5 ms·
The business is tiny in terms of number of units built, and they're basically hand-built. Some of the interior components are laminated wood. The number of peop
by Animats 2y ago
The business is tiny in terms of number of units built, and they're basically hand-built. Some of the interior components are laminated wood. The number of people with the skills to make these things is small, and, since they're
expected to last 30 to 50 years, nobody wants to buy from a startup. You want to be able to get replacement parts in 2050.
Plus, General Electric broke up, and GE Vernova now has the transformer business.[1]
[1] https://www.gevernova.com/grid-solutions/hvmv_equipment/catalog/power_transformers.htm#Ov2 https://www.gevernova.com/grid-solutions/hvmv_equipment/cata...
- quickthrowman 2y ago> Plus, General Electric broke up, and GE Vernova now has the transformer business. Slight clarification, GE Vernova has the (most of) the medium and high voltage transformer business. ABB bought GE Industrial Solutions which includes all of GE’s low-voltage (under 1000 volts) transformers (plus all other sub-1000 volt GE switchgear, breakers, panel boards, etc) plus some 5-15kV medium voltage lines.
- Animats 2y agoRight, but it's the big semi-custom stuff that's hard to get. Distribution transformers (the things on poles) are a commodity. Part of the problem with generator step-up transformers is that the input side generator specs are determined by the generator, and the output side transmission grid specs are determined by the grid operator. The transformer is the component stuck with the job of making those compatible. That's the kind of problem which leads to N x M variants being needed.