StudytoPredictBlastLoadonStructureduetothe Explosion of an EHV Power Transformer Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based Approach

Extra High-voltage power transformers are critical to the electrical infrastructure because theyallow for the efficient transfer ofpower over huge networks. Arcing is the main causeoftransformerexplosionsandfires.Thepreviousworkprovidesamethodforevaluating and calculating arc energy and peak overpressure inside the HV Transformer tank owing to electrical failures, which is then used as input for CFD simulation. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) provides a robust numerical approach to modelling blast wave propagation and its interaction with structures. This minimizes the need for full-scale testing by lowering theoveralleffortandcostofexperimentationanddatacollection. Thispaperlaysthegroundworkforacomprehensiveanalysis&structuraldesignofa500MVA transformer compound RC firewalls open to the skysubjected to an internal explosion. Using ANSYS Fluent, a CFD simulation is conducted to model blast wave propagation, capturing pressureandtemperaturevariationsovertime.ThisFluid-StructureInteraction(FSI)approach offerscriticalinsightsintothestructuralintegrityofblast barriers, aiding inthedesignofmore resilient protection systems. By leveraging CFD-based numerical simulations, key blast parameters suchasIncident pressure (Pso), Reflected pressure (Pr), Wave arrivaltime (ta), and positiveandnegativephasedurations(to,to’),BlastImpulse(I),andTemperatureareextracted, analyzed, and compared withthe results producedwiththe TNT-based empiricalmethod. The time-dependent blast load data pave the way for mapping in ANSYS Transient Structural, where the deformation and failure analysis of the transformer blast protection walls will be studied