Hitachi Metals > Press Room > News Release 2005

October 20, 2005
Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.

Development of New Amorphous Alloy
for Next-Generation Amorphous Transformers

—Reduces Electric Loss on Power Distribution—

Hitachi Metals, Ltd. has developed new amorphous magnetic alloy suitable for use in distribution transformer cores.
Employing this new amorphous alloy, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd. has developed a next-generation low core loss amorphous transformer— compact and has low audible noise.
Hitachi Metals’ new amorphous alloys and Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems’ next-generation amorphous transformers are contributing to global warming prevention by reducing power loss, and responding to the global rapid increase in demand of electric power.

1. Background of Development

In order to prevent the global warming, reduction of greenhouse gasemission, such as CO2, high energy efficiency and low electric powerconsumption are urged. In addition to cutting the electricity use,our major challenge is to reduce the power loss generated in transformers *1 duringelectric delivery from power plants to factories, buildings and houses.
Presently, most transformer cores *2 aremade of siliconsteel *3, which is one of softmagnetic materials *4. By replacing silicon steel with Hitachi Metals’ amorphousalloy *5 , power loss of transformer cores can be lowered. Hitachi IndustrialEquipment Systems is Japan’s first manufacturer that developed and launchedthe amorphous industrial transformer using amorphous alloys, which is compliedwith Top RunnerProgram *6, in 1997. Since then, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems hasbeen cultivating the diffusion of the amorphous transformers as the pioneer.
Although the amorphous transformers already had great advantages in energy-saving,it was needed to develop the next-generation amorphous transformer that wouldbe more compact and have lower audible noise.

2. Development Overview

In comparison with Hitachi Metals’ conventional iron based amorphous alloy “2605SA1,” thenewly developed amorphous alloy 2605HB1 has a higher magneticflux density *7 and lower ironloss*8 ,and reduces the audible noise of transformers.
Employing this new amorphous alloy, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems hasdeveloped a next-generation low-loss amorphous transformer for power distribution.Because the next-generation amorphous transformer uses smaller core than conventionalamorphous transformer, it can be installed in same area as the silicon steeltransformer.Plus, it can reduce audible noise.
Hitachi Metals and Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems have been cooperatingin research and development related to the respective fields of amorphous materialand transformers. As per amorphous metal and its applications, the world marketis expected to expand primarily centered on transformers, which support electricalpower infrastructure. We will continue our research and development activities,and play a role in the fight against global warming.

New amorphous alloy (Hitachi Metals)	New amorphous core (Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems)	(reference) Amorphous transformer (Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems)

3. Features

1)

Hitachi Metals’ new amorphous alloy;

a)

Contributes to the trend toward more compact, lighter transformers
New amorphous alloy has 5% higher saturation flux density than previous one.

b)

Cuts power loss in transformers, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Decreases iron loss by 10%

Properties	New amorphous alloy	Conventional amorphous alloy
Saturation Flux Density Bs (T)	1.64	1.56
Iron Loss: Pc(W / kg) at 50 Hz, 1.3T	0.063	0.07

2)

Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems’ next generation amorphous transformer;

a)

A compact, low-loss transformer
Leveraging the high saturation flux density, the core size has been reduced, requiring less floor space

b)

A quieter transformer
Employing the new amorphous alloy, operating audible noise is cut by 10 dB

4. Use/Applications

Hitachi Metals’ new amorphous alloy

• Industrial Transformer Cores
• Power Distribution Grid Transformer Cores
• Various Inductor Cores aside from Transformers

5. Patent Applications

Hitachi Metals: 2
Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems: 1

6. Sales Plan

1) Hitachi Metals’ new amorphous alloy

Fiscal 2006: Commencement of sample shipments, ¥700 million

Fiscal 2007: ¥1,500 million

Fiscal 2008: ¥2,500 million

2)Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems’ next-generation amorphous transformer

Fiscal 2006: Sample shipments

Fiscal 2007: ¥2,500 million

Fiscal 2008: ¥3,500 million

7. Responsible Business Divisions

1)Hitachi Metals’ new amorphous alloy

Soft Magnetic Materials Company, Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

2)Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems’ next-generation amorphous transformer

Power Distribution & Environmental Systems Division, Business Operations Group, Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, Co., Ltd.

