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中文简体Today, as the power industry pursues low carbonization and high efficiency, transformers, as the core equipment for power transmission, have become the focus of technological innovation in terms of performance optimization. The comparison between Amorphous Alloy Dry-Type Transformers and Silicon Steel Transformers is not only a contest of materials science, but also a strategic choice of energy efficiency and economy.
1. Material properties: revolutionary differences in atomic structure
Physical advantages of amorphous alloys
Amorphous alloys (such as Fe-Si-B system) are prepared by rapid cooling technology, and their atoms are arranged in a disordered manner without grain boundary defects. This structure gives them ultra-low coercivity (<10 A/m) and high magnetic permeability, and the hysteresis loss is significantly lower than that of traditional oriented silicon steel (loss is reduced by about 70-80%).
Limitations of silicon steel sheets
Traditional silicon steel sheets are crystalline structures, with resistance to the movement of magnetic domain walls, resulting in high iron losses (no-load losses). Although efficiency can be improved by optimizing grain orientation, its theoretical loss lower limit has been limited by the physical properties of the material.
2. Energy efficiency performance: a disruptive breakthrough in no-load loss
No-load loss comparison
The loss of amorphous alloy transformers under no-load conditions is only 20%-30% of that of silicon steel transformers. Taking a 1000kVA transformer as an example, the no-load loss of amorphous alloy models is about 100-150W, while that of silicon steel models can reach 400-600W. For distribution networks that require long-term light-load operation (such as residential areas and commercial buildings), the annual power saving of amorphous alloy solutions can reach thousands of kilowatt-hours.
Load loss trade-off
Due to the low saturation magnetic flux density of amorphous alloys (about 1.56T vs. 2.03T of silicon steel), its load loss is slightly higher than that of silicon steel transformers (about 5-10% higher). Therefore, in industrial scenarios with long-term full-load operation, the total loss cost needs to be comprehensively evaluated.
3. Full life cycle economics: short-term costs vs. long-term benefits
Initial investment differences
The cost of amorphous alloy materials is about 30%-50% higher than that of silicon steel, resulting in a 20%-35% premium on the transformer sales price. Taking 10kV products as an example, the price of amorphous alloy models is usually 1.2-1.8 times higher than that of silicon steel models.
Long-term energy-saving benefits
According to China's industrial electricity price (0.8 yuan/kWh), a 1000kVA amorphous alloy transformer saves about 2500-4000 yuan in no-load electricity bills per year, and the investment recovery period is about 5-8 years. Considering that the life of the transformer is usually 25-30 years, the net benefit of the whole cycle can reach 2-3 times the initial cost.
IV. Applicable scenarios: technical selection to match needs
Advantages of amorphous alloy transformers
Low load rate scenarios: such as smart grid distribution terminals, photovoltaic/wind power grid-connected systems (low load at night).
Environmentally sensitive projects: Reducing no-load losses can reduce CO₂ emissions by about 5-8 tons/year (each 1000kVA).
High reliability requirements: Amorphous alloy dry-type transformers do not require oil insulation and are suitable for data centers, hospitals and other places.
Applicable conditions of silicon steel transformers
High-load rate industrial scenarios: scenarios such as steel plants and chemical plants that need to run at full load for 24 hours.
Cost-sensitive projects: projects with limited initial budgets and small load fluctuations.
V. Technical challenges and development trends
Improvement direction of amorphous alloys
At present, the mechanical brittleness, noise control (magnetostrictive effect) and short-circuit resistance of amorphous alloy strips still need to be optimized. New materials such as nanocrystalline alloys and composite magnetic cores are expected to further break through performance bottlenecks.
Evolution of silicon steel technology
High-grade silicon steel (such as 27RK095) can reduce iron loss to 0.95W/kg through laser scoring technology, narrowing the gap with amorphous alloys, but the cost will rise simultaneously.
Amorphous alloy dry-type transformers have significant advantages in energy efficiency and environmental protection, especially in line with the needs of power grid upgrades under the "dual carbon" goal; while silicon steel transformers are still competitive in initial cost and high-load scenarios. In the future, with the large-scale production of amorphous alloys and the iteration of silicon steel materials, the technical and economic boundaries of the two will continue to adjust dynamically. Decision makers need to select the optimal technical path based on load characteristics, electricity price policies and environmental protection requirements.
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