E-Newsletter for the Power & Energy Sectors of Southern Africa
Issue 102, Sept 2016
Energy innovations bring prosperity to Africa
by Roger Dixon, SRK Consulting Africa
Africa is on the brink of an energy revolution which will transform lives across the continent, if decision-makers can fully grasp and advance the technological and other innovations on our doorstep... (more)
Restructuring and reform of South Africa's power sector
by Prof. Anton Eberhard, Graduate School of Business, UCT
Everyone welcomes the fact that South Africa has not had load-shedding for nearly a year. After years of power cuts, which constrained economic growth, electricity consumption is more or less flat... (more)
Controlling wind turbines in faulty grid conditions
by C Ndjewel Kendeck and Atanda K Raji, Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Wind energy has undeniably become one of the fastest growing renewable energy technologies not only in terms of installed capacity but also in terms of technology development, facilitated by the recent advances in power electronics and control techniques... (more)
Solar PV module faults and failings
by Mike Rycroft, features editor, EE Publishers
Modern solar PV equipment is designed for reliable operation over the full lifetime of the product. In spite of this manufacturing defects and premature failures still occur which can affect the performance of a product... (more)
The hazards of harmonics and neutral overloads
Information from Schneider Electric
Nonlinear loads cause harmonics to flow in power lines. Harmonics are unwanted currents that are multiples of the fundamental line frequency can overload wiring and transformers, create heat and, in extreme cases, start a fire... (more)
Aluminium as conductor material: a lighter and more economical option
Information from Helukabel
Choosing conductive metals for different industries and applications can be a challenge. Copper is often used in cables and wires because of its excellent conductivity and malleability. But it is relatively heavy and expensive compared to aluminium... (more)
The development of renewable energy based mini-, micro- and nano-grids
by Mike Rycroft, features editor, EE Publishers
Off-grid renewable energy powered systems have been in use for many years, but most have been constructed on an ad-hoc basis using components intended for other purposes. Recent technological developments in the micro-generation sector... (more)
Fault protection analysis in LVDC micro-grids with PV generators
by Marco Carminati and Enrico Ragaini, ABB
The connection of renewable-energy-based micro-grids to national power grids has many advantages. However, care has to be taken when linking these two quite different electrical worlds to make sure that fault conditions are appropriately handled... (more)
The nuclear programme of World War two - Part 1
by CM Meyer
Nuclear power, which may be the cleanest and cheapest technology for the generation of large amounts of reliable electricity to meet the base load requirements of mines and other energy intensive industries... (more)
A comparison of generator excitation systems
by Greg Laliberte, Cummins Power Generation
Generator set manufacturers offer different options for providing power to the automatic voltage regulator (AVR), and selection of the proper option is important to ensure correct operation of the generator set. While there are multiple options... (more)
One of the largest private electricity generators in Thailand recently experienced a loss of generating capacity in one of its six gas-fired generators which supplies the heavily industrialised area where it is located... (more)
Eliminating poisonous contamination in electrical equipment
by Gert Nel, WearCheck
PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) is a highly toxic combination of molecules, which first came into existence in the late 1800s. The prevalence of PCBs mushroomed in the late 1920s as the technical benefits... (more)
Lightning and surge protection for potentially explosive atmospheres
Information from DEHN Protection
During the production, processing, storing and transportation of flammable substances such as fuel, alcohol, liquid gas, explosive dust, etc., potentially explosive atmospheres may be present. To ensure the safety... (more)
