IET Electric Power Applications

Research Article

Temperature rise of a dry-type transformer

with quasi-3D coupled-field method

ISSN 1751-8660
Received on 7th October 2015
Revised on 11th January 2016
Accepted on 5th February 2016
doi: 10.1049/iet-epa.2015.0491
www.ietdl.org

Chao Liu 1 , Jiangjun Ruan 1, Wu Wen 1, Ruohan Gong 1, Caibo Liao 2

1

School of Electrical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, Peoples Republic of China
Condition based Maintenance Center, Jiangsu Electric Power Company Research Institute, Nanjing 211100, Peoples Republic of China
E-mail: lcmec3419@gmail.com
2

Abstract: A quasi-3D coupled-field method is introduced and applied on a ventilated dry-type transformer to study
temperature rise of windings in this study. A simplified 3D model was first established to calculate energy loss of core
and velocity distribution in a plane above the lower yoke. Then two accurate 2D models were built up to figure out
energy losses in the windings. With a combination of indirect and sequential coupling, energy losses of both windings
and core were used as heat source, and velocities for both 2D models were applied as boundary condition for
analysing fluid-thermal field. Final results of temperature rise were calculated with temperature rise of two 2D models.
In the end, numerical results were compared with experimental data to prove the effectiveness of this method.

Introduction

With the continuous improvement of manufacturing technology and

the successful application of novel electromagnetic materials, the
performance of transformer has been greatly improved.
Temperature rise is an important factor when designing a
transformer, since excessive temperature rise can deteriorate
electrical insulation, even burn out the transformer. One way to
obtain the temperature rise of windings and iron core is
experiment. However, it would be time-consuming and
uneconomic to optimise structure of the transformer through
experimental method. Numerical calculation is another useful and
economic way to obtain the temperature distribution of the
transformer. The temperature rise is affected by load current,
conductor resistance and cooling system. As for the ventilated
dry-type one, the cooling system is mainly the insulation air and
vans. The analysis of temperature rise at the hot spots is a
complex problem which included electromagnetism, heat transfer
and uidics, hence the coupled-eld method is necessary for
calculating temperature rise of the transformer [14].
In recent years, there have been some scholars investigating on the
coupled-eld methods for temperature rise of power equipments. A
method for multi-physics analysis of an oil-immersed transformer is
proposed, and the material parameter is set to be
temperature-dependent [5]. Hot-spot temperature distribution in an
300 KVA and 22.5 MVA ONAN transformer is calculated, during
which energy (thermal) equation is solved until temperature is
obtained, and oil parameters such as thermal conductivity, special
heat, viscosity and density change with temperature [6].
Researchers studied temperature rise of an air insulated bus duct
system with a 3D-eddy-current eld model, and simulation results
matched well with measured results [7, 8]. Some scholars did great
works on air-cooled induction motors with a 3D coupled
electromagnetic-uid-thermal method and proposed a novel
multi-component uid model to deal with the inuence of rotor
rotation upon the air convection [9]. Power losses were calculated
from nite element method, and were used as input source of 3D
thermal-uid analysis based on computational uid dynamics for
an oil-cooled transformer [10]. Considering internal and external
air, temperature rise of a dry-type natural-cooling power
transformer was analysed in short-circuit, open-circuit and nominal
parameters [11]. Besides the nite element method, thermal circuit
of transformer is also investigated to calculate hot-spot temperature

598

of oil-immersed transformers [1214]. It is obvious that the

scholars mainly focused on 3D model of the transformer, which is
due to its non-axial symmetric structure. However, the windings of
3D model in these articles were simplied to cylinders, ignoring
the horizontal duct between coils, which would cause certain error
to the simulation results of hot spot temperature rise in the
windings. The widely used simplication of the windings is
mainly in consideration of that the model of real windings
structure in 3D condition would be time-consuming and
memory-consuming.
In the paper, the authors proposed a novel quasi-3D coupled-eld
method trying to solve the dilemma of the simplication of 3D
model, and carried it out on a real ventilated dry-type transformer.
The model is appropriately equivalent to two accurate 2D models
based on some assumption. Temperature rise of these two 2D
models were calculated to obtain the nal results of temperature
rise in the windings. Since excessive temperature rise in the
windings would accelerate insulation aging, which is a threat to
the safety of transformer, the authors would pay more attention to
temperature rise in the windings. As for the heating due to eddy
currents in construction parts as clamping plates, it is not
considered in this paper.

