Rymel Transformers: Distribution, Pad-Mounted, Dry-Type

Short answer

Rymel is a Colombian transformer manufacturer based in Copacabana, Antioquia. It lists conventional and self-protected distribution transformers from 5 to 500 kVA single-phase and 15 to 5000 kVA three-phase, pad-mounted units from 25 to 500 kVA single-phase and 30 to 5000 kVA three-phase, class F and H dry-type units, medium-voltage power transformers up to 10 MVA, and solutions for battery storage and data centers.

What it is and where it is used

Rymel is a Colombian manufacturer of transformers and electrical equipment based in Copacabana, Antioquia. Its main line is conventional and self-protected distribution transformers, pad-mounted units, dry-type units and medium-voltage power transformers.

Its equipment is found in utility networks, residential developments, commercial buildings and industry, and in solar projects. The company also presents solutions for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and for data centers, two applications where load, harmonics and availability weigh more than in a conventional distribution network. For the technical context, see distribution transformer.

Variants: conventional, self-protected, pad-mounted, dry-type and power

Line	Range published by Rymel	Application
Conventional and self-protected single-phase	5 to 500 kVA	Overhead and rural networks
Conventional and self-protected three-phase	15 to 5000 kVA	Commercial, industrial and utility networks
Single-phase pad-mounted	25 to 500 kVA	Residential underground distribution
Three-phase pad-mounted	30 to 5000 kVA	Commercial and industrial underground distribution
Dry-type class F	Up to 2500 kVA	Indoors and buildings
Dry-type class H	Up to 1500 kVA	Indoors with higher operating temperature
Medium-voltage power	Up to 10 MVA	Industrial and distribution substations
Special solutions	500 to 5000 kVA	Battery storage (BESS) and data centers

The rating, voltages, connection group and taps of each unit are read on its nameplate.

Main features

Local manufacturing with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management system certifications that the company publishes, plus product certifications detailed on its website.
Self-protected units for overhead networks, with built-in protection according to the design.
Dry-type units of thermal class F and H for indoors (dry-type transformer guide).
Medium-voltage power up to 10 MVA for industrial substations.

In a project, the choice between conventional, self-protected, pad-mounted or dry-type does not depend on the brand but on the installation location, the network (overhead or underground), the utility’s requirements and the site’s fire conditions.

Communications and integration

A distribution transformer normally does not communicate. On power and dry-type units, temperature, level and pressure alarms reach the protection or SCADA through contacts. In battery storage and data center projects, those signals are integrated into the plant control system.

Frequently asked technical questions

75 kVA Rymel transformer: the rating is chosen from the project’s load calculation; the manufacturer publishes its line, and the price depends on accessories and we do not publish it.
Receiving tests: before energizing, they are compared with the factory test protocol that accompanies the unit.
Self-protected unit that does not reclose: check whether the low-voltage breaker or an internal fuse operated, and the cause of the overload or fault.
Dry-type unit with a temperature alarm: check the load, the ventilation and the probes before assuming a winding fault.
Class F or class H dry-type transformer: the thermal class defines the temperature the insulation withstands; the choice depends on the load and the ventilation of the room.
Product certificate required by the utility: the company publishes its certificates; the utility states which one its interconnection standard requires.

Product families Rymel publishes

On its corporate website, Rymel groups its catalog into four large families: distribution, power, special solutions, and measurement and protection. Besides the lines in the table above, it lists:

Submersible and network-type transformers, for underground distribution networks where the vault may flood or where the network grid calls for units with particular characteristics.
SUT and PST transformers, for variable speed drives and electric submersible pump systems, where the transformer feeds a load with harmonics and soft starts.
Instrument transformers (CTs and VTs) of the 15 kV and 36 kV series, a combined metering unit and a resin-cast feeder transformer for recloser controls.
Switching boxes and energy meters, single-phase and three-phase.

The site also states that it offers maintenance, electrical testing, repair, oil analysis and thermography. When a Rymel transformer reaches the end of its life or suffers a fault, repair and rewinding are an alternative to replacing the unit; the decision is made from the diagnosis, not the brand (how a transformer burns out).

