FOCUS
Oil hazards
are readily biodegradable and non toxic. Therefore, if a transformer is damaged and begins to leak, the chemistry of the esters ensures that it poses no harm to the environment.
Longer life
Another vital benefit of esters is that they help to prolong the life of transformers. A high moisture tolerance allows esters to absorb more water than mineral oil. Because esters have a high moisture saturation level, water migrates from the cellulose into the ester, thereby drying the paper in the transformer and reducing the rate at which it degrades. This not only extends the lifetime of the transformer, but allows it to run at a higher temperature, increasing the available power output.
Change afoot?
While it is difficult to argue against the high performance, environmental and fire safety benefits of ester fluids, the fact remains that the dielectric fluid market is still dominated by mineral oils. Despite posing a potential fire risk, mineral oils continue to benefit from their own ubiquity. It will take a wholesale change in mentality from a traditionally conservative industry to embrace the alternative. As the world’s electricity demand continues
to rise, and existing transformer fleets grow older, the issue of transformer fire risk is not going away.
26 OCTOBER 2019
www.frmjournal.com
An increased uptake of ester fluids by utilities and transformer original equipment manufacturers could provide a safe, cost effective solution
Barry Menzies is managing director of MIDEL Dielectric Fluids Global. For more information, view page 5
References
1. The Transformer Problem, Willis,
https://www.willis.com/Documents/ publications/Services/Property/ Transformer_Problem.pdf
2. ‘Two-thirds of world population will live in cities by 2050: UN report’, CNN Future Cities, https://edition.
cnn.com/2018/05/16/world/world- population-cities-un-intl/
index.html
3. The MIDEL Transformer Risk Report, MIDEL,
https://www.midel.com/app/ uploads/2018/11/MIDEL-Transformer- Risk-Report.pdf
4. ‘By 2035, Delhi will be almost Mumbai + Kolkata’, Times of India,
https://timesofindia.indiatimes. com/city/delhi/by-2035-delhi- will-be-almost-mumbai-kolkata/ articleshow/
64212264.cms
5. CESC,
https://www.cesc.co.in/
6. Retrofilling – upgrade your transformer, MIDEL,
https://www.midel.com/midel- in-use/retrofilling/
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