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from the EDITOR ANTHONY CAPKUN
Seeking greatness for 2018 Canadian Electrical Awards
CONTENTS MAY 2018 || VOLUME 54 || ISSUE 5
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hat do a concentrator mill, submarine cable, refinery turnaround and railway tunnel have in common? Along with two Electrical Safety Champions (thank you I-Gard!), they are all electrical projects that were recognized in last year’s Canadian Electrical Awards program. Read more about them in our November/December 2017 edition (EBMag.com/digital). Meantime, the 2018 awards program is actively seeking Nominations for both noteworthy electrical installations across the country as well as new Electrical Safety Champions! But this is also an appeal for award sponsors. Like I-Gard, CSA Group and Southwire Canada in previous years, we’re looking for organizations who will help us celebrate and promote the excellent electrical work being done in Canada. Sponsorship helps us keep the awards program running, pays for the hardware and marketing, etc. Let’s talk! Like last year, projects/champions will be considered under several categories: • • • • • •
Industrial Commercial Institutional Residential Special (unique project) Electrical Safety Champion
cover PHOTo: stock photo
EBMag’s John MacPherson (left) with Shelley Bacon of Northern Cables, recipient of a 2017 Canadian Electrical Award for their involvement with the Brockville Railway Tunnel project.
The awards program accepts nominations from anyone involved in the electrical scope of the project, including contractors, distributors, manufacturers and their agents, engineers, designers and owners, etc. As usual, you are allowed to Nominate yourself or your own project. Don’t wait for someone else to do it! The competition closes September 14, 2018, with the winners revealed shortly thereafter. For more information, including the Rules and Nomination Form, visit EBMag.com/awards. acapkun@annexbusinessmedia.com EBMAG.COM
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First principles, emergency lighting, VFDs, hazloc and more
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Unified BMS and security for smart buildings connected to microgrids
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Regular readers and visitors to EBMag.com will have learned the IEEE ESTMP—this distinctively Canadian and uniquely Albertan event—continues to impress with its educational track, learned speakers, and loyal supporters and delegates. It continually boasts a great mix of electrical professionals, as well as a dynamic range in delegate ages and years in the industry.
Whether it’s a facility or campus, a building management system (BMS) integrating both traditional methods with energy management enables building owners and operators to minimize expense by continuously evaluating real-time energy needs in relation to buying, selling or storing energy.
Infrared thermal imaging devices make sense for electricians
Infrared thermography cameras have come a long way toward helping electricians and service techs find and solve problems quicker and more safely. And some of the newest IR cameras combine both thermal imaging and electrical measurement features in one inspection, troubleshooting and diagnostic tool.
COLUMNS
DEPARTMENTS
13 Electrical Safety 360 Benchmarking the 2018 Super Bowl... of electrical safety 22 Code File Section 10 rewrite: navigation and definitions
4 Industry News 8 Letters 9 Personalities 13 Calendar 20 Products & Solutions 21 Code Conundrum May 2018 · ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
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INDUSTRY news
The Ty-Rap cable tie celebrates 60 years and 28 billion units
Mars rover, courtesy NASA.
What ubiquitous cable device is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, has travelled as far as Mars, and possibly now numbers in 28 billion units produced? If you said the Ty-Rap cable tie, then well done! And while it hasn’t counted every single unit, ABB (new.abb.com) says it is pretty sure that Thomas & Betts (a member of the ABB Group) will produce its 28 billionth Ty-Rap cable tie in 2018, its 60th anniversary year. Thomas & Betts (tnb.ca) engineer Maurus C. Logan patented the Ty-Rap cable tie in 1958. Two years prior, in 1956, Logan observed that workers in a Boeing aircraft plant had to laboriously knot together thousands of feet of electric cables with waxed nylon cord, tearing their fingers in the process. He knew there had to be a better way, so he entered the lab and emerged two years later with his invention: the Ty-Rap cable tie, the world’s first self-clinching cable tie. Today, Ty-Rap cable ties come in heat-resistant varieties, along with product lines that are resistant to UV rays, harsh chemicals and extreme heat and cold. A version has been designed to withstand the radiation and vacuum of space. A variety of related Ty-Fast cable ties have been designed to kill microbes on their surface. The toughest variety—the ETFE—rolls around the surface of Mars as it holds cables on NASA’s Martian land rovers. This year will see the introduction of an improved detectable Ty-Rap cable tie, plus a new line that changes colour in the presence of scalding heat. Happy anniversary, Ty-Rap! 4
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
Techspan Industries is acquiring Fusetek
Malcolm Bird, general manager of Fusetek (fusetek.com), and Frank Dunnigan, CEO of Techspan Industries (techspan.ca), announced the sale of shares of Fusetek to Techspan, with an expected closing date of June 12, 2018. “After 45 years in business, we had to look at a succession plan,” said Bird. “We looked for the right fit—not just for ourselves, but also for our customers, suppliers and employees.” Dunnigan, meantime, said “We were looking for a strategic acquisition that would deliver more value to our distributor customers across Canada”. Techspan is a family owned Canadian company, Bord noted, “with a similar business philosophy and a set of corporate values that closely matched those of Fusetek. We couldn’t think of a better partner to carry the Canadian torch forward than Techspan”. Fusetek will continue to be run as a separate division with no change in the current sales team. The Kingston warehouse and offices are a part of the acquisition and inside sales functions and product shipments will continue from Kingston for a seamless transition. Finance and accounting functions will be reconciled “in short order”.
What does Philips Lighting’s name-change Signify?
Philips Lighting announced it is changing its name from Philips Lighting to Signify, saying the new name “originates from the fact that light becomes an intelligent language, which connects and conveys meaning”. That, plus the fact the new company name satisfies the company’s contractual requirements under the Company Name License Agreement with Royal Philips, reports the company, which requires a name-change less than 18 months after Royal Philips no longer has a controlling interest. “We’re excited to announce our new company name as another step in our transformation journey,” said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Lighting. “Our new company name is a clear expression of our strategic vision and a fabulous opportunity to introduce a new corporate look and feel that is uniquely our own and will serve to further unite our 32,000 employees.” The company, however, will continue to use the Philips brand, under the existing licensing agreement with Royal Philips.
May 2018 || Volume 54 || Issue 5 ELECTRICAL BUSINESS is the #1 Canadian resource for electrical contractors, maintenance & engineering professionals, distributors, manufacturers and their agents, and associated stakeholders.
Editor Anthony Capkun acapkun@annexbusinessmedia.com Group publisher John MacPherson jmacpherson@annexbusinessmedia.com Account manager Jacquie Rankin jrankin@annexbusinessmedia.com Assistant Editor Ellen Cools ecools@annexbusinessmedia.com Art Director Svetlana Avrutin savrutin@annexbusinessmedia.com Account Coordinator Kathryn Nyenhuis knyenhuis@annexbusinessmedia.com Circulation manager Bona Lao blao@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 ext. 3552 COO Ted Markle tmarkle@annexbusinessmedia.com President & CEO Mike Fredericks Published by Annex Business Media 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Tel. 416-442-5600 • Fax 416-442-2191
Printed in Canada ISSN 0013-4244 Publication Mail Agreement #40065710 Circulation Email: blao@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 ext.3552 Fax: 416-510-6875 or 416-442-2191 Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1
Subscription rates Canada: Single issue $7.00 12 issues: $37.00 USA: $65.00 (US) International: $78.50 (US) per year Annex Privacy Officer Email: privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 Occasionally, Electrical Business will mail information on behalf of industry related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. The contents of Electrical Business are copyright ©2018 by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent. Annex Publishing & Printing Inc. disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication.
