To overcome the global economic crisis triggered by the financial crisis in the latter half of 2008, economic measures with a focus on environmental protection are being implemented. Throughout the world, eco-friendly products are attracting attention, and efforts to introduce such products are gaining momentum. Fuji Electric is working to develop various energy-saving and eco-friendly technologies for industrial plants that support public and industrial infrastructures in basic areas such as electrical substations, roads and transportation, clean rooms, data centers and the like. By responding to the demands of a new era with “energy-saving” and “eco-friendly” technologies, Fuji Electric intends to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.

The UPS8000H developed by Fuji Electric is the world’s first uninterruptible power supply (UPS) that uses a lithium ion capacitor (LiC) as a battery. With a custom LiC developed jointly with FDK Corporation and a modular structure adopted for each part, 60% smaller size and improved ease of maintenance have been achieved. Additionally, a proprietary single-pulse charging scheme enables this UPS to realize 99.3% efficiency when commercial power is supplied. The application of hybrid-type high-speed power failure detection and high-speed semiconductor switching enables the realization of uninterrupted switching time less than 2.0ms (JEC-2433: UPS system class 2).

Fuji Electric’s“ MOLTRA” is a fire-resistant, maintenance-free, compact and lightweight molded transformer, that is also environmentally- friendly because it does not use oil. In new energy applications involving wind power systems, measures such as the use of smaller coils, removal of interphase barriers and barriers between primary-side panels, use of H-type insulation, and the application of a shielded structure for secondary terminals and inter-phase leads ensures 34.5 kV insulation performance and achieves a smaller size and lighter weight. For use in special power supplies for power storage devices, a transformer with approximately 4 times the overvoltage input tolerance as a general-purpose high-voltage MOLTRA has been developed. Moreover, the installation of Japan’s largest MOLTRA in the electric room on an upper floor of a building was implemented by disassembling the MOLTRA, and using a jig to transport the disassembled pieces.

In consideration of traffic congestion and environmental issues, urban highways are progressing toward the use of underground tunnels. The air inside a tunnel includes suspended particulate matter (SPM) from automobile emissions. The discharge of air outside the tunnel requires the use of environmental protection equipment in order to meet environmental standards.
Fuji Electric has delivered electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) as environmental protection equipment for the Metropolitan Expressway’s Central Circular Shinjuku Route. Based on a review of the ESP internal structure and power supply, the gas flow velocity was increased while maintaining the same level of SPM removal performance. ESP applied the rectangular AC high voltage, which is unique to Fuji, was installed to prevent the particle re-entrainment.

To improve ETC (electronic toll collection) systems, expressway companies have finalized a new specification for a 2nd generation system， that clarifies and standardizes the connection conditions (interface) between facilities. By refining the technology acquired with 1st generation vehicle sensors and supporting the new specification, Fuji Electric created a new design in consideration of measures to prevent interference from foreign matters such as insects, small animals and snow, the need for more compact enclosure size, and easier optical axis alignment and easier maintenance. In 2009, Fuji Electric released the “FVS-2,” a 2nd generation vehicle detector for ETC-use, and delivered the first product.

At data centers, an energy-efficient cooling solution for the heat generated by servers is required. Fuji Electric has developed a local air conditioning system for this purpose. The system constantly monitors the dew point temperature and the coolant temperature of air introduced into a spot air-cooling unit to prevent the dew condensation. An automatic redundancy feature enables spot air-cooling unit and pumped refrigerant unit to changeover automatically to redundant units when an abnormal condition occurs. Airflow analysis has been performed to equalize the flow of air and to realize a compact, high-performance local cooling unit that saves energy.

LCD panel factories which drive the FPD industry are using larger mother glass sizes to improve productivity and are increasing the rate of production to achieve shorter tact times. At a state-of-the-art LCD panel factory, the first in the world to use 10th generation mother glass, we have vertically launched a clean room system that uses a new method of airflow control. To build a system capable of supporting the construction of a larger clean room, a learning center that models an actual clean room has been installed at Fuji Electric, and a system capable of training construction workers before they enter the factory is provided. Fuji Electric also developed and delivered a precise temperature control unit for glass substrates that improves yield and reduces tact time.

Induction heating (IH) is non-contact method of heating that is highly efficient, highly controllable and provides a clean and safe working environment, and has been used in processes for forming and fabricating materials, such as melting metal and heating billets and plates. As an application of IH, Fuji Electric has also commercialized a once-through induction heating super steamer (IHSS) capable of generating 450 ºC and 0.3 MPa superheated steam from water with a generating efficiency of 95%. The range of applications for this product is expanding beyond use for forming and fabricating materials to the fields of food heating and sterilization and the removal of fat, and so on. Fuji Electric has commercialized 5 kHz-50 kHz and 100 kW-2,000 kW high frequency IGBT power supplies for IH. These are smaller than conventional power MOSFET power supplies (reducing the volume to about 60%) and have higher efficiency (conversion efficiency of 97%).

