Lightning Protectors In The Field 

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/what-are-lightning-protectors/ 

The general public may not understand the significance of lightning protectors and how they help to save CapEx and OpEx at industrial facilities.  These are devices that are installed into the technical systems to protect the equipment downstream.  The protection that is provided is in response to the associated electrical surge that follows a lightning strike.  The concept of lightning protectors is that damage that is caused by lightning strikes to exposed structures and equipment in the field can be mitigated.  At the strike point itself, it would be expected that significant amounts of damage would occur, and as a result operators in multiple industries continually seek cheaper components that will be exposed to the elements.  Through the use of components which can be replaced at lesser expense, overall impact to the bottom line of the business grows more positive.  More of an issue is the associated power surge that travels through the exposed structures and equipment, has and can have a direct impact on computerized, data processing components located either within that structure or elsewhere. If connected to the structure itself or other nearby equipment, nearly any component in the process is at risk.  This sensitive equipment cannot withstand power surges of the level that are generated by lightning strikes and is at risk due to their inter-connectivity between equipment located closer to the strike point and further down the line.  These pieces of equipment are generally connected through data exchange lines or power cables.  These types of pathways allow the power surge to travel easily from the point of impact of the lightning strike to areas further away.  An example of this weakness can be seen in cellular towers, which are natural attractants for lightning strikes due to the necessity of placement in unobstructed and high areas.  This placement is necessary to provide a clear signal from cellular users on the ground to the tower, but this same placement ultimately creates the target for lightning strikes to the tower top.  Within this portion of the cellular tower is the “remote radio head” or “RRH,” which acts as a transmitter, moving data from this receiver point to the “base band unit” of “BBU” located either in the middle or at the bottom of that tower.  If the remote radio head is impacted by the lightning strike and power surge, it’s direct connection to the base station unit will almost assure unsafe levels of power to travel through both units after a lightning strike, if left unprotected.  Lightning protectors installed within junction points as well as along the cables that provide connectivity between units create an ability to stop the flow of power beyond their point of install.  This means that a power surge that impacts the remote radio head can be thwarted before it impacts the base station unit.  At least some of the equipment involved in the process can be salvaged after a lightning strike, when in the past more of a total loss would occur.  This provides an ability to conserve funds that would be spent on repair and maintenance, which can then be applied towards operational expenses or applied ot the bottom line.  (more…)

Electric Charging Station Surge Protection 

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/electrical-vehicle-surge-protection-2/  

There has been an ever-increasing interest in electric vehicles over the last five years.  In order to create even more interest and adoption there needs to be a more aggressive rollout of charging stations.  When considering the purchase of an emerging technology, one of the first things that comes to mind are the limitations that this technology might impose on your life.  With regards to electric vehicles, the limitations have always been in the form of a lack of power, a lack of styling and a lack of available charging stations.  Styling aside, the functionality of an electric vehicle is limited to the distance that it can be driven and the speed at which it can be driven.  As interest grows, manufacturers have made significant gains in the amount of power that can be generated to the wheels of an electric vehicle, in some cases now showing even more power than most standard gas-powered cars.  It seems that the only hindrance that still exists from preventing a more widespread adoption of this form of transportation is the lack of available charging stations across developed nations.  Nobody wants to worry about driving their vehicle in an unfamiliar area and not being able to charge it up.  Areas like California are now putting forward significantly more aggressive measures designed to eliminate gas-powered vehicles over the course of the next decades, this goal goes hand in hand with measures which will increase the amount of charging stations in the state.  Tesla has made the most progress with regards to its technology and roll out of new charging stations, but due to the fact that Tesla vehicles operate in a class of their own this does not do much for the development of technology outside of their system when these manufacturers create stations only relevant to their own car types.  Collective efforts to fast track more widespread adoption of electric vehicles involve tackling the problem of installing more charging stations that are not specifically only for a particular vehicle manufacturer. Many believe that cross-brand rapid charging stations are the solution.  (more…)

Electro Mobility And EV Protection 

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/wp-content/uploads/EV-Charger-Global-Application-paper_EN.pdf  

As the world moves forward toward a more widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EV) as the primary source of transportation within the personal vehicle market, we find that the need for reliable and safe charging infrastructure is increasing.  Electric vehicles have become more powerful and stylish, leaving only the ability to charge outside of the home as the major encumbrance limiting a more widespread global adoption.  Fast charging technology is rapidly emerging, and as public interest increases, we also find charging stations to be emerging as a business opportunity.  There are challenges to this type of widespread adoption, the main challenge is the methods to protect both the devices themselves and the connected vehicles against electrical overvoltage.  Both the cars and the charging stations are outfitted with sensitive components that are electronic in nature, which cannot withstand power surges.  The protecting of the cars and the charging stations against power surges caused by both fluctuations in the network as well as lightning strikes is critical from both a safety perspective as well as an economic perspective on the business end.  All grid side switching operations are potential problems for both the stations as well as the cars connected to them, and earthing faults or short circuiting can have severe impact in the form of damage to the equipment.  It’s necessary to safeguard against these electrical risks in order to ensure the viability of profits, and also safety with regards to human life.  Identifying the risk scenarios that surround both AC and DC charging setups is critical to the future of electrical vehicles. 

