Mines reduce fire hazards
August 2020
Electrical Power & Protection
Underground mines in southern, central, and west Africa have been seeing the safety benefits of dry-type transformers from Johannesburg-based Trafo Power Solutions.
According to managing director David Claassen, this clientele even includes collieries, where the strictest safety regulations apply with regard to fire hazards.
“The high risk of fire in underground coal mining environments has led to a high demand for dry-type transformers,” adds Claassen. “Among the fire risks that coal mines face are transformer short-circuits as well as fires reaching the transformer.”
He notes that dry-type transformer technology is rated Class F1 in terms of fire protection, ensuring that transformers supplied by Trafo Power Solutions are flame-retardant. “Oil-cooled transformers, on the other hand, are a fire risk due to the oil they contain to cool the windings,” he outlines. “The risk is heightened by the harsh operating conditions in which many transformers must function on mines.”
These transformers also require regular attention and maintenance. Oil samples must be taken at prescribed intervals, and these must be tested at a laboratory with the appropriate accreditation. Testing must be conducted to ensure that oil purity is within bounds, and to check for gas levels and pressure build-up in the oil tank.
“This maintenance can present challenges and added costs if the equipment is located on a remote mine far from a source of expertise and the right equipment,” explains Claassen. “With dry-type transformers, it is really only the temperature that requires monitoring. The equipment comprises limited componentry, so generally requires servicing only twice a year.”
He highlights that these regular inspections are brief and simple, taking just a couple of hours. Key aspects to be checked are the physical termination connections – which must be tightened to the right torque – and any dust that has gathered around the core and windings must be cleaned away.
Trafo Power Solutions has in recent years supplied dry-type transformers – along with ancillary power equipment such as low and medium voltage switchgear – to mines in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Sierra Leone. In addition to coal, there are gold and base metal producers included in this clientele.
Further reading:
Overcoming the bottling industry’s fragmented visibility
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Electrical Power & Protection
Beverage bottling facilities are among manufacturing’s most energy-intensive environments, yet many still operate without granular insight into where that energy goes. Rezolia Muller-Potluri of Schneider Electric explains how tiered metering architecture and advanced
Read more...
Schneider Electric introduces next-generation BlokSeT switchboard
Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric has launched its next-generation BlokSeT low-voltage switchboard in West Africa, offering high reliability, predictive maintenance capability and digital integration for critical infrastructure and industrial applications.
Read more...
Powering South Africa’s renewable energy expansion
Electrical Power & Protection
ACTOM Distribution Transformers, the sole NECRT contract holder for Eskom, is powering South Africa’s renewable energy expansion through robust neutral earthing transformer solutions deployed across solar and wind projects in southern Africa.
Read more...
You can’t digitise a blackout
Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Across East Africa, smart meters and AI promise cleaner, more reliable power, but digital tools cannot optimise a grid too weak to carry the load. Schneider Electric’s Symphrose Ochieng sets out why operators should strengthen physical infrastructure first, then add digital capability in phases.
Read more...
Battery energy storage is key to powering South Africa’s manufacturing sector
Electrical Power & Protection
South Africa’s shift to renewables is creating a significant opportunity in battery energy storage, but local manufacturers face an uphill battle against cheap imports and stop-start demand. Richard van Moltke of ACTOM Static Power examines what it will take to build a sustainable local battery storage industry.
Read more...
Decarbonisation is reshaping mining strategy in Africa
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing Electrical Power & Protection
Mining companies across Africa are embedding decarbonisation into operational strategy, driven by investor, regulatory and customer pressure to reduce emissions while improving resilience.
Read more...
How to tell whether your mini-substation is new or refurbished
Electrical Power & Protection
Cosmetically refurbished mini-substations are being misrepresented as new equipment and sold back into the market, posing serious reliability and safety risks for mining, industrial and commercial operations. Trafo Power Solutions explains what to look for and what questions to ask before purchasing.
Read more...
Optimising energy reliability for African manufacturing
Electrical Power & Protection IT in Manufacturing
Unreliable power can cost African manufacturers as much as 31% in sales. Behind-the-meter power offers manufacturers in sub-Saharan Africa control, visibility and resilience in their energy provisioning.
Read more...
Electrical solutions for FMCG manufacturing giant
Electrical Power & Protection
An electrical upgrade at a leading fast-moving consumer goods facility demonstrates how ACTOM Kenya turned a fragile, reactive power infrastructure into a resilient, data-driven backbone for production. The project is also a case study in bridging legacy equipment with modern automation without disrupting operations.
Read more...
Yokogawa digital plant to accelerate green hydrogen revolution
Yokogawa South Africa
Editor's Choice Electrical Power & Protection IT in Manufacturing
Yokogawa explains how a digital plant approach and autonomous operations can integrate the full green hydrogen value chain, from renewable power generation to end-use applications, and why digitalisation and system integration are central to making green hydrogen viable in South Africa.
Read more...
printer friendly version