117 PowerTest 2022 Generates Powerful Connections for the Future
SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
102 ANSI/NETA Standards Update
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NFPA 70E Training
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NETA Officers
president: Eric Beckman, National Field Services
first vice president: Ken Bassett, Potomac Testing
second vice president: Bob Sheppard, Premier Power Maintenance
secretary: Dan Hook, Western Electrical Services, Inc.
treasurer: John White, Sigma Six Solutions, Inc.
NETA Board of Directors
Virginia Balitski (Magna IV Engineering)
Ken Bassett (Potomac Testing, Inc.)
Eric Beckman (National Field Services)
Scott Blizard (American Electrical Testing Co., Inc.)
Jim Cialdea (CE Power Engineered Services, LLC)
Scott Dude (Dude Electrical Testing LLC)
Dan Hook (Western Electrical Services, Inc.)
David Huffman (Power Systems Testing)
Chasen Tedder, Hampton Tedder Technical Services
Ron Widup (Shermco Industries)
non-voting board member
Lorne Gara (Shermco Industries)
Alan Peterson (Utility Service Corporation)
John White (Sigma Six Solutions)
NETA World Staff
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NETA Committee Chairs
conference: Ron Widup; membership: Ken Bassett; promotions/marketing: Scott Blizard; safety: Scott Blizard; technical: Alan Peterson; technical exam: Dan Hook; continuing technical development: David Huffman; training: Eric Beckman; finance: John White; nominations: Dave Huffman; alliance program: Jim Cialdea; association development: Ken Bassett and John White
NETA World is published quarterly by the InterNational Electrical Testing Association. Opinions, views and conclusions expressed in articles herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of NETA. Publication herein does not constitute or imply endorsement of any opinion, product, or service by NETA, its directors, officers, members, employees or agents (herein “NETA”).
All technical data in this publication reflects the experience of individuals using specific tools, products, equipment and components under specific conditions and circumstances which may or may not be fully reported and over which NETA has neither exercised nor reserved control. Such data has not been independently tested or otherwise verified by NETA.
NETA MAKES NO ENDORSEMENT, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY AS TO ANY OPINION, PRODUCT OR SERVICE REFERENCED OR ADVERTISED IN THIS PUBLICATION. NETA EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY TO ANY CONSUMER, PURCHASER OR ANY OTHER PERSON USING ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE REFERENCED OR ADVERTISED HEREIN FOR ANY INJURIES OR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, DIRECT OR INDIRECT DAMAGES. NETA FURTHER DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OF IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
ELECTRICAL TESTING SHALL BE PERFORMED ONLY BY TRAINED ELECTRICAL PERSONNEL AND SHALL BE SUPERVISED BY NETA CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS/ LEVEL III OR IV OR BY NICET CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS IN ELECTRICAL TESTING TECHNOLOGY/LEVEL III OR IV. FAILURE TO ADHERE TO ADEQUATE TRAINING, SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, AND APPLICABLE PROCEDURES MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF PRODUCTION, CATASTROPHIC EQUIPMENT FAILURE, SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
A SAFETY REMINDER
Summer is in full swing across the country, and I want to take some time to focus on safety. You’ll find many of our articles in this edition of NETA World revolve around some aspect of safety. Our cover story continues the discussion of the 2018 changes to the arc flash calculation process in IEEE 1584. (Editor’s note: Catch up on Part 1 in the Spring 2022 edition of NETA World).
I particularly want to focus my message on driving. Many times, we’re very focused on the electrical hazards associated with the jobs we do, and rightly so. However, we often forget about some of the other hazards that can sometimes be taken for granted.
For instance, perhaps the most dangerous thing each of us does every single day is drive to and from our place of work. This has been minimized to some extent for office staff working remotely during COVID, but has never changed for our technicians and engineers in the field. NHTSA reported that 39,000 people were killed in car accidents in 2020. Compare that to 400 fatalities per year due to high-voltage electrical injuries reported by the NIH.
We’re constantly worried about getting to our jobsite on time, or maybe we’re running behind or in a hurry to get prepared for the job. Then we’re anxious to get home or back to the hotel after a hard day’s work. And especially during this era of technology, there are so many distractions. The one that is possibly the most distracting is the cell phone.
I know these are things everyone already knows, but it’s good to remind everyone of this particular hazard that exists every single day, on work as well as personal time.
Just a few tips and reminders for safe driving:
• Put your phone away when driving.
• Don’t eat and drive.
• Inspect your vehicle before use.
• Don’t drive fatigued.
• Practice defensive driving techniques.
• Slow down.
We work in a very dangerous industry, but remember that electrical hazards are just one of many dangers that exist in the daily life of a field technician and engineer.
Plan ahead, and always put safety first!
Eric Beckman, PE, President InterNational Electrical Testing Association
MOSE RAMIEH III: STAY INVOLVED TO STAY RELEVANT
Mose Ramieh III says his path to success in the electrical testing industry has been “quite a road,” and his long list hits “just the high points.” A former Navy man, Texas Longhorn, vlogger, CrossFit enthusiast, and slow-cigar-smoking champion, Mose has been in the electrical testing industry for 24 years. Over the years, he has held positions at four companies in roles ranging from field service technician, operations, sales, business development, and company owner.
Closing in on 25 years in the industry, this Level 4 NETA Technician shares his thoughts on how to make the most of your own road to success.
NW: Please share your journey on how you got to the job you currently hold. How long have you been in the field; how did you get started? What attracted you to electrical testing?
Ramieh: My entry into the electrical testing business began in November 1996 around the time of my wedding. I was less than one year from leaving the U.S. Navy, and my role in the Navy was not a perfect fit. As a steamplant engineer, my job was to boil water into steam to turn turbines. If those turbines turned generators, my responsibility ended when those electrons left the generator.
My father was weary of working for the electrical testing company that employed him at that time, and we had discussed the opportunity to join him in business after I left the Navy. So in August 1997, I left San Diego for Nashville, Tennessee, to join my father in the business he had started in January of that year — Power & Generation Testing, Inc. (PGTI).
While I had some electrical background from college and my time in the Navy, I had very little experience working on utility and industrial equipment. Because I also wanted to avoid the son-of-the-owner negative connotation that routinely occurs, I either volunteered or was volun-told to participate in every night, weekend, holiday, and outage. The less attractive the role, the better. I was going to earn my way. There was no going to a training class. Every day on the job was the classroom as I learned from some dedicated and hardworking men. I should mention there was also plenty of learning from books, equipment manuals, and NETA World. This was before the internet (LOL).
Before PGTI became a NETA company, I was the first in our company to take and pass the NICET exam, much to the surprise — dare I say frustration and confusion — of the more seasoned technicians we employed. After we became a NETA company, I took and passed Level 2 and Level 3 on the same day. At that
time, it was a paper test, and it took weeks to get a pass/fail notice.
Somewhere around 2005, I became an owner in PGTI and continued to work daily in the business. I worked in every role: sales, project management, and field testing. I was the poster child for being a jack of all trades and master of none. My father and I worked to grow that business and had many wonderful years (and more than a few disagreements ). Ultimately, in October 2015, we decided to sell the business to CE Power. I’ll skip the details of my time with CE Power other than to say it is hard to go from being an owner to being a “sales asset.” I left my company in September 2018.
So there I was, an unemployable NETA Level 4 Technician with time on my hands. I tried some independent work and also worked as a
manufacturer’s rep. During this time, I was able to travel to Chile for two months (June–August 2019) to put my NETA Level 4 skills to work. It was during my time in Chile that I received a call from Finley Ledbetter to become a part owner in a company purchase in Michigan. Our group of investors bought PowerTech Services (PTS) in October 2019. I relocated to Swartz Creek, Michigan, and spent most of 2020 turning that business around. With a good bit of hard work, and definitely a bit of luck, PTS began to run well, allowing me to return to my 24-year home base in Nashville in November 2020,
Now I’m Vice President of Business Development for CBS Field Services, which is the rebranded name of PowerTech Services, doing whatever is needed to help our business be successful.
INSIGHTS & INSPIRATION
NW: What about this work keeps you committed to the profession?
Ramieh: It’s a challenging business. It tests you mentally and physically. There have been times where I have wanted to throw my tools down and walk out the door. So what keeps me committed? The recognition I get when customers and other industrial professionals seek me out to help them solve problems. It’s sort of like that sweet golf shot that keeps you coming back and playing that frustrating game.
who are hanging out at the truck waiting to drive out the gate. Volunteer for every night, weekend, difficult job, and emergency call-out. That is where we begin to separate the good technicians from the great ones.
Second best advice: Do not violate the laws of physics to explain why something happened. The vast majority of electrical problems and failures are simple, and people try to make it way too complicated.
TO THIS DAY, MOSE CLAIMS HE IS ON CALL 24/7/365 TO ASSIST
ANYONE WITH AN ELECTRICAL CHALLENGE. THAT INCLUDES YOU, SO BE SURE TO CONNECT WITH HIM ON THE SOCIALS.
NW: What about this work is specifically challenging for you, and how are you overcoming that challenge?
Ramieh: I’m challenged by the “race to the bottom” pricing of many clients, including large utilities that shall remain nameless. As salaries continue to increase for P&C talent, customers continue to expect more for less.
NW: If you were talking to a young person interested in knowing more about being an electrical testing technician, how would you describe the job, and what advice would you give?
Ramieh: Every day is different. Just when you think you have it all figured out, there will be something new. A symptom of a problem that you have never seen before will derail your troubleshooting and challenge your understanding of electrical power. It can be frustrating to have to wait to take the NETA Level 3 exam, but those five years are important to become exposed to as many situations as possible.
My best advice: There is always that point in the project when the bulk of the work is done. Everyone is tired and ready to go home. Typically, one or two of the most experienced technicians are tasked with getting the plant back online. Inevitably, there will be something that does not work like it is supposed to. It is those moments where the greatest learning happens. Be in the hip pocket of those guys every chance you get. Avoid being the ones
NW: Describe one of your best work days… What happened?
Ramieh: My best day was actually a several-week-long project. It involved testing a 34-breaker metal-clad substation three times: once at the factory with the individual sections free standing in a warehouse, and the second time after the individuals sections were packaged into their e-houses. The final testing was after their installation onsite. The final installation was completed in seven long days involving dozens of men from the equipment manufacturer, relay manufacturer, electrical contractor, and our company. When the power to the plant was restored, the client and I stood outside the substation fence and enjoyed a cigar in celebration of a project well done.
I also got a hug from a client. On a Friday around 4:00 PM, a small data center lost power, and their transfer switch didn’t transfer to emergency. I got the second call and was the first to arrive onsite. The facility manager (a young lady) was frantic and her boss (in New York City) was on the phone attempting to give directions. Following one of my rules (slow it down), I calmly assessed the situation and politely ignored the guy from New York City. Identifying the problem, I enabled the transfer switch, and the lights came back on at the data center. She was so overjoyed, she gave me my first and only customer hug for a job well done.
NW: Share the story of a day that didn’t go as planned. How did you respond to the situation and what did you learn?
MOSE RAMIEH III: STAY INVOLVED TO STAY RELEVANT
Ramieh: I can think of several:
• A technician opened a switch under load causing damage to equipment and shutting down production.
• A set of grounds on a 161 KV system was overlooked and closed in a live switch, causing significant damage and an extended outage.
• A technician re-energized a 13.8 KV system, and a potential transformer drawer blew up because of condensing moisture in the room.
• A technician inadvertently left a tool in a breaker, and it exploded and caught fire.
Some lessons were also learned from pain:
• Superior performance is often the result of prior bad experiences.
• In each of these situations, immediately stepping up and taking ownership for any contribution to the event would have created customer loyalty in my experience.
• When things go wrong, slow it down. Rushing to fix the situation can create additional issues and hazards.
• Take care of the people involved. They are often scared and are beating themselves up for the mistakes they made. You aren’t helping by beating them more.
• Document the lessons learned and update procedures and processes to avoid these mistakes in the future.
NW: How important is ongoing training and professional development in this field? How do you keep updated on standards, safety, and new technologies?
Ramieh: It’s important to stay involved in the industry to stay relevant. Training and professional development is important, but it pales in the face of doing the work. The best technician will get rusty if they aren’t in the plants and substations doing the work.
PREVENTATIVE ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS
DATA CENTERS, COMMERICAL HIGH RISES, CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTS & FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
DEVELOPMENT & UPDATES OF ELECTRICAL SINGLE LINE DIAGRAMS
ENGINEERING STUDIES · ARC FLASH, SHORT CIRCUIT & COORDINATION
INSIGHTS & INSPIRATION
Building relationships with individuals and companies that are developing the technology is the best way. New testing technology? Become an early adopter. Learn how to use it and be part of the group that refines the technology. Build your network so that when you come across a situation you are not familiar with, you can call on others for help. Avoid being an island. As tempting (and easy) as it has been for me to be a “cowboy” over the years, my best results have come from involving other smart individuals.
NW: What are some of the energy trends you believe will affect your work in the future (e.g., EVs, wind, solar, etc.)? How are you preparing for future changes that may be coming your way?
Ramieh: I’m of the opinion that I don’t much care how the power is produced (carbon fuels or renewable sources) — electrons are electrons. In my view, my function and our team’s function is to ensure that the power systems that distribute that power are safe and reliable. I am personally most curious about energy storage systems and how they could possibly change the future of power production.
I am currently working on using wearable, hands-free computer technology to see how that will empower the technicians of the future, including the availability of remote expert assistance and streamlined testing processes.
WANT TO TELL YOUR STORY?
NETA World is looking for technicians, emerging leaders, and industry thought leaders to be featured in our Insight & Inspiration department. If you know someone who would make a great interview — or if you would like to be interviewed yourself — please contact Carla Kalogeridis at ckalogeridis@ netaworld.org.
NW: As an industry, what do you think should be the No. 1 priority over the next year? Where do we need to improve and grow as an industry and a profession?
Ramieh: The No. 1 priority is recruiting the next generation of technicians. The demand for our services is only increasing, and the supply of the men and women to do the work is not keeping up. As an industry, we must focus on hiring inexperienced people and training them quickly.
NW: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Ramieh: The Internet of Things (IOT): The technology exists today that virtually every power system failure can be predicted or prevented. The best part is that most of this technology can be implemented on legacy systems. What gets in the way is the cost and a lingering perception that so long as the lights are on, there isn’t a problem. The cost still outweighs the benefit for many facilities.
This task of reflecting on my career (life) has brought a great deal of gratitude and thanks to mind. I am so thankful to have the support of Dusti, my wife of 25 years. Her amazing strength and resilience kept our family together through the rough patches. Thankful that our grown young men are finding their path into adulthood. Thankful for the opportunity that my father provided for us to work and grow together. Thankful for all the electricians, technicians, and engineers who worked with me, trained me, challenged me, and coached me over the years. Finally, I’m thankful for all the friendships that I have built in this industry. So many wonderful peers, partners, and customers. I am blessed in so many ways. Thank you all.
“We have all drunk from wells we did not dig; We have been warmed by fires we did not build; We have sat in the shade of trees we did not plant; We are where we are because of what someone else did.”
The
the industry, that never compromises
As North America’s largest independent electrical testing company, our most important Company core value should come as no surprise: assuring the safety of our people and our customer’s people. First and foremost.
Our service technicians are NETA-certified and trained to comply and understand electrical safety standards and regulations such as OSHA, NFPA 70E, CSA Z462, and other international guidelines. Our entire staff including technicians, engineers, administrators and management is involved and responsible for the safety of our co-workers, our customers, our contractors as well as our friends and families.
Our expertise goes well beyond that of most service companies. From new construction to maintenance services, acceptance testing and commissioning to power studies and rotating machinery service and repair, if it’s in the electrical power system, up and down the line, Shermco does it.
SYNC CHECK SUPERVISION RELAY
BY STEVE TURNER, Arizona Public Service – Generation System Protection
The purpose of the sync check function (25) is to ensure that the voltage magnitude, phase angle, and frequency of the generator (VX) and the utility system (VS) are within a set of acceptable limits before the generator is synchronized with the system via closing the circuit breaker that connects them (Figure 1).
An improper sync can result in electrical and mechanical transients that damage the prime mover (for example, turbine), generator, GSU, and other vital power system components. Therefore, some users opt to externally supervise the sync check.
This article describes an application that uses two external relays to supervise the main sync check. Figure 2 shows the output contact arrangement for this scheme.
• R1 is the sync check output from the first supervisory relay.
• R2 is the sync check output from the second supervisory relay.
Figure 1: Sync Check Application Diagram
• 25 is the output from the sync check relay.
All three must close simultaneously to allow a sync check.
E25X Synchronism Check Enable Y Select: Y, N
E25X Synchronism Check Enable Y Select: Y, N
Synchronism Check Elements
Figure 2: Double Supervision
E25X Synchronism Check Enable Y Select: Y, N
R1 SETTINGS
Synchronism Check Elements
Figure 3 shows the settings chosen for R1.
25VLOX Voltage Window - Low Threshold (volts)
Range = 0.00 to 300.00 104.00
R2 SETTINGS
25VHIX Voltage Window - High Threshold (volts) Range = 0.00 to 300.00 127.00
Figure 4 shows the settings chosen for R2. These settings correspond directly to R1; however, it does not provide as much control. Therefore, R1 must be set to match R2.
25VDIFX Maximum Voltage Difference (%) Range = 1.0 to 15.0, OFF S. 1
25RCFX Voltage Ratio Correction Factor
Range = 0.500 to 2.000 1.000
COMMISSIONING ANALYSIS
GENV+ Generator Voltage High Required Select: Y, N N
Voltage Magnitude
25SLO Minimum Slip Fequency (Hz) Range = -1.00 to 0.99 0.00
The scheme was a live system tested to ensure it will work properly during synchronization. Figure 5, Figure 6, and Figure 7 show the measured voltage during these tests. VAB is the generator potential while VX is the system potential. Review of Figures 5 through 7 shows that the magnitudes of VAB and VX are almost identical (that is, matched).
25SHI Maximum Slip Frequency (Hz) Range = -0.99 to 1.00 0.10
25ANG 1X Maximum Angle 1 (degrees)
Range = 0 to 80 10
25ANG2X Maximum Angle 2 (degrees)
Range = 0 to 80 30
CANGLE Target Close Angle (degrees)
Range = -15 to 15 -3
Originally, R1 was set so that a sync was only allowed when the generator potential magnitude was greater than the system. However, R2 does not provide this functionality if the generator potential magnitude is greater than the real power flows out of the machine into the system, which prevents motoring on startup.
Synchronism Check Elements
25VLOX Voltage Window - Low Threshold (volts)
Range
25VLOX Voltage Window - Low Threshold (volts) Range = 0.00 to 300.00 104.00
25VHIX Voltage Window - High Threshold (volts)
25VHIX Voltage Window - High Threshold (volts) Range = 0.00 to 300.00 127.00
Range = 0.00 to 300.00
25VDIFX Maximum Voltage Difference (%) Range = 1.0 to 15.0, OFF S. 1
25VDIFX Maximum Voltage Difference (%)
Range = 1.0 to 15.0, OFF S. 1
25RCFX Voltage Ratio Correction Factor Range = 0.500 to 2.000 1.000
25RCFX Voltage Ratio Correction Factor
GENV+ Generator Voltage High Required Select: Y, N N
Range = 0.500 to 2.000 1.000
25SLO Minimum Slip Fequency (Hz) Range = -1.00 to 0.99 0.00
GENV+ Generator Voltage High Required Select: Y, N N
25SHI Maximum Slip Frequency (Hz) Range = -0.99 to 1.00 0.10
25SLO Minimum Slip Fequency (Hz)
25ANG 1X Maximum Angle 1 (degrees) Range = 0 to 80 10
Range = -1.00 to 0.99 0.00
25SHI Maximum Slip Frequency (Hz)
25ANG2X Maximum Angle 2 (degrees) Range = 0 to 80 30
Range = -0.99 to 1.00 0.10
CANGLE Target Close Angle (degrees) Range = -15 to 15 -3
25ANG 1X Maximum Angle 1 (degrees)
Range = 0 to 80 10
SYNCPX Synchronism Check Phase (VABX, VBCX, VCAX or deg lag VABX)
TCLOSDX Breaker Close Time for Angle Compensation (milliseconds)
Range = 1 to 1000, OFF 83
Figure 4: R2 Settings
RELAY COLUMN
Figure 8 shows the voltage comparison (VDIF and VENX) logic for R1. The voltage difference logic includes the GENV+ input and that this must be true for at least three cycles before VENX asserts and enables the
angle comparison calculation. Therefore, 25AX1, 25AX2, and 25C cannot assert if VENX is not true. As previously noted, R2 does not have this logic, so this functionality was lost.
Figure 5: COMTRADE Record 1
Figure 6: COMTRADE Record 2
Figure 7: COMTRADE Record 3
BSYNCHX GENV+ = Y
GENV+ = Y
25VDIFX•0.80
25VDIFX•0.80 GENV+ = Y
GENV+ = Y
Vpxc = 25RCFX•VP (where 25RCFX is the setting and VP is determined by SYNCPX setting).
Vpxc = 25RCFX•VP (where 25RCFX is the setting and VP is determined by SYNCPX setting).
Figure 8a: R1 Logic
= OFF
25VDIFX = OFF
Figure 8b: R1 Logic
Slip Frequency
We can estimate the slip frequency by measuring the time (period) between zero crossings.
System frequency = 1/0.016667 = 59.999 Hz (Figure 9)
Generator frequency = 1/ 0.016648 = 60.067 Hz (Figure 10)
Therefore, the slip frequency is 60.067 –59.999 = 0.068 Hz.
