Data centers become "killer application" for new power transformer tech
Solid-state transformers could also benefit EV charging and someday households.
Data centers have emerged as the primary catalyst for escalating electricity demand that is putting strain on US power grids. However, the burgeoning AI-driven data center sector has also spurred investment in a technology that could present a silver lining for all involved - solid-state power transformers. These modern power electronics are set to replace the outdated industrial-age transformer technology that currently forms the backbone of power grids.
Today's power grids are founded on conventional transformers, painstakingly assembled by hand and featuring a design that harks back to the 1880s. These transformers are crafted through the manual winding of two copper wire coils around a steel core, which generates electromagnetic fields to either step up or step down the voltage levels of alternating current electricity for either long-distance transmission or domestic and commercial use.
The largest power transformers cannot be produced en masse, instead being custom-built for each utility company's electrical substations. The manufacturing constraints, coupled with the urgency to upgrade the US power infrastructure, have resulted in utility companies and other customers having to wait up to several years for the delivery of new power transformers.
This delay is not only a challenge for expanding power grid infrastructure to accommodate the surge in electricity demand, but it also hampers the process of replacing aging power transformers.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
