For decades, the semiconductor industry has been struggling with near short defects in the wire bond of an integrated circuit (IC), without an effective solution to detect it. When two wire bonds come very close to each other, but are not electrically shorted, that results in a near short condition. This presents a potential reliability issue. The insulative barrier between the wires can give way over time, or after extended stress, resulting in a catastrophic failure of the device. Depending o...

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...

BAE Systems, a pioneer 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 across its fleets. Zer...

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...

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....

Volta Trucks are pleased to announce that it has been shortlisted for the Innovation Award at the prestigious Motor Transport Awards 2022, in partnership with Goodyear.  Motor Transport Awards 2022 This award recognizes that the road transport sector is going through unprecedented levels of change, as it strives to deliver great service, while cutting emissions, improving safety, and addressing the skills shortage all while delivering a profit. This Award is for the most innovative...

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...

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...

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...

Power management company Eaton announces its eMobility business has introduced a battery disconnect unit (BDU) that can be combined with upgraded Breaktor® circuit protection technology to provide circuit protection in electrified vehicles (EVs) while reducing overall complexity and cost. When paired with the Breaktor circuit protection technology, which combines current switching and resettable bidirectional short-circuit protection with fast actuation, Eaton’s BDU eliminates the nee...

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...

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...

Hitachi, Ltd (Hitachi) and Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. (Hitachi Astemo) have developed basic technology for a thin-type inverter that achieves both energy conservation and miniaturization as a power converter (hereinafter referred to as ‘inverter’) for electric vehicles (hereinafter referred to as ‘EVs’). This technology simplifies power wiring, by integrating power semiconductors that control power supply with printed circuit boards. Compared to conventional products, the thin...

The European Commission and the International Energy Agency are joining forces to help EU countries reduce their reliance on Russian fossil fuels. By strengthening investments in clean energy and energy efficiency, the project aims to mitigate the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the EU energy sector. Liquefied natural gas In the framework of this common endeavor, the Commission is offering support to Member States to reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels through the...

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...

Schneider Electric, the globally renowned company in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced the launch of its new SureSeT MV switchgear offering for the North American market. This new and improved solution, backed by the innovative and award-winning EvoPacT circuit breaker, replaces the Schneider Electric Masterclad solution for primary switchgear applications, with a smaller, stronger and smarter solution for managing digital day-to-day operations. Sure...

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...

Aico recently welcomed Year 4’s from Woodside Primary School across three days for fun filled educational workshops aimed at raising awareness about fire safety and hazards in the home; the students’ first school trip since 2019. The children received a tour of Aico’s headquarters, enabling them to interact with colleagues from various departments and explore the facilities. They enjoyed a game of pool in Aico’s canteen and experienced the relaxation room onsite, before...

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...

Six MIDI fuses in one robust, IP66-compliant housing: The REDline Power Box 6F is the latest development in the family of REDline Power Boxes, the successful power distribution platform from Würth Elektronik ICS, used for installation in battery, engine and chassis areas. Measuring only 170 x 112 x 48 mm, the compact sealed housing provides space for up to six MIDI fuses in 32 V and 70 V versions. The high IP rating allows OEMs to install the box in chassis, battery and engine areas. The b...

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...

ABB’s Process Automation business area is hosting its Capital Markets Day in Helsinki, Finland. The business area is highlighting how it is raising long-term profitability by enabling industrial customers to manage the energy transition to a more sustainable future. This will be done through integrating its leading automation systems, industry-specific anchor products, sensing equipment, and sophisticated digital solutions. One of the biggest challenges facing the industry is the shift of...

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...

The best protection from rising electricity prices is a roof-mounted photovoltaic system that covers much of one’s own electricity demand and reduces one’s dependence on the public grid. Viessmann Electricity is an attractive new solution for home owners, who do not want to invest in their own solar power system or are looking for a worry-free package. The equipment is rented based on predictable monthly payments, eliminating the need for upfront investment. In exchange, home owner...