SUMMARY
Using two different relays to supervise sync check means that some of the overall functionality is lost since they do not completely duplicate each other. For example,
the GENV+ setting originally blocked closing since the voltages are matched, so this function had to be disabled. Matching settings results in much more consistent performance between the two relays.
Steve Turner is in charge of system protection for the Fossil Generation Department at Arizona Public Service Company in Phoenix. Steve worked as a consultant for two years, and held positions at Beckwith Electric Company, GEC Alstom, SEL, and Duke Energy, where he developed the first patent for double-ended fault location on overhead high-voltage transmission lines and was in charge of maintenance standards in the transmission department for protective relaying. Steve has BSEE and MSEE degrees from Virginia Tech University. Steve is an IEEE Senior Member and a member of the IEEE PSRC, and has presented at numerous conferences.
Figure 9: System Frequency
Figure 10: Generator Frequency
Absolute con dence. Every time.
You can count on us for specialized experience in healthcare, data center, o ce complex, and commercial acceptance and maintenance testing. Absolutely Power generation, petrochemical, oil & gas, and heavy industries also look to us for high demand services such as start-up commissioning, maintenance testing, shut-down and turnarounds, and breaker shop repair. Get started today.
IMPROVING SAFETY FIELD
IN THE
BY MATT EAKINS, Advanced Electrical Services, Ltd.
Becoming a great company doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it is about small, incremental steps as we progress down the road of becoming better and better at what we do and how we do it.
This is the most critical as it relates to our safety processes and safety culture. It is important to note that the first step in making a situation safer is to engineer the hazard out of it; the last step is to use PPE.
Technology also plays a huge role, but at the end of the day, it is often an individual’s decisions and actions that lead to an incident. Unfortunately, humans will make mistakes regardless of how many processes, procedures, and rules companies implement. These mistakes can lead to damaged equipment and injury to the individual or someone else. So, what can we do?
One tool we use is to put a giant red or yellow flag figuratively and literally in front of people’s faces. Human performance improvement (HPI) methods are a way of alerting someone regardless of whether they are an inexperienced junior technician or a senior technician who may have become complacent to the fact that a step must be taken before moving forward with a task. HPIs help with common hazards from
slips, trips, and falls all the way to catastrophic incidents such as leaving ground chains applied during energization or working on a live current transformer (CT) circuit.
The goal of this discussion is to share some best practices from the field and provide the reader with the opportunity to think critically about using HPIs within their organization as a way to continually improve safety and efficiency.
BARRIERS
The first example is a high-voltage substation where the team is following required safe work methods by, among other steps, installing barriers (Figure 1 and Figure 2) in places where live CTs and in-service protections are energized.
This physical barrier allows technicians to easily flag the location where the work is to take place by covering nearby modules, racks, etc. This greatly reduces the chance of technicians mistakenly working on modules that are outside the work zone or isolations. It also minimizes the likelihood of opening live CT secondaries,
which can cause serious injury or death as well as major damage to equipment and systems.
All CT circuits in the uncovered modules are verified for zero current prior to work starting. In addition to assuring personnel safety, it reduces the chance of tripping any in-service equipment as these modules are covered up (Figure 3), and improves efficiency as the work locations are obvious and clearly marked. The absence of voltage and current can be verified based on isolations including guarantee of
PHOTO:
isolation (GOI), clearance, and lockout, and live terminals can be flagged or taped off. This must remain consistent throughout the work.
When work must be performed on flagged racks, these methods remind technicians that terminals must be checked for voltage and current since this has not previously been verified. Unfortunately, there have been too many incidents where a technician or electrician is exposed to an arc flash or electric shock from working in the wrong location after a lunch
Figure 1: Front of Protection and Control Racks in a High-Voltage Substation
Figure 2: Rear of Protection and Control Racks in a High-Voltage Substation
break, shift change, or days off. HPI steps like this are critical to continuous improvement within a safety system, and we must make it a priority to reduce or eliminate this hazard.
VEHICLE HAZARDS
One of the biggest causes of workplace injuries is slips, trips, and falls, which can occur more often when exiting vehicles during inclement weather. At the same time, crashes and collisions while driving, regardless of the industry, continue to be a leading cause of injuries. To address these issues, we have implemented an HPI for 360-degree vehicle walk-arounds (Figure 4) to be completed when entering and exiting a vehicle. The goal is simple but critical: Reduce slips when entering and exiting, make sure the vehicle is safe to drive, and ensure no one will be hurt when the vehicle moves.
Yellow steering-wheel covers (Figure 4) with a message remind our drivers to always use three points of contact when entering or exiting the vehicles. To ensure safety for those around our vehicles, drivers are reminded to do a complete 360-degree walk-around before operating the vehicle. Additional precautions could include placing a cover on the passenger-side mirror as a reminder to walk around the vehicle. To supplement the walk-around process, our team uses a safety app to complete an online checklist that documents and submits their findings for future review and audits.
HPI AND NETA
Where can HPIs be used in the NETA service world?
• Remove ground chains prior to energization.
• Record “as left” and “as found” settings of relays and breakers during a maintenance turnaround.
• Remove and re-terminate leads, i.e., remove transformer leads for testing.
• Erect red flags or physical barriers in front of equipment that may still be energized during maintenance.
OTHER HAZARDS
What other hazards or injuries can HPIs address? A great starting point would be to look at what could have stopped an incident or near
Figure 3: Before and After a Protection & Control Relay Upgrade Project
Figure 4: Steering-Wheel Cover
miss from occurring and implement an HPI so it does not happen again. Additionally, it may make sense for your organization to start with the most common workplace incidences:
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Muscle strains
• Repetitive strains
• Crashes and collisions
• Cuts and lacerations
• Inhaling toxic fumes
• Exposure to loud noise
• Walking into objects
In fiscal year 2020 (October 1, 2019, through September 30, 2020), these 10 OSHA standards were cited most frequently:
1. Fall Protection, Construction 29 CFR 1926.501, www.osha.gov/fall-protection.
2. Hazard Communication Standard, General Industry 29 CFR 1910.1200, www.osha.gov/hazcom.
3. Respiratory Protection, General Industry 29 CFR 1910.134, www.osha.gov/respiratory-protection.
4. Scaffolding, General Requirements, Construction 29 CFR 1926.451, www.osha.gov/scaffolding.
5. Ladders, Construction 29 CFR 1926.1053, www.osha.gov/fall-protection.
6. Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/ Tagout), General Industry 29 CFR 1910.147, www.osha.gov/controlhazardous-energy
7. Powered Industrial Trucks, General Industry 29 CFR 1910.178, www.osha. gov/powered-industrial-trucks.
8. Fall Protection, Training Requirements 29 CFR 1926.503, www.osha.gov/fallprotection.
9. Eye and Face Protection 29 CFR 1926.102, www.osha.gov/eye-face-protection.
10. Machinery and Machine Guarding, General Requirements 29 CFR 1910.212, www.osha.gov/machine-guarding.
IN THE FIELD
Editor’s Note: Watch for OSHA’s 2021 report soon after April 1, 2022.
CONCLUSION
Human performance improvements can be a great auditing tool. It can be difficult during a site safety audit to know, for example, whether the crew knew whether equipment was energized or not energized. However, if an energized area should have been covered and it was not, you have a red flag that more training is required. In the case of an HPI like the steering wheel cover, it is either on or off.
Whether the HPI is a traditional barrier or a visual reminder, the intent is to force a critical step in the sequence of events. The goal of this forced step is to break the chain of events that might have led to an incident. In addition to creating a safer company, HPIs can also contribute to making it more profitable.
REFERENCES
[1] Work Safety Blog. “10 of the Most Common Workplace Accidents and Injuries,” Accessed at 10 of the Most Common Workplace Accidents and Injuries | Work Safety Blog (blog4safety.com). [2] OSHA. “Top 10 Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards Violated in FY2020.” Available at www.osha.gov/data/commonstats.
Matt Eakins is the Technical Services Manager at Advanced Electrical Services Ltd. He has 12-plus years of experience testing and commissioning in the industrial and utility sectors of Western Canada. Matt is a NETA Level 3 Technician and an ASET CET who studied electronics engineering at the RCC Institute of Technology (Concord, Ontario) as well as electrical techniques at Loyalist College (Bellville, Ontario). Matt began his career with AES in 2009; he is now responsible for managing medium- to large-scale electrical commissioning and maintenance projects for AES’s many clients across Western Canada.
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PERFORMING PERSONNEL AUDITS
BY PAUL CHAMBERLAIN, American Electrical Testing Co. LLC
They are called many things — observations, audits, assessments — but they are all intended to accomplish the same task: Evaluate the people in the field performing the task at hand. Generally, you observe an employee doing a task, then audit or assess whether performance of the task meets expectation.
These inspections can be performed by any level within a company and should be performed on all levels. Some companies hire a third-party entity to ensure the inspections remain completely impartial. However, in most cases, companies choose to have a manager or a member of the supervisory team conduct the inspection of their field personnel. If this is the case, it is a wise idea to set up some standards, such as frequency, for the inspection and have a verification done by a third party or safety manager.
While the main intent of these inspections is to ascertain several things, not everyone is
aware of the potential benefits to the company. A check sheet should be used to facilitate the observation and to help gain the most out of it. Let’s review the aspects of a proper field observation and the benefits any company, employee, and manager could gain from it.
LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
First, let’s review some important items that should be verified when a manager is observing a crew performing work in the field. OSHA requires lockout/tagout procedures to be verified annually. Under 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.147, OSHA specifically states
SAFETY CORNER
when this verification is required, although the requirements may be slightly different across each of the industries OSHA regulates. Within OSHA, each industry-specific regulation has its own separate section indicating the control of hazardous energy. Let’s consider two specific areas that pertain directly to electrical testing: 1910.147 regulates commercial installations, and 1910.269 specifically regulates utility installations.
1910.147
Under 1910.147, you are required to ensure that procedures are being correctly followed by the employee performing the lockout/tagout. Specifically it states:
1910.147(c)(6) Periodic Inspection
1910.147(c)(6)(i) The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard are being followed.
1910.147(c)(6)(i)(A) The periodic inspection shall be performed by an authorized employee other than the ones(s) utilizing the energy control procedure being inspected.
1910.147(c)(6)(i)(B) The periodic inspection shall be conducted to correct any deviations or inadequacies identified.
1910.147(c)(6)(i)(C) Where lockout is used for energy control, the periodic inspection shall include a review, between the inspector and each authorized employee, of that employee’s responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected.
1910.147(c)(6)(i)(D) Where tagout is used for energy control, the periodic inspection shall include a review, between the inspector and each authorized and affected employee, of that employee’s responsibilities under the energy control procedure being inspected, and the elements set forth in paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of this section.
1910.147(c)(6)(ii) The employer shall certify that the periodic inspections have been performed. The certification shall identify the machine or
equipment on which the energy control procedure was being utilized, the date of the inspection, the employees included in the inspection, and the person performing the inspection.
1910.269
We can further see that the 1910.269 standard does not differ greatly from 1910.147 in its requirements:
1910.269(a)(2)(ii)(D) The proper use of the special precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials, and insulated tools for working on or near exposed energized parts of electric equipment. Note: For the purposes of this section, a person must have this training in order to be considered a qualified person.
1910.269(a)(2)(iii) The employer shall determine, through regular supervision and through inspections conducted on at least an annual basis, that each employee is complying with the safety-related work practices required by this section.
After reviewing these regulatory excerpts, it can be seen that every company is required to inspect and certify that employees are properly performing lockout/tagout whether they are working for a utility or a commercial entity. Incorporating this certification as part of a field observation or assessment kills two birds with one stone. Other regulatory mandated observations are dependent upon the task and industry. Please check www.osha.gov to guide you in determining which regulations apply.
VEHICLE SAFETY
Another benefit gained by performing field observations of employees is that the employer can ensure they are following other pertinent company policies. For example, observing vehicle use might verify whether employees wear seatbelts while driving company vehicles, only use hands-free devices, do not talk on a cell phone while driving or performing a complex task, and minimize the need for backing.
Additionally, if your company does a lot of driving or uses federally regulated vehicles, it may be necessary to observe employees as they operate the vehicle. This can be conducted as a ride-along observation where the supervisor rides in the vehicle with the employee, or as a follow-along observation where the supervisor follows the employee while in a separate vehicle. It is usually wise to create separate forms just for these types of observations, since the rules of the road are extensive and can vary depending upon the state they operate in and the type of vehicle they are driving. Another example would be the operation of a fork truck.
FLAGGING AND TAGGING
A company could also include a check sheet for documenting the proper use of protective and cautionary flagging and tagging. In some instances, a client may have a different procedure for this, so it is good company policy to ensure that employees not only follow your
company’s policy, but also the client’s company policy if applicable. The default course of action in this type of scenario is to play it safe and follow the stronger policy. The observer would need to know what the client’s requirements are prior to going to the site.
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
One benefit to conducting field observations and audits is to ensure that employees use the correct personal protective equipment (PPE).
Hard hats, safety glasses. The inspector should check to see that employees are wearing hard hats whenever something could fall or strike their head or when they could make incidental contact with high-voltage equipment. The inspector should examine the hard hat for cracks, wear, discoloration, or torn cradles and straps. Safety glasses are necessary whenever there is potential for a liquid or solid to fly through the air and
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enter the eye. The inspector should ensure that the glasses are ANSI Z87-approved, which is indicated on the lens or the brow.
Clothing, footwear, gloves. Verifying correct PPE clothing can also be an item on the check sheet, as can ensuring employees are wearing the proper footwear, such as ASTM F2413.05approved electrical hazard safety-toed footwear, which may or may not have height and laces requirements. Ensuring that the clothing they are wearing is cotton or calorie-rated for fire and arc protection could be an item. Additionally, verify that electrical protection such as voltage-rated gloves are inspected before each use, the correct level of protection is worn, and the test date is within the required date range. If a manager is planning to inspect these more-disposable PPE items, it is always a good idea to bring extra hard hats and safety glasses out into the field in case an employee needs a new set.
Heat-related illness. In companies where there is extensive physical labor or employees work in very hot areas, the observer could supply drinking water or other suitable fluids. This will not only boost morale, but will also improve productivity. Just the act of a manager supplying the drink and talking with employees can provide the adequate cool-off time needed to prevent a potential heat-related illness, and preventing that heat-related illness can prevent a potential OSHA-recordable injury.
ENVIRONMENT
Inspection of the general work environment can also benefit the company and the manager. Even though a lead technician or foreman may be conducting this inspection daily, they can still miss things or get used to seeing something that needs correction. Having someone different as well as new to the site can provide a new set of eyes, which may make it easier to identify potential problems or issues that could contribute to lost production or an injury. In some cases, the manager can arrange to meet with the client during the audit, thus presenting that all-important face for the client to remember.
During the observation, the observer should make it a point to ask questions:
• Is there anything the company could do to make the job easier, safer, or better? The answers to this question can range from thought-provoking to ludicrous. But occasionally, a brilliant idea that can revolutionize a task can be evoked by simply asking that question. Remember, employees don’t know how much you care until you show them you care. If they give a good answer, act on it, and a reward should accompany any good idea that is a benefit to the company.
• Is all the equipment you need for the job present and working properly, and is it the right equipment for the task? Newer employees may be hesitant to speak up if something doesn’t work right and just struggle along using what they’ve got. This can obviously slow down task performance and potentially contribute to injury or equipment damage.
THE OBSERVER’S ROLE
The observer should be familiar with the procedure they are observing. In some cases, they may be considered experts in the task. If this is the case, the inspector could provide direction and add to the employee’s knowledge of the task by observing and critiquing. Being knowledgeable in the procedure can also help the inspector identify when a procedure is being performed incorrectly. We all develop bad habits, and in many cases, we are unaware of them. If the observer is knowledgeable of the proper procedure and notices an employee performing it in a different or incorrect manner, the manager can correct the task before the error causes an incident.
An added benefit to having an upper-level manager perform these observations is simply face time. All too often, field employees don’t associate a face with a name. All they know is the name and that when the phone rings, the manager will likely have another request or change in scope. Sending the manager
out into the field increases the camaraderie in the project, which in turn can potentially make it more productive. If the manager is just some faceless voice that calls to change things, it becomes easier for employees to become complacent in responding to requests. If you show up on site and form a bond with employees, it goes a long way to improve your relationship with them. And with the stress placed upon a manager these days when managing a client, getting outside of the cubicle or office can go a long way to improving morale. The best way a manager can ensure getting out there happens is to schedule it, and the best way a company can ensure it gets done is to mandate it and reward those who meet or exceed the requirement.
CONCLUSION
There are many advantages to performing field observations, audits, or inspections. They boost
morale and prevent injuries and ensure that the correct equipment is available, is being used correctly, and can be used to satisfy regulatory requirements. It helps to select observers knowledgeable in the scope of work, schedule adequate time to get them out in the field, and give praise when it is due. Utilize a check sheet to make the observer’s job easier to perform. Properly performed field inspections can go a long way to improving your company’s safety culture.
Paul Chamberlain has been the Safety Manager for American Electrical Testing Co. LLC since 2009. He has been in the safety field since 1998, working for various companies and in various industries. Paul received a BS from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
SAFETY
BY VIRGINIA BALITSKI, Magna IV Engineering
Safety is an important consideration for any workplace and for NETA Certified Technicians. ANSI/NETA MTS-2019 recognizes that an overwhelming majority of the tests and inspections carried out by NETA Certified Technicians are potentially hazardous. It is essential that workers are aware of the hazards involved with the tasks they perform.
QUESTIONS
1. What United States regulatory agency exists regarding workplace safety?
a. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
b. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
c. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
d. Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC)
2. What is the standard for electrical safety in the workplace in the US?
a. NFPA 70
b. NFPA 101A
c. NFPA 70E
d. NFPA 5000
3. According to ANSI/NETA MTS-2019, 5.1 Safety and Precautions, what shall be conducted prior to the commencement of work?
a. Test report
b. Safety briefing
c. Power system study
d. Detailed safety program
4. According to OSHA, what is one of the root causes of workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents?
a. Untrained workers
b. Inadequate personal protective equipment
c. Failure to identify or recognize hazards
d. Age of the equipment
5. Which electrical hazards should be considered and identified prior to starting work?
a. Electrical shock
b. Arc flash
c. Arc blast
d. All of the above
6. What must be introduced to eliminate the electrical hazards associated with any work task?
a. Safe work procedures
b. Electrically safe working condition
c. Personal protective equipment
d. Barriers and safeguarding devices
See answers on page 121.
No. 137
SAFETY TESTING OF EV CHARGERS
BY JEFF JOWETT, Megger
Electric vehicles are prominently heralded as the trend of the future, a vital part of many planned economies’ efforts to combat global warming, widespread pollution, and the squandering of resources. But there has also been negative publicity over safety issues like car fires.
The key to enjoying the best of both worlds — excellent performance under complete safety — is to practice diligent maintenance. Do not take performance for granted. It’s easy to ride the crest of a popular trend and overlook the details, but don’t. Become familiar with the possible safety hazards and industry-standard recommendations for preventing them.
The electric vehicle charger forms a dynamic link between the nearly infinite power of the electrical grid and the volatile potential of the
car battery, possibly with the added potential hazard of a tank of gasoline only inches away in the case of hybrids. Be sure to maintain the safety of this vital link with regular and thorough maintenance of the charger.
EV CHARGER TESTING
Electric vehicle charger testers are available and dedicated to assuring the function and safety of the unique configuration of an electric vehicle charger. An electric vehicle charger tester should perform seven tests:
four for safety, plus two operational tests and a check for nuisance tripping.
It is a good idea to head off any potential dangers by testing the charger upon acquisition so it isn’t merely assumed to be fully functional because it is new.
Make sure the new charger meets manufacturing specifications. Do the same after any repair, and incorporate charger testing into any preventive/ predictive maintenance program. It is important to perform the tests in a specific sequence, assuring safety first. Always remember, however, that the charger is an electrical connection between the vehicle and an electrical facility, such as a building service. That service must also be grounded, tested, and maintained.
Protective Earth
The first test verifies protective earth. The EV charger tester takes the place of the vehicle for the performance of the tests. The charger is plugged into the on-site power source, just as it would be if it were charging a vehicle.
The power grid, if not correctly utilized, can be a potential source of electrocution, fire, equipment damage, and other hazards. Therefore, the vehicle charger must maintain a
protective ground, and this is not to be taken for granted. Ground connection can be lost while performing its designated function, as fault currents can open bonds even while being safely cleared. The next person using the faulted item — in this case, the vehicle charger — will be at unwitting risk should another hazard arise.
The charger tester will ensure that a proper ground is in place and functional. The tester applies a charging code to the charger to put it into a charging state. The protective earth contact test, which is accomplished through operator contact with a touch pad, will detect whether a ground connection is present (Figure 1).
Regular safety maintenance and testing is critical.
Figure 1: Initial Test Verifies Presence of Safety Ground
The test is not a genuine bonding test to verify the current-carrying capacity of the bond, but rather verifies the connection’s absence or presence. This is indicated by a PROCEED or FAULT message on the display. For maximum safety, any further testing of the charger is disabled, and a faulted bond must be repaired by a qualified electrician.
Protective Conductor Resistance
The second test is protective conductor resistance. This test verifies that exposed metalwork on the charger is effectively connected to the ground pin on the charger’s socket or plug so that any possible fault currents from electrical failure will be safely diverted into the grounding system — not through the body of an operator who happens to be in contact with the charger.
An alligator clip or probe is used to touch all possible points on the charger’s exposed metalwork. Therefore, this test is not required for chargers with no exposed metalwork or protected by double insulation. The tester measures the resistance to ground and displays it, along with a comparison to a safe standard of 0.5 Ω, which is typically indicated by a green check mark or red X (Figure 2). Failure must be repaired by a qualified electrician.
