Electrical Review - November 2016

Informing the electrical industry for over 140 years

November 2016 Volume 249 | No 11 www.electricalreview.co.uk

UPSL The role of UPS installations in your DCIM strategy

Cable management Turning a blind eye to IP4X compliance

Factory automation Can you predict your motor’s life?

CONTENTS | 3

04

27

NEWS Value enginering

LIGHTNING PROTECTION Atlas launches introduction to lightning protection seminar

www.atlas.org.uk PRESS RELEASE 8 September 2016

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ATLAS Launch Introduction to Lightning Protection Seminar

GOSSAGE Gossage:gossip

12 FACTORY AUTOMATION Can you predict your motor’s life?

The Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists (ATLAS) has launched an Introduction to Lightning Protection seminar, to provide construction professionals with a better understanding of the lightning protection industry.

The half-day seminar, which has been part-funded by CITB, will provide delegates with an overview of the industry standard BS EN 62305, the competencies which lightning protection installers and testers should have, training routes and qualifications. Aimed at new entrants, clients, facilities managers, construction and building management professionals, the seminars will be presented by experienced lightning protection and construction training experts and provide delegates with an understanding of how their role interacts with the specialism.

Recognising the increasing demand for lightning protection information ATLAS has also contributed to the recently launched e-learning video, Lightning Protection: A Look at the Theory, Practice and Installation of a Lightning Protection System. The hour-long Navigator Productions e-learning session can be used for individual learning or to form the basis of a Toolbox Talk.

Jason Harfield, ATLAS President said: “Clients, facilities managers and other construction professionals are increasingly aware of the importance of lightning protection. This half-day seminar offers delegates the opportunity to learn more

EDITOR: Elinore Mackay 020 8319 1807 elinorem@electricalreview.co.uk

about this highly specialist sector and will drive future training opportunities. ATLAS’ partnership with Navigator Productions further demonstrates our commitment to educating the wider industry about the importance of lightning protection and the need to adhere to recognised industry standards.”

The first ‘Introduction to Lightning Protection’ seminar will take place on 3 November in Nottingham, with

PRODUCTION MANAGER Alex Gold 020 7933 8999 alexg@sjpbusinessmedia.com

further seminars planned in 2017. ~ Ends ~ For further information, contact ATLAS: T: 0844 249 0026 E: info@atlas.org.uk

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Philip Woolley 020 7933 8989 philip.wooley@electricalreview.co.uk SALES MANAGER Sunny Nehru 020 7933 8974 sunnyn@sjpbusinessmedia.com

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MANAGING DIRECTOR Wayne Darroch PRINTING BY Buxton Paid subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0) 1635 879361 electricalreview@circdata.com SJP Business Media PO Box 6009, Thatcham Berkshire, RG19 4QB, UK

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DATA CENTRES Flexible fibre infrastructure boosts serviceability and up time

AUTOMOTIVE Manufacturing the connected car

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Electrical Review is published by

product news 2nd floor, 52-54 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0EH 020 7933 8999 Any article in this journal represents the opinions of the author. This does not necessarily reflect the views of Electrical Review or its publisher – SJP Business Media ISSN 0013-4384 – All editorial contents © SJP Business Media Jan-Dec 2015 5,784

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22 CABLE MANAGEMENT Turning a blind eye to IP4X compliance

Join us on LinkedIn http://linkd.in/H1viOF

www.electricalreview.co.uk

4 | NEWS

Value engineering highlighted as key cause of poor building performance The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has highlighted value engineering as one of the main causes of poor building performance and emphasises working together is the best way forward for all stakeholders.

BCIA president Malcolm Anson said: “The focus on capital costs for construction projects is leaving building owners and managers with properties that cost them more in terms of energy and maintenance in the long-term.”

All areas of building services suffer from value engineering, as Anson pointed out with examples from the controls sector: “It may seem that reducing the number of sensors on a project, for example, is an easy way to save a few pounds. However, these seemingly small items are crucial for a building to operate effectively.

“So often, BCIA members find that the removal of sensors for temperature or CO2, for example, means that heating and cooling are left to be operated manually which almost inevitably leads to higher operating costs.”

The BCIA is aiming to educate the market about the true costs of value engineering through a joint conference with BESA and the ECA. The Building Services Summit will be held at the British Library on 23 November 2016. The theme of the conference is the efficient long-term performance of buildings.

Electrical Review | November 2016

Sampling the depths

The oceans have been around for roughly 4.5 billion years. They cover 70% of the planet, but we have yet to explore 95% of their depths. In a bid to further investigate the wonders of the deep, scientists have recently researched mining rare metals — such as copper, zinc and gold — from volcanic rock on the seabed.

When a winch controlling a high-powered drill broke down on a ship mining samples off the coast of Japan, costing the company over $30,000 a day, the crew called maintenance and repair specialist CP Automation.

Due to the location of the mineral rich area off the coast of Japan, sample extraction has to be planned 20 hours in advance, in accordance with how high wave crests were. The rougher the waves, the

more the drill moves and the higher the risk of damage to an incredibly expensive piece of equipment.

Just before the company deployed the drill for the first time, faults with the winch began to appear. Onboard engineers found the problem to be a DC BUS overvoltage issue caused by the brake chopper. The engineers attempted to alleviate the problem by replacing the brake chopper like-for-like, but their attempts proved unsuccessful.

The drilling project CP Automation managed to revive is one of the first of its kind to sample valuable metals from tough volcanic rock. With the help of more research and investment, this method of mining could lead to a healthy flow of essential resources for years to come.

6 | NEWS

Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee calls for storage revolution Following a new report on future energy provision by the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change (ECC) Committee, the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) has voiced its full support for the report’s recommendation to boost the UK’s energy storage capacity and demand side response.

Entitled ‘the energy revolution and future challenges for UK energy and climate change policy’, the report makes a series of recommendations, including the need for the government to: • redesign the energy Capacity Market— the subsidy scheme designed to minimise the risk of blackouts—to incentivise innovative energy storage and demand side response (DSR) technologies; • move quickly to address other regulatory barriers faced by energy storage; and • set out a high-level public commitment to making the UK a world-leader in storage, with a storage procurement target for 2020. (The last two energy capacity market auctions failed to deliver any energy storage.)

ECA director of business services Paul Reeve said: “We have now reached the stage where the UK energy challenge is far less about how to produce ‘low to no carbon’ electrical energy, and much more about how to distribute, store and use it.

“This authoritative report is aimed squarely at meeting these new challenges, and opportunities, and we greatly welcome the Committee’s recommendations.”

Electrical Review | November 2016

ABB and Fluor partner to deliver power substation projects globally ABB and Fluor have formed a global strategic partnership for the execution of large turnkey engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects for electrical substations. By combining ABB’s world-leading technology and its market leadership position in power transmission and distribution with Fluor’s expertise and experience in delivering large EPC projects, the partnership will help meet the evolving need of power grids across the globe for safe, reliable and state-of-the-art electrical substations.

“We are proud to partner with Fluor to tap the vast opportunities of the ongoing Energy Revolution and related power infrastructure investments. Together, we intend to grow our businesses by complementing each other’s strengths in customer servic-

es for substation projects,” said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. “Strategic partnerships like this are a core pillar of our Next Level strategy and help us to drive growth while mitigating risk.”

“Fluor’s new global strategic partnership with ABB targeting the substation market is expected to bring unique synergies to our power clients,” said David Seaton, chairman and CEO of Fluor. “This approach exemplifies our focus on addressing client needs with our unique integrated solutions offering. This global partnership with Fluor reinforces our strategic focus on developing new business models as we continue to transform our business to generate enhanced customer value,” said Claudio Facchin, president of the Power Grids division.

