My visit to Hannover Messe 2016 was by far the best trade fair I attended! Given that I had only 2 days at the fair, my time was spent focusing on our very own Phoenix Contact’s booth. This year under the slogan “Solutions for the Future”, Phoenix Contact presented state-of-the art technology and innovative products and solutions for different industries. Continue reading
Happiness at work is no longer a luxury, it is essential for life’s fulfillment. People are discovering that when they love their jobs, they are more productive, creative, motivated at work and happier in life. Alexander Kjerulf, an author, founder and the Chief Happiness Officer of Woohoo Inc, an organisation that provides training and workshop about Happiness at Work, has presented to hundreds of clients over 30 countries since 2003 about finding happiness at work.
The Photovoltaic (PV) monitoring system was designed to monitor the performance of the PV panels’ output versus the temperature on the PV panel. There were two different types of PV panels used for monitoring, namely the mono-crystalline and amorphous silicone (Thin Film). The data that was collected were the DC output and the temperature on the PV panels.
With the ongoing technological advances, the demand for a cheaper and better way of manufacturing electronic devices is a perpetual challenge.
The PCB industry, the backbone of electronic device manufacturing, certainly feels the heat of this constant demand.
While devices, and their corresponding PCBs are getting ever more compact, it also results in the need to fit an increasing number of functions into as small a space as possible. This coupled with the demand for lower manufacturing costs presents a daunting challenge.
This is where Phoenix Contact’s new SDC 2,5 SKEDD PCB connectors come into its own.
A reliable, intelligent and powerful “heart”
In the course of my work, I deal with Power Supply which is the heart of the whole electrical operation. While not all operations are the same, they cannot function without electricity, which is what makes Power Supply units indispensable.
The new Phoenix Contact’s Quint 4th Generation Power Supplies feature an integrated NFC interface for parameterization via mobile devices or PCs. This allows the commissioning engineer to closely match signaling thresholds and characteristic curves to the plant’s requirements. More than 40 parameters can be configured on an individual basis. Once the power supply has been parameterized, it is a simple task to transfer the settings to other devices via the app or other software, which will save effort and time for the user. Moreover, the front-panel buttons for adjusting the output voltage, as well as all other configured parameters, can be protected with a password to prevent unauthorized access and tampering.
The power supply offers preventive function monitoring to allow the plant operator to run remote diagnostics on the unit to optimize plant availability. The power supply permanently monitors the output voltage and current. Critical situations are visualized using front-panel LEDs, floating relay contacts, and active signal outputs; the monitoring data is signaled to the control system before a fault actually occurs.
When the power supply unit is supplying more than the specified rated current, it is operating in boost mode. The power supply and the connected loads continue to operate normally, and the output voltage remains at 24 V DC. Preventive signaling allows early detection before a fault like this actually occurs. For instance, once a motor with a mechanical problem has been identified, it can be repaired before other loads are subjected to voltage dips.
Such preventive capabilities of our power supply units work just like how we manage our heart health to ensure we can function smoothly in our everyday operations. It is thus pivotal to ensure that we have a reliable and intelligent “heart” in the form of our trusted power supply units for our businesses.
Lightning is a natural and unavoidable event which not only risks the lives of livestock but also affects low-voltage systems (power systems as well as signal/communication systems) through several mechanisms. The obvious interaction is a flash to the power system, but other coupling mechanisms can also produce over-voltages.
Singapore is one of the countries in the world with the highest number of lightning strikes. Situated close to the Equator, the warm and humid tropical conditions are highly favourable for the development of thunderstorms which produce lightning. “On average, Singapore experiences 168 thunderstorm days per year. This refers to the number of days in which thunder is heard over Singapore, and gives an indication of lightning activity (as thunderstorms are associated with lightning)”, National Environment Agency, NEA.
A lightning rod or a mesh-shaped external lightning protection system cannot provide complete protection against direct lightning strikes. This means it is only possible to state the probability that a lightning will be trapped. The probability that a lightning will strike in the area protected by a lightning rod can be calculated in relation to the lightning protection level selected.
The need for protection, the economic benefits of installing protection measures and the selection of adequate protection measures should be determined in terms of risk management which is part of the subjects of the Singapore Standard SS555 (Code of practice for protection against Lightning). The criteria for design, installation and maintenance of lightning protection measures are also considered in SS555. Since the IEC 62305 standard is a normative reference in the SS555, an updated version of SS555 is soon to be reviewed and published due to the revised version of the IEC 62305 standard.
Phoenix Contact is pleased to present you the 3-day “SS 555 + IEC 62305:2013 SER Lightning Protection Updates” Seminar. This seminar aims to provide the participants with insight updates to the SS 555 Lightning Protection Standard, a clear understanding of the effects of lightning and what can or cannot be done to alleviate its effects. The various methods available for lightning protection of building structures will be described and some case study examples will be presented to illustrate their effectiveness or otherwise.
Click here to find out more and sign up for the seminar