Switches News

Among the significant changes included in Amendment 2 to BS 7671:2018 (18th edition of the IET Wiring Regulations) is a new requirement for Arc Fault Detection Devices (AFDDs) in AC final circuits supplying socket-outlets in some types of higher-risk and residential buildings. Regulation 421.1.7 requires that AFDDs conforming to BS EN 62606 shall be provided for single-phase AC final circuits supplying socket-outlets with rated current not exceeding 32 A in the following: Higher Risk Resi...

EV chargers are becoming ubiquitous so much so that now legislation requires new domestic and industrial buildings to include charging points. While the main power conversion technology is an area of intense innovation, there is also a need for low-power auxiliary AC/DC and DC/DC converters. This article looks at the specifications these low-power auxiliary converters need to meet. The uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) in all of their forms has really taken off. As many as 6.75 millio...

RWE will acquire the gas-fired power plant ‘Magnum’ at Eemshaven, the Netherlands, in the province of Groningen from Vattenfall. The two companies have signed an agreement to this effect. The plant, which has been in operation since 2013, is one of the most modern power plants of its kind and has an installed capacity of 1.4 gigawatts. RWE to acquire ‘Magnum’ gas-fired power plant Magnum is located in the immediate vicinity of RWE’s existing power plant in Eemsha...

Schneider Electric, the globally renowned company in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced that its flash mitigation solution, ArcBlok, was recognized as the Best Power Product and Most Innovative New Technology at the Electro Expo 2022. ArcBlok ArcBlok is a game-changing innovation that is designed specifically for the line side of equipment, which poses the highest risk of injury to electrical contractors from incident energy exposure, during an arc...

Mingyang Smart Energy celebrated the rollout of the MySE 12MW hybrid drive offshore wind turbine at its manufacturing base in Shanwei, Guangdong. Safety and reliability at the core MySE 12MW is an upgrade of the 11MW platform that integrates a variety of innovative technologies for efficient and reliable performance. First, the lubrication system is optimized and co-shared by the gearbox and generator. Second, dual-drive pitch control technology is suitable for all kinds of extreme operation c...

Volta Trucks, the pioneering and disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has completed its first customer driving evaluation and feedback sessions of the Volta Zero Design Verification prototype. The review gave customers their first experience of the zero-tailpipe emission medium-duty truck designed for urban logistics, providing a real-world understanding of the vehicle’s performance, world-first driver-centric cab, and innovative safety features....

BAE Systems, a globally renowned company in electric propulsion, has been selected by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), to provide more than 335 electric drive systems for its new fleet of zero-emission capable hybrid transit buses. This follows an order of 165 additional Series-ER (Electric Range) systems for nearby Mississauga Transit (MiWay), supplying Ontario transit agencies with next-generation technology to reduce fuel use and enable infrastructure-free zero emissions operations, acr...

On June 2, 2021, Würth Elektronik ICS will be hosting a free online seminar on the topic of ‘high current contacts in power electronics’. The speaker Günter Behlau, Project Engineer in the Components Department at Würth Elektronik ICS, will present various high-current contacts, processing guidelines for them and recommended design rules for their use. Those who are interested can register under the Webinar – ‘High current contacts in power electronics&rsqu...

ABB announced that the company has installed their market-renowned distributed control system (DCS) - ABB Ability System 800xA, at the new Olefin III complex, located in Plock, Poland. Integrating ABB Ability System 800xA control architecture across the entire mega development, PKN Orlen will be able to constantly monitor and analyze plant productivity, maximizing asset performance, managing power consumption, ensuring product quality, and optimizing process efficiency in real time. ABB Abilit...

On May 11, 2022, Hunan 500 kV Shuicheng substation was successfully put into operation. The substation is the first 500 kV intelligent substation in Hunan Province to realize the remote 'one key sequence control' function. The implementation and application of remote 'one key sequence control' enables the staff of Changsha EHV centralized control station to operate the 500 kV Shuicheng substation equipment more than 300 km away only in front of the centralized control computer, greatly shorteni...

RWE is moving ahead with the expansion of renewable energies in Germany: RWE has already significantly strengthened its team for the onshore and solar business, which has a very regional focus. Of the 200 vacancies, around 50 have already been filled by new colleagues. They will intensively drive forward the project development of onshore wind power and ground-mounted photovoltaics (PV). RWE opens seven New offices in Germany The company has also opened seven offices in Germany since the begi...

Canyon State Electric is introducing a new initiative targeting the leading cause of construction worker fatalities nationwide: suicide. The 4X5 program teaches employees to recognize potential mental health issues in themselves and their coworkers, before they become unmanageable. According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics, suicide in the construction industry is four times higher than any other industry and five times as deadly as construction-related incidents. Main fac...

Ministers of the G7 group of advanced economies recognized multiple aspects of the IEA’s work on the clean energy transition and energy security, including a recent major report on how to put carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industries such as steel and cement on a path towards net zero. After a two-day meeting in Berlin under Germany’s 2022 Presidency of the G7, Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers issued a communiqué setting out a wide range of actions to tackle &ls...

Siemens will welcome guests from all over the world in Hanover, Germany, to present its automation, digitalization and electrification portfolio that enables a more sustainable future. For the year 2022, Hannover Messe (‘Hanover Fair’) – back after a two-year break, due to the COVID-19 pandemic – with 2,800 square meters of exhibition space, visitors to the Siemens booth will gain insights into a broad variety of products, solutions and services, ranging from digital twi...

ABB has announced that its E-mobility division has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Numocity, a globally renowned digital platform for electric vehicle charging in India. ABB will increase its shareholding to a controlling majority of 72 percent and has the right to become sole owner by 2026. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is part of ABB E-mobility’s overall growth strategy and will significantly improve its position across India, as well as...

