POWER: Eriez invests in new device to protect power systems

ERIE, Penn. – As a world leader in separation technologies, Eriez® is utilizing its vast expertise to support a device created by FaultCurrent which protects power systems from disruption and damage to network infrastructure. Eriez Investments will become a shareholder in FaultCurrent, and Eriez Magnetics Europe will manufacture the commercial product under license at its facility in Caerphilly, South Wales. FaultCurrent uses ground-breaking magnetic technology to allow the existing power grid to cope with excessive fault conditions, brought about by the rapid move toward decentralization of electricity generation, including the connection of alternative energy sources such as wind and solar. Developed as a spin-out from research undertaken at Cardiff University, the device is inactive during normal power flow and only reacts when excessive fault currents are detected, inhibiting the flow to allow the existing power network protection systems to safely isolate the problem. Eriez Magnetics Europe was engaged in the successful manufacturing of FaultCurrent's full-scale prototype. Commercial trials are planned before the end of 2017. The patented technology behind FaultCurrent (click here for PDF) has been developed by magnetic engineering expert Dr. Jeremy Hall at Cardiff University's Wolfson Centre for Magnetics. He explained, "Our technology can play a major role in managing new demands on aging and already overburdened electrical infrastructures to allow the connection of cleaner distributed energy sources, which is good news in terms of tackling climate change." Readers are encouraged to visit www.Eriez.com for all their separation needs.