Trafo Power Solutions customised dry-type transformers for a coal mine
Trafo Power Solutions has customised two dry-type transformers for a coal mine in South Africa’s Limpopo province.
Image source: Trafo Power Solutions
South Africa, Limpopo: Trafo Power Solutions has customised two dry-type transformers for a coal mine in South Africa’s Limpopo province.
This has allowed for the units to be fitted into existing enclosures while meeting the customer’s demanding duty requirements.
“While we would normally supply the transformer together with its enclosure, we are also able to design the solution according to the dimensions available on site,” says David Claassen, managing director of Trafo Power Solutions.
This required one of the transformers – a specialised 3900 kVA unit – to be copper-wound to achieve a smaller footprint suitable to the space constraints without compromising the technical performance.
“Being located outdoors on a coal mine, the transformer had to be well protected from fine dust and moisture, requiring a specially designed IP54 enclosure,” says Claassen. “At the same time, the transformer’s large size meant substantial heat loss, which needed to be extracted from the enclosure. The design therefore included an air-to-air heat exchanger to recycle cool air in a closed loop.”
The second transformer supplied to the mine was a 1600 kVA unit for indoor application, stepping down from 11 kV to 550 V. Working closely with transformer repair experts Koratech Services, who applied certain modifications to the enclosure, Trafo Power Solutions was able to meet the dimensional and electrical requirement of the application – complete with control and protection system.
Claassen highlights that both transformers were ordered during the tight Level 5 Covid-19 lockdown in South Africa. Despite similar restrictions in Italy, TMC Transformers proceeded with manufacturing, running a 24-hour, three shift operation to ensure the required social distancing.
Claassen says the dry-type transformer is ideal for both hazardous and non-hazardous areas of coal mines, as the absence of oil as a coolant makes the solution much safer.
Source: Trafo Power Solutions