BSRIA applauds “monumental” deal to cut the use of Hydrofluorocarbon gases Delegates from over 150 countries meeting in Rwanda reached what was described as a “monumental” deal by agreeing an amendment to the Montreal protocol on the phase out of the use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), the gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration.

Commenting on the deal Julia Evans, BSRIA’s chief executive, said “This is excellent news and delivers a deal that is good for the planet.

The phasing out of HFCs could help reduce climate change by 0.5C and has the potential to take 70 billion tonnes

of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2050”, Evans continued “for some nations the phasing out period for HFCs is long, which is of concern, but it is hoped the phase out will develop momentum in the market which could see the transition happen over a reduced period.

With active help of the industry, manufacturers of both refrigerants and products can accelerate the adoption of low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants. This is important; as an industry we have a key role to play so let’s act now”.

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Just three cables have to be connected: One to the high-voltage side, one to the lowvoltage side and one to the tap changer of the power transformer. With this common setup, transformer turns ratio, exciting current, DC winding resistance, dynamic resistance, short-circuit impedance / leakage reactance as well as frequency response of stray losses (FRSL) can be measured.

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GOSSAGE | 9

GOSSAGE Chinese chequers My thousands of devoted readers will recall the main reason why the new Prime Minister, Theresa May, placed a seven week moratorium upon endorsing any go-ahead for the Hinkley Point C new nuclear power station. It was the overt horror of those charged with overseeing the nation’s defences, at the prospect of a Chinese government-controlled company owning 40% of a British nuclear power station.

Eventually it was the fact that it was only a minority shareholding that won the day for Hinkley. But there can be no such escape clause for the next new nuke, due at Bradwell in Essex. Which is due to be 100% owned by the Chinese, employing only Chinese technology, the as-yet untried Hualong 1 reactor. It would also be constructed in one of the most potentially vulnerable places in England.

This site is quite unsuitable and unsustainable in the long run. It is at sea level on a coast highly vulnerable to storm surges and sea level rises: witness the coastal erosion already happening throughout East Anglia. The local Blackwater estuary is very shallow, making it very difficult to supply cooling water without substantial damage to the local ecology: it is highly “protected” by national and international designations including the recent declaration of a Marine Conservation Area status.

Alternatives - sea cooling, cooling towers – provide serious technical and environmental challenges.

Unlike other prospective sites, this area is quite heavily populated. Some 300,000 people live within a 20-mile radius. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to implement emergency planning measures in the event of any serious incident. The nearest large settlement is within 2 miles, an island cut off completely during certain high tides, and with only one access road.

As yet nobody has any idea how many reactors may be built, what cooling system is proposed, how the Chinese intend to deal with environmental constraints or what they will do with the spent fuel and other wastes. My old friends at GCHQ are, quite literally, in despair at the prospect of this Trojan horse ever proceeding.

Lumbered with backward –looking mindset Much chortling by the Old Guard of Electricity at the rather unspectacular birth of Innogy Not a name you recognise? This is the “good” part of the German giant utility RWE. This megalith has spun off its renewables, networks and retail businesses, leaving behind just the conventional fossil fuel generation assets and energy trading division under the old name.

Last month Innogy became Germany’s largest “initial public offering” (IPO) this century, raising almost 5 billion euros. But immediately after its launch, its trading price dropped well below its initial trading price of 37.30 euros.

And despite recovering a bit of ground, the company’s stock market performance has so far been singularly underwhelming. Cue further mockery of the impact of Germany’s radical electricity transformation programme, Energiewende.

In practice, this simply means that the stock was initially rather accurately priced. I suspect that in years to come those who opt to invest in this forward-looking stock will find their foresight well rewarded. They will have seen the future. And they will find that it works

In the Rialto, you have rated me The forthcoming reform of business rates looks like boding extremely ill for certain parts of the solar photovoltaic industry.

According to the Valuations Office Agency, major changes are due to start from next April.

As currently proposed, the current total exemption from business rates on most micro-generation installations below 50 kilowatts, will disappear overnight.

Larger installations also look like being encumbered with a hike in their business rates too.

This will mostly affect businesses that have already installed rooftop PV installations, particularly if the power is being generated primarily for that business’ own use. In contrast any installations mainly focused on exporting to the Grid, or with power purchase agreements with tenants, should enjoy a fall in their business rates.

If as seems likely, all this is confirmed, the end result will be distinctly perverse.

Identical installations will end up paying very different rates; it will all depend upon ownership. Own your own panels, and you will be penalised. Enter into a power purchase agreement with a third party, and you should be quids in. You have paid your money. But now you have no choice.

Breaking the laws of man and meter There have now been three separate Parliamentary committees, each has examined the £14bn smart meter programme. As did its predecessors, the House of Commons Science and Technology committee has also ended up raising some very scathing questions regarding the efficacy of the entire programme.

More than anything else it wants to know how on earth the government can justify its regular claim that rolling out 53 million smart meters will deliver a £6.2bn benefit to the UK economy. It seems that these “benefits” are largely dependent upon electricity and gas retailers passing on to consumers practically all the enormous system savings they will be making on reading meters, dealing with estimated bills, and tariff time-switching. Past experience suggests this may well not occur.

The Science Committee is disturbed

over the lack of clarity about the primary purpose of smart metering. There are no less than 11 separate and “disparate” objectives making this difficult to perceive.

As a result, it reckons that the project “will become viewed solely as an, inefficient, way of helping consumers to make small savings on their energy bills.” In that context, MPs are very concerned at the continuing lack of interoperability, whereby customers switching suppliers find they lose smart functionality, and end up never switching supplier again.

The consumer group, Which?, has already called for the complete abandonment of the smart meter roll-out programme. The Institute of Directors has expressed concern that it may end up being yet another Government IT programme failure. I have a feeling they may end up being spot on. www.electricalreview.co.uk

10 | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

The role of UPS installations in your DCIM strategy Data centre infrastructure management, or DCIM, is growing in popularity as a logical ZD\ WR PDQDJH GDWD FHQWUHV RIIHULQJ LPSURYHG HQHUJ\ HIÀFLHQF\ SRZHU DYDLODELOLW\ DQG RWKHU EHQHÀWV ,Q WKLV DUWLFOH $ODQ /XVFRPEH GLUHFWRU DW 8QLQWHUUXSWLEOH 3RZHU 6XSSOLHV D .RKOHU FRPSDQ\ ORRNV DW KRZ 836V ZLWK WKH ULJKW WRSRORJ\ FRPPXQLFDWLRQV DQG VRIWZDUH FDQ FRQWULEXWH WR D GDWD FHQWUH¡V '&,0 VWUDWHJ\

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hile data centre operators endeavour to manage ICT environments that are ever more complex, diverse and dynamic, they are also under pressure to be as energy-efďŹ cient and green as possible.

Data centre infrastructure management, or DCIM, is gaining in popularity as a solution, with Gartner viewing it as one of today’s most signiďŹ cant areas of green computing.

DCIM looks at data centres and their internal functions from a high level. These include data centre design, asset discovery, systems management functions, capacity planning and energy management; together, they provide an overall view of the data centre, ranging from the rack or cabinet level to the cooling infrastructure and energy utilisation.

DCIM encourages efďŹ cient energy use, optimised equipment layouts, supports virtualisation and consolidation, and improves data centre availability. Ultimately, it allows balancing of computing and power capacity against IT load even as it changes rapidly; holding computing costs down in a dynamic environment.

As cooling and power systems, including uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs), contribute signiďŹ cantly to availability, capital costs and energy use, facilities managers as well as IT specialists are stakeholders in DCIM strategies. In particular, bringing the UPS into the DCIM environment provides signiďŹ cant beneďŹ ts in securing data centre availability and efďŹ ciency. This relationship works best if DCIM/UPS communication is two-way.

The DCIM software monitors the UPS status, and can make tactical or strategic decisions that drive changes to the UPS’s operation, maintenance plan or conďŹ guration.

