Ester-based insulating fluids in transformers for data centers: The right choice?

2023-5-21 MIDEL

Using biodegradable, fire-safe ester-based insulating fluids in electrical transformers can directly contribute to greener, more efficient, more reliable and less expensive data centre operations, according to a whitepaper published by manufacturer M&I Materials.

Using biodegradable, fire-safe ester-based insulating fluids in electrical transformers can directly contribute to greener, more efficient, more reliable and less expensive data centre operations, according to a whitepaper published by manufacturer M&I Materials.

Barry Menzies, managing director for MIDEL commented “Data centres consume copious amounts of power 24/7/365 – and more are being built to serve the “always-on” demands of data storage and transmission. But they could and should be greener. One way to help achieve this goal is to install power conversion equipment that maximises energy efficiency, while reducing overall costs associated with transformers for these facilities.

“In our whitepaper we discuss how transformers using MIDEL ester fluids (as opposed to mineral oil) are the right choice for data centres, from environmental, sustainability, cost, and reliability perspectives.”

The whitepaper also examines the critical issue of operational uptime. As key components of power control infrastructure for these facilities, transformer reliability is critical. Power failure is the biggest cause of outages at data centres – The American Society of Civil Engineers has charted the rising cost of US data centre outages, growing from $505,000 in 2010 to $740,000 in 2016, or roughly $8,800 for each minute that the data centre experiences an outage. Accordingly, increasing reliability through the use of MIDEL-filled transformers is explored.

Other topics include a comparison of MIDEL-filled transformers to Cast-Resin and Dry-Type transformers regarding energy efficiency. Reducing transformer Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with MIDEL is also explained.

The company makes the MIDEL brand of ester transformer fluids, first launched in the 1970s.