Improved cooling of electromagnetics by directed airflow

The transformers in aircraft power conversion are often very heavy and represent a significant fuel or range penalty. Being thermally sized, improved cooling methods would allow downsizing and thereby reduced weight. Since the conductive paths in these metal "dense" devices are good, the controlling thermal resistance is typically the convective coefficient. The goal of this study was to optimize the convective air cooling across transformers by parametrically testing candidate shroud geometries to minimize average and hot spot surface temperatures with minimal fan power. A test set up was constructed that included a low velocity wind tunnel, fan, temperature and pressure sensors, DAQ system, and film heaters as well as the actual transformers. Experimental results from a low velocity wind tunnel were well predicted by CFD modeling, providing confidence in continued shroud development with only CFD or experimentally. Curved or bent types of shapes proved to be the most efficient shroud configurations in terms of maximizing heat transfer while reducing the energy requirement to achieve the desired level of cooling.