Designed to deliver value

Increased grid resiliency

FR3 fluid extends the life of a transformer’s solid insulation system, including retrofilled transformers, anywhere from five to eight times (depending on the paper insulation used) compared to mineral oil due to its superior performance. FR3 fluid’s unique chemical properties allow FR3-fluid-filled transformers to run up to 20°C hotter and with a 20% increased load capacity compared to mineral oil. All of this can mean savings related to:

• Increased replacement cycles time, thus cutting the number of times you need to replace an asset.
• Reduced processing maintenance costs (since FR3 fluid doesn’t produce sludge).
• Reduced dehydrating maintenance costs.
• Reduced outages due to reduced risk of dielectric failure.

Interact with our higher thermal capacity graph to see how FR3 fluid beats mineral oil when it comes to increased load capacity and longer asset life.

Use our extended life cost savings calculator to estimate extended asset life expectancy and cost savings you can expect from using FR3 fluid instead of mineral oil.

Effective transformer and fleet design

A transformer designed to run with FR3 natural ester dielectric fluid can be more compact than a mineral-oil-filled equivalent. In addition, the resiliency of a grid with FR3-fluid-filled transformers can allow you to have fewer, more load-flexible transformers in your inventory. All of this can mean savings related to:

• Reduced materials in transformer construction (e.g., steel, copper, insulating fluid, cables, and wires).
• Reduced total dissipated energy due to lower no-load losses.
• Smaller substation footprint.
• Easier, less expensive transport.
• Optimized design for weight management for pole transformers or transformers in heights (as on wind turbines and offshore).
• More efficient use of space, with a smaller transformer with higher load capacity.
• Optimized inventory management, freeing up working capital.
• Reduced liability reserves and insurance premiums.

Get details of our cost comparison study involving an FR3-fluid-filled 100MVA, 230kVA-69kVA transformer and its mineral-oil-filled equivalent.

Use our extended life cost savings calculator and SKU reduction calculator to estimate possible savings when using FR3 fluid instead of mineral oil.

Significantly improved fire safety

FR3 fluid, with flash and fire points more than two times those of mineral oil, offers better fire safety than most other fire-resistant insulating oils in the market today. Of course, fewer catastrophic failures involving explosions and fires result in less damage to equipment and people. But using FR3 fluid pays in other ways. Since FR3 fluid demonstrates self-extinguishing characteristics, indoor installations don’t require sprinkler systems or vaults. And installations won’t require fire walls, or complex fire suppression and containment systems. All this can mean savings related to:

• Highly simplified or eliminated fire mitigation systems.
• Diminished maintenance costs for fire mitigation systems.
• Simpler containment systems.
• More compact installation design with reduced clearance, for more efficient use of space.

Reduced environmental impact

Unlike mineral oil, FR3 fluid is biobased. It is biodegradable and nontoxic in soil and water, and will biodegrade in less than 28 days.¹ With a viscosity higher than that of mineral oil, it won’t reach ground water as quickly as mineral oil will—if at all—in case of a leak or spill. These characteristics can allow for less complex and extensive containment systems, and much less expensive spill remediation. In fact, bioremediation (with active yeast and water, for example) can often be adequate in case of a ground spill of FR3 fluid. All this can mean savings related to:

• Highly simplified containment systems.
• Spill remediation, which for mineral oil spills can require excavation, the replacement of contaminated soil with clean soil, and replanting of indigenous plants.
• Public relations/reputation management