Analysis of 3D Electric Field and Insulation

Optimization of Oil-immersed Inverted Current

Transformer
Yan Xiuke1, Sun Yang1, Yu Cunzhan2 , Qi Yanli1
1
School of Electrical Engineering, Shenyang University of Technology, Liaoning 110870, China
2
Extra-High Voltage Sub company, Liaoning Electric Power CO., LTD, 114002, China
E-mail: yanxiuke@sohu.com

Abstract — This paper analyzes the main insulation structure Capacitance screens which embedded in main insulation are
of oil-immersed inverted current transformer, and establishes the connected in series. The outermost layer capacitance screen is
structure model and mathematical model. The Finite Element connected to high voltage (namely power frequency withstand
Method (FEM) is adopted to simulate and compute 3D electric voltage), and the innermost layer capacitance screen is
field of the current transformer. As a result, the distribution of connected to ground. The electric potential distribution can be
3D electric field can be obtained, and the location of maximum
adjusted by capacitance which between two adjacent
electric field strength can be found. The insulation structure of
current transformer has been optimized to improve electric field capacitance screens [3].
distribution by using surface response method combined with
genetic algorithms. III. ELECTRIC FIELD ANALYSIS
A. Governing Equation
I. INTRODUCTION
The electric field governing equation for electric scalar
The main insulation structure of oil-immersed current potential φ is given by
transformer mostly uses oil-paper insulation. And capacitance
screens have been set in the main insulation structure to
improve electric field distribution. There are two ways adding ∇ 2φ = 0
(1)
capacitance screens in main insulation structure, one is adding φ L( I )
= V( I )
some short capacitance screens in straight section of the main
insulation [1]. The other is adding some main screens in the where V(I) is the electric potential of each screens, and it can be
whole main insulation, and setting shielding ring at the end of computed by capacitance between screens [4].
these screens to avoid point discharge [2].The five main screen The electric potential of every screen can be computed by
structure has been adopted in this paper. The electric field
distribution has been analyzed, and the insulation structure has ⎛ n ⎞
been optimized to improve electric field distribution. I ⎜ ∑1 Ci ⎟
V( I ) = ∑ ⎜ i =1 U max ⎟ (2)
j =1 ⎜ Cj ⎟
II. THE STRUCTURE MODEL OF THE MAIN INSULATION ⎜ ⎟
⎝ ⎠
For the oil-immersed inverted current transformer, the main
insulation structure is showed in Fig.1.
where n is the number of screens, Umax is the high voltage.
The capacitance can be calculated by analytical and
numerical methods.
B. Analytical Calculation of Capacitance
The capacitance C(I) can be divided into two parts, down-
lead capacitance Cy(I) and central loop capacitance Ch(I), which
are showed in Fig.1.

C( I ) = Ch( I ) + Cy( I ) (3)

Fig.1 The main insulation of inverted current transformer

 0.2 h( I ) (4) TABLE I
C y( I ) = I
CAPACITANCE BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT SCREENS

∑d
Numerical method Analytical method
n + rz C1 (pF) 4858 4858
n =1
ln I −1 C2 (pF) 5309 5306
∑d
n =1
n + rz C3 (pF)
C4 (pF)
5604
5748
5604
5754
C5 (pF) 5750 5756

Ch( I ) = Cw( I ) + Ca ( I ) + Cb( I ) − Cs( I ) (5)

We can see two methods results are basically the same, so
analytical method can be used for convenience sometimes.
where Ch(I) is composed by inner tube capacitance Ca(I), outer
tube capacitance Cb(I) and corner capacitance Cw(I) in parallel. D. Electric Field Calculation Example
To calculate accurately, the down-lead overlapping part Cs(I) is In order to improve the calculation accuracy, the down-lead
minus from Ch(I). Ca(I), Cb(I), Cw(I), Cs(I) can be calculated by and central loop parts will be established and computed
separately in this paper. The electric field distribution of down-
0.2 H (6) lead is showed in Fig.2. In the central loop, the electric field
Ca ( I ) = distribution of each layer are basically the same, and the
Ra( I −1)
ln maximum of electric intensity is located in the first layer. So
Ra( I ) the first layer electric field distribution is showed in Fig.3, and
0.2 H (7) the other layer results are shown in table II
Cb( I ) =
Rb( I )
ln TABLE II
Rb( I −1) MAXIMUM ELECTRIC INTENSITY OF EACH LAYER INSULATION
Number Emax (V/mm) Position
1 10500 down-lead
0.4π R0 (8) 2 9065 down-lead
Cw ( I ) =
r( I ) 3 8312 down-lead
ln 4 7935 down-lead
r( I −1) 5 7849 central loop

⎛ I
⎞
⎜ rz + ∑ d n ⎟
I
arccos ⎜ n =1
I
⎟
⎜ ⎟
∑ d n + rz ⎜ r0 + ∑ d n ⎟
Cs( I ) = 0.5 n =1 • ⎝ n =1 ⎠C (9)
b( I )
L2 π

