A method for identifying the material of transformer winding is studied

which can be used to detect whether the transformer is aluminum or copper. This method can avoid the potential safety hazard and economic loss to power users. Thus

we put forward a nondestructive identification method based on the thermoelectric effect. The basic principle of the method is the difference of the Seebeck coefficient between copper and aluminum. Then we deduced the relationship between thermoelectric potential and the winding material

and built the test platform which could improve the temperature of transformer winding and identify winding material by measuring the thermoelectric potential. The experimental results show that the potential value of aluminum transformer is obviously higher than that of copper one

and it has a certain margin relative to the threshold value. The simulation and experimental results have proved the effectiveness of the method. The method has the high accuracy

simple operation

short time period

and high engineering application value.