Information

All businesses operate on a relatively simple premise, to bring in more in revenues than is put out. This profit motive is the driving force behind most businesses, with the additional motivations of doing good for the community by providing essential services or goods. The balance of bringing in more in revenue than is spent in the operations of the business must be maintained if the business is to continue functioning, and this balance is extremely difficult to maintain in industries that are subjected to potentially damaging circumstances that cannot be predicted. All these types of operations can do is to plan for the expenses that will come with damage, and work towards minimizing these damages through preventive measures. Industries like the cellular network space, energy production and almost any other business that positions high tech equipment in the field must take all possible steps to minimize equipment damage due to the fact that their competition is continually squeezing margins to smaller levels, essentially creating the need for more expensive equipment while also charging less to customers. It is a difficult balance to achieve, but surge protection devices are helping stabilize the situation for many businesses. (more…)

When considering the different aspects of a business, one generally thinks about profits and losses due to sales, the costs of operation and the costs of startup. In order to keep a business running, business owners must balance all of these aspects in a way that keeps more money coming in than flowing out. From the business standpoint, many companies that provide services to customers have a relatively simple model, just make enough in new revenues or cut enough expenses to keep the operations profitable over time, and earn enough extra to pay down any debt that was incurred during the creation and operation of the business. When it comes to companies that provide services that may be mission critical, which is those that are necessary to maintain and sustain if not ways of life then maybe that life itself may depend, there is added pressure to make sure that the business systems remain operational. (more…)

Wind turbines are isolated towers that are very tall and which utilize sensitive electronic equipment for their functionality. Just by their very nature they are at a constant threat from lightning damage. In order to mitigate the risks to the structure, the best line of defense is a properly installed and functioning lightning protection system which has the capacity to intercept the lightning and subsequent surge, and safely conduct it to the earth. As wind turbine systems become more and more sophisticated, their vulnerability to lightning strikes is compounded. The systems which protect these structures from lightning generally will cost less than 1% of the total operational cost of the turbine, while improving both the reliability and cost effectiveness. (more…)

The renewable energy industry is made up primarily of solar, wind and hydroelectric plants. These facilities convert free energy sources into electricity for public consumption, and provide the exact same product as the fossil fuel industry. The differences between the two are that the burning of fossil fuels in order to produce electricity produces particulate matter that is dispersed into the atmosphere and affects the air we breathe and the environment we live in, while renewable energy has no associated particulate matter to speak of. There are also costs associated with the fuel sources in fossil fuel energy production, as the materials that must be burned are finite and have a cost to purchase or mine them. There are no associated costs with renewable sources as the wind, sun and flowing water are free to harness. There is little debate as far as the environmental impact that fossil fuels have, and although there is disagreement as to the extent of that impact everyone agrees that comparatively renewable energy sources do not cause the same harm to the earth’s climate. So why then is there still a tendency for world governments to rely primarily on fossil fuels instead of expanding their access to renewable energy? The answer is cost. (more…)

Raycap has produced a proprietary line of surge protection devices which do not need to be replaced after they have performed their task of diverting the surge that follows a lightning strike. The electrical surge that either couples into attached power lines and structures, or travels directly through those lines from the strike point to any connected component is often one of the leading causes of damage to sensitive electronics at industrial installations. In many cases, these electronic components are not only sensitive but quite expensive, having been tasked with the computerized operation of the facility itself. Damage to equipment at the point of strike may not be avoided effectively, but damage that results from the overloading of circuitry in attached components does have the ability to be minimized, if not halted all together. Electrical surge surge damage is often a major factor in the cost of operations of modern industrial facilities, green energy included. (more…)

Industrial applications of nearly all types will benefit from the installation and integration of lightning protection systems throughout their facilities. While some may think that lightning protection is limited to the diversion of a lightning strike away from the facility and to a specifically designed attractant like a lightning rod or grounding system, in reality the function of lightning protection extends to other areas such as the protection against lightning surges. Upon casual analysis of the components involved in most modern industrial facilities, one will quickly realize that the damages produced at the strike area itself are actually minimal compared to the costs that can be associated with the power surges that those strikes produce. The degrading or even complete destruction of computerized equipment, data and communications components and general circuitry by lightning surge events provides enormous costs to companies. These costs can be avoided, even if a direct strike to an industrial facility is difficult to avoid. Through the installation of strategically positioned surge protection devices (SPDs) the degradation and destruction of attached electronic components can be minimized or even prevented. (more…)

