SHUNT CAPACITOR BANK Protection and Control System

GE Multilin's C70 is an advanced protection and control system for shunt capacitor banks facilitating reliable supply of reactive power to power grids, thereby improving the power factor of the grid, reducing network losses and improving voltage stability.

The C70 is a convergent platform comprising of different functions in one box, eliminating the need to have multiple stranded products. The C70 provides both the bank and system protection schemes for shunt capacitor banks. The current- and voltage-based protection functions are designed to provide sensitive protection for grounded, ungrounded single and parallel capacitor banks and banks with taps. Combined with the sophisticated built-in control functions, switching of capacitor banks can be achieved with relative ease and flexibility for automatic voltage regulation.

The C70 comes with advanced embedded communication capabilities with an array of protocols for device communications including IEC61850, DNP3.0, Modbus and IEC60870-5-104. The latest IEC61850 utility communication protocol is embedded in C70.
GE Multilin | www.GEMultilin.com

TRANSFORMER OIL Cardinal Pumps

Unifin offers its line of transformer oil pumps specifically designed to meet the requirements of transformer oil applications.

To meet the extreme temperature requirements, Cardinal pumps are rated for continuous duty operating temperature ranges from -40°C (-40°F) to 100°C (212°F). The Cardinal pumps also have other special features for transformer oil applications, such as the capability to permit thermo-siphon flow when the pump is not operating, allowing natural convection even when the pump is completely shut off.

For long life in the field, all Cardinal pumps offer a rugged split-casing design with heavy-duty Class 30 cast iron used for the pump casting, motor enclosures, impellers and volutes.
Unifin International | www.unifin.com

Portable Fiber-Optic THERMOMETER

Neoptix Fiber Optic Sensors Inc. introduces the Nomad, its new battery-operated fiber-optic thermometer that can save temperature readings on up to 1-GB flash cards and features a large 160- × 160-pixel LCD display.

Designed with portability in mind, the Nomad operates on AA rechargeable batteries, which provide sufficient autonomy for a full working day. It also comes with a universal dc power supply.

The Nomad utilizes the logging capacity inherent to flash-card technology by saving temperature readings directly into standard secure digital (SD) memory cards. The saved information can be downloaded to the PC using the RS-232 communication port or directly from a SD card reader. Temperature values can then be visualized and manipulated using Microsoft Excel or any other spreadsheet application.

The Nomad also introduces the “SnapLog” data-logging feature, which allows the user to save only one temperature value each time the “SnapLog” key is pressed.
Neoptix Fiber Optic Sensors Inc. www.neoptix.com

EARTH-GROUND Testers

The Fluke 1623 Advanced GEO and 1625 Basic GEO earth-ground testers are designed to perform all four types — 3- and 4-pole fall potential, 4-pole soil resistivity, stakeless testing and selective testing — of earth-ground measurement. Specifically, the Fluke 1623 and 1625 testers are able to measure earth-ground loop resistances using only clamps — called stakeless testing, which doesn't require the use of earth-ground stakes or the disconnection of ground rods. Ground resistance can also be measured using a combination of stakes and a clamp without disconnecting ground rods. The testers guide users through which clamps or stakes need to be connected for each test with on-screen prompts on a clear display.
Fluke | www.fluke.com

Hybrid Vehicle AERIAL DEVICE

Terex Utilities' HRX-55 Overcenter Material Handling Aerial Device is outfitted for the first time on a Peterbilt hybrid-electric, medium-duty truck. The HRX-55 on a medium-duty truck base is widely used in municipal and utility applications. The demand for quieter equipment and improved fuel economy has largely driven the development of hybrid vehicles in such applications.

With Peterbilt's Class 7 hybrid Model 335, the PTO can operate for approximately 25 minutes before requiring battery recharging. After that time, the diesel engine will start to recharge the batteries for about three minutes. Thus, the diesel engine may run less than one hour during eight hours of operation of the unit.
Terex Corp. | www.terex.com

Enterprise Business Intelligence for CC&B UPGRADE

SPL WorldGroup has upgraded its Enterprise Business Intelligence (EBI) for Customer Care & Billing (CC&B) software. Version 2.0.1 provides the option of receiving near-real-time extracts in a continuous stream, which is important for companies that are using EBI for time-sensitive applications like monitoring outages.

SPL EBI is designed to bridge the gap between customer information and strategic initiatives. Utilities can use SPL EBI to accelerate the analysis of data on revenues, collections, billed usage, service levels, churn and other areas of the business. It lets companies drill down into data to uncover the root causes of problems, enabling them to develop timely and reliable solutions.
SPL WorldGroup | www.splwg.com

FUEL CELL SYSTEM for Emergency Responders

Jadoo Power Systems Inc. announces the XRT, a new addition to its lineup of fuel cells and accessories. The XRT provides critical support power when the grid is either unavailable or unreliable. The XRT can be used for power-hungry emergency-response applications that need power support, such as portable radio and laptop battery recharging, as well as a battery replacement for emergency lighting and critical communication devices like satellite phones and modems.
Jadoo Power Systems www.jadoopower.com

POWER-CONVERSION Platforms with PMBus

ColdWatt Inc., a manufacturer of high-efficiency power-conversion solutions, has joined the Power Management Bus (PMBus) Implementers Forum, declaring its commitment to the industry-standard power-control protocol. ColdWatt's modular digital architecture will be enhanced to comply with the PMBus open communications standard providing system designers with a portfolio of innovative and energy-efficient digital power solutions.

The PMBus protocol provides a standard way to communicate with power converters over a digital communications bus. Implemented over the industry-standard SMBus serial interface, the PMBus protocol facilitates programming, digital control and real-time monitoring of compliant power-conversion products without the need to burden the host system with multiple protocols.
ColdWatt Inc. | www.coldwatt.com