03.2009.pdf

Measure

Fix the basics

Automate

Monitor and improve

Tackling Energy 2009Sowing the seeds of change

A one day event at the BirminghamBotanical Gardens, 11th June 2009www.schneider-electric.co.uk/tacklingenergy

Make the mostof your energyIt’s easy, just follow the 4 steps . . .

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Inside this issue:■ Out with the old, in with the new■ What a waste■ UK plays catch up on surge protection■ Condition measurement pays dividends

FUTURE OF POORLY PERFORMINGSELLAFIELD PLANT UNDER REVIEW

ETB CALLS FOR EDUCATION IN APPRENTICESHIPS

The Nuclear Decommissionary

Authority (NDA) is considering the

future of Cumbria’s Sellafield mixed-

oxide or Mox production plant (SMP),

plagued by problems since it opened

10 years ago.

There are fears the poorly

performing SMP could close, with the

loss of 2000 jobs, causing

embarrassment for the government at

a time when it is trying to persuade

sceptics a new generation of atomic

plants can be delivered on time and

budget. The SMP was intended to turn

plutonium and uranium recovered

from used nuclear fuel into usable fuel

for overseas nuclear reactors. A Mox

demonstration complex was opened

in 1998, but the plant was hit by a

scandal in 1999 involving quality

control and falsified safety data;

leading to the resignation of John

Taylor, chief executive of BNFL.

Industry figures have suggested the

closure of the SMP would make it

likely a 100-tonne stockpile of

radioactive plutonium will be stored

until the whole Sellafield site is shut,

rather than being turned in to new

fuel. The NDA’s Plutonium Topic

Strategy states: “NDA has reviewed

SMP and does not believe it provides

either the capacity or longevity to be

used for the UK civil stockpile and the

recycle options that NDA has

considered [assuming] that plutonium

is either sold direct or that Mox is

fabricated in a new plant. There may

be an opportunity to utilise the existing

plant in a meaningful manner for the

low specification Mox option.”

The NDA confirmed the future of

the plant is under review, but

emphasised no decision had been

made.

News Page 3 Surge protection Page 18 Recycling 2 Energy efficiency Page 28

March 2009 Volume 242 No3

Newton Derby has been

awarded a £1.15m contract to

supply two new generators to

RAF Coningsby.

RAF Coningsby has ordered

two generators delivering 2MW

total load, as well as an

acoustically attenuated building

enclosure, new fuel supply pipe

work, daily use fuel tank, and all

associated switch gear. The

installation also includes a control

and synchronisation panel, step-

up transformers and protection.

As part of the works a new UPS

installation to four squadron

buildings are to be provided.

Winder Electrical will provide

the step-up transformers,

switchgear and installation.

Advanced Diesel Engineering

will supply the diesel generators,

synchronisation panel and

acoustic enclosure, and Andel

will complete the buildings

work and install the new fuel

pipe line, pumping systems and

the day tank.

For the latest news, products and event information visit the NEW www.electricalreview.co.uk

ELECTRICALREVIEW

The Engineering and Technology

Board (ETB) has released preliminary

research which suggests careers advi-

sors, teachers and other education

professionals are not sufficiently in-

formed about apprenticeships.

The research, entitled Engineers

and Engineering Brand Monitor, re-

veals 55% of education professionals

believe a degree is the minimum

qualification required for a career in

engineering, and are apparently un-

aware of apprenticeships. 39% of ed-

ucation professionals believe a

physics qualification is necessary for a

career in engineering (which it isn’t

for apprenticeships). Over a quarter

of education professionals associated

engineering with ‘men’, ‘males’ and

being ‘male dominated’.

Paul Jackson, chief executive of the

ETB, said: “Despite the fact the aver-

age person comes into contact with

dozens of pieces of technology every

day before work, many teachers, ca-

reers advisors, parents and other in-

fluencers have a limited understand-

ing of the everyday work of engi-

neers, and this leads to a gap

between what they communicate to

young people, and the opportunities

of the profession.

“Engineering apprenticeships pro-

vide a flexible and accessible path-

way into what is a diverse and

rewarding career. We can and must

work together to support education

professionals in ensuring young peo-

ple are fully aware of this.”

RAF POWERS AHEAD

www.electricalreview.co.uk 03

Eight wind turbines in Antarctica

are withstanding temperatures of

-60° Celsius and winds of over 90

m/s. The Princess Elisabeth Station

was officially inaugurated in

Antarctica on 15 February 2009.

This station is the only polar

base operating entirely on

renewable energies. It marks a

major change as most stations rely

on diesel generators because no

wind turbines, until now, were

thought to be robust enough for

such extreme conditions.

The turbines will endure the most severe

weather conditions on Earth, and will be

operating in average winds of 53 mph and

winter gusts of over 200mph, while still

providing 230V electricity for the stations

heating, computers, lights and scientific

instruments. The electricity generated is

expected to be the highest output of any small

wind power system in the world.

Proven Energy, a Scottish based small wind

turbine manufacturer, supplied the 6kW wind

turbines. The turbines are designed to work in

extreme environments. Previous installations

have weathered ice storms in Slovenia and

typhoons in Japan.

The station is said to feature eco-friendly

construction materials, clean and efficient

energy use, optimisation of the station's energy

consumption and the best waste management

techniques. These techniques and facilities will

aim to reduce the station's ecological footprint

on the pristine environment of Antarctica,

following the principles set out in the Antarctic

Treaty. In addition to the turbines, both solar

thermal and photovoltaic (PV) will be used on

the building itself. The water supply for the

station will use solar thermal panels to melt the

snow thereby limiting the use of electrical

energy to pump water.

Delta Controls has won the 2009Frost and Sullivan Product Innovationand Differentiation of the Year Awardin the North American buildingautomation systems market. The Frostand Sullivan Award for ProductInnovation is presented to a companythat demonstrates excellence in newproducts and technologies withintheir industry. Delta won the awardfor its integrated building automationsolutions encompassing HVAC,lighting, and access control. Frost andSullivan reported that: “Delta hasbeen at the forefront of deliveringuniversal BACnet platforms to itscustomers with a unifiedinfrastructure that improves buildingefficiency, maximises cost savings,and reduces greenhouse gasemissions.”

TESTING TIMES FOR TURBINES

AUTOMATIONSYSTEM REWARDED

CONTENTS

03 || NEWS

08 || GOSSAGE

10 || DESIGN SOFTWARE

14 || BLOWN FUSE

16 || PANEL BUILDING

18 || SURGE PROTECTION

22 || RECYCLING

26 || SUSTAINABILITY

28 || ENERGY EFFICIENCY

32 || SWITCHGEAR &

41 || CLASSIFIED

43 || OPEN CIRCUIT

Following a review ofthe outdated standardIEC 60439, radicalchanges have beenmade. The new IEC61439, governing thesafety and performanceof electrical panels, nowbetter meets the lowvoltage assemblymarket’s needs

BS EN 2305 makes awelcome step forwardby introducingprocedures that willgive a much greaterlevel of protectionagainst an electricalsurge

Management of wasteon-site is becomingincreasingly complex.This feature looks atthe special case ofdischarge light sources

Tratos, the UK distribution subsidiary of

electrical cable manufacturer Tratos Cavi of Italy,

has completed its acquisition of North West

Cables and its subsidiary Modular Wiring

Systems.

The deal grows the group to £20 million with

75 employees in the UK, and €150 million with

350 employees worldwide. It has also resulted

in all UK manufacturing being transferred to the

bespoke Knowsley facility. Further staff have

been employed at Knowsley to allow for the

increased output.

Under the new ownership, North West Cables

has become Tratos, whilst Modular Wiring

Systems will retain its name and become a

Tratos Group Company. Whilst already

established in the UK the Group aims to

develop its current client base and secure new

clients, whilst maintaining recognised quality

certifications including Basec, Lloyds Register

and LPCB.

CABLE MANUFACTURER

COMPLETES ACQUISITION

SUBSTATIONS

NEWS

■ The Hagemeyer (UK) name has been changed to

Rexel UK, following last year’s acquisition of most of

Hagemeyer NV’s European assets by the French based

Rexel Group S.A. Newey & Eyre, WF Electrical and Parker

Merchanting, trade alongside Senate Electrical and

Denmans, as Rexel’s key trading brands within the UK,

each retaining their distinctive position in the

wholesaling marketplace. Rexel Group, with global

2008 pro forma sales of �13.7 billion from 2,400 outlets

in 34 countries, is thought to be the market leader in

the UK, as well as holding number one or number two

positions in 24 countries.

.■ Lighting control and automation group, Dynalite,

has added the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and

Jordan to its global network of technical and sales

support centres. Servicing the Middle East and North

African markets. Dynalite’s United Arab Emirates

office is located in the Dubai Airport-Free Zone

(DAFZA), with the Jordan office situated in Amman

and the Kuwait office in Kuwait City. With this

strengthened presence in the region, the Dynalite

team aims to support local projects and provide fast

response times to enquiries from Pakistan, through

to Morocco.

■ KNX UK, the association representing companies

promoting KNX intelligent building technology, has

published a new guide to KNX technology. Putting the

Intelligence into Building and Homes is designed for

building services engineers, specifiers and users of KNX

technology in the commercial and residential sectors. It

provides an overview of the KNX standard and the role of

the association. Examples of residential and commercial

applications of KNX products are featured as well as

information on the building control, energy management

and future-proofing benefits of KNX technology. For a

copy telephone 0845 869 5908 or email

[email protected].

IN BRIEF

The new AB Agri

building in Peterborough

has been hailed as a

showcase for energy-

saving and reduced

carbon footprint design

and is a benchmark

development in

Peterborough’s

‘Environment Capital’

ambitions.

The building combines locally provided

architecture by David Turnock Associates and

building services engineering by Cunnington

Clark to deliver a low-energy building solution.

Cunnington Clark was part of the project

team from the outset, designing the building’s

services to meet low-carbon and renewable-

energy targets and helping to deliver a

building that works as it was intended. The

firm, led by company director and industry

specialist in sustainable engineering design,

David Clark, designed low carbon and

renewable energy solutions to control energy

use, water use and the internal environment

while also minimising pollutants and emissions

that are part and parcel of building services.

The energy-efficient temperature control

system uses a heat recovery VRF pump system

with local temperature controls to disperse heat

reclaimed from one part of the system to

another. The system manages both heating

and cooling requirements, negating the need

for radiators and a separate air-conditioning

system. The modular ventilation supply and

extract ventilation units use high efficiency

plates to achieve heat exchanges for up to 70%

heat recovery. The system uses occupancy

control technology to reduce energy use to

toilets and supplementary ventilation systems.

Energy efficient light fittings, with daylight

dimming controls that react to the level of

natural daylight, ensure office areas maintain

optimum lighting levels at all times while

reducing energy consumption. Movement

sensors mean areas of the building not

continuously occupied, such as toilets, stores

and meeting areas, are only lit when in use.

