Creo Center has supported Hitachi Energy Finland in product development for several years, providing precision and reliability in transformer development through advanced CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis.
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader advancing a sustainable energy future with innovative, digitalized power grid solutions. In Finland, the company develops and manufactures transformers, reactors, and automation and control systems for power grid management, helping keep society running reliably and energy-efficiently.
Since 2023, Creo Center has supported Hitachi Energy Finland in several product development projects through CFD analysis. Creo Center’s thermal and flow analysis expertise has played a key role in improving thermal management, helping predict transformer performance more preciesly across a range of conditions.
Enhanced Understanding and Accuracy through CFD Modeling
Transformers are used in almost every area where electricity is required – from power grids and industry to railways and renewable energy. Their task is to convert voltage and current levels for efficient transmission and use, ensuring reliable and efficient power delivery. As in all areas of energy production, one of the key challenges is managing temperature. CFD analysis helps address this challenge by providing complete temperature distributions within the system and showing how it behaves in its operating environment.
Through CFD modeling, potential problem areas in transformer performance, typically related to high temperatures, can be identified early and addressed already during the design phase. During the projects, modeling results were compared to measurement data from test conditions, showing excellent correlation and reinforcing confidence in the modeling accuracy. All simulations were performed using the ANSYS software suite, from geometry creation to post-processing. Calculations were run on Creo Center’s 128-core computing cluster, allowing even large and complex CFD models to be solved efficiently.
“ANSYS is a comprehensive and fast tool. It makes the workflow very straightforward and enables quick iterations when testing different solutions”
– Timo Kulju, CFD Specialist at Creo Center
Integrating CFD into the Product Development Process
When CFD analysis is applied early in the concept stage, its insights can guide the design process from the very beginning. Early-phase modeling helps identify critical areas, evaluate different design options quickly, and reduce risks. The results support decision-making throughout the entire product development process and contribute to improved product quality.
During joint projects, Creo Center and Hitachi Energy review initial conditions and results together to identify clear directions for development. By combining close collaboration, advanced tools, and deep expertise, Creo Center supports clients throughout all phases of product development, from ideation to testing and optimization.
With Creo Center’s expertise in CFD, Hitachi Energy gained a detailed understanding of temperature distribution and hot-spot formation within transformers. The results enable better structural design and more efficient thermal management, improving both performance and product lifespan.
“Both Hitachi and our end customer were pleased with the outcome, and both reporting and presentation went smoothly. Based on the results, we were able to implement measures that improved thermal management.”
– Joni Prosi, Hitachi Energy Finland
The collaboration on CFD is one element of a broader partnership between Creo Center and Hitachi Energy. Creo Center has also supported Hitachi Energy in mechanical design and provided CREO software training, working together to enhance and streamline product development.
Could CFD analysis accelerate your product development process?
Have you considered how CFD could help your team overcome design or development challenges? Or would you like to learn more about the results companies like Hitachi Energy have achieved with our experts’ support?
Get in touch to explore how Creo Center’s CFD analysis can enhance your product development projects!
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