The transformer thermal loss of life: Part 1 ‐ improved deterministic approach for thermal and ageing models

Abstract

AbstractDue to computers' widespread, models used in Power Engineering reached an unthinkable complexity and precision. However, the nature of the problem has changed: we rarely use fully the precision of nowadays models, because parameters and operating conditions are submitted to uncertainty. Apart from a limiting range of rated values, realistic operating conditions are not completely known, which is as evident as long the device is alife. In this context, the estimation of the distribution transformer loss of life is a pertinent problem that we propose to solve by developing and illustrating a new appropriate methodology. Because of the subject extent, we considered three successive aspects: first, an improved deterministic approach for thermal and ageing models; second, a probabilistic extension considering functional variability and model structural uncertainty and the third one, an application to the power derating problem in case of harmonic distortion load. This paper corresponds to the first aspect.