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Industrial grade surge protection is not a new concept.  Surge protection itself has been around in one form or another since we started utilizing computerized equipment to make our lives easier.  As soon as components that involved circuitry were connected to an electrical source and turned on, we realized that fluctuations in that power flow could have an adverse effect on both the operation  and the electronic components themselves.  Electrical transients have caused malfunctions, data loss and even damage to the circuitry involved.  Each moment that expensive equipment was connected to the power source was putting it in danger of damage from electrical surges.  The advent of surge protection came shortly after, with the development of methods to cut the power supply to equipment if power were to exceed a certain point that was deemed “safe.” Circuit breakers cut the flow if it exceeded a certain amount, and additional surge protection equipment was developed to provide a level of protection for components managing functions that couldn’t afford to be cut off from use for long periods of time. (more…)

Data Is Critical, Protect It 

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

Surge protection devices that are installed in industrial facilities in order to provide protection for the equipment involved in the process are not only tasked with the protection of the physical assets.  The information which the company has stored over the years, allowing for more streamlined operations both in the current time as well as in the future, must also be protected.  In many ways, the data that the company stores provides the functionality with which the company operates.  The most simple case could be that if the company stores your name as a customer and information on a server to route their products to you, if your information is lost the company can no longer provide you with these services.  This will go on until the data is restored, even if the mechanical aspects of the process are repaired.  This is why surge protection is so critical within industrial facilities.  The ongoing operations can be restored to functionality with the repair or replacement of equipment, but in the cases where critical data is lost as a result of that equipment damage, the process of full restoration to functionality becomes a nightmare.  (more…)

Data Surge Protection 

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

One of the industry terms that is utilized in the surge protection niche that many people in the public have never heard of is “data surge protection.” The easiest way to describe the definition of this phrase is that it is “the protection of data from power surges and the damage that can be produced by them.”  Power surge protection is a mystery to many people because they do not interact with it daily, and is generally a function that happens in the background of ongoing operations.  This means that it has almost no impact on people on any kind on a regular basis, until some sort of incident happens that brings it into light.  Modern power grids are very well designed and for the most part will see only little fluctuation during a typical day, and usually as a result of a weather event..  Surge protection systems are  designed to intervene during the unplanned event that happens outside of system operations.  It is designed to come into play when something goes wrong even though there has probably been no instance outside of normal technical operations for lengthy period of time.  It is also designed to intervene in an unexpected instance almost instantaneously, as anything less would provide damage to any equipment downstream that is left unprotected.  The problem with damage that occurs as a result of power surges is that it is generally not isolated to simply damaging the equipment in the origination area.  Many times, the equipment is not only tasked with performing an operation but also with the storage of information that is critical to the ongoing operations themselves.  If you have ever had a computer crash that results in a loss of data you understand the implications of this failure go far beyond simply having to replace the computer itself.  Data is one of the most valuable commodities that must be protected within almost every type of business.  (more…)

Lightning Protectors To Maintain Profitability 

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

Maintaining a profit within a challenging industry is difficult.  As more players enter the market and are all vying for the same customers, a shrinking customer base must be offset by reduced costs if profitability is to be maintained.  This means that if each company is working with fewer customers, the costs associated with the product that is supplied to each customer must be reduced if profit margins are to be maintained.  This is accomplished in several ways, one of the most common in industrial spaces being the utilization of cheaper components or the extension of the lifespan of the equipment used in the process.  Within the cellular industry we can see this process playing out on both fronts.  Cellular towers must be able to maintain an unobstructed signal to the users on the ground.  This placement makes them highly endangered with regards to lightning strikes, as lightning is attracted to the tallest structures within range. Lightning takes the path of least resistance to the ground, ultimately meaning that it will strike the tallest structure which is connected to the ground in an attempt to flow through that structure to its final destination.  For this reason, lightning will generally strike the top of a cellular tower, and through the use of cheaper components to create the structure of the tower, companies are able to reduce the repair and maintenance costs as a result of the strike.  At the same time, companies utilize highly advanced lightning protectors in order to mitigate the damage that happens as a result of the power surge which follows the strike.  This power surge traveling through the structure will impact equipment located near the top, and travel along data transfer lines and power cables quite efficiently.  This means that power flows from components located near the top to components located in the center or at the bottom of the tower.  This creates additional damage that is farther away from the strike point.  (more…)

