Fit to perform the
toughest tasks
The challenge
Furnace transformers are essential for
steel production processes. They must
be able to withstand extraordinarily
severe conditions and yet still provide
reliable service.
Our customer, Gerdau, is one of the
largest producers of long steel on the
North American continent. Their
production site in Cartersville, Georgia,
U.S. needed a new furnace transformer
with a higher rating to replace a unit
for expanding production capacities
and improved process reliability.
However, the dimensions needed to be
kept to a size that would enable it to fit
into the existing transformer vault.
Gerdau
Gerdau is the leading manufacturer
of long steel and a major global
supplier of special steel. Gerdau has
industrial operations in 13 countries
with a combined installed capacity
of more than 25 million tons of steel
per year.
Furnace transformer for steel production
siemens.com/transformers
The solution
Siemens designed a 100 MVA (at
65/65/80 K) transformer for Gerdau
Cartersville with a rated voltage ratio
of 34.5 kV / 1150-651 V. The total
weight of the transformer was 96.9
tons – which equals approximately one
ton per MVA.
The unit was designed and manu-
factured at the Siemens transformer
plant in Dresden, Germany – the
center of competence for special
transformers for industrial applica-
tions. The selection, qualification,
audit, and approval of global suppliers
and materials as well as the research
LV connection of the furnace transformer
and development was all performed at
this location. “Siemens delivered a world
Gerdau put its trust in the German class transformer, from
engineers, knowing that they are design to build. The highest
familiar with the industry’s challenges.
These include the expanding
quality one could expect.”
production capacities, which require Adam Myers, Project Manager,
higher currents – leading to a need for Gerdau Cartersville, Georgia
ever more powerful transformers that
are even more reliable than their
predecessors.
Technical features
1. Winding technology
In order to design and manufacture a
robust transformer that can meet the
performance specifications of the
Gerdau steel plant in Cartersville, a
special winding setup was chosen for
the furnace transformer. The high-
voltage winding was manufactured in
disc winding technology to enable the
incorporation of radial and axial
cooling ducts through the winding
setup.
The low-voltage windings were done
in layer winding technology using net
copper transposed conductors (NCTC).
The winding ends of the low-voltage
winding have a special clamping
design to withstand the high forces
during operation. All connections
designed for carrying high current
were brazed.
2. Active part cooling
For the operational reliability and
service life of the transformer, the
effectiveness of the cooling is critically
important. The standard cooling in
furnace transformers is so-called oil-
forced (OF) cooling. The oil/air- or
oil/water-coolers can be mounted on
the transformer directly or installed
separately.
For large transformers like the furnace
transformer for Gerdau, however, a
more effective cooling method was
needed. The experts thus decided in
favor of an oil-directed (OD) circulation
through the windings.
3. Bushing cooling
Water-cooled copper U-tube bushings
are one of the standards in Siemens
furnace transformer designs. These
undergo the most stringent quality
controls during manufacture because
the water-conducting elements are
immersed in oil.
4. Tap-changer compartment
The furnace transformer for Gerdau is
equipped with on-load tap-changers,
so that they can be adapted to
different voltage levels under load. The
tap changer in this case is stored in the
same tank as the active part, but
physically separated from the
transformer’s core and windings by a
compartment.
During maintenance, only the oil in the
OLTC compartment needs to be
drained. Windings and winding
insulation parts can stay immersed in
oil during the maintenance process.
Additional information on furnace
transformers
Siemens Transformers offers AC and
DC electric arc furnace transformers
to provide high currents (up to 180
kA) for the electric arc. They are
specifically designed to withstand the
exceedingly demanding conditions of
metallurgical steel melt processes.
Technical features:
ƒ ratings up to 300 MVA
ƒ secondary voltage up to 2 kV
ƒ electrode current for steel up to
120 kA / for ferroalloy up to 180
kA
Design options:
ƒ Direct or indirect regulation or
booster design
ƒ On-load or off-load tap changer
ƒ Oil or vacuum type OLTC
(also reactor type OLTC)
ƒ Series reactor (built-in or
separate) for long arc stability
ƒ Air- or water-cooled secondary
bushing arrangements and
designs
ƒ Internal secondary phase closure
(internal closed delta)
ƒ Special shield design for each
project, to prevent heating caused
by high magnetic fields
ƒ Oil-forced- or oil-directed-cooling

Editor © 2017:
Siemens AG
Energy Management Division
Freyeslebenstrasse 1
91058 Erlangen, Germany

Siemens Transformers
Katzwangerstrasse 150
90461 Nuernberg, Germany