Dynamic Simulation and Optimization of Mechanical Switching Characteristics of On-load Tap Changer

As the only movable component of power transformer, on-load tap changer (OLTC) is designed to maintain the voltage level without interruption. However, transformer accidents often occur due to the mechanical failures of OLTC. It is of great significance to investigate the mechanical switching characteristics of OLTC. By using automatic dynamic analysis of mechanical systems (ADAMS), a virtual prototype model of a OLTC product manufactured by Chinese factory is built in this paper to simulate the switching process of OLTC. The simulation results of the mechanically switching characteristics are analyzed. It can be obtained that the OLTC model can complete the design action, but the bounce at the end of the action will cause an impact on some components. On this basis, several structures of the OLTC are optimized. The simulation method and results can provide valuable information for mechanical system design and optimization of OLTC.