermophysical properties of the fluid are
assumed to be constant except the density in the buoyancy
term in momentum equation. The Rayleigh number range
from 10 to 10Oand the radius ratio are 2,5; 2,6. The gravity
force on the system effects vertically downward.
The set of equations governing heat flow has been derived in
[1], [2], [5], details of development and assumptions are
available in these papers. The equations of conservation of
mass, momentum and energy are written, after introducing
the decomposition between mean and fluctuating quantities.
111. BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
Solution of the equations requires specified boundary
conditions along the wall encloses the flow field. In different
case studies the inner cylinder is heated at constant flux and
kept at a constant temperature, the outer cylinder is
considered to be at a uniform temperature To. The geometry
considered a vertical symmetry plane, then the problem is
solved only for the vertical half plane. The axial and vertical
velocity is set to zero along each wall. At the symmetry lines
the axial velocity and the heat flow are assumed to be zero.
Additionally, in the case of constant heat flux, radiation is
applied between the surfaces of the two cylinders.
[V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Case studies
Table 1 shows a summary of the considered cases studied in
this papers. The radius ratio and the Prandtl number are
nearly constant at Pr=0,77 and R+=2,5.
TABLE 1 PRESENTED CASE STUDIES
Case Ra R+ Pr B.C. inner cylinder
1 2,5e6 2,6 0,7 temperature; T,=373 K
2 2,1e9 2,5 0,75 heat flux; q,=l 01 ,8W/m2
3 1,7e9 2,5 0,75 heat flux; q,=110,8W/m
4 1,4e8 2,5 0,7 temperature; Ti=315 K
5 4,2e9 2,5 0,77 temperature; Ti=315 K
6 5,7e9 2,5 077 heat flux; q,=72,6Wlm
7 2,5e8 2,5 0,7 heat flux; q,=72,6Wlm2
At first a grid size study was made to choose the right mesh.
This is important for the calculation time and the quality of
the results. Therefore the first case was examined by choosing
different grid sizes. The annulus was divided in the radial and
the angular direction. The mesh resolution became higher
near the lines. Four calculations with different meshes from
41*41 to 100*100 were compared by showing the heat
transfer rates for the inner and outer cylinder (local Nusselt
number as function of the angular position). A mesh size of
41*41 shows reliable results at the inner cylinder. The values
are nearly the same for all resolutions at the top of the
cylinder. The inner cylinder shows different Nusselt-profiles
for the 4 meshes, but the difference is small enough to choose
a grid size of81*81 for all calculations.
In order to make a further check of the model, comparisons in
case of an isothermal inner wall heating have been made with
experimental results of Kuehn and Goldstein [1], [2] for
radius ratio R+=2.6, Ra=2,5 10c (Rayleigh number based on
the radius difference) and Prandtl number Pt=O.7. In their
study, the end losses and radiation correction are made to
determine only the convective heat transfer coefficients. Our
calculation is therefore made without radiation. The numeri-
cal results are carried out with three different wall functions,
Spalding, Van Drist and the Equilibrium model. Good
agreements were achieved by comparing Nusselt numbers at
the inner cylinder fig. 1 and the outer cylinders fig. 2. The
different wall functions have nearly no effect on the heat
transfer. The temperature distribution across the annulus is
presented in fig. 3. The temperature continues to decrease
slowly in the core along the radial direction until the outer
boundary layer, in which the temperature falls sharply. For
angles smaller than 120, a temperature falls sharply in the
rRi
boundary layer of the inner cylinder (
<0.1 ) and there
L
appears an inversion in the centre of the annulus. The
numerical mean Nusselt numbers at the inner and outer
cylinder show good agreement at the outer cylinder, while the
inner one shows large disagreement for an angle smaller than
40. The calculation underestimate the heat transfer on the
bottom side of the inner cylinder. Figure 4 depicts the
isothetms and streamline contours. In the middle of the core
the fluid in the top of the inner cylinder moves upward rind
recirculates near the outer wall, gets warming up slightly,
while in the bottom a cold fluid stays stagnant.
OUTER CYLINOER
35 .,
30-
D
- Spahmg
- van Dr,e,[
- EqIib,
25-
. Goldstein
~20-
g
Z15
.
