Nigerian data center renovations have necessitated the use of a specially designed dry-type transformer that can handle severe voltage swings among other difficulties.

As to David Claassen, Managing Director of Trafo Power Solutions, the contract was awarded after previous fruitful collaborations with a current data center client, who is currently operating in the most populous state in Africa.


According to Claassen, "this application required an unusual but effective solution in the context of an unstable power supply." "We developed our transformers with an automatic on-load tap changer (OLTC) because the voltage of the electrical supply in this area swings between plus and minus 10% of nominal voltage, which presents a challenge.”

Included in the project scope was also the control and protection of both the transformer and tap changer – as well as an automatic voltage regulator – making up a complete solution for the customer. The transformer supplied by Trafo Power Solutions is a 2,000 kVA unit which will step down the incoming voltage from 11 kV to 400 V. The company is also responsible for commissioning the solution on site.

“Cooling will be achieved in an air natural (AN) configuration, but fans have been included on the transformers to allow them to carry a 25% higher load, if necessary,” says Claassen. “The cooling aspect of the design is important in this context, as the higher harmonics can also lead to raised temperatures in the transformer.”

Trafo Power Solutions includes an electrostatic shield between the primary and secondary windings in this type of design to arrest any stray current that could be caused by the harmonic distortion. He highlights that there is no room for downtime in the data centre industry, so transformer design must be exacting and the manufacturing must be to the highest industry standards.

Source: miningreview.com