CFD Based Sensitivity Study of Cooling Performance of Transformer Radiators

Based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) the cooling performance of a typical radiator bank of a liquid-immersed power transformer has been analyzed. The inefficiencies of the original (standard) design have been identified in relation to the unfavorable characteristics of the air flowing through the radiator. Several design changes have been assessed numerically by computing their impact on the cooling capacity of the radiator. This article presents the cooling performance of some of these design solutions, including changes in the radiator panel heights and the addition of a chimney at the top of the radiator. Details of the CFD model are presented along with the air flow patterns and cooling capacities of the enhanced designs compared to the original one.