10-
I
5
0
0 20 40 60 80 lIXI 120 140 180 180
Angle (degrees)
Fig, 1. Nusselt number distribution of the outer cylinder calculated with
different wall function in comparison to experimental data presented by
Goldstein (Case 1)
0-7803-7031-7/01/$10.00 (C) 2001 IEEE
0-7803-7173-9/01/$10.00 2001 IEEE 163
o ~~
o 20 40 en 80 IIXJ 120 140 160 180
Alw@ (degreas)
Fig. 2. Nusselt number distribution of the inner cylinder calculated with
different wall function in comparison to e~perimental data presented by
Temperatures for the Angles 60, 70, 60
1
~ 0<7
~ ~,Q ---
~ 0,5-
%
; 0,4
* .
g 0,3-
0,1
i
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,9 1
Radial Iokstion (r-Ri)/L
Fig. 3. Temperature distribution in the annulus in comparison to
ex~erimental data presented by Goldstein (Case 1)
Goldstein (Case 1)
A =-. 003194
B =-.002815
c =-.002436
D = ,0020,6
e .-.0016-/7
F =-.001298
G =-.9198-03
H =-. 53,.-03
I .-.1.0, -03
.4
~ -_ . . . A .--.
Fig. 4. Case 1: (ai isotherms, temperature in [K]
Other calculations are carried out in order to compare with
the results of 2 significant experiments made in the test field
for R+=2.5, Pr=O.75 and Rayleiglh number 2,110 and 1,7
1o.
(b) streamlines
Fig. 5a. Experimental set-up of a GIL thermally isolated by compressed
glass wool.
The inner and outer cylinder of the GIL of the experimental
set-up (Fig. 5a) was made from an aluminium alloy. The
outer diameter of the inner cylinder was 250 mm with a wall
thickness of 16 mm, the inner diameter of the outer cylinder
was 630 mm with a wall thickness of 10 mm. Between them,
there was a gas mixture of SFG and N1 as insulated medium.
Both cylinders were heated carrying electrical current. The
cylinders were stored horizontally, the length of the cylinders
were 12 m. The outer cylinder was isolated from the air by
compressed glass wool. The temperatures were measured at
the inner and outer cylinder at angles 0 (position 1, 2), 90
(position 3,4) and 180 (position 5,6) by thermocouple
indicators at the wall. Due to the long distance to the end
walls no side effect appeared. The experimental data
presented her were measured 12 hours after the experiment
started, so that a steady state operation occurred. Figure 5b
shows the arrangement. The results of temperature
measurements are shown in Table 2.
0-7803-7031-7/01/$10.00 (C) 2001 IEEE
0-7803-7173-9/01/$10.00 2001 IEEE 164
Fig. 5b. Measuring points
TABLE 2 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS FOR CASE 2 AND 3
E : ~
Ra=2,1 10 Ra=l,7 10
case 2 case 3
Positio inner cylinder outer cylinder inner cylinder outer cylinder
n of the T(K) T(K) T(K) T(K)
sensor
o 325.56 (point 309,16 (point 3!;3.46 (point 335.96 (point
90 1) 2) 1) 2)
180 325.06 (point 311.96 (point 3:$2.86 (point 339.96 (point
3) 4) 3) 4)
325.46 (point 313.36 (point 353.36 (point 341.86 (point
5 6 5) 5
Heat
flux 101.8 110.5
(Wlm2
TABLE 3 COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL
(
&sa
Angle r) experiment Equilibrium
The calculations are made for a constant heat flux
101.8 W/m, 110.5 W/m applied at the inner cylinder obtained
from the experiments and with a temperature constant at outer
cylinder, which is the average value of the three values above
(311 .5K, 339.3 K). The numerical results are presented in
the Tab. 2. The calculation was carried out with radiation be-
tween the two cylinders.
The same numerical results are obtained with the Van Drist
and Spalding model [3]. They arc slightly over the value
obtained with the Equilibrium model. The calculated
temperature clifference between top and the middle is over
than 5, however the experimental difference is not
significant. One can explain the constant value of temperature
at the inner cylinder in the experiment by the more important
conduction heat phenomena in the wall of inner cylinder than
the convection phenomena at the boundary layer.
This is shown by the Biot number resistance in the wall
(Bi= a =0.02), i.e., the conduction heat is
JCY,inde, I Lo
much smaller than the convection heat resistance. The Nusselt
number at the inner and outer cylinder for the three wall
function are presented in fig. 5 for case 2. The inner cylinder
is at a constant heat flux. In the outer cylinder the Nusselt
number increase sharply from the bottom till the horizontal
plan (90 )where remain constant until the region near the top.