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INDUSTRY news
Lamborghini’s Terzo Millennio “rewriting the rules on super sports cars” Automobili Lamborghini recently marked the first steps of a possible future Lamborghini electric supercar: the Terzo Millennio. “Collaborating with MIT for our R&D department is an exceptional opportunity to do what Lamborghini has always been very good at: rewriting the rules on super sports cars,” said Stefano Domenicali, chair and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. The technological goal of the project is to enable Lamborghini to address the future of the supercar in five different dimensions: energy storage systems, innovative materials, propulsion system, visionary design and emotion. The first two dimensions are conceived together with two MIT labs: the Dinca Research Lab led by prof. Mircea Dinca and the Mechanosynthesis Group led by prof. Anastasios John Hart. The collaboration is “substantially financed” by Automobili Lamborghini and intended to lead to radical innovation in energy storage systems technology and material science. In the realm of energy storage, Lamborghini is investigating the feasibility of moving away from conventional batteries in favour of supercapacitors to power the Terzo Millennio. This is in line with the application of low-voltage supercapacitors in the V12 Aventador, which started five years ago, says the automaker. The next step is to develop a storage system able to deliver high peak power and regenerate kinetic energy with very limited influence from aging and cycling during the vehicle’s life, plus the ability to symmetrically release and harvest electric power. Thus, the collaboration with Dinca aims to overcome the limits of today’s technology and close the gap on conventional batteries’ energy density while preserving the high power, symmetrical behaviour and the long life cycle related to supercapacitor technology. To support a revolution in energy storage, materials and their functions also have to change. Lamborghini aims to “further develop its leadership” in the design and production of carbon fiber structures and parts, enhancing its ability to develop features and functions “that take lightweight materials to the next level”. Hence, the cooperation with prof. John Hart’s lab, which will investigate new 6
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
Courtesy Automobili Lamborghini
manufacturing routes for carbon fiber materials that constitute the bodyshell of the Terzo Millennio, which will also act as an accumulator for energy storage and enable the complete body of the car to be used as a storage system. The energy storage system goes hand-in hand with the wheels, too. Each incorporates an integrated electric engine, harvesting the opportunities provided by electric motors: high torque, reversibility and the possibility of moving energy by wire. The Terzo Millennio therefore also embodies the first steps for Lamborghini to go in the direction of creating a “Lamborghini Electric”.
Ledvance (ledvance.com) by means of a share deal with the strategic investor IDG Capital and the financial investor Yiwu. As part of the deal, IDG Capital and Yiwu will become shareholders of MLS via a joint investment. “With MLS as our partner and key supplier of LED components, we will continue to vehemently drive forward the transition of Ledvance into becoming the leading global LED lighting company,” asserted Jacob C. Tarn, Ledvance CEO. The change in ownership has no impact on Ledvance’s legal form as a German GmbH. It’s global HQ will remain in Garching near Munich.
Torbram Electric now known Southwire U.S. to invest as City Electric Supply $9 million into workforce following tax reform Torbram Electric Supply, which has over 68 branches across Canada, has announced it is changing its corporate name to City Electric Supply. “We are, in fact, part of a very large, long-standing company called City Electric Supply. This network expands to over 900 branch locations around the world, operating in multiple countries, including Canada,” says the distributor. CES says we will start noticing the name change throughout 2018 (e.g. branch signage, digital platform, and other brand material and collateral). City Electric Supply (torbramelectric.com) is part of a privately owned electrical wholesale network established in 1951.
China’s MLS now the sole owner of Ledvance
Ledvance GmbH—the company behind the Sylvania brand—is now 100% owned by the Chinese LED lighting company MLS. (Read also our report “Chinese consortium completes Ledvance acquisition”, direct link tinyurl.com/yaruultg). MLS has taken over full ownership of
Southwire recently announced it will reinvest approximately $9 million into the workforce as a result of a recent tax reform. In addition to one-time employee bonuses, the company said it is expanding its parental leave policy and strengthening its commitment to education, skilled trade development, STEM programs and diversity in the workplace. Full-time employees in the U.S., with the exception of executives and upper management, will each receive a USD $1000 bonus and full-time employees outside of the U.S. will receive an equivalent supplement. Part-time employees will receive a bonus of USD $250 or an international equivalent. Southwire will also offer a bridge scholarship program for eligible hourly employees who want to further their education. EBMAG.COM
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INDUSTRY news
letters
Being on-call means being in the red with Bill 148
B.C. Premier John Horgan announces funding for programs. Courtesy Province of British Columbia
B.C. announces support for women building a career in the trades B.C. Premier John Horgan recently announced a number of programs to support women working or entering a career in the building trades through improved workplace supports, services and practices. According to the government of B.C., less than 3% of working women in the province are in the building trades. A labour-market report released in fall 2017 recommended providing women with workplace supports. Following a call for responses, the B.C. Construction Association and the B.C. Federation of Labour were selected to develop a range of programs. Services and programs include: • outreach and mentoring for tradeswomen • leadership-development training to improve workplace culture by addressing bullying and harassment in the workplace • employer-human resource supports, including a virtual team to help develop customized workplace policies, plus onsite mediation to manage staff situations • exemplary employer campaigns to recognize employers Funding for the programs is expected to be up to $1.8 million over two years. The programs are funded through the Canada-B.C. Labour Market Development Agreement. 8
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
Electromart is the newest member of IMARK Canada
Hamilton, Ont.-based Electromart Lighting and Electrical Supply is now a member of IMARK Canada (imarkcanada.com). Electromart is a Canadian-owned company established in the early 1970s by Murray Ogel. The company now operates an 11,000-sf building from which it serves customers in the Greater Hamilton, Grimsby, Caledonia, Brantford and Guelph communities (electromart.net).
SaskPower CCS surpasses 2 million tonnes
Since operations began in October 2014, the carbon capture & storage (CCS) process at SaskPower’s Boundary Dam power station has prevented a total of more than 2 million tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. “It’s been an incredible opportunity to explore this ground-breaking technology as part of our power-generating fleet,” said SaskPower’s Mike Marsh. “BD3 continues to provide electricity to more than 100,000 of our customers. What’s more, it’s doing so with coal, and in a way that makes it one of the cleanest-burning fossil fuel units on Earth.’’ (Read also our report “Global centre for CCS being developed by SaskPower and BHP Billiton”, direct link tinyurl.com/ycdzkely) Expose yourself online! EBMag.com boasts over well 28,000 page views per month. That’s a whole lot of good online exposure for very reasonable rates!
Hello! Long-time reader and subscriber to Electrical Business Magazine. The changes contained within [Ontario’s] new Bill 148 are largely not a concern to me as a licensed electrical contractor. I agree with the wage structure changes, time off allowances, increased vacation pay, etc. One big concern is the change in the requirement for 3-hours of pay for being oncall. Any contracting company offering 24/7 emergency trade services (electrical, fire, sprinkler, HVAC, locks, security, plumbing, etc.) will face massive costs for having technicians on-call to handle emergency service. Bill 148’s changes provide for the same 3-hour payment to be made to an on-call employee who was not sent out as the employee who was called out and actually completed work. Why would any employee do any after-hours work when they are being paid the same for having done no work? Rates for customers will rise 10X to provide for this new bill, and those costs come right back down to everyone via cost of living increases. This results in no net change except more tax money generated. I’m not sure if any contracting companies offering 24/7 service have caught the implications of this yet, which are scary for company owners. (Municipalities, I see, are exempt... how could they possibly pay the extra costs for this brilliant idea.) — Jon R., Markham, Ont.