External lighting is controlled by daylight

sensing/time switch control panel. The building

uses solar shading on the south-facing façade

to reduce direct sunlight and so minimise the

use of energy required to cool the building. The

same panels are used to gain solar benefit in

the winter.

Water consumption is also reduced thanks to

a rainwater recovery system that stores water

from the roof and then distributes it for flushing

toilets.

AIMING FOR ENVIRONMENTCAPITAL STATUS

04 Electrical Review March 2009

NEWS

Thorn Lighting has opened a £32m factory and

Academy of Light in Spennymoor, County Durham,

which the company claims to be the largest

investment in lighting equipment manufacture and

training in the UK since the 1940s.

Thorn has transferred production to the site, on the

Green Lane Industrial Estate, from its previous base

in nearby Merrington Lane, which it had occupied

since 1952. The Merrington Lane site was sold to a

UK-based property developer in December 2008.

The 40,000 sqm building also hosts a

manufacturing facility for Zumtobel Group’s Tridonic

Atco luminaire components business. Overall the

operation employs approximately 700 people,

excluding indirect jobs at suppliers and local

businesses.

Fronting the building is the Thorn Academy of

Light Competence Sharing Centre, designed to

provide sales staff and customers with application-

specific training. The first training sessions feature

Sustainability in Lighting, with half the fees raised

being donated to the Lighting Education Trust.

Thorn has also expanded and upgraded its

laboratory, which now features full automation of

thermal test measurements, a fully anechoic EMC

test chamber, expanded materials and life test

facilities, and temperature control to all

laboratory areas.

Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, who

officially opened the complex, said: “This kind of

investment shows, even in the current economic

climate, progressive and innovative companies like

Thorn still have real confidence in the the future of

the local economy.”

Stewart Watkins, managing director of the County

Durham Development Company, endorsed

Goodman’s comments: “Thorn Lighting is a beacon

for manufacturing excellence in County Durham.

Here we have an example of how a traditional

manufacturing business has embraced the global

challenges and met them head on. By investing in

new production facilities, coupled with training and

future development, it has ensured the long-term

future of lighting production in this area.”

FACTORY INVESTMENT FOR THE NORTH EAST

From left, Terry Carmichael, manufacturing director, MPHelen Goodman and Andreas Ludwig, Zumtobel CEO

In the Academy of Light theme cubes, lightingsolutions and product innovations in variousapplications are presented



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Publishers Ltd 2009. Jan-Dec 2007 8,798

NEWS

■ Pressure relief specialist Elfab has launched a new

website which is fully translated into five European

languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian and

Russian. With improved design, new features and

enhanced navigational and search options, the new

website offers greater accessibility to both existing

and new customers. Along with information on the

company’s major product lines, such as rupture discs,

explosion vents and associated detection systems, the

website features a list of worldwide contacts and

international quality certifications. A number of

additions to the website are planned for the coming

months, including translation into new languages, a

technical zone and online ordering.

.■ Areva T&D will be hosting its inaugural User

Forum on the 22 April 2009, at the IET’s Austin Court

in Birmingham. The event will focus on electricity

transmission and distribution and how the network

may look in the future. The open Forum will provide

delegates with the opportunity to engage with

AREVA T&D experts and discuss the challenges they

face and the possible solutions available for the

operation and management of future electricity

networks. The day will be split into four sessions

whereby experts will actively discuss strategic topics

including: wind farms; HVDC interconnections and

MV solutions for future active distribution networks;

smart grids and network stability.

IN BRIEF

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)

has joined forces with one of the industry’s electro-

magnetic capability (EMC) trade exhibition and con-

ferences.

The IET’s partnership with the organiser of EMCUK

2009 will see the IET taking on the organisation and

management of the technical conference element of

the event. The exhibition will continue to be organ-

ised by Nutwood UK. EMCUK 2009 takes place on 13

and 14 October in Newbury. Last year’s event saw

the participation of over 60 exhibiting companies,

which enabled delegates to keep up to date with

new directives, components, test techniques, test

equipment and EMC modelling software.

Commenting on the collaboration, Robin McGill,

IET chief executive, said, “Attendance at the event

is invaluable to all industries as the use of ever

more sophisticated electronic technology becomes

commonplace, and increases in every sphere of

human activity. Without appropriate electromag-

netic capability there will be consequences for

people in general and financial risks for manufac-

turers and service providers who employ electronic

technologies.”

IET JOINS FORCES WITH EMC EXHIBITION

Finder, manufacturer of plug-in relays and relay

sockets, is using photovoltaic technology to

reduce emissions and energy costs at its prime

manufacturing plant in Almese near Turin in

North West Italy.

The pilot photovoltaic installation, constructed

using multicrystalline silicon modules, can deliver

a power output of 55kW, producing

61,000kWh/year. Finder expects the installation to

help reduce CO2 emissions by about 37 tons/year,

while achieving annual savings of around 11 TOE

(tonnes of oil equivalent).

Investing in its environmental management

system for several years, Finder has been

recognised for setting goals that go beyond the

requirements of current legislation and the UNI

EN ISO 14001 certification.

The company intends to continue to implement

specific projects aimed at enhancing natural

resource management, using technology to

reduce both pollution and energy consumption.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT

OPINION

G

ossip!

G

os s ag

e!


CUT PRICE SALEThe market price of carbon on the EU emissionstrading scheme (EU:ETS) has collapsed. Prices fell byone-third during January alone, and could fall as lowas €5 per tonne, according to analysts. As recently asJuly 2008, second phase permits were trading at €31per tonne.

The main traders are heavy industrial sectors, likecement makers, steel, paper mills and glass factories.With the recession leading to a reduction in industrialoutput, such companies are selling permits nowsurplus to requirements, raising around one billioneuros in cash otherwise made scarce by the clearingbanks reluctance to make loans available.

Might this mean that the electricity suppliers willnow be reducing the amount they are factoring intotheir prices, as a surrogate for forgoing selling theirown emissions permits? Remember these are thepermits which the government gave them for free, butwhich according to regulator OFGEM have simplybeen used to jack up prices and give the Big Six awindfall profit of some £9bn between them. I see noobvious sign of the reductions happening, do you?

PICKING THEWRONG VILLAINWhat chance an export-led recovery? Theweak pound should give manufacturerssomething to live for in these bleak times forthe country’s industrial base. Shame thenthat uncompetitive electricity prices areputting them at such a disadvantagecompared with their European peers. At leastaccording to Corus (once called British Steel).

The Anglo-Dutch steel producer iseliminating 2,500 jobs at its UK plants. Andis placing the blame squarely on the surge inBritish electricity prices from £23 to £75 amegawatt hour (MWh) over the past fiveyears. A rise, they complain, greater than“virtually anywhere else in Europe.”

Comparing prices across national bordersis always fiendishly difficult to do, as itdepends heavily upon currency exchangerates. But even so, before this myth becomesaccepted, let us get some facts straight.Throughout the decade, UK one –year

forward power prices have sometimes been lower than on the Continent, sometimeshigher. Mostly they are broadly comparable.When oil prices spike, UK prices do tend torise more than most. That was definitely thecase last summer when crude oil topped$147 a barrel, and UK power prices surgedup to €115 MWh.

Since then, UK prices have fallen back justas fast. By this January UK electricity priceswere in line with the European median. Itmay simply be that Corus – and othersmaking similar complaints – are now payingfor power based on contracts it took out lastsummer. These contracts have now turnedagainst it, coinciding with a plummeting ofsteel demand.

Blame the absence of car sales, if youmust, Corus. But just for once, the UKelectricity market is not the correct villain.

MAKING SAVINGS AT HOMEIt is the privilege of all departingambassadors to provide valedictoryaddresses. The departing American specialenvoy to the EU, the exotically named CBoyden Gray, has proved no exception. Butunlike the usual banal platitudes, C Boydenhas had some stark words of warning for hiserstwhile hosts. Specifically on electricitypolicy.

What is concerning C Boyden is that hethinks that Europe is burning – and what ismore plans to burn – far too much coal in itspower stations. Doing so underminesEurope’s claim to international leadership incombating climate change. He is particularlyscathing about the deal struck betweenEuropean leaders just before Christmas,promising to deliver at least a 20%, possibly30%, drop in greenhouse gases between1990 and 2020. But at the same time,allowing 50% of the “savings” to beachieved via “offsets” in developingcountries. In other words, not altering actualpractice in Europe at all.

We Europeans are very proud to have setup in 2005 the first ever internationaltrading scheme for greenhouse gases (calledthe EU: ETS). Being a good diplomat, CBoyden refrains from pointing out that sogenerous has been the distribution ofpermits that the entire trading scheme hasto date had zip-all impact on reducingEuropean emissions.

Instead he points out the new Americanemission trading scheme, carefully craftedbetween President Obama and Congress,will be limiting their amount of overseasoffsets to just 15% of the US total. Ratherfewer than the European 50%. Americawill be making the bulk of its carbonsavings at home. And, he warns, unlessEurope agreed to limit the amount ofpermitted offsets to a similar percentage,the American trading scheme wouldoperate unilaterally. And in due courseswamp the EU scheme. Hence C Boyden’sfriendly concerns at the number of new coalpower plants scheduled.

Even though it is the newest member of the 27, theBulgarian government is constantly in trouble withBrussels. You will recall last autumn that the EuropeanCommission took the unprecedented step of refusingto release structural funds due to them, because therewas so much concern about high-level corruption.Now the EC is implementing infringement proceduresagainst the Bulgarian government for failing to sell offeven a portion of the monopoly electricity supplier.Until it entered the EU in 2007, Bulgaria had thedubious record of running the nuclear power stationwith the worst safety record in Europe. As a conditionof entry, the two units at Kozloduy were mothballed,receiving around €I bn in compensation.

But worries about Russian gas availability have ledto the Bulgarian parliament voting overwhelmingly tore-open the old power station – even though, as EUforeign policy chief Javier Solana acidly observed, “anuclear plant does not make gas.” And even though,despite Kozloduy’s closure, the Bulgarian electricitysystem still has quite sufficient capacity to be regularlyexporting to neighbours. The Russian gas issue isbeing regarded by nuclear advocates as a wonderfulpropaganda weapon for the Great God Atom. Werethis hysteria to lead to the resuscitation of such plainlyunsafe plants, we could yet see history repeat itself. Itwas after all the implosion 23 years ago inneighbouring Ukraine of some elderly ill-kept plants atChernobyl that knocked nuclear out of WesternEurope for a generation.

IN TROUBLE


DESIGN SOFTWARE

IN REALITY all electromagnetic phenomena will

change the thermal distribution and properties within

a device. For many applications the effect is negligible,

or so small it can be ignored. In other cases, neglecting

the coupling will significantly reduce the realism of the

solution or render the final product useless. Thus for

the simulation of chips, or the design of electrical

bushings, the combining of thermal and electrical

analysis is essential.

