TE News: Innovative Solutions to Enhance Safety in Power Grid Applications

TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, is now offering an extensive range of products and solutions for power grids, following the acquisition of ABB’s ENTRELEC terminal block business.

TE ENTRELEC has developed a product portfolio that secures and streamlines the measurement of current and voltage on power lines. The SNK Test terminal blocks design comes from more than 70 years of experience in energy applications. The SNK ergonomic accessories ease and speed-up installation while securing the measurement process, thanks to insulated test sockets, convenient short-circuit bridges and protective cover with a tamper proof sealing kit. SNK ZS10-ST test terminal blocks allow for numerous types of schematics that adapt to all kinds of circuit combinations used worldwide.  

Along with traditional screw clamp technology, TE ENTRELEC offers the “spring loaded screw clamp” technology, providing additional contact safety with the combination of a spring under clamp preventing screw loosening and the use of special hook type ferrules providing pull-out proof termination. The technology complies with IEC and BT TS5018 standard ranges. The functions include standard feed-through, disconnect, test and measurement, with wire sizes going up to 10mm².

The Essailec test blocks series is especially designed to fit the electricity utilities’ stringent requirements for safe and reliable testing thanks to a plug-and-play solution. The test operations can be made without any circuit break (ensuring continuous operation) without opening the panel door and without changing the wiring. Essailec has been implemented for years in electricity production, transport and distribution networks worldwide. The series allows safe and easy testing operations such as current and voltage measurement, monitoring, injection, repair or replacement of meters and protection relays installed in secondary circuits of current and voltage transformers or sensors. The range offers three types of schematics, safety options such as color coding, traceability, coding pins and covers, as well as five mounting options.

With Essailec RJ45, ENTRELEC is also ready for the future of energy measurement by providing a test block adapted to the new compact digital switchgear generation using current and voltage sensor technology. This trend is confirmed by an increasing demand of diagnosis and digitalization for switchgears and power distribution installations.

“Worldwide, utilities are actively implementing these solutions to reduce energy consumption, costs and maximize the reliability of the energy supply chain,” said Vincent Ménager, marketing specialist for TE’s ENTRELEC products. “TE ENTRELEC is a specialist in connection solutions for energy applications with the knowledge and experience to support technological innovations leading to a smarter power grid.”