Data Is A Critical Component In Industrial Businesses 

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

When people think about industrial facilities, the impression in our heads is of large machines which are belching steam and smoke.  Our impression of industrial businesses was probably formulated from visuals that were created in the early 20th century when industry was far more crude then it is today.  Today’s industrial facilities are highly technical and are generally computer driven operations that rely upon data transfer in order to maintain their functionality.  Gone are the days with giant machines and men shoveling coal into furnaces, all having been replaced by racks of computers and data processors which served to provide the functionality of all aspects of these businesses.  In many instances the equipment that is  exposed at the end of the process are directly joined to these sensitive components which drive them.  Even though the electronic components are protected from exposure to the elements, this direct connection to the exposed equipment creates a vulnerability that can have a significant impact on operations.  Lightning strikes to exposed components are commonplace and are impossible to predict.  This means that companies must provide protection mitigation long before any incident ever happens in order to fully avoid the implications that can happen to the operation as a result.  The lightning strike to an exposed piece of equipment can have a ripple effect creating damage caused by the subsequent power surge that moves along data processing and power lines until it reaches the more sensitive equipment upstream.  This can cause damage not only at the strike point but also destroys circuitry which ultimately results in the loss of data which is critical to the process.  (more…)

EVP and Surge Protection 

There is no doubt that the future of transportation is the electric vehicle.  The progress of this type of transportation has been hindered over the years through a slow technological development of the components involved in the process.  The batteries that are involved had limitations that would reduce the amount of driving that could be done in between charges.  These batteries were also limited in their ability to produce adequate power to the car’s wheels, meaning that electric vehicles were underpowered and slow.  They’ve always been embraced by those who are ecologically motivated, but in many cases have been rejected by those who are more concerned with the costs of operation or performance.  Over the course of the last few years there has been dramatic shift in the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, mostly, and as a result of the advances that car makers, including Tesla is making.  While there are many electric cars available from other manufacturers, Tesla has captured the imagination of the wider portion of the population through its improvements to performance and styling.  While there are still limitations to the amount of distance that can be traveled in between charges, other encumbrances have made great strides towards improvement.  Tesla has created a line of stylish sports cars that are not only adequately powered, but in many cases provide far more power than a standard gas-powered vehicle.  While there have been improvements to battery capacities, one of the obvious limitations has always been finding a place outside of your own home where you can charge your electric vehicle.  These stations were difficult to come by until a more widespread adoption of electric vehicles caused gas stations and other areas to begin looking at providing charging as a way to earn money.  Tesla developed a system of charging stations that were compatible with Tesla vehicles and rolled out a significant amount of the stations across America.  Tesla vehicles are also able to utilize the standard charging stations with an adapter, although the charge in process takes significantly longer due to that power being delivered at a lower rate.  While Tesla’s technological advances are causing more people to consider electric vehicles, we are now beginning to also see the issues that come along with more widespread use of electric power charging stations.  In order to reduce the amount of time spent at the stations waiting for your vehicle to be charged, the pressure to increase the loads which can be delivered are being felt.  The introduction of higher capacity charging technology increases the risk associated with power surges within these kinds of systems.  In addition to the potential damage to equipment we also must deal with the potential injury or death that can arise as a result of power surges while people remain in their vehicles during the charging time.  The development of electric vehicle surge protection devices and systems is one of the most significant technological advancements of the last hundred years, and could potentially assist a more widespread adoption of electric vehicles worldwide.  Making the vehicles more sporty increases interest, and making the vehicles more safe increases sales.  (more…)

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…)