Surge Protective Devices (SPDs) are installed at most industrial or commercial facilities to protect equipment against transient events. These SPDs can be located anywhere in the electrical distribution system. Because these devices are primarily connected in parallel (the so-called ‘one port’ type), failure of the SPD does not necessarily cause any immediately noticeable symptoms for the user.

Take note
• As most industrial SPDs are single part devices and are connected in parallel, failure is not necessarily obvious.
• Monitoring of SPDs is essential.
• LEDs or other visual devices are commonly used.
• Remote monitoring capabilities are also available.


About the authors
James Funke is the chief engineer for surge products at Eaton/Cutler-Hammer. Francois Martzloff is the principal of Surges Happen. His professional career began in 1953 as a designer of high voltage fuses for Southern States Equipment Co, in Hampton, GA. In 1973, he helped pioneer the first transient withstand tests for Underwriters Laboratories Standard on ground-fault circuit interrupters, where the concept of the 100 kHz ringwave was first proposed to industry. Francois is a life fellow of the IEEE and has contributed to the work of several IEEE committees, in particular the revision of a guide on surge voltages into a recommended practice on powering and grounding sensitive loads.
Eaton/Cutler Hammer can be contacted locally at Alstom on 011 827 9124 or info@chicontrol.co.za.

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Constantly increasing requirements placed on the supply industry to provide better quality and secure power is a typical shareholders’ request. This is so that they can ensure more efficiency and higher profit margins. On the one hand, the liberalisation of the energy market leads to more competition which affects the safety margins and causes a reduction in infrastructure investment. On the other hand, more must be spent to deliver reliable and safe power quality. These extreme circumstances have become prevalent during recent years from world wide power failures (black-outs) in USA, Italy, Denmark, Western Europe and South Africa. Suddenly safe and reliable quality of power supply is receiving renewed consideration and increased prioritisation. Simply monitoring the basic electrical parameters like nominal voltage and current peaks is insufficient.

Take note:
? Availability and usability are the key criteria of electrical energy.
• Monitoring quality of supply helps both the utility and the end-user.
• Proper power quality monitoring can facilitate optimised system expansion.

#1 About the authors
Bernd Mirsberg
Bernd Mirsberger is an application engineer with Janitza-representative company Beyer is a long-term agent of Janitza in Bavaria. Beside sales activities he is also responsible for the technical hot line and projects.


Rudolf Müller is sales director for export of Janitza Electronics GmbH. He was previously vice president of the Power Capacitor Product Division of the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI Zentralverband
Elektrotechnik- und Elektronikindustrie e.V.). He holds numerous technical training courses for utilities, consultants and customers around the world, and was formerly executive vice president and general manager of the Power Capacitors Business Unit of EPCOS AG (formerly Siemens Matsushita).
Ferrotech carry the expertise on Janitza in South Africa and can by contacted at 011 746 6800 or sales2@ferrotech.co.za

With a height of 103 m and 29 floors, the ‘KölnTriangle’, officially opened on the 2nd of September 2006 and is one of the tallest buildings in Cologne. The aim of this extravagant project was to create an object of superlatives, and not only from the outside, but internally with state-of-the-art technology for high occupant comfort, flexibility and energy efficiency.

#1 Take note
? Modern buildings pose automation and control challenges.
? Computer control of all systems is advantageous.
? Control allows optimisation of energy usage.


#1 About the author
Conrad Muller is the managing director of Beckhoff Automation and supplied the information for the article.
Conrad can be contacted on c.muller@beckhoff.com

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The success of a project can be attributed to well-managed project plans and procedures as well as implementing proactive controls and measures. This article looks at the importance of proactive project management and the importance of contract documentation as well as the consequences you could be faced with if you embark on a project based on ‘good spirit’.

Take note
• Disputes have significant time and cost implications.
• Dispute avoidance requires a proactive approach to implement.
• Contract documents impact directly on the project plan and programme and are a critical success factor to a project.
• Contracts contribute to risk management for the client and the contractor.


About the author
Ian McKechnie is a PrEng with the ECSA and a registered professional construction project manager (PrCPM) with the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP). Ian holds a BSc(Eng) degree in electrical and electronic engineering from UCT, he is a Fellow of the SAIEE and an Associate of the Association of Arbitrators. He is the immediate past President of the SAIEE.

