Modern day industrial facilities contain large amounts of microprocessor-based equipment from control computers to field sensors. High-speed data is transferred around a site to allow business decisions to be made which affect productivity and efficiency. The realtime data used for such control and decision-making would be useless if corrupt and, worse still, the complete loss of such a system due to surges or lightning would impact on productivity and profits.
Much of the industrial equipment is installed in harsh environments, subject to natural disturbances such as lightning and man-made disturbances like switching transients from motors, pumps, welding equipment and variable frequency drives. Small transients and disturbances on the AC or data cables, whilst not causing catastrophic damage, will be slowly stressing the internal microprocessors ultimately leading to degradation, which manifests itself as errors or complete failure.
A direct lightning strike can be catastrophic and cause safety related failures, and potentially, plant shutdowns. The lightning does not have to strike directly; even a nearby strike within a few kilometres can be significantly damaging, causing minor failures and potentially stressing control or system hardware.
Surge protection for these industrial process applications can prevent the majority of upsets caused by surges and transients. It is essential as part of the plant infrastructure, and can prevent downtime and lost productivity. In all areas reliability will be enhanced increasing availability and uptime. MTL Surge Technologies have been at the forefront of industrial surge protection for the past 15 years and produce products for protecting all such facilities. Temperature Controls is the sole agent in South Africa for MTL.
Africa’s net-zero ambition must become operational Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Schneider Electric’s Rohit Chashta argues that the biggest gap in Africa’s green transition is not ambition but execution, and outlines how advisory services, bankable project roadmaps, digital visibility and SF6-free switchgear can turn sustainability commitments into measurable progress.
Read more...High-efficiency half-brick DC-DC converters Vepac Electronics
Electrical Power & Protection
The Supreme series half-brick DC-DC converters from Vepac Electronics use synchronous rectification for high conversion efficiency, in a six-sided metal case built to withstand harsh industrial and transportation environments.
Read more...Zinc-based batteries power a more sustainable energy future
Electrical Power & Protection
Zinc-based batteries are gaining ground as a safe, recyclable and cost-effective energy storage option, from consumer electronics to grid-scale systems. The International Zinc Association’s Simon Norton explains why zinc is well placed to support the clean energy transition.
Read more...Energas introduces lower-cost German gas genset for South African market
Electrical Power & Protection
Energas Technologies will supply R Schmitt Enertec’s new Energy Line genset to the South African market, offering German-engineered gas-to-power generation of 400 to 500 kW at a lower entry cost through focused standardisation and a simpler standalone architecture.
Read more...ACTOM plays key role in large transmission substation project in Swellendam ACTOM Electrical Machines
Electrical Power & Protection
ACTOM has been appointed to engineer, procure, construct and commission the 1000 MVA main transmission substation for the Overberg Wind Farm in Swellendam, one of the largest substations of its kind in South Africa.
Read more...Reliable power conversion from high-voltage DC buses Conical Technologies
Electrical Power & Protection
The MEAN WELL DDRH-240 from Conical Technologies is a high-reliability DIN-rail DC-DC converter with a wide 250 to 1500 V DC input range, deriving stable low-voltage power directly from high-voltage DC buses in renewable energy, storage, charging, railway and industrial installations.
Read more...AES maintains a strong value and safety stance on boiler retrofits
Electrical Power & Protection
AES Commercial Director Dennis Williams explains when a boiler retrofit makes more sense than replacement, outlines the range of efficiency and emissions upgrades available, and draws the line at safety: a boiler not legally signed off is shut down, no exceptions.
Read more...The grid needs to become more intelligent Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
South Africa’s power grid is becoming bidirectional and far more dynamic as distributed energy resources proliferate. Schneider Electric’s Nishandra Bajinath explains why digitalisation, DERMS and aggregation are essential to keep this increasingly complex grid stable and efficient.
Read more...ACTOM’s integrated electrical solutions reduce project risk and accelerate delivery
Electrical Power & Protection
ACTOM has secured multiple orders across four divisions for the Naos-1 hybrid solar and battery project in the Free State, demonstrating its integrated model for supplying the full electrical chain from high-voltage equipment to distribution transformers.
Read more...Smarter energy management starts with intelligent electrification ABB South Africa ABB Electrification Products
Electrical Power & Protection
ABB Electrification specialists Adeline Maleka and Nokulunga Dube explain how the convergence of electrification, digitalisation and automation is helping South African industries gain real-time visibility, reduce energy waste and build operational resilience.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version