Trip Time and Touch Voltage Tests
The remaining safety tests are for touch voltage and trip time. EV chargers afford redundant safety protection through ground fault safety interrupters (GFCIs) or residual current devices (RCDs). These work by detecting an imbalance
in circuit current. The differential could go to ground through a human being, or it could find an unwanted path through equipment, causing fire or electrical damage. To prevent that, the device trips and opens the circuit.
But GFCIs and RCDs are delicate devices that need to be checked. The charger tester applies a calibrated current matching the protective device’s rating and measures the time it takes to trip. The tester further assures that the trip time is fast enough to protect personnel from injury. Typical configurable parameters are voltage (230, 120), test current (30, 20, and 6 mA), and maximum test time (300 ms, 12.5 s, 5.59 s), with the tester indicating pass or fail. Another adjustment is angle of earth leakage current, either starting at the positive direction zero crossover (0 degrees) or negative (180 degrees).
Once the test has started, the tester puts the charger in charging mode and measures the output voltage. Next, a touch voltage test is performed to ensure that an inadequate ground will not raise the voltage to a hazardous level during testing. This test is adjustable at 25 V or 50 V. Earth leakage current is then measured and displayed.
Nuisance Tripping
Once the safety checks have assured that the EV charger can be operated without danger, a nuisance tripping test is performed. Extraneous currents such as the capacitive charging of long extension cables can be sources of nuisance tripping. This can be a hindrance to speedy and
efficient testing. But once recognized, it can be eliminated by adjustment. The test applies a calibrated earth ground leakage current starting at approximately half the trip rating for the protective device in the charger, and then steadily increases the current until the device trips. The current at which the device tripped is displayed. The operator looks for a low trip value.
There are four ways to perform this test:
1. A 230 V AC current is ramped up to 30 mA in 2 mA steps of 300 ms duration for 4.5 seconds.
2. A DC current ramps at 6 mA for 2.5 seconds to prevent tripping of the AC response, then holds at 3 mA DC for 11.25 seconds.
3. For testing 120 V equipment, a 6 mA AC test ramps up in 0.5 mA steps of 100 ms duration for 4.5 seconds.
4. At 20 mA AC, a similar test ramps up in 1 mA steps of 100 ms duration for a maximum of 2 seconds.
Results are displayed in trip current, with 0-degree or 180-degree options available.
Proximity Circuit
A proximity circuit prevents the vehicle from moving during charging, an obvious safety requirement. The circuit provides a signal so the vehicle knows it is connected to a charger. When the charger is connected, the voltage on the proximity pin in the vehicle drops from 4.5 V to 1.5 V. The EV charger tester assures this will happen by simulating the circuit of the vehicle.
If the charger has separate connecting cables, the connector applies a proximity pilot (PP) resistance signal to the charger to indicate the rating of the connection cable. The maximum
available current being indicated to the vehicle via the control pilot (CP) signal is adjusted accordingly. A charger tester verifies that this happens correctly by using cables with varied ratings. Test results are indicated by two symbols: a closed connector indicates proximity and a lock symbol indicates that the connection is latched.
Control Pilot Check
Finally, a control pilot check verifies the integrity of the communication between the charger and the vehicle. There are three main areas of communication:
1. State of the vehicle/charger
2. Maximum current to be drawn by the vehicle
3. Whether digital communication indicates current
The first of these includes disconnected, connected, charging, charging with ventilation, CP to PE fault, and charger fault. The control pilot signal is a 1 kHz square wave with the charger state communicated using the signal voltage level. Maximum current and digital communication use are indicated by the signal duty cycle. The charger tester takes the place of the vehicle and allows the user to set the CP code. The tester then reads the code back from the charger as set out in Table 8 of IEC Standard 61851-1. This allows the user to verify the correct operation of the charger, ensuring that the charger responded as expected. In addition, testing the control pilot signal measures the charger output voltage and frequency.
Output charging voltage and frequency should be as expected for the utility supply to which the charger is connected. Polarity should read OK. Incorrect polarity is shown as INV. Maximum current should match the rating of the charger or connecting cable. Control pilot voltage, duty cycle, and frequency should be repeatable. The control pilot state read from the charger should match the code set for the test. A fault or error with the charger itself is indicated.
CONCLUSION
Compared to transformers, electric motors, building wiring, long runs of power cable, and a plethora of other pieces of electrical equipment, the electric vehicle charger may seem a simple device. Don’t let that allow it to slip off the chart for predictive/preventive maintenance. EV chargers have potential safety hazards that can be recognized and corrected.
An EV charger tester should be part of the electrical maintenance program. Both equipment damage and personnel injury can be prevented by testing and maintaining EV chargers. Customers and clients are afforded protection, compliance can be maintained with standards agencies like OSHA, and legal safeguards can be kept in place.
Jeffrey R. Jowett is a Senior Applications Engineer for Megger in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, serving the manufacturing lines of Biddle, Megger, and MultiAmp for electrical test and measurement instrumentation. He holds a BS in biology and chemistry from Ursinus College. He was employed for 22 years with James G. Biddle Co., which became Biddle Instruments and is now Megger.
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IMPACT OF CHANGES TO IEEE STD. 1584, IEEE GUIDE FOR PERFORMING ARC-FLASH HAZARD CALCULATIONS PART 2
BY STEVE PARK, PE, Vertiv
In the Spring 2022 edition of NETA World, Part 1 of this article provided a brief history and evolution of electrical safety over the past 50 years. It was during this period that OSHA was formed and NFPA began developing the 70E standard. We also reviewed some of the key changes from the original 2002 edition of IEEE 1584 to the second edition in 2018, specifically examining the newly recommended arc flash calculation process and variables included in the calculations.
In Part 2, we discuss the relevant impact of these changes and how they affect the calculated incident energy levels that we depend on to select adequate PPE and keep our workers safe.
Let’s start by considering the most frequently asked questions related to this new arc flash calculation process:
• Does a new study need to be performed using the new method?
• How do the old and new methods compare with respect to incident energy calculations, and how significant are these changes to the results of the analysis?
• Will the new calculations result in significantly different incident energy (IE) values?
COMPARISON OF METHODS
While many variables must be considered when comparing the two methods, I’ve put together some scenarios that provide a practical comparison that answers these questions. The comparison focuses on low-voltage systems, as these are the most prevalent systems workers are exposed to, and this is where most accidents occur.
Two low-voltage scenarios are examined. The first is a 208 V system; the second is a 480 V system. For both scenarios, a fixed event duration of 83.3 ms was used. Designed interruption times for molded-case circuit breakers are approximately 8.33 ms (1/2 cycle) and 50 ms (3 cycles) for power circuit breakers. For the following examples, a fixed duration time of 83.3 ms (5 cycles) was used. As a result of using a fixed duration for the calculations, the reduced arcing current calculation was not applicable for this analysis.
The following parameters were used in the analysis:
The IEEE 1584-2002 calculations for a lowvoltage arc in an enclosure were compared to the 2018 calculations for the vertical conductor-electrode configuration (VCB), vertical conductor-electrode terminated in a metal enclosure (VCBB), and horizontal conductor-electrode terminated in a metal enclosure (HCB) configurations. The analysis
Table 1: Parameters Used in Arc Flash Calculations for Two Voltage Levels
Figure 1: 2002 vs. 2018 IE Calculated Result Comparison at 208 V
typical range of bolted fault current values. The HCB model is representative of large power circuit breaker cubicles in switchgear, junction boxes, and some disconnects versus what is typically found in smaller panelboards (VCB/ VCBB). This higher IE for HCB equipment is the result of the horizontal electrodes ejecting the arc outwards directly towards the opening and worker. If an arc occurs in the stab area of a cubicle, and a circuit breaker is present, the breaker is likely to disrupt the arc ejection and decrease the IE below the calculated value.[1]
However, during the testing and development of IE equations, a breaker was not present in the cubicle, and there are currently no test data or equations to quantify or support this scenario. The vertical electrode models result in less incident energy than the HCB orientation because the arc tends to be ejected downward and then reflected outward towards the worker. Depending on the geometry of the enclosure and the position of the worker, this could intensify the IE at the worker’s legs and feet.
Figure 2: 2002 vs. 2018 IE Calculated Result Comparison at 480 V
was performed utilizing a bolted fault current ranging from 2 kA to 100 kA.
Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the incident energy results of this analysis. Figure 1 shows the 2002 versus 2018 incident energy (IE) results for the 208 V example. Figure 2 shows the comparison for the 480 V example.
The HCB calculations result in a significantly higher incident energy than the VCB/VCBB calculated energies and the energy calculated under the 2002 model when considering a
For the 208 V example and for equipment with a vertical bus, the 2002 and 2018 analysis methods provide similar results over a large range of fault currents. For the 480 V example, the vertical bus calculations also provide relatively similar results, but the VCBB does tend above the 2002 calculated values a bit more than in the 208 V calculations. For both the 208 V and 480 V calculations, the HCB results immediately deviate above the 2002 results and remain significantly higher over the range of currents studied.
For larger equipment (e.g., power circuit breakers), typically with horizontal stab construction, the new calculations indicate that the previously recommended arc-rated personal protective equipment (AR PPE) may not be sufficient to protect workers from serious injury. Work that has been previously performed with minimal AR PPE may now require a much higher AR PPE rating. The new IE calculated results for equipment with a vertically oriented bus (electrodes) remain similar to the 2002 calculated results. When performing the analysis
using the new methods, careful consideration must be given to the model parameters to ensure accurate results are rendered based on the best available information.
Figure 3 compares the arcing current from the 2002 and 2018 calculation methods using the previous parameters and assumptions for the 208 V and 480 V scenarios. This graph shows that the 2018 calculated arcing currents are typically 20%–25% higher than the 2002 values over the typical fault current range. However, higher arcing currents don’t always translate into higher IE and arc flash boundary (AFB) values. If the previously calculated arcing current values resulted in an event duration based on the instantaneous element operation of the upstream overcurrent protective device, the slightly higher arcing current might translate into only slightly higher IE and AFB values. Conversely, if the previous arcing current values did not activate an instantaneous element of the upstream overcurrent protective device, but only activated the short-time element, the higher calculated arcing current might result in a shorter duration event (instantaneous element trip) and possibly lower IE and AFB values. Each piece of equipment must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
IMPACT OF CHANGES
The revised calculations per the 2018 edition of IEEE 1584 may result in changes to previously calculated arc flash incident energy values and changes in arc-rated personal protective equipment requirements for workers compared to the 2002 edition methods. The calculated incident energy may be higher in some situations and lower or very similar in others. With the possibility of significant changes in incident energy between the old method and the new method, and the changes to low-energy equipment, those responsible for facility electrical distribution systems — and the safety of workers — should consider revisiting their arc flash analysis to determine whether their workers are adequately protected against recognized hazards (OSHA’s General Duty Clause). One potential advantage of this re-evaluation is that, in some cases, workers
may be able to perform some tasks with lesscumbersome PPE than previously determined.
Re-Evaluating Electrical Hazards
Given the 2018 changes to IEEE 1584, another critical question is whether you are required to update a study performed using the 2002 edition if there are no other factors to consider (changes in the facility electrical system or to the utility). No — there are no requirements that force you to update your study simply because IEEE 1584 has been updated. Remember, use of IEEE 1584 is voluntary and is not mandated by law. Other means can be used to calculate and determine the extent of electrical hazards associated with arc flash events. However, this document is one of the most recognized sources available, and the recent update makes it even more accurate for calculating arc flash incident energy levels. Should you choose to use another method to calculate the hazardous energy of an arc flash, expect your methods to be highly scrutinized and be prepared to defend them.
When considering whether an update is required or not, we shouldn’t forget about one key requirement from NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.[2] You may not be required to update your study as a result of
Figure 3: 2002 vs. 2018 Arcing Current Comparison at 208 V and 480 V
changes to IEEE 1584 methods and procedures, but NFPA 70E does require a review every five years of the data compiled and used to determine hazards. This ensures that, if there are changes to any factors used to determine the level of hazards (incident energy, arc flash boundary, etc.), the impact of these changes will be examined at least every five years. This is also an excellent time to incorporate the new IEEE 1584 methods and procedures into the analysis for the entire facility.
While you may not be mandated to update your study due to changes in IEEE 1584, should you perform an update?
Areas with higher operating voltages (480 V) and/or areas where there are horizontal electrodes (large power circuit breakers) are two circumstances where you might consider a revised study to ensure the calculated incident energy is accurate. These are areas where hazards may be significantly higher than calculated under the previous methods.
A second scenario where you might want to run a revised study is for equipment previously classified as low-energy equipment:
Equipment below 240 V need not be considered unless it involves at least one 125 kVA or larger lowimpedance transformer in its immediate power supply.
The change to the requirements for equipment considered to be low risk (less than1.2 cal/cm2) is significant and will affect many facilities with existing arc flash studies. The revised parameters for low-energy equipment stem from the discovery that, under the previously defined parameters, workers could be exposed to IE levels above 1.2 cal/cm2. This important change may require the analysis of equipment not included in the previous arc flash study (i.e., equipment assumed to have IE below 1.2 cal/cm2).
Sustainable arcs are possible but less likely in three-phase systems operating at 240 V nominal
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• Battery Bank Testing
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• Motor Testing & Surge Analysis
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• Coordination & Short Circuit Studies
• Arc Flash Hazard Analysis
or less with an available short-circuit current less than 2,000 A.
Equipment meeting new requirements that were not included in the previous study should now be included to ensure adequate PPE is identified based on the calculated IE levels for that equipment.
The biggest challenges of the new 2018 method are in determining the enclosure size and bus orientation of equipment. How are these challenges being handled? Some clients choose to use the worst case (horizontal electrode orientation) for all equipment. However, if the equipment does not contain horizontally oriented electrodes, this may result in excessive PPE requirements. Excessive levels of PPE can cause worker fatigue and inability to perform some tasks safely, which introduces additional hazards. Some help and guidance is provided in Annex G of IEEE 1584. Enclosure dimensions, electrode gap, and orientation can be standardized into a few categories, thus simplifying data collection while retaining the necessary level of accuracy.
Training and Education
As a final recommendation, one of the most often overlooked components of safety is education and training. Many companies transmit communications and display posters about the importance of worker safety but often neglect to invest in the required safety education and training for their workers. Old online training materials used repeatedly will lose their impact, and employees won’t pay attention to the training. Keep the training materials fresh and up-to-date and avoid repeating the same videos year after year. Training should allow and promote interaction, questions, and discussions. One of the best ways to communicate key objectives is through the use of case studies of incidents and accidents.
Training and education is not a one-sizefits-all solution. Employers must recognize that the education and training provided to one employee may be different than that for another employee (based on responsibilities,
skill set, experience, or aptitude). Someone who operates an equipment disconnect, such as a machine operator, may not require the same level of training as someone who racks in a large power circuit breaker or troubleshoots electrical problems. While most workers don’t need to know how to calculate arc flash incident energy or arc flash boundaries to be able to execute their daily tasks, they do need to understand the factors that govern these values so they can make informed decisions about the required PPE and other safe work practices.
Everyone plays a vital role in safety. The more knowledgeable your workers are and the more dedicated to safety your company is, the less you place your workers at risk of injury. Employers must create a corporate work environment where safety is more than just a policy; it’s a culture!
CONCLUSION
Many excellent articles and papers are available that contain various perspectives on arc flash safety and electrical safe work practices. The more you read, the more you learn. I’ve learned a lot from reading papers, attending various conferences, and listening to experts speak on arc flash safety. One paper that recently crossed my desk caught my attention. In this paper, it stated that the new IEEE 1584-2018 still doesn’t calculate conservatively or accurately enough and additional correction factors (1.5-2.0X) to incident energy should be applied to ensure adequate PPE.[3] After reading this article, decide for yourself whether additional safety factors or multipliers are needed to keep your workers safe.
What I can conclude is that reported cases of workers being seriously injured or killed by arc flash are very low.[4] Granted, any serious injury or death is a tragedy, and we all must continue to strive for zero workplace injuries. However, the focus on safety, arc flash analysis, use of PPE, and education is keeping our workers safer than ever before. Let’s keep up that good work and continue to ensure our employees are trained to identify hazards, determine their severity, and select and use the proper PPE to perform their tasks safely.
With this in mind, never forget that working on energized equipment using PPE is a last resort! When the decision is made that energized work is required, you must have exhausted the other five methods of risk control: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, awareness, and administrative controls. Working on energized equipment and using PPE is at the bottom of the list and is the least effective means of ensuring worker safety.
REFERENCES
[1] IEEE. IEEE 1584-2002, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations, New York, NY.
[2] National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
[3] Short, T. A., Eblen, M. L. “IEEE Standard 1584-2018 Predictions Compared With Tests on Real-World Equipment,” IEEE Industry Applications Magazine, January/ February 2022.
[4] Gordon, L., J. Liechty, T. Matinez, E. Stromberg, and J. Williams. “Electric Injuries and Fatalities: Facts, Myths, and Unknowns,” IEEE Paper No. ESW32.
Steve Park, PE, brings 40-plus years of experience in the power system industry to his position as Vertiv’s Director of Technical Training. In this role, Steve oversees technical training for Vertiv’s North America field services including AC power products, DC power products, thermal management systems, monitoring, and independent testing services for High Voltage Maintenance (HVM) and Electrical Reliability Services (ERS). Much of his career and expertise is from various roles while employed by HVM and ERS involving power system studies, engineering and test reports, cable testing, forensic investigations, test procedures/practices, and quality assurance. Steve gained a deep understanding of the power systems industry during his career in the U.S. Air Force, where he served 14 years on active-duty service as a high-voltage lineman, electrical power distribution engineer, and instructor of electrical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). Steve earned his BSEE and MSEE from Purdue University and an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. Steve has been a registered Professional Engineer since 1992.
CHECKLISTS AND EFFECTIVE JOB BRIEFINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO IMPROVING SAFETY
BY D. RAY CROW, DRC Consulting, Inc.
“People who are trying to change the world need to use checklists.”
BUSINESSMAN AND AUTHOR GUY KAWASAKI
Checklists and effective job briefings are important to ensure hazards that may exist when performing a task are addressed before starting the job. In addition, job briefings are important to ensure people understand their job roles and have a chance to speak up and recommend additional safer work practices and make sure an action plan exists if things go wrong. Job safety planning, job briefings, and the use of checklists before starting a task are important to help prevent incidents and fatalities from happening. People make mistakes. The use of job briefings and checklists before the start of a job will help minimize the possibility of human error when tasks are performed.[1][2]
CHECKLISTS IMPROVE HUMAN PERFORMANCE
“A checklist cannot fly a plane. Instead, they provide reminders of only the most critical and important steps.”
SURGEON AND AUTHOR ATUL GAWANDE
On October 30, 1935, an experimental bomber known as the Flying Fortress (B-17) crashed shortly after takeoff during a military demonstration for the U.S. Army Air Corps at Wright Airfield in Dayton, Ohio.
The cause of the incident was a pre-flight failure to remove the gust locks that prevent damage to the control surfaces of the airplane while on the ground. The failure of the pilots to complete this step before takeoff meant they had no ability to control the plane once it became airborne.[3]
Figure 1: B-17 Crash During Demonstration for U.S. Army Air Corps
CHECKLISTS CREATE ERROR-FREE SYSTEMS
Surviving pilots brainstormed how to prevent the pre-flight requirements from ever being missed again. The action taken by the investigation team was to mandate the use of a checklist that included pre-takeoff action items for a pilot’s review.[4]
People can and do make mistakes, and the use of checklists can prevent incidents from happening. Checklists are a functional, consistent method of combating human errors before they occur. Checklists can be adapted for use in a wide range of environments.
Aviation Checklists
Current Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs)[5] mandate checklist use that “must be designed so that flight crew members will not rely upon memory for items to be checked.” Today, you can’t take off or land in a commercial airplane without a mandatory checklist being used by pilots.
Checklists work to prevent an incident from happening if a critical step does not pass the requirements included in the checklist. Has your flight ever been delayed or cancelled due to items in the checklist not meeting all requirements? If this did occur, were you glad that a checklist was required before the flight was allowed to takeoff?
NASA uses checklists for launching rockets into space. Many launches have been cancelled due to failure to meet the steps required in the checklist. Checklists are widely used in the aircraft industry and the U.S. Navy Submarine Service, in critical maintenance facilities and hospital operating rooms, and during the commissioning of electrical projects. Use checklists to prevent incidents from happening or to minimize the results when unexpected events occur.
Surgical Checklists
Using checklists in hospitals during surgery has been proven to prevent infections. Since
2008, bloodstream infections have decreased by 44%, and surgical site infections have decreased by 20%. Using checklists before and during surgery has also cut complications by 35% and deaths by 47%.[6] When catheters are installed, the use of checklists has cut the infection rate from 4% of cases to zero, saving 1,500 lives and nearly $200 million.[7]
Just OK Is Not OK
Training is not enough to ensure incidents will not happen. When checklists are not used, the most experienced and qualified people may make mistakes.
Use checklists in your workplace. A good checklist is precise, efficient, and easy to use even in the most difficult situations. Checklists not only offer the possibility of verification, but also instill a discipline of higher performance. Checklists can help ensure people follow the required safety steps every time they perform a specific task.
Checklists have proven to work best in organizations that have a culture of safety supported by organizational leaders who prioritize safety in the workplace.[8]
USE CHECKLISTS FOR ELECTRICAL TASKS
“No matter how expert you may be, welldesigned checklists can improve outcomes.”
AUTHOR AND ECONOMIST STEVEN LEVITT
Checklists have been proven to add safety for personnel who perform electrical tasks.[9] They can help prevent mistakes and omissions during many electrical tasks. Checklists are a proven method to help prevent qualified people from skipping critical steps when completing tasks. The use of checklists should be mandatory when step-by-step procedures are required for safety.
