Abstract
Power devices intended for high-voltage systems must be tested according to international standards, which includes the short-time withstand current test and peak withstand current test. However, these tests require very special facilities which consume huge amounts of electrical power. Therefore, mathematical tools to simulate such tests are highly appealing since they allow reproducing the electromagnetic and thermal behavior of the test object in a fast and economical manner. In this paper, a three-dimensional finite element method (3D-FEM) approach to simulate the transient thermal behavior of substation connectors is presented and validated against experimental data. To this end, a multiphysics 3D-FEM method is proposed, which considers both the connector and the reference power conductors. The transient and steady-state temperature profiles of both the conductors and connector provided by the 3D-FEM method prove its suitability and accuracy as compared to experimental data provided by short-circuit tests conducted in two high-current laboratories. The proposed simulation tool, which was proven to be accurate and realistic, may be particularly useful during the design and optimization phases of substation connectors since it allows anticipating the results of mandatory laboratory tests.
Highlights
It is a recognized fact that the world today is more electrical than a few decades ago
An attractive and cost-effective solution is to use an advanced modelling tool to perform realistic simulations to determine the thermal stresses to which substation connectors are subjected during short-time withstand current and peak withstand current tests, from which the risk of increasing the contact resistance can be estimated
By using this modelling tool to assist the connectors’ design process, an optimized design can be achieved, satisfying the electromagnetic and thermal requirements imposed by international standards [14] and ensuring compulsory laboratory tests are passed once optimized
Summary
It is a recognized fact that the world today is more electrical than a few decades ago. Standard short-time withstand current tests and peak withstand current tests, commonly referred to as short-circuit tests, are applied to several electrical devices, including power transformers, switchgear, control gear and substation connectors, among others These standard tests are a subject of increasing interest, both in constructing improved facilities to perform such demanding tests, which include modern digital measuring systems [5], as well as in developing software tools to realistically simulate the performance of different power devices when subjected to short-circuit tests. An attractive and cost-effective solution is to use an advanced modelling tool to perform realistic simulations to determine the thermal stresses to which substation connectors are subjected during short-time withstand current and peak withstand current tests, from which the risk of increasing the contact resistance can be estimated By using this modelling tool to assist the connectors’ design process, an optimized design can be achieved, satisfying the electromagnetic and thermal requirements imposed by international standards [14] and ensuring compulsory laboratory tests are passed once optimized.
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