ABB and Ambient Corp. have announced the integration of ABB DistribuSense current and voltage sensors with AmbientPQM.
The companies say the integrated product is a combination of hardware and software, Ambient Smart Grid Communications Nodes enabled with AmbientPQM, that enhances the ABB DistribuSense offering by adding local intelligence, management, communications and alarm reporting at the location of the sensors. The current/voltage output signals from the ABB sensor are read by AmbientPQM and processed for local decision-making or directed to the appropriate head-end system through standard protocols.
In addition, the companies say that the solution facilitates grid management through real-time monitoring and measurement of an array of power quality parameters to increase efficiency through volt/VAR optimization and reliability through fault detection, isolation and restoration.
Separately, ABB has announced the release of the 40kA, 38kV R-MAG outdoor vacuum circuit breaker. First introduced in 2003 for 15 kV and 27 kV applications, the R-MAG breaker utilizes a magnetic actuator that has only one moving part, offering an improvement over the traditional spring charging mechanisms, ABB says. The R-MAG breaker is now capable of interrupting up to 40kA at 38kV with a single vacuum interrupter per phase.