UPS COMMUNICATIONS The UPS’s contribution depends on its topology, communications capabilities and software. With a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) connection a UPS becomes an intelligent network device, which can be interrogated by the DCIM. SNMP is a vendorand platform-independent standard protocol that allows many devices to be monitored and controlled from a single location. It also enables interfacing with other network management systems that may be used by different DCIM subsystems and components.

Exact functionality depends on the manufacturer and software, but remote control and rebooting of UPS-protected devices over the network or Internet should be supported, together with protection of information through automatic and graceful shutdown of multiple critical load devices when an extended power blackout threatens UPS battery autonomy.

Activity and alarm logging should be implemented, so that operators are made aware of problems and can resolve them before they cause outages.

Electrical Review | November 2016

PW9000 DPA module being pulled out

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE | 11

Other desirable features include security through SSL and SSH data encryption and authentication, and automatically serving web pages in the selected local language. Reaching engineers and managers away from the control desk with real-time email, mobile phone or SMS alarm messages is also useful, or in some cases essential. Regular status updates are important, as they can highlight trends such as frequency of power cuts that may warrant further investigation.

Battery monitoring and charging control are critical, as battery health is fundamental to the UPS’s role. Frequent measurement of cell internal resistance, temperature and voltage gives an indication of battery condition and developing problems. Faulty cells can be identified and exchanged; additionally, a satisfactory battery health report tells operators that the backup autonomy will actually be available as specified when an extended power blackout does occur. Access to this measured data is important, as a battery’s quoted design life cannot be relied upon.

Operational and environmental factors, such as charge/discharge cycles, depth of discharge and elevated ambient temperatures, can compromise this figure significantly.

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The best UPS topology today uses modular design, as this allows flexibility and scalability fit for modern dynamic data centre loads. One modular UPS system, for example, comprises a vertical racking enclosure that will accept from one to five 100 kVA modules. This eliminates wasted power in unnecessary hardware, as a system can start with just enough capacity for the load. Even if DCIM reporting forecasts a rapid increase in demand, this can be met in minutes – without interrupting protected power – by plugging in more ‘hotswap’ modules as required. Up to six enclosures can be paralleled to extend capacity right up to 3 MVA. This modular approach ultimately contributes to UPS availability as well. As extra capacity can be added incrementally by plugging in another module, N+1 redundant configurations can easily be set up. For example four 100 kVA modules can share a 300 kVA load, so that if a single module fails the others can still fully support the load. The fast addition of a “hot-swap” module releases an extremely low MTTR, which contributes to higher UPS availability, with figures up to ‘six nines’ (99.9999%) being achievable.

As data centre loads become ever larger, more complex and changeable, DCIM offers a logical management solution while achieving greener, more highly-available data centres. UPSs with the right topology, software and communications capabilities can contribute significantly to these objectives.

For further information please contact: Uninterruptible Power Supplies Limited, a Kohler company

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12 | FACTORY AUTOMATION

Can you predict your motor’s life?

Proper motor protection and a condition monitoring solution can help you determine how and when a motor might fail so you can pre-empt the problem. Bill Martin, product manager, Electronic Overload Relays, Rockwell Automation, explains

W

e’ve all done it — pushed a product a little too hard.

A garbage disposal, for example. If we put something too big or too tough down that drain and hear the pained whir of a motor fighting for life, we know to shut it down and wait. And if we’re not fast enough, a safety switch will do the job for us, preventing overheating.

Do that little manoeuver too often, though, and you’ve shortened the life of your disposal.

The same thing happens with the motor powering a mechanical load. Push too hard, too often, and you’ve got the potential for unforeseen downtime while the overheated

motor shuts down, cools off and gets ready to start again.

Older motor protection technology will protect a motor from overheating by shutting the motor down — but that’s reactive (after the problem) rather than proactive. Production stops while the motor recovers, potentially risking hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

Now, instead of an electro-mechanical solution, some electronic-based options are available that monitor the motor electrically and mechanically to help you predict how and when a motor might fail so you can preempt the problem. If the motor does fail, the diagnostics will help you resolve the

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Electrical Review | November 2016

problem as quickly as possible.

The secret of electronic overload relays for electrical motor protection and condition monitoring equipment for mechanical protection is in how information about what’s happening inside the motor is communicated to the outside world.

Together, they can more accurately predict when a motor might fail so you can make a decision about how to proceed.

In many cases, every second counts. For example, say you’re mixing cement. You have 30 seconds left in the process and the motor will trip in 45. Now you know: You can keep going without risking the batch or the motor. You have better information and

14 | FACTORY AUTOMATION

with it, you can make better decisions.

This is only one example of the data available. If you’re on an energymanagement agreement and several times a year your utility wants you to cut usage, with data provided by the electronic overload relay, you can quickly assess how much power (kW) each motor is using and shut down non-critical loads.

This advancement is especially useful if you’re now using a common form of motor maintenance — the smart phone.

I’ve seen it too often — you don’t know a motor is tripped until you walk past it, followed by a call to maintenance. This all takes time. Instead, electronic-based motor protection can send a signal to the control station and a message to maintenance before the shutdown. If the motor does trip, all the data about the event is captured for examination to help prevent a repeat in the future.

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16 | AUTOMATION

Manufacturing the connected car Back in the 1960s, animated sitcom The Jetsons depicted the car of the future as a levitating FDSVXOH WKDW Ă HZ WKURXJK WKH DLU WR GURS PDLQ FKDUDFWHU *HRUJH -HWVRQ DW WKH RIĂ€FH EHIRUH IROGLQJ XS LQWR KLV EULHIFDVH :KLOH Ă \LQJ FDUV DUH VWLOO RXW RI UHDFK WKH DGRSWLRQ RI FORXG FRPSXWLQJ LQ DXWRPRWLYH PDQXIDFWXULQJ LV KHOSLQJ FUHDWH D QHZ FDU RI WKH IXWXUH

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ere Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete parts supplier, EU Automation discusses the increasing use of cloud computing and mobile devices in automotive manufacturing.

Designers, engineers, supply chain experts and production organisations all collaborate in the ďŹ rst stages of automotive manufacturing to ensure the ďŹ nal product functions well, is appealing to its target market and will not become a victim of obsolescence. Traditionally, having so many parties involved would mean the design was passed from pillar to post before completion, but cloud-based platforms allow these cross-functional teams to Electrical Review | November 2016

work on new designs in real-time, sharing information to speed up innovation.

Sharing data easily means designs are completed more quickly and there is less risk of missing deadlines. Furthermore, automotive manufacturers create fewer errors in the initial product design stages.

These beneďŹ ts lead to increased proďŹ ts once the vehicle model is released.

The automotive industry already has one of the most complex supply chains in manufacturing, but the popularity of the connected vehicle is expected to increase rapidly over the next few years. This will make the supply chain yet more complex and pave the way for analytics, mobile and social technologies.

A connected vehicle is equipped with internet access and, usually, a wireless local area network. This allows the vehicle’s onboard technology to communicate, as well as sharing information with devices outside the vehicle. This technology offers beneďŹ ts to the driver, including automatic notiďŹ cation of crashes, notiďŹ cation of speeding and safety alerts.

A connected vehicle can also make each journey much more enjoyable for the driver, as they often have integrated voice command software, hands-free controls and an extensive entertainment system, usually connected to a smart phone.

Future automotive technologies and connected vehicle features, such as location-

18 | AUTOMATION

based services and urban-area wireless traffic networks, increase the need for additional onboard components including sensors, embedded software and integrated networking. Some manufacturers will have little experience dealing with such mechanisms, so collaboration with component manufacturers is vital.

Often, component manufacturers can be scattered across the globe. When different design parties in various time zones are making changes to the original design, modifications can often be missed causing problems further down the line. A cloudbased design system sends contributors a notification when changes are made to the design, keeping all parties in the loop.

