Contact-less transfer of energy has always been a desired feature for systems that require reliable and durable power transfer across their moving parts. In rotary equipment in particular, slip-rings are the established solution with off-the-shelf and customised solutions readily available in the market. Despite the mature technology, slip-rings suffer wear and are prone to arcing, making frequent maintenance a necessity. In this project a rotating transformer is proposed as an alternative solution for contact-less transfer of energy across the revolving frame of an airborne electronic-scanning radar. This thesis is based on the hypothesis that the Phase-Shifted Full Bridge (PSFB) topology can efectively utilise the parasitic components of the rotating transformer to achieve efficient (over 90%) power conversion at the kW range. The first part of this work concentrates on the study of the magnetic interface and its electrical properties. Initially the magnetic structure of the transformer is studied in order to gain understanding of the effects of the physical layout of the component to its electrical behaviour. The problems of low magnetising and increased leakage inductance are quantified by measurements, calculations and finite element analysis. An accurate electrical model is built and used to calculate the transformer voltage and current gain. The second part of the research programme aims at the compilation of a design strategy for a PSFB incorporating a rotating transformer. An algorithm is presented, that optimises the magnetic component structure in order to achieve minimum switching losses and spread the conduction losses between the transformer and power switches. The last stage involves the evaluation of the design algorithm through prototyping and testing. Some topological variations are tested and compared with the original conventional PSFB converter. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the results and future challenges.

La présente étude traite l’application des rubans amorphes dans les transformateurs de distribution dans l’objectif de réduire les pertes dans le réseau d’électricité. Les matériaux utilisés sont un alliage à base de fer, silicium et bore. Les premières études sur ce matériau amorphe révèlent une très bonne compatibilité chimique de ces derniers avec les huiles de transformateur. Ces rubans possèdent des durées de vie entièrement conforme aux exigences d’ERDF. Les pertes à vide représentent un élément non négligeable dans l’efficacité énergétique des matériels. Un transformateur amorphe génère 2 fois moins de pertes pendant toute sa vie qu’un transformateur conventionnel C0Ck. D'un point de vue général, la technologie amorphe appliquée aux transformateurs de distribution publique présente un intérêt majeur pour la réduction des pertes à vide. L'investissement réalisé dans un matériel certes plus onéreux à l'origine se trouve rentabilisé grâce aux économies réalisées sur les pertes à vide. Le retour sur investissement est possible en 10 à 12 années environ mais reste très variable en fonction du prix d'achat négocié. La qualification des transformateurs amorphes nécessite que les matériels répondent aux exigences de la spécification d’ERDF comme le critère "Tenue aux courants de court-circuit" qui constitue une composante essentielle dans l'acceptation des transformateurs amorphes. La tenue aux efforts de court-circuit a historiquement été problématique sur les transformateurs triphasés à noyaux amorphes. Le noyau se cisaille pendant le court-circuit, libérant des particules métalliques préjudiciables à la tenue diélectrique de l'appareil. Depuis, les constructeurs ont fait des progrès dans la conception mais les matériels ne sont pas encore pleinement satisfaisants. La tenue aux courts-circuits est l’enjeu et le défi que doit franchir cette technologie pour s’implanter et être crédible en Europe. / This PhD deals with the application of amorphous ribbons in distribution transformer cores in order to reduce network losses. The material is an alloy from iron, boron and silicon compounds. The first results on the material reveal a good physicochemical compatibility with tested transformer dielectric fluids. It should be noted these materials possess a far longer life than the transformer itself. The potential for reducing losses from distribution transformers is considered as one element of EU and national strategies on energy efficiency. Losses generated through amorphous transformers are twice less than conventional ones. Amorphous ribbon units represent a significant new advance in transformer technology and losses reduction. The investment, put to purchase the product, can be easily gained by the capitalisation of losses. The return can be achieved in 10 to 12 years, depending on the purchase price. It is expected that a transformer will be subjected to a number of short-circuits during its service life, but sooner or later one such event will cause some slight winding movement, and the ability of the transformer to resist further short-circuits will then be severely reduced. Amorphous metal distribution transformers (AMDT) is no exception and they should be able to resist electrodynamic forces during short-circuit test and match ERDF specifications. In fact, during SC, extreme electrodynamic forces cause the windings to deform and this shape deformity creates a lot of shear stress on amorphous cores which lead to break-up of some ribbons. The active part of an amorphous transformer should be strong enough to resist these stresses. In fact, the behaviour of the core materials under short circuit currents depends especially on the know-how of manufacturers who can outline electrodynamic stress inside transformers. Concept design and processes have been improved in order to provide reliable devices but the task is not completely done yet. Short-circuit withstand is one of the most important aspects which will approve this technology.

