Dedicated to Academician Toma Dordea.

on his 80th anniversary

CONSIDERATIONS OVER GEOMETRIC MODELLING

OF AIR COOLED DRY ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMER

CONSTANTIN-VIOREL MARIN

Key words: Geometric modelling, Air cooled dry transformer.

In the transformer design the knowledge of the temperature rise in windings is
necessary to provide a reliable and efficient insulation. The paper deals with a method
for constructing reduced size transformer models for thermal testing. It presents the
necessary mathematics and illustrates the method by example using a 250 kVA dry
autotransformer as original and a 20 kVA model.

I. INTRODU,CTION
In the design of a transformer to meet any specified loading conditions the
knowledge of the thermal rise is necessary to make the most economic and
efficient use of material. It is therefore essential to know the temperature gradients
throughout the dry-type transformer. Some papers reported the results of test
programs to obtain basic heat transfer data in dry-type transformers or developed
mathematical models to calculate the temperature rises.
In [I] a number of thermal effects of dry-type transformer geometry are
evaluated and data presented showing their interrelations. Some representative
ratios of hot-spot temperature rises are given allowing a closer co-ordination
between a dry-type transformer ageing model and its prototype.
The paper [2] presents a method for calculation of temperature rise of dry
type transformers for design purposes. The paper deals only with the temperature
rise of the coils of dry-type transformers. Only the steady state of the coils is
considered. Transient phenomena like temperature rise due to short circuits are not
considered.
The paper [3]

develops a mathematical model to predict hottest spot

temperature rises in ventilated dry-type transformers. A correlation for the local

heat transfer coefficient in the cooling ducts was developed. The model was used to
study the effect of various parameters on the ratio of hottest spot to average
winding temperature rise.
Rev. Roum. Sci. Techn. -

Electrotechn. et Energ.,

46, 1, p. 39

46, Bucarest, 2001.

Constantin-Viorel Marin

40

In order to obtain the necessary information it 1s more practical to use

reduced size transformer model in thermal studies because of its cost.
The present paper develops a method for the construction of reduced size
model transformers for thermal testing.

2. BASIC RELATIONS
Taking into consideration the connection between the losses in windings,
cooling conditions and temperature rise, one of the relations who have to be
determined has to connect the electric stress, winding dimensions and temperature
rise. In that purpose is used the relation which expresses the surface density of
losses as function of temperature rise, cooling surface and coefficient of heat
transrhission by convection ac .
There was considered as construction type the cylindrical coils and iron core
with vertical legs transformer. The construction of the windings as concentric
cylinder coils separated from the core by cooling air ducts permits an intensive
cooling due to the heated air current.
The losses in the transformer windings are:

where

k,pJt(D;

g)ghhob/106,

(1)

- P are the losses in the transformer windings in W;

- ks is the coefficient of supplementary losses;

- p,

is the conductor resistivity in .Qmm2 m;

- D; is the inner diameter of winding in m;

- g is the radial thickness of winding in m;
- hbob is the length of winding in m;

- j

is the current density in

2
The cooling surface in m is:

A/ mm

2 .

(2)
Specific losses in

2
W m C

for surface unit and for one degree of

temperature rise e are:

p=-P

s, xe

=. k,g/
2

l06.

(3)

This rate has to be less than the coefficient of heat transmission by

convection a

In case of an inner winding the radiation can be neglected.

Geometric modelling of air cooled dry transformers

41

The temperature rise on the winding surface can be written down as follows:

8=106
2 ac

(4)

We may therefore express the current density j in terms of temperature rise

8, coefficient of heat transmission by convection and thickness of the winding:

}= eac2x106
k,g
The equation

(5)

Pc

(5)

that presents the relationship between load, geometrical

dimensions of the winding, temperature rise and cooling conditions is one of the
basic relations to establish the proportionality between the original and the model.
Further is necessary to find the relationships between geometrical dimensions
of the winding, geometrical dimensions of the magnetic core, electric data, electric
and magnetic stresses.
The second equation is:

u
-

= e =

4,44 x f x Bx Sx 10-4,

(6)

where
- e

is the voltage per turn in V;

- U is the feeding voltage in V;

- w

is the number of turns of the winding;

-f is the

frequency of feeding voltage in Hz;

- B is the magnetic induction in leg and yoke in T;

2
- Sis the cross section of leg and yoke in m
This equation presents the relationship between electric and magnetic
stresses, frequency, number of turns and geometrical dimensions of the
magnetic core.
The third equation expresses the filling coefficient of the window area
of iron core:

(7)
where
w1

windings;
-

s1

and

are the numbers of turns of the primary and secondary

and s2 are the cross sections of the conductors of the primary and

secondary windings in mm2;

- Fis the distance between legs in m;

- H is the distance between top and bottom yokes in m;

- kr is the filling coefficient of window area.

