News, Safety, Technology

Working safely with high voltage electricity

Australian owned and designed technology from Protective provides indication alarms and optional motion-stop technology offering safer working conditions when operating near high voltage electricity sources keeping personnel and machines safe.

Protective recently released GoUpSafely V2 which features improved design and detection capability to create an industry leading high voltage sensing system.

The GoUpSafely V2 is easily fitted to all cranes and most aerial machines with GoUpSafely’s motion-stop option designed to prevent an operator moving into dangerous overhead powerlines and allowing the safe movement of the machine away from the high voltage electricity source.

Protective’s latest generation GoUpSafely System adds significant new features, improved reliability and mechanical durability to the innovative engineered high voltage power protection system.

Protective’s patented GoUpSafely™ (GUS™) system, is comprised of one or more wireless E-field sensors coupled to a Base Controller. The system is designed to detect the proximity of energized overhead AC 50Hz or 60Hz electrical transmission lines in order to prevent inadvertent contact with hazardous and potentially lethal voltages. GUS™ was created to prevent machinery from contacting energized overhead high-voltage transmission lines when a hazardous situation is detected. This is achieved by stopping the machine in the current direction of movement, and only allowing movement away from the hazard until it is cleared.

The sensors are capable of detecting E-fields surrounding energized distribution and transmission lines. They are typically mounted strategically on the boom of a crane or onto an elevated area of the basket or boom of an elevated work platform. Each sensor is paired to and communicates with the Base Controller, which can be hard-wired into the control system of the machine. The Base Controller can either directly control hydraulic solenoids utilizing solid-state switching or may utilize a J1939 CAN Bus connection, depending on the application.  ‘Indication only’ versions are also available, should this be the most suitable configuration for the working environment.

When a sensor detects the proximity of a high-voltage transmission line, it illuminates inbuilt lamps to indicate the level of the hazard, and transmits its status to the Base Controller, The Base Controller disables further movement towards the hazard, allowing only a single opposite movement to ‘back out’ of the hazardous area. Note that typically, movement in any other direction is inhibited…however, the behaviour can be configured depending on customer requirements. When a GUS™ system is correctly installed, calibrated and commissioned, it is virtually impossible for an operator to invoke movement that results in contact with an energized electrical transmission line.

GUS v2 includes the following features:

System Design:

* Building on our patented HV sensing technology, GUS V2 has greatly improved AC detection by allowing the entire sensor solar panel to become the antenna!

* CAN connection now available on the Base Control Unit which supports J1939. The addition of the CAN bus interface allows for robust, seamless OEM integration of the GUS system to most modern machines!

Environmental improvements:

* Mil-Spec componentry allows our sensors to operate reliably from -30c to +85c.

* The updated UV resistant IP67 custom enclosure greatly improves durability from environmental and physical damage.

* Custom NiMh cells provide greater flexibility for both environmental temperature conditions as well as helping to alleviate global shipping restrictions.

Contact Protective today to find out how we can work together to save lives.

Future Release:

* Future GUS version will offer the flexibility to detect DC fields with our optional DC Detection modules. This greatly increases the applications for GUS and we are very proud of this offering!  Soon to be released!

https://www.protective.net.au/go-up-safely

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