In order to achieve a low carbon society, systems for generating and supplying energy are becoming more diversified. As a result of this diversification, there is increasing demand for devices for the DC circuits in solar power generation facilities and data centers and for energy savings in electrical equipment. To meet this demand, Fuji Electric provides DC circuit breakers that expand the range of models in the “Compact NS Series” molded case circuit breakers and has commercialized “F-MPC” multiple function protection systems and devices that monitor the electricity, gas and water usage of a business or the like. Fuji Electric also contributes to the energy-saving initiatives of its customers. Furthermore, so as to support, on a product or system level, the trend toward safety standards and regulations of low-voltage equipment, Fuji Electric also contributes to the intrinsic safety of customers’ equipment.

To help prevent global warming, Fuji Electric provides various energy-saving and energy-generating products. For energy monitoring systems, Fuji Electric provides the“ F-MPC-Net Web” for aggregating data and the“ F-MPC-Eco Web” for analyzing data, which are software programs that run on a PC, and a compact “F-MPC Web” unit that realizes these software functions in hardware. The use of this software and hardware in combination with measurement equipment enables the power, water and gas usage to be monitored at industrial facilities such as factories, public facilities such as schools and hospitals, and business facilities such as stores. Additionally, this software and hardware is highly scalable, from small to large facilities.

In response to market needs for magnetic contactors with smaller size and lighter weight, and a low-voltage DC control circuit with reduced inrush power consumption, Fuji Electric has developed the“ SC-N5A” AC operated contactor that retains compatibility (external dimensions, mounting dimensions and terminal locations) with, but is lighter than, the previous model, and the“ SC-N4/G” and“ SC-N5/G” DC operated contactors which feature greatly reduced inrush power consumption of the DC control circuit, and these models, ranging from 5.5 kW to 22 kW, have been added to the “NEO SC Series.” Using a multi-objective algorithm, the power consumption and electromagnet dimensions were optimized and electromagnetic field analysis of coupled motion, large deformation analysis and thermal-hydraulic analysis were performed to develop a new electromagnet structure.

Against the backdrop of market globalization, Fuji Electric has developed and commercialized the “G-TWIN” global breaker, and upon completing the 32 to 800 AF series in January 2009, launched a full-scale effort to expand the market. Because of the relationship of protective coordination with lower devices, a fork-type dual-contact breaking method was adopted as new technology for compact high performance current- limiting breaking. Moreover, to ensure the stability and reliability of the supply of electric power, Fuji Electric has expanded its lineup of plug-in circuit breaker models, and demand for these models is expected to increase in recent years. Fuji Electric has also developed a proprietary arc extinguishing function and expanded its lineup of breaker models for use in photovoltaic cells and the DC circuits in data centers.

Against a backdrop of frequently occurring accidents at factories, railways and the like, interest in the safety of machinery and equipment is increasing. A newly developed short interruption restart relay combines the three functions of instantaneous restart, timed restart and prohibited restart in response to a power failure, and makes possible the safe implementation of the motor restart control. Also, a variety of safety standard-compliant devices such as emergency switches, trip wire switches, safety door switches, light curtains, safety mats, twohand control stations and safety relay units are provided and help to reduce the risk associated with machinery and equipment.

Demand for surge protective devices (SPDs) has grown and awareness of the need for lightning protection has risen as a result of an increase in lightning hazards and the effect of establishing a JIS for SPDs. To meet this demand, Fuji Electric has worked to develop products and to enrich its product series of low-voltage SPDs for power supplies and for communications and signals. A power supply SPD is installed between the power line and ground terminal of the device to be protected. For instrumentation systems and the like, signal SPDs are desirably installed near the devices to be protected on the sensor-side and on the monitoring room side. For SPD disconnector use, molded case circuit breaker models can be selected such that, based on the experimental results of the lightning surge current tolerance of molded-case circuit breakers, unwanted behavior and failures such as fusing of the contacts do not occur.

In order to achieve a high level of performance and high quality with switches, operation/display devices, and control devices, proprietary simulation technology and measurement technology are being developed. Simulations have been performed to enhance the quality of the snap action of switching mechanisms, and electromagnetic field analyses accounting for eddy currents were applied to the development of solenoids used in moving mechanisms. Moreover, in the development of DC breakers, for which there has been intense interest recently, technologies for measuring arc behavior, for simulating breaker characteristics, for evaluating the temperature of hot gas generated during a short circuit and for evaluating leakage current were used to optimize the arc space and to realize a more compact size and lower power consumption.

Having a high light emission efficiency and colors that do not fade due to ultraviolet rays, LEDs are attracting attention for application to industrial lighting devices and displays, in addition to their use in general-purpose lighting. Fuji Electric’s LED lighting and displays use lightguiding plates, and are devised so as to illuminate a wide area with just a few light sources. Compared to conventional LED lights and displays, Fuji Electric’s LED products provide not only significant energy savings, but are easier to install in machinery and equipment because they have a thinner external shape than fluorescent lights, and by changing the shape of their light-guiding plates, are capable of supporting a wider variety of applications.