Business air and not oil , there is zero risk of fire and no chance of oil leakage . These transformers have an F1 fire rating , demonstrating their resistance to flammability ; they are designed to be flame-retardant , and do not generate harmful emissions .
By not having oil as a coolant , the maintenance of dry-type transformers is also reduced substantially . Oil-cooled transformers , by contrast , experience frequent oil temperature variations as load rises and drops . This variation creates opportunities for moisture ingress , making regular oil sampling and testing vital . If this is not conducted regularly , performance becomes unreliable .
“ Dry-type transformers can be installed inside or outside of a building or substation , with no special fire protection systems needed ,” he says . “ As oil testing is not required , dry-type transformers need very little maintenance – adding to their costeffectiveness .”
He explains that data centres have high levels of non-linear loading , so these transformers must be designed for a high K-factor of typically around 13 . The quick pace of construction of these facilities also often favours a modular approach , to which the drytype transformer lends itself well .
“ Modular substations can be rapidly manufactured , and dry-type transformers can be readily incorporated without the need for any special fire suppression ,” says Claassen . “ Another important factor is efficiency , as large data centres could consume as much power as a mining operation .”
Trafo Power Solutions designs and manufactures dry-type transformers that comply with the highest efficiency standards and lowest loss levels recognised internationally – in line with data centres ’ efforts to achieve the lowest possible energy consumption . RACA
Dry-type transformers are well suited to data centre applications in terms of safety and risk .
The growth of data centres has created special opportunities for the application of dry-type transformers .
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I May 2023 25