Propulsion Control

In combined test labs, devices and systems for high- and medium-voltage technology are extensively and stringently tested: the required electrical specifications must be proven through comprehensive test processes for quality assurance. Security is the top priority in test labs. This applies for all areas and every process – every detail is important. Therefore, Hitachi Energy Germany AG relies on spring clamp terminal blocks instead of screw connections at the new German location of its technology center.

A modern test laboratory for high-voltage and high-current testing has been established in Karlstein am Main. This lab is part of Hitachi Energy’s global technology center. Prior to the final installation or following technical verifications, high-voltage components, which are used in electrical engineering, must be subjected to comprehensive high-voltage tests.
Specifications, like thermal and electrical strength, are tested for circuit breakers or insulators, as well as operating behavior under extreme currents and voltages. Circuit breakers must prove that they are capable of not only maintaining operating voltages, but also that they can cope with surges in case of failures. During so-called temperature-rise tests, the increase in temperature is tested at a nominal load. IDEAS, an engineering consulting company, was commissioned with the new design, installation, and equipping the test lab. IDEAS specializes in the project planning, construction and commissioning of power plants and energy systems, combined heat and power plants, power supply for data centers and drinking and wastewater systems in general.

Power generation from renewable sources is becoming more important. In addition to wind energy, solar is the most important option for generating power from renewable sources. To store the renewably-generated electricity, energy storage systems are needed, like the sonnenBatterie 10 from sonnen. The company from the Allgäu values fast and simple connections to their storage batteries. Therefore, sonnen relies on WAGO’s PCB connectors with levers.

“By using a sonnenBatterie, our customers can store electricity generated by their photovoltaic systems for their own use, and then use the power when they need it. They can be virtually independent from conventional power companies by becoming autonomous energy producers,” Justus Wadepohl, Communications Manager at sonnen, summarizes the goals for the intelligent energy storage system. The energy manager provides the sonnenBatterie 10 with its intelligence and is, according to the manufacturer, optimized for energy consumption and adapts the storage behavior to weather predictions. The sonnenBatterie is compatible with any photovoltaic system: from private residence use through small or medium-sized arrays up to large, agricultural-based operations.

With the “Ahead Door Show,” Schindler Aufzüge shows that even elevators can offer a potential digital business model. To enable field technicians to install it safely, this Swiss company relies on the benefits of the WINSTA^® Pluggable Connection System with protection against mismating.