Surge Protection Devices

“Surge protection devices” are also referred to as SPDs, and are essentially equipment that is used for the specific purpose of limiting the amount of electricity that can pass through them and on to downstream components.  They can be easily compared to a dam, where they are installed along the flow routes of electricity instead of water.  They are designed to allow a specific amount of electricity to pass through them which is in line with the tolerances of the equipment placed after them along that flow route.  If the electrical flow surges past a specific point, the surge protection device performs its duty.  It cuts off any excess electricity that is over and above that specific tolerance.  The methods that can be employed to achieve this goal are varied, consisting of either drawing down the flow, completely cutting off the flow, or diverting the excess electricity to another place.  While each surge protection device functions differently, and are designed for different applications, they all perform the same task of protecting equipment that can be damaged by excess electric flow.

The main differences between industrial surge protection devices and residential surge protection devices is the level to which they are constructed and the technology that drives their function.  Basically, industrial surge protection devices need to be built to more exact standards and from more robust materials due to the fact that they are utilized in harsher environments to protect more expensive equipment.  Within a residential space, the equipment that is being protected is probably limited to televisions, computers and various other devices that cost only a few thousand dollars.  Within an industrial environment, the components that are being utilized can easily cost tens of millions of dollars, and be providing services that people depend on daily.  If the business is simply manufacturing a product, offline time and equipment repair may only have a negative impact on the bottom line.  If the business is service oriented, and has customers that rely on that service, the impact of outages and equipment repair can significantly decrease the quality of life of those who utilize the services.  Thus, with regard to industrial businesses, the stakes when it comes to surge protection are far higher.

Technologically advanced surge protection equipment from companies like Raycap provides a level of protection that is unmatched.  These devices are relied upon to not only protect equipment owned by the world’s largest companies, but also to keep the services that we all use on a daily basis up and running.  Protecting everything from the ability to make a call on a  cell phone, to the ability to turn on the lights in your house, Raycap products keep these residential and industrial applications not only functioning, but profitable. Raycap is continually striving to create better products that will provide even higher level of accuracy and technological advancement.  Their products are already the gold standard in surge protection, and they will continue to provide the most cutting edge solutions available.

Lightning Protection For Wind Turbines

Climate change as well as challenging environments across the globe have created a growing interest in the exploration of green energy production.  As populations rise in established areas and expand into previously under populated spaces, the need for alternative methods of creating power grow increasingly important.  When combined with the understanding that even small amounts of pollution are not beneficial to our environment, we see that the debate between power production methodologies becomes one that is almost entirely economic.  The choices that are made by countries or localized governments that have to do with the methods of power production for their citizens, are influenced not only by the technology and ability to produce a stable stream of energy, but also by the expenses involved in the production itself and the ability of powerful lobbyists to influence governing officials.  Fossil fuels are able to be utilized to produce power effectively however they are always going to produce a certain amount of damage to the environment, and are going to also have certain costs associated with their mining, refinement, transport and purchase.  Green energy technologies use free sources of power to generate the same electrical product as fossil fuels.  The expenses involved in green energy technologies are seen in the care and maintenance of the systems as well as the equipment procurement, repair and storage systems involved in the process.  One of the most obvious examples of the challenges that increase these costs is wind power production.

The typical wind tower is usually the tallest structure within an area, so as to remain unobstructed.  That same tower is generally made of a large amount of metal.  This ultimately makes the tower itself a target for lightning strikes.  Lightning will usually hit the blades or nacelle, which are made of composite materials that do not have the ability to effectively withstand a direct lightning strike.  The additional damage that is seen after a lightning strike involves the power surge that travels through the associated tower and overwhelms computerized equipment that is held within it.  This surge also has the ability to travel throughout the entire wind farm, moving through electrical components interconnected by cabling.  Once the tower has been struck, surge protection devices that are mounted throughout it do their jobs and divert the surge to ground, rendering them inoperable to protect against another such surge until replaced. If lightning strikes again before these components are replaced the tower is at risk of surge damage and can even become inoperable.  The difficulties in replacing surge protection components within structures like this, combined with the losses associated with offline power production statuses during times when the free wind fuel source is available, creates a situation where power production using this method can be more expensive than using simple fossil fuels to accomplish the same goal.  Luckily, the integration of more technologically advanced surge protection devices can potentially solve these issues.  These new devices have the ability to remain functional even after a surge incident, ultimately resulting in fewer repair calls and more uptime.  As we see larger scale rollouts of wind farms using the more advanced surge protection systems, we are seeing that the prices of green energy can be brought until it is in line with fossil fuels.  This represents the ability to transition over to cleaner and less costly production methods, and also illustrates a brighter future.