C. Numerical Calculation of Capacitance

The capacitance also can be calculated by using the
CMATRIX macro of Ansys software also. This method is
based on the energy principle. By applying appropriate
voltages on electrodes, the coefficients of the ground
Fig.2 The electric field distribution of down-lead
capacitance matrix which includes self lumped capacitance and
mutual lumped capacitance calculated by the stored static
energy. Mean-while, the grounded conductors must be defined
in order to get accurate capacitance.
This paper analyzes the electric field distribution of an oil-
immersed inverted current transformer which withstands
460kV voltage. And its total insulation thickness is 60 mm,
total gradient difference (the distance between the outermost
screen ends and zero screen ends) is 1760 mm.
Taking the average case of insulation thickness and
gradient difference as original insulation structure, the
capacitances between two adjacent screens have been
computed by analytical method and numerical method. Table I
shows the comparison between two methods.
Fig.3 The electric field distribution of the first layer central loop
 IV. OPTIMIZATION OF THE MAIN INSULATION STRUCTURE m
y = f ( X ) = ∑ wiϕi ( r )
The study found that the electric field distribution is related i =1 (10)
with insulation thickness, and decreasing insulation thickness ⎛ r2 ⎞
between screens can improve the distribution of the electric ϕi ( r ) = ϕi ( X − ci ) = exp ⎜ − 2 ⎟
field [1]. However, the number of screens also be greatly ⎝ ai ⎠
increased, which will increase production cost and enhance
difficulty to insulation wrapping. where X is input sample, ci is data center, wi is out weight, ai is
In this paper, by modifying thickness and gradient expand constant, and they can be given by training samples.
difference between two adjacent screens to adjust the Generally use the gradient training method. Neural network
relationship of the voltage and insulation thickness, the learning objective function is
distribution of the electric field will be improved. The surface
response model (SRM) method has been adopted in this paper, 1 N 2
in which RBF neural network has been taken to establish E= ∑ ej
2 j =1 (11)
response model. And Genetic Algorithms (GA) has been taken m
to find the optimal point. e j = y j − f ( X j ) = y j − ∑ wiϕi ( X j )
i =1
A. Optimization Strategy
An adaptive optimization strategy has been proposed in the where N is the number of input samples, ej is error signal, and
paper, in which GA and RBF Neural Network have been f(X) to ci, wi and ai gradient can be given by
combined used [5]. The overall optimizing process is showed
in Fig.4 2 wi
∇ ci f ( X ) = ϕi ( X )( X − ci )
ai2
In the whole design space, generate initial sampling
2 wi (12)
∇ ai f ( X ) = ϕi ( X ) X − ci
2
data by using random sampling method
ai3
∇ wi f ( X ) = ϕi ( X )
Calculate objective values of sampling data by FEM

So the adjustments of ci, wi and ai can be showed as

Train a RBF neural network by the sampling data and corresponding
objective values, and response model will be established
wi N
Δc i = η
ai2
∑ e ϕ ( X )( X
j =1
j i j j − ci )

Using GA to find the current optimal point Xk wi N (13)

∑e ϕ (X ) X
2
Δai = η j i j j − ci
ai3 j =1
The optimum N
The current optimal point is
Y design scheme Δwi = η ∑ e jϕi ( X j )
satisfied with convergence? can be obtained. j =1
Stop
N where η is learning rate, we can adjust it to control
convergence speed.
Reduce the design space around the current optimal point,
and generate new sampling data C. Optimization and Results
Four insulation thickness and four gradient difference
Fig.4 Optimization process between two adjacent screens are taken as optimal variables in
this paper. The maximum electric intensity is taken as the
objective function. Fig.5 shows the variables. The varying
B. RBF Neural Network Construction range of optimal variables is showed in table III.
Compared with the traditional response surface method,
radial basis function has higher accuracy for nonlinear problem.
By training the sample points to approximate the relationship
between input and output, thus the surface response model will
be constructed. Its mathematical model is as follows,

Fig.5 Optimal variables

 TABLE III
VARYING RANGE OF OPTIMAL VARIABLES
Variables Design range Variables Design range
r1 (mm) [4,20] d1 (mm) [50,1550]
r2 (mm) [4,20] d2 (mm) [50,1550]
r3 (mm) [4,20] d3 (mm) [50,1550]
r4 (mm) [4,20] d4 (mm) [50,1550]

where r1, r2, r3, r4, d1, d2, d3, d4 must be followed

r1 + r2 + r3 + r4 ≤ 56
(14)
d1 + d 2 + d3 + d 4 ≤ 1710

When the optimal point satisfied the convergence given as Fig.7 The optimized electric field distribution of the first layer central loop
(15), the iteration can be stopped. Fig. 6 shows the optimal
iterating process of the example.

X k − X k −1 ≤ ε1
(15)
f ( X k ) − f ( X k −1 ) ≤ ε 2

Fig.8 The optimized electric field distribution of down-lead

V. CONCLUSION
The electric field distribution in main insulation of oil-
immersed inverted current transformer has been analyzed in
this paper. The capacitances of two adjacent electric screens
Fig.6 The optimal iterating process are computed by analytical method and numerical method. The
electric field distribution of current transformer is related with
TABLE IV insulation thickness. The insulation thickness and gradient
OPTIMIZATION RESULT
difference between two adjacent screens have been optimized
Before optimization Optimized
r1 (mm) 12 6.2 by using surface response method combined with genetic
r2 (mm) 12 11.4 algorithms. The electric field distribution has been improved
r3 (mm) 12 12.7 after optimization.
r4 (mm) 12 14.2
d1 (mm) 352 195
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