A novel approach for the thermal analysis of air insulated switchgear

Paper in proceeding, 2011

The international standard IEC 62271-200, stipulates a temperature rise type-test to be performed on switchgear cubicle. Given temperature limits are not to be exceeded. In order to reduce development test cycles, a calculation scheme based on the thermal net method (TNM) [1] is used. Due to certain limitations of the TNM, a combined CFD- TNM method is proposed. The flow field is calculated from CFD and fed into TNM. Knowing the approximated air velocities in- and outside of the switchgear, this information can be applied as parameters to the thermal elements in the TNM calculation. Thus will increase the accuracy of the results than what it would have been achieved with the use of just one simulation method.