Magneto-Thermo-Structural Analysis of Power Transformers under Short Circuit Condition

Abstract

The main equipment responsible for connection and transmission of electric power from generating centers to consumers are power transformers. This equipment is subject to various types of faults that can affect its components, in some cases also compromising its operation and, consequently, the electric power supply. Thus, in this paper, electromagnetic, thermal and structural analysis of power transformers is carried out with the objective of providing the operator with information on the ideal moment for performing predictive maintenance, avoiding unplanned shutdowns. For this, computational simulations were performed using the Finite Element Method (FEM) and, from that, the different situations to which these types of equipment can be submitted, nominal currents and short-circuit current were analyzed. In this perspective, analyses of the effects that axial and radial forces exerted were carried out, contributing to possible defects in these types of equipment. As a study object, simulations were carried out on a 50MVA single phase transformer. It is important to emphasize that the simulations were validated with real data of measurements and with results presented in current literature.