Cooler Transformers Could Help the Electric Grid

The Supersized Science podcast features research and discoveries nationwide enabled by advanced computing technology and expertise at the Texas Advanced Computing Center of the University of Texas at Austin. Electric transformers convert high voltage to lower voltage that’s useful for households to plug into. In the U.S., transformers are aging and approaching an average of being 30 to 40 years old. And they face more stress than ever before brought on by factors such as renewable energy demands and by extreme weather events such as hurricanes, heat waves, and winter storms. University of Texas at Austin researchers have taken a look inside grid transformers to see if they could make them better. Inside grid transformers you’ll find copper windings, other metallic components, and cellulose-based electrical insulation like kraft paper. The cellulose insulation is a great electrical insulator essential in the process of ‘stepping down’ voltage, but it also traps heat, which can lead to overheating. Podcast host and TACC science writer Jorge Salazar is joined on the podcast by Vaibhav Bahadur, an associate professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering, UT Austin. Bahadur is the corresponding author of a study that modeled the impact of nanotechnology-based high thermal conductivity paper on the performance and life of grid transformers published March 2024 in Cell Press journal Heliyon. This is the first study that predicts the extent to which tuning the thermal conductivity of paper can enhance transformer life. Simulations TACC’s Stampede2 supercomputer helped Bahadur and his collaborators engineer solutions to overheating of grid transformers — a critical component of the electric grid. Supersized Science is part of the Texas Podcast Network – the conversations changing the world – brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. The opinions expressed in this podcast represent the views of the hosts, and not of The University of Texas at Austin. TACC link: tacc.utexas.edu/news/latest-news/…he-electric-grid/ Music Credits: Raro Bueno, Chuzausen freemusicarchive.org/music/Chuzausen/