For every electrical system the flow of electric

current through a conductor generates heat. For many

applications, the heat produced can be a significant

factor in the design of the product and in some cases

the dominant factor. Solving this problem requires first

the solution of the electrical conduction problem to be

discovered. Once the current paths are known, then

the volume heat density can be calculated directly by

the ohmic losses.

The volume heat density is then the required heat

source for a thermal analysis. The thermal analysis

performed by the Kelvin (2D) or Celsius (3D)

integrated simulation systems require all the thermal

material properties as well as the appropriate

boundary conditions, such as the applied temperature,

to be known. Celsius and Kelvin serve the same

purpose, except Kelvin approximates the full 3D world

by reducing the problem to two dimensions. These

programs are general thermal analysis programs and

can be used to model everything from chips and

motors to high voltage equipment. The programs key

features are their ease of use and unique ability to be

combined seamlessly with electrical analysis software.

Thus the designer can focus on achieving the best

possible design rather than trying to solve the nuances

of the software program.

There are two distinct levels of difficulty involved in

solving the combined electrical and thermal problems

with a design. The first level is where the temperature

distribution within the device has a negligible effect on

the electrical solution. For this case, we simply solve

the electrical problem once and use subsequent ohmic

losses as an input for the thermal analysis. The thermal

or temperature distribution within the device is readily

calculated. So, when designing a chip, the electrical

properties may not be significantly changed by the

temperature. In this case only one electrical and

thermal analysis is required.

The second level, which refers to more advanced

AS COMPUTER POWER CONTINUES TO INCREASE, AND SOFTWARE ALGORITHMSADVANCE, THE DEMAND FOR MORE COMPLEX SIMULATIONS CONTINUES TOINCREASE. THE NEED TO IMPROVE PRODUCT RELIABILITY AND REDUCEMANUFACTURING COSTS IS DRIVING THE DEMAND FOR ACCURATE AND COMPLEXSIMULATIONS. ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE DEMANDS IS THE REQUIREMENT TOCOUPLE PHYSICS FROM DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES, OR AS IT HAS RECENTLY BEENCALLED, MULTI-PHYSICS. BRUCE KLIMPKE, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR AT INTEGRATEDENGINEERING SOFTWARE, EXPLAINS

There are two

levels of difficulty

involved in solving

the combined

electrical and

thermal problems

with a design

Improve reliabilitywhile reducing COSTS

The voltage contours on atransformer bushing


DESIGN SOFTWARE

simulations, requires many solutions to be generated

from the electrical and thermal programs. For example,

if the electrical conductivity of the materials is strongly

dependent on the temperature, a further electrical

analysis would be required after the thermal analysis.

This again would change the heat distribution from the

original analysis. Thus, an iterative procedure occurs

between the electrical and thermal analysis, until the

electrical and thermal parameters converge. This is

typically what is required in a high voltage bushing.

Solving electrical and thermal problems are

mathematically the same for static problems. However,

the practical implementations are quite different. For

most practical thermal analysis, radiative effects and

forced convective heat transfer are introduced into an

equivalent heat transfer coefficient. This is used on the

surface of the part being analysed. Therefore most

heat or temperature modeling is undertaken by

analysing the temperature within the part of interest

and the effects on the nearby volumes are simply

neglected.

However, when solving electrical problems the

situation is quite different. Not only is the designer

interested in the electric field within the part, but also

the field in the air space that surrounds the part. Even

if the electric field calculation is only required within

or on the part, the entire volume about the part has to

be modeled.

As we can see the electric field extends far beyond

the bushing boundaries (theoretically to infinity),

whereas the thermal field is only modeled within the

bushing.

Two distinct types of methods can be used to

model both the electric and thermal field. One is called

the finite element method (FEM) and the other is the

boundary element method (BEM). The FEM method is

by far the most commonly used. This method is almost

exclusively used for thermal analysis, as there is no

need to model the thermal field outside the bushing.

The same method can be used for the electrical

analysis, but this introduces some major drawbacks,

the foremost of which being modeling the space

exterior to the bushing. To calculate the electric field,

the BEM is far superior as it can model the exterior

volume trivially. Therefore, ideally the FEM is used for

the thermal analysis and the BEM for electrical

analysis.

To conclude, more advanced solutions requiring

multi-physics to reach an accurate calculation can be

best obtained by simulation software using both finite

and boundary element software. These require

seamless coupling so the designer can focus on design

and not on long learning curves to get the simulation

results. In addition, the advent of 64bit personal

computers with memory of 32GB is now common. This

radical change in computer memory allows the

solutions of coupled electrical and thermal analysis

that would have been impractical for full 3D

simulation on a 32bit machine. To enhance this

further, multiple quad core processors are now

available. Software advances making use of many

processors (parallelisation) will enhance the level of

realism of coupled field analysis due to the radical

speed improvements.

DP Earl & Co is a specialist electrical engi-

neering company that commissions and

maintains HV and LV power systems. On

many occasions the company has been asked

to provide protection settings because the

electrical contractor or electrical design con-

sultant does not have the necessary expert-

ise. DP Earl invested in Amtech's Designer

Suite software, containing PowerNet HV, Pro-

tect HV and ProDesign.

The company has since used Amtech’s soft-

ware to produce protection studies on many

electrical power distribution systems of all

sizes, up to 11KV. The types of sites have var-

ied from factories to office complexes and

from government sites to a university cam-

pus.

A recent protection study was carried out

for a blue-chip pharmaceutical company at

their research and development site. The ex-

isting system comprised of an 11KV ring sys-

tem that supplied six distribution substations;

during routine equipment maintenance a

check of relay settings found there to be poor

discrimination between protection relays in

the scheme.

The site fault levels were calculated using

Powernet HV software from the incoming

supply to the main LV switchboards at each

substation. The electricity supplier provided

fault levels for the 11KV supply. These fault

levels needed to be put into Powernet HV but

it was not possible to achieve the correct

earth fault level for the supply, as Powernet

HV calculates the earth fault level from the

short circuit fault level.

This problem was overcome with assis-

tance from Amtech Technical Support, who

provided a network model that could be ad-

justed to provide the required earth fault and

short circuit fault levels.

The protection device settings for the

power system up to the outgoing circuits on

the main LV switchboards for each substation

were recommended from the discrimination

curves produced in Protect HV. The poor dis-

crimination between protective devices on

the system has now been resolved.

Says David Earl, ‘Amtech's Designer Suite

software enables us to produce our protection

studies more accurately, quickly and effi-

ciently: this enables us to offer our service to

our clients at a much more competitive price.

In addition, the presentation of our reports

has improved immensely as the software pro-

vides clear fault calculations and impressive

discrimination curves. Long gone are the days

of long-hand fault calculations and the repe-

titious drawing of discrimination curves until

a suitable result is achieved.’

Protection studies PRODUCED

BLOWN FUSE


EACH MONTH, ELECTRICAL REVIEW’S RESIDENT GRUMPY OLD

MAN, WRITER AND INDUSTRY COMMENTATOR JOHN HOUSTON,

EXPLORES A HOT TOPIC OF THE DAY AND LETS US KNOW HIS

VIEWS IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS

The demise of the 100W incandescent lamp maybe greeted warmly by anyone with a greenstreak and I too welcome any moves that reduceenergy consumption. But, there is almost alwaysa ‘but’ when it comes to energy efficiency, carbonfootprints and other conservation issues. Savingthe planet is never as simple as it seems andmost attempts to make life easy seem to throwup equal and opposite arguments.

Let’s consider one basic problem with killingoff the 100W and higher rated lamps. CompactFluorescent Lamps (CFL) – the luminaire mostrecognised as an ‘energy saving light bulb’ – donot work with electronic switches. Indeed, usingCFLs with dimmer switches can causeoverheating in the lamp holder, the switch andthereby also significantly shortening the life ofthe five times more expensive and supposedlylonger lasting CFL!

This means anyone with dimmer switchesmust fit only 80W incandescent lamps and belowin future. Yet, crediting the populace with someintelligence, in practice such lighting is frequently,if not mainly, operated in a dimmed state.Arguably a suitably dimmed 100W lamppotentially saves as much as using a CFL, butwithout the higher price of the lamp itself.

If one considers safety, the likes of stairwellsand corridors that have sensibly and responsiblybeen equipped with occupancy sensors to switchon lighting only when required, are doomedbecause such applications cannot afford thedelay time associated with the operation of theCFL. Presumably, these applications will becompelled to use 80W lamps rather than, say, the150W versions once deployed to give adequatelighting for safety purposes.

The issue throws up far greater challengesthan whether of not the removal of higher powerlamps from western marketplaces is worthy ornot. My issue with the control of the availabilityof such lamps is that it once again illustrates theover simplification of legislation.

Using CFL and low energy lighting in most

cases merely mitigates for the otherwise greaterwaste of energy that would occur when lightsare left switched on unnecessarily. It doesnothing to change neither the habits nor thecontrols that really dictate our energy wastage.

As an analogy, let us consider applying thesame legislative logic to motoring. We all knowthat the bigger the car, the greater its emissionsdon’t we? Surely then, it would make sense, atleast in the short term, to limit all personalvehicles to, say 1.5 litre diesel engines wouldn’tit? However, emissions are highest in stationarytraffic, whatever the engine size. Hence, we needalso to control traffic flow – perhaps by levies,traffic bans or restricted usage. But, what aboutpeople’s driving style? Those with a heavy rightfoot on the accelerator pedal, whatever theengine size, will emit more than others. So, withsuch logic, should all vehicles be automatics, withgovernors fitted?

The point at issue, before too many readerslambast me for being of the Jeremy Clarksonschool of devil may care scepticism and cynicism,is not what we do, but rather how we do it.Let me state right now that I am in favourof reducing carbon emissions, reducingenergy waste and generally saving thewhale, the world and all exists withinit. What I find frustrating is thenaivety of legislators and the essenceof the nanny state some movesinduce.

Banning incandescent lamps above100W at this stage is posturing. Isuggest it may be borne out of a lack ofimagination as to how better to encouragepeople to save energy. This I can fullyappreciate. Lighting and other energy controlscost money and with a credit crunch, global

recession and general lack of confidence, it’s abrave person who invests in the ‘unknown’ ofenergy efficiency controls. But, there’s neverbeen a better time to invest; for the payback isshort on most items installed – certainly shorterthan the return on investment of a CFL.

Those like me that are packing far too manyadditional inches in all the wrong placeswelcome low fat, low sugar, high fibre foodsprovided they taste good (however rare thatmay seem). Unfortunately, the awful truth formost of us is that we have too many inchesbecause we eat too much nice, tasty bad stuff,while never leaving our seats for most of ourwaking hours!

So too, if we really want to save the planet, wereally need to change the habits of a lifetime anddo more than fit a few CFL lights.

