Johnson Controls Facility Management (JCFM) was awarded an energy performance contract at the SABC facility—situated in Auckland Park—with the task to reduce the electricity bill of South Africa’s National Broadcaster.

The Auckland Park campus of the SABC is situated in Johannesburg and is divided into the Radio Park campus and the TV centre. The building complex has a total net floor area of approximately 70 000 m2 consisting of offices and studios. All net floor areas are airconditioned by centrally chilled and hot water systems.

The author’s company performed a detailed energy audit during 2006 to identify energy savings opportunities and calculate the potential for electricity cost savings. During the audit new airconditioning control, dry mist evaporative pre-cooling and pump variable speed drive (VSD) savings strategies were identified and proposed to the client.

Take note
- The SABC building complex in Auckland Park has a 70 000 m2 floor area.
- Energy saving strategies has identified an annual saving of R3,5 M per year.
- Payback time on the project is less than 12 months.
- Success lies in the correct commissioning and operation of energy savings equipment over time.


About the author
Dr Deon Arndt has his BEng (Mech), MEng (Mech) and PhD (Mech) all from the University of Pretoria. He has extensive experience in project management in the energy management and energy management software development fields. Deon is the recipient of the ETA energy efficiency award from Eskom in 2003 for his remote energy management system for mine cooling and pumping applications. He currently holds the position of project and portfolio manager at SEM.
Deon can be contacted on (012) 663 3125 or deona@spoormaker.co.za.

While the planning of machines and plant systems is usually a lengthy and detailed process, comparatively little attention is paid to the selection of the power supply. This article will focus on the power supply requirements posed by serial machine production and plant machine engineering.

Take note
• Industrial power supplies must be reliable.
• Power supplies must cater for a variety of input supply voltages and supply quality.
• Power supplies should be compact.
• The most suitable power supply must be chosen based on the application.

About the author
Ms Anja Moldehn-Kleinesdar has her Dipl.Ing qualification is currently responsible for power supply product marketing at Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, Blomberg, Germany. Phoenix Contact can be locally contacted on 011 801 8200 or email Lou du Plessis, product manager for Interface on loudp@phoenixcontact.co.za.

Power management with any fieldbus system Meet power efficiency demands in industry Reduce electricity costs with Janitza Blueginger portable tripper unit Pick ' Pay saves with Cummins standby power A full range of power supply units Analysing your power disturbances Meanwell's dc/dc product line expanded Infraset poles for traffic surveillance system Energy efficiency measures in low-cost housing Enertech metering solution using wireless technology NamPower will soon be a seller of electricity to SA A power breakthrough Clean gas burners for energy saving lamps Double reduction on lighting energy use across the world Dramatic expansion of solar cell production Power supply backup solution for data centre in Mozambique One unit accommodates three applications

Schneider and Eaton sign an agreement New range of network testers launched Get the most out of your existing software Technology infrastructure to 2010 and beyond Calling all production managers and process engineers Top NASA engineer to deliver 2007 Bernard Price Lecture series APC-MGE Dubai-based service centre Philips and Coor Kinetics merger Rockwell acquires ProsCon Substation contracts to Alstom Siemens builds long distance power supply Siemens Innovation Tour to visit 2007 TIA User Forum Mount Nelson Hotel gears up with IMS gensets

It’s not just a legal obligation! The protection of persons against direct contacts is also a moral one! However, over the years, regulation has evolved that ensures both aspects are addressed and protection is specified by electrical installation standards, such as IEC. This article describes one code, the International Protection, or IP code, in detail.

Take note
• Any piece of equipment must be protected against adverse influences.
• Enclosures provide protection against direct contact.
• Enclosures provide protection against ingress.
• IP means ‘Internal Protection’ and describes the degree of protection offered by an enclosure.

About the author
The information was supplied by Kruben Bennie who currently holds the position of product manager at Schneider Electric.
Kruben can be contacted on (011) 254 6400 or kruben.bennie@schneider.co.za.

Not many sites can operate without an Medium Voltage (MV) system. Previously we reviewed maintenance as a process on your site [1]. In this article we gather information from actual site experience in order to strengthen our appreciation of the topic further.

Take note
• Over time, insulation systems can degrade.
• Condition of breaker contacts must be visually confirmed or tested.
• Moisture, particularly condensation, poses a significant challenge.
• MV equipment should be free of corona under normal operation.
• Regular maintenance must be backed up by an awareness of tell-tale signs of an impending failure.

About the author
Fernando Bolota is a PrEng, Fellow member of the SAIEE, and is a registered certificated mechanical and electrical engineer. He currently holds the position of marketing and customer service strategy manager at Alstom SA and is responsible for the Knights site. Fernando has over 25 years experience in the industry during which time he presented a number of papers and published articles on various facets of switchgear.
Fernando can be contacted on (011) 820 5140 or fernando.bolota@alstom.co.za.

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This article reviews the requirements of an aviation beacon mounted on a wind turbine. The operational requirements are described and the use of a modular PLC solution discussed. The application is on an Enercon wind turbine.

Take note:
• Wind energy is a viable alternative in some areas.
• Turbines require sophisticated control to optimise their performance.
• The aviation beacon requirements are stipulated and require automatic management.

About the author
Jose Ruivo as been actively involved in the industry for many years and currently holds the position of sales and marketing director of Moeller Electric in South Africa.
Jose can be contacted on ruivo@moeller.co.za.

Upgrading from a traditional factory to a modern factory requires more than just replacing machines and equipment. Many companies exist that facilitate this type of process by offering a systems integration service – working with the client and major equipment suppliers to implement the most cost-efficient and viable solution. This article will examine the advantage to be gained by also being able to offer a wide range of communications technologies to industry, and will discuss applications that emphasise the benefits of upgrading a factory or plant communication system.

Take note
• Upgrading your factory requires a certain expertise as it involves more than just replacing machines and equipment.
• Modern factories require open, flexible communication networks to optimise its infrastructure.
• Demand for industrial networks that comprise multiple, interconnected gigabit backbones among different network centres is increasing within industry.


About the author
Robert Wright is the founder of RJ Programmable Techniques. He established the company to fill a need in the industrial automation field, focusing on the system integrator business. The company is the official sole distributor for Moxa Industrial Communications products in Africa. RJ also distributes the ranges EKS for Profibus convertors, FHF for industrial IP phones, Arbor for industrial PCs and Heisei for industrial panel PCs. The company is both a software and technical support centre based in Randburg.
Robert can be contacted on (011) 781 0777.

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This article aims to give an overview of the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) technique of Partial Discharge (PD) measurement in Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) and looks at the development of an external UHF coupler for defect recognition in GIS.

Take note
• PD activity in GIS can indicate imminent failure.
• GIS is sealed and inpection is difficult.
• The UHF technique gives very good correlation for a variety of defects.

About the authors
Thavenesen (Thavi) Govender holds the appointment of Research Fellow in High Voltage Engineering at the School of Electrical and Information Engineering, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. His research interests are in defect classification in SF6 systems as well as systemsa using SF6 N2 mixtures.
Prof Ian R. Jandrell has his PrEng, BSc(Eng) GDE PhD and is a Fellow of the SAIEE and a Member of the IEEE. He is a Personal Professor and Head of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
Thavi can be contacted at thavenesen.govender@wits.ac.za.

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