DALLAS, TX – As work continues on Compass Datacenters’ Goodyear Campus in Arizona, delivery of one special component caused quite a stir, in fact, it set a record. The 150MVA-rated FR3-cooled transformer is the largest of its kind in North America. It’s that FR3 that really sets it apart. What is FR3 and why is it so important?
FR3, developed by Cargill as a replacement for traditional mineral oil is, according to Cargill “a natural ester derived from renewable vegetable oils – providing improved fire safety, transformer life/loadability, and environmental benefits that are superior to mineral oil and unsurpassed by any other dielectric coolant. Because it is derived from renewable raw materials, it has a very low carbon footprint – unequaled by any other dielectric fluid option. FR3 fluid has been used in more than 1 million distribution and power transformers worldwide and is proven in transformers through 420kV.”
Adil Attlassy, Compass Datacenters’ CTO added, “The 150MVA transformers can support up to 147MW each. We are planning to install four transformers for a total of 441MW at n+1”.
Here’s a photo of the RBT (Really Big Transformer) note the people in the lower left of the image for scale:
Founded in 2011 by CEO Chris Crosby, Compass Datacenters provides custom turn-key solutions for companies of all sizes. For more information, visit compassdatacenters.com/solutions or follow @CompassDCS on Twitter.