Customer Inquiries
		Osamu Ikemoto Planning Department Soft Magnetic Materials Company Hitachi Metals, Ltd. TEL: [phone]
		Shuuichi Nagai or Yasumasa Hayashi Power Distribution & Environmental Systems Division Business Operations Group Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, Co., Ltd. TEL: [phone]
Press Inquiries
		Toshinori Hata Corporate Communications Hitachi Metals, Ltd. Inquiry Form
		Seiichi Sato Business Administration & Planning Group Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, Co., Ltd. TEL: [phone]

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Reference: Explanation of Terms


Transformer is the device that boosts or decreases the voltage of alternatingcurrent. Substations employ large transformers, with those utilized for extra-highvoltage whose weight sometimes reaches to 500 tons. Utility poles are equippedwith pole mounted transformers that reduce voltage to 100 or 200 volts and deliverelectricity to homes, small retail shops and small factories.

*2 Core

As a general example, an iron rod is wound with insulated copper wire (conductivewire), and when electric current is applied to the conductive wire, the processof electromagnetic induction magnetizes iron, which then does the same work asmagnetic material. If the electric current is stopped the iron loses its magneticforce. In transformers, the core functions as this iron rod. To temporarily usea substance as a magnet is termed “magnetization.”

*3 Silicon steel

The soft magnetic material most commonly used in transformers is a crystallinematerial composed of iron and silicon.

*4 Soft magnetic material

When electric current is applied to a coil (conductive wire in a spiral), magneticforce and a magnetic field are produced. Only when electric current is appliedto a coil with a core (e.g. only when a core is inside of a magnetic field) doesthat material become magnet, and this is called soft magnetism. Materials withsoft magnetism are called soft magnetic materials. These are also deemed magneticcore material or iron core material. Typical materials include silicon steel,amorphous alloy, nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials, permalloy,Fe-Si-Al alloys, and soft ferrite.
In contrast, material that has been once magnetized and continues to keep thatmagnetism indefinitely despite the removal of the magnetic field is called apermanent magnet (or hard magnetic material). Common examples are rare earthmagnets, such as Nd-Fe-B and Sm-Co, and hard ferrites.

*5 Amorphous alloys

Ordinary metals are crystals, of which the atom arranged orderly. When rapidlycooled from a liquid (high-temperature solution) state, however, the substanceis hardened and the atom alignment remains in a disorderly atomic arrangementsimilar to that of the liquid state resulting in amorphous metal. Compared withcrystalline metals, amorphous metals are more ideal as soft magnetic materials.Iron-rich amorphous metals have properties highly suited for use in cores, suchas a high magnetic flux density and a nature that is easily magnetized by smallmagnetic fields. Aside from their use in transformers, these are also utilizedfor noise suppression in magnetic components.

*6 Top Runner Program

Japan’s Top Runner Program establishes the performance of the most-advanceddevices currently produced as The Top Runner Standard for specific energy consumingdevices designated under the Energy Conservation Law. This program promotes incrementallyimproving the energy efficiency of devices in set target years.

*7 Magnetic flux density

Magnetic flux density is the degree of magnetism that a material has when itis magnetized. The greater the value, the more the size of the core can be reduced.Saturation flux density is a concrete indicator of magnetic flux density, isthe standard measure of the performance of magnetic materials, and indicatesthe upper limit in magnetization to which a substance can be magnetized.

*8 Core loss

When a core is placed in a magnetic field that is alternating at a certain frequency,the core’s magnetic pole repeatedly reverses between the north and southpoles. The energy that is lost at the point of polar reversal is termed coreloss (alternatively, iron loss).
As long as a transformer is connected to the grid, the greater the core loss,the greater the loss of energy becomes. In order to decrease core loss, the softmagnetic property of the core material must be improved.