HOW MUCH WILL DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

John Houston can be contacted on 01797 364366 or by e-mail at

[email protected]


PANEL BUILDING

ALTHOUGH some specifiers are worried by the changes, IEC

61439 has been introduced to enable panel and systems

builders in the UK to produce assemblies that meet essential

quality standards and mean compliance is unavoidable,

bringing a welcome reassurance of quality within the industry.

As Schneider Electric was a significant lobbyist in

persuading the IEC to investigate revising the old IEC 60439

standard and subsequently consulted on the new one, it has

given the company’s experts a unique insight into the

background, requirements, and implications of the new

standard.

Why is it needed?IEC 61439 has been urgently needed for many years, for the

previous 35-year old IEC 60439 series of standards were

lacking in a number of areas. It was a compromise between

different national approaches, some of which were strict and

others that were more subjective. Where agreement could not

be achieved, the subject was ignored, or some vague clause

was added that could be interpreted to suit the reader’s point

of view.

It has been obvious for some time that the foundations of

the old standard were fundamentally flawed when

considered in the context of today’s industry. Designs and

market requirements for assemblies have evolved over the

years, such that IEC 60439-1 no longer encompasses many

commonly used arrangements. Just one of these for example

is modular systems, under the old standard these are not

effectively covered with respect to the critical matter of

temperature rise performance.

It is well known that it’s not practical to fully type test every

conceivable configuration of assembly produced and so

where type testing was not feasible, there has needed to be

alternative ways of ensuring an assembly meets the minimum

required safety and performance criteria.

The old methods for proving the design of a 'partially type

tested assembly' in accordance with IEC 60439-1 were weak

and relied entirely on the capability and integrity of assembly

designers. Previously there was no standard for assemblies

that do not fit within the categories of type tested or partially

type tested, therefore the old standard was no longer suitable

for today’s industry.

These weak foundations have made it difficult to evolve

the standard in line with market needs and pressures. Every

assembly manufactured should meet minimum performance

and safety criteria, in spite of ever increasing demands to

optimise manufacture and reduce costs.

The new approachWith the growing pressures for higher network utilisation,

assembly design optimisation and more stringent safety

regulations, the changes included in the assembly standard

IEC 61439-2 are important and long overdue. All assemblies

that do not have a specific product standard are covered and

there is no opportunity to avoid compliance.

In the new standard, the methods of confirming design

performance are practical, reflecting the different market

needs and ways in which assemblies are produced. Several

alternative means of verifying a particular characteristic of an

assembly are also included. These are defined and their use

restricted. Overall, the standard is performance based, but in

some instances where design rules are used, it has to be

prescriptive.

Essential changes

In order to meet its objectives, the review of the IEC 60439

series of standards had to make changes and these have been

radical ones. A number of foundations of the old standard

have been discarded, in order to have a standard that better

meets the low-voltage assembly market’s needs and the way

it operates.

Under the previous standard, panels can be type tested

assemblies (TTA) or part type tested assemblies (PTTA), but

since many panels are too small to be covered by TTA or PTTA

certifications, they fell outside of any standard. Therefore the

categories of TTA and PTTA have been discarded in favour of

a design ‘verified assembly’. This is a classless term, where

FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF THE OUTDATED STANDARD IEC 60439, RADICAL CHANGESHAVE BEEN MADE AND THE NEW IEC 61439, GOVERNING THE SAFETY ANDPERFORMANCE OF ELECTRICAL PANELS, NOW BETTER MEETS THE LOW VOLTAGEASSEMBLY MARKET’S NEEDS. ALTHOUGH THE CHANGES ARE FUNDAMENTAL IT MAYTAKE SPECIFIERS SOME TIME TO ADJUST. HERE MARK WATERS FROM SCHNEIDERELECTRIC EXPLAINS THE CHANGES, WHY THEY HAVE BEEN MADE AND HOW TOMEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE NEW STANDARD

It has been

obvious for some

time the

foundations of the

old standard were

fundamentally

flawed

Out with the OLD inwith the NEW


demonstration of design capability can be achieved by

type test and/or by other equivalent means that include

appropriate margins.

The IEC 61439 series of standards uses the same

structure as other series within IEC. Part 1 is General

Rules, detailing requirements that are common to two

or more generic types of assembly. Each type then has

a product-specific part within the series. This then

references valid clauses within the General Rules and

details any specific requirements belonging to that

particular type of assembly. Any clause in the General

Rules that is not in the product-specific part does not

apply. Part 2 of IEC 61439 is the only part that has a

dual role, it covers power switchgear and control gear

assemblies as well as any assembly not covered by any

other product specific part.

The structure of IEC 61439 also makes revisions

easier, as changes to ‘General Rules’ will always tend to

lag behind their introduction in product-specific Parts. It

also means that assemblies cannot be specified or

manufactured to IEC 61439-1, since one of the product-

specific Parts must be referenced in any assembly

specification. Parts (3, 4, 5 and 6) are currently being

prepared by the IEC to cover all product specific Parts

from the old standard and more could be added at a

later date.

As business becomes more global there is the

increasing need for portable designs. This is now fully

recognised as the new standard confirms that designs

and design verifications are portable. For example,

subject to a suitable quality assurance regime being in

place, a type test certificate obtained in France, for a

design carried out in the UK, is valid for an assembly

manufactured in Australia.

For the first time the new standard recognises that

more than one party may be involved between concept

and delivery of an assembly. IEC 61439 identifies the

original manufacturer as the one responsible for the

basic design and its verification and possibly, the supply

of a kit of parts. It then designates the manufacturer

who completes the assembly and conducts the routine

tests, as the assembly manufacturer.

The original and assembly manufacturer can be the

same, or, a transition may take place somewhere

between concept and delivery. In any event, all parts of

the assemblies must be design and routine verified by

a manufacturer.

ResponsibilitiesThe new standard attempts to focus all parties on their

respective responsibilities. Purchasers and specifiers are

encouraged to view an assembly as a ‘black box’. Their

prime task is to specify the inputs and outputs to the

assembly and to define the interfaces between the

assembly and the outside world.

How the assembly is configured internally and the

performance, relative to the external parameters (as

defined by the purchaser or specifier) is clearly the

responsibility of the manufacturer(s). They are legally

responsible for the correct configuration of the

individual parts and must ensure the design meets the

specification, is fully verified and fit for purpose.

Compliance with the new standard is compulsory.

All assemblies must be shown to meet minimum safety

and performance standards by design and routine

verification. Once the European equivalent standard, EN

61439-2 (BS EN 61439-2) has been listed in the Official

Journal of the European Union, full compliance will

become the easiest route to ‘presumption of

compliance’ with the Electromagnetic Compatibility and

Low-voltage Directives, both of which are essential

before the CE mark can be applied. Partially proven

design or only routine testing of some assemblies is

forbidden.

The majority of assembly manufacturers and

builders are already competent and diligent, and so the

new standard will not mean significant changes. IEC

61439 requires a logical approach to the design and

verification of an assembly, which is essentially just

good practice.

However, where previously partially type tested

assemblies or those outside of the scope of IEC 60439-

1 have been provided, the panel builder may find it

beneficial to purchase a basic design verified assembly

in kit form, from a manufacturer such as Schneider

Electric. This will enable the panel builder to avoid the

time and cost of much of the design verification

process.

SURGE PROTECTION

The new standard

addresses the need

to offer protection to

electrical and

electronic systems

THE DAMAGE and degradation caused by transient over-

voltages to electrical systems have long been understood

by electrical engineers in Europe and elsewhere. In the

UK, high voltage (HV) surge arrestors are installed as

standard components in the electricity supply

infrastructure, fitted to avoid costly network downtime,

but there still appears to be a strong reluctance to fit

surge protection devices (SPD) to the low voltage (LV)

networks used in commercial and domestic

environments.

With only an advisory appendix for surge protection in

the previous British Standard the reasons for this

reluctance probably have more to do with an ingrained

resistance to change rather than any hostility to the new

standard. Surge protection is included for reasons of good

working practice rather than some unnecessary

bureaucratic standardisation with our European

neighbours.

As before, the new Standard covers the need to

provide structural protection but it now also addresses

the need to offer protection to electrical and electronic

systems against lightning currents and transient over-

voltages.

Since the new Standard was introduced in September

2008 the construction industry should have noticed a

change in response from contractors to their enquiries

about lightning protection systems. Surge protection

devices (SPDs) form an integral part of BS EN 62305 and

need to be installed for a fully compliant lightning

protection installation.

Additionally there are now four different protection

levels which can be applied for structural lightning

protection. The level of protection is dependent on the

MOST MODERN BUSINESSES HEAVILY RELY ON TELECOMS, ITAND OTHER ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS – TAKE THEM AWAY ANDMANY COMPANIES WOULD STRUGGLE TO FUNCTION. THE NEWBRITISH STANDARD, BS EN 62305 PROTECTION AGAINSTLIGHTNING, MAKES A WELCOME STEP FORWARD BYINTRODUCING PROCEDURES THAT WILL GIVE A MUCH GREATERLEVEL OF PROTECTION AGAINST AN ELECTRICAL SURGE. UKCONTRACTORS NEED GREATER AWARENESS OF THEREQUIREMENTS OF THIS NEW STANDARD, SAYS ANDY MALINSKI,TECHNICAL DIRECTOR AT OMEGA RED GROUP


UK plays catch-up PROTECTION

Surge protectiondevices form anintegral part of BS EN 62305


Under BS EN 62305

SPDs are now an

integral part of

lightning protection

designs

outcome of a risk assessment which is far more complex

than the outgoing standard and has many new factors to

consider including building services, occupancy hours and

number of people to list a few. For the UK construction

industry this involves a steep learning curve. In any event,

service entry SPDs will be required on all four structural

protection levels for compliance.

In real terms why do we need SPDs and what should

we all be doing about them? The answer is very simple. If

the cables entering a structure have been exposed to

lightning, either via a direct strike or by induction, then the

conductive cores of the cable may carry dangerously high

voltages in to the structure leading to sparking at the

termination points due to the break down in the insulation

of the cables or equipment.

This theory is not only being applied to the service entry

points, which is a minimum requirement, but also to any

exposed plant or other electrical/electronic units being

fitted to the structure. Plant items on the roof (AHU etc), a

control system for electric gates, car park lighting, CCTV

systems may all include copper cables entering or leaving

buildings.

There are three ways in which transient voltages can be

introduced into a structure via copper cables:

Resistive couplingA cloud to ground lightning strike injects a massive current

into the ground raising the ground potential in the area of

impact to a high level and for the current to dissipate it will

seek the path of least resistance to earth. Cables running

between buildings are usually connected to different

earthing systems at each end and a cable connected to an

earth of a lower value forms an ideal route for the induced

current to follow.

Inductive couplingA lightning discharge causes a huge current to flow; this in

turn sets up a massive magnetic field. Any conductor

passing through this magnetic field will have a surge

voltage induced on the cable; this is the same principle on

which a transformer operates.