Belden, a global supplier of specialty networking solutions, has announced six Q2 2022 product launches that give customers new integration capabilities and new ways to safely carry power over long distances and products with fast lead times. Networking and Software: Hirschmann BXS Gigabit Switches provide a reliable, cost-effective solution for industrial engineers and train builders, who need to ensure fast, powerful connectivity to end devices and passenger infotainment systems, without u...

RWE, Wales’ largest electricity generator, is a sponsor of the 2022 Urdd Eisteddfod in Denbighshire, north Wales. The company is to sponsor the event’s volunteers and stewards, which will be on hand to guide attendees around the festival site in Denbigh. The Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm Fund, which will contribute £19m over the lifetime of RWE’s nearby Clocaenog Wind Farm, is sponsoring a sensory garden within the event. With a long history in Wales, many of...

The multi-energy storage industrial development forum themed, 'Create Future By Fulfilling Dual Carbon Goals With Internet Tools', was convened online and was attended by Zhu Zhaokai, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Electric Group and Chairman of Shanghai Electrical and Mechanical Labor Union, and Deputy President Jin Xiaolong, which is the first event of Shanghai Electric’s series of 'Dual Carbon Goals' - themed sessions. Ten professionals and insiders of different fi...

DENSO Corporation, a mobility supplier, and Honeywell, an aerospace pioneer, are co-developing an electric motor (e-motor) for the Lilium Jet. This is the first product developed by Honeywell and DENSO since formalizing their alliance, and it marks DENSO’s entry into the aerospace market. The two companies will work with Lilium, developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) jet, to integrate the e-motor into Lilium’s aircraft engines. susta...

Schneider Electric, the globally renowned company in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced Grid to Prosumer, an end-to-end approach to Distributed Energy Resources (DER) management, to maximize the connection and value of renewable energy, energy storage and electric vehicles. Grid modernization is increasingly about managing supply and demand at the grid edge, spanning both sides of the customer meter. It requires new ways to engage, plan and design, opt...

AudioLINK+ is now faster, quieter, and more reliable than ever before. The second iteration of Aico’s award-winning AudioLINK technology makes it easy to access real-time data from alarms via the free AudioLINK+ app. AudioLINK+ AudioLINK+ extracts the same data as AudioLINK, but does this quicker and quieter than before to reduce disturbance and does not affect any other functionality of alarms. With the average time to take a report taking between 4-7 seconds, AudioLINK+ technology make...

Policy support and flood of new models underpin sales in major markets, but greater efforts are needed to anticipate supply chain bottlenecks and boost critical mineral production. Electric car sales powered through 2021 and have remained strong so far in 2022, but ensuring future growth will demand greater efforts to diversify battery manufacturing and critical mineral supplies, in order to reduce the risks of bottlenecks and price rises, according to the International Energy Agency. Sales of...

Organizations today are faced with growing challenges, when it comes to defending against increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks. Ransomware, software supply chain attacks, denial of service, malware, botnets, social engineering – a seemingly infinite list of attack techniques are upping the ante and driving security teams to burnout. Attackers have at their disposal a plethora of known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), as well as unknown zero-day techniques. complexity of e...

From the wish to enhance the societal value of the RAI, and to diminish waste, RAI Amsterdam is actively working towards connecting societal needs to excesses at the RAI. Through this, the RAI is finding many possibilities to use excess products to aid society. From connecting leftover items after events to societal initiatives through a donation program, so they can use them in creating free meals for the Legerdesheils, to connecting unused facilities, knowledge and expertise in the network to...

IEA Executive Director - Fatih Birol received a visit from Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, the Secretary General of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), at the International Energy Agency (IEA) headquarters in Paris, France. During the meeting, Dr. Birol thanked Mr. Barkindo for his efforts in recent years to foster frank and open dialog between energy producers and consumers, in the interests of greater oil market stability. OPEC Secretary General visits IEA Executive Director...

New IEA report lays out recommendations to speed up technology development and overcome high costs of drastically reducing emissions from steel and cement production. G7 economies are well placed to be first movers on driving down carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industry, setting out a path for the rest of the world for this essential part of the transition to clean energy systems, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Achieving Net Zero Heavy Industry Sectors in...

As part of its ongoing commitment to social and environmental causes, Legrand has unveiled its latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) roadmap covering 2022 to 2024. reduce carbon emissions The roadmap is built around four pillars. Together, they will help the organization reduce its carbon footprint, make advancements in diversity and inclusion, develop a circular economy and take the next steps as a responsible business regarding employee wellbeing and customer satisfaction. Integral t...

While AC system protection is well known and applied throughout the power system industry, there is also protection needed for complex DC equipment. This includes DC traction power systems associated with railway electrification. Below are some of the methods of protection that a Power System Engineer may often encounter in DC traction power. Track Time Constant To properly apply system protection for DC traction power systems, a good understanding of the track time constant (L/R ratio) is re...

Volta Trucks, the disruptive full-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer and services provider, has confirmed the selection of Carrier Transicold as the sole supplier of refrigerated equipment for the full-electric 16-tonne Volta Zero. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable, and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. The supply agreement follows a project in which Carrier Transicold engineers worked closely with th...

In 2021, Russia provided Germany with 55% of its natural gas imports, 35% of its oil imports and 50% of its hard coal imports. The war in Ukraine is causing a monumental shift in the country’s energy landscape, with increasing pressure to become independent of these fossil fuel imports. Gas is a key component for many industrial processes  – it keeps half of Germany’s 41.5 million households warm and accounted for 15.3% of German electricity generation last year...