Zurich, Switzerland, March 15, 2013 - ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has delivered six Resibloc® dry-type transformers rated at 5,860 kilovolt amperes (kVA) to facilitate the distribution of power to the Daocheng-Yading airport in the Sichuan Province of China. When the airport opens later this year, travelers will land and depart at an elevation of 4,411 meters - 77 meters higher than the current record held by the Bamda airport.
The Daocheng-Yading regional airport will make travel easier between western Chinese cities, for example, cutting the bumpy 13-hour bus ride from Chengdu to Daoyang to one hour. With a 4,200-meter runway and four tarmacs, the airport is expecting to handle around 500,000 passengers.
Built at ABB`s production facility in Shanghai, the Resibloc distribution transformers are specially designed to withstand challenging environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures and very high altitudes. More than 60,000 ABB Resibloc dry transformers are in operation in demanding applications around the world.
"These robust oil-free transformers are safe, reliable, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly with the strength to withstand thermal and mechanical stresses from severe climates, cyclical loads, and short circuit forces" said Markus Heimbach, head of ABB's Transformers business, a part of the company's Power Products division.
Made of pure epoxy resin reinforced with glass fiber rovings, a material of enormous strength that enables them to withstand extreme mechanical stress and thermal shock, they are explosion resistant and designed to operate at temperatures as low as -60ºC or as high as 50ºC. The Resibloc design is flexible and the windings can be customized to fit customer specifications.
Dry-type transformers are frequently used in applications where contamination and fire risks for people and the environment must be mitigated. They are designed to meet stringent electrical parameters, have the ability to cope with tough ambient conditions and require minimal maintenance. This makes them a preferred option for sectors like oil and gas, marine, mining and steel, the paper and chemical industries, in commercial and high-rise buildings as well as in power generation and distribution.
ABB (http://www.abb.com.cn/) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 145,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with nearly 19,000 employees, 36 local companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 90 cities.
