Case Study: A Change of Geometry and Material for Next-generation Large Power Transformer Tanks

Traditional Large Power Transformer (LPT) tanks have been typically designed with a rectangular geometry. The variation in LPT tank geometry to accommodate a completely different geometry for LPTs has not been considered much in research and literature. This preliminary work presents an initial analysis of two LPT tank geometries: the common one, and the proposed one using pressure vessel theory and finite element analysis methods. Further, apart from the effect of geometry on the mechanical reliability of LPT tanks, this study investigates the effect of a change in the tank’s material from traditional low-carbon steel (LCS) to Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs). The result shows that a capsular type of tank geometry made with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) material potentially offers superior resistance to internal pressure loading 10 times higher than the tank with a rectangular geometry made with LCS material. The design limit for an LPT’s internal pressure is about 0.2 MPa, and this capsular design is shown to accommodate 10 times this pressure limit. The outcome of this study, therefore, proposes a new geometry for further investigation for application in LPT tanks.