For more information on Scheduling in Ontario’s “A plan for fair workplaces and better jobs (Bill 148)”, visit the government’s website, direct link tinyurl.com/y9zvy63v. For taking the time to write us, we are sending Jon R. (and Ed F. from Toronto, who also wrote us about this precise issue) a collection of goodies from our friends at Ideal Industries. We always welcome your comments, insights and article ideas. Got an itch to write? Scratch it by emailing acapkun@annexbusinessmedia.com, or comment directly on the items you see at EBMag.com. (N.B. letters may be edited for clarity and brevity).
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INDUSTRY news
ENMAX withdrawn from PPA Balancing Pool legal action ENMAX reports that it and the Government of Alberta have agreed to withdraw the utility from the Power Purchase Arrangement (PPA) legal action initiated in 2016 by the Attorney General. “The Government of Alberta took legal action to fight to protect Albertans, and many parties—including ENMAX—were regrettably caught up in our action against the past government,” admitted Margaret McCuaig-Boyd, Minister of Energy. Gianna Manes, The agreement reached provides for the president & CEO. Photo courtesy ENMAX transfer from ENMAX to the Balancing Pool (2013). of 166,667 carbon offset credits and for a payment of equivalent value to ENMAX from the Balancing Pool for previously disputed and unpaid dispatch services and PPA transition matters. “We are satisfied that this agreement is in the best interests of our shareholder, the City of Calgary, and all Albertans,” said Gianna Manes, ENMAX president & CEO (photo). With this agreement, the legal action between the Government of Alberta, ENMAX and the remaining parties will be ended.
Quebec sports new centre of excellence in transportation electrification and energy storage
Hydro-Quebec and the Government of Quebec have opened a new centre of excellence in transportation electrification and energy storage that will commercialize Hydro-Quebec’s technologies, create new research partnerships and develop new technologies. “[The centre] will help bring together the business and research communities in order to establish a dynamic culture of open innovation, further technology transfer and help create jobs,” said Minister of Transport Electrification André Fortin.
Formerly Baldor Electric Canada... now ABB Motor and Mechanical (Canada) Inc.
ABB harmonized the Baldor Electric Company name as part of its “Next Level” strategy; now Baldor Electric Canada will henceforth be known as ABB Motor and Mechanical (Canada) Inc. As ABB, the organization will continue to manufacture, design and market the product brands of Baldor-Reliance motors and Dodge mechanical power transmission products. Its four Canadian locations will continue to support ABB’s Canadian motors and generators business unit. The ABB brand is being applied to all of the Baldor Electric Company’s manufacturing, sales and support facilities, box designs and marketing collateral, invoices and purchase orders, and tradeshow booths. Visit EBMAG.COM for the latest news, stories, products, videos, photo galleries and industry events. EBMAG.COM
Personalities
Luc Faessler is now Stelpro’s sales manager, HVAC (Canada). Reporting to Connie Chabot, vice president of sales and business development, Faessler will continue to implement the organization’s strategy to achieve its HVAC objectives within the Canadian marketplace. He brings over 30 years of sales and marketing experience in various industries, including over five years representing Stelpro’s HVAC division. Jeff DeFazio has returned to Standard Products as an energy savings and quotations specialist. DeFazio will be responsible for lighting proposals and pricing, as well as the management of various energy savings projects for B.C. He brings over 20 years of experience in customer service, including 11 years with Standard. Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) recently held its 5th annual Awards of Excellence luncheon in Toronto, where Mike Allen, Ontario Power Generation’s senior vice president, Nuclear Refurbishment, was honoured with the 2017 Leader of the Year Award. Additionally, Sara Rasouli, OPG, won the Emerging Leader of the Year Award, Cambrian College won the Innovation in HR Practices Educational/Training Institution Award, Alberta Electric Systems Operator won the Innovation in HR Practices Employer Award and OPG won the Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award. Mersen has appointed Ali Julazadeh regional sales manager for Canada’s Central Region. He is based in Mersen’s Mississauga, Ont. office. Ali joined Mersen in March 2014 in the position of solutions engineer, PV Products. He earned a Bachelors and a Masters of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from Ryerson University, and is in the process of completing his MBA. He recently earned his P.Eng. designation. Shonodeep Modak is Schneider Electric’s new chief marketing officer for North America. He will be responsible for the development and implementation of the brand and marketing strategy in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. Modak will join both the Global Marketing and North America Operations Leadership Teams, reporting directly to Annette Clayton, CEO and president, NA Operations.
WEBINAR Want to ensure you always stay profitable and make more money? Discover the secret to improving job costing based on the past. That’s right... Back-costing is your very own Time Machine to Profit! Save the date! May 16, 2018, at 2 pm EST. VISIT EBMAG.COM/WEBINARS for more info. May 2018 · ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
9
ESTMP CALGARY
Sadly, we missed a few individuals, but kudos to this year’s organizing committee. Job well done. All Photos A. Capkun.
FIRST PRINCIPLES,
EMERGENCY LIGHTING, VFDS, HAZLOC AND MORE
Reflections from IEEE ESTMP 2018 in Calgary / BY ANTHONY CAPKUN
R
egular readers of Electrical Business Magazine and visitors to EBMag.com may have noticed that one of the events for which I get particularly excited about attending is the ESTMP in Alberta—the IEEE IAS Electrical Safety,Technical, Maintenance & Projects Workshop (sites.ieee.org/estmp). This distinctively Canadian and uniquely Albertan event continues to impress me with its educational track, learned speakers, and loyal supporters and delegates. It always boasts a great mix of electrical engineers (both in-house and consulting), manufacturers, agents, distributors and contractors. There’s also a dynamic range in age and 10
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
years in the industry among the delegates themselves, from seasoned veterans (possibly retired) to up-and-comers fresh out of school. And I also had the pleasure of being able to personally deliver a 2017 Canadian Electrical Award to Nicolas Leblanc and Allen Kachurowski for the Shell Scotford Refinery turnaround project (photo, right). I took pages and pages of notes during the technical sessions—only a fraction of which (sadly) will end up in this report. The next ESTMP is scheduled for March 2020 in Edmonton. We don’t have the exact date/ location yet, so stay tuned to EBMag or follow us on Twitter @EBMag.
Nicolas Leblanc (left) and Allen Kachurowski accept a 2017 Canadian Electrical Award for the Shell Scotford Refinery turnaround project. EBMAG.COM
Kent Zehr: A champion for “first principles”
“Designs resulting from first principles have a better chance at delivering a successful project at minimal capital cost.”
