FluSHELL - A Tool for Thermal Modelling and Simulation of Windings for Large Shell-Type Power Transformers

This thesis addresses a novel application of network modelling methodologies to power transformers. It develops a novel thermal model and compares its performance against that of a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code, as well as in experiments conducted in a dedicated setup built exclusively for this purpose. Hence, the thesis cross-links three of the most important aspects in high-quality research: model development, simulation and experimental validation.

As such, the thesis is relevant for a wide range of stakeholders, from utilities to power transformer manufacturers, as well as researchers interested in the energy industry. It is written in straightforward language and employs a highly pedagogic approach, making it also suitable for non-experts.

Hugo Campelo completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Porto (Portugal) in 2016, but his career as a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) consultant actually started ten years ago. Since 2010 he has been working for a large electromechanical group that manufactures power transformers, in which he currently coordinates a team of R&D experts focused on addressing the thermal-hydraulic challenges associated with power transformers. A CFD expert, his main interests lie in numerical fluid flow and heat transfer.