Environmental impact assessment of transportation in distribution transformer life cycle analysis

Questions to compare localized and globalized distribution transformer supply has contributed to debate around the ‘Transformer Miles’ concept, i.e., ‘the distance a distribution transformer (raw materials and the finished unit) travels, from the supplier/factory to factory/installation site”. A relatively new question related to this issue seeks to answer the question of carbon footprint due to the transportation of raw materials to the factory and delivery of the finished transformer to the end user. Within this framework, this article investigates the question - What is the carbon footprint due to transportation: distribution transformers made in New Zealand (as an example), in comparison with importing distribution transformers from overseas into New Zealand? Are there advantages or otherwise from a carbon footprint point of view

Environmental impact assessment of transportation in distribution transformer life cycle analysis

Questions to compare localized and globalized distribution transformer supply has contributed to debate around the ‘Transformer Miles’ concept, i.e., ‘the distance a distribution transformer (raw materials and the finished unit) travels, from the supplier/factory to factory/installation site”. A relatively new question related to this issue seeks to answer the question of carbon footprint due to the transportation of raw materials to the factory and delivery of the finished transformer to the end user. Within this framework, this article investigates the question - What is the carbon footprint due to transportation: distribution transformers made in New Zealand (as an example), in comparison with importing distribution transformers from overseas into New Zealand? Are there advantages or otherwise from a carbon footprint point of view

Analyzing transformer energy and material efficiency under different renewable energy deployment pathways

Governments and market players around the globe are making commitments to accelerate the decarbonization of electricity supply over the next decades. As power transformers today are designed for a long operational lifetime, this article analyzes the sensitivity of the life-cycle carbon footprint of transformers with conventional and semi-hybrid insulations under different power generation decarbonization paths – reaching 95% renewable electricity target by 2030, 2035, 2040 or 2050

Analyzing transformer energy and material efficiency under different renewable energy deployment pathways

Governments and market players around the globe are making commitments to accelerate the decarbonization of electricity supply over the next decades. As power transformers today are designed for a long operational lifetime, this article analyzes the sensitivity of the life-cycle carbon footprint of transformers with conventional and semi-hybrid insulations under different power generation decarbonization paths – reaching 95% renewable electricity target by 2030, 2035, 2040 or 2050

Investigating material and energy efficiency of power transformers with conventional and semi-hybrid insulation operating in low-carbon electricity grids

This article investigates the use of combination of ester fluids and high-temperature paper insulation in designing environmentally and economically optimized transformers that balance material and energy efficiency for countries with high penetration of low and zero carbon generation sources. In particular, the semi-hybrid design approach has been investigated for 40/60 MVA, 132/33 kV transformers to evaluate the impact on the carbon footprint, compared to conventional designs

Investigating material and energy efficiency of power transformers with conventional and semi-hybrid insulation operating in low-carbon electricity grids

This article investigates the use of combination of ester fluids and high-temperature paper insulation in designing environmentally and economically optimized transformers that balance material and energy efficiency for countries with high penetration of low and zero carbon generation sources. In particular, the semi-hybrid design approach has been investigated for 40/60 MVA, 132/33 kV transformers to evaluate the impact on the carbon footprint, compared to conventional designs

Predicting Avian Influenza Co-Infection with H5N1 and H9N2 in Northern Egypt.

Human outbreaks with avian influenza have been, so far, constrained by poor viral adaptation to non-avian hosts. This could be overcome via co-infection, whereby two strains share genetic material, allowing new hybrid strains to emerge. Identifying areas where co-infection is most likely can help target spaces for increased surveillance. Ecological niche modeling using remotely-sensed data can be used for this purpose. H5N1 and H9N2 influenza subtypes are endemic in Egyptian poultry. From 2006 to 2015, over 20,000 poultry and wild birds were tested at farms and live bird markets. Using ecological niche modeling we identified environmental, behavioral, and population characteristics of H5N1 and H9N2 niches within Egypt. Niches differed markedly by subtype. The subtype niches were combined to model co-infection potential with known occurrences used for validation. The distance to live bird markets was a strong predictor of co-infection. Using only single-subtype influenza outbreaks and publicly available ecological data, we identified areas of co-infection potential with high accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) 0.991)

Vacuum insulation panels (VIP) in refrigerator room, freezing room & fridge

With respect to the continuous trend of reduction in energy consumption vacuum insulation panels (VIP) find an increasing application in freezing and cold storage rooms of supermarkets as well as in refrigerators. This implies the investigation of VIP behaviour subject to conditions different from those encountered in building application.The present contribution deals with the evolution of the internal pressure of VIPs subjected to low and freezing temperature for a period of 5 years confirming the prediction made earlier on its linear increase 0.6 mbar/year in the refrigerator room and 0.10 to 0.26 mbar/year in freezer room depending on the VIP type.This is a clear indication that the aging process decelerates compared to the standard test condition of VIP due to the low temperature condition.Further, a refrigerator with different VIP configuration was analysed with respect to their energy performance by means of thermal bridge analysis and possibilities to reduce them

Investigating the impact of transformer capitalization factors on the carbon footprint

The design of transformers with a low carbon footprint is a topic that is gaining significant traction in the electricity industry. In this article, an investigation is conducted for a 50/62.5 MVA, 154/33.6 kV transformer to evaluate the effect of the No Load Capitalization Factor (A) and Load Capitalization Factor (B) on the carbon footprint of the transformer. The benefit of including the cost of CO2 in the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) formula, i.e., the extended TCO concept, is highlighted, which results in a similar carbon footprint but with reduced material usage