The increased power consumption and power density demands of modern technologies have increased the technical requirements of DC/DC and AC/DC power supplies. In this regard, the primary objective of the power supply researcher/engineer is to build energy efficient, high power density converters by reducing the losses and increasing the switching frequency of converters respectively. Operating the converter circuits at higher switching frequencies reduces the size of the passive components such as transformers, inductors, and capacitors, which results in a compact size, weight, and increased power density of the converter. Therefore, the thesis work is focussed on the design, analysis and evaluation of isolated converters operating in the 1 - 5MHz frequency region with the assistance of the latest semi conductor devices, both coreless and core based planar power transformers designed in Mid Sweden University and which are suitable for consumer applications of varying power levels ranging from 1 – 60W. In high frequency converter circuits, since the MOSFET gate driver plays a prominent role, different commercially available MOSFET gate drivers were evaluated in the frequency range of 1 - 5MHz in terms of gate drive power consumption, rise/fall times and electromagnetic interference (EMI) and a suitable driver was proposed. Initially, the research was focused on the design and evaluation of a quasi resonant flyback converter using a multilayered coreless PCB step down transformer in the frequency range of 2.7 – 4MHz up to the power level of 10W. The energy efficiency of this converter is found to be 72 - 84% under zero voltage switching conditions (ZVS). In order to further improve the energy efficiency of the converter in the MHz frequency region, the new material device GaN HEMT was considered. The comparisons were made on a quasi resonant flyback DC-DC converter using both the Si and GaN technology and it was found that an energy efficiency improvement of 8 – 10% was obtained with the GaN device in the frequency range of 3.2 – 5MHz. In order to minimize the gate drive power consumption, switching losses and to increase the frequency of the converter in some applications such as laptop adapters, set top box (STB) etc., a cascode flyback converter using a low voltage GaN HEMT and a high voltage Si MOSFET was designed and evaluated using a multi-layered coreless PCB transformer in the MHz frequency region. Both the simulation and experimental results have shown that, with the assistance of the cascode flyback converter, the switching speeds of the converter can be increased with the benefit of obtaining a significant improvement in the energy efficiency as compared to that for the single switch flyback converter. In order to further maximize the utilization of the transformer, to reduce the voltage stress on MOSFETs and to obtain the maximum power density from the converter circuit, double ended topologies were considered. Due to the lack of high voltage high side gate drivers in the MHz frequency region, a gate drive circuitry utilizing the multi-layered coreless PCB signal transformer was designed and evaluated in both a half-bridge and series resonant converter (SRC). It was found that the gate drive power consumption using this transformer was around 0.66W for the frequency range of 1.5 - v 3.75 MHz. In addition, by using this gate drive circuitry, the maximum energy efficiency of the SRC using multilayered coreless PCB power transformer was found to be 86.5% with an output power of 36.5W in the switching frequency range of 2 – 3MHz. In order to further enhance the energy efficiency of the converter to more than 90%, investigations were carried out by using the multiresonant converter topology (LCC and LLC), novel hybrid core high frequency planar power transformer and the GaN HEMTs. The simulated and experimental results of the designed LCC resonant converter show that it is feasible to obtain higher energy efficiency isolated DC/DC converters in the MHz frequency region. The peak energy efficiency of the LCC converter at 3.5MHz is reported to be 92% using synchronous rectification. Different modulation techniques were implemented to regulate the converter for both line and load variations using a digital controller. In order to realize an AC/DC converter suitable for a laptop adapter application, consideration was given to the low line of the universal input voltage range due to the GaN switch limitation. The energy efficiency of the regulated converter operating in the frequency range of 2.8 – 3.5MHz is reported to be more than 90% with a load power of 45W and an output voltage of 22V dc. In order to determine an efficient power processing method on the secondary side of the converter, a comparison was made between diode rectification