Overvoltages that are caused by lightning strikes to the alternating current network need to be diminished up to the point of input of the main distributor of the charging device.  Surge protection devices need to be installed directly after the main circuit breaker and need to impinge the surge current to earth.  We must take into consideration that there is no way to effectively shut down charging stations during thunderstorms which may produce lightning, so instead we must provide the protection that will allow these stations to remain fully functional during such inclement weather events.  It is critical that there is no chance of a surge moving past the connection point to the vehicle, considering that it would be anticipated during inclement weather that people would remain inside their cars during the charging process.  While there can be no chance of the surge mishap moving through the charging station and into the structure of the vehicle, we also need the minimization of the amount of time when humans would potentially be inside of their vehicle while it is connected.  Not only will shorter time frames associated with charging help to further the adoption of electric vehicles in general, it would minimize the amount of time that people would be at risk due to their presence in and around the vehicle during the charging process itself. EV surge protection can move us closer towards all these goals. 

The widespread implementation of charging stations across the country exponentially increases the amount of potential damage as a result of power surges.  Inverters and transformers within fast charging setups must be positioned upwards of 100 meters apart, which significantly increases the footprint that the station itself holds.  With each added inch of space that is taken up by equipment that is interconnected, the chances of a lightning strike impacting the entire system increases.  Providing less area where the lightning strike can happen and then couple into the system is one of the areas that is being technologically advanced every day.  As the charging capacities of the stations themselves grow more significant, so does the risk of loss as a result of a single lightning strike. The more advanced the system becomes, the more expensive the equipment becomes as well.  As we advance towards the goal of fast charging stations becoming able to provide a full charge to an electric vehicle in less than 30 minutes, the capacities of the delivery system must increase.  The risks associated with these increases can only be mitigated through the involvement of more technologically advanced surge protection devices on an ongoing basis.  While the integration of surge protection devices in addition to external shielding devices which can draw lightning strikes away from these charging stations can help to minimize the risks involved, there are still vast areas for improvement within nearly every element of the electricity delivery system for electric cars.  The ultimate goal is to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases that are produced as a result of fossil fuel powered vehicles, but the rollout of these emerging technologies remains slow because we concentrate heavily on fully understanding the potential pitfalls before moving forward with widespread rollouts. 

Tesla is a leader in the field of electric vehicles and has done more for the advancement of the clause than practically any other manufacturer.  One of the main considerations that has drawn customers to Tesla is their proprietary charge delivery system and stations which have been installed in nearly every major city in the United States.  Even Tesla which has the significant advantage over every other manufacturer still faces the problems of not being able to be everywhere, and only through the collective push for integration of cross vehicle charging stations into the existing gas station network will we be able to see a more legitimate adoption of electric vehicles as being the choice for the majority of the population.  Tesla vehicles are provided with an adapter that can utilize the standard charging station hookups, but even though they are able to be charged at these types of stations the delivery of the power is not as great as within the Tesla network.  The extended wait times of standard charging creates not only frustration for electric vehicle owners but also the dangers associated with the longer times they are spent in and around your car while it is connected.  Through Raycap’s advancements in the surge protection industry as it applies to electric vehicles, we will see all of these issues be further mitigated with every year. 

How Does Lightning Impact Industrial Businesses? 

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/what-are-lightning-protectors/ 

Industrial businesses’ face numerous problems that are more difficult to deal with due to the physical makeup of their organizations and processes’.  The fact that these types of industries can operate within physical spaces that are more diverse and difficult to protect against makes the electrical protection of them a unique challenge in almost any installation.  The more sensitive and expensive the equipment used in the process becomes, the more effort and expense will be put into protecting it in a typical situation. Within industrial facilities there is almost no way to completely disconnect sensitive equipment from the aspects of the network which could be in danger during a lightning strike or a surge coming from the electrical grid.  This translates to a simple issue, the positioning of equipment in the field places it at a greater risk of damage than normal situations, even if the best of all protection circumstances is achieved.  Some of the industries where we have seen this scenario played out is in the electric vehicle (EV) market, the telecommunications industry and the green energy production methods.  All of these types of businesses cannot get away from positioning expensive and easily damaged equipment in the field, and are also faced with the added difficulty of needing this equipment to function during all types of inclement weather.  The risk of wind, rain and snow damage as a result of wear and tear is made far worse by the risks associated with lightning strikes and power surges.  The added amount of electricity that is typically necessary to power an industrial facility makes switching issues and the standard expectations of power fluctuations pose a greater risk of economical loss to the business.  When you begin to factor in the added unpredictable nature of lightning, you must expect a certain amount of losses to happen.  Even the best of all scenarios where overhead shielding diverts lightning strikes away from the critical equipment and surge protection devices are installed in a redundant fashion throughout the entire system, we can still expect there to be a certain amount of damage every quarter. 

