Author(s)

Katsutoshi Inagaki
Transformer Design Dept., Power Distribution & Environmental System Div., Commercial Div., Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.

Masanao Kuwabara
Transformer Design Dept., Power Distribution & Environmental System Div., Commercial Div., Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.

Kohei Sato
Transformer Design Dept., Power Distribution & Environmental System Div., Commercial Div., Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.

Kazuyuki Fukui
Transformer Design Dept., Power Distribution & Environmental System Div., Commercial Div., Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.

Shin Nakajima
Soft Magnetic Materials Company, Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

Daichi Azuma
Soft Magnetic Materials Company, Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

Overview

The electricity grid is essential to the infrastructure of our way of life and, with protection of the global environment having become a matter of urgency, there is a strong need for environmental measures based on achieving greater efficiency in the equipment and systems used in the grid. Hitachi was among the first companies to research and subsequently commercialize amorphous transformers that achieve ultra-high efficiency characteristics by significantly reducing no-load losses (the power consumed by transformers when idle). Development has been ongoing, with objectives such as larger capacity and higher quality, and total shipments to date have reached about 150,000 units. In response to a worldwide demand for environmental protection that is likely to keep growing in future, Hitachi intends to encourage greater use of amorphous transformers in Japan and elsewhere through ongoing strategic technical development and business expansion in which amorphous materials will also play a role. Through these business activities, Hitachi will play its part in bequeathing a rich global environment to the future by reducing transformer losses in the electricity grid.