PREMO, a manufacturer of inductive components, announces its new MICU family that covers a wide frequency range for power line communications (PLC) in smart grid and EV charging applications.
PREMO says the inductive couplers provide these benefits:
- Non-intrusive (no need to disconnect cables, terminals, etc)
- Easy to use and install. Clamp, click and connect in under 5 seconds.
- Can wrap cables up to 45 mm in diameter (current capability up to 300 Arms)
- High insulation voltage
- Narrowband (NB) operation (30-600 kHz) for long-distance communications
- Broadband (BB) operation (1-40 MHz) for short- and medium-distance communication
- NB and BB combined (NB for long-distance and BB for short-distance)
Power line communication (PLC) is a global technology that is gaining interest due to the wide availability of power distribution lines. In smart grids, inductive couplers transmit the communication signals between MV substations and concentrators, avoiding other special transmission networks, such as fiber-optic, coaxial, radio, etc.
Smart grids require bidirectional communication links that interconnect the nodes of the grid. PLC is able to do that, potentially reducing investment costs by exploiting the existing grid infrastructure.
PLC offers several smart grid services, such as digital monitoring, fault detection, power quality management and islanding control. Energy management allows decentralized production and control of storage and EV charging. Smart metering is the key component for demand-side and demand response management. Smart building solutions can be put forth with automation and control inside buildings.
PREMO uses two different magnetic core materials, depending on the frequency band and magnetic saturation: high-permeability ferrite for broadband communication and amorphous material for narrowband communication.
Source: PREMO