Automotive manufacturers were the first to pioneer the concept of digital twinning, in which the design of a car will exist virtually as well as in reality. But it doesn’t stop at the car itself, there can also be a digital twin of the manufacturing environment, replicating the minutiae and detail of production, including the make and model of the motors, drive and PLCs used in the process.

“The Digital Twin represents all of the digital information collected about that specific physical asset—we collect its history, the conditions under which it has been used, its configuration, who has touched it to repair it and more. The idea is to optimise analytics and maximize the life of the individual asset, optimize its performance, and optimize a set of assets across a fleet,” explained Arnold Lund, PhD, Computational and Industrial Experience Labs Technology Leader at GE in a whitepaper entitled Advanced Manufacturing’s Impact on

Optimise analytics and maximise life the Global Economy.

The complex supply chain I mentioned earlier can also be replicated, with a virtual twin of the manufacturing plant used by each supplier in the tiering system also being created. The manufacturer and the other companies that make up the team can then

validate this virtual environment. As a result, in the event of a breakdown, it is often easier to make like for like replacements of components, such as robots, conveyors and drives, than it is to replace the damaged parts with new systems, which in turn need to be re-validated.

In the automotive industry, there is no room for mistakes. Manufacturers need to ensure that, when the final product leaves their facility, it is ready to be used and nothing will go wrong. Using cloud-based software during the manufacturing phase ensures changes are tracked and final component tests can be easily logged and managed before being used in the final product.

While the connected car of the future might not be able to fly, and certainly won’t fold up into a briefcase, it will be safer, more enjoyable to drive and less likely to fall victim to obsolescence. However, unless automotive manufacturers embrace the cloud now, they risk losing out to more tech-savvy competitors. As George Jetson’s boss, Mr Spacely once said, “lost time means lost money”.

Head Office Unit 5 Eagle Point, Telford Way, Wakefield 41 Industrial Estate, Wakefield, WF2 OXW Tel: +44 (0) 1924 871 558 (24 hours) Fax: +44 (0) 1924 871559 Email: enquiries@spec-ltd.com Southern office, Aldershot: Unit 13, Pegasus Court, North Lane, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU12 7QH Tel: +44 (0)1252 315409 Fax: +44 (0)1252 338290

SPEC Ltd has recently expanded its services to meet the individual needs and demands of the customer to become a national company with regional presence.

Communication and a customer-focused approach are at the heart of our service, with staff that are able to talk your language and help you achieve your requirements effectively and safely to your timescales and specifications.

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To date SPEC Ltd operate and maintain over 2,500 HV connected sites nationwide.

Oxford office: Unit 15 Tower Road Industrial Estate Tower Road, Berinsfield, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 7LN Tel: +44 (0)1865 343564 Fax: +44 (0)1865 341902 Midlands office: Unit 4 Woden Court Saxon Business Park Handbury Road Bromsgrove B60 4AD Tel: +44 (0)1527 836961 Washington Office The Hub New Century House Crowther Road, Washington Tyne & Wear NE38 JAQ Tel: 0191 5166306

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20 | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Enhancing the installer experience

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nnovation and continued growth are the key themes driving the Marco business forward. As we approach the end of the year, Jeff Kerridge, sales manager at Marco, discusses the major developments to define the business across the 12 months and what that means for customers, current and new: “Marco has and continues to pride itself on its refusal to stand still and become complacent. Product development has always formed an important part of the business, be it the launch of new products, creation of supporting accessories or adaptations of existing products. Our ability to listen, digest and react undoubtedly sets us apart from our competitors and we’re are undeniably a customer driven business.

“This year sees the launch of a series of new products that will support our customers in meeting their specifications and challenges on site. Each design has been developed to address a very specific challenge, providing a simple and accessible solution.

The first of these is the new G-shape wire cable tray which has been created for use in under desk cable management and above suspended ceilings for service containment in small voids.”

The unique shape of the tray allows for both wall and ceiling mounting, and reduces the need for suspension brackets by being directly fixed to a solid surface using MCCL or MCCL25 clamp plates.

Kerridge continued: “The G-Shape tray has been designed following feedback from contractors, and will be particularly beneficial in confined spaces.”

Adding further to the expanding product group is the CavityFloor Box. Designed as a power and data outlet for raised floor applications, the floor box is able to house a large number of accessories and outlets being ideal for use in open plan office environments offering versatile and flexible floor space.

Marco has also launched its ‘Quik-Clik’ steel wire cable tray which is supplied with a pre-attached, new design coupler (MCFJC), enabling two lengths of tray to be fixed securely together without the need for any nuts and bolts or additional

Electrical Review | November 2016

fixing tools. The new, innovative design MCFJC accessory, couples in less than two seconds and can be removed and reattached, ensuring that once the tray is cut to size, the coupler is still functional.

Kerridge continued: “Specifying this product does require a certain amount of preplanning and preparation but the overall savings in terms of time are significant. We’ve started to test all of these products and market reaction has been incredibly positive. We need to be in tune with our customers’ needs where speed and ease of installation is key. If we can save even a few seconds for example on each fixing, that saving can be quite dramatic overall.”

Kerridge added: “This is a really exciting time for the business. Throughout our history, we’ve worked extremely hard to develop and fine-tune our business model, continually investing in people and machinery to ensure that our products, processes and infrastructure are of the highest standard. This has undoubtedly paid off for us and we are now in a really strong position as a UK market leader.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE | 23

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22 | CABLE MANAGEMENT

Turning a blind eye to IP4X compliance It is over four years since an amendment to the Wiring Regulations introduced tougher standards for non-sheathed, single insulated cable trunking installations, yet compliance problems still exist. Tim Brown, national sales manager at cable management specialist Unitrunk, looks at the requirements, examines the reasons for non-compliance and calls for an industry-wide approach to tackle the problem

O

ut of sight, out of mind.

Unfortunately, the old adage too often applies to cable management installations in buildings. It’s more than four years since an amendment to the latest edition of the Wiring Regulations introduced more stringent standards in terms of trunking, yet we are still coming across installations that do not meet the regulations. Are specifiers and contractors unaware of the changes, or are they turning a blind eye because they deem it an unnecessary burden and an additional cost without clear safety benefits?

BS7671 : 2008 – Amendment No.1:2011, which came into force on 1st January 2012, requires the installation of IP4X trunking for all UK non-sheathed, single insulated cable trunking installations. Previously, the Wiring Regulations had called for trunking solutions for these kind of cables to meet the IP3 standard. Indeed, the IP3 standard is still deemed acceptable for doubleinsulated cabling installations, as well as data cabling trunking.

Out of sight out of mind Section 521.10.1 of the Wiring Regulations states: ‘Non-sheathed cables are permitted if the cable trunking system provides at least the degree of protection IPXXD or IP4X, and if the cover can only be removed by means of a tool or deliberate action’.

An additional note was included as part of Amendment 3 in January 2015 which reads: ‘For a trunking system to meet IP4X requirements, IP4X trunking and related Electrical Review | November 2016

system components would need to be installed. If a system includes site-fabricated joints the installer must confirm the completed item meets at least the degree of protection IPXXD’.

The guidance couldn’t be clearer but there remains a lack of understanding and compliance on this apsect of the wiring regulations. There is a definite need for an industry-wide approach to address the issue.

An unnecessary change?

You could, of course, question the need for this change to the Regulations. In my view, there are far more pressing matters worthy of attention if you are looking to improve safety in electrical installations.

The change in industry trunking standards certainly doesn’t run in tandem with the drivers for ease and speed of installation seen in initiatives such as BIM (Building Information Modelling). The requirement

for trunking to be rated at IP4X or IPXXD means additional cost on site and cable management solutions that are slower to install, flying in the face of everything we are looking to achieve with BIM. It was an unnecessary change to my mind.

