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Scientific publication: Numerical and Experimental Evaluation and Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Soft Magnetic Transformer Built from Laminated Steel Plates

Our partner Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has recently published a scientific paper in the international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on the science and technology of sensors named Sensors. This paper entitled Numerical and Experimental Evaluation and Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Soft Magnetic Transformer Built from Laminated Steel Plates is available within the physical sensors section. 

Abstract: 

The present work evaluates, both experimentally and numerically, the heat transfer characteristics of a 5 kW three-phase transformer built from laminated steel sheets. The transformer is operated at different powers, and its temperature distribution is monitored using 108 thermocouples. The experimental measurements are used firstly to determine the heat dissipated at the core and the windings of the transformer. This information is used as an input for a finite element numerical model, which evaluates the heat transfer characteristics of the transformer. The model proposed in this work simply solves the diffusion equation inside the transformer, accounting for the anisotropic thermal conductivity of the different components of the transformer, together with well-known correlations at its boundaries. The results reveal that the proposed numerical model can correctly reproduce the maximum temperature, the temperature distribution, and the time-evolution of the temperature at specific points of the transformer measured during the experimental campaign. These results are of great use for the subsequent development of transformers of the same type in lab-scale or industrial-scale size and reveal the applicability of simplified numerical models to accurately predict the heat transfer characteristics of this kind of transformers.

Reference: 

Authors: Eduardo Cano-Pleite; Andrés Barrado; Néstor Garcia-Hernando; Emilio Olías; Antonio Soria-Verdugo - Carlos III University of Madrid (Spain), Avda. de la Universidad 30, 28911 Leganés, Spain

Published in: Sensors 2021, 21(23), 7939

https://doi.org/10.3390/s21237939

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