Analysis of overvoltage impact on shell-type on-board traction transformer by multi-physics field simulation

With the rapid development and increasing demands for the high-speed railway in China, it is of great significance to examine the defects of the high-speed train and ensure the safety of the operating railway. In the actual operation of the high-speed train, there is a split-phase section to transit the train to the next substation power supply arm. In this particular stage, operational overvoltage would occur as the VCB and the pantograph switch on and off, which threatens the safety of the operation of high-speed trains and contributes to the breakdown of transformer windings, which is indispensable in transformer operation. In this work, a finite element model of shell type on board traction transformer is constructed and multi-physics field simulation results, including electromagnetic field, temperature field, and flow velocity field, are analyzed to investigate the potential risky spots in the practical operation of high-speed train under overvoltage impulse, which could be supportive in maintaining the devices and detecting the winding defects.