Trafo releases low loss cast resin transformers for African market
Trafo Power Solutions has made available to the African market new low loss cast resin transformers, which they say surpasses the efficiency and reliability of traditional oil-filled transformers.
Trafo have provided transformer technology to remote mining sites across Africa, most notably at Alphamin Resources Bisie tin mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where solutions for efficiency and safety have been vital.
Some of these high efficiency solutions include open-wound transformers (OWTs), vacuum-pressured impregnated transformers (VPIs) and cast resin transformers (CRTs).
Traditional oil-filled transformers use paper saturated in oil wrapped around the winding material as an insulation medium. If not maintained correctly, insulation degradation will occur, with the oil posing both a safety and environmental risk, according to Trafo.
“With CRTs, windings are placed in a mould which is filled under vacuum with resin epoxy,” he said. “Fibreglass reinforcing mesh is used to further strengthen the windings, which are cured in a heat-controlled oven. This process also prevents air voids, and the resin in CRTs is non-flammable.” said Trafo Power Solutions Managing Director, David Claassen
“The use of OWTs, VPIs and CRTs offer considerable savings in energy costs of their life-spans – which for CRTs, for instance, averages about 20 years,” Claassen said. “Despite the slightly higher capital cost of around 20%, these technologies can repay the price differential in just four years.”
Claassen said low loss cast resin transformers are being used exclusively in many parts of the world, including Europe and North America. Although there is a 12 to 15% premium on these, the payback period is between two to four years, he said. These are now available for the African market from Trafo Power Solutions.
Source: International Mining
Photo (for illustrative purposes): Geevor Tin Mine headframe / Ahwmay / Wikipedia / CC BY 3.0
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