Many mistakes have been prevented and lives saved by the use of checklists that ensured steps were not missed when tasks were performed.
Table 1: Types of Electrical Checklists
Safety pre-task checklist
Job hazard analysis (JHA)
Safe work procedure (SWP)
Job briefing checklist
Requirements for an energized electrical work permit (EEWP)
Required steps for a specific work practice
Requirements for standard operation procedures (SOPs)
Specific switching procedure when changes to your electrical power system are required
Substation project installation assessment
Substation inspection
Electrical control room inspection
IMPROVE HUMAN PERFORMANCE BY ACTIVATING YOUR LEADERSHIP
“Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”
INDUSTRIALIST ANDREW CARNEGIE
Job safety planning, job briefings, and checklists help prevent injuries and fatalities from happening. They provide the opportunity to think about and agree on the safe work practices and PPE requirements to use for the task to eliminate or minimize the risk to an acceptable level prior to starting the job.[10][11]
Effective job briefings and a review of existing checklists requires discussion and communication. Ask open-ended questions and get answers. Ensure everyone involved in the task participates during the job briefing and reviews the items included in the checklist. Consider what might not be included in the existing checklist. A best practice to improve safety is to visit the job site before work starts to look for hazards in the area that you may not have considered.[12] Examples include an
energized overhead power line that exists in the area where work is to take place or additional people performing other tasks in the area where you will be working.
Consider the possibility of language barriers when job briefings are held. During construction and other jobs, some people may not understand what is being discussed. Use an interpreter to resolve the issue.
Table 2: Items that Cause Incidents to Occur
Taking shortcuts
Being overconfident
Failure to pre-plan the work
Starting a task with incomplete instructions
Ignoring safety procedures
Mental distractions from work
Multitasking
Poor housekeeping
An effective job briefing should cover at least the following topics:
• Hazards associated with the job
• Work procedures involved
• Special precautions, language issues
• Energy source controls
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements[13][14]
During the job briefing make sure everyone answers the following questions:
• Do I thoroughly understand the job?
• Do I understand my role and everyone else’s role in the job?
• Am I aware of all the hazards I may possibly encounter during the job?
• Am I knowledgeable of all safety rules and procedures applicable to this job?
• Do I have safeguards in place to protect me from unexpected events?
Table 3: Actions You Can Take to Improve Safety
Take immediate action when you identify potential work hazards.
Control your personal workspace to maintain safety.
Stop any work you think is unsafe.
Eliminate injuries by eliminating your unsafe acts.
Take actions to help prevent being hurt or involved in an unsafe event.
REINFORCING THE SAFETY CULTURE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION
“Safety has to be everyone’s responsibility. Everyone needs to know that they are empowered to speak up if there’s an issue.”
NASA ASTRONAUT CAPTAIN SCOTT KELLY (RET.)
Make safety the number one priority in your facility or company. Mandate job briefings that include checklists before the start of jobs. The job briefing should include shock risk assessments and arc flash risk assessments.
Unsafe work practices cause 91% of incidents and injuries. In addition to the personal pain of suffering an injury, incidents can result in lost time, medical costs, equipment damage, production loss, and legal costs. The risk assessment procedure is designed to address the potential for human error and its negative consequences on people, processes, and the work environment.
Shock Risk Assessment
The first choice in a shock risk assessment is to eliminate the likelihood of occurrence of injury. Determine whether additional protective measures are required. For example, wear rubber insulating gloves with leather
protectors and use insulating tools rated for the voltage you could encounter if you accidentally make contact with exposed energized electrical conductors or circuit parts.
Arc Flash Risk Assessment
During the arc flash risk assessment, consider the following issues:
• Design of the equipment as well as its overcurrent protective devices and operating times
• Electrical equipment operating condition and maintenance
• Appropriate safety-related work practices and PPE required for people within the arc flash boundary
CONCLUSION
“Job briefings and checklists are the most high-powered productive tools ever discovered.”
AUTHOR AND SPEAKER BRIAN TRACY
An important feature in an electrical safety program is the use of job briefings that include checklists. Reinforcing important steps in safe work practices through the use of job briefings that include checklists will reduce incidents and save lives. Ensure that job briefings include shock as well as arc flash risk assessments..
Improve safety in your facility by including these six steps:
1. Create a culture that makes safety the number one priority.
2. Improve actions taken by management to continually improve safety.
3. Ensure that positive peer pressure to do the right thing exists in your facility.
4. Monitor actions taken by workers to ensure they follow the safe work practices outlined in your safety program and training.
5. Provide a good balance between leading as well as lagging indicators in your safety program.
6. Perform a shock risk assessment and an arcflash risk assessment before starting work.
Using these steps will help drive the company toward becoming an incident-free workplace.
REFERENCES
[1] Crow, Daryld Ray. “Checklists Save Lives,” 2020 IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop (ESW2020-08), March 2020.
[3] “From the Ashes of the Model-299.” Accessed at www.thisdayinaviation. com/30-october-1935.
[4] “What the B17 Taught Us About Checklists.” Accessed at What the B17 Taught Us About Checklists - Angle of Attack (flyaoamedia.com).
[5] Code of Federal Regulations. Accessed at eCFR :: 14 CFR 431.39 -- Mission rules, procedures, contingency plans, and checklists.
[6] “Habitual Excellence in the Workplace According to Paul O’Neill,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Accessed at ‘Habitual excellence’: The Workplace According to Paul O’Neill | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 13, 2012.
[7] Higgins, W.Y., and D.J. Boorman. “An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Checklists When Combined With Other Processes, Methods, and Tools to Reduce Risk in High Hazard Activities,” Boeing Technical Journal 2016.
[8] Haynes A., Gawande A. “A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in a Global Population,” New England Journal of Medicine 360(5)491-499 (January 2009).
Doi:10.1056/NEJMas0810119. PMID19144931.
[9] Gawande, Atul. The Checklist Manifesto. Picador, New York, 2009 ISBN 978-0312-43000-9.
[10] National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
[11] Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA 29 CFR Subpart R 1910.269, Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution
[12] Forck, Mathew. “Four Key Steps to Conducting an Effective Job Briefing,” T&D World, July 1, 2019.
[13] Hanford Mission Support Contract. “Conducting Pre-Task Job Briefings and Post-Job Briefings,” April 28, 2011.
[14] Setcorret, LLC. WP0001-2015, Job Briefings. Accessed at JobBriefingsWorkPracticeExample.pdf (setcorrect.com).
Daryld Ray Crow is presently Owner and Principal Technical Consultant for DRC Consulting Inc., where he performs consulting work for electrical safe work practice standards, assessments/audits, electrical safe work practice training, and electrical engineering projects. Ray
graduated from the University of Houston with a BSEE. After graduation, he worked for Alcoa providing global engineering support on the design, installation, and operation of power and rectifier systems and electrical safety. Ray was a team leader for writing multiple Alcoa electrical standards including electrical safe work practice standards and training and was responsible for providing internal electrical safety audits of Alcoa facilities. After retiring from Alcoa, he worked for Fluor Global Services and Duke Energy as a Principal Technical Specialist providing design and consulting engineering for creating electrical safety standards for companies, and providing safe work practice training programs, assessments/audits of facilities, and plant power distribution systems. Ray is a Life Senior Member of IEEE, a principal member of the NFPA 70E Technical Committee, Secretary of IEEE Std. P1584.1, Technical Editor and Secretary of IEEE Std. P1814, Chair of PCIC Working Group IEEE Std. 463, and was Secretary of IEEE Std. 1584. In 2010, Ray received the IEEE/PCIC Electrical Safety Excellence Award; in 2017, he received the IEEE/ESW Outstanding Service Award. He has co-authored and presented technical papers and tutorials for a number of IEEE IAS PCIC conferences, IEEE IAS Pulp & Paper conferences, IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop conferences, and NETA’s PowerTest conference.
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MENTORSHIP IS CRITICAL IN THE ELECTRICAL SECTOR
BY MIKE DOHERTY, eHazard
Mentoring has been a critical and foundational component in the electrical sector since its beginning. The basic tenants of electrical tradesperson apprenticeships and electrical engineers in training has always been coaching and mentoring by those with the interpersonal skills, relevant expertise, and knowledge to be able to pass it on.
The electrical sector has always taken particularly great pride in emphasizing and teaching the safety requirements involved in electrical work. The overall probability of serious electrical incidents across all sectors is generally low, but the physical consequences of shock, electrocution, and/or arc-flash incidents can be staggeringly high. The social, morale, and economic costs are all potentially very high as well.
RESEARCH AND STATISTICS
A 2010 study by Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety found:
A study by a major insurance underwriter reported that the second most expensive workers’
compensation claim was due to electrical injuries. [1]
In 2022 and going forward, electrical sector demographics will continue to change rapidly. The baby boomer generation will be leaving the workforce in droves by the end of the current decade — and it’s already started.
In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states in its Employment Projections — 2020-2030 Summary:
The labor force is expected to increase by 8.9 million, from 160.7 million in 2020 to 169.6 million in 2030. The labor force participation rate is projected to decline, from 61.7 percent
in 2020 to 60.4 percent in 2030. The decline in labor force participation is due to the aging of the baby-boom generation, a continuation of the declining trend in men’s participation, and a slight decline in women’s participation. By 2030, all baby boomers will be at least 65 years old [2]
More specifically, the BLS Employment Outlook Handbook notes:
Employment of electricians is projected to grow 9 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 84,700 openings for electricians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.[3]
And in Canada, the Province of Ontario is offering free training and paid apprenticeships for electricians. The news release states:
Data suggest the need to replace retiring workers is elevated in the skilled trades. In 2016, nearly 1 in 3 journeypersons were aged 55 years or older. Between July 2021 and September 2021, there
were 338,835 job vacancies (unfilled jobs) in Ontario. About 8% (25,495) of all vacancies in Ontario were in the construction sector.[4]
PASSING ON THE EXPERIENCE
It is extraordinarily clear that the continuing electrification of society is essential for ongoing prosperity and success for all concerned. Highly skilled electrical sector tradespeople, technicians, technologists, and engineers have been and will continue to be required. With so many of these extremely skilled people soon to leave the workforce in the next few years, it is essential that the culture of electrical safety and high-end technical excellence is passed on to the outstanding workforce that is already in place or starting out.
But time to do so is definitely running out. Leaders in the electrical sector must step up to ensure that their existing safety and technical best practices are sustainable and will be in place even after they move on. Ensuring sustainability for best practices after present leadership is gone is indicative of the very finest management qualities. Outstanding formal
FEATURE
mentoring programs within the electrical sector need to be developed and executed in an accountable and due-diligent manner. The costs to the electrical safety culture and, in fact, to the electrical infrastructure if great mentoring programs are not put in place will be very difficult to recover from.
Those with decades of experience are generally no smarter than those who are just starting out. It is most obvious that the only way to gain experience is to put in the time and effort that experience facilitates — there is no other way. Passing on the hard-won wisdom that was realized over the course of their working life by those willing to share is one of the main goals.
MENTOR REQUIREMENTS
What are the requirements to be an exceptional mentor? The mentor needs to be an expert and someone who has walked the talk. Ideally, they will not be too far removed from the current thinking of those they would work with. It is imperative to understand the potential differences between age groups and demographics to ensure there is a potential fit. Mentors need to be enthusiastic and, in particular, bring real clarity to the interactions they will have. The antonyms to clarity are murkiness and vagueness. Mentors who bring anything other than authentic clarity to the discussions will not bring value.
These are professional relationships that need to be respectful, honest, truthful, and caring. No one has ever erected a monument to a critic, and mentors must be able to listen with real understanding. They must also be willing to not impose their own beliefs too strongly. They must be able to relate to the person they are working with and put themselves in that person’s shoes.
Mentors need to enjoy and be invested in the success of others. In particular, along with great listening skills, they must be exceptionally good at receiving and giving feedback. Ideally, a great mentor was a mentee themselves at one time. The absolute best coaches in the sporting world will tell you that their coaching style is
a compilation of a few great coaches that they played for themselves. Those experiences along with their own unique styles and mannerisms will make for a terrific mentoring foundation.
A mentor is a person who provides the means, counseling, help, and feedback you need to flourish in your career, so it is very important for the mentor to select people to work with who are genuinely interested in accessing his or her experience and knowledge.
MENTOR QUESTIONS
W. Edwards Deming said: “If you do not know how to ask the right question, you discover nothing.”
Insightful questions should be used by mentors to obtain successful outcomes with those they work with. Asking exploratory questions in a respectful and caring manner at the beginning of the potential and ongoing relationship can put the mentee at ease and let them know you are there to help, guide, and assist. Mentor questions can explore why the person is doing what they’re doing:
• What do you really want to do and be in the electrical sector? What is it that drives your passion? Do you want to be a leader in the electrical sector and, if so, what would you like to be known for?
• Do you have a goal in mind regarding where you want to go? How and when are you going to get there? Are you curious to be a lifelong learner and to try things that you initially are not good at, or do you prefer to do things you’re already good at?
• What are you really good at and consider to be some of your primary strengths to get to your goals? What have you always been outstanding at that made you stand out from the rest?
• What are you currently not doing well that is blocking you from getting to your objectives? If you were to do a critical assessment of yourself, what three things are barriers, vulnerabilities, or roadblocks to you in the electrical sector? What is it that has been slowing you down — or is
slowing you down presently? Have you had constructive feedback from others regarding some of these barriers in school or personally and, if so, what was it?
• What outstanding qualities, characteristics, and attributes do you bring specifically to the electrical sector?
• Are you a great listener? Are you empathetic? Are you a good communicator? Do you have an outstanding work ethic? What is the one thing you do better than anybody else and why?
• What are you going to do to constantly improve on your journey through the electrical sector? What are your priorities? Do you believe these are the right priorities?
• Is electrical safety in particular embedded in your DNA?
• Very important: How can I support you and where do you think you need the most assistance?
MENTEE QUESTIONS
It is also critical for the mentee to ask great questions of the mentor, and it is up to the mentor to facilitate and guide those questions if necessary to ensure they have a good match.
• What led you to the education you currently have? Was it well-planned or
did it just happen? What was the most important thing you learned at school?
• If you could have done anything differently in your education, what would it have been?
• What was your very first job as a student, and what was your very first full-time job after your formal education was done?
• Who are the three most impactful people you have worked with and why? Who are the three most impactful managers you have worked with?
• How long has electrical safety been a vital part of your personal culture? Who has had the most influence on the things you believe specifically about electrical safety? Have you had or do you know of any significant electrical incidents during your working career? How has that impacted you?
• When did you first hear about NFPA 70E or CSA Z462? How about NESC (IEEE C2) or CAN/ULC–S801? What do you believe is the single most important concept in these standards?
• How will this mentoring relationship be a benefit to me going forward?
• Did you have mentors yourself, and what did you learn? How have they inspired you?
• What’s the very best advice you can give me?
FEATURE
• What is your own individual style?
• What are the three specific values you believe are the most important within the electrical sector?
• Are you an exceptional listener?
• What are three or four of your favorite books and why?
• If you could only tell me one electrical safety story, what would it be?
BENEFITS
Mentoring is intended to be extremely beneficial to both parties. It should be equal parts insight, motivation, and inspiration. To be successful, the mentor and the mentee must be sounding boards for each other. To ensure a great relationship, they must honestly listen to each other’s concerns and be able to brainstorm any suggestions with tremendous clarity.
Mentors must continue to ask thoughtprovoking questions, steer the relationship, and ensure successful outcomes. One of the
most valuable things a mentor can provide is exceptional networking opportunities. After many years in the electrical sector, they will typically have many connections that can be invaluable to those starting out. Mentors characteristically are highly respected, and when they recommend a mentee to an important connection, the possibilities can be remarkable. In fact, as we all know, networking usually has far more to do with career success than many other things. Great mentors can ensure great networking prospects.
It is important for mentees to let the mentor know what it is they require. It is also critical to be on time, be prepared, and be truly professional. They must follow up with ideas, recommendations, action items, and corrective action plans.
CONCLUSION
Mentoring in the electrical sector will be critical for the rest of this decade in particular. It will build skills, decrease employee turnover, and
certainly increase loyalty. High-end formal mentoring programs can also significantly improve retention rates for high-quality electricians, technicians, technologists, and engineers by building stronger company loyalty, safety, and technical excellence.
REFERENCES
[1] “Work Related Electrical Injuries: Study Sparks New Insights,” Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Vol. 13, No. 3, Winter 2010.
[2] Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections —2020-2030 Summary. Available at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf.
[3] Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electricians. at www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-andextraction/electricians.htm.
[4] Ontario Newsroom. “Ontario Invests in Electrical Training and Apprenticeships Programs Across Province.” Available at
Mike Doherty is an independent Electrical Safety Consultant and training contractor for e-Hazard and is President/Owner of Blue Arc Electrical Safety Technologies Inc. Mike has over 47 years of industrial and electrical utility experience as an instrumentation technician, licensed electrician, training professional, electrical utility safety professional, and electrical safety consultant. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and IEEE (PCIC) Emeritus; Chair of ULC CAN/ULC-S801-14, Standard on Electric Utility Workplace Electrical Safety for Generation, Transmission and Distribution; and Past Chair of the Association of Electrical Utility Safety Professionals (AEUSP) in 2018 and 2019. He was Chair of CSA Z462
Clamp-on Leakage Current Meter Model 566
• Check for leakage current and locate insulation breakdowns on live circuits
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• HOLD feature freezes value and much more...
BATTERY SAFETY
BY ANDREW SAGL, Megger
It’s happened to nearly everyone. You go to use a simple electrical device…a flashlight, a voltmeter, a TV remote, or a child’s toy…and the battery is dead. It has become exhausted and must be replaced. Or worse, you open the device to find that the battery has corroded, possibly damaging or even destroying the contacts. In some critical respects, essentially the same thing can happen to the largest standby battery system that might be providing backup support for a substation, a computer room, a hospital, a manufacturing process — anywhere uninterruptible power is essential.
Standby battery banks can corrode, short out, lose capacity through unintentional grounds or aging, and fall victim to a host of other breakdowns and failures. They can also be victim to an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality. Most electrical functions are readily observable: The lights are on, motors are running, the building is heated. But standby batteries are tucked away out of sight and often forgotten. That is, until there’s an event.
When a utility experiences a fault, the battery bank should immediately come on line and provide alternate power until the utility comes back on line. Failure to do so can be nothing short of catastrophic. Switchgear can fail to operate to open faults. Buildings can catch fire, production lines stall and sacrifice materials, computer rooms go off line and lose data, and hospital patients on life support could die.
To prevent such tragedies, standby battery banks must be tested regularly for their continued ability to come on line and deliver full power whenever utility service is interrupted.
TESTING BATTERY STRINGS
A battery string is tested with a battery impedance tester that includes a DC current source that injects a test current through the string, then measures the voltage drop and calculates the impedance. An array of problems, including terminal corrosion, plate sulphation and corrosion, dry-out, and many more can increase the impedance to inhibit or prevent current propagation and take the battery out of operation.
Many battery banks are arranged in tiers of parallel strings. This can increase the supplied current, capacity, or reliability of the strings. Parallel strings allow the current delivery
capability to be doubled. They also increase capacity, allowing the load to be supported for a longer period.
Flooded lead-acid batteries, which are usually used in series strings, can fail in a shorted mode. They are not technically shorted and will still allow current to pass through them. They just aren’t making a contribution to the output, but the string still remains in service.
Sealed lead acid batteries (VRLA), which are typically used in parallel strings, tend to fail in open mode. They are not literally open,
but current will not readily pass through them. Failure of one battery will stop current propagation in that string, but the parallel strings will still permit current flow and maintain the backup function. Lithium ion batteries use a management system that monitors safety parameters and will open the battery in case of a hazard. Parallel strings are recommended. If one cell opens, current can still pass through the other string(s).
Accordingly, parallel strings have notable advantages in overcoming failed cells and still being able to provide critical backup power
to avert emergencies. But their arrangement introduces a fundamental testing complication. When testing a series string, test current has only one path — through the string. But when testing a parallel string, test current has multiple paths depending on the number of strings.
A battery tester measures the total current it is able to inject, but it looks at the voltage drop
between the potential probes. In a series string, current has a single path and remains constant, giving an accurate measurement of impedance across the cell (Figure 1).
In a parallel string, current is divided between the strings. The impedance tester measures the total current through the string but only the voltage drop between the potential probes,
Figure 2: Parallel String
Figure 3: Parallel String Sample Calculation
thereby calculating an inaccurate measurement of cell impedance based on more current than is actually traveling through the tested cell (Figure 2). A bad cell can therefore appear acceptable.
As an example, suppose the battery consisted of two tiers of five cells, each with 100 mΩ impedance (Figure 3). The charger is applying half an amp. The impedance tester measures 0.0375 V across an individual cell. Since the string is balanced, only 0.25 A is flowing through the tested cell. The true measurement for this cell’s impedance would be 150 mΩ. However, the impedance tester measures the total current propagating through the entire string, which is 0.5 A. It calculates and displays 0.75 mΩ — half the actual value. It is obvious that a deteriorated cell could test good under these circumstances, potentially rendering the string off line if called into service.
STANDARDS & TECHNOLOGY
Traditionally, this issue was addressed by IEEE Std. 1188, Recommended Practice for Maintenance, Testing, and Replacement of Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) Batteries
for Stationary Applications . This standard calls for taking the string off line and segmenting the parallel strings. This is a lot of work! Fortunately, modern technological improvements have produced a convenient methodology that allows the testing and troubleshooting of parallel strings without segmentation and without taking them off line.
