Numerical study of heat transfer and fluid flow in a power transformer

In this paper we study the heat transfer and fluid flow in a step-down 3-phase power transformer. In order to simplify the study we choose an element composed of two windings wound around a core. The Joule effect and the Foucault currents produce an undesirable heat in the different components of the transformer. From an economical and security point of view, there is a need to cool the transformer to preserve it from destruction. Our main objective is the cooling optimization of the power transformer. In order to attain this goal, a numerical study has been conducted for six different geometric configurations with six different flow rates of the cooling oil at the entrance. The physical properties of the fluid are supposed to be function of the temperature. The control volume method has been used to resolve the continuity, the momentum and the energy equations in the steady state. The obtained results show that the structure of the flow is somehow complex and according to the case some rolls appear at the top and the bottom of the windings, these rolls contribute to a good mixing of the fluid leading to a nearly homogeneous temperature.