wiredinUSA July 2018

Subsea cables keep watch

DC link complete Historic HVDC Maritime Link commissioned in Canada —

Labrador

The world’s first bipolarVSCHVDC system

Additional renewables willhelp reduce theuse of fossil fuelsand CO 2 emissions, improve gridstability andboost powerexchange

Enabling exchange ofcleanpower from Newfoundlandand Labrador toNova Scotiaand the NorthAmericangrid Enabling exchange ofcleanpo er fro Ne foundlandand Labrador toNova Scotiaand the NorthA ericangrid

500MWcapacity. Enough electricity tosupplyup to 350,000homes

ABB has completed a 500MW high voltage direct current link in Canada. The Maritime Link will be operated by Emera, headquartered in eastern Canada, and will carry renewables-generated electricity from Newfoundland and Labrador to the North American grid in Nova Scotia. The link made history in December when it conducted the first exchange of electricity between the islands of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and went into service in January. It has now been officially handed over to Emera. The HVDC Light ® technology used in the design of the Maritime Link is the first bipolar configurationof its kindusing voltage source converters. ABB said this solution enhances system availability, reduces losses and increases grid reliability as power continues to flow even if one conductor or converter is out of use. The converter stations are equipped with the ABB Ability™-based advanced MACH™ control and protection system that monitors, controls and protects the technology in the stations and manages thousands of operations to ensure power reliability. Its advanced fault registration and remote control functions also help protect the link from unexpected disruptions, such as lightning strikes.

Photo by Austin Schmid on Unsplash

Subsea cables could give early warning of devastating tsunamis after what researchers describe as a “serendipitous” combination of techniques. Researchers at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory and the National Institute of Metrological Research in Italy have combined their knowledge of metrology with seismology to successfully detect underwater earthquakes. The developed technique involves sending lasers along existing fiber optic cables. Most earthquake monitoring stations are on land because of the expense of seafloor installation. As a result, many underwater seismic movements are not detected, limiting scientists’ ability to study the Earth’s interior. Collaborating with the British Geological Survey and the University of Malta, the researchers used telecommunications cables as acoustic sensors. Earthquake vibrations cause “infinitesimal changes” in the cables’ length, allowing the team to monitor them in real time.

wiredInUSA - July 2018

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