The technological breakthrough that augments this process is the split-core current clamp, which appeared in the mid- to late-20th century. The current clamp can intercept and measure escape current that is propagating through the parallel strings, and the measurement circuit in the impedance tester can deduct this from the calculation. The impedance of the specific cell being tested is now calculated against the specific current passing through it and not the total current being injected by the impedance tester (Figure 4). The measurement is correct for the specific cell being tested, and faulty high-impedance cells will not elude detection.
BATTERY FAILURE
Routine preventive maintenance of standby batteries is easy to bypass because they aren’t
Figure 4: Parallel String with Current Clamp
visibly active on a daily basis like computers, lighting, and machinery. But neglecting maintenance can come at a high price and all at once in the form of catastrophic and potentially lethal failure.
Internal chemical decomposition can emit gases that cause the battery to swell and explode, releasing dangerous fumes. Failure of backup power to utility circuit breakers and relays can allow fault currents to wreak enormous damage. VRLA batteries can emit hydrogen as part of their normal operation. If left unattended in a poorly ventilated, poorly temperature-regulated battery room, hydrogen gas can accumulate and ignite, producing an explosion and massive structural damage. And although not physically destructive or threatening, failure of backup power to a computer room can result in a crippling loss of vital data.
Finally, National Electric Reliability Council (NERC) requirements have become mandatory and enforceable for all bulk power system owners, users, and operators in the United States. Founded in 1968 in response to devastating blackouts, NERC requirements for stationary battery backup strings require battery terminal connection resistance and intercell connection resistance tests to be performed and documented.
CONCLUSION
Modern technology has produced instruments that make the seemingly daunting task of testing the readiness and reliability of large, multi-tiered battery banks an integral part of your preventive/predictive maintenance program. This can be accomplished without taking the system off line. Data analysis and storage software enables complete and detailed record keeping for effective continuity of the program and presentation for NERC inspection. A comparatively small investment of time and effort in a maintenance program with a full-quality battery impedance tester can prevent and save the cost of prohibitive damage and outages in the electrical system.
Andrew Sagl is the Power Quality and Battery Testing Product Manager at Megger. He has been with Megger for 20 years and is a specialist in power quality and battery testing technology and application. Andy develops and supports power quality equipment in addition to writing power quality and battery publications and delivering training and seminar courses. He has a degree in electronics and is a member of the IEEE Power Engineering Society and Battery Standards Group. In the past, Andy has specialized in nano-motor technology as well as military sub-systems and weapons guidance systems.
Battery Destroyed by Thermal Runaway
IMPROVED METHOD FOR SAFE TIMING MEASUREMENT OF GIS CIRCUIT BREAKERS
BY RADENKO OSTOJIC, ADNAN SECIC, BUDO MILOVIC, and KERIM OBARCANIN, DV Power
In gas-insulated substations (GIS), the high-voltage elements, including conductors, circuit breaker interrupters, switches, current transformers (CTs), and voltage transformers, are encapsulated in SF6 gas inside grounded metal enclosures.[1] For that reason, direct access to circuit breaker (CB) main circuit terminals for testing purposes is not possible.
The inaccessibility of main circuit terminals requires several actions to be taken before conducting the measurements. One of these actions requires disconnecting the ground connection (detachable shunt that connects the main circuit to the grounded enclosure during testing) from one side of the breaker. This action reduces the safety of the test procedure.
According to regulations and demands described in IEEE Std. 510-1983 [2] and Ostojic and Milovic,[3] all conducting points in the substation must be grounded during testing and maintenance. In the previously published paper by Ostojic and Secic[4] on this topic, we presented a novel method for testing high-voltage (HV) circuit breakers in GIS
substations without the need to remove the ground connection. This new method is based on injecting high DC current through the parallel connection of the grounding path and main circuit, as well as measuring the response signals on the CT’s secondary.
This method, however, is not applicable for GIS configurations where the CT is not included in the measurement circuit between the maintenance grounding switches. It is also not applicable for single-pole controlled GIS circuit breakers (with three separated enclosures) with very-low grounding path and enclosure resistance (≤ 50–60 µΩ). Consequently, we propose an improved GIS test method based on the test procedure previously described in Ostojic and Secic.[4]
GENERAL PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
To measure operating times [opening time (O), closing time (C), open-close time (OC), close-open time (C-O), etc.] on the CB main circuit in the GIS substation with the conventional testing method, the CB main contact terminals must be accessed through the maintenance switches (Figure 1). By removing or disconnecting the detachable shunt, one side of the breaker is disconnected from the ground, which enables measurements without removing SF6 gas or opening the enclosure. However, the procedure to remove this shunt is unsafe, timeconsuming, often impractical, and as such, is undesirable for test personnel in the utilities. [4] Furthermore, some GIS circuit breakers do not have purpose-built detachable shunts and
test terminals that are isolated from the GIS enclosure.[5]
If the detachable shunt is not removed or disconnected, a parallel conducting circuit to the one consisting of the tested main circuit path is formed. The resistance of this parallel circuit consists of the resistance of the GIS enclosure and the grounding itself, and it is often comparable to or even lower than the resistance of the main circuit.
To experimentally verify this claim, a highprecision micrometer with a test current of 500 A was used to measure GIS enclosure resistance on several GIS substations. The lowest measured value reached was 20 µΩ.
This prevents a conventional CB timing measuring system from being able to deliver reliable results.
EXISTING METHOD SHORTCOMINGS
The test method proposed in Ostojic and Secic[4] is based on the injection of the high DC current in parallel through the main circuit and GIS enclosure of all three poles and the simultaneous measurement of the response
signals on the secondary of the CT during the circuit breaker operation. One power source must be connected between two marked access points for testing (Figure 1) where the main circuit is accessed through the maintenance grounding switches. This power source is a voltage-controlled DC current source with a high current output (up to 500 A), based on state-of-the-art power electronics converters.
Current transformers are an essential part of the HV GIS substation. One (primary) terminal of these elements is located in the pressurized gas area, while the secondary terminal is accessible in the auxiliary circuits.[6]-[8] These accessible CT secondary terminals can be used for measuring operation time in HV GIS circuit breakers. The measuring instrument should record either voltage or current on the CT secondary; based on this, the instant of the CB contacts touch or separation can be detected.
This method is successfully applied to GIS circuit breakers where the CT is available between test access points (grounding switch terminals) as shown in Figure 1a, even if the GIS switchgear does not have detachable shunts and test terminals. Another approach to this problem, described in Renaudin and
Figure 1: Electric Diagram of GIS CB, CTs Within (a) and Outside (b) Earthing Switches Circuit
Nenning,[9] is based on the usage of a Rogowski coil to measure the current variation in the ground conductor or the breaker path over time.
However, the test method described in Renaudin and Nenning[9] is not applicable in the case when the tested circuit breaker does not include the detachable shunts since there is a permanent parallel connection across the enclosure to the main circuit. The Rogowski coil, essential for the current variation measurement for this test method, cannot be installed on such a circuit breaker.
For the method described in Ostojic and Secic,[4] the first limitation is related to the GIS configurations where the current transformer cannot be included in the measurement circuit (as shown in Figure 1b). In this case, there are no response signals on the secondary of CT, based on which a change in the main contact state is detected.
Another challenge for Ostojic and Secic[4] is related to some single-pole operated GIS circuit breakers (each pole has its enclosure) with verylow resistances of the pole’s enclosures (lower than 50–60 µΩ). Our experimental results showed that a total current of 500 A, when divided into three current paths (poles), is not always enough to get a measurable response signal at the secondary of CT. For example, if the resistance
of the GIS enclosure and the grounding path is about 30 µΩ and the resistance of the main arcing contact is about 1 mΩ, only about 5 A of the total 166 A (one-third of 500 A) will initially flow through the main circuit.
For CTs with high transmission ratios, e.g. 4,000:5, the value of the secondary current will be around 5–6 mA, which can be highly affected by external or measurement noise. This again can make the circuit breaker timing measurement results unreliable. The solution to this problem is to increase the test current by at least twice the value of the required test current per pole, which is about 330 A, or about 1,000 A in total.
IMPROVED TEST METHOD
The improved test method presented is applicable to the most demanding cases for testing, such as a single-pole operated GIS CB that has very-low resistance in its pole enclosures or where CTs cannot be included in the measurement circuit between test access points.
The first improvement to the GIS test method[4] consists of replacing the high-frequency DC/ DC converter as a power source with highpower lithium-polymer (Li-Po) batteries. The reason for this is to eliminate converter noise. As shown in Figure 2, three isolated batterybased power sources are used to supply each pole of the single-pole controlled CB with
Figure 2: Three Battery-Based Power Sources Used for GIS CB Testing
a high current. Therefore, three such power sources integrated into one box will be needed for testing this GIS configuration. The current will be in the range of 400–500 A per pole, depending on the battery charge levels and the resistance of the tested circuit.
The second improvement is related to the measurements on GIS breakers with the CT placed outside of the grounding switch circuit. In this case, instead of measuring the signal at the secondary of the CT, the primary current can be monitored within the power source. Since each pole of the GIS circuit breaker is supplied with a very-high DC current (400–500 A), the change in the main contact state will cause a change in the total current that is measurable even in the case of the very-low resistance of GIS enclosures and grounding path. For easier detection of the signal transients, it is possible to measure the current signal through the measurement shunt or the time derivative of this signal. This measurement can be realized with a hardware differentiator based on operational amplifiers.[10]
METHOD VERIFICATION
Verification of the improved test method for GIS CB testing was performed on the GIS circuit breaker model Energoinvest SFI 11 (manufactured in 1985), single-pole operated, without purpose-built test terminals. Since there were no purpose-built test terminals (access points), test clamps of the current cables were connected to the conducting points at the
GIS enclosure, placed as close as possible to the earthing switches, as can be seen in Figure 3.
Since CTs were included in the test circuit, response signals were measured at the CT secondary. Besides the fact that the circuit breaker was single-pole operated (with three separate enclosures) and didn’t have purposebuilt test terminals, one more aggravating circumstance was the very-low resistance of the grounding path (around 60 µΩ).
The generated test current was in the range of 420–430 A per current output. The measured current signal at the secondary of the CT during opening and closing operations is shown in Figure 4. As concluded in Ostojic and Secic,[4] the highest or the lowest (depending on the signal direction) turning point at the response signal during the opening operation matches with the instant of the arcing contact separation, while the instant of the first appearance of the current signal during the closing operation matches with the instant of the first contact touch.
With this in mind, and looking at Figure 4, it can be seen that instants of the contacts opening are around 21–22 ms, while the instants of the contacts closing are in a range of 125–128 ms. These instances can easily be detected automatically with the appropriate software.
The results could not be verified by performing timing measurement with the conventional
Figure 3: Connection of Current Clamps to Points Close to Earthing Switches
Figure 4: Signal Response at CT Secondary During a) Opening and b) Closing Operation (a) (b)
timing method since it is not applicable for this case without dismantling the GIS enclosure (a GIS circuit breaker doesn’t have detachable shunts). Instead, specified limit values prescribed by the OEM were considered. According to these specifications, circuit breaker model Energoinvest SFI 11 has an opening time in the range of 18–24 ms and a closing time in the range 120–130 ms, meaning that interpreted values are within the allowed range.
CONCLUSION
Method verification has shown that this improved test method with three isolated highpower current sources (400–500 A per source) is applicable for single-pole operated circuitbreakers without test terminals and with verylow resistance of the grounding path.
Because of the option of direct measurement of the injected current changes as an alternative to measurement of current signal response at the (CT’s) secondary, this can be applied to all configurations of GIS switchgear: three-pole or single-pole controlled circuit breaker with or without CT in the measurement circuit and with or without test terminals.
REFERENCES
[1] Electric Power Substations Engineering. Electrical Engineering Handbook, Edited
by John D. McDonald, CRC Press Published May 16, 2012. Reference536 Pages - 271 B/W Illustrations ISBN 9781439856383 - CAT# K12650.
[2] IEEE. IEEE Std. 510-1983, Recommended Practices for Safety in High-Voltage and High-Power Testing.
[3] Radenko Ostojic, Budo Milovic. “New Requiremens in Circuit Breaker Diagnostics: Integration of New Circuit Breaker Test Methods,“ NETA World, 2014.
[4] Radenko Ostojic, Adnan Secic. “Improving Safety in Operation Time Measurement Procedure for Circuit Breakers in Gas Insulated Substation,” Research Disclosure, 2019.
[5] Philip Bolin. Mitsubishi Electric Power GasInsulated Substation, 2003 by CRC Press LLC.
[6] IEEE. IEEE Std. C37.122.1-1993, Guide for Gas-Insulated Substations.
[7] IEEE. IEEE Std. C37.123-1996, Guide to Specifications for Gas-Insulated, Electric Power Substation Equipment.
[8] IEC. IEC 62271-203:1990, Gas-Insulated Metal-Enclosed Switchgear for Rated Voltages of 72.5 kV and Above (3rd edition).
[9] T. Renaudin, A. Nenning. OMICRON electronics. “On-Site Non-Intrusive Testing of AC Circui Breakers,” CIGRÉ Winnipeg 2017 Colloquium, Study Committees A3, B4, & D1, Winnipeg, Canada, September 30–October 6, 2017.
[10] Radenko Ostojic, Adnan Secic. “Combined Current and Voltage Controlled Source in Arcing Contacts Condition Assessment,“ NETA World, 2015.
Radenko Ostojic is a Test and Diagnosis Engineer at DV Power – Sweden in the field of circuit breaker testing and maintenance. He has been employed at DV Power since 2010 and works on improving circuit breaker testing equipment and developing new methods for circuit breaker testing. Radenko’s area of special interest is testing circuit breakers in enhanced safety conditions, which implies testing of circuit breakers with both terminals grounded. He earned his BSEE at the University of East Sarajevo.
Adnan Secic is an R&D Engineer at DV Power – Sweden. As a project leader, he is responsible for developing the circuit breaker analyzer and timer (CAT) device series. Adnan received his BS in electrical engineering and MS from the University of Sarajevo, and is in the final stage of Ph.D.
studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing in Zagreb, Croatia.
Budo Milovic has been employed at DV Power since 2007 and currently works as a Technical Application Engineer for CAT instruments and circuit breaker testing. His area of interest is improvement of the circuit breaker testing equipment. Budo received his BSEE from the University of East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kerim Obarcanin is a Manager of the Software Engineering Department at DV Power – Sweden and an Industry Expert Lecturer at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, a collaboration partner of Buckingham University, UK. His primary research focus is on the domain of data acquisition, conditioning, and algorithms for data processing. Kerim is currently in the final stage of his Ph.D. studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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ACCEPTANCE TESTING COLLABORATION LEADS TO IMPROVED PROJECT DELIVERY
BY ERIC NATION, High Voltage Maintenance Corporation
Nearly 70 percent of early equipment failures can be traced to design, installation, or startup deficiencies. That’s why it is so important to protect a data center’s investment in new equipment or systems with acceptance testing. A thorough check of electrical power systems and components before energization can uncover and help correct problems that otherwise would lead to project schedule delays or larger and more costly issues in the future with impacts to data center downtime and consumer dissatisfaction.
WHAT IS ACCEPTANCE TESTING AND IS IT NECESSARY?
Acceptance testing is the physical and electrical inspection and testing of newly installed electrical equipment. This involves thorough visual and mechanical inspections using calibrated test instruments to ensure electrical components and completed systems operate as designed. It occurs before electrical system commissioning and start-up as well as before the new equipment is put into operation.
Taking this initial step verifies that manufactured devices are free from defects, operating as designed and intended, and installed correctly as specified. It is important that acceptance testing be performed by a third-party testing firm that is unbiased and independent in their evaluation and findings.
COMMON COSTLY ISSUES
A number of issues that can be costly to correct after start-up can be found with acceptance testing:
• Failure of cabling damaged during installation
• Incorrect wiring
• Mechanical operating problems
• Nuisance tripping or breakers tripping outside of manufacturer’s curves
• Improper relay settings and programming
• Compromised insulation dielectric systems
• Improper grounding
• Wrong transformer taps and/or improper ratios for proper voltage
• Instrument transformer and metering circuit ratio and wiring issues
• Surge protection device defects
• Switchgear bus and cable connections not properly assembled
• Bus connections improperly torqued
Acceptance testing also avoids unnecessary expenses for data centers. Finding system and component anomalies during acceptance testing — while equipment is still under warranty and in a controlled environment — is critical. Determining and correcting deficiencies prior to startup can save an owner capital and maintenance expenses by preventing costly outages, equipment repairs, and potential safety issues.
HYPERSCALE DATA CENTER REQUIREMENTS
The hyperscale data center market continues to grow and with the amount of digital information being generated, there’s no end in sight. With this growth comes a need for new data centers and/or expansion of existing facilities at a much greater rate to keep up with
digital demand. The increased demand for data storage drives larger and more complex power system requirements to handle the loading, not only for the servers storing the data, but also for the thermal systems required to cool the data center equipment.
Traditionally, acceptance testing of the critical power distribution infrastructure for these types of facilities would have been performed fully at the data center. The testing agency would work alongside the electrical contractor during or in many cases after installation to complete all acceptance testing activities.
With the increased demand and the need to bring these data centers on line faster, that model has evolved. Collaboration between equipment providers, installers, and the testing agency has improved and enabled off-site testing that shortens the overall construction schedule for these projects. It is important to note, however, that the quality assurance,
INDUSTRY TOPICS
testing, and commissioning aspects of the project must always remain the goal without compromises being made.
OFF-SITE TESTING OPPORTUNITIES
A shift in the use of integrators creates an opportunity for testing to begin off-site. Acceptance testing at an integrator’s facility or an equipment provider is becoming more common and offers notable efficiencies. Collaboration with a system integrator at their location while the equipment is being built allows the integrator and electrical contractor to follow parallel paths with regard to all data center assets.
The electrical contractor can be installing system components while the integrator is assembling the remaining portions of the power system distribution equipment. These components can be tested as they are connected offsite, reducing time on-site by
upward of 40%. This time savings provides an improvement to the overall construction schedule that benefits all parties involved.
It is important to note that acceptance testing will still need to be conducted at the final onsite location to ensure no damage occurred during shipping or final installation. This multi-step approach will help save time overall as the testing firm can uncover any issues and make corrections off-site; this leads to fewer issues being found on-site.
Acceptance testing is best performed by the same independent firm working with the integrator at their location as well as with the electrical contractor during installation on-site. Keeping a consistent partner makes for smoother transitions, increased efficiencies, standard processes and procedures, communication improvements, etc.
While integrators are providing a customized solution involving numerous components
from various OEMs, the testing agency conducting the acceptance testing must be familiar with a wide range of manufacturers’ equipment. Utilizing qualified technicians who can implement industry-recognized testing methods and procedures will help ensure the quality and consistency of testing at the data center and off-site.
Equipment tested at the integrator site can include skid-mounted systems in outdoor enclosures. Each skid includes medium- and low-voltage equipment such as circuit breakers, trip units, protective relays, wiring, metering, instrument transformers, panelboards, batteries, etc. The integtrator also includes their own system for power, lighting, and HVAC controls.
The electrical contractor can be wiring the loads at the data center and be ready and waiting for the skids of low- and medium-voltage switchboard and/or switchgear assemblies to arrive. Testing at the data center includes electrical contractor-installed equipment fed from the skids, such as busways, circuit breakers, bus plugs, disconnects, grounding, etc. Tests are often conducted concurrently at the site while integrator testing is under way.
Testing on equipment from the skids that cannot be performed at the integrator includes items such as interconnect wiring, grounding, and complete system functional testing. These are completed at the data center to close out the onsite testing.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT PARTNER
Due to the importance of conducting proper acceptance testing, selecting a good acceptance testing firm whose experience and knowledge you can trust is crucial. Consider the following criteria when selecting a suitable acceptance testing firm:
• Independence from the manufacturer to ensure an unbiased, thorough assessment of equipment
• Ability to accurately interpret test results to determine the best course of action for each unique customer environment
• Previous work experience on similar projects to determine the value added
• Technician certification and experience to ensure thorough testing by a trained professional
• Size of the firm and ability to staff with qualified professionals to deliver the project on time and within budget
• Awareness of all safety standards to ensure safe work practices and require less supervision
• Test equipment calibration program to ensure accurate test results. You cannot properly assess equipment if you are unable to confirm the test equipment you are using is in proper working order.
• Affiliations with reputable organizations such as NETA, NICET, and NFPA to confirm knowledge of testing standards
• Ability to perform new and innovative testing services to ensure a complete evaluation and comprehensive recommendations
• Ability for the same company to be utilized at the integrator as well as the physical site
• Strong financial standing and the ability to be a long-term provider
INDUSTRY TOPICS
The above criteria are important when identifying an independent testing company that can become a trusted advisor to help to extend system life, reduce downtime, and improve the safety surrounding your equipment.
CONCLUSION
Electrical systems are among a data center’s most critical assets, and they can have a big impact on the bottom line. In data centers that power the online economy 24x7, even a brief disruption can cost millions of dollars. Their production and management cost is high, and failures almost always lead to catastrophic losses.
Hyperscale data centers are experiencing substantial growth, requiring collaboration and an integrated project delivery to improve consistency and shorten the overall construction schedule. Investing in thorough
acceptance testing by utilizing a trusted, independent testing firm can save your organization money during construction and throughout the equipment life cycle.
Eric Nation is the General Manager of High Voltage Maintenance Corporation and has been with the company since 2001. He has over 20 years of experience in the electrical services industry helping customers increase the reliability of their electrical systems. Eric is a member of several professional organizations including the International Electrical Testing Association (NETA) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). He holds a BS from Wright State university and an MBA from Miami University.
