June 2009
WIKA The ongoing trend towards automation, in almost all industrial sectors, results in a strongly increasing demand for electrical output signals. At the same time, displays without the need for an external power supply are needed, since they can guarantee a correct display of the process parameter, even if the power supply fails. WIKA bridges the gap between pressure gauge and high accuracy transmitter - with the intelliGAUGE family. See page 41
Regular FeaturesCover article Index to Advertisers
Are U enviroFicient?Energy - don't become complacent R Moodley, Johnson Controls The energy crisis has been a nasty wake up call that has impacted the entire country, whether you are a large enterprise or living in a bachelor flat. Faced with this crisis, it was truly encouraging to see how we came up with innovative ways to save energy and make do with what we had at our disposal.
Moreover by saving energy each of us, in our own small way, can now make a difference to our precious environment. Indeed, conserving energy not only addresses our country's current energy crisis but also forms part of a bigger picture that impacts our future and that of our children.
Take note
o Irrespective of the economic downturn, we need to reduce the demand for electrical energy.
o The energy crisis is alive and well.
o We are not in a safe zone.
About the author
Rally Moodley, Business Development Manager at Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions South Africa, has an extensive 18 years of experience in the field of facilities management and has worked with prestigious organisations like TFMC, EDC and Nedbank as Head of Facilities.
RoundUP CO2 'capture' technology for combined cycle power plants
Energy efficiency and urban environments
A Green award
Cables and Cable AccessoriesCables learn to talk G Joyce, LappKabel Cables are ubiquitous. Cables are reliable. However, cables can be damaged mechanically, damaged during a fault condition, overheat or suffer abuse. This article presents a new method for cable condition monitoring.
Take note
- Cables are integral components in any installation.
- Cable condition can traditionally only be assessed by contact/external measurement.
- Including RFID chips within a cable and its accessories allows non-contact assessment of various parameters.
About the author
Grant Joyce started his career as an instrumentation technician at AECI in Modderfontein. He then spent 15 years in the process control and automation field, two years in the connection solution industry and five years in product management. For the last ten years, Grant has worked in marketing and sales management and is currently with LappKabel. For more information on this article, contact Grant on 011 201 3200.
RoundUP Safe with new mounting carrier
Process clamp meter by Fluke
Halogen-free
legrand-cab3...one
Welding and flexible cables
Simple and efficient
Concrete poles for Tembisa electrification project
Higher current terminal strips
Control Systems and AutomationGiving power back C Bosch, Iritron Load shedding is one of the results of Eskom struggling to keep up with demand for electricity in South Africa - and we have yet to see whether it will make a resounding return this Winter. When we sit in the dark, it is hard to appreciate what Eskom is doing to get back on track in meeting this demand. This article covers one such novel approach which Eskom is taking to cope with the power drain and emphasizes automation as a key component of the solution.
Take note
o Power saving can be driven by a financial understanding of the benefits.
o Understanding if your power needs allows allow optimisation of your energy usage patterns.
o Load shifting can be automated readily and can lead to significant savings.
About the author
Chris Bosch studied BEng Electronic Engineering at the University of Pretoria, graduating in 2003. He presently works as a systems engineer at Iritron. He has worked with Hatch on the Anglo Platinum Waterval Smelter using PCS7 on redundant S7400 PLCs and WinCC, and has experience on the S7 300 PLC using WinCC and Adroit on other projects. Enquiries: Iritron on 012 349 2919.
RoundUP Drives for Camden
High efficiency - lower power
Website focuses on efficient strategies
Eradicate duplication
Industrial Ethernet switches
Flat panel monitor for industrial use
Intelligent sensor for cement industry
Versatile industrial panel PC
New IP router and transparent gateways
Ethernet-enabled communication controllers
High-speed quadrature encoder and counter module
Electrical protection and safety systems21st Century: protection, control and automation of auto-reclosing on distribution networks K Brewis, I Gardiner, M Bloodworth, G Cain (Siemens United Kingdom), C Heinrich (Siemens, Germany) This article describes the control and protection functions provided by an auto-reclose controller designed to operate in-conjunction with 800 A rated, 16 kA fault-level, 15/27/38 kV vacuum circuit-breakers. The modern controller provides not only the traditional over-current protection and auto-reclose functionality but also the additional protection, auto-reclose, automation, control, SCADA and the quality of supply monitoring and reporting functions which are essential to meet the requirements of utility protection and control engineers to facilitate their operation of 21st century Smart-grid distribution networks.
