Power equipment drives the energy arteries of modern society

As the wave of digitalization and intelligence sweeps the world, power equipment, as the core carrier of energy conversion and transmission, has become the "invisible artery" supporting the operation of modern society. From UHV transmission lines crossing mountains and rivers to data center servers running 24 hours a day, the technological iteration and industrial upgrading of power equipment are profoundly reshaping the underlying logic of energy utilization.

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1. Core classification and functions of power equipment

Power equipment can be divided into two major systems: power generation equipment and power supply equipment. The power generation end is centered on power station boilers, steam turbines, gas turbines, turbines and generators, and realizes energy production through mechanical energy-electrical energy conversion; the power supply end relies on transformers, circuit breakers, transformers and other equipment to build a transmission network with clear voltage levels. For example, the "two AC and five DC" UHV project planned to be put into operation by the State Grid in 2025, its core equipment converter valve adopts flexible DC technology, which can stably transmit the fluctuating power of new energy power generation to the load center thousands of miles away. The transmission capacity of a single line reaches 12 million kilowatts, which is equivalent to the power generation capacity of 6 large thermal power plants.

At the equipment function level, primary equipment and secondary equipment constitute a "dual brain system" for coordinated operations. Primary equipment directly participates in the production and transmission of electric energy. For example, a 500kV high-voltage circuit breaker can cut off the fault current within 0.03 seconds to prevent the spread of accidents; secondary equipment realizes operation monitoring and fault warning through relay protection devices, intelligent sensors, etc. Taking the smart substation as an example, its configured oil chromatography online monitoring system can analyze the content of hydrogen, methane and other gases in the transformer insulating oil in real time, and warn of equipment overheating failure 72 hours in advance, reducing the unplanned downtime rate by 60%.

2. Technological innovation leads industrial upgrading

The current power equipment field is undergoing three major technological changes:

Intelligent transformation: Digital twin technology enables equipment management to shift from "after-the-fact maintenance" to "predictive maintenance". The smart transmission line built by the Southern Power Grid in Shenzhen has deployed more than 2,000 micro-meteorological sensors and tower tilt monitoring devices, combined with AI algorithms to realize real-time calculation of conductor sag and ice thickness, and the fault location accuracy has been improved to within 50 meters, and the repair efficiency has been improved by 40%.

New energy adaptation: In view of the intermittent characteristics of wind power and photovoltaic power, equipment companies have developed dynamic reactive power compensation devices (SVG) and grid-type energy storage systems. The 35kV cascade SVG developed by Goldwind Technology can respond to grid voltage fluctuations within 0.1 seconds, stabilize the power factor of new energy stations at above 0.98, and significantly improve the quality of grid-connected power.

Material innovation: Amorphous alloy transformers use iron-based amorphous metal as core materials, and the no-load loss is 75% lower than that of traditional silicon steel sheet transformers. The State Grid has cumulatively applied more than 2 million amorphous transformers in rural power grid transformation, and the annual electricity saving is equivalent to reducing coal consumption by 1.2 million tons.

3. Market structure and future trends

In 2025, the scale of China's power equipment market is expected to exceed 7 trillion yuan, forming a three-wheel drive pattern of "on-grid + off-grid + overseas":

On-grid demand: UHV construction continues to increase. In 2025, the State Grid will invest more than 650 billion yuan, focusing on promoting the reserve of "16 AC and 12 DC" projects, driving the growth of demand for GIS combined electrical appliances, converter transformers and other equipment.

Off-grid market: The construction of data centers (AIDC) has spawned the demand for high-power density distribution systems, and the power density of single cabinets has increased from 6kW to 15kW, promoting the development of new products such as liquid-cooled transformers and intelligent bus ducts.

Overseas strategy: Chinese power equipment companies have a market share of more than 65% in Asia, Africa and Latin America. From January to April 2025, the export value of transformers reached 13 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 50%. Landmark orders such as Saudi Arabia's flexible DC project and Brazil's UHV project demonstrate the hard power of China's standards "going out".

Standing at the crossroads of the energy revolution, power equipment is evolving from a single-function carrier to an intelligent energy hub. With breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies such as third-generation semiconductor devices and superconducting materials, future power equipment will achieve leapfrog development with higher efficiency, lower losses, and greater adaptability, providing solid support for building a new power system. This silent technological revolution is redefining the boundaries and possibilities of energy utilization.