In the telecommunications field, the position of the cell towers in an unobstructed manner creates the problem.  A good signal must be able to be able to be received and transmitted, which means that the cell tower must be one of the tallest structures in an area.  That tower also must be made of materials that can withstand a significant amount of wind and bad weather.  The tower must provide the ability to continually function during inclement weather as well as in normal circumstances and must be able to be brought back into a functional state in a quick and easy manner after a damaging incident has occurred.  The way that the system works is technologically advanced but simple in its methods.  The remote radio head is positioned at the top of the tower in order to receive the signal from the user on the ground.  The base station unit is positioned towards the bottom of the tower and is connected to the remote radio head through a series of cables that allow for data transfer and power flow.  The lightning strike to the top of the tower can easily allow for a massive power surge to impact this equipment at the top, and that power flow can travel along the connectivity lines to impact the equipment further down.  it is impossible to maintain operations without these two units being connected, and historically we have found that lightning strikes will damage the equipment at the top as well as at the bottom.  The process of minimization of the damage as a result of lightning strikes has involved creating breaks where the electricity cannot continue flowing, ultimately protecting anything beyond that point.  This is where the integration of surge protection equipment along critical pathways can extend the life span of equipment outside of the strike point, as well as improving the amount of time it takes to repair the system and get the tower back online.  This gives customers less downtime and ultimately improves the business functionality at the same time as conserving OpEx funds that would otherwise be allocated towards repairs. 

Within the electric vehicle market, we find that sensitive equipment is placed both inside of the cars as well as in the charging stations that are positioned in the field.  When the electric car is connected to one of these charging stations, the risk of damage to both increases with every moment that the charge in process is ongoing.  The lightning strike produces a power surge that can couple into this equipment and poses a risk of monetary losses, and a significant risk to the potential loss of life if someone is in or around their car.  Minimizing the amount of time that someone spends charging ultimately minimizes these risks and improves customer satisfaction, the tradeoff being that faster charging stations means more expensive equipment.  The integration of surge protection equipment throughout these types of systems is critical to prevent the loss of life that can occur, necessitating multiple and redundant surge protection devices to be installed along every potential transfer path on both the AC and DC sides. 

In the green energy production market, we find that the damages which increase the costs associated with production happen because of lightning strikes to either the solar panels or the wind towers positioned in the field.  Both of these types of structures need to be positioned in a way where they will be unobstructed, allowing for wind flow or sunlight to easily reach them.  It is critical for them to remain unobstructed if they are to generate power using the free fuel sources which are available in the form of wind and sun.  Every moment that a system is taken offline reduces the energy capacity that that system can produce, and compromises the viability of the methods.  Lightning strikes to these exposed areas performs much the same as within the cell towers mentioned earlier, the power surge travels through the system from the strike point and impacts the expensive and sensitive equipment downstream.  Through the reduction of the amount of distance that the power surges can flow, we can increase the viability of the entire industry through the production of more power in a 24 hour period.  We also reduce the amount of downtime and CapEx to be associated with repair and maintenance to those components which will be damaged. 

Raycap is leading the field in the production of surge protection devices that are applicable to all of these industries and more.  Through the diligent work and technological advances that have brought Raycap products to market, the company is also continually improving to develop better, faster and more robust devices.  Every improvement that is made increases the viability of these emerging markets and increases the profit margins for the operators involved. 

Technology Increases Profitability 

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/what-are-lightning-protectors/ 

