Photonic Power Application Questions
1. What is meant by "Photonic Power"?
JDSU offers an innovative power delivery system whereby light from a laser source illuminates a photovoltaic power converter (PPC) to produce up to 1 watt of electrical power. Refer to the Technical FAQs for further technical details on how Photonic Power operates.
2. What are the target applications and how does Photonic Power benefit each?
In electric power applications, Photonic Power replaces large, costly oil or gas-filled instrument transformers in transmission and distribution grids substantially lowering installation and maintenance costs.
In medical applications, Photonic Power can drive RF coils amplifiers and various sensors without being affected by the surrounding magnetic and RF fields. The elimination of crosstalk permits RF coils to be more closely spaced for improved imaging, and the non-conductive nature of the fiber eliminates the possibility of patient burns from RF heating.
In wireless applications, Photonic Power reduces installation and logistics costs by eliminating the need to store, ship, and install bulky low-loss coaxial cable. It also lowers total cost of ownership by reducing maintenance truck rolls and eliminating the possibility of damage from lightning strikes.
In industrial and aerospace sensor applications, Photonic Power can replace bulky copper cable installations with lighter weight, more flexible fiber cable runs. It offers spark-free and EMI-free performance for safer, more isolated sensor performance. JDSU's power converter technology can operate in very harsh conditions eliminating the need to purchase costly electronic circuitry customized for high temperature operation.
In defense applications, Photonic Power can provide fully isolated initiation of arming and fuzing circuits that is immune to the impact of electromagnetic pulses eliminating the possibility of accidental triggering. It can also be used for controlling sensors, actuators and interlocks on aircraft and ships, and can serve as an interference-free power source for driving electric field probes for sensitive EMI testing.
Please refer to the following Application-related descriptions for further details:
3. What advantages does Photonic Power offer over power delivery traditional solutions?
Photonic Power offers interference-free, safer, and more environmentally-friendly performance than traditional power delivery technologies such as copper and coaxial cable and batteries. Its key advantages include the following:
4. Is Photonic Power cost competitive with more traditional forms of power delivery?
The total cost of ownership of deploying Photonic Power is considerably less than traditional approaches because of lower installation costs, reduced maintenance expense, and elimination of the need for battery back-up and lightning protection equipment.
Please refer to the following Application-related descriptions for further details:
5. Is Photonic Power easy to install?
JDSU's Photovoltaic Power Module (PPM) is a plug and play photonic power solution that is both complete and easy to install. The system consists of a laser source and power converter connected by fiber using standard optical connectors. The system is relatively maintenance free, although care must be taken to ensure no dirt enters either end of the fiber link as it could inhibit transmission of the laser light.
6. Is there any safety issue associated with using Photonic Power?
JDSU's system manual delineates the steps required to safely install Photonic Power, and to ensure eye safety during installation and operation of the laser source. While photonic power offers many safety advantages over traditional solutions, care must be taken to ensure that the laser is not operational while the fiber optic cable is disconnected.
