Danville adopts natural ester transformers for a safer grid
USA, Virginia, Danville: Faced with an aging transformer infrastructure dating back to the 1970s, the city realized the need for upgrades to their energy grid.
Image source: T&D World
USA, Virginia, Danville: Faced with an aging transformer infrastructure dating back to the 1970s, the city realized the need for upgrades to their energy grid.
As part of this evolution, the city recently installed two high-capacity substation transformers using a natural ester fluid to meet their cost, performance and environmental objectives.
The city worked closely with UtilityEngineering and Lekson Associates to identify the best transformer solution that worked within their budget and met specific specifications. Through that process, it was determined that natural ester transformers were the preferred technology and specifically, Cargill’s plant-based FR3 offering.
According to Michael Taylor, vice president of substation and relay engineering for UtilityEngineering, the city was looking for a transformer solution that provided strong performance but also delivered great peace of mind and the ability to lower operating costs over the long term.
As one unit is located is located close to a high school and the other next to a river just feel from a floodplain, both public safety and environmental benefits were key in their decision.
“If a spill would happen, we wanted to make sure that we had the best solution for the surrounding area,” said David Witcher, electrical engineer at the city of Danville. “Compared to mineral oil, the plant-based benefit of the FR3 units gives us greater peace-of-mind, especially in these more environmentally sensitive settings.”
After sharing test results with the city on natural ester compared with mineral oil, UtilityEngineering was able to clearly show the cost and performance benefits – including the lower cost of clean-up in the case of a spill, mitigating the risk of fire and prolonged life (up to 50 % more) by keeping moisture out of the insultation.
Source: T&D World