Experimental comparison of air, oil, and liquid nitrogen cooling media on the efficiency of a single-phase transformer

Abstract

Transformers are critical component in electric power system, where minimizing energy losses is essential for efficiency and reliability. While ideal transformers operate with zero losses, practical transformers dissipate energy through winding and core losses caused by resistive heating. This study investigates the impact of three cooling media with ambient air, mineral oil, and liquid nitrogen on the efficiency and thermal performance of a 1 kVA single phase copper wound transformer. The experiment applied a resistive load under each cooling condition, recording input and output parameters using a HIOKI power meter model PW3360. Thermal behavior was monitored using infrared thermography and thermocouples. Copper winding resistivity was evaluated using a four-point probe within a cryogenic magnet system. The results show that liquid nitrogen cooling significantly reduced copper resistivity due to low-temperature conditions, achieving a transformer efficiency of 89.9%. Oil cooling improved efficiency to 86.0%, compared to 80.7% with air cooling. Although liquid nitrogen provided the greatest efficiency enhancement, its practical use is limited due to handling complexity and cost. In contrast, oil cooling offers a more feasible and effective solution for improving transformer performance in real world applications. These finding provide valuable insight for optimizing transformer thermal management strategies in power systems.