This article was first published in 7x24 Exchange International, Spring 2021. Published by Data Center and Mission Critical Association.
March 8– 12, 2023
Rosen Shingle Creek | Orlando, Florida
POWER FACTOR: UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DPF AND TPF
BY KEN KIOUS, PowerSight
People often refer to power factor without understanding that there are two types of power factor measurement, and it is important to understand the difference between them. If you have a power factor problem, it could mean you have:
• A power factor correction problem that requires adding (or taking away) capacitors
• A combination of a power factor correction problem and harmonics that make it look worse than it is
But how do you know which problem you have? And how do you measure it?
WHAT IS DISPLACEMENT POWER FACTOR?
Displacement power factor (DPF) is what most people think of when they talk of power
factor. For those comfortable with the math, it is the cosine of the angle between a driving voltage and the resulting current. For the rest of us, it is a measure of how much the driven current waveform trails the driving voltage waveform in an inductive circuit.
A few degrees of current phase lag makes very little difference in the circuit, but as that lag increases, it has an increasing effect on lowering the efficiency of the system. The relationship between increasing phase lag and the resulting lowered efficiency is expressed by the cosine of the lag angle. Therefore, rather than reporting the lag angle, we usually
report the cosine of the lag angle. That provides a more meaningful understanding of whether you have a displacement problem or not.
The downward bending curve seen in Figure 1 for true power relative to apparent power is exactly the same as the downward bending curve of the cosine math function. Therefore, the cosine of the lag angle is an exact measure of how the true power component of apparent power (V x A) decreases as phase lag increases.
For this reason, rather than reporting the lag angle, we usually report the cosine of the lag angle (Figure 2), which provides a more meaningful understanding of whether you have a phase angle displacement problem or not. In a system where no harmonics are present, true power will be equal to the apparent power times the DPF:
W = Vrms x Arms x DPF (when no harmonics are present)
True Power (KW)
Power (KW)
Phase Lag Angle
Phase Lag Angle
Cos(Lag Angle)
Cos(Lag Angle)
WHAT IS TRUE POWER FACTOR?
True power factor (TPF) is what most people actually measure. It is simply the ratio of true power (KW) to the apparent power (KVA).
TPF = W / VA (whether harmonics are present or not)
It’s easy to measure and, traditionally, it is equal to the DPF (the cosine of the phase angle). If your TPF is low, you have a problem. The only question is whether the problem is due to current displacement or due to a combination of harmonic distortion and displacement.
WHY YOU CARE ABOUT DPF
If DPF is low, it takes more current to supply the same amount of power to a load. We typically see this with motors, which are traditionally highly inductive loads. Inductance causes the current to lag the voltage.
Here is an example of how this plays out. Suppose a single-phase motor that is running off 120 V needs 1,200 W to run efficiently. If there is no phase lag, then the lag angle equals 0 degrees. The cosine of 0 degrees is 1, and the required current draw will be:
1,200 W/120 V/1= 10 A
Now, suppose the motor has very large inductance and, as a result, the phase lag angle is 60 degrees. The cosine of 60 degrees is 0.5, resulting in a current draw of:
1,200 W/120 V/0.5 = 20 A
Figure 3: Large Phase Lag
Figure 4: No Phase Lag
The required current for the same amount of work has doubled because of the increased phase lag.
Figure 3 and Figure 4 are waveform captures that illustrate what was just described. The circuits in Figure 3 and Figure 4 consume nearly the same power, but the circuit in Figure 3 has a large phase lag of 60 degrees, resulting in a drop in DPF:
DPF = cos(60) = 0.50
The circuit in Figure 4 has no phase lag, resulting in:
DPF = cos(0) = 1.00
PS4550_DPF_0.50_1214W_20A
PS4550_DPF_0.50_1214W_20A
PS4550_DPF_1.00_1339W_11A
The circuit with large phase lag (Figure 3) requires about twice the amount of current (I1 = 20 A) to supply similar power compared to the circuit with no phase lag (I1 = 10A) in Figure 4.
A single load with low DPF is usually not an important thing, but what if there are 1,000 such motors? Now the utility must supply twice the current to accomplish the same amount of work as if there were no phase lag. The user doesn’t mind, because in most cases, they are paying for true power (KW) not apparent power (KVA). But the utility is unhappy because now their distribution system is carrying twice the current that is actually needed to perform the work for the customer. That extra current results in twice the resistive power loss in their distribution system, which benefits no one.
A similar problem arises for the end user if:
• Larger gauge conductors are required to supply the required amperage.
• Cables
• LV/MV Circuit Breakers
• Rotating Machiner y
• Meters
• Automatic Transfer Switches
• Switchgear and Switchboard
Assemblies
• The facility is remote and the owner must supply an oversized distribution system of considerable length.
• The facility is geographically dispersed (such as for oil-well pump jacks or distributed fluid pumps).
Since they do not want to absorb the cost of inefficiency, the utility fights back with a power factor surcharge on your bill so you will share their pain. This surcharge can be pretty steep, so power factor correction circuitry to lower the required current and eliminate power factor correction surcharges (or lower the cable gauge requirements in your dispersed or remote facility) may be a moneysaving investment.
WHY YOU CARE ABOUT TPF
TPF is often nearly equal to DPF, so if you care about DPF, you probably care about TPF. The two measurements deviate from each other when harmonics are present. In the modern
LV/MV Switches • Relays - All Types • Motor Control Centers • Grounding Systems • Transformers • Insulating Fluids • Thermographic Sur veys
Reclosers
Surge Arresters
Capacitors • Batteries • Ground Fault Systems • Equipotential Ground Testing • Load Studies • Transient Voltage Recording and Analysis • Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Testing • Harmonic Investigation • Replacement of Insulating Fluids • Power Factor Studies
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era of non-linear loads and electronic power supplies, significant harmonics can be present. If the harmonic currents are not in phase with their harmonic driving voltages, then the true power (the KW) will be less than the apparent power (the KVA), and the resulting TPF will be lower than 1.00.
If you are monitoring a conventional motor without a variable speed drive (VSD), you will find that TPF is a pretty good measurement of DPF, so talking simply of power factor (PF) is usually accurate and explanatory. But if you are monitoring an electronic load with
high harmonics, there is a good chance that the DPF (the phase lag of the fundamental frequency) is close to 1.00, even if the TPF is much lower. Therefore, you should know your load before you make assumptions about what the TPF means.
To illustrate, Figure 5 and Figure 6 show waveform captures from two different singlephase simulations. Both circuits have a TPF of 0.93 with 12 A. However, they are completely different situations that require completely different mitigation methods if you want to raise the TPF.
PS4550_PF_0.93_due_to_Harmonics
PS4550_PF_0.93_due_to_Phase_Lag
PS4550_PF_0.93_due_to_Phase_Lag
Figure 5: No Phase Lag; High Current-Waveform Distortion
Figure 6: No Harmonic Distortion; 22 Degrees of Phase Lag
The circuit in Figure 5 has no phase lag, but it has high current-waveform distortion that results in W/VA = 0.93. The circuit in Figure 6 has no harmonic distortion, but it has 22 degrees of phase lag, resulting in W/VA = 0.93. The voltage and current RMS values are the same in both circuits. The W and VA are also the same, but they represent completely different challenges for mitigation.
Looking closer, we can see the harmonic distortion content of the two circuits. We can see that the simulation in Figure 7 has current total harmonic distortion (THD) of 39%. The simulation in Figure 8 has THD of 0%.
To complete this analysis, we can see the phasor diagrams for the two single-phase simulations. Figure 9 shows no displacement (DPF = 1.00). Figure 10 has 22 degrees of displacement (DPF = 0.93).
Does it Matter?
If you have high harmonic content, it may not matter. A desktop computer with a low TPF due to harmonics probably makes no difference to your facility. But if you have 1,000 desktop computers with low TPF due to harmonics, you likely have substantial harmonic currents flowing through your facility wiring and
Figure 7: Total Harmonic Distortion of 39%
Figure 8: Zero Total Harmonic Distortion
PS4550_PF_0.93_due_to_Phase_Lag
through the distribution and step-down transformers at your site.
PF3
PF3 = NA PFt = 0.93
You care about this because harmonic currents have a heating effect that is far greater than currents of the same magnitude at the fundamental frequency. So you may measure an overall current of 200 A and feel safe, but the wiring in the cable trays and walls may be dangerously heated. Your distribution transformers, if not properly K-rated, may be overheating and in a dangerous condition, and there may be hot spots on contacts and connection points.
HOW TO MEASURE POWER FACTOR
A standard power analyzer has all the measurements you need to allow you to assess your problems and verify your solutions with regards to power factor.
Most power analyzers will measure and log TPF — true power factor. If you are monitoring an inductive load, this gives you a good measurement for DPF — displacement power factor — so you can take proper mitigating measures. If you are monitoring an electronic load, branch circuit, or service entrance, you
can get a sense of whether a displacement and/ or harmonic problem is present.
Simple calculations can guide you to make the proper choice of power factor correction equipment and verify that such equipment is performing correctly. A good power analyzer will log the true power (KW), the apparent power (KVA), the average reactive power (KVAR), and the true power factor (TPF). An analyzer that will also log the signed (+/-) DPF so you can verify the actual phase lag (or phase lead) of current in each phase over time is ideal.
Most analyzers measure DPF and display readings either on the analyzer itself (so you can take a direct measurement while wearing PPE with the analyzer in your hand) or on PC software. Analyzers with waveform capture phasor diagrams, and harmonic bar charts allow you to directly see the components of displacement and harmonics. Most analyzers also measure and log the THD of each voltage and each current so it is clear whether there is a harmonics issue or not.
Most analyzers will log the THD of each voltage and current so you can recognize and size the scale of your harmonic problems. Some analyzers allow you to capture waveforms at any time and then transform the waveform into a harmonic breakdown of the magnitude of each harmonic frequency, so you can decide whether you wish to trap specific frequencies or filter the full range of frequencies. Logging individual harmonics can be beneficial in designing a harmonic trap for a specific harmonic.
When you mitigate, you will be able to verify the effectiveness of the mitigation by examining the log or waveforms. Of course, if low TPF is the result of both harmonics and current lag, your power analysis software will need to separate the two causes so you can select the correct mitigation action.
A solid report-creation wizard can provide summary reports of before and after mitigation. It can also provide comparison
reports where the before and after are compared directly, with percent improvement shown.
CONCLUSION
Power factor is often referred to without understanding that there are two types of power factor measurement, and it is important to understand the differences. It is equally important to know how to measure and analyze power factor effectively and accurately. Choosing the right power analyzer to meet your needs will allow you to assess your problems and verify your solutions.
Ken Kious is Founder and President of Summit Technology, Inc. He has a
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HIGH, MEDIUM AND LOW VOLTAGE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OF:
Switchgear / Circuit Breakers / Transformers / ATS Switches / Cables TESTING, CALIBRATION AND REPAIR OF METERS AND REL AYS
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BY SIEGFRIED BERNHAUSER and ARI TIRRONIEMI, OMICRON electronics
Circuit breakers are indispensable in any electrical power system. They are the only piece of equipment that can switch not only under normal load, but also under fault conditions. They must be able to reliably disconnect a faulty section from the grid as quickly as possible. Circuit breakers must be able to meet this requirement even after they have been in service for a long time. Their reliability is essential for the prevention of consequential power system failures and the safety of the electrical power supply.
Typical tests include measuring operating times and static contact resistance. A more extensive condition assessment is possible when further measurements, such as motion/ contact travel measurements or measurement of the motor current signature, are performed. For circuit breakers that are equipped with an under-voltage release or an over-current release, testing these features further increases the available information that can be used during the condition assessment of the circuit breaker.
MEDIUM-VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKERS
While old medium-voltage circuit breakers often used oil as the interrupting medium, in modern times, vacuum is the preferred medium and is thus used almost exclusively. Essential elements of a breaker include the interrupter unit, the mechanical linkage, and
the operating mechanism with an energy storage system. The energy that is needed to operate a circuit breaker is high, and it must be made available within a few milliseconds — almost instantaneously. Springs are used in most cases because they are simple in comparison and very reliable at the same time. Two separate springs allow the energy for the opening and the closing operation to be stored. In order to release the energy that is stored in the springs, two coils are needed to control the springs remotely. The opening spring is charged during the closing operation of the breaker, and the closing spring is charged by a motor.
TESTING MEDIUM-VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKERS
Following is a brief overview of the most important medium-voltage circuit breaker measurement methods.
• Timing. Timing measurements according to IEC 62271-100[1] are used to determine operation time and are part of the most common tests. The timing test uses a resistance or voltage threshold to determine the state of the main contacts.
• Static contact resistance. Verifies whether the resistance of the main contacts allows the current to flow with low losses.
• Dynamic contact resistance. Records the contact resistance during the operation of the breaker and delivers information about wear-related problems with main and arcing contacts, while also determining timing results.
• Motion/contact travel. Verifies operating mechanism and mechanical linkage and indicates potential mechanical wear.
• Coil current. Records the current signature curve of the command coils during breaker operation during a timing test. Deviations show possible electrical or mechanical defects of the trip or close control components. According to the IEC, the trip coil shall work between 70% and 110% of nominal voltage, and the close coil shall work between 85% and 110% of nominal voltage.
• Motor current. The motor current analysis records the inrush and steadystate currents as well as the spring charging time. According to the IEC, the motor shall work between 85% and 110% of nominal voltage.
• Minimum pick-up. Determines the minimum voltage necessary to trip and close the breaker and verifies whether it can reliably operate in the event of a low DC supply.
• Under-voltage release test. Determines the trip voltage of the under-voltage coil.
• Over-current release test. Used to determine the current that trips the breaker. Over-current releases are commonly used together with selfpowered over-current protection relays.
In-Service Measurement Methods
• First-trip test. The first trip test is carried out while the breaker is still in service and has been in service for a long time. Connections are made at the trip coil and at the CT’s secondary side. The opening times are measured by monitoring secondary current of the CTs.
• Voltage-based timing measurement (VTM). VTM is the only measurement method available to measure the timing of a medium-voltage GIS, since the
main contacts are sealed and cannot be accessed. It can be applied to all circuit breakers with a voltage detection system (VDS) that makes the main voltages accessible.
UNDER-VOLTAGE RELEASE
Purpose of Under-Voltage Release
Circuit breakers are equipped with an undervoltage release if the related protection system has no supply voltage backup, for example, if a protection relay is powered by a battery, but
the battery voltage is not monitored. If the battery voltage falls below 70% of its nominal voltage (see IEC 62271-1:2017[2] for details) so it is no longer able to operate the protection relay, any failure (e.g., an over-current) would no longer be discovered. The under-voltage release is often found in industry grids, as it is a relatively cheap solution to make sure the breaker is opened when a battery failure occurs.
An under-voltage release may operate when supply voltage is between 35% and 70% of the nominal voltage and must operate when the supply voltage drops below 35%. In addition, the under-voltage release prevents closing when the release has operated, such as after opening the circuit breaker.
Under-Voltage Release Test
The under-voltage coil is supplied, after which the breaker is closed. Then the voltage is ramped down in steps from the nominal voltage until the under-voltage release trips (Figure 1). This is the trip voltage.
OVER-CURRENT RELEASE
Purpose of Over-Current Releases
Current transformer releases are used on circuit breakers in substations where no gridindependent supply voltage is available. These are low-cost stations with basic functionality. Quite often, they do not have any remotecontrol features, and the breakers do not have a close coil. Such substations are common in distribution grids where the downstream infrastructure is not critical, such as in residential areas.
Over-current releases are activated by a current. The current comes from the tripping transformer, which usually has a nominal value of 0.5, 1.0, or 5 A AC. An over-current relay feeds the current flow from the tripping transformer to the circuit breaker. The tripping transformer and the over-current relay (selfpowered over-current relay) are usually powered by the secondary side of the CTs. In the event of an over-current, the relay switches the current of the tripping transformer to the
Figure 1: Under-Voltage Release Test Signal
Figure 2: Over-Current Release Test Signal
circuit breaker; this causes it to open the main contacts and isolate the faulty grid part.
Over-Current Release Test
With the breaker in closed position, a current is ramped up in steps until the breaker trips (Figure 2). This is the trip current.
Other Designations
• IEC 62271-100: Indirect current release
• ABB: Transformer operated release
• Siemens: Current transformer operated release
• Also in use: Indirect over-current release
CLOSING TIME CALCULATION FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITHOUT A CLOSE COIL
All breakers should have at least a trip coil so that faults can be isolated. Some old breakers or breakers with over-current release do not have a close coil. These breakers are closed manually.
According to IEC 62271-100,[1] closing time is the elapsed time from the moment the close coil is energized until the contacts touch all poles (Figure 3).
For circuit breakers without a close coil, the closing time calculation according to the IEC standard cannot be applied. Therefore, an alternative approach must be used. The closing time can be the time when the circuit breaker main contacts begin to move until the contacts touch all poles (Figure 4).
REFERENCES
[1] IEC 62271-100
[2] IEC 62271-1:2017
Siegfried Bernhauser has worked for OMICRON electronics in Klaus, Austria, for more than 25 years. After starting as a Technical Writer, he worked as a Marketing Communications Engineer with a focus on business-tobusiness communication for power system testing products such as the CMC 356, the CPC 100, the CT Analyzer, the TESTRANO 600, the MPD 800, and
3: Closing Time Calculation According to IEC 62271-100[1]
Figure 4: Closing Time with Motion/Contact Travel as Start Reference
the CIBANO 500. Most recently, he focused on producing switchgear testing videos. Siegfried studied TV and film production at the Danube University Krems, Austria.
Ari Tirroniemi has worked for OMICRON electronics in Klaus, Austria, for more than 15 years as a firmware developer and later as Project Manager for products such as DIRANA and CIBANO 500. He is currently an Application Engineer focusing on circuit breaker testing. Ari studied applied physics and electrical engineering at the Linköping University of Technology, Sweden.
Figure
THE KEY TO RELAY PROTECTION SUCCESS: COOPERATION
BY ED KHAN, Doble Engineering
The objective of protective relays and protective schemes is to protect electrical equipment such as transformers, lines, cables, bus bars, etc. during abnormal system conditions. Hence, protective relaying demands the utmost attention and diligence. However, when dealing with relay protection, protection engineers may inadvertently focus only on the relays. Engineers talk about selecting appropriate relays, applying correct settings, checking out the wiring, ensuring correct interconnections, and performing effective tests.
However, we must realize that relay protection does not exist on an island. In addition to protective relays, substations contain other critical equipment including circuit breakers, current transformers (CTs), potential transformers (PTs), battery systems, and transformers.
In many large utilities, there is often a barrier between the relay department and the substation
equipment department. Substation equipment, along with relays and relay protection schemes, is tested at regular intervals by the respective departments.
There is little realization regarding the critical dependency of relay protection on CTs, circuit breakers, etc. Hence, we should avoid isolating relay protection from CTs, PTs,
Relay Protection Scheme
ADVANCEMENTS IN INDUSTRY
Communication Links Breakers Batteries
breakers, and batteries. These are intertwined.
Figure 1 illustrates the building blocks of the relay protection system: relays, current and voltage transformers, breakers, batteries, and communication links.
Failure in any one of these blocks will disrupt the relay protection scheme.
As mentioned above, utilities perform tests on CTs, PTs, the battery system, and circuit breakers. However, the results of periodic maintenance testing typically are not shared with relay protection engineers. As an example, protection staff may not be aware of newly developed sluggishness in breaker opening time or that the age of a CT may have led to deterioration of the saturation characteristics level. In some cases, we do notice an exchange of CT, PT, and circuit breaker testing data especially in the event of relay mis-operation
leading to forensic analysis. The team responsible for maintaining relay settings should be kept updated with these test results since access to this knowledge can impact the assumptions used to develop relay settings.
A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO RELAY PROTECTION
The relay protection scheme is the nucleus with all necessary logic built in; the other elements support relay protection schemes. CTs and PTs provide current and voltage inputs to the relays.
The relays in turn provide input to energize the trip circuit resulting in opening of the breaker to isolate the faulted section of the power system. Station batteries, another building block of relay protection, energize the trip circuit with a DC supply. Understanding how each of these components contributes to proper operation of the relay protection scheme is essential to smooth operation of your protection system.
Figure 1: Building Blocks of a Relay Protection Scheme
ADVANCEMENTS IN INDUSTRY
Relays
Engineers must select appropriate relays and provide appropriate settings. The relays and protection schemes must be tested at the time of commissioning, and subsequent maintenance must be performed at predefined intervals.
For relay testing, a software program that provides a comprehensive test environment flexible enough to accommodate technical and operational requirements — including for networks based on IEC 61850 standards — is ideal. The right software can help standardize elements of the relay testing program, reduce complexity, provide consistency, and capture and store important maintenance information and test records. This automation enables increased efficiency, accuracy, and productivity.
Any shortcomings in selection, setting, wiring, or testing can lead to mis-operation of the relay protection scheme during abnormal system conditions. Some schemes include communication links between the relays at the two ends of a transmission line. Endto-end testing must be performed to ensure correct operation of the protective relay scheme including receivers and transmitters.
Furthermore, digital substations built around the IEC 61850 standard have different testing
needs than conventional substations. Testing in digital stations involves extensive verification of communication between the relays. There is a need to test the entire system as an entity, and system simulators can provide a solution for testing IEC 61850-based protection devices and schemes.
Current Transformers
The role of a CT is much simpler than the role of a relay. CTs simply provide current to the relays. The primary winding of the CT sees the actual current in the circuit while its secondary winding provides reduced current levels based on the ratio of the CT. Under normal load current, CTs reproduce currents correctly.
