Electricity + Control June 2017

PLANT MAINTENANCE, TEST + MEASUREMENT

Aluminium Offers Benefits in Transformer Windings

ZEST WEG GROUP AFRICA

While copper has been assumed to be the material of choice for transformer windings, global specialist WEG Transformers has successfully manufactured thousands of transformers with aluminium windings.

A n important factor behind this option is the likely future increase in the price of cop- per, as worldwide reserves of the metal gradually decline. While copper reserves are currently estimated at 5,6 billion tonnes; the reserves of bauxite, fromwhich aluminium is gen- erated, are more than 13 times greater at 75 billion tonnes. Price of copper The price of copper has fluctuated greatly in the past and has recently risen much faster than the price of aluminium, making the winding of conductors with aluminium increas- ingly attractive. After years of testing, it has been es- tablished that there are no significant differences between the use of alu- miniumwindings and copper windings in designing and manufacturing distri- bution transformers, as well as small to medium power transformers. Either metal gives the transformer the same quality of operation and performance. A little history The use of aluminium in transformers began as early as the Second World War when industry experienced a Quality of operation and per- formance

Aluminium foil.

Electricity+Control June ‘17

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