Capacitive couplingAtmospheric disturbances cause high voltages to be

generated. A low voltage conductor in the area of

influence of these voltages can be charged to that same

voltage, this has the same effect as charging a capacitor.

Any cable entering or leaving a structure may carry back

a problem but the installation of SPDs at the nearest point

of entry or exit will reduce the effect of a surge. It is

important to note that the service entry or equipotential

Bonding SPDs are designed to handle a 10/350μs current

and are commonly referred to as lightning current SPDs.

The purpose of these frontal surge protection devices is

to divert partial lightning current away to earth and limit

the let-through voltage to a safe level in order to prevent

dangerous sparking. A competent installation company,

with appropriately trained staff, should be able to advise

the contractor on the best units to use – it is vital to check

they comply with BS EN 62305-4 and IEC 61643.

You may be wondering why, after all these years under

the previous British Standard, do we need to be looking at

surge protection? The answer in very simple terms is

progression; outside of the UK and especially within

Europe, surge protection has been a common part of

lightning protection installations for many years and the

on surge

SURGE PROTECTION

SURGE PROTECTION

value of surge protection is well established.

BS EN 62305 has incorporated guidance and Standards

employed within the UK, Germany, France and many

other countries, taking available technology and applying

it across the industry, just as we have with other

Standards and systems in the past. The Germans have a

simplified method of SPD selection which is based mainly

on the use of the building to be protected and is

endorsed by German insurance companies. This has

evolved after many years experience and incidence

recording and could well be replicated within the UK in

years to come.

Under BS EN 62305 SPDs are now an integral part of

lightning protection designs. It is also important to

remember the certification of a system; failure to provide

the entry surge protection units will mean a non-

compliance with the Standard. Engineers need to

understand a new system installed to BS EN 62305

should have service entry surge protection fitted as a

minimum. These units should be compliant with the

Standard’s requirements or they may fail in the task they

have been designed to carry out.

Omega Red Group has invested a great deal of time

and effort in training for the design and installation of

SPDs and lightning protection systems. Of course, any

contractor would expect its chosen installer to know what

they are talking about but a sound grasp of the

requirements of the new standard is necessary to identify

whether that is the case. Our engineers will always be

happy to answer any questions you might have but a

good starting point for understanding the basic principles

of BS EN 62305, especially the SPD components, can be

found in a short webcast tutorial at

www.omegaredgroup.com.


RECYCLING

Amazingly, an

average of 13% of all

materials delivered to

site never get used –

they are simply

discarded

AS OUR understanding of sustainability evolves, much of

the thinking now extends beyond simple matters of

energy consumption to encompass other environmental

issues. One of the most important of these is the

management of waste, because all of the materials we

use have embedded carbon, so wasting them makes a

contribution to climate change.

In addition, we are running out of space to store waste

– and a lot of the waste we generate contains

environmentally harmful substances that shouldn’t be

consigned to landfill.

These concerns have not only fostered a greater

awareness of waste, they have also spawned a raft of

legislative measures to minimise waste. Furthermore,

there is a great deal of pressure on companies to

demonstrate corporate social responsibility through

efficient management of issues such as sustainability.

And when it comes to waste, the construction industry is

one of the worst offenders.

In fact, according to government statistics, over 70

million tonnes of waste is produced by the construction

industry every year. Some of it is necessary waste that

can’t be avoided but, amazingly, an average of 13% of all

the materials delivered to site never get used – they are

simply discarded.

All of these factors can impact on the electrical

engineer; from the way that systems are designed

through to the management of the project on site. For

example, on a major project the main contractor will be

operating a site waste management plan that involves

everyone on site.

Also, there may be smaller projects where the

electrical engineer is the principal contractor with

responsibility for legislative compliance. So having an

understanding of waste management requirements is

important in avoiding non-compliance and possible

prosecution.

Within the electrical services, lighting can be one of the

most challenging areas to manage, because light fittings

fall within the remit of the WEEE (Waste Electrical &

Electronic Equipment) Directive, while discharge light

sources are also classified as hazardous waste.

There are a number of situations where disposal of

electrical equipment becomes an integral part of a

project, ranging from a fit-out through to refurbishment

and demolition projects. In all such cases, it’s no longer

acceptable to simply throw the old light fittings, control

panels and any other electrical items in a skip. Under the

WEEE Directive these need to be sent for recycling

through an accredited waste stream. And if there are

light fittings containing discharge light sources (e.g.

fluorescent, metal halide, sodium) the lamps must be

removed from the fittings and treated as hazardous

waste. This clearly has implications for anyone involved

in managing waste on site.

Disposing of WEEEMany items of WEEE will be covered by manufacturers’

take-back schemes so a key element of waste

management will be to identify which accredited

schemes can be used to dispose of waste. This may

lead to separation of different types of waste on site,

with provision for appropriate storage until they are

collected. Very often, it makes sense to source an

accredited waste contractor that can handle any type of

WEEE and take these complexities off your hands.

As noted above, though, if the waste includes

discharge lamps then it’s important the waste

contractor is licensed to handle hazardous waste as

well. It is also important to separate the lamps from the

fittings. Old luminaires are usually sent for shredding

and the residual materials re-used in industry, but a

single lamp can contaminate the whole batch so that it

all has to be treated as hazardous waste. Apart from the

additional treatment costs, this can lead to prosecution

under environmental legislation.

The special case of lampsThe special status of discharge light sources is the

result of their containing small amounts of mercury.

MANAGEMENT OF WASTE ON SITE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLYCOMPLEX. BRYAN NEILL OF MERCURY RECYCLING EXPLAINSWHY THIS IS, AND EXPLORES THE SPECIAL CASE OF DISCHARGELIGHT SOURCES


What a WASTEBryan Neill


The cost of sending

the waste to landfill

tripled, so the

pressure was on to

find alternatives

Lamp manufacturers have made considerable progress

in reducing the total amount of mercury in lamps and

using mercury amalgam rather than liquid mercury –

particularly in fluorescent lamps. Nevertheless, a small

amount is still required and when one considers the

cumulative effects from the millions of such lamps that

are disposed of each year are considered, it’s clear that

there is the potential for sloppy waste disposal to inflict

significant damage on the environment.

The first piece of legislation to impact on disposal of

discharge lamps came into force in July 2004, and

significantly reduced the total number of hazardous

landfill sites in the UK. At the same time, the cost of

sending such waste to landfill sites tripled, so the

pressure was on to find alternatives.

Then came the Hazardous Waste Regulations in

England and Wales, introduced in July 2005, which

classified discharge lamps and tubes as hazardous

waste. As a result, these light sources then attracted a

hazardous waste consignment fee when they were

transported anywhere.

Up to this point it was still theoretically possible to

send waste lamps to special landfill sites, albeit it at a

high cost. Since the WEEE Directive came into force,

though, this has not been an option and all such waste

has to be sent for recycling.

Again, the recycling of discharge lamps is

considerably more complex than most other forms of

WEEE. In fact, discharge lamps are among the most

difficult types of waste to deal with because they are

made up of many different materials.

For instance, the glass in many lamps is coated with

a mixture of phosphors and this has to be stripped off

before the glass can be re-used. These phosphors also

contain mercury, which is distilled from the phosphor

mix at very high temperatures (around 800°C) to

reclaim pure liquid mercury. In the case of sodium

lamps, the sodium is also reclaimed. Ferrous and non-

ferrous metals are also separated from other

components and sent for re-use.

Furthermore, the vacuum within the lamps means

they implode when crushed so the crushing procedure

has to be contained within specially constructed

machines. Highly flammable hydrogen gas is also

released when the sodium from sodium lamps is

exposed to` water, so special precautions have to be

taken with this both when processing and storing these

lamps.

Consequently, it’s important to select a waste

contractor that has the expertise to deal with such

waste, and has invested in the advanced machinery

and techniques to ensure that 100% of the lamp

components are dealt with in compliance with the

requirements of the legislation.

Managing on siteClearly, then, on-site waste management is becoming

more important. It is now necessary to establish

disposal points for different types of waste and to

ensure that all operatives on site are familiar with how

the waste needs to be sorted.

A typical arrangement might include skips for

general construction waste, another skip for non-

hazardous WEEE items such as luminaires and a

separate, secure storage area for hazardous waste such

RECYCLING

RECYCLING

as lamps. The latter is very important because of the

potential for contamination of the site if lamps are

broken. For instance, if broken lamps were left lying

around on site the mercury could be washed away by

rain and contaminate the surrounding land. If there

are water courses nearby, these could also be

affected. And, of course, any associated major clean

up will inevitably lead to delays in the construction

schedule.

As a result, any waste lamps need to be stored in

secure containers that will not allow such leakage.

And, because the waste is hazardous, their location will

also need to bear all necessary signage. A specialist

waste contractor should be able to provide appropriate

storage containers and signage – along with all of the

necessary documentation to ensure a complete audit

trail is in place.

On your own doorstepWhile most Electrical Review readers will be most

concerned with the issues of waste on site, it’s

important to bear in mind that the same

considerations apply to disposing of waste from your

own premises. Most local authorities now offer

facilities for smaller volumes of WEEE but in the case

of larger offices it will again make sense to employ the

services of a specialist waste contractor.

Here it’s important to point out another significant

element of the Hazardous Waste regulations for

building operators. This is that any site producing more

than 200kg of any type of hazardous waste per annum

has to register with the Environment Agency as a

hazardous waste producer. Registered sites receive a

site registration code and waste contractors are not

allowed to collect waste from any site that does not

have this code.

To put 200kg of waste into perspective, this

constitutes around 500 fluorescent tubes, or around 15

CRT monitors – therefore many office buildings need

to register as hazardous waste producers. And if you

have several offices, it may be necessary to register

each one separately.

Disposing of potentially harmful waste is clearly

important if we are to safeguard the environment and

the health and safety of people who may come into

contact with such waste. However, this can be a

complex area where it makes sense to take advantage

of specialist advice and expertise.

EVERY ONE of us has a responsibility to help ensure

we protect the environment by preventing hazardous

waste electrical and electronic equipment from going

to landfill. Gas discharge lamps are one of the three

hazardous waste categories under the WEEE directive,

and unless they are safely collected and recycled at

end-of-life, the mercury they contain could have a

harmful effect on the environment.

Regular collection and recycling of end-of-life

lamps can improve your environmental credentials,

but becoming a collection point can also have added

benefits for your customers and provide new business

opportunities for your own organisation as well.

A recent survey amongst RecoNet members, the

lamp collection network of specialist WEEE compliance

scheme Recolight, has revealed 45% of those who

provide an ‘open’ collection point (where their

customers and other businesses can bring their waste

lamps) say that the biggest benefit is the added value

it gives their existing customers and the opportunity

to attract new ones.

One of Recolight's first producer members, LampCo

is a leading lamp supplier, importing specialist lamp

types including medical resources, infra-red and flood

lighting from all over the world. Based in Baldock,

Hertfordshire, LampCo has a collection point used by

electrical wholesalers and contractors across a ten

mile radius.