Certifications and standards worth distinguishing

Rymel publishes ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management system certificates (with ICONTEC and IQNet), plus a UL product certificate, RUS product acceptance and BASC certification. A management system certification describes how the factory works, not the performance of a specific unit: what demonstrates a transformer’s conformity is the product certificate and the test protocol of that unit.

Distribution transformers are specified to national or international standards that depend on the market. The reference for power transformers internationally is the IEC 60076 series (general in part 1, temperature rise in part 2, insulation levels and dielectric tests in part 3, short-circuit withstand in part 5). For distribution and pad-mounted units in the IEEE system, IEEE C57.12.00 (general requirements for liquid-immersed transformers), C57.12.90 (test code) and, for pad-mounted units, IEEE C57.12.34 (three-phase) and C57.12.38 (single-phase) are used. The utility indicates in its interconnection standard which product certificate and which routine tests it requires; always confirm the version in force with it.

Thermal class in dry-type units: what F and H mean

Dry-type transformers are classified by the thermal class of their insulation system, per the IEC 60085 classes: class F corresponds to 155 °C and class H to 180 °C maximum system temperature. IEC 60076-11 (2018 edition, up to 72.5 kV) sets the permitted winding temperature rise for each class; the exact value is read in the standard and on the nameplate, not in the sales catalog. As an example of data published by another manufacturer, a Siemens Energy information sheet for a cast-resin dry-type unit declares thermal class F with a winding temperature rise of 100 K (Siemens Energy sheet). The class does not say how much load the unit withstands by itself: continuous power depends on room ventilation, altitude and ambient temperature. The standard also classifies behavior against environment (E classes), climate (C classes) and fire (F0 and F1), data worth requesting from the manufacturer when the transformer goes in a building or a humid site. More detail in dry-type vs. oil-filled transformers and in dry-type transformer maintenance.

What to check when receiving and energizing a unit

Without going into the procedure, these are the checks a project usually requires before energizing a new distribution or power transformer, whatever the brand:

That the nameplate matches the order: rating, voltage ratio, connection group, impedance, basic insulation level and tap changer position.
That the factory test protocol (ratio, winding resistance, losses, impedance and dielectric tests) is complete and signed (factory tests of transformers).
That the oil, level and accessories have not been damaged in transport, and that insulation resistance is consistent with the protocol.
That upstream and downstream protection is coordinated with the transformer inrush current, a classic cause of trips on the first switching operation (transformer trip on energization).

On self-protected units, the low-voltage breaker and the internal fuse are part of the coordination: a wrong load sizing (how to size a transformer) shows up first as repeated trips.

If you use the transformer for BESS or data centers

Rymel lists solutions from 500 to 5000 kVA for battery storage and data centers. In BESS, the transformer sees power flow in both directions and the inverter’s harmonics; in data centers, it feeds loads with UPS and rectifiers. In both cases, define with the manufacturer the load factor, the expected harmonic content and the oversizing for additional losses, and verify the harmonics with a study (IEEE 519 harmonic study). Do not take the range list as a guarantee for an application: the suitability of a specific unit is defined in the project specification.

How we help

At Tiza Group we do not sell transformers. We test and commission Rymel transformers and those of any brand: transformation ratio, winding resistance, insulation, oil and protection, and coordination with upstream protection, in Colombia, or elsewhere on request. See transformer testing within testing and commissioning. Write to us through contact.

References

IEC 60076-1, Power transformers – Part 1: General.
IEC 60076-11, Power transformers – Part 11: Dry-type transformers.
Rymel, corporate website (product lines, ranges and certifications).
IEC 60076-1, -2, -3, -5 and -11; IEEE C57.12.00, C57.12.34 and C57.12.38.

Frequently asked questions

Where does Rymel manufacture its transformers?

In Copacabana, Antioquia (Colombia), on the Autopista Norte, according to its corporate website.

What ratings do Rymel distribution transformers have?

Rymel lists conventional and self-protected transformers from 5 to 500 kVA single-phase and from 15 to 5000 kVA three-phase. Values such as 75 kVA or 112.5 kVA are standard ratings within that range.

What is a self-protected transformer?

It is a distribution transformer with built-in protection that on a conventional transformer is installed separately, such as internal fuses, a low-voltage breaker or an arrester, depending on the design. The exact protection is confirmed on the model's datasheet.