Take note
o Distribution networks are critical and must be reliable.
o Quality of supply is an integral part of a modern supply network.
o Proper protection ensures better reliability and quality of supply.
o Smart-grid distribution networks require high levels of automation and intelligence.
About the authors
Keith Brewis, Ian Gardiner, Malcolm Bloodworth and Ged Cain are responsible for the Controller produced by Siemens Protection Devices of Hebburn, UK. Christian Heinrich is with Siemens PTD M C in Berlin and is responsible for the design of the Three pole and Single pole, reclosers and associated equipment for use on 15, 27 and 38 KV overhead line.
Enquiries: keith.brewis@siemens.com or ged.cain@siemens.com.
RoundUP Lighting protection for computers
Proteciton for cell sites and antenna systems
Protection for IT systems
Light curtains for safety
Light & CurrentEmission-free energy storage
Integration initiative
HOneywell's gauge reader
Strengthening ties with EDI
Shop till you drop - with Festo online
In the fast lane with SEW Eurodrive
Crisis makes them stronger
Retailer Power: Caterpillar solutions for UPS
World's first river turbine
Plant Maintenance and RefurbishmentFrequency response analysis of power transformers M Ohen, Megger - Sweden Power transformers are specified to withstand the mechanical forces arising from both shipping and subsequent in-service events, such as faults and lightning. However, mechanical forces may exceed specified limits, and the insulation support structure is weaker due to ageing; it is well known that this is what happens when transformer insulation ages. There is a need to effectively identify such damage. A visual inspection is both time consuming, difficult, and does not always produce definitive results. During a field inspection, the oil has to be drained. Often, a complete tear down is required to identify the problem. An alternative method is to implement diagnostic techniques capable of detecting damage. Frequency Response Analysis (FRA) is one such tool for diagnosis of transformer electro-mechanical integrity.
Take note
o Frequency response analysis of a transformer allows its electro-mechanical integrity to be assessed.
o FRA allows ‘fingerprints’ to be compared for a variety of approaches.
o FRA can be performed rapidly and is well described in a number of standards.
About the author
Matz Ohlen graduated from the Royal Institute of Technology (M.Sc. EE) in Sweden in 1975. He started his career at IFM Akustikbyran AB (signal analysis, acoustics and noise and vibration control). He joined Karlson Instruments and Programma Electric, specialising in instrumentation for maintenance measurements in the power industry. He later worked in the semiconductor business National Semiconductor. In 2007 he joined Pax Diagnostics which was acquired by Megger in 2008.
RoundUP Absolutely temperature resistant
Drives for Camden
Vepac variable
Sustainable 'light' for battery company
Masters and slaves
Condition monitoring in paper productin
New security solution for industrial environments
New electric power pumps
Power products division launched
Pressure and level measurement and controlPressure calibration in practice R McLeman, Blanes This article has been written from a pressure perspective, but much is applicable to any measurement parameter. I confess to being concerned about the state of pressure calibration in South Africa’s instrument workshops. As a supplier of calibration equipment, I find people tend to buy calibration equipment with no correlation between wants and needs. This may have been exacerbated by the rapid advance in pressure sensors.
Take note
o When purchasing calibration equipment, be sure to understand your needs.
o Without accuracy, consistency is not achievable.
o Generally speaking, no single calibration instrument can satisfy wide-ranging needs.
About the author
Rod McLeman graduated in 1966 with a BSc.Mech. Eng. from Glasgow University, followed by a B.Com from UNISA. He has been involved with pressure calibration for the last 40 years. He is the owner of Blanes Pressure Solutions, suppliers of DH Budenberg and Ametek-Jofra Calibration systems.
RoundUP Small, rugged inclinometers
Real-time measuring with Timecount
Submersible pressure transmitters
Controlling pure water supply
Automation of pure water feed
Measuring just became easier
T-slot cylinder sensors
Pressure transmitters - small temperature error
New spectromaxx: more economical and more flexible
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