For the inner cylinder the temperature decrease slowly from
angle 0 till angle 160, at which an inversion increase the
Nusseh value to the one at OO. The equilibrium model
presents an increased Nusselt-number, while the Spalding and
Van Drist [4] models presents a decrease (fig. 5). This
phenomena of Nusselt-number decrease for Spalding and Van
Drist models appear only for high Ra number (see fig. 1: Ra =
2,5 10). Both wall function Spalding and Van Drist seem not
good for high turbulence. The numerical results obtained with
the equilibrium model presents the best agreements with the
experiment values (Tab 3). So the calculation for the second
experiment are made only with this model and results of
temperatures for inner cylinder are presented in Tab. 4
TABLE 4 COMPARISON OF NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL
RESULTS (CASE 3)
(Case 3) Ra=l,7 10 inner cylinder
k
Angle ()
o
90
180
7 -
experiment I Equilibrium model
T(K) T(K)
353.3 361.4
352.7 354.6
353.2 I 360.8
OUTER CYUNDER
.
El
* Eqlb
60
+ S@ldlm
-c- Van Dnst
m-
=40-
!
zsc-
20-
o ~~
o 20 40 60 S6 100 120 140 160 180
Angle (degrees)
Fig. 5. Nusselt number distribution of the outer cylinder calculated with
different wall function for a high Rayleigh number (case 2)
Three different studies were made to examine mainly the
effects of a Rayleigh number variation on the convection heat
transfer at the inner and outer cylinder (fig. 6, 7). The
temperature was constant at both cylinders. The radiation
was not considered. The Rayleigh number reach from 2,5e6
to 4,2e9, the other parameter are nearly constant at R+=2,5
and PI=0,7 (case 1,4,5).
0-7803-7031-7/01/$10.00 (C) 2001 IEEE
0-7803-7173-9/01/$10.00 2001 IEEE 165
OUTER CYLINDER
L
The temperatures over the annulus center are nearly constant
for gas 1, only the boundary layers have strong gradients (fig.
9). The layer becomes smaller with higher turbulence (fig. 3
i 3C4
and 9) and the temperatures more uniform in the middle part.
7A
INNER CYLINDER
20
325-
10
~--
o
0 20 40 60 80 100 4:0 140 480 180 :
AIwle (dwmes)
}
Fig. 6. Nusselt number distribution of the outer cylinder for different
Rayleigh numbers (case 1,4,5)
317
INNERCYLINDER
An--
<0
l--
--x%.%
5
4
OL: I
0 20 40 60 80 fOO 120 140 ?60 180
A@e (dwreas)
Fig. 7. Nusselt number distribution of the inner cylinder for different
Rayleigh numbers (case 1,4,5)
The Nusselt number at the outer cylinder has an increasing
trend from the bottom to the top, where the highest values are
reached. The highest heat transfer rate is at 180 with Rafi,2
10.
Noticeable is lhe strong increasing heat transfer in the middle
(80-1000) with higher Rayleigh numbers. The same trend is
existing at the inner cylinder, thus indicating a becoming
higher turbulence in the middle part. The Nusselt number
(inner cylinder) is relative constant between 10 and 160 for
the Rayleigh numbers Ra=2,5 10~ and 1,4108. It is decreasing
slightly from the bottom to the top. For Ra= 4,2 10g is the
heat transfer rate loosing the uniformity. It is increasing to the
middle of the cylinder.
The influence of different fluids under pressure is investigated
on the Temperatures in the annulus in fig. 8. Gas 1 is a
mixture of SF6 and N2 (Pr=0,77; R.a=5,7e9), gas 2 is simple
air (Pr=0,7; Ra=2,5e8). Fig. 8 shows the temperature
distribution at the inner cylinder and the mean temperatures.
Gas 1 temperature is lower due to the higher turbulence for
high Rayleigh numbers. Both temperatures are decreasing to
the middle of the cylinder, where they reach a minimum.
315~4
o 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Awl. (dwre.s)
Fig. 8. Temperature distribution T, at the inner cylinder for two different
gases (case 6,7) and the calculated average temperature Tl~ (case 6,7)
320
310
308
306 ~ /
0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,6 0,7 0,8 0,S 1
Radial Lokation (r-Ri)/L
Fig. 9. Temperature distribution T, in the annulus for a high Rayleigh
number (case 6)
The temperature in the center is nearly constant and the
gradient over the annulus is high. Additionally the kinetic
energy and the flow field is presented for case 2, Basically the
flow is composed of an increase of thermal boundary layer
along the inner cylinder, of a rising of a hot buoyant plume
toward the top of the cylinder, an entrainment of the buoyant
plume into the thermal boundary layer along the outer
cylinder, and finally the separation of the boundary layer from
the outer cylinder to complete the recirculation pattern inside
the cavity. The turbulent kinetic energy contours show a high
turbulence near the top of the outer cylinder and near the
center of the recirculating flow.
