Improved thermal network model for hot spot location in traction transformer windings

Abstract

Obtaining accurate location information of the hot spot in advance is a prerequisite for locating the hot spot. To tackle this problem, we propose an improved thermal network model, which provides a quantitative method for placing fiber optic sensors at hot-spot locations. The initial step is to construct an enhanced thermal network model that takes into account the thermal resistance of the boundary layer using heat transfer theory. Then, we compare this model with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in example calculations to validate its effectiveness and precision. The results show that our proposed model can accurately and rapidly calculate temperature distribution within winding areas, enabling the identification of hot spots. This information is reliable for installing monitoring equipment to measure transformer temperatures.