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Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Campus Access Master's Report

Degree Name

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering (MS)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Advisor 1

Bruce Mork

Advisor 2

John Lukowski

Committee Member 1

Gowtham S.

Committee Member 2

Sumit Paudyal

Abstract

As utilities are pushed to do more with less and with one of the biggest costs being transformers it is not surprising that they are pushed to their maximum thermal limits. Considerations such as top oil temperature, top duct temperature, hotspot temperature, and the percent loss of life need to be taken into account when loading a transformer above its rated nameplate. This project builds off of the work done in previous reports and computer programs that the sponsor has used successfully over the years.

This report will cover how a C++ program was developed and implemented. This program is to help a utility estimate the maximum load that can be applied to a transformer based on maximum allowable thermal temperatures and a percent loss of life, in a given year that is defined by the user. The output data from the program shows the maximum load that could be applied to their transformer fleet if needed. This program will replace the outdated program that is currently in use by the sponsor. This report will serve as a user guide for the new program, covering the changes that were made to the new program and what has stayed the same. The goal of this program was to replace an out-of-date program, not to add or delete functionality from the old program. Therefore if a user was familiar with the old program they should have no problem using the new program presented here.

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