Surge Protection Is A Mainstay Of Industrial Businesses

Industrial businesses will generally have a few physical characteristics that are consistent across a variety of business types. Physical aspects of an industrial business will involve remote locations, tall structures and high tech equipment connected to both data transfer lines as well as high voltage lines. While all of these things are necessary to ongoing production, they also serve as a weakness that many people are unaware of.  That weakness involves lightning strikes and power surges, and it also represents one of the biggest causes of losses that businesses suffer. Industrial installations are predominately located in areas that cause a certain level of exposure, and place sensitive equipment at risk of damage due to the unprotected status. Steps can be taken to enclose and shield the equipment itself, but lightning striking a structure is generally powerful enough to destroy any shielding. The surge that follows the strike will also be far greater than any equipment can handle, and there will be circuitry damage that follows. This will not be isolated to the equipment that is actually inside of the structure, as the surge has the ability to travel along any cable or connector that will join two components together, effectively traveling between them and doing damage to both. It can also move on to subsequent components from that point as well, damaging anything that is connected together.

The defense against this type of damage comes in the form of surge protective devices which are fitted along cables and lines, or at critical junction points. Through a system of redundant surge protection devices installed at appropriate positions, industrial installations can enjoy a certain level of protection against the inevitable lightning strike. These devices act as a stop gap, preventing the flow of electricity past the point where they are installed. Different surge protective devices function in different ways, some diverting the electrical overload to a ground and some simply creating a gap that cannot be crossed by the flow of electricity that is over a certain level. At the current time there is also new technology that goes beyond the simple gapping system that has been used for decades, allowing for a "always on" feature.  This ability to not be placed into a "tripped" status protects equipment from the rare but possible second strike to the same structure, which would have been unprotected against using a traditional surge protective device. These new devices are more robust and allow for faster restoration times as well as keeping systems constantly protected.

Surge protection devices are responsible for minimizing the damage that is expected during ongoing business activities, the damage that is built into business plans to be covered by prices charged for products. As better technology reduces the expected expenses, consumer prices are allowed to drop while profit margins remain intact. Surge protection is an integral part of most people's lives, even if they are unaware of it.

This article was created using research from

https://www.raycap.com/surge-protection/

Surge Protection Lowers Alternative Energy Prices

Make no mistake about it, the debate over alternative energy is about money and not about climate change. The fossil fuel industry supports energy production methods that utilize their products to produce power, and they are threatened by any production method that does not. For this reason, a negative ad campaign has been going on for many years in an attempt to suppress the evolution of technology that could improve the alternative power production industry. These include muddying the waters with discussions about the actual damage caused by burning fossil fuels in an attempt to justify it through lower costs. The industry creates a debate about the amount of damage that is acceptable in order to pay a lower price. This argument will be rendered meaningless if the prices of alternative energy production can be driven down past fossil fuels, so attempts are made to reduce the funding of technology that can result in this happening. Ultimately the fossil fuel industry will lose this battle, due to the fact that areas of technological advancement that are outside of the actual industry are helping to drive prices down.

