As a core equipment of power transmission systems, oil-immersed transformers are crucial to the stability of power grids. However, the flammable nature of transformer oil brings high fire risks-once a fire breaks out, it spreads rapidly and is prone to explosion, making it much more difficult to handle than ordinary fires. JINSHANMEN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., as a professional manufacturer of power transmission and distribution equipment, integrates fire safety design into the R&D process when producing core products such as 1000 kva power transformer and 500 kva power transformer. This article will systematically analyze the professional disposal plan for oil-immersed transformer fires, providing authoritative references for industry practitioners.
1. Safety Early Warning and Primary Principles
The core of transformer fire disposal is "first control risks, then extinguish fires". Especially for large-capacity equipment such as 1000 kva power transformer, early warning and standardized operation can greatly reduce losses. The following four principles are the pre-requisite red lines for disposal:
1.1 Immediate Alarm
After discovering a fire, call the local fire alarm number immediately (such as 119 in China, 911 or 112 in Europe and America). It is necessary to clearly inform that it is an "oil-immersed transformer fire" and specify the transformer capacity (such as 500 kva power transformer or 1000 kva power transformer), location and whether there are trapped people, so that the fire department can bring special equipment such as foam fire extinguishing systems to the scene.
1.2 Power Cut-Off
This is the most critical core step! It is necessary to immediately contact the power dispatching department to cut off the power supply on all sides of the transformer through remote or on-site operation. Extinguishing fires without power cut-off is not only ineffective, but also causes electric shock casualties due to the conductivity of transformer oil, and high temperature may cause insulation oil explosion. Even medium-capacity equipment such as 500 kva power transformer must strictly implement this step.
1.3 Evacuation and Alert
Quickly evacuate all non-professional personnel on the scene, set up a safety warning area of at least 50 meters centered on the transformer, and strictly prohibit unrelated personnel from entering. Oil-immersed transformer fires may be accompanied by oil injection and explosion, and the warning area must cover the oil spill range.
1.4 Prohibition of Water Use
Before the power supply is completely cut off, it is strictly forbidden to use water to put out the fire! Water is conductive and will cause electric shock, and transformer oil has a lower density than water and will float on the water surface, leading to rapid spread of the fire. Even small-capacity equipment must abide by this ban.
2. Scientific Fire Extinguishing Methods
Differentiated disposal plans should be selected according to the fire size, power cut-off status and equipment type. JINSHANMEN TECHNOLOGY recommends that large-scale equipment such as 1000 kva power transformer should be equipped with automatic fire extinguishing systems as a priority.
2.1 Automatic Fire Extinguishing System (Preferred Option)
The automatic system can be activated in the early stage of a fire (usually within 30 seconds), which is the core protection method for key equipment such as 1000 kva power transformer. Common types include:
2.1.1 Water Spray Fire Extinguishing System
It is automatically activated after the power is cut off, and achieves three fire extinguishing effects of cooling, suffocation and emulsification through dense water mist. It is suitable for large substations and hub-level equipment, and is currently the mainstream fixed system. It is also recommended to equip this system for 500 kva power transformer installed in important places.
2.1.2 Oil Drainage and Nitrogen Injection Fire Extinguishing System
After the detector detects a fire, it automatically opens the oil drain valve to reduce the oil level pressure, and at the same time injects nitrogen to form an inert environment to suffocate the flame. It is suitable for equipment such as 500 kva power transformer in indoor or water-sensitive places, and can effectively prevent re-ignition.
2.1.3 Compressed Air Foam System
A new type of high-efficiency fire extinguishing technology that isolates oxygen through foam coverage. It has high fire extinguishing efficiency and strong anti-re-ignition ability, and can cope with complex fire conditions after high-temperature hot oil and explosion. It is suitable for various large-capacity oil-immersed transformers.
2.1.4 Water Mist/High-Pressure Water Mist System
The water droplets are finer, the heat absorption efficiency is higher, and the water consumption is only 1/10 of that of the water spray system. It is suitable for places with limited space and has a significant protection effect on equipment such as 500 kva power transformer.
