Telecoms ♦ news digest
pixel using avalanche photodiodes (APD), or signal processing with smart readout circuit made with advanced foundries.
Sofradir’s Presentation Schedule • Monday, April 29th at 8.10am, convention centre 343
“SWIR InGaAs focal plane arrays in France”, by Eric Costard, product line manager at Sofradir • Monday, April 29th at 11am, convention centre 343
“High Performance and Long-Range Cooled IR Technologies in France”, by Yann Reibel, systems engineer at Sofradir.
• Monday, April 29th at 4.15pm, convention centre 343
“A Review of the Latest Developments of MCT Infrared Technology from Visible to VLWIR for Space Applications at Sofradir”, Nicolas Jamin, space projects manager at Sofradir.
• Tuesday, April 30 at 10.50am, convention centre 343
“Recent Progress in MCT detectors in France”, by Gerard Destefanis, research director at CEA-Leti
Sofradir develops and manufactures IR detectors for multiple military, space, commercial and scientific applications. These include thermal imagers, missile seekers, surveillance systems, machine vision, targeting systems or observation satellites.
SiC device could mitigate blackouts & prevent equipment damage New research indicates that siliicon carbide could
prevent surges in the power grid
A local power failure in Ohio ten years ago caused a series of cascading power failures that resulted in a massive blackout.
This event affected 50 million people and caused billions of dollars in damage and lost revenue.
Such blackouts could be prevented in the future, according to a new piece of equipment developed by engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas.
The device regulates or limits the amount of excess current that moves through
“We didn’t invent the fault current limiter,” says Alan Mantooth, Distinguished Professor and executive director of the National Centre for Reliable Electric Power Transmission, based at the university.
“But we have developed the first one using a silicon- carbide semiconductor device and technology, which we have developed over the past five years. The significance of this material cannot be overestimated. It is much more durable and responds so much faster than materials currently used in systems on the U.S. power grid.”
A fault current, also known as a surge, occurs when too much current flows through the electrical power grid in an uncontrolled manner. A fault current is typically caused by an accident or unintended event, such as lightning or contact between power lines and trees.
These events cause short-circuits, which result in a rapid increase in the electricity drawn from power sources within the grid.
When these sources do not have extra power to give, cascading or rolling blackouts can occur. This is what happened in Ohio, much of the northeast United States and parts of Canada in 2003.
A fault current limiter can be thought of as a giant surge protector. When excess current travels through a power line, the limiter absorbs it and then sends only what is necessary farther down the line, Mantooth adds. The system thus ensures uninterrupted service when the fault is intermittent. Most consumers would not even detect a problem.
What’s more, if the fault is more permanent and will require repair to power lines, Mantooth points out that
June 2013
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 113 the power grid when a surge occurs.
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