Product category:
Power Supplies and Uninterruptible Power Supplies
News Release from: RF Winder | Subject: Transformers
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 31 March 2003
Transformer saves town from blackout
When an electricity supply company had a problem that threatened to black-out thousands of homes and businesses, it turned to Leeds-based Winder Electrical for help.
When an electricity supply company had a problem that threatened to black-out thousands of homes and businesses, it turned to Leeds-based Winder Electrical for help - and a 300 mile race against time began Scottish and Southern Energy's electricity supply to a large part of rural Somerset relies on three transformers at a substation on the edge of the town of Frome
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 8 Apr 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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When one of the transformers suddenly failed it created a situation that meant that unless the unit could be repaired or replaced quickly, there could be major trouble ahead.
And when exactly this nightmare scenario unfolded, it led to an emergency call to Winder, one of the country's leading electrical engineering and transformer manufacturing companies.
Andy Pinkney the Contracts Manager for Winder Electrical outlined the dilemma.
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"There were three transformers on the site, one suffered a catastrophic failure leaving two taking the load.
If either of the other two remaining units had failed, homes and businesses would have been without electricity until Scottish and Southern could lay their hands on as many as 30 generators".
"Scottish and Southern quickly brought the idea to us to remove and modify the second of two 15/30MVA transformers which we were just in the process of installing in Newcastle Great Park.
So the decision was made by Scottish and Southern to remove it from there - all 38 tonnes of it - and reinstall the unit in Frome, Somerset".
But the journey could not be made in one stage as the transformer required intricate modification at Winder's factory on the way.
So, while fingers were firmly crossed that nothing else would go wrong in Frome, the transformer made the journey to Leeds, had its 'refit' and was headed south-west down the motorway, occasionally escorted by police patrols on the way.
"The whole effort was finished in less than 14 days", said Pinkney.
"It was something new to us as the circumstances were so unusual.
But we got it there in time.
There was no blackout in the Frome area, as there could well have been if we had not done the job.
Incidentally the transformer was energised three days earlier than programmed".
Pinkney accepts that the omens were on their side.
"It was lucky Scottish and Southern had a transformer already built but not yet operating, one which did not need too much modification, even if it was at the wrong end of the country", he said.
"And now we can get on with building a replacement for the Newcastle project.
That should be ready by 29th April and nothing has been lost in the North-East in the meantime".
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