CFD Modeling of Thermal Behavior of Electrical Transformers
Project description
A MITACS-funded research project entitled Overloading thermal management and seasonal heat recovery of transformers toward efficient power substations, in collaboration with BC Hydro, is running from September 2026 to August 2030.
Electricity production in Canada is predicted to exceed 1300 TWh by 2050, driven by Canada’s growing population and its goal of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. This growth is placing increasing pressure on Canada’s power transmission systems. At the substation level, electrical transformers define the power transmission capacity. To meet the growing electricity demand, utilities may overload transformers above their nameplate rating. This subjects transformers to stronger thermal loading, which over time may degrade the transformer materials. Coordinated thermal management and active cooling of transformers may be able to extend the lifetime of electrical transformers. Moreover, although substation transformers are highly efficient, a significant amount waste heat is generated and dumped at power substations. Conservatively, this corresponds to over 20 PJ of energy per year in Canada alone. Recovering electrical transformer waste heat may be a valuable source of thermal energy. To date, no studies have been combined active transformer cooling, overloading management, and waste heat recovery for substation power transformers.
This project will develop mathematical and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools for assessing electrical transformer thermal loading under realistic utility-scale conditions. The models will be developed within OpenFOAM® to model waste heat generation during normal and overloaded transformer operations, conjugate heat transfer, active and passive transformer thermal management, hotspot prediction, and strategies for thermal heat recovery. Working in collaboration with BC Hydro engineers, the PhD student will validate the developed models against field data from operational transformers. The results will be used to develop overloading management practices to help utilities forecast transformer aging and lifetime assessment. Outputs will include open-source datasets on transformer heat transfer behavior, recommendations for transformer hotspot detection, tools for monitoring transformer degradation and condition assessment, and new techniques for recovering waste heat from transformers.
Supervision
The PhD student will be jointly supervised by Dr. Joshua Brinkerhoff and Dr. Sunny Li. The applicant will directly collaborate with engineers from BC Hydro, BC’s largest electrical utility. Please direct enquiries for this position to Dr. Brinkerhoff.
Qualifications
The doctoral work will be informed primarily by a computational fluid mechanics approach, developing mathematical and computational models from within open-source libraries. Strong fundamental skills in mathematical modeling, numerical simulation, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer are strongly desired. A background in OpenFOAM® or other CFD tools and experience in high-performance computing is an asset.
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse research team fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. Equity and diversity not only lead to a more fair and open society, but also improves the quality of the science and increases the opportunities to learn and grow from each other. Applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code—including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or Indigeneity—are especially encouraged.
Application procedure
- Candidates are asked to express their interest in this position via an online survey: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b2ul3ysmiXiBZdk
- You will be asked to upload a cover letter describing their research interests, experience, and motivations for graduate study and a detailed curriculum vitae highlighting your educational and professional achievements
- English test scores (if required). Applicants with degrees in a language other than English must have a minimum TOEFL score of 580 (PBT) or 92 (IBT) or IELTS minimum overall band of 6.5 (with nothing less than 6.0 per individual test)
Contact person
Joshua Brinkerhoff, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
School of Engineering
University of British Columbia – Okanagan
3333 University Way Kelowna, BC, Canada V1V 1V7
Tel: 250-807-8238
E-mail: joshua.brinkerhoff@ubc.ca