ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC APPLIED TECHNOLOGY A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH SEAS...
Within the next decade, land-based diamonds are expected to run out in Namibia, and to avoid a shortage the government has been strengthening its offshore diamond mining capacity. So, in a joint venture between the Namibian government and De Beers Group, the Debmarine Namibia marine diamond mining company was established in 2002. This operates five diamond mining vessels including the Debmar Pacific, which mines diamonds from the ocean floor using advanced drill technology. However, built in 1977, this was facing problems with a particular lighting circuit, in which several transformers were blowing due to suspected poor power quality supply. This is a classic symptom of an electrical circuit experiencing harmonic noise related problems. To alleviate the problem, Actom Energy, an electrical engineering
specialist in South Africa, was chosen to design, manufacture and install an active harmonic filter control panel to the vessel. To meet requirements, the company contacted CP Automation which advised the
DEVELOPING AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES “Autonomous vehicles are the future. The market is expected to be
worth up to $10Tn, but debate is rising about whether these vehicles should be allowed on our roads. If not, how do we develop them?” asked Chris Hoyle, technical director of rFpro, a driving simulation company. rFpro has therefore launched a platform that enables vehicle manufacturers to test their systems in every scenario imaginable. Hoyle added: “Our platform enables vehicle manufacturers to
thoroughly test their technology and be absolutely confident in their systems before validation on real roads. The vehicle hardware, such as the cameras and sensors, are already approaching the level required to achieve a fully autonomous world but it is the ‘brain’, the vehicle’s ability to make appropriate decisions, that needs to be further developed.” The key to rFpro’s platform is the level of accuracy achieved when
replicating the real world in simulation. This enables the various sensors used for autonomous vehicles to react naturally, so test results are completely representative. The company has been producing a library of real roads created through highly-precise scanning technology, which forms the basis of the simulation. As it is a digital platform, users have control of all the variables, such as traffic, pedestrians, weather and location, enabling them to test every eventuality. By using multiple computers 24/7, manufacturers can undertake
millions of miles of testing every month using this platform. rFpro
www.rfpro.com
use of an ADF P100 active dynamic filter by Comsys. The problem of harmonics
generally arises from the use of variable frequency drives (VFDs) and other non-linear loads. A load is considered non-linear if its impedance changes with the applied voltage. This change means the current drawn by the non-linear load will not be sinusoidal, even when it is connected to a sinusoidal voltage. Non-sinusoidal loads
contain harmonic currents that interact with the impedance of the power distribution system to create voltage distortion and power quality problems, which heat the transformer. This explains why the previous transformers broke in the lighting circuit on the Debmar Pacific. Not only do harmonic filters remove harmonics, but they also correct the phase of the fundamental currents, converting non-linear loads into linear ones. They cancel out the noise and keep the transformers cool and working efficiently. The ADF P100 active dynamic filter also brings the added benefits of a high-power density while being relatively compact. Gregory Webb, instrumentation technician at Actom Energy, said:
“Installing this filter was straightforward and engineer-friendly. It has continued to perform well since installation, as demonstrated by the lack of issues with the transformers in the lighting circuit, as we had seen before commissioning the harmonic filtering.” The De Beers Group has since confirmed that the construction of the
world’s largest diamond mining vessel has commenced and will begin operation in 2021. This new vessel, along with the current Debmar fleet vessels, will make accessing the millions of carats of marine gemstones possible, with expert harmonic filtering onboard to ensure electrical systems are safe, trouble-free and long lasting.
CP Automation
www.cpaltd.net
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