Magneto-Thermo-Structural Analysis of Power Transformers under Inrush and Short Circuit Conditions

Abstract

The main equipment responsible for connection and transmission of electric power from generating centers to consumers are power transformers. This type of equipment is subject to various types of faults that can affect its components, in some cases also compromising its operation and, consequently, the electric power supply. Thus, in this paper, electromagnetic, thermal, and structural analysis of power transformers was carried out with the objective of providing the operator with information on the ideal moment for performing predictive maintenance, avoiding unplanned shutdowns. For this, computational simulations were performed using the finite element method (FEM) and, from that, the different transformer operation ways, nominal currents, inrush current, and short-circuit current were analyzed. In this perspective, analyses of the effects that thermal expansion, axial forces, and radial forces exerted were carried out, contributing to possible defects in this type of equipment. As a study object, simulations were carried out on a 50 MVA single-phase transformer. It is important to emphasize that the simulations were validated with real data of measurements and with results presented in the current literature.

Keywords

• multiphysics analysis
• finite elements
• transformer
• inrush current
• fault current