Technological advancements in the surge protection industry has been driving down the costs associated with numerous unrelated industries.  Industrial operators who utilize exposed equipment that is subject to lightning strikes can benefit from the technological advances that are found in the surge protection industry.  Industries like wind power production and telecommunications have an Achilles heel that creates costs which are difficult if not impossible to control.  This Achilles heel comes in the form of their exposed equipment being difficult to shield from the lightning strike damage without also compromising the service that they provide.  In the case of wind power, wind turbines need to be positioned in a way so that they are unobstructed and wind flow can move across the blades.  By providing shield of any kind, the wind flow is reduced thus creating significantly reduced amounts of power production.  This unobstructed aspect is good with regards to power production, and bad with regards to damage that is sustained as a result of lightning strikes.  Because the towers that hold the blades affixed to their top also provide the path of least resistance for lightning to reach the ground, we find that windmill nacelles and blades are often the place where lightning will strike.  In order to compensate for this problem, the blades themselves have been technologically improved to be more robust while also being made from component materials that can be replaced at a less expensive price that it would be to use more expensive materials, ultimately driving down the overall cost of production of a single unit of power.  In addition to cheaper materials we also find the technological advancements within the surge protection industry can help to drive down these costs as well.  This is found in the issue that exists after the lightning strike, when the power surge moves throughout the structure.  This power surge flows from component to component, utilizing the inter-connectivity that is necessary as a pathway.  The power surge can flow along the data lines as well as the power lines which join computerized equipment together.  This means that if one component is overwhelmed by the power surge and is directly connected to another component in an unprotected way, you can assume that the downstream equipment will also be destroyed.  Computerized equipment has difficulty handling power outside of the safe range, and faults will form within the circuitry that is involved when an excess of power comes in contact with it.  Through the installation of technologically advanced surge protection devices along these lines as well as throughout the structure along the pathways that power can flow, we can isolate damage and therefore reduce it.  By creating a situation where the excess power cannot move beyond the point of the strike, the equipment located further away can be salvaged, thereby reducing the costs associated with power production over time.  Lightning strikes cannot be predicted and their damage must be factored into the business plan as potential losses but the impact of each of these instances of loss can be reduced in order to increase profitability.  (more…)

Solar Surge Protection Devices

Read More: https://www.raycap.com/solar-surge-protection/

Green energy produced through solar farms is one of the most important developments in the last 50 years for the replacement of our existing antiquated fossil fuel power generation systems.  But solar farms which use photovoltaic (PV) systems to produce their clean energy – used by both consumers and industrial customers –  have the potential for serious physical damage to their installation construction.  Solar farms need to cover vast areas of land without being obstructed and require direct sunlight which needs to be gathered on the faces of the solar panels.  While wind, rain and generalized exposure to the elements is going to produce a certain amount of wear and tear every year, the  replacement costs are always increased by damage as a result of lightning strikes.  Due to the exposed nature of the solar panels themselves, it must be expected that a certain amount of replacement will be necessary due to lightning directly striking the panels, or having the subsequent surge as a result of an indirect strike couple into the system.  The expectation of total loss at the strike point generally goes without saying, but methods to reduce the amount of downstream damage that is caused by the power surge can be put in place that will reduce repair and replacement costs over time.  Both types of lightning events produce electrical surges that are (more…)

The Importance Of Adequate Surge Protection In Industrial Settings

Industrial applications make use of the most robust versions of equipment in all processes, simply due to the fact that equipment must be kept up and running at all times.  In industrial settings you will often find equipment within the harshest of environments, fully or partially exposed to the elements, and enduring ongoing wear and tear.  All the while industrial equipment is expecting to outperform residential equipment and remain working through any day or night.  Industrial equipment is tasked with far more arduous operation than anything that is being used in the residential space. It is responsible for keeping critical systems online for the ongoing function of whatever business they support.  Industries such as communications, power generation, transportation and others are responsible for keeping the connected world moving, and huge amounts of energy is expended to support that effort. (more…)

The Finest Industrial Surge Protective Devices

Raycap is a world leader in the design and manufacture of industrial surge protective devices.  Our specialization in the space has lead to numerous industry leading products which can be integrated into nearly any industrial application, and which are being utilized across the globe by industry leaders in a wide range of businesses.  Our premier SPD is the Strikesorb line, which features a unique technology that makes it superior to all competitors. Robust housings, advanced materials and maintenance free operation throughout the lifetime of the devices make them the logical choice for mission-critical assets in need of protection from lightning and grid-side power surges. (more…)

Protection From Lightning With SPDs

Many people may have never heard the term “SPD.” This is industry jargon for “surge protection device” and is used as a method to describe anything that has the ability to prevent excessive amounts of electricity from getting from one place to another if necessary.  Generally they are used as a failsafe to guard against the unexpected increase of current through power lines as a result of some incident like a lightning strike or internal switching error.  These unexpected fluctuations in the amount of electricity flowing through lines can damage circuitry in any component that is connected to that power source, with the issue being compounded in situations where components are interconnected and thus have the ability for the surge to flow from one component to the next.  In this type of incident, there is a possibility of the loss of entire systems, resulting in potentially millions of dollars of damage as well as lost business.  For these reasons, those with significant investments in equipment that can be damaged by this type of situation will generally seek out the best industrial SPDs available for their type of integration.  (more…)