Thermal and Acoustic Simulation of a Technical Enclosure for High Voltage Control Equipment

The development of the electric power grid addresses the needs deriving from the growing use of renewable sources and from the dispatching flexibility required by mobility electrification. New infrastructures to control the grid parameters and configuration are also being installed in the urban environment, and the relative equipment must generally be enclosed in technical rooms to prevent unauthorised access. Such enclosures must fulfil two conflicting requirements: on the one hand, they must be closed enough to reduce the potentially disturbing noise emitted by the inner equipment, and, on the other hand, they must feature openings for natural ventilation, as high-voltage elements may get damaged due to overheating. Therefore, cooling and sound insulation aspects must be properly integrated during the design phase, keeping an eye on other potential issues, such as condensation. This paper presents a possible strategy of dual acoustic and thermal simulation applied to the design of a new high-voltage control system that allows the expensive technical equipment to be safeguarded while reducing the risk of noise annoyance.