Design and performance analysis of a three winding transformer used in solar system

Abstract

Due to the increasing of the fossil fuels prices in the past years and lack of these sources, all scientists encouraged to looking for the alternative energy sources. One of these energy sources is the renewable solar resources. Power transfer from solar systems to grid is achieved using step up transformers. This type of transformer is energized from a converter/inverter with or without variable frequency. The losses of such transformer are higher than those used in sinusoidal voltage power systems. This is due to harmonics content in the transformer input voltage and current. In this study the design and production of a PV transformer have been done according to the IEEE C57.159 guide and the loss analyses of transformer have been done using ANSYS MAXWELL considering the procedures proposed in standards of IEC 61378-1, IEEE C57.110 and the method proposed by Dowell. Finally, the thermal modeling and behavior of the transformer was investigated using the thermal model given in [25] to determine the hot spot and life time of the transformer using MATLAB program. © 2021, International Organization on 'Technical and Physical Problems of Engineering'. All rights reserved.