Transformers applications for industry
In industrial processes, it is essential to maximize productivity and profit.
Electricity within the Industry 4.0 revolution
The industry is undergoing a digital transformation, with processes going beyond automatization and increasingly reliant on modern information technologies, known as The “fourth industrial revolution” or Industry 4.0. The industry sector accounted for 42 % of the total electricity consumption worldwide in 2018, [1] representing a 0.9 % annual increase in energy consumption since 2010. [2]
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The growth in energy consumption in the industry has been driven largely by an ongoing long-term trend of rising production in energy-intensive subsectors (i.e., oil & gas, chemicals, iron and steel, cement, pulp and paper, and aluminum) coming from the increased demand of industrial products during the past two decades.
The industry 4.0 transformation adds some extra electricity demand, bringing on top of the continuity of the supply, which is a must, additional challenges related to energy efficiency, power quality, decarbonization, and how industrial equipment is operated and maintained.
Transformers are key in the power supply of the industrial sector that will answer to this new environment and trends set by Industry 4.0.
This article will provide an overview of different transformer applications for the industry, starting from the industrial transformers for energy-intensive industries that use electrical energy as a major resource for production, like electric arc furnaces and high-current rectifiers, but also converter transformers or transformers feeding motor drives or industrial processes with a few examples in practice to illustrate the application.
Industry needs
In industrial processes, it is essential to maximize productivity and profit. Naturally, the reliability and availability, and power quality of the electricity supply are key in achieving this. It also minimizes the service demands of the electrical equipment itself.
The capability to enable predictive maintenance whilst ensuring the safety of personnel, other assets, and the environment is key for industrial operators. Various important features ensure that transformers are gateway to achieve this productivity.
As a part of Industry 4.0, the digitalization of transformers is becoming increasingly valuable. While transformers have been equipped with various sensors and monitoring devices for decades, the industry is seeing a clear evolution of the technology, providing greater visibility of transformer performance and health than ever before.
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