Pat Robinson: VFD mistakes and misconceptions
Bianca Sporea Kent Zehr
The workshop opened with Kent Zehr, who did an excellent job of setting the stage for what the ESTMP is all about—discussions with peers about the good, the bad and the ugly. Kent’s discussion revolved mainly around the ugly; specifically, why have projects become so expensive to complete? Among the issues, Kent pointed out, is when paperwork and administration goes off the rails. He gave the example of how, on one job, the requisition form for a certain basic item grew to 780 pages. “For the same project, the number of approving signatures required was 190... and that’s just to get a quote, not even to purchase.” Quality, too, is another area where projects trip over themselves. “Quality cannot be inspected into a job,” Kent said, yet rather than look at the root cause of a problem, we increase inspections. “And we fall into the trap of thinking we can tell the manufacturer how to build his product.” I could go on with many of Kent’s insights, but I think his ultimate goal was to convince delegates to stop doing things the way they’ve always been done, stop reusing old outdated owner standards, etc. “We should rely on sound engineering practices to achieve the best outcome.” “In every new large job, spend time and effort developing plans and specs from first principles,” Kent advised. This helps you avoid overbuilding a project, which drives up costs, gives the owner more than he needs and, most importantly, adds no value. EBMAG.COM
Pat Robinson
Variable-frequency drives will become more common, noted Pat Robinson during his presentation so, if you haven’t already, it’s time to start considering VFDs alongside anything you do with motors. VFDs reduce motor maintenance and utility flicker, and save you energy. This is particularly important, Pat said, because green energy initiatives will triple the cost of your energy. In fact, Pat also figures green energy will increase occurrences of grid flicker, because it’s simply not as robust as gas- or coal-fired generation. When done right, a VFD’s TIC (total installed cost) is about 2-3X that of the motor; when done wrong, however, the TIC is 4-6X the cost of the motor. With a nod to Kent’s first principles, Pat advised against the blanket adoption of specs, which may result in either an undersized or oversized installation. As such, design the motor and VFD together “for enhanced reliability and availability, and to minimize TIC”.
determined the highest (hottest spot) temperature. “We want our XFMRs to last 40-60 years, not 20,” she said. XFMRs are not maintenance-free, Bianca warned, advising delegates to watch their control temperature settings, and suggesting they conduct thermal studies when designing the cooling system and taking “harmonically-rich load settings” into consideration.
Panel presentation: hazardous locations You may be thinking, “Are hazardous location standards ever going to stop changing?”. Probably not, nor would we want them to! Of all the areas we want to get right (or as right as possible), let it be hazardous locations. Tim Driscoll opened the panel presentation with a discussion of the American Petroleum Institute’s API 505 “Recommended practice for classification of locations for electrical installations at petroleum facilities classified as Class I, Zone 0, Zone 1, and Zone 2”. He said the new standard will contain special info for LNG because liquefied natural gas displays “special” material properties.Tim also touched upon the CE Code (2018) Section 18, and
Alberta’s Oil & Gas Electrical and Occupational Health & Safety codes. George Morlidge took the mike to delve into hazardous location treatment in the 2018 CE Code, focusing on important changes, such as the term “intrinsically safe” (IS). “I encourage you to read the Notes under Table 18,” George said. “There’s good information there, and Section 18 regularly refers you to Table 18 for guidance.” Allan Bozek then helped explain what is meant by “intrinsically safe”, noting that our CE Code is playing catch-up with the rest of the world. But with an IS circuit, how do you know it’s intrinsically safe? Allan’s answer is to engineer the circuit, then document it. Thankfully, “Appendix F has been rewritten to provide guidance on preparing engineering documentation of IS and non-incendive circuits”. Closing out the hazloc presentation was Marty Cole, who spoke about hazloc equipment certification. He reminded us that, ultimately, end users care about the performance of their equipment, and that any associated certification Marks are acceptable to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). “Certification marks aren’t so simple,” Marty warned, adding that products are only certified “when they leave the factory.” A manufacturer cannot say for certain whether a product is still certified after installation because, naturally, they’re not the ones who installed it nor do they know what, if anything, was done to the equipment after leaving the factory.
Bianca Sporea: Slowcooking transformers With coffee in hand, Bianca Sporea discussed the importance of cooling system management for oil-immersed power transformers, sharing lessons learned at TransAlta. XFMR life expectancy is, in fact, usually
Left to right: Tim Driscoll, George Morlidge, Marty Cole and Allan Bozek. May 2018 · ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
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ESTMP CALGARY
Presentation: Conductor ampacity
Centralized emergency lighting design
Kris Sommerstad
L-R: Duane Leschert, Blair Sackney and Scott Basinger.
The education track split into two streams by Day 2 of the workshop, and that’s how I missed the session on centralized emergency lighting design. But the content really intrigued me, so I contacted the session’s presenters—Gerry Shand and Greg Whiting—to learn more. Gerry was good enough to send me the paper and, where I found the following claim in the abstract:
I’ll admit it... some IEEE presentations are beyond me when it comes to technical content, and I feared the presentation “The physics of conductor ampacity” would go over my head. But I was pleasantly surprised when Kris Sommerstad took to the podium (with Duane Leschert, Blair Sackney and Scott Basinger there for Q&A support). Quoting IEEE 141 “Recommended practice for electric power distribution for industrial plants”, Kris got back to basics and explained the primary function of a cable is to carry energy reliably between the source and where it is utilized. “The maximum current a conductor can carry without damage, longterm (steady-state) is known as its ampacity... [but an] energized cable produces heat.” So we get to the temperature rating of an insulated cable and, in line with that, you must consider all the things that may affect the ambient temperature of your cable run. “A normal cable run in an industrial plant will often run through numerous installation types between the source and the load,” like free air, random-fill cable tray, direct buried, etc., Kris said, and all of these environments will affect, to some extent, the cable run’s ampacity.
“The ampacity of a cable is as high as its weakest link,” said Kris.
Kerry Heid: CSA Z463 and equipment maintenance
Rick Paes: energy optimization
Kerry Heid
“We’ve really started to tie together electrical safety with equipment maintenance,” noted Kerry Heid, CSA Z463 committee chair. “Equipment that doesn’t work as it should trumps your electrical safety program.” Back in 2011, we reported CSA started developing a guideline for electrical equipment maintenance. What became known as CSA Z463 “Maintenance of electrical systems” is marking a special occasion this year, as the 2018 edition will graduate from guideline into standard. CSA Z463 2018 will be released this September, and it
Tons of photos from the workshop For my photos from the technical presentations over several days plus the exhibit hall, visit EBMag.com, and click on News & Articles, then “Photo Gallery”, or use the direct link tinyurl.com/yd6vwhjd.You’ll see some friendly (I think) rivalry between Flames and Oilers fans, some craft beer suggestions, Eaton’s new Magnum DS arc-quenching LV switchgear, Shermco’s mobile test & repair shop, and more. 12
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
will contain “lots of really cool asset management tools”. It will help you develop a strategy for documenting your electrical maintenance program, and it comes with a heat map (essentially, a risk matrix), as not all electrical equipment is treated the same.
Induction motors are a logical target for energy savings, argued Rick Paes, accounting for nearly 40% of total electrical energy used in industry (and likely higher in oil & gas). In the oil & gas sector, centrifugal pumps are common, and there are lots of slurry pumps in Alberta, as well as electric submersible pumps. To save energy, the simplest strategy is to turn motors off when not in use, said Rick, but motors can also be managed via timers, sensors and controllers. Or perhaps it is more cost-effective to run a motor full-out for shorter periods rather than a long time at an inefficient duty cycle. Most HVAC equipment comes preset from the factory, but maybe adjusting the motor to a slower speed will save energy while still delivering the required air flow. Rick presented a number of points like these to consider, before proclaiming “Energy monitoring is going to be big”. As such, start trending your power usage. Can you shift to off-peak? And are you considering VFDs? If so, there’s a VFD rebate program offered through Energy Efficiency Alberta.
