Special Issue

Smart Grid

Regarding “Smart Grid” Special Issue
Fukunaga Takao*
Historically, Furukawa Electric (FEC) group has been
involved in building the social infrastructure around theelectric power transmission and telecommunications withhigh opportunities on both the hardware and the softwaresides.
FEC group significantly contributes to the developmentof the Smart Grid by promoting advanced solutions suchas superconducting power cables and semiconductor
devices that are drastically reducing transmission loss
and storage batteries (secondary batteries) contributing
to a stable supply of the new energy.
A three -year medium-term plan, from 2010 to 2012,
called “New Frontier 2012” to ensure the growth in thenew business and the new market was created and thefollowing measures were implemented as real activities.
The launch of the organization:2010 August :	Smart Grid Business Development
Department
October : Power & System Laboratories
2012 February :	The acquisition of “SuperPower”
a superconducting wire manufacturer
March : Offshore Wind Project Team
April: HTS Project Team			 (High Temperature Superconductor Project Team)The business will be widely developed as an achievement of these measures.
In the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake that
happened in March 11th, 2011, Energy issue especiallythe Electric power becomes a concern. Now, Stable
power supply and effective use of power by demand leveling in place and time are the most important issue.
Capabilities of FEC group in solving the issue is presented in this publication dedicated as “Smart Grid special issue”.
Papers for “Long Life Battery for Cycle Service”, “Power
storage system”, “High -temperature superconductor”
and “Transmission system for Offshore Wind Power generation”,; and introduction of new products such as“High-performance cable for Solar Power generation andEV”, “Thermal Management Technology that is a key
technology of longer-life and higher-efficiency of equipments” and “High-reliability electrical board for next-generation vehicles that are further computerized”, are allincluded.
Thank you in advance for your help and your support.

Products and technologies that FEC group provides to Smart Grid.
For IT use in transmission and distribution grid
Overheadtransmission
line

Mega Solar (Solar Power)
Supply informationtransmission

Power sensor using optical technology
Optical communication equipments and cables fordistribution automation in next generation

Power cableCables and Halogen
free wire for solar
power generation

Automatic meterreading

OfficeEnvironmentally friendly pipe products

Residence
Storagebattery

Wind powergeneration

Radio antenna

Electric vehicle

Fuel battery
Informationcontrol

For power stabilization

Solar Power generation at houseand building
Sell surplus power
Send demand information

PlantsPower storage battery
Store surplus Wind Power etc.
Discharge according to Demands

Centralizedpower
For transmission and distribution loss reduction
Superconducting power cable
Transmission line for Smart grid formation
Zero loss with superconducting

Power flow
Information flowSuperconducting fault current limiter
Prevention of accident spreading,
suppression of system fault current

Thermal power
Control according to demands
Back up the shortfall of new energy

Power Electronics Device* General Manager, Power & System Laboratories Research & Development Division

Furukawa Review, No. 432013

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