Comparative Implementation of Thermoelectric Coolers in Transformer Cooling

Abstract

In this study, using a comprehensive experimental methodology, thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are used for transformer cooling in contrast to classical methods such as air, oil, and water. The effects of this operation are analyzed in terms of cooling power and main transformer performance. Thus, thermoelectric modules with different performance effects (coefficients of performance - COPs) at different voltage and current values were installed in the cooling system. The TEC1-12706, SP-1848, and TEC1-12715 modules were added to the cooling system to reduce the temperatures occurring in the core and windings during the operation of the transformer. When the maximum daily temperature of the transformer was reached, its temperature values were examined in time periods. Without changing the operating voltage or current values, the temperature values were measured for the SP-1848, TEC1-12706, and TEC1-12715 modules. The experiments were carried out at 30 °C ambient temperature under the same conditions according to the IEC 60076-11 and IEEE C57.91-1995 standards. The results have shown that the SP-1848 TEC module exhibited lower internal resistance and less power consumption compared to other TECs and provided better cooling compared to the TEC1-12706 and TEC1-12715 modules. The cooling module of SP-1848 provided 10% and 21% better performance than the cooling systems with the TEC-12715 and TEC-12706 modules, respectively.

Keywords:

• Life cycle
• Peltier effect
• TECs
• thermoelectricity
• transformer cooling

Disclosure Statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Project No: 1919B011903905.

Notes on contributors

Murat Toren

Murat Toren was born in Kayseri, Turkey. He received the master’s degree in electrical and Electronic Engineering from Erciyes University in Kayseri. He’s working subjects are electric machine design, power electronic, electric machinery. Now, he works as an assistant professor in Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Turkey.

Hakki Mollahasanoglu

Hakki Mollahasanoglu was born in Trabzon, Turkey. He received his B.Sc.E degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 2014 and his M.Sc.E degree in Electrical Engineering in 2016 from Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey. He is currently a Research Assistant with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Turkey.