Numerical Investigation of Transformer Pressure Relief Valve Operation Characteristics

Abstract

The transformer tank rupture may occur due to the internal fault, or even cause an explosion or fire catastrophe if the relay protection of power transformer fails to operate in time. Generally, a pressure relief valve is installed to respond to a spike in oil pressure. In recent years, even equipped with pressure relief valves, transformers have regularly been engaged in igniting and explosion mishaps caused by internal arcing faults, which have raised concerns about the reliability of the protection. For a long time, due to the lack of corresponding numerical calculation model and detailed test data, the industry is uncertain about the transient operation characteristics of the pressure relief valve. Given this background, this paper proposes a numerical calculation model developed by the finite element method to simulate the pressure relief performance and to investigate the transient operation characteristics of the pressure relief valve, which can provide an important reference for improving the pressure relief performance.