VAL-MS…DC-PV surge arresters from Phoenix Contact, designed to protect photovoltaic systems against lightning and surge voltages, now have UL and Kema approvals.
The new BT-1S-230AC/O type 3 protector from Phoenix Contact offers surge voltage protection for loads in single-phase power circuits with 230 V AC nominal voltage. The main areas of application for these universal modules are installation sockets, dado trunking, underfloor installations and connection spaces in end devices.
The new Profibus extender from Phoenix Contact enables straightforward integration of remote Profibus devices at data rates of up to 1.5 Mbps. The extender has two DSL connections per device. This means that in addition to point-to-point connections the extender can also be used to easily establish line structures with up to 30 devices.
Chestnut Avenue Waterworks is one of the largest immersed membrane plant producing drinking water designed by Black & Veatch in Singapore .
SURGETRAB surge voltage protection devices are for all commonly used standard signals that are installed directly to the field equipment. This type of installation saves time and money, and an additional connection box for accommodating surge voltage protection is no longer necessary.
Poor grounding and surge protection practices often destroy electrical and electronics systems to a large extend and can result in continual and intermittent difficult-to-diagnose problems in a facility.
According to Wikipedia, Singapore has one of the highest rates of lightning activity in the world. Did you know that our tiny island is struck by lightning every other day? Therefore statistically speaking, the odds of getting hit by lightning are exceptionally high, which makes the use of Surge Protection Devices or SPDs in most electrical installations, essential. However, to my surprise, many of us do not install SPDs as we have this belief that our electrical infrastructure (underground cables) is safe and reliable.
During the recent Surge Protection Seminar which I attended in Thailand , a question was posted to the 60 participants, who were mainly maintenance engineers from the PTT group, “Why is it that birds can land on electrical wires without getting shocked?”
Birds standing on the power lines
I remember vividly asking myself this question in my head when I was a child and I always thought that it was the wadding on the wires that kept the birds away from contacting those high voltage wires. I realized that I was wrong all these while when one brave soul stood up and stated his answer, loudly:“It is not the insulation. It is the nature of electricity at work!”
The speaker, Mr. Holger Heckler, went further elaborating that when a bird rests on the live wire, its body will be charged to the same voltage as the wire. From the standpoint of electrical reactions, electric current flows from a point with higher voltage to one with lower voltage. As a result, electric current will not pass through the bird’s body via the live wire since they are on equal voltage charge. However, imagine if a bird accidentally comes into contact with both an electrical ground and the power line at the same time, it completes an electrical circuit, and therefore an electric shock is inevitable!
This is why power lines are constructed with wide gaps between the conducting and grounding wires, to minimize this risk.
This is also the reason why we were always told to keep our feet close together when we have no other places to hide during a thunderstorm. Cows are unfortunately less likely to survive thunderstorms as the step potential between its two feet is higher.
From an electrical system stance, this is why engineers adopt proper grounding and bonding techniques to prevent damages to the electrical devices during a breakdown. Surge protection devices are always added to reinforce the protection of the electrical system from lightning and switching magnetic surges.
One of the things I liked about Mr. Holger Heckler’s approach to speaking at such seminar was that he managed to spur the interests of the audiences and got them all connected instantly with his brilliant insights. He did not fly all the way from Germany to Thailand just to make this statement. He made sure that what he delivered was stimulating enough to keep the participants awake throughout the entire day.
A big salute to Mr. Holger Heckler who made it possible!
Wednesday, the 16th of June 2010 will be remembered as the day when torrential rains flooded the most renowned road in Singapore, Orchard Road. I was not even aware of it until the next morning when I read the papers. I live and work in the east where the rain was mild that day. First reaction? Surprised, but no big deal, or so I thought. I brushed it aside as I left my house for work that morning.
It was on Thursday that I realized the impact of this news. It had traveled far, across the Straits of Malacca to the most populous country in South East Asia, Indonesia. I was in Jakarta on a one-day business trip. Business aside, the talk of the town was the flood in Orchard Road. Every one of the 7 business acquaintances I met that day was mocking the flood. I was surprised. Even more so when I heard that it was headline news in the local newspaper that morning. Wow…, I thought.
At that moment, I realized that we, the second youngest country in South East Asia, after East Timor, had established for ourselves a rock-solid reputation for our infrastructure. Our neighbours hold us in such high regards that they had never imagined flooding of such a magnitude occurring at all, much less in the heart of Orchard Road.
So, what are my thoughts on this flood? Singapore is not impervious to failure but our strength lies in learning from our mistakes. We remedy, we grow, and we improve. We change.
From this flood, I also see opportunities. I can almost visualize that more ‘horsepower’ will be added to the control system – IP67 industrial plug connectors will be needed to withstand the harsh outdoor environment, surge protection to guard against the failing of the control system due to lightning strikes, an array of data communication and protection devices for reliable transmission from CCTV systems, a robust SMS relay will sending an SMS (to the PUB) when triggered by the remote sensors, and many more!
Regrettably, I was not able to witness with my own eyes, the last flood in Orchard Road.
