Bluewave

Nürtingen, Germany, July 16, 2008. Betec Engineering GmbH placed first at the Productivity Award 2008. The Nürtingen company impressed the world-class jury with the BLUEWAVE active harmonic filter. The companies Rittal and EPLAN awarded the prize, worth 6000 euros, for the third time. The award honors engineering that increases productivity and process reliability in Germany.

With this award, Betec Engineering GmbH joins a group of big names. Past award winners include the companies Audi and Siemens. Harald Lautz, manager of Betec Engineering GmbH: "First place at the Productivity Award shows us that our development answers one of the great needs of modern industry." Norbert Müller, CEO of Rittal and EPLAN, presented the award.

BLUEWAVE is an active harmonic filter. It eliminates disturbances in the mains supply that are primarily caused by the increasing use of power electronics. Such disturbances result in significant economic damage due to defective machines and production downtimes. The independent jury of the Productivity Award consists of members of the VDMA (German Engineering Federation), the ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association), the specialist magazine SPS, and the Deutsche Messe AG. The jury saw the contribution from Nürtingen as the most innovative feat of engineering for increasing productivity in Germany. Criteria included the innovation and creativity of the solution, savings potential in the engineering process, savings potential due to component selection, and application potential in control and switching systems as well as mechanical engineering.

Nürtingen, Germany, November 15, 2007. At the SPS Drives in Nuremberg, Betec Engineering GmbH (Hall 1, Stand 540) presents the complete product group of BLUEWAVE active harmonic filters (AHF) for the first time. Units with compensation currents of 100, 200, and 250 amps are now available in addition to the existing 30, 50, and 300-amp versions. And one more new feature: BLUEWAVE is now available in three-conductor and four-conductor versions.

With the complete perfomance range from 30 to 300 amps, Betec Engineering GmbH provides the appropriate active filter for all areas of application and for every installation. The 30 and 50-amp variants ensure disturbance-free power quality for smaller grid nodes or for individual machines. BLUEWAVE 100 in a four-conductor version is used in office complexes, where PCs and energy-saving lamps cause harmonic oscillations. Industrial filters with 200, 250, and 300 amps are designed for severe conditions. With an IP54 degree of protection and short service time (MTTR <15 minutes), these devices are also suited for rough, demanding production applications.

Simple operation
All devices eliminate harmonic oscillations and reactive power with a response time of less than 300 μs and a sampling rate of 31 μs. Thanks to an intuitive control panel, the filters can be commissioned or adapted very quickly. The BLUETRACE software ensures very simple operation: the filters can be controlled and monitored via PC.

Comply with threshold values with BLUEWAVE
Harmonic oscillations occur when devices such as switching power supplies, non-linear consumers, or frequency converters are used. They stress the network with unanticipated voltage and current. The consequences: Lines and terminals overheat, machines work imprecisely or shut down, and increased wear lowers the service life of power packs and transformers. Until now, passive compensation systems were considered state-of-the-art. Their disadvantage: They can only compensate for a disturbance pattern that has already been analyzed and defined. In contrast, BLUEWAVE responds flexibly to all relevant network feedbacks and the constantly changing load conditions. BLUEWAVE also ensures that companies comply with the national and international provisions for power quality.