and synchronous rectification and optimal rectification was proposed for the converters operating in the MHz frequency range for a given power transfer application. In order to maintain high energy efficiency for a wide load range and to maintain the narrow switching frequency range for the given input voltage specifications, the LLC resonant converter has been designed and evaluated for the adapter application. From the observed results, the energy efficiency of the LLC resonant converter is maintained at a high level for a wide load range as compared to that for the LCC resonant converter. Investigations were also carried out on isolated class E resonant DC-DC converter with the assistance of GaN HEMT and a high performance planar power transformer at the switching frequency of 5MHz. The simulated energy efficiency of the converter for the output power level of 16W is obtained as 88.5% which makes it feasible to utilize the designed isolated converter for various applications that require light weight and low profile converters. In conclusion, the research in this dissertation has addressed various issues related to high frequency isolated converters and has proposed solution by designing highly energy efficient converters to meet the current industrial trends by using coreless and core based planar transformer technologies along with the assistance of GaN HEMTs. With the provided solution, in the near future, it is feasible to realize low profile, high power density DC/DC and AC/DC converters operating in MHz frequency region suitable for various applications. / High Frequency Switch Mode Power Supplies

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. / The sudden failure of oil paper-insulated current transformers has become a problem of considerable concern due to the cost of the resulting destruction, and danger to personnel. The aim of the dissertation is. to determine the most suitable method of detecting lncipient faults in current transformers, test this method on an experimental current transformer, and finally implement this technique in a low cost on-line monitor. A literature survey indicated that hydrogen gas-in-oil on-line monitoring would be the most suitable technique.(Abbreviation abstract) / Andrew Chakane 2019

This research presents the results of numerical study of heat transfer and pressure drop in a heat exchanger that is designed with different shape pin fins. The heat exchanger used for this research consists of a rectangular duct fitted with different shape pin fins, and is heated from the lower plate. The pin shape and the compact heat exchanger (CHE) configuration were numerically studied to maximize the heat transfer and minimize the pressure drop across the heat exchanger. A three dimensional finite volume based numerical model using FLUENT© was used to analyze the heat transfer characteristics of various pin fin heat exchangers. The simulation applied to estimate the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop for a wide range of Reynolds numbers with different pin fins. Circular pin configuration variations included changes in pin spacing, axial pitch and pin height ratio. Rectangular and drop-shaped pin variations also included changes in length and aspect ratio. Correlations for Nusselt number and friction factor were developed. The optimum drop shaped pin array was shown to match the heat transfer rates obtained by the optimum circular pin configuration while incurring less than one third the specific fluid friction power losses. The data and conclusions of this study can be applied to the optimization of different heat exchangers which are used in industry, especially oil cooler in power transformers which are currently working with low cooling efficiency. It can also be used in the design of electronic components, turbine blade cooling or in other high heat flux dissipation applications requiring a low-profile, high area-density based micro-heat exchanger design. This study also shows that numerical models backed with experimental analysis can reduce both the time and money required to create and evaluate engineering concepts, especially those that deal with fluid flow and heat transfer. In the following chapters, first the problems which are encountered by power transformer suppliers are described. Then pin fin technology is studied with more details as a novel solution to the oil cooling problem. Some studies on behavior of power transformer coolers are also conducted to make their problems more clear. Available experimental data in the Iran Transfo company have been used for validation of these studies. They are presented as separated papers at the end of thesis. Finally the results of pin fin studies are presented and horizontal continuous casting (HCC) is explained as a