Machine Design and Equipment Training

Methods of cooling

6th term B.E(Electrical)

 Cooling air circuit
The arrangement of the path of the cooling
depends on the size of the machine and on its
types.
1. Radial Ventilation: the commonly employed
type, because the rotor induces natural
centrifugal movement of the air augmented as
required by the rotor fans. This method is used
for machines below 20 KW
2. Axial ventilation:
This is suitable for machines of moderate output
and high speed.

3. Combined radial and axial ventilation:

It is employed for large machines, figure shows the
arrangement of an induction motor for mixed
ventilation.
4. Cooling of totally enclosed machines:
These machines present a special problem in that
the inside of the machine can have no air
connection with the outside air.
Two methods are there for these machines as
shown in figure.
a. A shaft mounted fan external to the working
parts of the machine blows the air over the
carcass , and external air circulation is also
employed to improve the heat dissipation.

a. An internal fan circulates the heat to the

carcass. Air is also blown outside of the carcass
to improve the heat transfer.
 Cooling of large units
Larger units have massive cores, long conductors,
high current densities, huge amount of losses but
relative surface area is not comparatively large for
dissipating such amount of heats generated.

Thus losses per unit area is increased, so the cooling

of large units is difficult than small units.

The coolant must therefore penetrate through cores

and even into the conductors.

If not the interior heat must travel undue distance to

the coolant. With the result excessive temperature
gradients occurs and hot-spot are developed. So
more effective heat transfer methods should be
applied.
 Transformers
The cooling of transformers is difficult because of
no moving parts to assist the circulation of
coolant.
If natural circulation of coolant is not sufficient
then forced circulation of coolants is employed.
 Figure shows the natural circulation of oil and
temperature gradient in the transformer, oil
conduct heat from different parts and, rises up,
cool oil replaces it from the bottom.

Hot oil goes to the sides of the tank and heat is

conducted by natural air in this way circulation is
completed. i.e. Oil natural air natural (ONAN).
Other methods are ONAF, OFAF, ONWF, OFWF.

For units above 5MVA, natural circulation is in

adequate so forced circulation is employed
 The considerable variety of possible methods of
heat dissipation make necessary and concise
design. The letter symbols employed are:
Medium: air A, gas G, synthetic oil L, mineral oil
O, solid insulation S, water W.
Circulation: natural N, forced F
Order:
1. Medium
2. the circulation of the coolant in contact with the
windings
3. The medium
4. The circulation of coolant in external heat
exchanger system
 For detailed study go through A.C Machines by
M.G Say
 Rotating machines
Forced air cooling:
The large machines require many tones of cooling
air per hour, forced air cooling permits the filtration
of air and avoiding clogging of ducts.

A more complete means of securing clean cooling is

closed-circuit system, as employed for the smaller
rating Turbo-Generators.

The hot air from the machine is passed through

water cooled heat exchanger and then returned to
the machine by centrifugal fans as shown in the
figure.
Hydrogen cooling: Turbo-generators have forced
ventilation and total enclosure to deal with large
losses and high rating per unit volume.

Certain advantages can be gained by hydrogen

because it has Low density, reduced windage losses
and noise, 14 times the specific heat, 1.5 the heat
transfer, 7 times greater thermal conductivity,
reducing temperature gradients.
 Fans mounted on the rotor circulate hydrogen
through the ventilating ducts and internally-
mounted gas coolers.

The gas pressure is maintained above the

atmospheric pressure.(i.e. at 1, 2, 3 atm can
raise the rating of the machine by 15, 30 and 40
% respectively).

Hydrogen cooling increases the rating of the

machine for a given temperature rise and also
increases efficiency.