Yet we are where we are. Let’s take a look at what is now required in the Wiring Regulations. IP – or ‘Index of Protection’– is defined in the standard BS EN 60529:1992 as the degree of protection an enclosure provides against a series of external agents. Products with a rated voltage of no more than 72.5 kV are given a classification based on their performance in protecting persons against access to the hazardous parts inside the enclosure, and the way the electrical equipment inside is protected from foreign objects.

IP4X and IPXXD-rated trunking systems offer a high degree of protection. For

24 | CABLE MANAGEMENT

example, to achieve the IP4X standard, an enclosure needs to offer full protection against solid foreign objects larger than 1mm. In order to test this, a 1mm probe or wire, measuring 100mm in length, is applied with a force of 1N ± 10% and it is not allowed to enter the enclosure being tested.

IPXXD enclosures are subject to the same test, but the probe (no greater than 1mm in diameter) is allowed to enter the trunking provided it does not touch any hazardous parts – ie a non-sheathed cable. Therefore, the protection offered by an IP4X system is greater than that of one that meets the IPXXD standard.

SPECIFICATION SHORTFALL There are many reasons for the lack of compliance being reported on electrical installations designed after 1 January 2012. The first is lack of specification.

More often than not, there will simply be no mention of IP4X or IPXXD in cable management specifications, other than the statutory statement of compliance to BS7671. This could be down to lack of awareness, and the industry does need to do more to make sure that consultants are up to speed with the latest requirements.

Yet, too often, cable management specifications are simply cut and paste from one project to the next. Unitrunk carries out CPD presentations around the country and, unfortunately, the knowledge in the industry is often at a very basic level, which can lead to all sorts of problems.

Electrical Review | November 2016

For example, I’ve seen specifications in recent years that state that the cable management should be equal or approved to a named manufacturer, a manufacturer that has not been around for 20 years or more. What sort of message does that send out if that is the level of knowledge that is present in the cable management sector?

LACK OF CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE The second reason for installations not meeting the regulations is lack of contractor compliance. Again, this may be down to lack of awareness of the changes to BS 7671 or contractors may take a view that IP4X provides an over-specified level of protection for most installations so the market is not driving compliance either. The poor policing of the regulations means that they can install to the previous standard, safe in the knowledge that the installation is unlikely to be found out. It goes without saying that this would be a breach of BS 7671 – a serious offence. Yet, it is clear that that some in the market are installing trunking systems for non-sheathed cabling that do not meet the IP4X or IPXXD standard. Non-compliant installations are continuing apace because policing of the regulations is not consistent.

Contractors face practical problems too.

If a system includes site-fabricated joints, the installer must confirm the completed item meets at least the degree of protection IPXXD. What contractor carries a 1 mmwide test probe in their tool box? How can

they be sure that they have applied it with a force of 1N ± 10% out on site? With the best will in the world, this is just not going to happen.

Of course, contractors will be put off by the additional cost of compliance, both in terms of material and labour. While most cable management suppliers, including Unitrunk, offer an IP4X product, there is no doubt that there are added costs of manufacturing to create the required solutions. Too often, the industry will default to the cheapest solution rather than the one that is best for the job.

At Unitrunk, we are working on our IP4X trunking solution to reduce the price, thereby encouraging specification and compliance. Providing a secure solution for lid joints and accessories where they butt together is the key to a successful solution.

Ultimately, though, there is a still a cost premium to IP4X solutions, and that’s the case whatever the manufacturer.

It’s time that the industry got together and tackled this issue. It is more than four years since the Regulations came into force – either we start to enforce it or we forget about it. Unitrunk is playing its part, touring the country to carry out CPD seminars to increase education amongst the consultancy and contractor communities to help address the issue. Ultimately, the requirement must either be removed from the regulations or uniformly enforced to enable all nonsheathed cable installations to be costed on a like-for-like basis between suppliers.

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Atlas launches introduction to lightning protection seminar The Association of Technical Lightning and Access Specialists (Atlas) has launched an Introduction to Lightning Protection seminar, to provide construction professionals with a better understanding of the lightning protection industry

T

he half-day seminar, which has been partfunded by CITB, will provide delegates with an overview of the industry standard BS EN 62305, the competencies which lightning protection installers and testers should have, training routes and qualifications. Aimed at new entrants, clients, facilities managers, construction and building management professionals, the seminars will be presented by experienced lightning protection and construction training experts and provide delegates with an understanding of how their role interacts with the specialism.

Recognising the increasing demand for lightning protection information Atlas has also contributed to the recently launched e-learning video, Lightning Protection: A Look at the Theory, Practice and Installation of a Lightning Protection System. The hour-long Navigator Productions e-learning session can be used for individual learning or to form the basis of a Toolbox Talk.

Jason Harfield, Atlas president said: “Clients, facilities managers and other construction professionals are increasingly aware of the importance of lightning protection. This half-day seminar offers delegates the opportunity to learn more about this highly specialist sector and will drive future training opportunities. ATLAS’ partnership with Navigator Productions further demonstrates our commitment to educating the wider industry about the importance of lightning protection and the need to adhere to recognised industry standards.”

The first ‘Introduction to Lightning Protection’ seminar will take place on 3 November in Nottingham, with further seminars planned in 2017.

www.electricalreview.co.uk

28 | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Check your UPS battery performance whilst maintaining your critical load The latest battery capacity re-injection functionality from Socomec enables the UPS’ own batteries to directly check battery performance without the need to external load bank – the ultimate protection for your critical assets

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he latest UPS systems from Socomec have been engineered to the highest standards, providing a robust and reliable system. The reliability of a UPS system is however, not only dependant on the UPS but also the batteries, load specifications and operating environment.

Batteries are often cited as the most common cause of UPS system failure, the design of the battery system together with battery performance is a key element of any UPS system. Extending UPS battery life and back-up time through a programme of regular maintenance and management is vital for guaranteeing the ongoing performance of UPS systems and providing power security to organisation’s critical assets together with optimising the battery investment.

Batteries are the workhorse of every UPS system, they must be operating at peak performance in order for a UPS to guarantee the critical power supply, high temperatures, frequent cycles, deep discharge, high voltage recharge and a lack of regular maintenance will all reduce the lifecycle and performance of a battery.

Preventing outages and minimising costly downtime are challenges faced by every facilities manager, the regular maintenance and replacement of batteries forms a critical element of every business continuity plan.

WHEN DID YOU LAST CARRY OUT A BATTERY-CHECK? Although the UPS system plays a significant role in ensuring the availability, reliability and quality of the electrical supply, at the heart of any critical power protection system are the batteries; their effectiveness is essential for mitigating against load downtime.

Batteries are, however the most vulnerable and failure-prone component of the UPS system.

One of the most frequent causes of unplanned outages in an UPS system is premature end of life of battery blocks. If undetected, a failing battery block can accelerate aging within the rest of the battery string, there by jeopardising the integrity of supply to the critical load.

The single most effective way to ensure the reliability of the UPS system is to conduct preventive maintenance including regular battery checks and replacements.

Typically, in order to perform a safe and effective battery check, reviewing the operating environment and main battery parameters at string level - the UPS manufacturer will carry out a series of regular checks in order to keep the equipment operating at optimum levels and to avoid system downtime along with the associated risks of damage to the critical loads.

Every facilities manager will be familiar with the operating and infrastructure constraints associated with planning and executing Electrical Review | November 2016

regular UPS system checks. The design of the switchboard is one key point; availability and access to connection points for load test banks, as well as the management of high heat dissipation during the tests all require careful review, planning, risk assessments and the associated method statements. The safety of staff and building security both have to be carefully reviewed and managed during the load bank tests. Furthermore, the costs associated with the test process can be a burden on an already stretched operating budget.