2
2.1

Theory of multi-physics field analysis

Magnetic field analysis

According to the Maxwells equations, quasi-static magnetic eld

can be solved by governing equations using magnetic vector
potential shown as below [79]
in V 1


v A v A + sf + jw A = 0
in V 2
(sf jwsA) = 0
v A v A = Js

(1)
(2)

Where, A is the magnetic vector potential, f is the electric potential,

V1 are the regions with source current, V2 are the other areas without
source current, is the angular velocity, is the magnetic reluctivity,
is the electrical conductivity. There is no tank for the dry-type
transformer in the paper, hence eddy current does not exist in this
model.

IET Electr. Power Appl., 2016, Vol. 10, Iss. 7, pp. 598603
& The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2016

calculated from rated current in primary and secondary windings

easily. However, the core loss is rather complicated to compute
exactly because the material of a transformer core has non-linear
characteristics. The total core loss can be divided into static
hysteresis loss Ph, classical eddy current loss Pc and excess loss
Pe, hence empirical formula can be used to calculate the iron loss
as below [1619]
PV = kh fBb + kc f 2 B2 + ke f 1.5 B1.5

(3)

Given the coefcients Kh, Kc, Ke, and the parameter , the total core
loss per unit volume Pv in the frequency domain could be calculated
according to peak magnetic ux density Bm and frequency f.
2.2
Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the area parameters

Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of the area parameters

To analyse the temperature rise in the power transformer, the total

power losses should be obtained [15]. Core loss is associated with its
magnetic ux density, and the distribution of magnetic ux density
under rated load condition is shown in Fig. 4.
The power losses of a transformer commonly consist of copper
loss and core loss. The copper losses are resistive losses in
winding caused by main current ow. The copper losses can be

Fig. 3 Flowchart of the quasi-3D coupled-eld method

IET Electr. Power Appl., 2016, Vol. 10, Iss. 7, pp. 598603
& The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2016

Fluid-thermal coupled-field analysis

Taking the heat generation calculated from electromagnetic analysis

as the heat source of thermal analysis, temperature distribution inside
the transformer can be analysed by solving the governing equations
of uid-thermal eld. When the air ow in low speed, the air in the
transformer is considered as ideal incompressible Newtonian uid.
Hence, the continuity governing equation, energy governing
equation and momentum governing equation to describe the
motion of air are shown as below [2023]
rv = 0

(4)

r v = F p + u2 v

(5)

rcv t = (kt) + q

(6)

Where, is the density, v is uid velocity, F stands for the body force
vector, p represents the pressure, u is the dynamic viscosity, c is the
specic heat, t represents the temperature, k is the thermal
conductivity, q indicates volumetric heat source inside the
transformer.
2.3

Quasi-3D method for coupled-field analysis

The Quasi-3D method in this paper is a combination of 3D analysis

and 2D analysis with the nite element method (FEM). First, a
simplied 3D model is built up for magnetic analysis and uid
analysis. Magnetic ux density results of magnetic analysis are
used to calculate power loss in the core, which would be used as
heat source in 2D analysis. Velocity in the plane which is above
the lower yoke are taken as boundary condition of 2D
uid-thermal coupled-eld analysis. To carry out analysis of 2D
axial symmetric model means that only one phase of the
transformer could be taken into consideration. Since the heat
dissipation problem of middle phase is more serious than outside
phases [24], authors focus on the middle phase in the paper. The
modelling challenge is to dene relevant models and working
planes (xy, xz, axisymmetric etc.) that provides the relevant output
with rational simplications. To show the 2D working planes that
are used in this work, the authors have made a schematic drawing,
as shown below (Fig. 1).
The xy-plane in the picture above is used to build up 2D
axisymmetric model of middle phase for 2D magnetic-thermaluid coupled-eld analysis, and the authors also obtain peak
magnetic ux density in this plane to calculate power loss of the
core. As for the xz-plane, the authors use it to obtain z-direction
velocity distribution, which is from uid analysis of the 3D model,
and load the velocities as boundary conditions of 2D uid-thermal
coupled-eld analysis.
On the basis of the real geometry of the transformer, two accurate
2D models would be built up to calculate temperature rise in the
windings of middle phase. One model is with yoke above its
windings, and the other without yoke. The copper is good
conductor of heat, hence an assumption can be made that
temperatures of different points in one coil are the same. Based on
that assumption, the nal temperature rise of a certain node is

