Smart Grid, as a symbol of modern advanced communication and information technology, is a key factor in achieving global carbon neutrality. Compared to conventional power grids, smart grids have higher security and sustainability. This new technology can monitor the operational status of the power system in real-time, improve energy efficiency, and reflect changes in power demand. In recent years, with the development of intelligent technology, the conventional power grids can no longer fully support the power consumption of industries such as AI technology and data centers, so it is urgent to develop smart grids.

In July 2024, the Memphis Supercluster, founded by American entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been built successfully. According to Musk, this cluster uses 100,000 liquid-cooled H100s on a single RDMA fabric, making it “the most powerful AI training cluster in the world.” However, such an enormous training cluster requires an astonishing power supply. But the power supply agreement has not been signed. How is this equipment powered? Some people think Musk used 14 VoltaGrid mobile generators to connect to four mobile substations. Of course, this is not a long-term solution. The massive power consumption and its impact on global warming are major issues currently faced by data centers. The new trend of global power grids requires enhancing the intelligence level and adapting to sustainable development.

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Currently, upgrading the smart grids involves many technologies. Firstly, flexible and distributed power sources can provide a more comprehensive solution for power supply. They support both centralized electricity grid and more clean energy sources, such as photovoltaic power, wind power, and hydropower. Secondly, advanced distribution automation systems have better flexibility, automated analysis, and control levels, as well as real-time monitoring and human-machine interaction functions. Therefore, one of the features that distinguish the smart grid from traditional grids is “interaction.” In other words, the smart grids can not only perfectly integrate the automatic control system and the communication mechanism, but also update the power sensor system to be more intelligent.

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As an indispensable power device in the smart grids, transformers have a significant impact on the safe operation of the distribution network system. Like the smart grid, the technology of smart transformers is also constantly being updated. In addition to the most basic voltage transformation functions, the main control unit of smart transformers is more advanced, which is equivalent to the “brain” of the equipment. Smart transformers have powerful data collection, processing, communication, and storage functions. The main control unit can monitor the operating parameters of the transformer and control them in real-time, such as voltage, current, power, power factor, and temperature. Additionally, when a fault occurs in the transformer, it can promptly alarm, which helps maintainers to locate and handle the fault. It is worth mentioning that another major advantage of smart transformers is that they can automatically respond to fluctuations, act as voltage regulators immediately, and reduce energy consumption directly.

As the demand for environmental protection increases in recent years, the application of clean energy is becoming more widespread globally. As the heart and soul of the power grid, smart transformers are more suitable for wind and solar power generation due to their impedance flexibility. Because the development of renewable energy has required significant changes to the infrastructure for energy production and transmission worldwide, that creates new opportunities for the power transformer industry. The system of smart transformers not only maintains a reliable and stable power supply but also monitors its performance during operation and can change power supply routes in harsh weather or emergency situations. It can be said that the development of smart transformers is the trend that needs to be continuously surpassed in the future.

Therefore, for the smart grid, the application of smart transformers complements the development of smart grid technology. The development goals of the smart grid include intelligence, adaptability, and reducing overall construction and operation maintenance costs. For smart transformers, this is also their development direction and trend.

CEEG has been deeply involved in the transformer industry for over 30 years. This is a manufacturer with rich industry experience. Our transformer technology keeps pace with the latest technologies and is equipped with intelligent digital systems. We have installed an intelligent operation and maintenance platform that can collect key data such as transformer temperature, current, voltage, vibration, and grid harmonics to achieve online power quality analysis and fault alarms. These technologies are developed by our excellent R&D team, which has been continuously improving technology and enhancing innovation capabilities since its establishment. We look forward to cooperating with various industries worldwide!