However, during short-circuit conditions when fault current is high, CTs may not reproduce the current accurately. Under such conditions, the current provided to the relay is normally lower than what it is expected. The degree of inaccuracy will depend on the magnitude of the short circuit current, X/R ratio, etc. This behavior of the CT is due to saturation of the CT core, which impacts the performance of simple overcurrent, distance, and differential relays.
It is very important to perform the following tests on CTs:
• CT excitation
• Current ratio
• Polarity
• Ratio and phase angle error
• Insulation resistance
• Winding resistance
• Burden check
Each utility determines the maintenance interval for testing based on its internal procedures.
Instruments designed specifically for testing CTs can help increase productivity and save time during commissioning. The ideal test set can verify CT excitation curve, polarity, and ratio. It can also perform phase angle and burden tests and measure insulation level and winding resistance.
In digital substations that implement process bus, the analog values of CT outputs are fed into a merging unit. The merging units provide equivalent digitized samples that are fed into IEC 61850-ready intelligent electronic devices (IEDs). IEDs are essentially microprocessor relays with significant built-in protection and communication logic. The IEC 61850-ready IEDs cannot accept analog signals from CTs and PTs, hence digitized samples must be provided. In this case, in addition to testing the CTs, the merging units must be tested as well.
Some merging units have built-in optical CTs and do not require input from conventional inductive CTs. These merging units require special testing tools and techniques.
Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers must trip (open) when called upon by the protective relaying. If the dedicated breaker does not open, back-up protection will
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Stand-Alone CTs
ADVANCEMENTS IN INDUSTRY
cause other related breakers to open in order to isolate the faulty equipment. However, the fault clearance by backup relaying will cause an outage of a larger part of the system; although this is not desirable, it is necessary. For this reason, it is essential for breakers to be maintained and tested appropriately to perform this function.
In addition to a breaker failing to open, issues can also be created if it takes longer than necessary to open the contacts. In protective schemes, breaker opening time is taken into consideration when setting a relay scheme. An actual contact opening time that exceeds the time that was used in the relay settings can cause unnecessary outage of a larger part of the system.
For example, when we set up a breaker failure scheme, we use the breaker opening time in the calculations. If the actual time turns out to be greater, several breakers will trip as part of a back-up scheme. This is an undesirable situation leading to the tripping of the entire bus. Similarly, when coordinating two overcurrent relays, miscoordination will occur if a breaker takes much longer to open. Hence, testing breakers is critical to ensure that they
are operational within published parameters including the contact opening times.
The following tests must be run to ensure the integrity of circuit breakers:
1. Breaker timing
2. Static contact resistance
3. Dynamic contact resistance
4. Trip and close coil currents
5. Minimum pickup voltage
6. Travel time
7. Power factor test
In addition, specific tests are conducted on SF6, vacuum, and air-blast breakers. A state-of-theart circuit breaker analyzer can provide efficient and accurate performance measures for all types of circuit breakers. Digital circuit breaker analyzers can perform dynamic resistance tests and measure main contact and resistor contact time, stroke, velocity, over-travel, bounce-back, and contact wipes.
Battery System
The battery system plays a vital role in completing the sequence of tripping circuit breakers when called upon by the protective relaying scheme. The trip coil that is responsible for tripping the circuit breakers is energized when DC voltage is provided to it, and the protective relays provide the permissive. If relays provide the permissive but no DC power is available, the trip coil will not energize, and the breaker will not trip. Batteries are a crucial link in the chain of events and must be tested at regular intervals to ensure integrity.
To ensure the battery system is operational and will comply within specified parameters, the following tests are recommended:
1. Impedance
2. Intercell resistance
3. Voltage (battery float and cell float)
4. Specific gravity
5. Current
6. Temperature
7. Discharge testing
8. Infrared scanning
9. Capacity testing
Circuit Breaker
Potential Transformers/CCVTs
The impact of inductive and capacitive potential transformers on relay performance is important. However, PTs/CCVTs do not undergo the type of duty that CTs undergo, and the performance of CTs has a much greater impact than those of PTs/CCVTs. During short circuit faults, the high current imposes extreme pressure on CTs. On the other hand, the voltage during short-circuit faults is depressed; therefore, the PTs do not experience any stress and continue performing as usual. Even with less stress imposed on PTs/CCVTs during short circuit, these devices are prone to damage due to other external and internal system conditions. Hence, they may not perform at the expected level of performance. PTs/CCVTs are as critical as CTs in ensuring correct operation of the relay protection scheme.
The recommended tests include:
• Voltage ratio
• Polarity
Battery System
• Ratio and phase angle error
• Insulation resistance
• Winding resistance
• Burden check
• Power factor test
The tests to be conducted and the related maintenance interval are listed in the maintenance procedures. In general, the
QUALITY LABORATORY DATA FOR CRITICAL DECISIONS
Specialty & routine testing on both liquid & solid dielectrics
ADVANCEMENTS IN INDUSTRY
maintenance interval for PTs/CCVTs is much longer than those for CTs.
Communication Links
Communication is a critical link in several protection schemes. In high-speed communication-assisted protection schemes, communications between the two substations are connected by a transmission line. The relaying at each end depends on information received from the other end to operate correctly. The medium used for communication can be fiber optic, power line carrier, microwave, etc., with transmitters and receivers installed at each end. To test such relay schemes, utilities conduct end-to-end testing to ensure the scheme works appropriately, and this testing includes both the transmitters and receivers.
in a digital substation designed per the IEC 61850 standard, the IEDs communicate with each other using GOOSE (generic objectoriented substation event) and SV (sampled value) protocols. GOOSE/SV is a layer-2 protocol for messages transported over Ethernet. In a conventional station, communication between IEDs is accomplished via point-topoint wiring. Hence, communication assumes a much bigger role in a digital substation, and
the relay protection scheme relies heavily on proper communication. Testing such protection schemes involves extensive debugging of the communication network.
CONCLUSION
Relay protection is a multifaceted scheme comprised of relays, breakers, CTs/PTs/CCVTs, batteries, and communication links. Effective relay protection is achieved only if all constituent components work together and perform within an acceptable level of performance.
Ed Khan has been with Doble Engineering Company for 14 years working in various capacities including Product Manager for protection testing-related instruments. He is currently the Director of Protection R&D and Protection Training at Doble. In this capacity, he manages and conducts the relay protection training program. Prior to Doble, Ed worked for GE, ABB, SEL, KEMA, and others in various capacities. He has 38 years of experience in system studies, protection applications, relay design, power plant design, teaching, and product management. He has thorough knowledge about product development, protection, harmonic analysis, harmonic filter design, stability studies, real-time digital simulations, generator protection, and more. Ed has written several articles and has made presentations at several venues. He holds an MS in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University.
ANSI/NETA STANDARDS UPDATE
ANSI/NETA ETT–2022 REVISION COMPLETED
ANSI/NETA ETT, Standard for Certification of Electrical Testing Technicians, has completed an American National Standard revision process. ANSI administrative approval was granted January 7, 2022. The new edition was released at PowerTest in March 2022 and supersedes the 2018 edition.
ANSI/NETA ETT establishes minimum requirements for qualifications, certification, training, and experience for the electrical testing technician. It provides criteria for documenting qualifications for certification and details the minimum qualifications for an independent and impartial certifying body to certify electrical testing technicians.
ANSI/NETA
SPECIFICATIONS AND STANDARDS
ANSI/NETA MTS–2019 REVISION SCHEDULED FOR 2022
A project intent notification was published in ANSI’s Standards Action on October 26, 2021, announcing the opening of a 45-day public comment period. The initial ballot is expected to begin in June of 2022. A second ballot is scheduled for issue in November of 2022. The revised edition of NETA MTS is scheduled to debut at PowerTest 2023.
ANSI/NETA MTS contains specifications for suggested field tests and inspections to assess the suitability for continued service and reliability of electrical power equipment and systems. The purpose of these specifications is to assure that tested electrical equipment and systems are operational and within applicable standards and manufacturers’ tolerances, and that the equipment and systems are suitable for continued service. ANSI/NETA MTS–2019 revisions include online partial discharge survey for switchgear, frequency of power systems studies, frequency of maintenance matrix, and more. ANSI/NETA MTS–2019 is available for purchase at the NETA Bookstore at www.netaworld.org.
ANSI/NETA ECS–2020 LATEST EDITION
ANSI/NETA ECS, Standard for Electrical Commissioning of Electrical Power Equipment & Systems, 2020 Edition, completed the American National Standard revision process. ANSI administrative approval was received on September 9, 2019. ANSI/NETA ECS–2020 supersedes the 2015 Edition.
ANSI/NETA ECS describes the systematic process of documenting and placing into service newly installed or retrofitted electrical power equipment and systems. This document shall be used in conjunction with the most recent
PARTICIPATION
Comments and suggestions on any of the standards are always welcome and should be directed to NETA. To learn more about the NETA standards review and revision process, to purchase these standards, or to get involved, please visit www.netaworld.org or contact the NETA office at 888-300-6382.
edition of ANSI/NETA ATS, Standard for Acceptance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment & Systems The individual electrical components shall be subjected to factory and field tests, as required, to validate the individual components. It is not the intent of these specifications to provide comprehensive details on the commissioning of mechanical equipment, mechanical instrumentation systems, and related components.
The ANSI/NETA ECS–2020 Edition includes updates to the commissioning process, as well as inspection and commissioning procedures as it relates to low- and mediumvoltage systems.
Voltage classes addressed include:
• Low-voltage systems (less than 1,000 volts)
• Medium-voltage systems (greater than 1,000 volts and less than 100,000 volts)
• High-voltage and extra-high-voltage systems (greater than 100 kV and less than 1,000 kV)
ANSI/NETA ATS, Standard for Acceptance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment & Systems, 2021 Edition, has completed an American National Standard revision process. ANSI administrative approval was granted September 18, 2020. The new edition was released in March 2021 and supersedes the 2017 edition.
ANSI/NETA ATS covers suggested field tests and inspections for assessing the suitability for initial energization of electrical power equipment and systems. The purpose of these specifications is to assure that tested electrical equipment and systems are operational, are within applicable standards and manufacturers’ tolerances, and are installed in accordance with design specifications. ANSI/ NETA ATS-2021 new content includes arc energy reduction system testing and an update to the partial discharge survey for switchgear. ANSI/NETA ATS-2021 is available for purchase at the NETA Bookstore at www.netaworld.org.
NETA WELCOMES CFM SERVICES AS NETA ACCREDITED COMPANY
CFM Services, Inc. is an electrotechnical and engineering service firm formed by Christian Comtois, Stéphane Forgues, and Frédéric Morin to offer quality services at competitive prices. The young and dynamic company specializes in electrical services and electrical power. CFM offers maintenance services, testing, installation, repair and engineering in the areas of production, processing and distribution of low-, medium- and high-voltage electricity.
Since its debut, CFM Services has quickly earned a standout spot on the electrical and electrotechnical market with technicians and engineers who are qualified to test, diagnose,
and repair your equipment with high-quality service. CFM’s instruments are at the cutting edge of technology and are calibrated annually.
CFM’s team of engineers provides a wide range of engineering services and is available to complete the simplest projects to the most complex ones.
“CFM Services is excited to achieve NETA accreditation because our existing and future customers require the structure, expertise, training, and documentation that NETA provides,” says Frédéric Morin, Vice President of Engineering. “While we believe we have these qualities as a company and as highly
experienced field technicians, this is our opportunity to show that more concisely through NETA accreditation.”
“NETA recognizes the hard work NETA Accredited Companies like CFM Services have to put in to achieve this important milestone,” says Eric Beckman, PE, President of National Field Services, Inc. and current NETA President. “NETA Accredited Companies play a critical role in securing electrical power system safety and reliability for all, and NETA is a stronger organization due to the dedication of these companies to our industry.”
CFM Services Inc.
845 St-Jacques Local 600 St-Jean-sur-Richelieu Québec J3B 2N2 514-316-8512 info@cfmservices.ca
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT KEN BASSETT:
‘NETA INSPIRED ME TO BE A FORCE FOR GOOD’
In NETA circles, Ken Bassett winning his third Outstanding Achievement Award is business as usual. The Washington Commanders fan with a sense of adventure was honored again for the third time at PowerTest 2022. A family-focused individual whose company includes many of his family members, his influence in NETA is far-reaching.
“Ken is and has been one of the most dedicated individuals within NETA. He’s done so much for the organization, from strategic initiatives to growing membership,” says Eric Beckman, President of National Field Services and NETA President. “He holds a passion for the industry, and there’s no doubt NETA would not be
where it is today without Ken’s contributions to the organization.”
Bassett, President of Potomac Testing, Inc., should have been the least surprised person when the winner was announced, but humor and humility are core features of his life.
Ken Bassett Accepting the Outstanding Achievement Award.
“My first reaction was ‘I’m going to have one hell of a bar tab,’” Bassett laughed. “But seriously, I was very surprised and caught off guard. Every year, we have many deserving individuals who support our association. To be recognized this year, or any year, is surely an honor.”
Ron Widup, Vice Chairman of NETA’s Board of Directors and Senior Advisor for Technical Services for Shermco Industries says Bassett’s reputation for being one of the hardestworking members of NETA as well as one of the hardest-working members of the electrical testing industry makes him a leading candidate for the award every year.
Widup points to a favorite quote by Amy Poehler — actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director: Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life. “Ken’s work with NETA has inspired and changed us — and that’s a good thing,” Widup says.
Ironically, Bassett says NETA inspired him to be a force for good.
“Early on in my NETA career, I was fortunate enough to interact with some amazing folks,” Bassett says. “Those individuals represented the Association in a truly inspiring way. The
Ken with Ron Widup and John White after another successful Member Review Committee meeting.
Ken with his daughters Crystal and Michelle, wife Jayne, and son Marshall hopping a plane to see Denali Mountain.
MEET KEN BASSETT
Bassett is President of Potomac Testing has a NETA Accredited Company with service centers located throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Established in 1985, Potomac Testing, Inc. has earned its position as the Mid-Atlantic leader in comprehensive low- and mediumvoltage electrical equipment services including NETA acceptance and maintenance testing, planned and emergency field services, power quality and engineering studies, and retrofitting and refurbishing electrical equipment. Potomac Testing joined the TechPro Power Group family of companies in 2020.
Bassett has served on NETA’s Board of Directors since 1998. A past-President, he currently chairs the Membership Committee, co-chairs the Association Development Committee, and serves on the Nominating Committee, NAMO Committee, Promotions & Marketing Committee, Conference Committee, CTD Review Committee, and Finance Committee.
Bassett is a NETA Certified Test Technician with over 25 years of experience in the operation and maintenance of electrical power distribution systems.
meaningful work and accomplishments I have experienced with the Association are things they instilled in me as business-as-usual — the NETA way of thinking.
“Mary Jordan, Charlie Blizard, Rod Hageman, and Al Peterson are some of the early relationships that influenced me extensively,” Bassett continues. “At that time, NETA was a smaller, scrappier association, and we had to fight hard for everything we created and accomplished. These folks helped inspire and create the work-hard/play-hard culture that still lives within NETA now. My continued belief in our organization stems from the people I have been fortunate enough to spend time with since we joined NETA in 1993. These past leaders had great vision and represented our association well.”
Bassett says that can-do attitude will be one of the most important things for NETA to hold onto in the coming years. “NETA has always been very mindful of its succession of leadership, which has provided the ability to maintain a high level of success over the years. Proper planning has enabled NETA to accomplish many goals over a long period of time,” he notes.
Like any organization or association, NETA must continue being mindful of what led to its successes and, at the same time, adapt and react to the industry it serves, Bassett says. “During my tenure, acceptance of the NETA standard has grown immensely, specifically by A&E firms and end users. Additionally, safety continues to be at the forefront of our industry. And as the industries we serve
continue to expand, where NETA mainly supported industrial and commercial end users, NETA now has a very large presence within the utilities market, assisting them with their required maintenance and system upgrades.”
The strategic plan developed in 2019 was dedicated to supporting the Association’s growth, and Bassett’s focus on growing membership has allowed NETA to stay ahead of the ever-changing electrical testing industry.
“There is no argument that it takes many people with passion and a desire to succeed for an industry association like NETA to thrive, and Ken has been an inspiration to all of us as we work beside him,” says Ron Widup. “Having a business in the Washington, DC, metro area has also given Ken the unique ability to listen first and speak second. This allows him to get things done without weakening his — or NETA’s — position. That’s a special leadership talent that NETA has benefitted from many times through the years.”
“My belief in our organization stems from the people I have been fortunate enough to have spent time with,” says Bassett. “These past leaders had great vision and represented our association well.”
Ken and family getting ready to launch at a hot-air balloon festival in Albuquerque.
Ken and Jayne cruising the strip during a NETA site visit in Dubai.
CONGR A TUL A TION S
PO WERTE S T 2022 AW ARD RECI PIE NT S
JAMES R. WHITE ELECTRICAL SAFETY TRACK
Safety Performance and Corporate
Profitability as a Contractor in the High Voltage Utility Sector
Ken Peterson
HAMPTON TEDDER TECHNICAL SERVICES
EQUIPMENT TRACK
Battery Health and Assessment through Electrical Testing
Volney Naranjo & Sanket Bolar MEGGER
RELIABILITY TRACK
Challenges and Opportunities: How the Focus on Reliability Impacts the NETA Practitioner
Alan Ross
ELECTRIC POWER RELIABILITY ALLIANCE
SALES & MANAGEMENT TRACK
Creating a Comprehensive Employee Development Program: A Case Study
Stephanie McLaughlin
HOOD PATTERSON & DEWAR
RENEWABLE ENERGY TRACK
Improving the Reliability of MV Cables through Testing & Diagnostic Techniques for Wind Farm Applications
Jason Aaron & Charles Nybeck
MEGGER
BEST OVERALL PRESENTATION
Relay Panel Session
Drew Welton, Karl Zimmerman, Chasen Tedder, Lorne Gara, and Chris
ALLIANCE RECOGNITION AWARD HONOREE KNOWN FOR EXPERTISE AND TRAINING
If the name Drew Welton sounds familiar, it’s most likely because his technical presentations, including those at PowerTest, are some of the most well-regarded and well-attended.
That accolade combined with his renown for knowledge of substation maintenance testing made him the obvious choice for this year’s Alliance Recognition Award. The award honors an individual who has been a dedicated supporter of NETA and has also furthered the industry and inspired others.
Welton, Vice President of Sales and Business for intellirent, credits his success over the years to the incredible support of his family, friends, and colleagues.
“None of it would have been possible had I not had great support from my family, especially
Drew Welton Accepting Alliance Recognition Award
Stacey, my wife of 26 years,” he says. “This industry we work in can be very demanding in terms of time away from home and a commitment to often working long hours. My passion for the industry has always been a driving force, especially because of all the great people I’ve worked with.”
Among those treasured colleagues is Wayne Hartmann, who has known Welton for more than 30 years, worked with him in multiple capacities, and considers him a friend.
“I have seen Drew grow in the industry and transcend the roles of student, practitioner, and now teacher,” says Hartmann, Solutions Growth Leader, North America, for GE Grid Automation. “He has embraced the power of education as a philosophy with his numerous papers, presentations, and training materials that address testing and commissioning of system protection and primary infrastructure.”
“We tag-teamed at Western Electric Institute’s Relay School for years, and it was enjoyable and a highlight of each year we taught there,” he says. “I was there with an in-depth professional in Drew, and the students, facilitators, and steering committee could all see that.”
Neil McCaw, President of intellirent, says Welton continues to exude that air of expertise combined with a willingness to help and share his knowledge.
“Drew’s passion and commitment to this industry is unparalleled. He is deeply respected by his colleagues and customers and is someone who takes on challenges with optimism and a commitment to solving the problem,” McCaw says. “He is an amazing resource to customers and his fellow employees and a huge contributor in knowledge sharing in our field. The entire intellirent team is thrilled to congratulate him on this honor and achievement.”
Known for doing the work for work’s sake — not for recognition or praise — Welton was
Drew and Stacey Welton
understandably surprised to hear his name announced at the presentation.
“It took me a while to realize what was happening, and I was wondering why my boss was videotaping the presentation,” he says. “These are all wonderful people, and the emotion of the moment was quite overwhelming.”
Much as the award was a surprise, Welton admits that his career in electrical testing was unexpected as well.
“I really didn’t intend on working in this particular industry. I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration from a small college in Colorado and sold radio advertising as my first job,” he says.
MEET DREW WELTON
Welton is the Vice President of Sales and Business at intellirent, providing leadership to the sales teams and developing business opportunities. He has more than 25 years of experience in power system engineering focused mainly on sales and sales management for relays, controls, and primary and secondary test equipment.
He got his start in the industry with Beckwith Electric, then AREVA T&D before working almost 20 years with OMICRON. Drew is a 20-year Senior Member of IEEE-PES/IAS and an active member of the IEEE Transformers Committee. He has authored technical papers that have appeared in various technical journals, including NETA World.
Welton received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Fort Lewis College in Colorado. Today, he is highly regarded for his knowledge of substation maintenance testing and has conducted training sessions for substation technicians and engineers across North America. His technical sessions at PowerTest are highly regarded and some of the most well-attended.
“When I finally took to materials management, I accepted a job with Beckwith Electric in inventory control. Then Vice President of Sales and Marketing Lew Roberson recognized I had a gift for learning quickly and a strong sales aptitude, so he provided me with the opportunity to move into inside sales,” Welton says.
“It was then I had the fortunate opportunity to work for Charles ‘Chuck’ Mozina, who was instrumental in teaching me so much about protective relaying. What really helped me turn the corner was an opportunity to join OMICRON electronics in 1997, and over the next 20 years or so, I came to love this industry even more. There was so much to learn and
experience and so many great people to learn from that I never stopped having fun.”
