São Paulo - Beginning this week, Brazil possesses Latin America's most modern laboratory for studies and analyses of electric power. The Technological Center for Energy Quality (Enerq-ct) is part of the Polytechnic School (Poli) at the University of São Paulo (USP). The laboratory is equipped to monitor and diagnose the quality of electricity supplies and to develop technological solutions for the sector.
According to Nelson Kagan, a professor in the Poli's Department of Electrical and Automation Engineering, the center will contribute to understanding and publicizing problems related to energy quality. "It will be a state-of-the-art research center. We shall be able to develop prototypes and technological solutions for the electric energy sector. It's not enough just to deliver energy to consumers. Nowaways, you must deliver energy with quality, in order for consumers not to sustain losses within their installations. If energy quality within a factory is poor, for example, industrial sector productivity is lower."
The center will occupy 1,700 square meters on the USP campus (university city). There are three laboratories: one for measurements, one for assemblies, and another for experiments, as well as areas for tests and services, qualification and training, and research and technological development. The Studies and Projects Finance Agency (Finep), a development organ linked to the Ministry of Science and Technology, spent US$ 1.01 million (R$ 3 million) to purchase the equipment and construct the building.
According to the engineer in charge of the project, Gil Vasconcelos, the laboratory created by Poli professors is ready to conduct such activities as situation analyses, high technology solutions, tests in prototypes, product development (patents), studies of compatibility, susceptibility, and immunity, and nationalization of technologies available on the foreign market. In addition, the laboratory will permit analyses of technologies related to software and hardware used in measuring devices in the area of energy quality.
Agência Brasil
Reporter: Leonardo Stavale
Translator: David Silberstein
08/26/2004
