A Thermal Network Approach for a Quick and Accurate Study of Multiple Connected Switchgears

Abstract

In the presented paper a thermal network approach was proposed for a quick and accurate study of the thermal performance of two interconnected and unsymmetrically energized switchgears. The method base on the full computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of a single standalone switchgear which was used to provide unknown input parameters for a constructed thermal network. Next, a thermal network was compared with CFD simulation results to confirm the correctness of the network setup. Finally the network was used to build a model of two adjacent switchgears which was verified by performed heat run test. As a result of the studies it was found that proposed thermal network approach can be successfully applied for a quick and accurate study of a multiple connected switchgear systems.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Remigiusz Nowak

Remigiusz Nowak received the Ph.D. degree in energy engineering from the Faculty of Energy and Fuels at AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland. In 2012-2014 he held a position of Assistant professor at AGH. He joined ABB Corporate Research Center in Krakow in 2014. Since 2019 he is a member of Hitachi ABB Power Grids Research. His research includes numerical simulations of heat and mass transfer phenomena, and multiphase flows.

Janusz Duc

Janusz Duc received his M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology Krakow, Poland in 2011. He joined ABB Corporate Research Center in Krakow in 2010. He is a member of Hitachi ABB Power Grids Research. His main activity is concentrated around electro - magnetic computations

Bogusław Samul

Bogusław Samul received the M.S. degree in physics of solid state from Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science at AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow, Poland in 2008. He joined ABB Corporate Research Center in Krakow in 2008. Since 2019 he is a Principal Scientist at Hitachi ABB Power Grids Research. His research include numerical simulations of electro-magnetic fields, heat and mass transfer phenomena, buoyancy and forced convection flows, turbulent flows, thermal radiation and multiphase flows

Aravind P. Manjunatha

Aravind P. Manjunatha graduated from the University of RWTH Aachen in 2012 with a M.Sc. degree in power engineering and since then involved as R&D Engineer in the division Distribution Solutions at ABB. His main R&D involvement is in the area of switchgear electrical design, thermal, short circuit and arc fault analysis, touching the theoretical basics and practical aspects of testing.