42

Constantin-Viorel Marin

The equation

(7)

becomes for autotransformer:

6
2ws = k HFx10
1

(8)

This equation presents the relationship between number of turns and

geometrical dimensions of both magnetic core and winding.
The fourth equation expresses [4] the coefficient of heat transmission ac for
inner coils of dry naturally cooled transformers:
(9)
where

-e

is the temperature rise of the surface in c;

- h,,0b is the length of winding in m;

- !le is the depth of cooling air coil duct in cm.
The relation (9) is valid for 0.15m::;h""" ::;o.9m , 45

c::;e::;180 c

and

0.5cm::;c ::;2.5cm . Coils with these parameters are fitted [5] for dry air-cooled
transformers within 10 kVA::; Sn ::; 400 kVA rated power.
In the hypothesis that there is proportionality between the original and the
model:

I,,,=p1 x/0,
Sm=Ps X So,

8,,,=p0X80,

acm=Pa.Xaco

P,,,=ppXPo

km, =pkt X kso'

gm=P1Xgo,

U,,, =Pu xUo,

Wm =Pw XWo,

B"' =Ps xBo,

fm =P1 x fo,

(10)

kf. m=pk,- x k.f 0 '

F,,, =P1 x Fo,

sm

Writing the equations (5), (6),

(8)

p I2 xs0 ' 1l cm

pI xll co

and (10) for both original and model, the

ratios between the original and model equations, after algebraic simplification
become:

Jo
Jm

80 XacO
ksmXgmXp,,,
X
k s oxg o XPo
em xacm

Vo

Wo Xfo XBo xSo

Um

w,,,xfmxBmxSm

(11)

(12)

43

Geometric modelling of air cooled dry transformers

Wo X So

Wm Xsm

k Jo XhbobO XFo

kfm xhbnbm xFm

(13)
(14)

Taking into consideration relationships

and

(14) become:

(10), the equations (11), (12), (13)

2
j ..;_
_ ....
_ p
_ Pt_ x
_ _k_ x
P
=1
p, Xpa
2
Pw XPr X PBXPt
= 1,
Pu
2
Pk2XPt
=l
Pw XPs
------

Pu. =VP1Pe

(15)
(16)
(17)
(18)

It is more convenient to take into consideration some simplifying hypothesis:

- keeping unchanged the magnetic stresses and frequency because of the
non-linear

core characteristics and the difficulty to model frequency dependent

parameters:

pB=J,

pf=};

- choosing a standard tension rate for the model:

Pu= 1;
- keeping unchanged the shape of the original for the model:

Pk! = 1;
- the conductor material is the same:

Pp =1;

- the coefficient of supplementary losses in windings is the same:

Pk2 = 1.
Using those simplifications, the equations

2
Pt Xpj

( 15), ( 16), (17) and (18) become:

------'-- =1 '

(19)

Pw =-2
Pt

(20)

p,xpa

Constantin-Viorel Marin

44

_P_i _ =l
.
Pw Xps
2

Pa=
The relationships

VPiPe

(19), (20), (21)

(21)
(22)

(22) represent a system of four

and

equations with six unknowns.

Choosing the geometrical proportionality coefficient

Pi

and putting the

condition that the model winding has to reach the same temperature rise like the
original:

Pe= l,
and the system of equations is determined.

3. ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
The method is illustrated by example

[5] using a 250 kV A dry starting

autotransformer as original.
Choosing for the model the ratio of reducing the geometric dimensions:

Pi =1,

(23)

results the ratio between the current densities:

2XPa

P1=
From equation

and from equations

(22) and the condition

Pe = 1

(24)
results:

Pa=

VPi xl'

(25)

pj

1.296 .

(26)

(23) and (25)

From equation

(20) results

P,., =4,

(27)

and finally the number of turns for the model

wm= 41X 4= 164 turns .

