Box transformers and ring main cabinets are scattered around the wind farm, at some distance from both turbines and the step-up station. EAPD is deployed locally inside the box transformer — no dedicated piping needed, no frequent inspection — with ICOP managing all site box-transformer status remotely.
The box transformers in a wind farm sit beside each turbine — some on hills, some on mudflats, some in the gobi. These box transformers step the low-voltage power from turbines up to collector-line voltage, integrating a transformer, high- and low-voltage switchgear, and control-protection devices.
The problem with box transformers is that they are exposed outdoors long-term, subject to wind, sun, rain, and frost. Salt-fog corrosion at coastal wind farms, low-temperature freezing at northern wind farms, and condensation at mountain wind farms — these environmental factors all accelerate the aging of the electrical equipment inside. And box transformers are spread across several square kilometers, so O&M staff cannot open and inspect every one every day. Often the problem is only known once the collector line trips.
Aging cable joints. Box transformers contain many cable joints running under high current year-round. The insulation at joints ages far faster outdoors under temperature swings and humidity than indoors. After insulation drops, phase-to-phase short circuits or ground faults are likely.
Abnormal transformer oil temperature. Rising oil temperature inside the box transformer may signal an internal fault. Excessively high oil temperature not only affects transformer life but, in severe cases, can cause tank rupture and oil leakage leading to fire.
Low-voltage-side switchgear failure. The low-voltage side of the box transformer collects power from each turbine; breakers, contactors, and fuses operate frequently. Contact erosion and arc-chamber aging near end-of-life can trigger incidents.
Ring main cabinet cable-head breakdown. The collector-line ring main cabinet gathers power from multiple box transformers. If construction quality is poor or insulation has aged, breakdown faults at cable joints can occur and cause fire.
One EAPD device is configured per box transformer, installed inside the low-voltage distribution room. One is also installed inside each ring main cabinet.
What EAPD monitors in real time inside the box transformer includes:
When an anomaly is detected, EAPD issues a local audible-visual alarm and simultaneously pushes the alert to O&M staff's mobile via the ICOP platform. Upon fire confirmation, the device automatically releases the agent. From trigger to full discharge, the whole process requires no human intervention. The agent is Novec 1230, non-corrosive and non-conductive to the transformer, switchgear, and cables inside the box transformer, leaving no cleanup after suppression.
All box-transformer EAPD data is uploaded to the ICOP platform via wireless network (4G / LoRa / per site conditions). O&M staff open a topology map at the control center to see the status of every box transformer across the site. Normal temperature is green, warning is yellow, alarm is red. Clicking in shows the detailed temperature curve and historical data.
The benefit of this approach is that you do not wait until a fault develops into a trip before acting. An abnormal temperature curve can be detected before it becomes a fire. O&M staff use the warning information to inspect the corresponding box transformer in a targeted way, instead of patrolling the whole site aimlessly.
| Protection rating | IP65 |
|---|---|
| Operating temperature | -40°C to +85°C |
| Trigger temperature | 140°C ±10°C |
| Response speed | ≤ 3 seconds |
| Agent | Novec 1230 (C6F12O), clean suppression |
| Installation | Magnetic / adhesive / bracket |
| Communication | 4G / LoRa / wired |
For a medium-scale wind farm (about 30–50 turbines), the combined number of box transformers and ring main cabinets is roughly 40–60. Protecting only box transformers — one EAPD per box transformer — and covering ring main cabinets together requires about 50–70 devices in total.
This scale is within the ICOP platform's coverage. One ICOP platform can manage hundreds of devices, which is within capacity for a wind farm.
The related design of this solution references the following standards:
We provide customized configuration and quotation based on box-transformer model, quantity, and site conditions
Submit your requirements →Wind farm substations are the bridge between the wind turbines and the grid that takes their power. The cabinets inside the substation carry a protection responsibility that is heavier than the typical service cabinet, because a substation event cascades into the whole generation cluster. CHILION's wind substation solution instruments those cabinets with the heavier protective profile they require. The protective logic is configured for the rapid clearance requirements that grid code usually imposes on substations, and the device state is shared with the utility-side SCADA where the grid operator requires visibility. The deployment is structured for outdoor installation in conditions that vary widely across the wind farm's footprint. The objective is a protective system that the grid operator trusts as much as the generation operator does.
Wind farms typically operate with an asset management framework that aggregates data from turbines, pads, and substations into a single view. CHILION's deployment is structured to feed that framework with substation-cabinet data alongside the existing turbine telemetry. The data model respects the asset hierarchy so that the operations team can drill from the substation down to a specific cabinet without leaving their existing dashboard. The maintenance record also aligns with the customer's existing maintenance management system. The result is a protective-device deployment that the asset team adopts as a natural extension of their existing processes rather than a parallel system to maintain.
Field feedback from across our installed base flows into our quarterly product-development cycle. Customers who participate in our field-feedback program see their observations reflected in subsequent firmware revisions, configuration improvements, and accessories. This is the loop that distinguishes a vendor with an installed base from a vendor with a marketing channel: the latter collects feedback into a presentation, the former collects feedback into a roadmap.
How is field feedback used in product development?
This section reflects the deployment practice we've refined across the installed base. Customers who want more detail on the specific topic for their site can request a focused engagement through the contact form on our contact page.
Choosing among equally defensible engineering tradeoffs is part of the work that experienced teams do well and that newer teams sometimes sidestep. In our deployment practice we walk customers through the tradeoff space, document the chosen path with its rationale, and revisit the choice at every annual review. This deliberate approach reduces the kind of regret that surfaces when original assumptions were not stated plainly.
What does a deployment review look like?
This section reflects the deployment practice we've refined across the installed base. Customers who want more detail on the specific topic for their site can request a focused engagement through the contact form on our contact page.
Field feedback from across our installed base flows into our quarterly product-development cycle. Customers who participate in our field-feedback program see their observations reflected in subsequent firmware revisions, configuration improvements, and accessories. This is the loop that distinguishes a vendor with an installed base from a vendor with a marketing channel: the latter collects feedback into a presentation, the former collects feedback into a roadmap.
How is field feedback used in product development?
This section reflects the deployment practice we've refined across the installed base. Customers who want more detail on the specific topic for their site can request a focused engagement through the contact form on our contact page.
Is the equipment rated for outdoor installation?
Yes, the protective logic is configurable to the specific rapid-clearance requirements of the relevant grid code.
Data sharing pathways with the grid-side SCADA are documented and configured during the design review.
The maintenance cadence follows the customer's existing turbine-maintenance rhythm, so substation visits align with turbine visits when geography allows.