This paper examines an innovative alternative to traditional emergency lighting design and power distribution. Commercial, institutional and industrial settings can take advantage of this approach, as it is scalable to meet the required emergency lighting load requirements.The concept uses commonly available components in a centralized scenario without creating a single point of failure. What caught my eye, specifically, were the words “commonly available” and “without creating a single point of failure”. (Between you and me, we’re working on getting an article on this very subject into the pages of EBMag.) An obvious issue with current emergency lighting is the fact that unit testing is often a manual function performed by plant personnel. This process comes with some disadvantages, such as personnel remembering to run the tests, lack of automatic test record-keeping, insufficient battery test time, and working at heights. Other problems could include the lack of battery status indication, accessibility issues, space parts, and so on. Compare that with Gerry and Greg’s proposal for centralized emergency lighting, where full modularity allows custom specs for client conformance, straightforward repairs and maintenance, and plug-n-play commissioning. The system design allows use with incandescent, fluorescent or LED lights at all standard industrial AC line voltages. EBMAG.COM
ELECTRICAL SAFETY360
CALENDAR
MIKE DOHERTY
Benchmarking at the 2018 Super Bowl... of electrical safety
ECAA Training Day & AGM ECA of Alberta May 25-26, Edmonton ecaa.ab.ca
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Open House for Women EJTC Training Facility May 26, Port Coquitlam, B.C. ejtc.org
hat I call the Super Bowl of Electrical Safety—but is officially known as the IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop—was recently held in Ft. Worth, Texas, welcoming over 550 people from 15 different countries. This was my 18th Super Bowl in a row (the first I attended was held in Toronto in 2001), and I am honoured, grateful and appreciative that I’ve been able to attend every year. One of the things I love about this event is that its focus is not about where we’ve been, but rather where we are going and how to continue advancing a culture of electrical safety. In fact, the ESW’s stated mission is to accelerate the application of breakthrough, sustainable improvements in human factors, technology and managing systems that reduce risk of electrical injuries. The workshop’s strategy is simple: provide forums for people to meet and exchange ideas, help propel advancements in the development and application of technology, work practices, standards and regulations, all while linking professionals and centres of excellence in industry, engineering, government and medicine.
A benchmarking revelation If there’s one thing I’ve learned from these Super Bowls over the years it’s that benchmarking is both a key business and safety practice. This eye-opener came 16 years ago when, during an ongoing major, intensive audit at our nuclear power generating station, we were told that, while we were working extremely hard, we were stuck in our silos and not learning enough to be consistently effective. EBMAG.COM
One of the best practices in nuclear power generation is to occasionally get away from the worksite and go benchmark the very best in the sector within a certain area of interest. Benchmarking is a way of identifying the best performance, be it in a specific company or competitor, or even in a completely different business. The gaps identified during a comprehensive benchmarking process become opportunities for improvement.
“The knowledge gained and high-end networking contacts established with world-class experts have incalculable value to worker safety and best practices.” My first ESW back in 2001 was a benchmarking revelation. I was meeting the top electrical safety people on the planet, whose expertise ranged from management, safe work planning and PPE to job skills, equipment and, most importantly, safety culture. Staying put in the powerplant and never attending industry events to learn about new ideas and practices is a weak safety and business practice. Fortunately, our senior management realized the value and incredible ROI that came from attending the ESW. The knowledge gained and high-end networking contacts established with worldclass experts have incalculable value to worker safety and best practices.
Highlights from this year’s ESW This year’s ESW was no different, with many industry experts sharing new ideas and practices,
but I only have room for a few highlights. Fellow Canuck Curtis Weber delivered an outstanding keynote. At the age of 17, Curtis was severely injured in a workplace incident through inadvertent contact with an overhead powerline. He is a powerful and skilled speaker who truly brought home the message of how a workplace incident can affect family members in very impactful ways. A highly technical paper called “Working safely with hazardous capacitors” by Mark A. Scott generated a lot of discussion. His paper is the result of three years of curiosity, research and hard work; his daily tasks at a U.S. Department of Energy lab had him questioning the information available regarding dangerous levels of electrical energy in their equipment using capacitors. Through his paper presentation “Incorporating NFPA 70E at a utility”, Andrew Olsen shared the fascinating journey taken by a U.S.-based generation plant as it upgraded its electrical work practices for safety. The latest ESW provided great insights and networking opportunities, and emphasized how dedicated the industry is to creating a stronger safety culture. I suggest you sit down now to start crafting the business case and budget (for your management team’s approval) to attend the next ESW, being held March 2019 in Jacksonville, Fla. A subject-matter expert on electrical safety, Mike Doherty is an independent electrical safety consultant and trainer for eHazard in Canada, the president and owner of Blue Arc Electrical Safety Technologies Inc., and now technical advisor for eWorkSAFE in Canada. He is a licensed electrician and an IEEE senior member, and has served as the Technical Committee chair for CSA Z462 since its inception in 2006. His specialties include electrical safety management, consulting, training, auditing and electrical incident investigations. Mike can be reached at mike.doherty@e-hazard.com.
SCC Annual Conference Safety Codes Council May 27-June 3, Banff, Alta. www.safetycodes.ab.ca EFC Annual Conference Electro-Federation Canada May 29-31, Vancouver www.electrofed.com Energy Summit CIPEC, EMC and NRCan May 30-31, Vaughan, Ont. energy2018.ca Skills Canada National Competition Skills/Compétences Canada June 3-6, Edmonton skillscompetencescanada.com CSA Annual Conference & Committee Week CSA Group June 18-22, Edmonton tinyurl.com/hyb9l4u ECANB AGM and Conference ECA of New Brunswick June 27-30, Wallace, N.S. eca.nb.ca IES Annual Conference Illuminating Engineering Soc. August 9-11, Boston, Mass. tinyurl.com/y8tu4lcf IAEI Canadian Section Meeting Int‘l Assoc. of Electrical Inspectors Sept. 5-7, Saskatoon iaei.org/web/ontario CANEW - Canadian Airports National Electrical Workshop Sept. 23 - 28, Lethbridge, Alta. canew.ca Indicates EB will be there. Visit EBMAG.COM for an extensive list of upcoming industry events. May 2018 · ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
13
SMART BUILDINGS
UNIFIED BMS AND SECURITY FOR SMART BUILDINGS CONNECTED TO MICROGRIDS
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hether a facility or campus, smart buildings automate occupant comfort, security and energy use.When there is also renewable energy generation in the mix, both energy consumption and energy generation are dynamic. A building management system (BMS) integrating both traditional methods with energy management enables building owners and operators to minimize expense by continuously evaluating real-time energy needs in relation to buying, selling or storing energy. A traditional BMS controls and monitors the building automation subsystems, such as ventilation, lighting, power systems, fire detection and security. A smart building, however, implements both BMS and integrated energy monitoring and control of a local electrical system that includes multiple loads and distributed energy resources. Often referred to as a microgrid, these systems can be operated in parallel with the broader utility grid, or as an electrical island. In today’s connected world, building
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ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
cybersecurity is paramount. The operations and security managers have different objectives and constraints. Operations is focused on manageability, automation, energy efficiency, sustainability and the overall cost of building operation. A security manager’s focus is on anti-intrusion—both physical and cyber. The security manager relies on dedicated equipment and segregated networks, which may increase the infrastructure, staff and power required from the perspective of the operations manager. A substantial effort is required to optimize, consolidate and rationalize legacy building management strategies with security requirements. We are seeing more critical sites where a facility or infrastructure has to meet higher-grade safety and security requirements. This may be due to business strategy, national security, or public health and safety reasons.
