VTT modifies cellulose-based materials for electrical insulation components
Finland, Espoo: Cellulose is an ideal raw material for electrical insulation components, but the manufacturing of products requires craftsmanship.
Image for illustration purposes
Finland, Espoo: Cellulose is an ideal raw material for electrical insulation components, but the manufacturing of products requires craftsmanship.
In the NOVUM project coordinated by VTT, the raw materials and manufacturing methods are developed side by side. One of the goals is an automated 3D printing line. The plan is also to make use of the solution, for example, in cruise ships and the automotive industry, in which the aim is to replace oil-based plastics with bio-based materials.
Cellulose is a popular insulation material in electrical power transformers because it is clean and capable of resisting high temperatures, and it remains firm in oil used in transformers for both insulation and cooling purposes.
The project started in October 2017, and the international research group has managed to limit the manufacturing methods to the most promising ones: 3D printing and foam forming. 3D printing offers efficiency as well as new freedom in design. Foam forming, on the other hand, makes it possible to save energy in the manufacturing process.
“Our goal is to build an automated production line in the premises of Brinter, NOVUM’s project partner in Finland, and test it in the relevant environment next autumn. In addition to efficiency, our goal is to save energy and material. Alongside the manufacturing methods, we are developing cellulose-based raw materials to suit the selected methods and applications the best possible way,” says Heli Kangas, Technology Manager from VTT.
As the research group works on developing cellulose-based materials and the manufacturing methods, it also investigates which other applications could be potential for the combination, in addition to transformers.
The applications are of interest to Hitachi ABB Power Grids, manufacturer of electrical insulation components for its own transformers in Poland.
The NOVUM project also involves Brinter, developer of 3D printing technology in Finland, AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland, ABIS, an engineering company from Poland, JRS, supplier of renewable materials from Germany and Vertech Group, a sustainability expert from France.
Source: VTT