Ian currently holds the position of managing director of Global Africa Projects (GAP), a company that offers multi-disciplinary project consulting, management and systems engineering services. He is also managing director of sister company Innopro, a specialist consulting engineering and solution provision company.

Ian can be contacted on 012 667 5151 or ianmac@gafrica.com

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With the current skills shortage in South Africa, how does one achieve high quality first world integration when implementing a multi-billion Rand concentrator project? It makes no sense when choosing quality products not to use a quality system integrator.

#1 About the author
Ryan Els has been involved in the industry for the last15 years. He has worked in the field services department for Siemens, commissioning variable speed drives, PLC and SCADA systems. He currently holds the position of project manager at SAM responsible for the PP Rust North project.

Ryan can be contacted on 011 803 0570 or ryan@sam.co.za.


#1 Take note
• Skills shortage is affecting the industry.
• Control block libraries allow for quality control and efficiency.
• Alarm suppression is of great value, only alarming the primary cause of a fault and not the consequential causes.
• Commitment plays a large role in project success.

Sometimes you can work ahead of the field, and sometimes you can’t. In this article we explore the benefits of using radio communications for field instruments. While no standard currently exists, this is an area where moving ahead of the field carries no risk. Use is made of the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technique, leading to uninterruptible data transmission. The devices described in this article by way of example are based on the existing flexible and interchangeable modular concept embodied in the so-called PLICS range of devices. Emphasis will be placed on recognising the advantage that a wireless solution can offer in a real industrial application.

About the author
Alan Wynn obtained an HND in electronic engineering in the UK. He has been with Vega Instruments for over 25 years and holds the position of managing director.
Alan can be contacted on 011 958 10901 or alan.wynn@za.vega.com.

Take note
• Cost savings
• Ease of installation
• Bi-directional communication
• Fast solution

Andritz Inc uses high-speed Ethernet radios to create a robust anti-collision network for three different dual Portal Crane projects. Until the advent of wireless devices, safe and reliable anti-collision systems were just wishful thinking.

#1 About the author
Adrienne Lutovsky is a staff writer for ProSoft Technology. Adrienne is located in Bakersfield, California and may be reached at alutovsky@prosoft-technology.com or +1 (661) 716-5257. The range of ProSoft RadioLinx radios are supplied to the Southern African market place by Throughput Technologies 011 705 2497 or info@throughput.co.za/www.throughput.co.za.

#1 Take note
• Before wireless communication, reliable anti-collision systems for cranes weren’t possible.
• Besides the safety benefits pertaining to personnel; installation, maintenance and downtime costs are reduced to minimal levels with the correct wireless solution.
• This multi-million dollar crane application for the pulp and paper industry utilises ProSoft Technology’s RadioLinx Industrial Hotspot to prevent collision on the track.

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In recent decades, rotary control valves have encroached on the traditional territory of the linear globe valve in the process industries, and have established a firm foothold in the hydrocarbon industry. This can be ascribed in large part to reduced emissions, the ability to handle dirty media effectively and smaller body size. This trend has led to the development of the so-called rotary globe valve, which, it is argued, solves many of the problems associated with small control valves. Take note ? Rotary control valves enjoy a number of advantages over linear globe valves. ? The so-called rotary-globe valve offers still more advantages, combining best features. ? The rotary globe valve is simple, fast and easy to maintain. About the author Jari Kirmanen, who gained an MSc in Applied Physics, has 11 years of experience in the valve business, which was preceded by five years as a research engineer in the area of flow technology. During his career, Jari has developed expertise in flow, valve sizing, noise and control technologies as well as in valve applications. Since 2004, he has been the Finnish national representative on the International Standardisation Committee for control valves (IEC SC 65B/WG9), and is a member of the ISA. Jari currently holds the position of manager for energy and hydrocarbon valve applications for the Metso Automation Neles product line. For more information on the Neles product range contact Steve Clark at the local Metso Automation office on steve.clark@metso.com

Spirax Sarco SA supplies large valves to the UK
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