A CFD-Taguchi Combined Method for Numerical Investigation of Natural Convection Cooling Performance of Air-Core Reactor with Noise Reducing Cover

Abstract

High voltage air-core reactors are extensively used as components in electrical power distribution systems for many purposes. The noise of an air-core reactor can be reduced significantly using noise reducing cover. In the present article, the natural convection cooling performance of an air-core reactor with and without noise reducing cover is investigated to prevent the overheating problem. Six parameters, which all have five levels (values) of noise reducing cover, are considered. A Taguchi method is used as a systematic approach to plan the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies on the natural convection cooling performance. The optimum levels of six controllable parameters of noise reducing cover are determined. The relative contribution ratios of each parameter to the natural convection cooling performance are obtained. The contribution ratio of X ₁, the radius of the bottom opening of noise reducing cover, is the most significant one. This allows design efforts to be concentrated on the most sensitive factors. The present CFD-Taguchi combined method can be applied and conducted quickly and inexpensively to plan a more reliable and robust optimization.

We would like to acknowledge financial support for this work provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 50776068).

Notes

Turbulent viscosity μ _t  = C _μ ρ k ²/ε; effective viscosity μ _eff = μ + μ _t ; C _μ  = 0.09; C ₁ = 1.44; C ₂ = 1.92; σ _k  = 1.0; and σ _ε = 1.3.