2017 Award Nomination Title of Innovation: MicroMax GPS350 Portable Current Interrupter

Transcription

1 2017 Award Nomination Title of Innovation: MicroMax GPS350 Portable Current Interrupter Nominee(s) American Innovations Category: Cathodic Protection Dates of Innovation Development: (from October 2014 to March, 2015) Web site: Summary Description: 1

2 American Innovations, protecting people and the environment with compliance solutions for the oil and gas industry, released the MicroMax GPS350 in March The new GPS-synchronized current interrupter builds on the capabilities of the GPS300 by integrating a Normally Closed AC/DC Solid State Relay that can interrupt up to 60 amps with on/off cycles of less than 4 seconds, and 80 A with 4 second cycles or longer. Six key benefits of the new MicroMax GPS350 current interrupter: Portable The GPS350 is the smallest interrupter available with a built-in relay, keypad, and LCD display. It is light, weighing about 3 pounds, but rugged enough to withstand the harshest conditions. Compact The unit is small enough to fit inside most rectifier enclosures or magnetically clamp to the bottom, reducing the chances of vandalism and eliminating the need to chain it down to prevent theft. Flexible The GPS350 can interrupt either AC or DC, up to 60 A with on/ off cycles of less than 4 seconds, and 80 A with cycles totaling 4 seconds or longer. Installation is easy as polarity is not a concern. Complete Isolation The built-in relay is optically driven, ensuring that the interrupter is isolated from high energy events such as lightning strikes. Transient Voltage Suppression The GPS350 uses unique voltage suppression technology that absorbs the inductive energy released during on/off switching. Interference Mode synchronously interrupts specific groups of rectifiers to determine the influence of each rectifier on the structure under test. The GPS350 provides Interference Mode for close interval, depolarization and DCVG surveys with configurable Off, On, and delay settings. 2

3 Full Description: 1. What is the innovation? The GPS350 is a new GPS-synchronized current interrupter that builds on the capabilities of the GPS300 by integrating a Normally Closed AC/DC Solid State Relay that can interrupt up to 60 amps with on/off cycles of less than 4 seconds, and 80 A with 4 second cycles or longer. Portable interrupters are moved constantly, so quick and efficient installation is a valuable capability. With the GPS350, there is no need to wire up a standalone relay, since built-in relay can interrupt either AC or DC and is suitable for almost any rectifier. The built-in relay also contains a unique voltage suppression technology that absorbs the inductive energy released during on/off switching. The interrupter can be powered from an AC or DC source, common in most rectifiers, for dependable operation. The MicroMax GPS350 is built tough. Its hardened enclosure can withstand the most extreme treatment and severe weather conditions. The built-in relay is optically driven, providing perfect isolation to ensure that the interrupter is protected from high energy events such as lightning strikes. As the smallest interrupter with a built-in relay on the market, MicroMax GPS350 can be installed inside many rectifiers, further protecting it from the elements, not to mention vandalism and theft. The GPS350 is simple to use. It can be programmed utilizing a straightforward built-in keypad or via USB. This simplicity greatly reduces programming errors, as well as prep and installation time, freeing surveyors to do the real work at-hand surveying assets and collecting data. It functions in continuous, daily, dated and interference modes to fit any interruption schedule. Our unique interference mode helps operators determine the influence of each rectifier whether it s their own or another operator s on the structure under test. 2. How does the innovation work? Impressed current cathodic protection criteria requires a minimum negative polarization voltage shift of 100 millivolts, and that that voltage shift must be determined by interrupting the protective current and measuring the polarization decay. The MicroMax GPS350 is a portable means of synchronously interrupting the protective current which typically comes from multiple rectifiers. The MicroMax GPS350 combines an award winning portable interrupter with a customdesigned and integrated relay. This all-in-one package is installed safely within the rectifier, and interrupts the rectifier current on a pre-defined schedule and for a specific duration. 3. Describe the corrosion problem or technological gap that sparked the development of the innovation? How does the innovation improve upon existing methods/technologies to address this corrosion problem or provide a new solution to bridge the technology gap? Portable interruption is not a new technology, but most of the portable interrupters on the market did not include a built-in relay. This meant that installing a portable interrupter meant 3

4 purchasing the correct type of relay, a lengthy installation process, and multiple points of possible misconfiguration which would result in a trip back to the rectifier to address the problem. Those interrupters that did include a relay were often bulky, cumbersome, and didn t have a relay custom-built for cathodic protection purposes. The MicroMax GPS350 current interrupter improves on portable interruption in the following ways: Portable The GPS350 is the smallest interrupter available with a built-in relay, keypad, and LCD display. It is light, weighing about 3 pounds, but rugged enough to withstand the harshest conditions. Compact The unit is small enough to fit inside most rectifier enclosures or magnetically clamp to the bottom, reducing the chances of vandalism and eliminating the need to chain it down to prevent theft. Flexible The GPS350 can interrupt either AC or DC, up to 60 A with on/ off cycles of less than 4 seconds, and 80 A with cycles totaling 4 seconds or longer. Installation is easy as polarity is not a concern. Complete Isolation The built-in relay is optically driven, ensuring that the interrupter is isolated from high energy events such as lightning strikes. Transient Voltage Suppression The GPS350 uses unique voltage suppression technology that absorbs the inductive energy released during on/off switching. Interference Mode synchronously interrupts specific groups of rectifiers to determine the influence of each rectifier on the structure under test. The GPS350 provides Interference Mode for close interval, depolarization and DCVG surveys with configurable Off, On, and delay settings. 4. Has the innovation been tested in the laboratory or in the field? If so, please describe any tests or field demonstrations and the results that support the capability and feasibility of the innovation. The GPS350 was tested extensively in the laboratory and also in the field, and has been commercially available since March of How can the innovation be incorporated into existing corrosion prevention and control activities and how does it benefit the industry/industries it serves (i.e., does it provide a cost and/or time savings; improve an inspection, testing, or data collection process; help to extend the service life of assets or corrosion-control systems, etc.)? The PHMSA criteria for cathodic protection requires that the protected structure exhibit a minimum negative polarization shift of 100 millivolts measured just after the current is interrupted. Thus, current interrupters are an essential tool for periodic surveys to make sure the criteria for cathodic protection are met. Almost every corrosion prevention group uses a number of portable interrupters, so the GPS350 would augment or replace the existing 4

5 interrupters. The GPS350 saves time during the survey process by eliminating the need to bring along a selection of relays to be installed. It also saves cost by being small enough to fit inside the rectifier, having a completely electrically isolated relay, and suppressing transient voltage. 6. Is the innovation commercially available? If yes, how long has it been utilized? If not, what is the next step in making the innovation commercially available? What are the challenges, if any, that may affect further development or use of this innovation and how could they be overcome? The MicroMax GPS350 has been commercially and generally available since March of Since then, nearly 1000 units have been sold to almost 100 customers in the U.S. and abroad. 7. Are there any patents related to this work? If yes, please provide the patent title, number, and inventor. No patents. 5