From equation

(28)

(21) results
1

P =
.. 16'

(29)

and the ratio between the cross-sectional areas of the conductors

This ratio

Sm= s0/16.
(30)
(30) permits the realisation of the model winding with one

conductor for the current path.

,.....

45

Geometric modelling of air cooled dry transformers

The number of turns (28) is very convenient because it makes possible to

keep unchanged for the model the structure of winding, and that was one of the
reasons of choosing the value of the coefficient of geometric reduction.
Thus, the winding of the original 250 kVA autotransformer consists of four
conductors in parallel for 41 turns, so it contains in cross section 164 insulated
conductors, the same as the model winding.
The turns of the model winding are divided into two coils with two layers
each, thus keeping unchanged the winding structure.
The coefficient p 1 (10) can be expressed as function of p j and Ps, and
results:
(31)
For the same standard tension rate for model and original Pu

1 , the ratio

between the rated powers is equal with the current coefficient (31), and results the
calculated rated power for the model:

Snm =0.081x250=20.25 kVA .

As rated power for the model is chosen the nearest standard value:

Sn =20 kVA .
,,,

(32)

The model is designed using the data determined above.

The main features of the model are:
- rated power: 20 kV A;
- intermittent periodic working power: 85 kVA;
- primary rated voltage: 380 V;
- secondary rated voltage: 192 V;
- primary rated current for continuous service: 30.4 A;
- primary intermittent periodic working current: 129 A;
- secondary intermittent periodic working current: 251 A;
- number of phase: 3;
- frequency: 50 Hz;
- working service: three starts of 10 seconds time, with 10 seconds pause
between two consecutive starts;
- class of insulation: F;
- cooling type: AN (air, natural)

4. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Within the process of starting of an induction motor (IM) of PN =600 kW
rated power using the autotransformer (AT) for reducing at half the voltage feeding
in purpose of the starting current limitation, the primary AT current is 1,5 times

Constantin-Viorel Marin

46

bigger than the rated

IM current. The primary intermittent periodic working

current of 1612.5 A value is 4.243 times bigger than the primary rated current of
AT for continuous service.
The heating test for AT of

250 kVA for intermittent periodic service was

carried out with a primary current of

1625 A and short circuiting the secondary

terminals, for the specified working service: three loads of 10 seconds time, with

10 seconds pause between two consecutive loads. The temperature rise measured
using the resistance variation method was 27 C
The heating test for AT of 20 kVA for intermittent periodic service was
carried out with a primary current of 129 A (being 4.243 times bigger than the
primary rated current of AT for continuous service) and short circuiting the
secondary terminals, for the specified working service: three loads of 10 seconds
time, with 10 seconds pause between two consecutive loads. The temperature rise
measured using the resistance variation method was 28 C.
The thermal testing carried out over the original and the model, prove that
between the rises of temperature is a difference of (3. 7 % ) a couple of percentages,
confirming thus the justice of the equations employed and the accuracy of the
geometric modelling method presented in the paper.
The testing carried out over the reduced scale model, lead to the more
accurate knowledge of the thermal stresses of electric insulation of AT in different
load and cooling conditions.
The information basis gathered by experiment could be used for the correct
and economic design of a series of starting autotransformers.
The procedure of geometric modelling is adequate to generate models which
can give accurate information, in purpose of special transformers design to meet
any load and cooling conditions with the most efficient use of materials.
Received August I 5, 2000.

"Politehnica" University of Bucharest

REFERENCES
I. L.C. Whitman, Co-ordination of Dry-Type Transformer Models with Transformer Geometry,
AIEE Trans., Vol. 75, Part III, 328-332, June I 956.
2. A.A. Halacsy, Temperature Rise of Dry-T)pe Transfonners, AIEE Trans., Vol. 77, Part III, 456-462,
August 1958.
3. W.P. Linden, Predicting hottest spot temperatures in ventilated dry type transformer windings,
IEEE Trans. on Power Delivery,

Vol. 9, No. 2, April 1994.

Contribufii la determinarea coeficientului de transmisie a ciildurii prin

conducfie :ji convecfie la transformatoarele electrice uscate, E.E.A. Electrotehnica,

4. C.V. Marin, D. Marin,

Electronica i Automatica, nr. 11-12, 1999.

5. C.V. Marin,

Pornirea prin autotransformator

a motorului asincron, Edit. Printech Andor Tipo,

Bucureti 1999, ISBN 973-9475-97-3, 621.313.333.