[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 100 (Thursday, July 23, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1398]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    ZLAN, LTD. DEVELOPS MAJOR ADVANCEMENT IN ELECTRICAL FIRE SAFETY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 23, 1998

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, one of the new high-tech firms in my 
district, Zlan, Ltd. of Wylie, TX, has come up with an affordable 
solution to a major cause of the loss of life and property in this 
country: electrical fires. Each year thousands of people die or are 
seriously injured and billions of dollars of property is destroyed 
because of electrical fires. I am told that Zlan's technology, properly 
installed in the home, can improve electrical fire safety by as much as 
one-hundred fold, dramatically reducing electrical fires.
  This is not a new problem. As early as 1978, the House Interstate and 
Foreign Commerce Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee 
found that ``. . . often the dangerous malfunctions of these systems, 
which may lead to fire, takes place behind the walls of one's home over 
a period of time and finally fire erupts without warning. . . . (I)t is 
essential that industry and government work together to find a solution 
to this problem.''
  In 1994 the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) asked 
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to identify new technology products for 
reducing residential electrical fires. George A. Spencer, who is Zlan's 
founder and CEO, invented an electronic circuit breaker and has spent 
many years developing and improving this technology. Zlan, Ltd. began 
demonstrating prototypes of its Digitally Enhanced Circuit 
Breaker, to the CPSC and UL. CPSC has indicated substantial 
interest in this technology.
  Last spring Spencer and the Zlan team presented to the CPSC staff an 
update of their electronic circuit breaker technology designed to 
detect arcing faults. Key features include:
  Microprocessor controller for state of the art technology.
  Arc detection to analyze low and high current problems in wiring.
  False trip protection for routine power surges, i.e., motor start-
ups, etc.
  Auto self-test plus manual test capability.
  LED status light for performance assurance and fault identification.
  Serial Port options for remote monitoring, test and remote trip 
capability.
  Zlan's Load Center Monitor works with the Digitally Enhanced Circuit 
Breakers to provide audible and visual indicators of faults, store 
performance data, identify causes of electrical malfunctions as well as 
communication capabilities to monitor electrical systems.
  Zlan has entered into an agreement with STMicroelectronics, Inc. (ST) 
to manufacture a custom chip-set using Zlan's Arc Fault Interrupter 
(AFCI) technology that will provide a low cost solution to the circuit 
breakers manufacturers. Most homes can be upgraded to the new AFCI 
circuit breaker at a cost estimated to be as low as $800.
  This major advancement in electrical fire safety is expected to be on 
the market in time to meet new electrical building codes now being 
drafted.
  Innovative use of new technology to improve flawed and dated 
technology has always been the hallmark of American ingenuity. I am 
extraordinarily pleased that the creative minds at Zlan have chosen to 
locate and build their business in my district to advance a promising 
technology that can save lives and give families the opportunity to 
make their homes safer places to live.

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