In a bid to bring relief to consumers, IIT Madras has come up with a system which will free consumers from power blackouts. It is set to be rolled out in several southern states, including Tamil Nadu.
The system ‘Uninterrupted Direct Current (UDC)’, touted as ‘fist of its kind’, will guarantee continuous power supply from the grid, even during outages. It has been designed by Ashok Jhunjhunwala, professor of electrical engineering and member of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Council, director Bhaskar Ramamurthi and their team.
The UDC would ensure that a limited supply of electricity from the grid is available throughout the year, even when demand exceeds supply. The limited supply of electricity can be used to run bulbs, fans and television sets and charge cellphones.
It may be mentioned that Tamil Nadu has been plagued by power cuts over the last few years, facing a shortage of around 3,000MW. Engineers feel it will require minimal investment from the government and public, minimal change to existing power distribution infrastructure. Incremental addition of devices and solar panels will also be possible. Challenges include standardisation of direct current, and replacing electronics to work at 48volt DC.
