FOCUS
Growing threat The ageing transformer fleets worldwide pose an increasingly dangerous fire safety risk, as Barry Menzies reports
A
N UNDERGROUND fire which led to a partial evacuation at Newark Liberty International Airport, USA, in January
was just one in a series of blazes with a common cause – catastrophic transformer failure. With global energy demand on the rise, the transformer fleets across the world – which play a vital role in ensuring that electricity fl ows effi ciently – are starting to groan. The boom years of industrial growth, between the 1950s and 1980s, brought with them substantial investment in energy infrastructure. However, as the global population has continued to grow, the rate of investment in this critical infrastructure has slowed. The average cost of a new transformer has risen by 5.5% annually for around 20 years1
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This has typically resulted in a 100% increase in the price of a transformer every 12 to 15 years. Deterred by this, owners have been postponing capital investments. Rather than upgrading the transformer fleets, they are relying ever more on existing assets to cope with a job that becomes more demanding with each passing year.
22 OCTOBER 2019
www.frmjournal.com
Transformer failure – and transformer fi res – can occur at any time, but the threat increases as they move through their life cycle. Under ideal conditions, transformers are expected to operate for 30 to 40 years, while industrial transformers have a life expectancy of 20 to 25 years. As the existing fl eets installed during the boom years continue to age, and electricity demand continues to rise, it is clear that without a change in approach to how these vital assets are maintained, the risk of fire is only going to increase.
Serious blazes
Catastrophic transformer failure can lead to catastrophic fi res. At their worst, transformer fi res have caused loss of life and signifi cant damage to the environment. For as long as transformers have existed, mineral oils have been the go-to dielectric fluid, serving to provide electrical insulation and cooling. Largely, they have been up to the task, boasting excellent dielectric and thermal properties, but mineral oils have one main drawback: fl ammability.
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