The prevailing conditions in South Africa make it imperative that operating processes be protected from over-voltage, which is often the cause of systems failures. This can be due either to lightning strikes, prevalent in the summer months, or to voltage spikes in the supply circuit.
Vega supplies a range of suppressors which can be installed to protect measuring instruments in all situations. These include arresters for Profibus PA systems, supply and signal cables and for Ex systems.
Two-wire protection is offered for field devices and control interface units with a suppressor that uses the derivative of the higher current to ground and limit the voltage during the high level pulse.
Also available is a surge protection device that is specially designed to protect process transmitters and devices on Fieldbus systems. The TP32 provides an added level of surge protection for fieldbus transmitters.
The all important earth connection is made via the casing of the transmitter, negating the need for a separate earth connection at the transmitter. In operation, the TP32 ensures that the transmitter electronics are never exposed to damaging transients between the lines and earth. The protection network is a hybrid design consisting of high-power, solid-state electronics and a gas discharge tube, which are capable of diverting surges up to 10 kA.
Installation is simple and the units can be retrofitted at existing installations. The TP32 is screwed into any unused conduit entry on the transmitter case, allowing flying leads to connect the device to the terminal block and the internal earth stud within the transmitter housing. By connecting in parallel to the transmitter circuit, the TP32 does not interfere with the normal operation of the bus. It passes AC or DC signals without adding increased voltage drops across the segment, while consistently diverting surge currents safely to earth and clamping output voltages to safe levels.
Unpacking the technoeconomic case for cleaner power in wastewater plants Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Behind every reliable wastewater plant is an electrical system exposed to the effects of harmonics, voltage distortion and overloaded networks caused by fleets of variable speed drives on pumps and aerators.Together, they steadily drive up maintenance demands and elevate the risk of failure.
Read more...Energy strategy as a competitive advantage for African businesses
Electrical Power & Protection
Energy is no longer simply something that businesses consume. When managed effectively, it becomes a controllable asset that supports resilience and efficiency and sets the foundation for long-term competitiveness.
Read more...World’s fastest 14 bit arbitrary waveform generator Vepac Electronics
Electrical Power & Protection
The ARB Rider AWG-700 from Vepac is the world’s fastest 14 bit arbitrary waveform generator, with a 20 GS/s real-time update rate and 14 bit vertical resolution.
Read more...Transformers for mining house in Botswana ACTOM Electrical Machines
Electrical Power & Protection
LH Marthinusen is completing the manufacture of two 30 MVA transformers for a mining house in Botswana.
Read more...Rethinking power for Africa’s data centres Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Africa’s digital economy is scaling faster than its power systems. If it wants resilient, competitive and sustainable data centres, the starting point must be a grid-to-chip architecture rather than a genset-first mentality.
Read more...The growing decentralisation of power grids
Electrical Power & Protection
The decentralisation of power generation is changing how national grids function. For electrical engineers, several new challenges and opportunities are on the horizon.
Read more...Custom mini substations for Zambian copper mine
Electrical Power & Protection
Recent orders to supply seventeen specially engineered mini substations for an underground copper mine in Zambia reinforces Trafo Power Solution’s track record in delivering customised electrical solutons for challenging environments.
Read more...Unifying building information into a sea of insight Schneider Electric South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
Facility managers realise that in order to gain the most from building automation, they can longer deploy and operate technologies in isolation. Modern, integrated building management solutions address this challenge by bringing data from multiple sources and dispersed locations like HVAC, lighting, access control, lifts, generators, field devices, energy and
Read more...Smart power solutions for a low-carbon future ABB South Africa
Electrical Power & Protection
As the world marked Earth Day 2026, ABB is highlighting the role of low-voltage smart power solutions in improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and enabling more sustainable infrastructure.
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