APTP Articles

Continuous Current Fuse Link Mounted Circuit Breaker

Switchgear engineering firm NOJA Power are celebrating the successful Type Testing of their new EcoLink product, a fuse link mounted circuit breaker that brings Reclosing reliability benefits to traditional fuses.

With the successful type tests completed, NOJA Power has commenced manufacture of the EcoLink against advance orders, and has opened the order books for further demand. Deliveries will commence from November 2024.

The EcoLink is a 15 kV rated, 100 A continuous current fuse link mounted circuit breaker designed to replace fuses on rural lines and fused lateral feeders.

The EcoLink product mounts in existing medium voltage fuse holders, and is configured to interrupt faults in the same time as a conventional fuse, except it has the ability to reclose.

Given that 80% of faults on the overhead line are transient, a single successful reclose of an EcoLink will restore power and often save network operators more than the cost of the install in maintenance and replacements.

NOJA Power’s EcoLink product was successfully type tested for duty at the KEMA facility in Arnhem Netherlands. 

“The EcoLink is the most innovative product NOJA Power has
ever developed, we are very proud of it we are excited to have launched production,” says NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan. 

“I am sure this product will make a significant global impact to electricity distribution networks.”

NOJA Power staff with the EcoLink at KEMA in Arnhem Netherlands. Staff left to right: Nick Rumpf, Joni Tortian, Oleg Samarski, Neil O’Sullivan

Unique Advantages

NOJA Power’s EcoLink product provides unique advantages over similar products in the market today. These include:

  1. Rapid start up. A completely deenergized EcoLink can be closed onto the fault, harvest energy and trip within a few cycles. The EcoLink’s supercapacitor array gathers sufficient trip energy to allow similar responses to existing fuses. The bigger the fault, the faster the trip.
  2. Lighter weight, with the EcoLink only weighing 7.4 kg.
  3. Live settings update – an EcoLink’s settings can be amended wirelessly without taking the device out of service, with a local IEEE1686 cybersecurity compliant connection.
  4. No need to drop out. The EcoLink’s design allows it to remain in the open position while energized.
  5. An interlocked manual operation arm. EcoLink can be installed in a fuse holder while open, ensuring the electrical close operation is performed by the internal vacuum interrupter. Conversely, the interlock mandates current interruption by the VI prior to removal, mitigating the risk of operators drawing an arc. 

NOJA Power’s production facility in Brisbane has commenced manufacture of the EcoLink. For technical ratings of the product, visit www.nojapower.com.au/product/ecolink

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NOJA Power