Peter Hammond recalls the birth of the medium-voltage drive

[Windadct]

What is innovation ? ... here is a great example.

I'm in this field and know this product pretty well. I though it may be interesting to both the old and new PF members...
http://www.controldesign.com/articles/2016/peter-hammond-recalls-the-birth-of-the-medium-voltage-drive/?show=all

 

[berkeman]

Very nice, thanks @Windadct -- nice touch on using fiberoptics for isolating the control signals.

Aha moments (or weekends) are one of the best parts of Engineering, IMO.

 

[Windadct]

In in this MV cellular set up - each cell effectively has it's own ground, and has to generate it's own control power, lots of small innovations - and to think this was not that long ago (90's). Every cell's superstructure has to be isolated from the next, but then also you need balancing system - like a voltage divider, so that no one cell "floats" too far away from the others. Isolation of structures in MV systems is "fun".. haha