0-7803-7031-7/01/$10.00 (C) 2001 IEEE
0-7803-7173-9/01/$10.00 2001 IEEE 166
V. CONCLUS1ON
An investigation of turbulent natural convection in a
horizontal concentric annulus wa:s carried out for high
Rayleigh numbers up to Ra=l O1. The results were presented
in form of temperatures and Nusselt numbers at the inner and
outer cylinder. The numerical results were compared with
experimental data. Three different wall functions were used
to find an accarate model. There were no effects noticeable
for a low tttrlbulent flow. The differences to the achieved
Nusselt results of Goldstein were small. The maximum
temperature deviation was 15Yo.
The equilibrium model shows the best results compared to the
carried out experiment. The temperatures of the middle inner
cylinder were nearly equal. However, high differences
appeared at the top/bottom of the cylinder. This were the
results of the much smaller heat resistance in the wall than the
convective resistance. The calculated temperatures at the
inner cylinder had a uniform trend except the top and bottom,
where they were rising to the highest values at 0 and 180.
The Nusselt number as a function of Rayleigh showed the
high dependency. The increasing heat convection for high
Rayleigh numbers occurred especially in the middle part of
the cylinders and in the top of the outer one.
The temperatures in the center of the annulus became
constant for higher turbulence. The temperature gradient at
the wall boundary layers was rising. The trend for high
turbulence is going to small thermal boundary layer at the
inner and outer cylinder with uniform temperatures at the
annulus center.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
VI. REFERENCES
T.H. Kuebn und R.J. Goldstein, An experimental and theoretical
study of nataral convection in the annulus between horizontal
concentric cylinders, J Fhrid Mech. 74, 695-719(1976).
T. H. Kuehn, R. J. Goldstein, An experimental study of natural
convection heat transfer in concentric and eccentric horizontal
cylindrical annuli, ASME J. Heat Transfer 100,635-640 (1978).
B. E. Launder, D. B. Spalding, The numerical computation of
torbulent flows, Computer methods in applied mechanics and
engineering Vol. 3,269-289 (1974).
E. R. van Drist, On Turbulent Flow Near a Wall, Journal of the
Aeronautical Sciences, vol. 23, 1956, p. 1007
Fluid flow, Ansys Theory Reference release 5.4, chap.7, pp 7.1 -pp
7-39 ( 1996)
VII. BIOGRAPHIES
Institute was finished with
Dr.-hrg. Hermann Koch was born in
November 1954 in Hauswarz, Germany.
From 1976-1979 he studied Electrical
Engineering at the Fachhochschtde Riissels-
heim, where he graduated with the diploma of
engineering (Dipl.-lng.). From 1980-1981 he
studied on a Ftdbright Scholarship at New
Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New
Jersey, USA. From 1981-1986 he studied
Electrical Engineering at the Technical Uni-
versity of Darrnstadt, where he graduated with
the diploma of engineering (Dipl.-Ing.). His
continued research work at the High Voltage
his doctoral work about Partial Discharges in
Low Voltage Equipment and the degree of Dr.-hrg. Since 1990 he is
working with Siemens High Voltage Division where he ia head of Gas
Insulated Lines Department. He is committee member of the IEEE Power
Engineering Society in the Gas Insulated Substation Committee. In the IEC
he is Secretary of Technical Subcommittee SC I 7C and in CENELEC he is
Secretary of the Technical Committee TC 17.
in research and development
Insulated Substations.
Dr.-lng. Abdellah Chakir was born 1965
in Casablanca, Morocco. He received his
Dipl. Ing. und M. SC. degrees in
mechanical and aeronautical engineering in
1990 from ENSMA (Ecole Nationale
Superieure de M4canique et
dA&otechnique de Poitiers, France) and
received the Ph. D. degree in Mechanics in
1993 from Poitiers University, France.
From 1993-1996 he was Auxiliar Professor
in mechanical engineering at the
Polytechnic Institute and ISACE of
Guarda, Portugal. Since 1996 he is working
with Siemens High Voltage Division, Gas-
0-7803-7031-7/01/$10.00 (C) 2001 IEEE
0-7803-7173-9/01/$10.00 2001 IEEE 167