Whilst the manpower for such tests may be accounted for indirectly via the wider preventive maintenance budget, it is frequently necessary to incur other significant costs in terms of load bank and cable hire costs etc.

EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT BATTERY CHECKS – ONLINE Socomec’s latest innovation with the Delphys Green Power and the Delphys Xtend Green Power range of UPS the process of conducting battery discharge testing is simplified.

Socomec’s innovative Battery Capacity Reinjection function enables the battery to be discharged to the upstream mains network through the UPS rectifier. This function is carried out online with the load fully protected.

The UPS rectifier acts as a current generator synchronised to the mains voltage; the reinjected power is active power (KW) only, there is no reinjection of reactive power (kVAR). The reinjected current is sinusoidal, and therefore does not affect the LV installation. If mains power is lost during the test, the reinjection is automatically stopped with no effect to the system load. For an N+1 or 2N installation the system autonomy is ensured by the other units.

During a routine Battery Capacity Reinjection test carried out by a Socomec technician, the reinjected power is consumed by the other loads or UPS systems on the site. The reinjection test requires no changes to cabling within the existing installation. The battery discharge power (kW) is constant and configurable.

This innovative Socomec UPS function enables the routine maintenance and testing of the critical UPS system and batteries to be easily carried out without the need for additional load banks or cabling. As well as the financial benefit of no longer needing to hire load banks and cabling, the Socomec reinjection function simplifies the operational planning associated with such tests.

To find out how to simplify your battery health checks – and to guarantee optimised performance – call 01285 863300 or email info.uk@socomec.com www.socomec.co.uk

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30 | INFRASTRUCTURE

Flexible fibre infrastructure boosts serviceability and up time Unforeseen downtime within enterprise and datacentres is an expensive and reputation damaging occurrence and one which in many situations can be mitigated against. Michael Adams, EMEA director at Panduit explains

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ata centre operators are targeting increased data transaction rates in order to maximise utilisation of active, revenue-generating equipment. This may involve optimising installed infrastructure or retro-fitting higher bandwidth capabilities. Evolving the data centre infrastructure to a higher density performance platform enables the operator to leverage technological advances in expensive processor and storage real estate. The addition of increased processing efficiency through high speed fibre use is an evolutionary step to higher performance in a market where annual global data traffic will soon pass the zettabyte milestone.

Where previously the cost of fibre connections and the associated hardware were barriers to introduction, growing numbers of organisations are transitioning from 10G Ethernet to 40G/50G/100G Ethernet, or from 8G Fibre Channel to 16G/32G/64G Fibre Channel. Moreover, data centre operators are utilising specific infrastructure strategies to deploy fibre circuits in mission critical or high return areas of the site. This strategy utilises specific cabling to defined areas within the data centre providing high speed connections where it is needed.

A fundamental aspect in today’s ever increasing volume of data is how to improve Up Time. The cost of unplanned outages has more than doubled over six years from $1million to $2.4million (see Bar Chart 1). And 91-percent of data centres will experience unplanned down time during their first two years of operation. With 59-percent of down time attributed to the physical layer, operators and owners can mitigate expensive outages through the right infrastructure choice.

Today’s high-density fibre optic cabling systems can meet the need to optimise existing data centre space, enabling organisations to meet business demands for higher data rates and capacity while minimising the costs of space and new equipment.

OPTIMISING CONNECTION DENSITY IS ESSENTIAL IN MEETING INCREASED DATA DEMAND While traditional high-density fibre enclosures support the port counts required, their design typically results in hard to manage clusters of cables in the back of the enclosure. This bunching of cables creates crowded access points and components that are difficult and time consuming to access. For example, fibre cables positioned in the front and rear of the enclosure often block access to connectors or cassettes. Poor approaches to structured cabling systems makes it difficult for engineers to undertake IT equipment moves, adds and changes (MACs). In addition, this Electrical Review | November 2016

can also constrict air movement in the cabinet, increasing cooling costs and driving up IT equipment fan speeds. In an environment where PUE (power utilization effectiveness) has become a serious consideration it is essential to ensure the correct PUE rating is achieved and maintained.

Time-consuming to deploy and even more challenging to service, the traditional fibre enclosure has become a barrier to fulfilling MACs, making it difficult to fulfill service tasks without disrupting adjacent circuits. The result is often costly outages, especially in revenue-producing applications such as e-commerce.

Current enclosures enclose a collection of components built for a specific network design. As requirements have changed it has been found that the traditional enclosure hinders serviceability, network reliability and deployment, and therefore more flexible systems are needed.

A solution to affordable, flexible fibre infrastructure requires new thinking regarding the fundamental components of the system. Developers need to understand the requirements of enclosure systems, high speed data channels as well as data center operators’ requirement for easier MACs and the flexibility to migrate to higher data speeds as businesses push for evergreater transaction volumes. The HD Flex™ Fibre Cabling System addresses these needs with a number of innovative approaches.

As IT managers are increasingly tasked with providing higher data speeds and controlling costs by maximising return on assets, this high density fibre cabling system is optimised for serviceability and manageability. The system enables installers and data centre technicians to quickly and safely complete MACs while simultaneously providing the scalability to increase density as business demands evolve.

Cable management within the cabinet is split left and right in order to channel the cables away to the side of the enclosure, optimising trunk installation and management. This arrangement eliminates “cable congestion”, a key causes in service delays. Cables are easily accessible from the left and right sides of the fibre enclosure. This provides greater access to installed connectors and cassettes as well as the ability to add new cabling whenever necessary. Even when cable density reaches peak capacity.

REAR TRUNK CABLE MANAGEMENT The rear trunk cable manager provides a template for mounting cables and side channel managers to direct fibre cable away from the rear of the enclosures, allowing easy

INFRASTRUCTURE | 31

access to critical connections.

Enclosure temperature is more efficiently controlled with clear airflow around the cables and equipment to the front and rear of the cabinet, optimising cooling to equipment operating at high output.

FRONT AND BACK CASSETTE ACCESSIBILITY Cassettes can be installed from the front or the back of the enclosure. With a split-tray design they simply slide in and are locked into place. This not only speeds serviceability and deployment, but also streamlines migrations from 10G Ethernet to 40G/ 50G/100G Ethernet, when cassettes are replaced with fibre adapter panels (FAPs).

The modular cassettes are convertible between 4, 6 or extra wide 12-port configurations providing a highly flexible fibre system that can accommodate a wide range of current and future polarization mode dispersion (PMDs). Flexible options are necessary when deploying a fibre infrastructure as the operator migrates to higher network speeds. The cassettes are available with integrated, shuttered LC adapters for dust protection of unused sockets and ease of trace links.

Current enclosures and panels can be converted to support either 6-port (12-fibre) or 12-port (24-fibre) cassettes and adapters, this offers operators the maximum flexibility to deploy any network architecture, fibre infrastructure, network type, either duplex or parallel. The operator now has the confidence that they can adapt their infrastructure to meet whatever future requirements may arise.

SPLIT-TRAY DESIGN Fulfilling MACs can put a data centre at risk of service interruptions, making it vital to perform these daily tasks without disrupting adjacent circuits. A recent Gartner report stated “...the cost of network downtime, based on industry surveys, is $5600 per minute, which extrapolates to well over

$300,000 per hour.”

This fibre infrastructure system provides a secure, easy-tomanage environment that allows the data centre to adapt to ever-changing demands. The split-tray design enables maintenance technicians to minimise circuit disruption as they only move half of the fibre connections within any tray, providing greater access to both connections and cassettes without impacting nearby circuits. Cassettes can be installed and removed by dropping-in or pulling out vertically - this allows cassettes to be serviced without disturbing adjacent cassette patch cords, which will mitigate a major cause of service disruption.