599

Fig. 4 Model of this transformer

a Real picture of the transformer
b Simplied 3D solid model

Table 1 Main parameters of the transformer

Classification

Value

phase
structure
silicon steel sheet type
cooling type
frequency (Hz)
rated Power (MVA)
primary/secondary voltage (kV)
primary/secondary current (A)

three-phase
core type
30Q130
ventilated dry-type
50
4.92
6.3/2 1.54
451/2 922.3

Where, T is the nal temperature rise, Wa is weight parameter of the

model with yoke, Ta is the temperature rise of model with yoke, Wb
represents weight parameter of the model without yoke, Tb represents
temperature rise of the model without yoke, Sa is the area parameter
of model with yoke, Sb is the area parameter of model without yoke.
The area parameters mentioned above depend on structure of the
transformer, which is shown in Fig. 2.
Finally, the owchart of quasi-3D method for coupled-eld
analysis could be demonstrated as the following Fig. 3. In this
paper, the 3D magnetic eld and 2D magnetic uid-thermal eld
are both calculated with ANSYS, the 3D uid eld is calculated
with CFX.

calculated as following e.g.

T = W a Ta + W b Tb

(7)

Wa =

Sa
Sb + Sa

(8)

Wb =

Sb
Sb + Sa

(9)

Calculation of 3D simplified model

In the following sections, the authors would carry out the quasi-3D
coupled-eld method on a validated dry-type transformer. This
transformer model mainly consists of iron core, high voltage
windings, low voltage windings and insulating components. It is a
three-winding transformer, Ddy type, where the HV winding is as
high as the column, whereas the two LV windings are laid one on

Fig. 5 Peak magnetic ux density of the core

600

IET Electr. Power Appl., 2016, Vol. 10, Iss. 7, pp. 598603
& The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2016

Fig. 6 Velocity distribution in the plane above lower yoke

Fig. 7 Accurate 2D models of the transformer

a Model with yoke
b Model without yoke

the top of the other (D is on the top, and y is at the bottom). The high
voltage winding consists of at copper wire, while the low voltage
winding is composed by copper foil. The main parameters of this
transformer are shown in Table 1.
Every high voltage winding consists of seven layers in the radial
direction, a total of 236 turns. The low voltage winding consists of
three layers, and the upper one with a total of 51 turns, and the
lower one with a total of 30 turns. Through certain simplication,
the 3D model for magnetic and uid analysis was built up as
shown in Fig. 4.
To simplify the numerical calculation, some assumptions are
proposed:
(i) Ignore the leakage magnetic eld. The authors want to pay
more attention to temperature rise in the windings. As for the
heating due to eddy currents in construction parts as clamping
plates, it is not considered in this paper. Hence, the authors ignore
the leakage magnetic eld in this paper.
(ii) Magnetic eld quantity has sinusoidal variation with time,
without considering the high order harmonic component. The
transformer that the authors study in this paper is used in naval
vessel electric power system, the voltage in the primary side is
sinusoidal. Under rated parameters, the iron core is unsaturated,
and there is no high order harmonic component. Hence, the
currents in both sides are sinusoidal, and magnetic eld quantity
has sinusoidal variation with time.
(iii) Magnetic permeability and electrical resistivity of the material
are constant, the inuence of temperature on the properties of the
material is ignored. It would provide better result if magnetic
permeability and electrical resistivity variation change with
temperature, but it is more complicated when doing the simulation.
Since material parameters for uid-thermal eld analysis are
considered as constants in this paper, the authors use the values of
these parameters in 75C so as to reduce errors from simplication.
On the basis of the above assumptions, power frequency magnetic
eld was computed with nite element method under rated
IET Electr. Power Appl., 2016, Vol. 10, Iss. 7, pp. 598603
& The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2016