Unified access From the perspective of building operations, a unified building management interface enables continuous monitoring and control,
while a full security management interface enables supervision of both physical and cybersecurity throughout the premises and the enterprise network. A multinational, applied R&D project has been focused on redefining the architecture for these advanced capabilities.1 The objective is prediction of net energy consumption and unified access to both building and security management systems. The project was structured to foster cross-domain innovation between activities that are traditionally segmented. It brought together a diverse set of companies, fostering innovation by sharing horizontal expertise to create impact at the sensor, network, building management and security management level. Advanced data processing and analysis is the key capability required to meet all of the challenges described above. The result of the research is a comprehensive Smart Building System Architecture, which is a concept innovation in and of itself. No former R&D initiative has had this ambition to integrate energy, facility, IT, EBMAG.COM
PHOTo: stock photo
BY ED NUGENT
security management and control systems into a comprehensive, modular system of systems (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1
Security Through the growing interconnection of energy, facility, information technology and security systems, smart buildings gain in efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. Their exposure to blended cyber-physical attacks also increases. Smart buildings are increasingly incorporating information from the emerging internet of things (IoT), which includes sensors connected to the BMS via the cloud rather than on local networks. The data coming from these devices adds valuable information, but can be difficult to manage when there is no unified view of all building information. At risk is the loss of situational awareness, which may reduce efficiency and create safety risks.
KPIs and contextual mobility Key performance indicators (KPIs) have been developed that synthesize correlated building operations and building security events and measures. The KPIs are synthesized from four domains: 1. Energy supply and efficiency 2. Building automation 3. Information & communications technology 4. Security and safety The KPIs allow operations and security managers to have unified access to optimize the energy supply for the building, monitor the physical and cybersecurity of the building, and monitor the IT infrastructures to obtain these two goals simultaneously. Maximum situational awareness for operations and security personnel is augmented with contextual human machine interface (HMI); this enables personnel managing and maintaining smart buildings to have KPIs and other relevant information and necessary controls at their fingertips.2 It presents the KPIs and real-time building status in the context of the user’s job responsibilities at their current physical location.
Adaptive demand and response Secure and effective forecasting and management of resources is the “smartness” upon which the architecture relies to perform holistic building monitoring and optimization. The focus is both real-time energy management and day-to-day building management. From the energy point of view, the aim is to ensure the building is controlled in a way that EBMAG.COM
optimizes a target variable. This may mean decreasing energy consumption or reaching a given level of occupant comfort, or a combination of both.
Reaction to a cyber-physical attack From the facility management point of view, the ability to react translates into detecting anomalies or deviations that require a response to mitigate or block. A key element of the architecture is to rely on wider information, since energy and security are considered in combination. This requires monitoring more data, as security-related and energy-related sensing infrastructures are coupled. It enables prediction and reaction relying on common networks and sensors, and on a common database of highlevel indicators. This is a major innovation of the project, since considering both energy-related and security-related data enables us to reliably build high-level indicators (e.g. the number of people in a room) that are useful for both security monitoring and energy/facility management optimization.
Event management A special case exists where the critical facility is used for public events.This includes buildings designed for industrial/commercial or public use, such as a university campus, or those intended for temporary events, such as sports arenas and concert halls. The variability of energy consumption and security requirements require context-specific management. The BMS must address the changing operating conditions of buildings in the context of the smart grid. This implies taking into account potential sources of local energy (e.g. co-generation, renewable energy, stored energy). Adaptive consumption patterns (using demand-side management, demand-response, direct load control, load shedding, etc.) are
also considered—either inside the building or externally—by means of negotiation and contracts with other stakeholders.
Summary Smart buildings gain efficiency, flexibility and sustainability through the growing interconnection of security systems, energy, facility, and information and communications technology. Their exposure to blended cyber-physical attacks increases as a result. A comprehensive smart building system architecture addresses this challenge by supporting a building system that is efficient and secure by design. To achieve this, a robust BMS should include advanced capabilities for energy consumption prediction and a unified web portal, providing access to both building management and security management systems. Key performance indicators synthesize correlated building operations and building security events and measures. Access is provided to operations and security personnel through the unified portal or delivered automatically to their mobile device based on contextual HMI. It enables them to optimize, consolidate and rationalize legacy building management strategies with physical and cybersecurity requirements.
Notes
1. “Facility using smart secured energy & information technology”, Trusted Monitoring and Intelligent Consumption Data Management for Smart Buildings Panel, Proceedings of the 2017 Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Power & Energy Society (PES) General Meeting. 2. “Systems and Methods for Location-Based Control of Equipment and Facility Resources”, US Patent Office Publication, November 14, 2007. Ed Nugent is the COO of PcVue Inc. Through PcVue Solutions, it provides solutions that centralize supervision of disparate systems and applications, such as performance, savings, energy optimization and building maintenance. Visit www.pcvuesolutions.com. May 2018 · ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
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Thermal Imaging
Thermal imagers enable safe inspection of electrical systems.
INFRARED THERMAL IMAGING DEVICES
MAKE SENSE FOR ELECTRICIANS New technologies help pinpoint problems and guide repairs / BY JOHN H. WAGGONER
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eat is a byproduct of operating any-sized electrical circuit, and many problems in electrical systems display themselves in terms of heat. Electricians must be able to classify a loaded circuit as either Normal or Abnormal; if the latter, they should be able to identify the issues that present, i.e. hot spots that need attention. In recent years, infrared thermography (a.k.a. thermal imaging) cameras have come a long way toward helping
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ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
Electricians must be able to classify a loaded circuit as either Normal or Abnormal.
electricians and service technicians find and solve problems quicker and more safely. The newest IR cameras combine both thermal imaging and electrical measurement features in one inspection, troubleshooting and diagnostic tool, which speeds up the process and provides better information on which to base repair work.
Methods for inspecting and analyzing electrical systems In the past, the only way electricians could inspect and analyze electrical
systems was with hands-on testing, usually performed after turning the power off to ensure it was electrically safe. Electricians typically go in with testing equipment and tools to connect test leads to determine whether there are any issues. Many used contact measurement techniques featuring thermocouples, which produce a temperature-dependent voltage that can be interpreted to measure heat. With these traditional inspection and maintenance methods, the electrician cannot see all the possible issues, but must instead rely upon educated guesswork, checking connections one by one. This method does not guarantee that heat-related conditions will be solved, because turning the power off also removes the load. One can measure whether a circuit is overloaded, but it is not always possible to know for certain whether the problem in the circuit was fixed when the power is off. In recent years, electricians also began using spot radiometers: small hand-held non-contact devices that can be pointed at a target to obtain a temperature measurement. Radiometers provide acceptable measurements within certain limits, but no visual imagery is available. A step up from direct measurement and spot radiometry is thermal imaging, which detects infrared energy emitted from an object, converts it to temperature, and displays an image of temperature distribution, called a thermogram. Since infrared radiation is emitted by all objects with a temperature above absolute zero, thermography makes it possible to see the environment with or without visible illumination. Thermal imaging provides electricians with a far higher ability to analyze, diagnose and recommend. With thermal imaging, one can use a camera on a circuit breaker to determine whether connections are loose, there is too great a load on the breaker, or spot any issues with breaker contacts. Electricians can find the problem and fix it, then go back with the thermal camera and take an image to verify the work performed actually solved the problem. EBMAG.COM
Thermal Imaging
Key application areas for thermal imaging Thermal imaging is used in three general application areas. Utilities rely on it extensively for medium- and high-voltage equipment (overhead lines and connections) inspection, and substation equipment (breakers, switches, transformers, capacitors and voltage regulators), to name a few. Thermal imaging is also used for voltages below 1000, largely for enclosed equipment that supports industrial and commercial operations. The third category and newest level of application is the residential market. Home inspectors and electrical and HVAC service companies have started purchasing and using thermography for troubleshooting and inspection of homeowners’ electrical systems. The growth in this market is due to IR cameras becoming more affordable over the past decade.