To increase the engineers MAC speed, trays come with slide and lock capabilities and can be positioned in three locations: Home (closed), Service (fully extended) or midway in the MAC position, simplifying connection management and cassette access. This system requires a single technician for installation.

For example: • An multifibre push on (MPO) parking feature enables a single installer to perform rapid cable plant migrations to 40G/100G Ethernet • High-density shuttered cassettes with 72 LC ports and 72 MPO ports per rack unit (RU) enable one-for-one port migrations from 10G to 40G/100G Ethernet within the same RU. The HD Flex™ Fibre Cabling System addresses today’s requirements for increasingly higher density levels, delivering simplified management while helping data centre operators maximise return on assets and minimise downtime. This modular, integrated fibre system can save up to two-thirds of the RU space compared to 24-port systems and one-third for 48-port systems, for both LC and MPO connectivity, providing no loss of density at the panel when migrating LC ports to MPO. The system is engineered to accommodate the dynamic lifecycle of today’s high-performance data centres, delivering serviceability, network reliability and ease of deployment. www.electricalreview.co.uk

32 | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Effective Fault Management for Increasing Generation Demand Following three and a half years of successful experience in live operation, GridON and Wilson Transformer Company are announcing a new family of cost-effective Fault Current Limiters (FCL-DG) with smaller footprint for mid-to-high voltage applications. GridON’s established technology has been further enhanced to offer a cost-effective solution for distribution grid operators, industrial customers and independent power producers.

G

rowing demand for connecting Distributed Generation (DG) sources has been causing major challenges – in particular mitigation of additional fault current introduced with DG connection. Network operators will not authorise DG connection without proven means for protecting the network from excessive fault currents levels.

Independent Power Producers (IPP) are often required to make significant capital and resource investments in order to reduce fault current exposure, and to be able to connect. This requirement often translates to postponement of the connection and significant incurred costs. In some cases, where DG is over-subscribed, it may not be possible for a new IPP to connect at all. GridON in partnership with Wilson Transformer Company are offering a costeffective solution for expanding decentralised generation sources.

GridON and Wilson Transformer Company offer a breakthrough Fault Current Limiter for network operators, power producers and industrial customers. By suppressing excessive fault currents, GridON’s FCLs enable increased supply by cost-effective network meshing and connection of power generation and renewable energy sources. The FCL improves grid resilience and reliability and significantly lowers capital expenditures and operating costs.

Independent Power Producers are now able to apply this novel FCL-DG for cost effective and reliable connection of decentralised energy sources, while controlling their prospective fault currents.

10MVA,11kV FCL in service in UK Power Networks.

The FCL-DG will expedite connection time and reduce costs.

The FCL-DG instantly suppresses excessive current and recovers to normal load rapidly upon fault clearance - being always ready for consecutive short circuit events. The FCL-DG is reliable and robust, and very easy to install and maintain.

The patented design concept has been extensively simulated on ANSYS Maxwell 3D software to evaluate its variable impedance under normal load and fault conditions. System X/R ratio is an important input. Network load flow simulations are separately performed for fault scenarios in different parts of the network with and without the FCL. Impact of FCLs on system protection and major system components is thoroughly assessed prior to an FCL installation. Lightning Impulse, thermal and dynamic shortcircuit strength of the FCL is further analysed using standard power transformer FEM software.

Various prototype and commercial FCLs manufactured so far have been rigorously tested in the transformer factory and a certified short circuit test laboratory, with multiple fault conditions and fault levels with maximum asymmetry. Field results, laboratory results and design simulations have shown good correlation amongst themselves.

For more information about FCL and other innovative products, please visit our website www.wtc.com.au

DECENTRALISED GENERATION EXAMPLE: Typical distributed generation source (like gas and wind) is being connected to 11-33kV grids. Following is an example of a 20MVA gas generation plant, connecting to a 33kV distribution network. The prospective fault current from the independent power producer side may reach 1,500A, while the network operator’s requirement is keeping additional fault current under Electrical Review | November 2016

600A at all times. An FCL installed in the feeder connection to the network will guarantee that all fault currents will be limited under 600A level.

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34 | ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

An Energy-Efficient Lighting Control Strategy

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uilding controls specialist BEG has helped a freight forward and logistics company become more energy efficient following its move to a new purpose-built facility.

Founded in 1988, Southampton Freight Services, had outgrown the premises it had operated from the last 17 years and set its sights on a converted building in Totton, Southampton. This included two warehouses, one fully racked for its bonded storage, and the other designed to accommodate its fast moving ‘in transit’ operation.

BEG was tasked with meeting SFS managing director Ross Negus’s ‘desire to push home energy efficiency, carbon friendliness and the company’s overall green credentials’.

The German manufacturer tailored the lighting systems to the specific needs of SFS’s individual spaces after a full investigation of each room’s use, how many employees would be working in these spaces and how much daylight the windows let in.

B.E.G. used Luxomat PD2 sensors in the main office areas and meeting rooms as these environments required an occupancy detector that could measure the constant light changes. The BEG sensor is designed to give a ‘constant daylight appraisal’ which provides significant benefits over conventional detectors which are not capable of carrying out these features.

BEG business development manager, Keith Martindale said: “We positioned the BEG sensors near the desk areas so as to utilise the seated figure – the ‘pick-up range’ where the detector is at its most sensitive – which allows it to detect small movements such as when a person is sitting at a computer terminal.

“The switching control of the groups of luminaires had to be considered – the window area would be brighter than the back of

Electrical Review | November 2016

the room and during the day would be subject to more daylight influence – so we used B.E.G. sensors that can switch-off the group of luminaires near the window if the light level goes above the threshold selected. By not using luminaires, if they are not required, assists with saving energy and reducing operating costs.”

In the bathroom areas, stairwells and general workspaces, BEG fitted surface-mounted and flush mounted sensors B.E.G. Luxomat® PD3s as a motion detector was suitable for these types of areas where there was no need for continuous ‘daylight appraisal’.

In the main warehouse and racking areas, BEG used its Luxomat PD4 range as Martindale explained: “We used PD4s in the area under the mezzanine area as this particular detector has a 24m diameter range as opposed to the PD3 being 10m diameter range.

“A bigger area needed to be covered in the general area of the warehouse so we used a different type of PD4 because these motion detectors can be mounted at approximately eight to 10 metres. This detector is specifically designed for warehouse operation and can be used up to heights of 14m so it was ideal.”

Mr Negus, SFS managing director, said: “The result of LED lighting throughout the warehouses and a mixture of low energy and subtle lighting solutions throughout the rest of the building work perfectly.

“The detail BEG provided in applying the correct sensors for each area, with the ability to change each individual setting depending on area usage, and with a mixture lumen, movement or audio sensors was the real cherry on top. We’re absolutely thrilled.”

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PRODUCTS | 37 SIMPLY SAVING ENERGY

COLOCATION FACILITY IN SWEDEN

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Danlers has launched a new range of High Bay PIR occupancy switches. The range is ideal for energy saving lighting control in areas such as factories, storage aisles, sports halls and entrance halls.

The products detect a person moving within the detection area and control the lights accordingly. Each product includes an adjustable time lag function plus and adjustable photocell.

There are versions for simply switching the lighting load on/off, as well as products for DALI, DSI or 1-10VDC ballasts, which automatically dim or brighten the lights in response to changes in the ambient light level.

EcoCooling, a leader in ultra-low PUE direct evaporative cooling and ventilation systems have recently started the second phase in a large colocation facility cooling project with Hydro66 through the The Node Pole Alliance.

The Node Pole region encompasses three municipalities in the very north of Sweden, just by the Arctic Circle, and has the potential to become a global hub for data traffic.

This is mostly due to its reliable power infrastructure, the ample supply of low cost renewable hydroelectric energy and low air temperatures ideal for natural cooling.

The Alliance members are companies from the technology and construction sectors who combine their knowledge and experience to build world-class data centres.