The surge protection technology market is helping to dramatically reduce the costs of alternative energy production. This is being accomplished through the evolution of more technologically advanced surge protection devices that can not only provide better protection but also remain active during and after a surge incident. The costs of alternative energy production are found primarily in the repair and replacement of equipment used in the process, due to the fact that the fuel is free. Because of the exposed nature of solar panels and wind towers, they are targets for lightning strikes, which produce damage at the strike point as well as surge related damage to attached components. While there is little more that can be done to reduce the actual instances of lightning strike and the damage to the strike points themselves, large amounts of cost can be saved through the reduction of downstream damage to components as a result of the subsequent power surge. Lightning strikes produce a massive surge that travels along cables and lines, overwhelming sensitive equipment that is attached both inside and outside the structure. This chain-effect can result in the damage to equipment large distances away from the point of strike, and increase the damage costs as as result. Through the integration of more robust and technologically advanced surge protection devices within these systems and along cables, the damage downstream can be minimized resulting in greater efficiency and savings through extension of equipment life. Through the integration of technologically advanced surge protection devices that are "always on" and do not require resetting, systems of energy production can remain online for longer time frames during production times when there is wind and sun available, resulting in energy surpluses that previously were impossible. All of these advancements will eventually result in alternative energy being both cleaner and cheaper, and public support will always go to the cheaper product.

Public support for alternative energy production methods is increasing every year, and eventually they will be the standard and not the alternative. Surge protection technology is pushing this forward even if the fossil fuel industry is attempting to stand in the way.

Portions of this article were researched using information found on

https://www.raycap.com/surge-protection/

Lightning Protection

Protection against lightning comes in a few distinct forms, generally recognized as lightning rods and surge protection devices. The lightning rod is a very simple concept, that lightning is drawn away from structures that have value and to a controlled place where it can be grounded. This is done by using a metal rod that is placed in a position that is higher than the surrounding structures. Surge protection devices are more complicated, functioning as a stop gap once a power surge is detected, thus not allowing that electricity to flow past it to the point of contact with equipment that may be damaged. Due to the fact that computerized equipment cannot withstand more than a specific electrical flow level without having the circuitry damaged, the only valid method of protection is to completely cut the flow of that electricity if it goes over a certain safe level. This is done by the surge protection device being set to instantly create a gap in flow if any excess is detected, which will shut systems down in order to protect them. While the system components are protected from damage, the system itself enters a state where it is no longer producing or functioning until restoration of the gap is established.

Modern surge protection devices have greater ability to both withstand the damage caused by the surge themselves as well as keeping systems online after a surge incident happens. This is accomplished through the technological aspects of the devices themselves, essentially using more evolved technology than a simple gapping system. Because they are no longer mechanical in this fashion, they themselves do not need to be reset the way they once did, and instead will return to their functional state once the excess electrical flow has ceased. This evolution allows us to both protect investment in the field while also keeping systems functioning longer. With regards to systems like telecommunications where system outages can create communication difficulties during emergency situations and power production where uptime is the deciding factor between profitability and losses, the introduction and installation of the most advanced surge protection systems available is moving the world forward. Through more evolved surge protection, we are able to increase productivity in nearly any industry that is exposed to electrical surges, as well as keeping critical systems functioning that we rely upon every day.

Surge protection devices are not the simple surge strips that you have in your home any more, and are now technological wonders in their own right. In many cases, the surge protection device itself may be as technologically advanced as the equipment it is protecting.

The Evolution Of Surge Protection

Many people do not think about the devices that act in the background to protect us or our assets every day. Surge protection devices are one of those devices that simply exist in the background quietly doing nothing for the majority of the time they are in use. Their sole purpose is to act in the case of a power surge that would allow more electricity than a device can handle to flow across it. Computers and other data processing equipment utilizes circuitry that can easily be damaged by an overload of electricity in the form of a power surge. There are small types of damage that happen each time a small surge is allowed to contact circuits, like switching on and off, and there are larger types of damage that occur when a large scale surge is allowed through. The job of the surge protection device is to sit dormant on the line that the electricity is flowing until the time when that electrical flow exceeds a level that is safe for the attached equipment. At that point, the surge protection device instantly creates a gap that the electricity cannot flow across, effectively cutting power to everything beyond it. Any attached system that relies upon that power will be shut down until which time the gap within the surge protection device is closed or restored, and power is once again allowed to flow across it.