Thermal imaging allows electricians to picture heat the eyes cannot see.
Thermal imaging equipment available to electricians Thermal imaging is used by utilities, in enclosed industrial/commercial equipment, and for residential home and electrical inspection.
In the past, it was very difficult to assure customers that work done had truly fixed the problem. Now electricians frequently provide their customers with Before and After images. A range of electrical equipment can be inspected with thermal imagers, including transformers, switchgear components, breakers, fused and non-fused disconnects, conductors, terminations, contactors, control wiring terminations, bus duct (open and enclosed), distribution and branch circuit breaker panels, and motors.
Advantages in thermal imaging In effect, thermal imaging allows electrical professionals to visualize heat our eyes cannot see, which has three main benefits. First, it is a non-contact approach, so electricians do not have to actually touch electrical equipment to determine whether the heat is within normal operating temperatures or has moved into abnormal temperatures. Second, electricians can use 18
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
Thermal imaging can be used to diagnose and solve electrical problems.
thermal cameras as a visual tool to demonstrate to customers the severity of electrical problems. IR cameras produce an image of a target that is similar to visual photographs. Many also produce a visual image that can be placed next to the thermal image for a side-by-side comparison. This helps technicians show customers the exact location and nature of potential faults. The third benefit is thermal imaging can be performed in real time. Over the past decade, video-capture technology for IR cameras has improved greatly. This allows electricians to observe and analyze electrical equipment as it heats up and begins to operate, as it operates under normal conditions over time, and as the target cools down. There is also the ability to watch fast-moving targets, as the recording speed (frames-per-second, FPS) has improved. Cameras that record at higher frame rates allow the user to observe targets that either change temperature rapidly or are moving very fast.
Thermal imaging provides electricians with a far higher ability to analyze, diagnose and recommend.
A wide range of thermography equipment is available for electricians, varying from low-resolution cameras costing $400 to high-resolution units costing more than $40,000. The difference among thermal imaging resolutions affects how close one needs to stand to image a target, and the different accessories available for viewing and adjusting the camera, and measuring temperature. One option that has recently come on the market are meters combining thermal imaging with electrical measurement features in one inspection, troubleshooting and diagnostic tool. These new meters can take voltage, current and millivolt drop measurements while taking an infrared image with the same device. Thermal imaging is being used all over the world to diagnose and solve electrical system problems, and the technology continues to sport cutting-edge features and increasingly affordable price points. Electricians benefit greatly by being able to see heat with thermal imaging equipment, as it enables them to both pinpoint and diagnose/solve problems faster. John H. Waggoner is a senior instructor with the Infrared Training Center. EBMAG.COM
products and solutions
RECALL: Risk of failure to alert consumers to fire — Kidde dual sensor smoke alarms
Health Canada, the U.S. CPSC and Kidde have issued a joint recall for the Kidde dual-sensor (photoelectric and ionization) smoke alarms — models PI2010CA and PI9010CA. A yellow cap can cover one of the two smoke sensors, which compromises the smoke alarms’ ability to detect smoke. As of March 7, 2018 the company has received no reports of incidents or injuries in Canada or the U.S. There has been one report from a consumer who identified the yellow protective cap before installing the smoke alarm. The affected smoke alarms have a pill-shaped design on the front of the unit and a yellow cap visible through the opening on the side of the alarm. “KIDDE” is printed on the front centre of the smoke alarm, while the model number and data code are located on the back of the unit. To identify the presence of the yellow sensor cap: 1. Consumers should remove the alarm from the wall/ ceiling and visually inspect. 2. Consumers should check the brand name and look for the unique design of the PI2010CA and PI9010CA smoke alarm. 3. Consumers should then locate the locking tab on the back of the alarm, turn the alarm on its side and look at the opening closest to the locking tab. 4. If a yellow cap can be seen in the opening, the unit is affected and must be replaced. Consumers should not attempt to take apart the alarm, open the casing, or otherwise remove the 20
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
yellow cap themselves. 5. If no yellow cap is present, consumers should reinstall the smoke alarm and no further action is needed.
is fully resistant to potash, UV and salt spray, and is supplied with clearance hole and threaded entry interface seals. cmp-products.com
The recalled products were sold from November 1, 2016 to January 25, 2018. Approximately 40,000 units of the affected products were sold in Canada and 452,000 were sold in the U.S, reports Health Canada. According to the CPSC, the affected units were sold at Menards, The Home Depot, Walmart and other department, home and hardware stores, as well as online at Amazon. com, ShopKidde.com and other websites. Should you have a Kidde dual-sensor smoke alarm, contact Kidde to receive instructions on how to identify the presence of the yellow sensor cap and request a free replacement smoke alarm if your smoke alarm contains the yellow cap. Remove and discard the affected smoke alarm only after you receive and install the replacement alarm.
“Inadvertently touchable” 15kV Premset switchgear debuts in Canada
Sentinel corrosion shield for cable glands from CMP Products
The Sentinel corrosion shield from CMP Products is a rigid mechanical protection device that encapsulates the cable gland to provide a high-integrity seal. The device seals the interface between the equipment and the gland for both threaded and clearance holes. The outer environmental seal engages the outer sheath of the cable, providing a barrier to moisture, dust, corrosive substances and chemical agents that may attack the gland. Because no special tools are required, inspections are easily undertaken; you simply disconnect the corrosion shield to inspect the gland. It
Introduced in the U.S. last year, Premset MV switchgear just debuted in Canada and—according to Schneider Electric’s Kareem Nakhla—being rated “inadvertently touchable” is just one of its highlights. The circuit breaker is in series with the isolating grounding switch; when combined with safety interlocks, it provides integrally designed protection for the operator. There are also only three possible operating positions: closed, open and grounded. The 3-position scheme provides an integrated cable test feature implemented by dedicated grounded rods, accessible from the front, without needing to enter the cable box or unmount cable terminations. The platform also boasts the 2SIS (shielded solid insulation system), which promises several design benefits: protection from environmental impact; negation of electric fields in the switchgear; and long maintenance intervals. Intelligence can be added by integrating protection, control, and monitoring devices. These devices have dedicated locations and cabling, and are daisy-chained throughout using RJ45s and Modbus. A gateway can be used to connect the monitoring and controls to a supervision system via ethernet, TCP-IP and/or RF communication. schneider-electric.ca
Noark Electric’s UL 489 B1NQ circuit breaker can replace the common MCB
The UL 489 B1NQ miniature circuit breaker is a direct replacement for the common MCB when paired with the optional surface mount. The breaker is available in three curves (B, C and D), ranges from 0.5 to 63A and is compliant with UL/CSA/IEC standards for branch circuit protection in commercial and residential applications. The current-limiting B1NQ is thermal-magnetic and protects against short circuit and overloaded conditions. The 1- and 2-pole breaker, offered at 120/240 Vac, provides protection for branch and control circuits. The surface mount attachment matches the existing bolthole pattern of the common MCB. The B1NQ is placed onto the surface mount and clicks into place. noark-electric.com
The new CSA C83-17 “promotes greater standardization”
The new CSA C83-17 “Standard for Communication and Power Line Hardware” has arrived. The revised standard defines the required type, sample and routine tests for the various components and processes listed in the standard. Additionally, 14 new item standards have been created to standardize the performance, critical dimensions and inspection requirements for these products. 50 item standards have also been revised, with additional sizes, optional designs and updated performance or inspection EBMAG.COM
CODE conundrum
TACKLE THE CODE CONUNDRUM IF YOU DARE!
