Apr 20 2009
Zenergy Power plc (AIM:ZEN.L), the superconductor energy technology company, is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Zenergy Power Inc., has been contracted by The Consolidated Edison Company of New York (‘Con Edison’) to build and test a “Smart Grid” device for improving the stability and reliability of New York City’s electrical system. The equipment, known as a Fault Current Limiter (‘FCL’), instantly detects and absorbs spikes in power that, left unmanaged, could damage electrical equipment or trigger power outages.
Con Edison, a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], authorised a project to design, build and test a single-phase FCL of a type that would be applicable to a number of substations within the utility’s electrical systems. Zenergy expects to deliver the prototype by the end of August.
Common events, such as storms or accidents, can produce large spikes in current on the grid. These surges are termed “faults” and may damage electrical equipment or cause partial or total power failures on an electrical network. In part due to steadily increasing electricity demands of New York City, Con Edison has been active in studying new technologies to manage the impact of these ”faults” and maintain its system’s reliability.
Pat Duggan, Project manager and FCL specialist, Con Edison, commented:
“Fault current limiters will be an essential element of the smart grid to maintain reliability and improve its resilience and flexibility. This is especially important as the load grows, including the move to electricity as a preferred source for new uses such as plug-in hybrids.”
In practice, Zenergy’s FCL is electrically connected to the grid it protects. It allows normal current to pass through unimpeded but, when it senses a fault current, instantly counters the electrical flow. This reaction, created in part by the superconductor in the device, chokes off a potentially damaging electrical spike. Once the fault current subsides, the FCL again allows standard levels of current to flow, protecting the electrical system automatically without human intervention.
Tests that Zenergy conduct in its development of the FCL for Con Edison will ensure the device is able to protect equipment from the damaging effects of fault currents that occur on the utility’s 13.8 kilovolt (kV) “feeder system” - an electrical distribution network that delivers power to customers. At the conclusion of testing, Zenergy expects to extend its designs to other FCLs that are customised for protecting Con Edison’s and other utilities’ equipment on higher voltage lines of up to 138kV and beyond.
Today, power disruptions from faults and related issues are estimated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to cost the U.S. economy more that $100 billion per year. Under its mandate to lead the modernisation of the electric grid, the DOE partially funded Zenergy’s development of the FCL to address these issues. Nationally, a major effort is underway to develop and deploy “Smart Grid” devices to help the present infrastructure meet the country’s growing energy requirements. Devices like Zenergy’s FCL greatly improve grid reliability and security, which is necessary to establish a more stable service, fewer outages and more rapid power restoration following electrical interruptions.