As surge protection devices evolve, we find them being able to be reset easier so as to restore system functionality with less time and effort, and we find them being made of more robust materials that allow them to be more effective by not being destroyed in the process of doing their job. In many cases, the switch that is triggered that creates the gap must be replugged in order to restore the electrical flow, which takes man hours and labor to accomplish. The new and more technologically advanced devices not only have the ability to be reset easier, but they can actually continue to function even after they have cut the power flow and then it has returned to normal. This is important because a hazard of surge protection involves multiple surges or lightning strikes that leave systems vulnerable after the first protective measure is taken. The multiple-strike possibility always exists for equipment in the field, and in more basic surge protection systems once the system has been triggered it is no longer functional. This flaw cost millions of dollars every year in damage to equipment, and ultimately is being improved upon through the technological evolution of the surge protection devices themselves. Combined with more robust housings and components and we have surge protection devices that are capable of doing their job faster and more effectively than ever before, thus saving millions of dollars in damage and also keeping productivity at all time highs.

Can Industrial Surge Protection Stop Climate Change?

Nobody denies that climate change is happening. The common question that is asked of people is if they believe climate change is real, and these types of questions are generally geared towards a political agenda. The question is not if it is real or not, but instead is if man has something to do with it. Any quick analysis of weather patterns and ocean temperatures can prove that the earth is getting warmer, but the opposing sides disagree on the cause of this warming. Advocates of fossil fuels argue that this is a natural pattern of a planet, getting hotter and colder due to natural circumstances. Advocates of alternative energy sources argue that manmade pollution is contributing to these changes, and accelerating the rate of global warming.These tow sides actually do agree on something, that pollution is created by burning fossil fuels. Nobody denies the fact that pollution is created by this process, but the differences come based on one's belief of the levels of damage that are caused by that pollution. Advocates for fossil fuels argue that the damage that is produced to the environment is minimal enough that the costs savings over alternative energy production is worth it. Those arguing for alternative energy production say it is not. Both sides agree there is damage and both sides are weighing the cost in comparison to the damage amount, but what if the alternative energy production methods also cost less?

The main cost basis in alternative energy production is equipment, and the repair or replacement of that equipment. Wind and solar systems both use sophisticated computer equipment to create and harness the electricity, and because these installations need to be in relatively remote and unobstructed spaces they are targets for lighting strikes. This simple weakness means that periodic lightning strike damage must be factored into the business plans and ultimately passed off to the consumer in order to remain profitable, and the damage that has been observed with these regular occurrences of lightning strike allows for estimates and projections of cost to be made. Even though the wind and sun are free, the costs associated with repair and replacement of this equipment ends up being higher than fossil fuel production. In addition, the systems being knocked offline during times when the wind and sun are present create inefficiencies in production that results in the methods not being able to produce enough electricity to satisfy demands. If lightning strikes could be eliminated, these issues would be solved surpluses of electricity could be made, all the while driving costs down and resulting in lower electricity bills for consumers.

Lighting strikes cannot be eliminated, however the damage that they do can be significantly reduced. The costs pile up as a result not of the strike, but of the surge. The lightning strike to a wind tower or solar panel will damage that point, but the real costs are found in damage caused by the surge that moves from that point and through connected equipment. The power surges can destroy circuitry in equipment that is nowhere near the strike point, and ultimately knock the system offline during peak hours with totally free fuel sources. The integration of advanced surge protection devices into these systems can reduce damage, and the development of more advanced and robust surge protection devices can protect even further. As a result, equipment can be used for longer than predicted periods of time before needing to be repaired or replaced, and the systems can stay online for longer periods creating more of a surplus of electricity. The result is electricity generated by systems that produce no pollution, as well as being cheaper and providing enough to power entire communities without backup sources. The by product of saving money and reducing costs is the reduction of global warming, because all consumers will favor the cheaper methods of production, especially if theya re cleaner as well.