requirements. CSA says these changes promote greater standardization within the industry and eliminate the need for the utility to write and maintain their own specifications and drawings. shop.csa.ca
Eaton introduces Lumière Lanterra architectural LED landscape family
Eaton says its new Lumière Lanterra Architectural LED series, a line voltage family of landscape luminaires, is suited for landscaping, hospitality, architectural landmarks and residential spaces. The luminaires offer 125 lumens per watt and feature integrated occupancy sensors and daylighting controls. The sensor has no special wiring and ensures out-of-the-box energy conservation with default control settings, Eaton says. Available in three hood styles — a recessed lens hood for interior applications, a recessed lens hood with weep holes for exterior applications and a flush lens hood — the luminaires are offered in three light levels up to 30W, delivering up to 3000 lumens. eaton.com
Assess high-risk situations with the MSA Altair Grid The MSA Altair Grid is a real-time remote monitoring service for portable gas detection. Using the MSA Altair Connect app, compatible with Altair 4XR and Altair 5X gas detectors, the Altair EBMAG.COM
Answers to this month’s questions in June’s Electrical Business.
Compiled by Ray Yousef, code engineer Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority • esasafe.com
QUESTION 1 Grid provides simultaneous location mapping for individual workers using a secure webbased virtual control room. Remote-monitoring capabilities are expanded via wireless detection and cloud-hosted data storage. Tools such as real-time detection, real-time analysis, and seamless alert notification allow operators to assess and avoid high-risk situations, says MSA. The grid can monitor and interact with all connected detectors and allows users to search, review, update and download historical incident information. ca.msasafety.com
Expanded Kohler KD Series industrial generators now available
Conductors for equipotential bonding shall be permitted to be installed as open wiring, provided they are adequately secured. a) True b) False
QUESTION 2 Which of the following insulated wires can be marked permanently with a green colour to be used as a bonding wire? a) #10AWG b) #8AWG c) #6AWG d) #1AWG
QUESTION 3 The maximum voltage for a class 2 circuit is: a) 30 V b) 48 V c) 115 V d) 150 V
ANSWERS Electrical Business, April 2018
Question 1 When a transfer device is used to connect a portable and/ or standby generator to feed essential loads in residential applications, the transfer device is required: d) All of the above. Rule 6-106, CE Code 2018. $ Question 2 Vertical runs of #1/0 AWG copper TECK90 cables shall have the internal cable assembly supported at maximum intervals of: c) 30 m. Rule 12-120(4), CE Code 2018.
Question 3 Two 15A, 120V-rated single-pole breakers are permitted to have their handles mechanically interlocked onsite to protect a 15A, 240V three-wire branch circuit. b) False. Rule 14-302(b), CE Code 2018. Kohler’s KD Series industries generators now include models ranging up to 3250kW. Two EPA-certified Kohler V16 engines power the new units. The updated KD1250 and new KD1350 industrial generators are powered by the Kohler KD36V16 — a 16-cylinder engine with 36-litre displacement — while the new KD2800, KD3000 and KD3250 generators are powered by the Kohler KD83V16 — a 16-cylinder engine with 83-litre displacement. ca.kohler.com
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May 2018 · ELECTRICAL BUSINESS
21
CODE file TATJANA DINIC, P.ENG.
CE Code Section 10 rewrite: navigation and some definitions
O
ne of the major changes in CE Code 2018 is a revised Section 10 “Grounding and bonding”. This Section has been misunderstood by many in the past, with some of its requirements considered controversial and confusing. As a member of the Section 10 Subcommittee, I want to acknowledge its members and chair Rene Leduc’s hard work and dedication during its rewrite. The 2018 changes aim to clear up some of this confusion, starting with its reorganization to help you navigate more intuitively: • 10-000 Scope • 10-002 Object • 10-004 Special terminology • 10-100 Grounding general • 10-200 Solidly grounded systems • 10-300 Impedance grounded systems • 10-400 Ungrounded systems • 10-500 Bonding general • 10-600 Equipment bonding • 10-700 Equipotential bonding A new definition is equipotentiality: the state in which conductive parts are at a substantially equal electric potential.This definition clarifies the concept of “bonding” versus “equipotential bonding”. Rule 10-002 tells us the main objective of bonding is to facilitate the operation of an overcurrent protection device by providing a low impedance path for fault current i.e. protective bonding function. The main objective of equipotential bonding is to establish equipotentiality. A good example of equipotential bonding is swimming pool bonding required by Rule 68-058(1). Bonding together metal parts of the pool and non-electrical equipment associated with the pool establishes an equipotential plane. Solidly grounded system is an electrical system in which a point is connected, without inserting an impedance grounding device: a) to a system bonding jumper, and b) by a grounding conductor to a grounding elec22
ELECTRICAL BUSINESS · May 2018
FIGURE 1
trode or to a conductive body that extends the ground connection. System bonding jumper is a connection between the system grounded point and the non-current-carrying conductive parts of an electrical system to establish a solidly grounded system. The new definition solidly grounded systems identifies important requirements of grounding electrical systems. A solidly grounded system is not only the connection of a grounded conductor to a grounding electrode, but also the connection of a system grounding point to the non-current-carrying parts of an electrical system (now defined as a system bonding jumper). For service grounding, as identified in the new Appendix B Diagram, Figure B10-5, the service box is required to be supplied with a bonding screw or bonding strap as a bonding jumper, as per the applicable Canadian product standard requirements. A bonding connection is required between the service box and meter mounting device and this new requirement will be discussed in future articles. However, when grounding is done at the meter mounting device (as identified in the Appendix B Diagram, Figure B10-4), the system bonding jumper is required to be field-installed and sized in accordance with new Rule 10-614 (if not provided as
part of the meter mounting device). As per the new Appendix B Note, it is important to understand that even when the neutral bus in a meter enclosure is connected to the enclosure, the manufacturer’s instructions should be consulted to determine whether the solid connection to the enclosure is suitable as a system bonding jumper. CSA standard, C22.2 No. 115 “Meter-mounting devices” does not include service entrance requirements, and changes are required in the standard to include design, testing and marking requirements applicable to the service equipment. In this case, the bonding jumper that is part of the service box would be removed, and a bonding connection between the service box and the meter mounting device is required (Figure 1).
Always consult your AHJ for more specific interpretations. Tatjana Dinic, P.Eng. is a Code Engineer at Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) where, among other things, she is responsible for code development and interpretation, and improving harmonization between codes and standards. She is a Professional Engineer with an M. Eng. from the University of Toronto, and a member of CE Code-Part I, Sections 4, 10 and 30. Tatjana can be reached at tatjana.dinic@electricalsafety.on.ca.
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