2.2 Manual Fire Extinguishing Method (Supplementary Option)
When the automatic system is not activated or the fire is in the early stage, manual methods can be used after confirming the power cut, which is suitable for small and medium-capacity equipment such as 500 kva power transformer or auxiliary fire extinguishing:
Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher: Deal with small initial fires, spray at the root of the flame, and extinguish the fire by interrupting the combustion chain reaction. It is an essential mobile equipment in substations.
CO₂ Fire Extinguisher: It has little pollution to equipment and is suitable for electrical fires and initial oil fires. It is necessary to prevent frostbite during operation.
Alcohol-Resistant Foam Extinguisher: Used to extinguish scattered oil fires after power cut, forming a foam covering layer to isolate oxygen.
Fire Blanket and Sand: Auxiliary means, used to cover small equipment or extinguish small-area scattered fires on the ground, and cannot be used for the main body fire of 1000 kva power transformer.
2.3 Large-Scale Fire Disposal
When the fire expands, it is necessary to rely on the professional fire brigade. The core measures include: using foam guns to cover and extinguish the fire after power cut, using water cannons to cool adjacent equipment to prevent spread, and handling complex working conditions such as explosion and oil injection. On-site personnel need to provide key information such as transformer capacity (such as 1000 kva power transformer) and power cut status.
3. Standardized Disposal Process
Alarm and Power Cut-Off: Immediately alarm and cut off power on all sides, which is the prerequisite for all operations.
Start Automatic System: Check if the automatic fire extinguishing system is activated; if not, trigger it manually remotely.
Initial Extinguishing: Use dry powder and other equipment to extinguish initial fires after power cut-off to prevent fire expansion.
Cooperate with Rescue: Guide the fire brigade to the scene and provide equipment information (such as 500 kva power transformer model, oil storage capacity).
Anti-Reignition Cooling: Continuously cool the equipment after extinguishing the fire and check for hidden fire sources, especially focusing on the oil temperature change of large-capacity equipment such as 1000 kva power transformer.
4. Core Preventive Measures
The best way to extinguish a fire is to prevent it from happening. JINSHANMEN TECHNOLOGY reminds that differentiated prevention plans should be formulated for equipment of different capacities such as 1000 kva power transformer and 500 kva power transformer:
Regular Maintenance: Strictly implement inspection, maintenance and preventive tests, and focus on checking the gas relay and pressure relief valve of 1000 kva power transformer.
Improve Protection: Ensure that devices such as differential protection and temperature monitoring operate reliably, and 500 kva power transformer needs to focus on checking the insulation oil aging problem.
Clear Flammables: Keep the surrounding area of the equipment free of weeds and oil stains, and reserve sufficient safety distance around large equipment such as 1000 kva power transformer.
Emergency Drills: Organize regular fire-fighting training to ensure that personnel are familiar with the principle of "cut off power first, then extinguish fire" and master the operation of manual fire-extinguishing equipment.
5. About JINSHANMEN TECHNOLOGY
JINSHANMEN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. is a professional manufacturer of power transmission and distribution equipment. The company mainly produces oil immersed power transformers, dry-type power transformers, oil immersed three-dimensional coiled power transformers, dry-type three-dimensional coiled power transformers, mining explosion-proof dry-type transformers, mining explosion-proof mobile substations, amorphous alloy power transformers, on load capacity regulating power transformers, locomotive dry-type transformers, as well as prefabricated substations, modular substations, wind energy box type substations, high and low voltage switchgear and other transmission and distribution equipment. We integrate fire safety design into product R&D, providing reliable 1000 kva power transformer, 500 kva power transformer and other products for global customers.
Core Points Summary
1. Red Line Principle: Cut off power first, then extinguish fire; do not use water if power is not cut off.
2. Equipment Matching: 1000 kva power transformer is prioritized to be equipped with automatic fire extinguishing system, and 500 kva power transformer needs enhanced regular maintenance.
3. Prevention First: Regular maintenance and emergency drills are the key to reducing fire risks.