Ian Fursland, sales

director and resident

lamp expert said: "As a

manufacturer of EEE

products we decided to

also offer our customers

the facility to dispose of

end-of-life lamps with

us. Since its inception

we have seen a huge

increase in the volume

of lamps we recycle for

clients and this has

resulted in more sales,

which is a great result for us. We are now in

possession of one large container that is replaced on

a regular basis".

By making lamp recycling simple, efficient and cost

effective, Recolight hopes to encourage as many

organisations as possible to join RecoNet and help

increase lamp recycling rates. New WEEE targets

coming into effect in 2010 will make it even more

important for every business to offer recycling services

to its customers, and Recolight provides a range of

solutions to suit all sizes of business and volumes of

waste. See page 7 of this issue for further information.


How lamp recycling can LIGHTENyour customers’ load


OPINION

IT’S OFFICIAL: Britain is in a recession, and while

one might argue the downturn reduces carbon

emissions through a decrease in economic

activity, on the flip-side it can cause surviving

businesses to take the risk of delaying investment

in sustainable measures in order to reduce short-

term costs, without considering the effect this

might have over time

I’d argue this is not a long-term strategy for

success, and urge businesses who may be

pushing sustainability measures down the list of

priorities because of the downturn to have a

serious rethink if they’re to stay ahead of the

game. The changing property landscape means it

makes better business sense to future-proof a

building today, so as to maximise its asset value

and payback in the longer term.

The overall trend of rising energy prices,

concerns over energy security and the strong

direction of EU and UK policy increases the desire

towards lower energy consumption and, as a

result, a lower carbon output. Those that choose

not to turn this desire into reality by investing in

sustainable measures now, will fail to reap the

rewards in the long run.

The long-term value of a property will be

significantly affected by its energy performance.

This will in part be a result of the implementation

of policies such as the Carbon Reduction

Commitment (CRC) which will be introduced in

April 2010 and the recent introduction of EPCs

and DECs. These policies are mandatory and as a

result will drive the demand for organisations to

occupy energy efficient buildings, with weaker

performing buildings losing value.

Through Carbon Action Yorkshire, NG Bailey is

currently participating in a trial of the

implementation of the CRC and when the policy

comes into force, some 5,000 public and private

sector organisations will form part of this

emissions trading scheme, and will be required to

report their UK-based CO2 emissions from all

their fixed point energy sources. So, it has never

BY CAL BAILEY,

SUSTAINABILITY

DIRECTOR AT

NG BAILEY

It makes better business

sense to future-proof a

building today, so as to

maximise its asset value

and payback in the

longer term

Let SUSTAINABILITYSPEND slip at

your peril


been more important for companies to get their estate in

‘green’ order; those that don’t will suffer a penalty.

Companies looking to reduce carbon emissions do not

merely require investment in technology – there must be

an overall commitment to the strategy. My view is that

there are three key priorities; the first is the measurement

of energy consumption, which is increasingly required by

law, and which is essential to good control.

The second priority is to manage this lower energy use

of buildings. Poorly maintained and monitored buildings

waste energy and generate unnecessary cost and carbon

emissions. At the very least, organisations should

implement a regular maintenance schedule for their

services. However, an intelligent building management

system is the key to controlling as much as 70% of a

building’s energy use.

The third is engaging stakeholders and the workforce

and creating a culture to encourage people to get behind

a carbon reduction strategy, so they feel empowered to

take necessary action in their own area of work.

The industry must consider not only cost minimisation

and emissions reduction, but also the cost to run a

building and maintain its value throughout its lifespan -

instead of just focusing on the initial capital expenditure.

Reducing whole-life costs through innovative specification

and ongoing maintenance, rather than simply

concentrating on the short-term build cost, means

adopting a complete ‘cradle to grave’ responsibility,

focused towards better environmental efficiency and

creating a better life in buildings for occupiers.

Minimum standards will only become more stringent.

A new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is

anticipated in 2010, which will further increase the

requirement for low carbon building design and

performance once in operation. With environmental

policies continuously strengthening in order to reduce

the UK’s carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, it will prove

to be good planning and highly cost effective for

companies to adopt sustainable measures, even during

the economic downturn. Those that choose not to take

this route should heed the implications this might have in

the future.

OPINION


ENERGY EFFICIENCY

PRINCIPAL among the drivers affecting energy

performance is the Building Regulations Part L2:

Conservation of fuel and power in buildings other than

dwellings. This calls for sub-metering so that at least 90%

of the estimated annual consumption can be attributed

to specific end-use categories.

Some energy metering systems offered by

manufacturers are complex and costly. However, the

solution does not necessarily have to be so complex.

Sometimes it is possible to install a relatively simple,

cost-effective system that is future-proofed to allow more

advanced automatic metering and trending (AM&T)

systems to be introduced later.

Energy Performance CertificatesSince October 2008 an Energy Performance Certificate

(EPC) has been required by law for any new building or

any building sold or rented. First introduced for domestic

premises, the requirement was extended in April 2008 to

cover large commercial properties. Then in October it

became applicable to all buildings, or parts of buildings,

when they are “built, sold or rented”. In addition, since

October a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) has been

required for prominent display in larger public buildings.

The EPC and DEC are among a number of interrelated

requirements of the European Energy Performance of

Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Energy Performance Certificates must be issued by

accredited energy assessors. They will give the property

an energy efficiency rating on a scale of A to G, similar to

the ratings used for domestic appliances. The assessors

will also give recommendations for improvement.

While the requirements for Energy Performance

Certificates do not impose any direct requirements for

metering, a carefully-planned sub-metering strategy will

enable building owners or occupiers to monitor energy

usage, identify significant trends and assess the

effectiveness of measures taken to implement the energy

assessors’ recommendations.

Building Regulations L2The UK Building Regulations Part L2 was also driven by the

Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. It is published as

two documents, L2A covering new buildings and L2B

covering existing buildings.

The key requirements affecting sub-metering are:-

▲ Energy meters should be installed so that at least 90% of

the estimated annual energy consumption of each fuel

(electricity, gas, LPG, oil etc.) can be assigned to various

end-use categories such as lighting, heating, ventilation,

pumps and fans.

▲ Reasonable provision of energy meters in existing

buildings can be achieved by following the

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DRIVERS AFFECTING ENERGY PERFORMANCE INMODERN BUILDINGS, SOME OF WHICH IMPACT UPON THE WORK OF THEELECTRICAL DESIGN ENGINEER, CHALLENGING HIM TO PRODUCE COST-EFFECTIVESOLUTIONS BUT ALSO PRESENTING NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. MIKELAWRENCE, PRODUCT LINE TEAM LEADER – COMMERCIAL ASSEMBLIES AT EATON,EXPLAINS

A carefully-

planned sub-

metering strategy

will enable

building owners

to identify

significant trends

Energy performanceand SUB-METERING

Top: Smartboard (from thebottom up) closed

Bottom: Smartboard (fromthe bottom up) open

Eaton's new smart split-metered distribution board


ENERGY EFFICIENCY

recommendations of Cibse Technical Memorandum TM39:Building Energy

Metering (A Guide to energy sub-metering in non-domestic buildings.)

▲ Reasonable provision of energy meters would be to install sub-meters in

any building greater than 500m2.

▲ In buildings with a total useful floor area greater than 1000m2, facilities

should be provided for automatic meter reading and data collection.

The objective is to develop a sub-metering strategy so that users can

identify areas where improvements can be introduced to achieve energy

savings of 5-10% or better.

TM39 is an updated version of Cibse General Information Leaflet 65

(GIL65):Metering energy use in new non-domestic buildings, which can be

downloaded free of charge from www.cibse.org/pdfs/GIL065.pdf.

The L2 requirements apply to premises with a floor area greater than

500m2 and existing buildings where “consequential improvements”, normally

involving Building Regulations approval, are being made. This includes

separate buildings on multi-building sites.

Specific recommendations are made for plant and equipment for which

separate metering should be provided as follows:-

▲ Motor control centres feeding pumps and fan loads greater than 10kW

▲ Boiler installations greater than 50kW

▲ Chiller installations greater than 20kW

▲ Electric humidifiers greater than 10kW

▲ Final electricity distribution boards greater than 50kW

This last recommendation is especially pertinent because the majority of

distribution boards are rated higher than 50kW.

Metering solutionsThere are various approaches to sub-metering. In some cases all metering is

provided at the main switchboard. This has the advantage that meters are all in

the same location so manual collection of data is easy. However, on some sites

MCCB panelboards provide sub-distribution to final distribution boards and to

loads such as lifts, ventilation or air-conditioning plant. These will require sub-

metering at the panelboard.

Final distribution boards frequently supply more than one type of load

(typically lighting and small power). If these loads are metered separately back

at the main switchboard or panelboard, it will require separate feeders and

probably two distribution boards instead of one. If, however, metering of the

grouped loads can be carried out at the distribution board it is possible to use

a single feeder.

Different solutions are available at the final distribution board:-

▲ Custom-built boards incorporating metering. This is generally an expensive

solution.

▲ Separate meter packs installed below, or alongside, standard distribution

boards offer a more cost-effective solution.

▲ Distribution boards with integral metering are now available as standard

products.

In each case there are options for a single meter to monitor the entire

board, or for split metering to provide separate measurement of grouped

lighting and small power loads. These options are available with both Type A

Type A distribution board with split metering

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

(single-phase) and Type B (three-phase) boards. However, it should be noted that

in some split metering applications one meter monitors the entire board. This calls

for external calculation for one group of MCB-ways.

It is recommended that meters should always include remote reading

capabilities. As a minimum this should be a pulsed output offering remote

measurement of kWh. A better solution is a Modbus design that provides

information via an RS485 connection. With Modbus RS485 communication,

information is read directly from the meter and some data registers, such as peak

demand, can be re-set remotely. If the meter is connected to an effective energy

management system (EMS/BMS), it can deliver a more informative energy

monitoring capability. Specifiers and installers do not need to go to the expense of

custom-built distribution boards and panelboards to ensure compliance with

Building Regulations Part L2. A range of metering solutions is now available for

type A and type B boards including add-on meter packs for use with standard

distribution boards and distribution boards with integral metering capabilities. The

design of these units minimises the amount of on-site work for the contractor and

the standardised design allows boards to be sourced through the normal electrical

wholesaler network.

Where greater sophistication is required, ethernet connectivity can be used to

integrate the sub-metering into a comprehensive energy management architecture

for effective monitoring, control and management of the complete energy

infrastructure in large sites. Eaton’s Power Xpert software allows energy use to be

monitored and trends identified so that systems can be optimised to reduce energy

costs and achieve a more efficient system.

