Case Study: ABB achieves nearly 30% bushing size reduction and improved reliability with COMSOL Multiphysics

Dielectric Stress Simulation Advances Design of ABB Smart Grid–Ready Tap Changers

ABB, a global power-equipment company, needed to modernize critical high-voltage components such as transformer bushings, cable joints, and terminations to support higher transmission voltages while keeping size and cost down and avoiding electrical or thermal breakdowns. ABB researcher Göran Eriksson turned to Comsol’s Multiphysics simulation tools to capture the tightly coupled electromagnetic, thermal, and fluid phenomena that make experimental prototyping impractical.

Comsol’s Multiphysics models let ABB optimize field-grading materials, geometry, and cooling to predict and eliminate electrical and thermal hot spots, reducing reliance on costly physical prototypes. The simulation-driven redesigns yielded dramatic benefits—one feed-through device was reduced in size by almost 30% versus the original design—improving reliability and cutting development time and cost.

ABB

Bill Teising

Research and Development Engineering Supervisor