Leading Cathodic Protection specialists BAC Corrosion Control Ltd, have recently become distributors for SensorGuard – a new electrical surge protection system.
Throughout the company’s extensive experience, BAC has recognised the need for electrical surge protection in sensitive electronic equipment such as transformer rectifiers which are integral to the successful operation of the cathodic protection (CP) systems designed by BAC.
SensorGuard is designed to provide the highest level of protection for sensitive electronic devices against unstable AC power, surge events caused by direct lightning strikes and Ground Potential Rise (GPR) due to ground strikes. It also protects from power supply voltage drops (brown outs) which cause current surges leading to equipment malfunction and/or failure.
SensorGuard is fitted in conjunction with any Surge Protection Devices (SPD’s) already deployed, delivering significant reductions in down time and costs incurred due to equipment damage and maintenance costs.
SensorGuard consists of two integral components: the central control module which controls the power, monitors the power grid and activates the power interrupt circuit; and the lightning sensor which is fibre optically linked to the control module.
SensorGuard’s unique feature is that it automatically provides open line isolation before a surge occurs. It is activated by sensing either fluctuations in the AC power system (voltage stress or brown outs), surge events caused by direct lightning strikes or GPR due to ground strikes.
Upon detection of a surge event the central control module energises a contactor which will provide open line isolation to the protected equipment (both AC & DC). Open line isolation to the protected equipment will present an extremely high resistance to any surge causing the voltage and current to follow the path of least resistance which is provided by surge protection devices or ground earthing. SensorGuard then continues to monitor the surge condition and maintains the open line isolation until no further strike or power anomaly events are detected. The power to the protected equipment will then be automatically restored by the central control module closing the contactor.
In the future, BAC propose to offer to optionally fit these units into the transformer rectifiers that are designed and manufactured at the Telford facilities, and to also offer to retro fit them into existing CP systems that are currently in operation across the world.