The choice for the project was the new Nordic grade ECT10800 internal CREC (computer room evaporative cooling) unit, EcoCooling’s energy efficient alternative to the CRAC for clients wanting the look and feel of a CRAC unit but the efficiency and cost savings of direct evaporative cooling.

Security products manufacturer, ESP, has plans to extend its Duceri Emergency Lighting range to bring new and improved products to market. First to be launched is a selfcontained emergency twin spotlight which delivers an improved light output.

The new, non-maintained twin spot emergency light (EM9WNM Spot 2) features two adjustable 15 SMD 2835 LED spot lamps – with green LED indicator - which supply a 248-lumen output and will provide efficient illumination for a range of applications including corridors, storerooms, workshops and high bay installations.

Tested to BS EN 60598-2-22 Standard, the IP65-rated emergency light is designed for wall mounting and features robustly constructed polycarbonate housing and heads. Economical use of the battery allows for a minimum three hours emergency duration.

EcoCooling • 01284 810586 www.ecocooling.co.uk

ESP • 01527 515150 www.espuk.com

Danlers • 01249 443377 www.danlers.co.uk

TWO-WIRE SIMPLICITY ESP is expanding its Aperta range of access control products with the launch of the new Aperta Audio 2-Wire Kit (APKITAO), which is designed to satisfy demand within the entry level segment of this growing sector.

The Audio 2-Wire Kit is easy to install and comes complete with a vandal-resistant and weatherproof external call point audio door station, a power supply unit and the internal handset. It offers 2-way audio with superior clarity and will operate at up to 100 metres wiring distance. The system has the capacity to support lock release switching, and can be expanded to two handsets, with an additional handset (APKITAOH) available separately.

ESP • 01527 515150 www.espuk.com

CABLING AND CONNECTOR SOLUTIONS Harting is now offering a wide range of M12 packaged interconnection solutions providing one of the most flexible and versatile product offerings on the market.

A key feature of Harting’s M12 range capabilities is the wide variety of preassembled cabling and field-assembly cable connector piece-part options, offering systems integrators and field installers a high degree of adaptability and minimising costs in factory automation and other industrial application environments.

The Harting product range supports the most popular M12 industry standard coding options including A-code for sensor, DeviceNet and power cabling, B-code for PROFIBUS, D-code for 10/100 Mbit/s and X-code for 1/10 Gbit/s Ethernet and L-code for 63 V DC power systems carrying either 12 or 16 Amps in applications including DC servomotors and drives, servo actuator valves and power supplies for sensor I/O modules.

Harting • 01604-827500 www.harting.co.uk

RANGE OF LOCK-OUTS Martindale Electric continues to lead the way in safe isolation with the addition of new professional electrical locking off devices and kits for miniature circuit breakers and fuse holders.

The new lockouts, provide simple and reliable solutions to ensure circuits have been de-energised and properly isolated prior to maintenance and modifications of plant and equipment, in accordance with HSG85, the Electricity at Work Regulations.

The new LOKKIT6 includes everything needed to lock off and label Red Spot or similar fuse holders as part of a safe isolation procedure. The kit includes the LOK6 universal fuse carrier lock off, a TAG4 warning tag and marker pen, plus a PAD10R padlock.

Martindale Electric • 01923 441717 www.martindale-electric.co.uk

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38 | PRODUCTS INCREASED DIMMING COMPATABILITY Megaman has announced the launch of a new selection of GU10 lamps that incorporate the company’s new Hybrid Reflector and U-DIM technology.

A new 4W (250lm) GU10 and 5W (360lm) dimming GU10, with 25,000 hours’ life, are now available in Megaman’s popular Economy range, whilst the Professional range sees the addition of a new 5.5W (500lm) and 7W (550lm) dimming GU10, both with 50,000 hours life.

All of the new dimming GU10’s incorporate MEGAMAN’s revolutionary U-DIM™ technology as standard – making the lamps compatible with the widest possible range of existing dimmers, whether they are leadingedge or trailing-edge.

Megaman • 01707 386000 www.megamanuk.com

DIRECT AND SIMPLE PAT TESTING Seaward has expanded its Apollo generation of portable appliance testers (PATs) with the introduction of a new 400 model.

The Seaward Apollo 400 has been introduced as a value for money mid-volume PAT where speed is of the essence and memory storage of test records are required.

The latest addition to the range has been designed to provide fast, flexible and straightforward electrical safety testing, with simple test data entry being accompanied by the downloading of results into an internal memory.

With the capability to carry out a comprehensive range of battery and mains powered electrical safety tests, the Apollo 400 ensures compliance with the IET 4th Edition Code of Practice.

Seaward • 0191 5863511 www.seaward.co.uk/apollo400

Electrical Review | November 2016

SMART SWITCHES Scolmore has introduced a range of Smart Switches to its iNELS Smart Wiring Accessories collection, making it easier than ever for installers to provide an upgrade to an existing wiring installation. Putting additional switches in more practical or convenient locations, for example, or the option to add two-way dimming, are all possible without the need for extra cabling.

The Smart Switches are compatible with Click iNELS RF wireless control systems to offer automated lighting control and they can be used with the iNELS switching and dimming receivers and unlike conventional dimmers, they allow you to dim from two locations.

Smart Switches consist of a Retractive Switch Module and Switch Cover Plate and are available in five switch types and in multiple finishes and styles from across the Click Wiring Accessory ranges to offer maximum choice.

Scolmore • 1827 63454 www.scolmore.com

PSI5 BUS ANALYSIS SUPPORT TO OSCILLOSCOPE

FREE ACCESS TO CALCULATOR FEATURE The innovative new mobile App from wiring accessories and lighting manufacturer, Scolmore Group, is packed full of features and calculators to make life easier for electricians on the job.

The free to download App features a complete range of searchable products (9,000 in total), product and tutorial videos, catalogue downloads and all the latest news and events to keep users up to date with all that’s happening in the company and the industry.

What sets the Scolmore App apart, is the ‘Tool Kit’ feature, which includes a selection of valuable calculators, designed to make it quick and easy for electricians to make essential calculations on the job. Included are Z’s values; Cable Selection and Voltage Drop; Power Factor; KVA Convertor; Cost Saving Calculator; Downlights Number Calculator; Resistance Calculator; Voltage Calculator; Current Calculator and Power Calculator.

Scolmore • 01827 63454 www.scolmore.com

NEW ELECTRICAL TRAINING CENTRE

Yokogawa announces support for Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) bus analysis on its 8 channel DLM4000 and 2 and 4 channel DLM2000 oscilloscopes. Yokogawa’s PSI5 support is a first for the industry, and makes its oscilloscopes uniquely useful for automotive designers and engineers.

The Peripheral Sensor Interface 5 (PSI5) is a widely used open standard based interface for in-vehicle communications in the automotive industry and a key application area is in the control of Air Bags. These systems play a major role in passenger safety and continue to increase in capability and complexity, so a reliable communication bus is critical. The effect of a non-functioning or malfunctioning Air Bag is extremely serious and can be life threatening.

A new high voltage (HV) electrical training facility has been equipped with specialist test equipment from Seaward to ensure the highest standards of technical tuition and learning.

Specialist training provider, Eastwood Park, in South Gloucestershire is introducing a new comprehensive programme of HV courses for Authorised Persons in the healthcare and commercial sectors, as well as technical managers and heads of departments who are responsible for the operation of private HV power distribution networks.

The courses are being delivered in a new purpose built facility that incorporates an 11KV control and distribution centre.

As part of the new investment at Eastwood Park, neon and digital high voltage indicators and digital phasing equipment manufactured by electrical test specialist Seaward have been installed.

Yokogawa • 01928 597100 www.yokogawa.com

Seaward • 0191 5863511 www.seaward.co.uk

CLASSIFIED | 39

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