Non-Liquid Immersed Transformer Cooling With Voltage-Equalized Water Pipes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for non-liquid immersed transformers face challenges such as insufficient cooling capacity, increased footprint, high costs, environmental hazards, and risks of electrical discharges and fires due to the use of dielectric fluids.
Innovation Solution
A non-liquid immersed transformer design using a cooling system with conductive connectors that equalize the voltage between the cooling fluid and coil winding, allowing the use of non-dielectric fluids like water, and incorporating convolutions in the cooling pipe to enhance heat dissipation and prevent electrical issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If hollow conductors or metallic pipes are used as conductive turns for circulating cooling fluid, then cooling capacity is improved, but the footprint and size of the transformer is substantially increased
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into separate functional components: standard solid conductive windings for electrical function and separate cooling pipes for thermal management. This allows each component to be optimized independently - the windings maintain compact dimensions while the cooling pipes are routed through available spaces to provide adequate cooling without increasing the overall transformer footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling pipes are integrated into the existing transformer structure by routing them through spaces between windings, around the core, and utilizing the transformer tank interior space. This merging approach allows the cooling system to share the transformer envelope without requiring additional external space, thus avoiding footprint increase while maintaining high cooling capacity.
2Temperature
If hollow conductors or metallic pipes are used as conductive turns, then cooling capacity is improved, but manufacturing difficulty and cost are substantially increased
Solution Approach 1:
The segmentation of cooling function from electrical function allows use of standard, easily manufactured solid conductive windings combined with simple cooling pipes. This eliminates the need for complex hollow conductors requiring specialized manufacturing processes, thereby reducing manufacturing difficulty and cost while maintaining effective cooling capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex hollow conductors, the invention uses simple cooling pipes that can be manufactured using standard piping processes. These pipes are routed through the transformer structure in a manner that copies the thermal pathways needed for effective cooling, achieving the same thermal management function with much simpler, more cost-effective components.
3Temperature
If hollow conductors with relatively large size are used, then cooling capacity is improved, but additional losses due to eddy currents are substantially increased
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cooling function from the electrical conduction function, the invention eliminates eddy current losses in the cooling system. The solid conductive windings maintain their standard construction optimized for electrical efficiency, while separate cooling pipes handle thermal management without carrying electrical current, thus completely avoiding additional eddy current losses.
4Temperature
If dielectric fluids such as oil or esters are used for cooling, then cooling capacity is improved, but environmental hazards and fire risk are increased
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a safe cooling environment by using water or other non-flammable fluids in the cooling pipes, which are physically isolated from the electrical windings by insulating barriers. This inert environment approach eliminates fire risk and environmental hazards associated with flammable dielectric fluids, while the sealed pipe system maintains effective cooling capacity through controlled fluid circulation.
5Object-affected harmful factors
If non-dielectric fluids are used for cooling, then environmental safety is improved, but risk of electrical discharges increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces an intermediary insulating barrier between the non-dielectric cooling fluid and the electrical windings. This mediator prevents direct electrical contact, eliminating the risk of electrical discharges through the conductive cooling fluid. The insulating barrier allows the cooling system to safely use environmentally friendly non-dielectric fluids while maintaining electrical system reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a cost-effective, environmentally friendly cooling system with high cooling capacity, reducing the risk of electrical failures and fires while maintaining efficient heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling pipe for the flow of a cooling fluid, the cooling pipe extending along the coil winding
Implementation Method 2
The conductive connector that electrically connects the inner side of the cooling pipe to a coil winding allows equalising the voltage of the cooling fluid circulating inside the cooling pipe and the voltage of the turn of the coil winding
Data Source
AI summary
A non-liquid immersed transformer includes a magnetic core and a coil winding forming a plurality of winding turns around the magnetic core; a cooling system and a first conductive connector. The cooling system includes a cooling pipe for the flow of a cooling fluid, the cooling pipe extending along the coil winding and including a first point adjacent to a turn of the coil winding, and a second point adjacent to another turn of the coil winding. The conductive connector is arranged at one of the first and second points, to electrically connect an inner side of the cooling pipe with a turn of the coil winding.