ABB has developed a new solution for the medium-voltage air-insulated switchgear (AIS) UniSec to ensure an uninterrupted power supply in open and closed ring networks.

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Image: ABB launches ABB Ability Loop Control for distribution networks, LC1000 UniSec solution. Photo: courtesy of ABB.

The ABB Ability Loop Control for distribution networks, LC1000 UniSec solution is designed for critical applications, where blackouts would cause severe problems and considerable costs.

For example, where a blackout could jeopardize health or safety and cause service disruptions in hospitals, airports, subways, data centers, and water supplies. In industry, power failures disrupt production, which results in expensive losses.

ABB Ability is ABB’s unified, cross-industry, digital offering, which enables customers to increase productivity and lower costs.

ABB’s new solution restores power very quickly. When using motor-operated switch-disconnectors in the medium-voltage switchgear in ring networks, the solution detects and isolates a fault in less than one second.

And if the switchgear is equipped with a circuit-breaker and current and voltage combi sensors, the detection and isolation of the fault is even faster: less than 0.5 seconds.

ABB distribution solutions business global product group manager Marco Tellarini said: “Ever-increasing demands on grid reliability and the growing amount of distributed generation makes it vital to introduce new solutions that optimize the use of communication technology.

“The LC1000 UniSec solution meets the most stringent reliability and post-fault recovery requirements, with its ability to reconfigure the network very quickly after a fault occurs, resulting in improved reliability of the power system.”

The solution utilizes ABB’s advanced protection and control technology in the Relion relays that are integrated into the UniSec switchgear.

These smart devices use the power of GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented Substation Event) communication of the IEC 61850 protocol to detect and instantly message one another to eliminate faults in the network.

Source: Company Press Release.