manufacturing method for pin fins production. A separate paper which is based on experimental study on HCC is also included at the end of thesis. / Forskningen presenterad är ett resultat av en numerisk studie av värmeöverföring och tryckfall i en värmeväxlare designad med olika former av Kylflänsar. Värmeväxlaren består av ett rektangulärt kanal utrustat med olika former av Kylflänsar och är uppvärmd underifrån. Kylflänsar forma och den kompakta värmeväxlarens utformning är studerade numeriskt för att maximera värmeöverföringen och minimera tryckfallet över värmeväxlaren.En tredimensionell finit volym baserad på en numerisk modell i FLUENT© användes för att analysera värmeöverföringsegenskaper för olika Kylflänsar konfigurationer. Genom simuleringar uppskattades värmegenomgångstalet och tryckfallet för olika Reynolds tal och Kylflänsar konfigureringar. Cirkulära Kylflänsar konfigurationer inkluderar variation av avstånd mellan Kylflänsar, och förhållandet mellan axiellt avstånd och höjd. Rektangulära och droppformade Kylflänsar inkluderade även variation för längd och aspekt förhållande. Korrelation mellan Nusselts tal och friktionsfaktor utvecklades. Optimal matris för hur droppformade Kylflänsar placerades visades överensstämma med optimal överföring för cirkulära Kylflänsar men bara med en tredjedel av friktionsförlusterna för fluiden. Data och slutsatser från studien kan användas inom för optimering av värmeväxlare använda i industrin, speciellt oljekylda högspänningstransformatorer som har låg effektivitet i kylningen. Resultaten kan även användas inom design av elektronikkomponenter, kylning av turbinblad eller andra komponenter med högt värmeflöde där låg profil, och stor ytdensitet behövs. Studien visar att kombinationen av numeriska modeller som valideras genom experiment kan reducera både tid och kostnad vid utveckling och utvärdering av ingenjörsverktyg, speciellt inom fluidmekanik och värmeöverföring. I följande kapitel beskrivs först problem som identifierats av tillverkare av högspänningstransformatorer. Kylflänsar studeras i detalj som en ny lösning till de identifierade problemen med oljekylning. Några studier har genomförts för att ytterligare belysa problemen kring högspänningstransformatorers kylning. Tillgängliga data från Iran Transfo company har använts för validering av resultat från studierna. Studierna presenteras som separata artiklar i slutet av avhandlingen. Avslutningsvis presenteras resultat från studierna av Kylflänsar och en horisontell kontinuerlig gjutprocess (HCC) för tillverkning av Kylflänsar. HCC-studien presenteras som en separat artikel inkluderad sist i avhandlingen.

To make a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission more energy efficient, the voltage of the system has to be increased. To allow for that the components of the system must be constructed to handle the increases AC and DC stresses that this leads to. One key component in such a transmission is the HVDC converter transformer. The insulation system of the transformer usually consists of oil and oil-impregnated pressboard. Modeling of the electric DC field in the insulation system is currently done with the ion drift diffusion model, which takes into account the transport and generation of charges in the oil and the pressboard. The model is however lacking a description of how charges are being injected from the electrodes and the oil-pressboard interfaces. The task of this thesis work was to develop and implement a model for this which improves the result of the ion drift diffusion model. A theoretical study of ion injection was first carried out and proceeding from this, a model for the ion injection was formulated. By using experimental data from 5 different test geometries, the injection model could be validated and appropriate parameter values of the model could be determined. By using COMSOL Multiphysics®, the ion drift diffusion model with the injection model could be simulated for the different test geometries. The ion injection gave a substantial improvement of the ion drift diffusion model. The positive injection from electrodes into oil was found to be in the range 0.3-0.6 while the negative injection was 0.3 lower. Determination of the parameters for the injection from oil-pressboard interfaces proved to be difficult, but setting the parameters in the range 0.01-1 allowed for a good agreement with the experimental data. Here, a fit could be obtained for multiple assumptions about the set of active injection parameters. Finally it is recommended that the investigation of the ion injection continues in order to further improve the model and more accurately determine the parameters of it. Suggestions on how this work could be carried out are given in the end.

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