parameters. The peak magnetic ux density of the core is

demonstrated in Fig. 5. Except the corner of iron window, the
maximum magnetic ux density locates in the iron core of middle
phase, and the magnetic ux distribute uniformly in the core.
Then, power loss per unit volume could be calculated through the
e.g. (3), and the value is 4.8 kW/m3.
During the experiment, the transformer worked in the rated
condition. The fans were under the transformers, and the velocity
below the transformer was about 0.9 m/s. Under the validated
cooling condition, velocity in the plane above the lower yoke is
less inuenced by the heat convection. Hence the thermal eld
could be ignored when calculating the velocity of the uid eld.
The upward velocity distribution in the plane which is 5 cm above
the lower yoke is shown in Fig. 6.
According to the dimension of this transformer, Sa is approximate
to 1/3, and Sb is approximate to 2/3. The average velocity in the Sa
region is about 0.3 m/s, and that in the Sb region of is about 1.1 m/s.
These two velocities would be applied as load for analysis of the
following two 2D models.

Simulation of 2D accurate model

According to the results from previous section, accurate 2D models

of middle phase for magnetic-uid-thermal coupled-eld analysis
Table 2 Material parameters of the transformer (75C)
Material

high voltage
winding
low voltage
winding
core

Resistivity,
10-8 m

Thermal
conductivity,
W/(mk)

Specific
heat,
J/(kgk)

Density,
kg/m3

1.79

250

390

8900

1.79

250

375

8745

50

480

7850

601

Fig. 8 Windings temperature distributions of two 2D models

a Model with yoke
b Model without yoke

were built up in this section. The 2D model with yoke is shown in

Fig. 7a, and the 2D model without yoke is shown in Fig. 7b.
The material parameters of the transformer are listed in Table 2.
What should be mentioned here is that, since material parameters
for uid-thermal eld analysis are considered as constants in this
paper, the values of these parameters are the values in 75C so as
to reduce errors from simplication.
First, the windings were loaded with rated currents to carry out
magnetic analysis by FEM. Then, power loss in the windings was

Table 3 Verification of hot spots temperature rise

Item

low voltage winding

high voltage winding

a Temperature rise in the high voltage windings

b Temperature rise in the low voltage windings

602

Experiment
data, C

Percentage
error, %

71.5
101.1

75.9
94.7

5.8
6.3

calculated and applied to uid-thermal eld analysis as heat source

of the windings through direct coupling. Power loss in the core
from the previous section was also applied to uid-thermal eld
analysis as heat source of the cores through indirect coupling. The
velocity of region Sa was set as boundary condition for
uid-thermal eld analysis in the model with yoke, and the
velocity of region Sb was set as boundary condition in the model
without yoke. Environment temperature was 30C for both
experiment and simulation.
With FEM, uid-thermal coupled eld was simulated for these
two models. The temperature distribution in the windings was
obtained, as shown in Fig. 8.
Knowing temperature distributions in the windings of two 2D
models, the nal temperature rise could be gured out by (7)(9).
The following graphs show the nal temperature rise along paths
in the middle of coils of each layer (Fig. 9).
Analysing the nal results, the temperature rises of hot spots in the
high voltage winding and low voltage winding were obtained. Hot
spots of low and high voltage windings are both located at the
middle layer of upside. They were compared with experimental
data, as shown in Table 3.
It is obvious that the numerical results meet with the experimental
data, but errors still exist. There are mainly two reasons for the errors.
The steel clamps in two sides of the windings which would cause
eddy current loss were not considered in this paper. The insulation
heel blocks between coil layers did not exist in the 2D model,
which would also make some inuence on uid eld.

Fig. 9 Final temperature rise in the windings

Numerical
results, C

Conclusion

A quasi-3D coupled-eld method for analysing temperature rise of

the transformer was introduced in the paper, and carried out on the
middle phase of a ventilated dry-type transformer. Numerical
results meet with experimental data, and the relative error is less
than 10%. Temperature rise for outside phases could be gured
out with the same method. The 2D model in this paper did not

IET Electr. Power Appl., 2016, Vol. 10, Iss. 7, pp. 598603
& The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2016

consist of insulation heel block between coil layers, ignoring its

inuence on uid eld, which would cause certain error to the
simulation result. The following research should pay more
attention on it.

11

12

13

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