What Welton calls fun, intellirent’s Director of Inside Sales Jason Creese calls a true passion for and understanding of the industry as well as a drive to invest in it.
“Drew’s commitment over his many years has contributed to so many great opportunities to learn, speak, and apply across the various avenues within our industry,” Creese says. “Drew is instrumental in our support of the industry. In addition to equipment knowledge, testing standards, and field application awareness, he provides necessary insight into up and coming technologies and training to
not only the team here at intellirent, but also to our customers.”
Indeed, whether it was his own career or in the training he provides, Welton says he always advises others in the industry — especially new or emerging professionals — to constantly push to learn and grow.
“What was always important to me was helping others and being able to share what I have learned and experienced over the years. We often become so complacent in our day-to-day routines that new technologies designed to make our lives better get overlooked. Sometimes people are
afraid to make changes or try new technologies — especially in the field of electrical testing,” he says. “Organizations such as NETA, IEEEPES/IAS, and others are continuously rewriting standards and providing expert knowledge, and we should be taking advantage of this. There is always something new to improve upon.”
It’s that drive for education, improvement, and growth that makes Welton special, Hartmann says.
“Drew’s passion to pass on his knowledge and experience to others truly makes him an industry guy,” Hartmann says. “He’s the real deal.”
Introducing NETA Series III Handbooks
We’ve got answers. Discover page after page of comprehensive, component-specific, technical resources for training and reference purposes. Over 200 of the very best articles from NETA World Journal and technical presentations from NETA’s PowerTest conferences. To order, please visit netaworld.org or call 888.300.6382
GENERATING POWERFUL CONNECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE
Focused on generating powerful connections for the future, NETA’s PowerTest Conference returned on February 28–March 4, 2022, with more all-new content, attendee options, and networking opportunities than ever.
The PowerTest Conference is the premier electrical maintenance and safety conference. It is the largest annual gathering of NETA Accredited Company representatives and industry professionals and is supported by companies committed to safety, reliability, and quality across the electrical power systems industry.
The PowerTest 2022 agenda featured five days of educational and interactive sessions with an emphasis on shaping the future of the electrical power systems industry and recreating connections lost due to COVID. Electrical testing technicians, engineers, and managers from a crosssection of industries were represented and actively engaged in making PowerTest 2022 a success.
Luncheons Offered Opportunities for Networking
“As organizations gradually open up their employee travel permissions in a post-pandemic world, we were proud to welcome our loyal and committed community to PowerTest 2022,” says NETA Executive Director Missy Richard. “Attendees told us that the PowerTest participants this year were the right people in the right place at the right time. Connections were made that will advance careers and lead to new business.”
HIGHLIGHTS
2022 marked the first fully hybrid PowerTest, featuring expert sessions and seminars available in person at the Hyatt Regency Denver as well as via PowerTest TV, a virtual conference experience. And with on-demand content available through June 30, PowerTest 2022 is still more accessible than ever before:
• 332 full conference attendees
• 29 detailed, 45-minute technical presentations by industry leaders
• 16 in-depth, 4-hour seminars covering current topics and industry issues
• 65 Trade Show exhibitors
• More than 150 social passes for networking events
• 18 companies delivered presentations on the latest products and services at the New Product Forum
Attendees were excited to be back in person after an all-virtual event in 2021, and exhibitors appreciated the meaningful, focused conversations and strong leads.
50 Years of NETA
2022 marks NETA’s 50-year anniversary, and PowerTest attendees joined in the celebration of how far the association and the industry have come and explored the possibilities of the next 50 years. Special events included a commemorative President’s Wall, all-new contests, giveaways, and more for in-person as well as virtual attendees.
Keynote Speaker
Acclaimed author Robert Bryce kicked off PowerTest week with his keynote address. A
Keynote Speaker Robert Bryce
Reliability Track Presentation by Ross Ignall of Dranetz
passionate and engaging speaker, he is also a leading thinker on global energy, power systems, and innovation. Bryce’s sixth and latest book, A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations, was recently published, and he is the producer of a feature-length documentary, Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. Attendees applauded his presentation on energy’s impact around the world.
Monday Tracks
Monday’s sessions in six tracks were carefully selected and presented by leading experts in the field. Two new tracks, Sales & Management and Renewable Energy, focused on navigating today’s challenges and identifying tomorrow’s industry trends.
Trade Show
Tuesday afternoon’s PowerTest Trade Show, an industry favorite, featured 65 top-tier vendors dedicated to providing PowerTest attendees with actionable, real-world solutions to everyday challenges. With door prize giveaways, a complimentary lunch buffet, and over five hours to explore the latest and greatest products and services, the always-popular Trade Show had something for everyone.
PowerTest TV featured access to exclusive ondemand online content tailored to the needs of electrical testing professionals as well as opportunities to earn CEUs and NETA CTD credits.
Attendees used PowerTest TV as a supplement to in-person attendance or chose to participate completely virtually with 2022’s robust, easy-to-use platform. PowerTest TV’s virtual registration provided access to approximately 30 hours (30 CTDs/3. 0 CEUs) worth of ondemand content, and an addition bundle was available for access to an extra 18 hours (18 CTDs/1.8 CEUs) of material.
NETA Exam Prep
The NETA Exam Prep Seminar at PowerTest was back by popular demand. Open to NETA Certified Technicians, this two-part seminar offered a review of exam materials and the ability to participate in the new NETA Practice Exam. Attendees developed their knowledge and boosted their exam confidence levels.
NETA MEETINGS FEATURE PEER DISCUSSION AND LATEST NETA UPDATES
More than 120 NETA Accredited Company representatives, Alliance Partners, and Corporate Alliance participants gathered
SAVE THE DATE: POWERTEST 2023 IN ORLANDO
Join NETA and leading electrical power systems professionals at the next premier industry conference March 8–12, 2023, at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida. This year’s conference will look and feel a little different with an all-new date pattern (Wednesday–Sunday), but attendees will still find the tailored content and valuable networking opportunities they’ve come to expect. Both in-person and virtual attendance options will be offered, and early bird registration is set to open September 1, 2022. Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are available for companies seeking leadership visibility at the event. NETA’s industry partners are encouraged to reserve exhibit space and confirm sponsorships as soon as possible. Inquiries should be directed to Laura McDonald at 269-488-6382 or lmcdonald@netaworld.org.
on Sunday, February 28, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Denver for NETA’s 2022 Annual Member and Alliance Meetings. The annual meetings are held on the Sunday before PowerTest and are the traditional kickoff to the conference each year.
NETA Member Meeting
A gathering especially for representatives and technicians from NETA Accredited Companies, the NETA Member Meeting brought reports from all sides of the association. From updates on membership and strategic initiatives to a review of program plans for the coming year and recognition of volunteers and committee chairs, the meeting also included the nomination and election of officers. Newly elected officers include 1st Vice President Bob Shepard, Premier Power Maintenance; 2 nd Vice President Dan Hook, CBS Field Services; and Secretary Chasen Tedder, Hampton Tedder Technical Services; Eric Beckman, National Field Services, continues as President for another year. Leif Hoegberg, Electrical Reliability Services, was elected to a three-year Board of Directors term, while Dan Hook, Eric Beckman, Chasen Tedder, and Dave Huffman, Power Systems Testing, were re-elected.
NETA Member and Alliance Meeting
NETA Corporate Alliance and Alliance Partners were invited to join NETA Accredited Companies for the second half of the Member Meeting. Among other updates, participants heard reports on industry activity from NETA technical representatives.
Throughout PowerTest week, a series of special events delivered opportunities for attendees to network and lay the groundwork for future collaborations. For upcoming Alliance Partner events, watch your inbox for emails from NETA and look for notices in NETA World Journal. For additional information about the NETA Alliance Program or to enroll, visit www.netaworld.org/allianceprogram
ANSWERS
ANSWERS
1. a. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA’s mission is to ensure a safe and healthful environment by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance.
2. c. NFPA 70E. NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace helps companies and employees avoid workplace injuries and fatalities due to shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast and assists in complying with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K.
3. b. Safety briefing. A safety briefing is a tool to increase safety awareness among workers. It is used to discuss and share information regarding potential hazards and concerns.
4. c. Failure to identify or recognize hazards. OSHA states that one root cause of workplace injuries, illnesses, and incidents is the failure to identify or recognize hazards that are present or that could have been anticipated. A critical element of any effective health and safety program is a proactive, ongoing process to identify and assess hazards.
5. d. All of the above. Electric shock, arc flash, and arc blast are all hazards associated with the use of electrical energy. Each one must be identified and then analyzed using a risk assessment.
6. b. Electrically safe working condition. All other answers detail hazard control methods, but only creating an electrically safe working condition eliminates the electrical hazards. An electrically safe condition is a state in which an electrical conductor or circuit part has been disconnected from energized parts, locked/tagged in accordance with established standards, tested to verify the absence of voltage and, if necessary, temporarily grounded for personnel protection.
Virginia Balitski, CET, Manager –Training and Development has worked for Magna IV Engineering since 2006. Virginia started her career as a Field Service Technologist and achieved NETA Level 4 Senior Technician Certification. She has since dedicated her time to the advancement of training and safety in the electrical industry. Virginia is a Certified Engineering Technologist through ASET – The Association of Science & Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta. Virginia is current Vice-Chair of the CSA Z462, Workplace Electrical Safety Technical Committee and is a member of the NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety in the Workplace Technical Committee. She was recently appointed to the NETA Board of Directors.
NETA ACCREDITED COMPANIES Setting the Standard
249th Engineer Battalion
249th EN BN S3 NCOIC 9450 Jackson Loop. Bldg. 1418 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 (703) 805-9981
Bldg 3-2631 Butner Rd Fort Bragg, NC 28310-0001 (703) 853-3958
john.w.crosby.mil@mail.mil
SFC John Crosby
249th Engineer Battalion, Charlie Company
9410 Jackson Loop Bldg 1416 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5116 (703) 806-1078
william.s.maddox13.mil@mail.mil
SSG William Maddox
249th Engineer Battalion, HHC 9450 Jackson Loop Bldg 1416 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5147 (571) 515-0173
SSG Michael Hamilton
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC
720 S Rochester Ste A Ontario, CA 91761-8177 (301) 397-3500
abm.com/Electrical
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 6541 Meridien Dr Suite 113 Raleigh, NC 27616 (919) 877-1008 brandon.davis@abm.com abm.com/Electrical Brandon Davis
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 2631 S. Roosevelt St Tempe, AZ 85282 (602) 722-2423
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 3600 Woodpark Blvd Ste G Charlotte, NC 28206-4210 (704) 273-6257
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 6940 Koll Center Pkwy Suite# 100 Pleasanton, CA 94566 (408) 466-6920
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 9800 E Geddes Ave Unit A-150 Englewood, CO 80112-9306 (303) 524-6560
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 3585 Corporate Court San Diego, CA 92123-1844 (858) 754-7963
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC
1005 Windward Ridge Pkwy Alpharetta, GA 30005 (770) 521-7550 abm.com/Electrical
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 4221 Freidrich Lane Suite 170 Austin, TX 78744 (210) 347-9481
ABM Electrical Power Services, LLC 11719 NE 95th St. Ste H Vancouver, WA 98682 (360) 713-9513 Paul.McKinley@abm.com www.ABM.com/Electrical Paul McKinley
ABM Electrical Power Solutions 4390 Parliament Place Suite S Lanham, MD 20706 (240) 487-1900
ABM Electrical Power Solutions 3700 Commerce Dr # 901-903 Baltimore, MD 21227-1642 (410) 247-3300 www.abm.com
ABM Electrical Power Solutions 317 Commerce Park Drive Cranberry Township, PA 160666407 (724) 772-4638 christopher.smith@abm.com Chris Smith - General Manager
ABM Electrical Power Solutions 814 Greenbrier Cir Ste E Chesapeake, VA 23320-2643 (757) 364-6145 keone.castleberry@abm.com www.abm.com Keone Castleberry
CBS Field Services 12794 Currie Court Livonia, MI 48150 (810) 720-2280 mramieh@powertechservices.com www.powertechservices.com
CBS Field Services 5680 S 32nd St Phoenix, AZ 85040-3832 (602) 426-1667 www.westernelectricalservices.com www.westernelectricalservices.com
CBS Field Services 3676 W California Ave Ste C106 Salt Lake City, UT 84104-6533 (888) 395-2021 www.westernelectricalservices.com www.westernelectricalservices.com
CBS Field Services 4510 NE 68th Dr Unit 122 Vancouver, WA 98661-1261 (888) 395-2021 www.westernelectricalservices.com
Jason Carlson
CBS Field Services 5505 Daniels St. Chino, CA 91710 (602) 426-1667
Matt Wallace
CBS Field Services 620 Meadow Ln. Los Alamos, NM 87547 (505) 469-1661
CBS Field Services 5385 Gateway Boulevard #19-21 Lakeland, FL 33811 (810) 720-2280
CE Power Engineered Services, LLC 4040 Rev Drive Cincinnati, OH 45232 (800) 434-0415 info@cepower.net
Jim Cialdea
CE Power Engineered Services, LLC 11620 Crossroads Cir Middle River, MD 21220-2874 (410) 344-0300
Hood Patterson & Dewar, Inc. 4511 Daly Dr. Suite 1 Chantilly, VA 20151 (571) 299-6773 info@hoodpd.com https://hoodpd.com/
Hood Patterson & Dewar, Inc. 1531 Hunt Club Blvd Ste 200 Gallatin, TN 37066 (615) 527-7084 info@hoodpd.com https://hoodpd.com/
Industrial Electric Testing, Inc. 11321 Distribution Ave W Jacksonville, FL 32256-2746 (904) 260-8378 gbenzenberg@bellsouth.net www.industrialelectrictesting.com
Gary Benzenberg
Industrial Electric Testing, Inc. 201 NW 1st Ave Hallandale Beach, FL 33009-4029 (954) 456-7020
KT Industries, Inc. 3203 Fletcher Drive Los Angeles, CA 90065 (323) 255-7143
eric@kti.la ktiengineering.com
Eric Vaca
Magna IV Engineering 1103 Parsons Rd. SW Edmonton, AB T6X 0X2 (780) 462-3111 info@magnaiv.com www.magnaiv.com
Virginia Balitski
Magna IV Engineering 141 Fox Cresent Fort McMurray, AB T9K 0C1 (780) 791-3122 info@magnaiv.com
Ryan Morgan
Magna IV Engineering 3124 Millar Ave. Saskatoon, SK S7K 5Y2 (306) 713-2167 info.saskatoon@magnaiv.com
Adam Jaques
Magna IV Engineering 96 Inverness Dr E Ste R Englewood, CO 80112-5311 (303) 799-1273 info.denver@magnaiv.com
Kevin Halma
Magna IV Engineering Avenida del Condor sur #590 Oficina 601 Huechuraba, 8580676 +(56) -2-26552600 info.santiago@magnaiv.com Harvey Mendoza
Magna IV Engineering Unit 110, 19188 94th Avenue Surrey, BC V4N 4X8 (604) 421-8020 info.vancouver@magnaiv.com
Rob Caya
Magna IV Engineering Suite 200, 688 Heritage Dr. SE Calgary, AB T2H 1M6 (403) 723-0575 info.calgary@magnaiv.com
Morgan MacDonnell
Magna IV Engineering 4407 Halik Street Building E Suite 300 Pearland, TX 77581 (346) 221-2165 info.houston@magnaiv.com www.magnaiv.com Aric Proskurniak
Magna IV Engineering 10947 92 Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 3J3 1.800.462.3157 info.grandeprairie@magnaiv.com
Matthew Britton
Magna IV Engineering 531 Coster St. Bronx, NY 10474 (800) 462-3157 Info.newyork@magnaiv.com
Power Engineering Services, Inc. 9179 Shadow Creek Ln Converse, TX 78109-2041 (210) 590-6214
pes@pe-svcs.com www.pe-svcs.com
Power Engineering Services, Inc. 4041 Ellis Road Suite 100 Friendswood, TX 77546 (210) 590-4936 pes@pe-svcs.com www.pe-svcs.com
Power Engineering Services, Inc. 1001 Doris Lane Suite E Cedar Park, TX 78613 (210) 590-4936 pes@pe-svcs.com www.pe-svcs.com
NETA ACCREDITED COMPANIES Setting
Power Products & Solutions, LLC 6605 W WT Harris Blvd Suite F Charlotte, NC 28269 (704) 573-0420 x12 adis.talovic@powerproducts.biz www.powerproducts.biz
Power Solutions Group, Ltd. 172 B-Industrial Dr. Clarksville, TN 37040 (931) 572-8591
Chris Brown
PowerSouth Testing, LLC 130 W. Porter St. Suite 120 Cartersville, GA 30120 (678) 901-0205 samuel.townsend@powersouthtesting.com www.powersouthtesting.com
Power System Professionals, Inc. 429 Clinton Ave Roseville, CA 95678 (866) 642-3129
jburmeister@powerpros.net
James Burmeister
Power Systems Testing Co. 4688 W Jennifer Ave Ste 108 Fresno, CA 93722-6418 (559) 275-2171 ext 15
dave@pstcpower.com www.powersystemstesting.com
David Huffman
Power Systems Testing Co. 600 S Grand Ave Ste 113 Santa Ana, CA 92705-4152 (714) 542-6089 www.powersystemstesting.com
Power Systems Testing Co. 6736 Preston Ave Ste E Livermore, CA 94551-8521 (510) 783-5096
www.powersystemstesting.com
Power Test, Inc. 2220 Hwy 49 Harrisburg, NC 28075-7506 (704) 200-8311
rich@powertestinc.com www.powertestinc.com
Praetorian Power Protection, LLC PO Box 3366 Lynnwood, WA 98046 (206) 612-6367 MChislett@praetorianpower.com
Michael Chislett
Precision Testing Group 5475 Highway 86 Unit 1 Elizabeth, CO 80107-7451 (303) 621-2776
Shermco Industries 6551 S Revere Parkway Suite 275 Centennial, CO 80111 (877) 456-1342 www.shermco.com www.shermco.com
Sigma Six Solutions, Inc. 2200 W Valley Hwy N Ste 100 Auburn, WA 98001-1654 (253) 333-9730 jwhite@sigmasix.com www.sigmasix.com
John White
Sigma Six Solutions, Inc. www.sigmasix.com Quincy, WA 98848 (253) 333-9730
Chris Morgan
Southern New England Electrical Testing, LLC 3 Buel St Ste 4 Wallingford, CT 06492-2395 (203) 269-8778 www.sneet.org www.sneet.org
John Stratton
Star Electrical Services & General Supplies, Inc. PO Box 814 Las Piedras, PR 00771 (787) 716-0925 ahernandez@starelectricalpr.com www.starelectricalpr.com Aberlardo Hernandez
Taifa Engineering Ltd. 9734-27 Ave NW Edmonton, AB T6N 1B2 (780) 405-4608 fsteyn@taifaengineering.com
Taurus Power & Controls, Inc. 9999 SW Avery St Tualatin, OR 97062-9517 (503) 692-9004 powertest@tauruspower.com www.tauruspower.com
Rob Bulfinch
Taurus Power & Controls, Inc. 8714 South 222nd St. STE A Kent, WA 98031 (425) 656-4170 powertest@tauruspower.com www.taruspower.com
TAW Technical Field Services, Inc. 5070 Swindell Rd Lakeland, FL 33810-7804 (863) 686-5667 www.tawinc.com
Titan Quality Power Services, LLC 1501 S Dobson Street Burleson, TX 76028 (866) 918-4826
www.titanqps.com
Titan Quality Power Services, LLC 7630 Ikes Tree Drive Spring, TX 77389 (281) 826-3781
Titan Quality Power Services, LLC 7000 Meany Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93308 (661) 589-0400
Tony Demaria Electric, Inc. 131 W F St Wilmington, CA 90744-5533 (310) 816-3130 neno@tdeinc.com www.tdeinc.com Neno Pasic
US Army Prime Power School Bldg 12630, Flw 28 Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473 (253) 380-0194 brandon.s.sheppard.mil@mail.mil
SSG Brandon Sheppard
Utilities Instrumentation Service, Inc. 2290 Bishop Cir E Dexter, MI 48130-1564 (734) 424-1200 gary.walls@UIScorp.com www.uiscorp.com
Gary Walls
Utilities Instrumentation Service - Ohio, LLC 998 Dimco Way Centerville, OH 45458 (937) 439-9660 www.uiscorp.com www.uiscorp.com
Utility Service Corporation PO Box 1471 Huntsville, AL 35807 (256) 837-8400 apeterson@utilserv.com www.utilserv.com Alan D. Peterson
VISTAM, Inc. 2375 Walnut Ave Signal Hill, CA 90755 (562) 912-7779 ulyses@vistam.com
Ready to go right out of the box, Raytech equipment is simple to use –just unpack, set up and start testing. Productivity is increased, saving time and money. Raytech equipment is reliable, specifically made to withstand the harsh environment of the testing industry. This is why 99% of the equipment sold by our company is still in service today, and how we can offer a standard 5-year warranty with every instrument at no additional cost. Free firmware updates are easy to download from our website. Our exceptional 24/7 customer service and support set us apart. You can always expect reliable, professional and personal assistance, and we continue to support all instruments manufactured by Raytech.
To learn more about our product lines, request a quote, schedule a demonstration, for sales or service, contact us 24/7.
Transformer Testing made q and easier than ever before …
… was our vision for our new powerful and lightweight test set. TESTRANO 600 is the world’s first portable, three-phase test system that supports all of the common electrical tests done on power transformers.
With just one set up for multiple tests, TESTRANO 600 significantly reduces the wiring effort and testing time. Its specially designed power amplifiers ensure a new level of accuracy , and the multitouch color display enables smart and comfortable operation.
