20th Hunter Memorial Lecture. Microelectronics and the power engineer

Problems of the power engineer can be provided with better solutions using microelectronics. Some of the significant power-engineering problems are examined together with microelectronic components available for solutions. A number of examples are given of solutions to selected power problems and these include the use of microcomputers for protection control and data collection for metering, remote load control, static distance protection, `hi-fi¿ capacitor voltage transformers, phase-comparison protection, pilot-wire protection, transformer-differential protection, overcurrent protection of low-voltage networks, instrument transducers, power-factor correction and control of unwanted interference. The aim of this paper is to provide an insight into the functioning of engineers in this environment, an understanding of the problems that exist and an awareness of the advances that are being made in the solutions that are provided.