Lightning protectors are devices that are installed into technical systems to protect downstream equipment from the associated electrical surges that follow a lightning strike.  The concept is to prevent an electrical surge from traveling through power lines that connect an exposed unit and the computerized, data processing equipment and additional mechanisms that control that unit.  As an example, a cell tower would serve as the “end unit,” being completely exposed to the elements and isolated by its natural design.  (more…)

One of the most interesting developments over the course of the last 20 years has been the evolution of the cellular phone, and the reliance upon it by the general public.  Just two decades ago, a cellular phone was a new type of device that gave you the ability to receive or make a phone call without being connected to a line.  This functionality was provided by towers which were installed in a position that would provide an uninterrupted line between the cellular device and the top of the tower.  The signals that were being sent and received from the device to the tower top were then processed and sent through the network to that person on the receiving end of the call.  This type of setup has evolved technologically in order to provide more enhanced services for the person using the cellular phone, but both the generalized makeup of the process as well as the potential pitfalls of it have remained in place.  Cellular phones themselves have become more enhanced with the ability to transfer larger amounts of data using the same network.  This is how cellular calls ultimately became the access to the internet with the ability to stream video and send pictures.  Only through the ability to transfer larger packets of data were any of these processes able to become a reality, and only through the upgrading of the equipment involved in the process were these things able to manifest themselves.  The stakes became higher as the need for more technologically advanced and robust equipment presented itself, all costing more to both put in place and keep operational.  At the same time that these advanced services have become more commonplace, costs associated with operating the network has been driven down, enabling both lower prices and advanced services all at once.  Because cost cutting via a reduction of service would cause customer dissatisfaction in today’s landscape, the only way to continually drive the rise in operational costs down is to improve the process.  This involves creating ways to extend the operational life span of the equipment used or improve the maintenance and replacement of that equipment.  One of the best ways that this is being accomplished at the cell site is through the installation of more advanced DC surge protection devices, which minimize the amount of damage created by natural events like lightning strikes.  The lightning strike produces an electrical surge which can overwhelm any equipment between the top of the tower and the network, as it travels along connectivity lines as well as power lines it can cause damage to any other connected equipment.  These surges can produce outages that reduce the ability for customers to connect as well as send or receive data.  As more effective prevention measures are developed to reduce the amount of cost associated with lightning strike damage even more, we will see cellular providers able to provide even better services at lower costs than are available today.  Surge protection devices can keep us online and productive in today’s connected world.

The most popular industry term which accurately describes the devices and systems which are designed to shield and keep the radio frequencies utilized in several industries operational is “RF protection.” This critical operation is most crucial within the cellular communications field, where the modern base station transceiver equipment relies upon uninterrupted radio frequencies in order to maintain ongoing operations. Radio frequency protection is the only line of defense against significant losses of revenue that occur when lightning strikes remain unmitigated.  The lightning strike causes damage in several ways, the most obvious is the damage to equipment which can happen with a direct strike. Other damage occurs when the electricity surge following the lightning strike flows along coaxial data lines as well as standard power lines.  These surges can overwhelm the equipment and produce damage at the circuitry level.  The damage is also found within the connectivity lines themselves due to the fact that coaxial data lines are not able to handle the same level of electrical flow that standardized power lines can.  The damage to the lines themselves is only one level of the damage produced to the system, because these lines are invariably connected directly to  communications equipment.  Only through the design and manufacture of products which will protect against the surges in spikes that occur as a result of lightning strikes can the data failures and outages that are so destructive to cellular systems be mitigated.  The secondary loss of customers as a result of communications outages and spotty service is difficult to quantify but must be factored in as well.  Customer dissatisfaction is not able to be mitigated through the excuse of equipment damage as a result of lightning strikes.  Customers only care that their connectivity is not what they expected at all times.  The losses that are found as a result of this kind of fallout and far outweigh the losses as a result of equipment repair.

The technologically advanced RF protection devices that are manufactured by Raycap not only protect against the transients themselves, but also electromagnetic pulses caused by lightning strikes.  When a strike happens to a nearby power line or directly to one, a steep rise in electric fields happens within of microseconds after the initial strike.  These fields produce voltage pulses of extremely high levels which will easily travel through any unprotected antenna or transmission line which is connected to the primary communication equipment.  This can result in outages as well as data loss which will directly impact customer satisfaction rates.  The happy customer base is maintained through the ability to connect as well as the strength and clarity of the signal.  Any failure to take protective steps in support of RF signal protection exposes the business to operational issues as a result of outages as well as equipment repair.  If critical data is lost as a result of the lightning strike, it very well may spell disaster for the provider who is maintaining the network.