For further information see www.poweringbusinessworldwide.tv

Smart summing meter

Smartboard with one and bothcovers removed



SWITCHGEAR & SUBSTATIONS

THE INAUGURAL NetWork 2009 event in February was an

extremely valuable opportunity for UK DNOs to share

knowledge on the key strategic management issues

facing network operators and learn from the examples of

two of the world’s most reliable and efficient networks –

SP Powergrid of Singapore and China Light and Power

(CLP) of Hong Kong.

The pressures are common to every operator across

the world: how can they manage an ageing asset base so

that it will deliver greater network reliability, power quality

and safety, while reducing costs to consumers? At the

same time, how can they make a watertight business case

for investment in maintaining, upgrading and replacing

assets to stakeholders, including industry regulators?

The answer to these questions is being found in two

developments which are inextricably linked: new

techniques for accurately measuring the condition of live

assets, plus new methodologies for managing assets more

effectively, based on their actual condition.

Let’s look at what has been achieved in Hong Kong

and Singapore, where condition based asset management

has become the driver for remarkable improvements in

both reliability and cost efficiency:

SP Powergrid, SingaporeSP Powergrid’s network includes nearly 10,000

substations, 40,000 switchgear sets, 14,000 transformers

and 30,000km of cable. Since incorporating condition

monitoring into its systems, it has dramatically improved

an already excellent performance. The System Average

Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) has averaged less than

1 minute per year over the last three years.

NB: The blip in 2004/5 was caused by a third party supply

issue outside SP Powergrid’s control.

SP Powergrid estimates over the last eight financial

years, condition monitoring has enabled it to avert 450

network failure incidents, with a net financial saving of

US$29m. In addition to improving customer service, it has

been able to pass cost savings on to them.

CLP Hong KongThe China Light and Power network in Hong Kong

includes nearly 13,000 substations and 22,000km of

overhead lines and underground cables, serving 2.26

million customers.

As a result of focusing over the last 10 years on

condition based maintenance, to predict faults and

Condition based

asset

management has

become the driver

for remarkable

improvements in

both reliability and

cost efficiency

MORE THAN 50 SENIORFIGURES FROM THE ELECTRICITY

INDUSTRY GATHERED ATLONDON’S ROYAL AUTOMOBILE

CLUB ON 5 FEBRUARY 2009,FOR NETWORK 2009 – THE

FIRST EVER INTERNATIONALDNO STRATEGY CONFERENCE.

TOP OF THEIR AGENDA WASHOW THE ABILITY TO MEASURE

THE CONDITION OF LIVE ASSETSIS MAKING THE MANAGEMENT

OF NETWORK ASSETS MOREEFFICIENT, AT LOWER COST. NEILDAVIES FROM EA TECHNOLOGY

INSTRUMENTS INVESTIGATES

Condition measurementpays DIVIDENDS


SWITCHGEAR & SUBSTATIONS

improve reliability , it has reduced its SAIDI figures from

more than 40 to 2.68 minutes lost per year

Demand from customers has continue to grow, but in

the last two years, greater operating efficiencies have

enabled CLP to reduce tariffs.

The UK Business Case

Taken as a whole, the UK electricity network is

relatively efficient. But an in-depth analysis by EA

Technology Consulting of preventable, condition-related

failures, shows there is considerable scope for

improvement:

Using condition monitoring as a failure prevention

tool is a valuable technique, but is only part of a much

wider move towards condition based asset management

techniques.

Using Condition DataThe ability to collect data on the condition of live assets is

transforming the industry’s approach to asset

management itself: from one based on time-scheduled

maintenance and replacement, to one based on a

detailed understanding of the condition of the asset base.

It also provides accurate intelligence for investment

programmes.

Maximising the value of data is essentially carried out

at two levels:

Asset condition registers

Expert analysis and interpretation of PD activity readings

gives a clear indication of the condition of assets,

including accurate predictions of when they are likely to

fail. In EA Technology’s case, this is based on a unique

database, built up over more than 30 years, which shows

how tens of thousands of asset types have deteriorated

over time.

This approach enables operators to develop registers

of assets, in which each asset is accorded a ‘health index’

showing its present condition, its predicted date of failure

and/or its remaining service life.

Condition Based Risk Management (CBRM)

CBRM is a comprehensive new methodology, which

takes condition based asset management to a higher

level, enabling managers to take more intelligent

decisions on revenue and capital spending. It also

reduces the cost of network operation, while improving

their efficiency and reliability.

The effectiveness of CBRM derives from factoring

together probability (derived from the asset condition)

and consequences of asset failure, to determine risk in

terms of financial cost.

In addition to managing the health of assets, CBRM

provides the answers to the key questions:

▲ If an asset costing £XX fails, what will be the

consequential loss to the business?

▲ If an asset is refurbished or replaced at a cost of £YY,

what will be the benefit to the business?

▲ Therefore, where should we prioritise our spending?

Partial discharge (PD) developments

Visible evidence of PD

EA Technology’s experience shows that partial

discharge (PD) activity is a factor in around 85% of

disruptive substation failures. It has thus become

increasingly clear the ability to detect and measure PD is

The ability to

collect data on the

condition of live

assets is

transforming the

industry’s

approach to asset

management

itself

Grid & primary On-load tap Primary & distributiontransformers chagers switchgear

Condition related failures (p.a.) 240 150 750

Average cost per failure £520k £200k £30k

£ Total cost of failures (p.a.) £130m £31m £22m

£ Opex & Capex cost of failures (p.a.) £22m £2.5m £12m

% Potential preventable faults 50% 50% 56%

£ Potential annual saving £60m £12m £2m

e-lec-tri-cal*

check out our new website*www.electricalreview.co.uk

SWITCHGEAR & SUBSTATIONSkey to assessing the health of assets. PD activity provides

clear evidence that an asset is deteriorating in a way that

is likely to lead to failure. The process of deterioration

can propagate and develop, until the insulation is unable

to withstand the electrical stress, leading to flashover.

PD detection & measurement

PD activity across insulator voids in gas insulated

switchgear(GIS)

Partial discharges emit energy, in the form of effects which

can be detected, located, measured and monitored:

▲ Electromagnetic emissions, in the form of radio waves,

light and heat.

▲ Acoustic emissions, in the audible and ultrasonic ranges.

▲ Ozone and nitrous oxide gases.

The most effective techniques for detecting and

measuring PD activity in live assets are based on

quantifying:

Transient earth voltages (TEVs)The importance of TEV effects (discharges of radio energy

associated with PD activity) was first identified by EA

Technology in the 1970s. Measuring TEV emissions is the

most effective way to assess internal PD activity in

metalclad MV switchgear.

Ultrasonic emissionsPD activity creates emissions in both the audible and

ultrasonic ranges. The latter is by far the most valuable for

early detection and measurement. Measuring ultrasonic

emissions is the most effective way to assess PD activity

where there is an air passage e.g. vents or door in the

casing of an asset.

UHF emissionsPD activity can also be measured in the UHF range, and is

particularly useful in monitoring EHV assets.

The latest handheld instruments

measure PD activity as both

ultrasonic and TEV emissions

Dual sensor

alarm systems

continuously

monitor assets

for critical PD

activity

The latest PD instruments typically use a combination

of ultrasonic and TEV sensor technologies, characterised by

the EA Technology UltraTEV range. These include:

▲ Handheld dual sensor instruments which provide an

instant indication of critical levels of PD activity, ideal for

‘first pass’ PD surveys and safety checks. Traffic light

warning levels are precisely calibrated using a database

of known patterns of asset deterioration.

▲ More sophisticated handhelds, which provide audible

and numerical readings of ultrasonic and TEV activity.

▲ PD location instruments which pinpoint and quantify

the source of PD activity.

▲ PD monitoring instruments, which measure, record and

analyse PD activity over time.

▲ PD alarm systems, which give immediate warning of

critical PD activity in groups of assets or whole

networks.

▲ Specialist PD monitoring systems for strategically

important assets, including Gas Insulated Switchgear

(GIS).

Other Asset ClassesCondition based management is by no means confined to

assets which present faults in the form of PD activity.

The same principle is equally effective, using a range of

condition measurement techniques, to all types of

electricity network assets including substations and cables.

It can apply to the complete asset, such as an overhead

line, as well as to the component parts, such as the

overhead conductors, poles, towers and footings.

ConclusionThe ability to assess the condition of live assets is changing

the way assets are managed on many levels: as a

technique for preventing faults from developing into

failures, as a means of moving from time-based to

condition-based maintenance, as a way of quantifying risk

and as the basis for justifying and prioritising investment.

But the ultimate rationale for condition measurement is

that it pays for itself, many times over.

This article includes material from presentations made

at NetWork 2009, the first international distribution

network strategy conference, held in London in February

2009. The full presentations are available from

www.networkconference.co.uk, where readers can also

register their interest in NetWork 2010.

For further information please email

[email protected].

Catastrophic failure caused by

partial discharge activity


PRODUCT WATCH

HIGH ACCURACY DIGITAL INDICATORSA range of portable, high-accuracy digital temperature indicators whichoffer improved standards of measurement flexibility is now availablefrom Cropico, the specialist supplier of precision measurementequipment.

The 3000 series features three units, all with one milli-Kelvinresolution for RTDs (Real Time Displays).

Product has been designed for precision temperature measurementin a wide range of electronics, industrial, scientific and environmentalmonitoring applications, and comes with a choice of inputs for platinumresistance thermometers and all popular thermocouple types. The 3000 has inputs for Pt25 and Pt100platinum resistance thermometers and thermocouple. The 3001 offers the same flexibility as the 3000 butdoes not include the PT25 input option, while the 3002 is designed for use with Pt 100 platinum resistancethermometers only.

Seaward Group0191 5878731 VERSATILITY FOR THE KIOSK PRINTING MARKETPLACE

Building on their already comprehensive range of kiosk printers on offer, DED introduce the Star MicronicsTUP500. Based on the tried and tested TUP900 model, known worldwide for providing effective printing solutionsin a host of applications, the TUP500 brings new features along with versatility to the kiosk printing marketplace.

Demonstrating the ultimate in flexibility, the TUP500 prints thermal receipts,tickets, barcodes and labels at the superfast speed of up to 220mm per secondwith the standard 15cm paper roll. The compact TUP500 offers an easy ‘lift and tilt’mechanism for hassle free paper loading of paper stock from 45 – 82.5mm wideand media of up to 0.15mm thick. Offering a versatile, open frame kiosk printingsolution, the TUP500 features removable metal sides as standard so that the paperspindle holders or control panel can be relocated to meet the most demanding ofkiosk layouts. Options on the TUP500 include a flashing paper exit guide/snoutwhich flashes green to direct customers where to remove their receipt/ticket fromand flashes red when the paper roll has run out. Another option is the 25cm paper roll holder for horizontal or verticaluse (maximum capacity of 18cm in vertical role)

DED01797 320636

SIMULTANEOUS VENTILATIONFluke is offering a new Electricians Kit as a complete solution to testing and verifying domestic andcommercial electrical installations. The Fluke 1652B/PKit comprises the latest high productivity Fluke 1652BMultifunction Installation Tester, which offers automatic RCD testing and a remote probe; a Fluke T120 2-poleTester, which features a 1999 digit LCD display and LED bargraph to indicate voltages from 12V to 690VAC/DC and a patented three-phase rotation detection system; and a Fluke SM200 Socket Tester, with 3 vividbi-colour LEDs and an audible buzzer which indicate missing earth, live/earth reverse, live/neutral reverse,missing neutral or live faults.

The Fluke 1652B Series ensures fixed wiring is safe and correctlyinstalled to meet the latest BS7671 17th Edition wiring regulations aswell as IEC 60364 and HD 384. It builds on the rugged performanceof the earlier 1650 Series, but it has been redesigned to make testingeven more productive. It now shows two measurements at once on adual display. This can show PEFC/PSC and loop impedance results inparallel, negating the requirement to run the tests separately.

Fluke (UK)020 7942 0700

WATERPROOF ROCKER AND PUSHBUTTON SWITCHES

Cherry Electrical Products has announced a new range of sealed,waterproof rocker and pushbutton switches with a wide choice of pole,throw and switch options, making them suitable for a huge range ofapplications, from vehicles and outdoor machinery to medical devices.

There are eight different designs in the new product family - sevenrocker switches and one pushbutton switch, all certified to IP56 and IP65requirements for water and dust resistance. These competitively-pricedswitches are available in numerous AC/DC ratings and are RoHScompliant.

The round rocker switches, designated the KD and KC series, are IP56 rated and designed to fit panel cut-outsof 0.795in (20.20mm) diameter. The KC series has SPST function and is available with red or black actuators,while the KD series is available in two versions: DPST and DPDT.

ZF Electronics01582 506140

DRIVES AND MOTORSCATALOGUEThe 2009 edition of ABB’s drives and motorscatalogue is now available for end-users,system integrators and Original EquipmentManufacturers (OEMs). The 48 pagecatalogue is free and can by downloadeddirectly from www.abb.co.uk/energy or ahard copy is available from freephoneBrochureline on 0800 783 7491.

The catalogue provides technical detailsof ABB’s range of low voltage AC drives from0.18 to 2,800 kW and motors from 0.06 to710 kW. It also presents ABB’s range of DCand medium voltage AC drives. Easy-to-usetables give ordering data, dimensions,options and electrical details for mostproducts, together with prices for 2009.

ABB01925 741 111

FAST AND ACCURATE READINGSCompact, rugged and easy to use; theEthos 4600 non contact Infrared (IR)Thermometer is one of the latestintroductions to the Ethos range of testequipment.

The compact and portable instrumentenables electrical contractors to take fastand accurate readings for most surfacemeasurements and diagnose heating andventilation problems without contact.

Two laser points converge to a singlespot when the unit is at the optimaldistance from the object being measured.With dual laser targeting, user selectable°C or °F and automatic data hold, theEthos 4600 also comes complete with awhite backlight LCD display and handycarry case.

Ethos0191 378 3990

PRODUCT WATCH

BUS SYSTEM SAVES INSTALLATION TIMEContractor Vastec Systems is using Hager’s Tebis bus system to save installation time for a lighting controlsystem in new ETAP hotels. Hager is also supplying its panel and TP& N boards for the electrical distribution.

A Belgium based company called Building and Engineering manufacture a series of modules for each hotel.These are bolted together to reduce build time on site. The hotels need both local room plus central lightingcontrol behind reception. Using Hager’s Tebis bus system a single twisted pair cable, the bus line, connects allof the wall switches and the lighting circuits. Each circuit and switch is assigned an address and the system isprogrammed so that the lighting circuits respond to commands fromindividual switches. For the new hotels, the wall switches in a roomtypically control just one lighting circuit with a central grid-switchingpanel behind reception providing central control for the whole building. Ahard-wired solution would need multiple cable runs from differentdistribution boards and multi-core cabling to the grid switch behindreception. This is both time consuming and complicated.

Hager0870 240 2400

SUBCONTRACT MANUFACTURING LAUNCHHarwin announced the launch of its subcontract manufacturing capabilities at the Southern Manufacturing andElectronics Exhibition in February. Harwin has always undertaken contract manufacturing work utilising the capacitythat it has in its manufacturing facility. The company has a policy of replacing all its production equipment –stamping, turning, moulding and plating – every five years, so the company always has a state-of-the-art facilitywhich is required to support the manufacture of its high reliability interconnect components.

Because the company is now seeing a lot of manufacturing returning to the UK from so-called ‘low cost’manufacturing regions – predominantly the Far East – Harwin has decided toactively pursue and support its contract manufacturing services, and MickOsborne has recently been appointed sales manager for subcontractmanufacturing. He said: “One of Harwin’s main strengths is our commitmentto retaining all key connector manufacturing processes in-house, here in theUK in Portsmouth. This means we can offer very short lead times, and be veryflexible and responsive to our customers’ needs.”

Harwin02392 314 532

‘TWO COMPONENT’ MATERIAL TECHNOLOGYNew products are available in the plastic carrier range of Kabelschlepp Metool. Amongst the recentinnovations, Kabelschlepp Metool is introducing the Easytrax chain. It combines seemingly contradictoryproperties: a highly stable carrier design for long, unsupported lengths with flexible crossbars to allowquick looming by simply stripping in the cables. This is made possible by using intelligent two-component material technology, considerably reducing installation or maintenance times.

‘Two-component’ stands for the combination of two elements with different properties: a stiff carrierbody with soft crossbars. Stability and flexibility in one carrier – made possible by combining materials.

The body of the cable carrier is made of special fiber reinforced plastic. This economical yet very high-quality GRP compound allows for an easy carrier design with extra high stability. The unsupportedlength of Easytrax is almost twice compared to cable chains made of conventional materials. The chainlinks are clipped together, allowing defined length for thespecific application. The carrier body has flexible lamellalike crossbars of an elastic yet durable special material.

Kabelschlepp Metool0115 9225931

IMPROVEMENTS TO SOFTWARE FOR STRIKE RISK ASSESSMENTFurse’s StrikeRisk software has been improved, making lightning risk assessments lightning fast. Atrial version of the new StrikeRisk v5 is available free of charge from the Furse website.

StrikeRisk has been specifically developed for engineers, architects andcontractors who have to carry out the risk calculations demanded in BSEN 62305-2:2006 Risk management. Its improved interface helps userscomplete BS EN 62305-2’s complex and laborious risk calculations inminutes rather than the hours it would take doing them by hand. WithStrikeRisk, an engineer can carry out and view multiple risk assessmentsunder the banner of a single project, build new projects from previouslysaved cases and create templates for standard cases. StrikeRisk enablesusers to split a structure into multiple zones to highlight high risk areas,

as well as considering multiple cables connected to the structure and multiple remotely connectedstructures. In addition to an improved user interface, StrikeRisk v5 offers expanded licensing andsecurity options, and a greater reporting facility. For more information or a free 15-day trial, pleasevisit www.furse.com or call the number below.

Furse0115 964 3700.

LOW VOLTAGE MULTI-PURPOSE SOUNDERKlaxon Signals has introduced a low-voltage AC version of the multi-purposeNexus sounder for use with applicationsthat have a low voltage AC supply.

In general, low voltage AC signallingproducts between 24-48V AC are notreadily available in the industrial market, soKlaxon’s Low Voltage Nexus can meet thedemand and provide signalling forapplications including cranes, conveyors,moving machinery and process controlalarms.

Products in the Nexus range areavailable as either a sounder or sounder-beacon with red or amber LED options. TheNexus combines a powerful 110 dB soundoutput and high efficiency LED beacon tocreate a powerful audio-visual warningsignal. The Low Voltage Nexus is also waterand dust proofed to IP66 for heavyindustrial or outdoor applications.

Klaxon Signals0161 287 5555

AUTOMATIC LIGHTING CONTROL

Danlers manufacture a comprehensiverange of passive infra-red occupancyswitches for automatic lighting control.

The products are easy to install, usingthe existing wiring in a building. They areideal for energy saving in offices, factories,warehouses, hospitals, schools, leisurecentres, corridors and toilets for example.

Danlers PIR occupancy switches detectthe movement of people within theirvicinity and the lighting is switched on andoff accordingly.

Each model in the range includes apassive infra-red quad person detector, anadjustable time lag before switch off, anadjustable photocell override and a relayfor switching up to 6 amps (1500W) of anytype of load, including fluorescent lightsand fans. The time and photocell settingshave straightforward, easy to access,spindle adjustments.

Danlers01249 443377

PRODUCT WATCH

SWITCH FUSES FOR ‘TIGHTER’ INSTALLATIONSKatko has introduced a new, compact range of 20 and 32A switchfuses, designed for today’s ‘tighter’ installations where space is in-evitably at a premium.

The Company’s new compact range can be DIN rail or basemounted with 3-pole, 3-pole and neutral and 4-pole versions, plus theoption of 1 and 2 pole versions (upon request). In addition, silver alloycontacts give a longer life expectancy and provide safer operation indemanding environments.

The new Katko switch fuse package also includes a 180mm shaftand IP66 rated handle which interlocks in both the ‘on’ and ‘padlocked off’ positions.

Katko has published a new catalogue, outlining full technical information for their Load Break Switchesand Switch Fuses. For a copy of the catalogue call the number below.

Katko01420 520530

NEW CONCEPT IN LIGHTINGCATALOGUESSpecialist energy saving lamp manufacturerMegaman UK, has released a new concept incatalogues. Split into two distinct sections, the2009 catalogue details the company’s energyefficient lamps on one side and, when turned over,highlights the Fozz Lighting range of products, thatprovide flexible, energy saving lighting solutions for

a wide range of domesticand leisure applications.

Simple and intuitivenavigation is central to thecatalogue concept whichprovides technicalinformation on everythingfrom lamp types, lightingperformance and cost ofownership to advice oninstallation. In addition to

this, Megaman can now provide a producercompliance scheme, WEEElite. As well asestablished ranges, including the revolutionary newDimmerable Series, the Reflector Series andClusterlite for commercial and industrial lighting,many new products have been added for 2009.These include the 9W GU9 alternative to mainsvoltage G9’s offering 15,000 hours lamp life, theSpiral range from 5W to 23W, 25W R7’s providingan alternative to linear halogen lamps and theaddition of 11W, 15W, and 20W to the PLi range ofplug-in tubes

Megaman (UK)0845 408 4625

COMPACT CHOKES DELIVER UPTO 99& EFFICIENCYNew highly compact chokes that can deliver powerfactor correction solutions with up to 99% efficiencyare available from MMG MagDev.

AMS HarmonyT Choke range from MMG deliversan exceptionally high performance power factorcorrection (PFC) solution to EN61000-3-2. Harmonychokes offer the lightest, most compact and mostefficient PFC solution for power supply designs from500W. AMS has created them using state of the artmagnetic materials,optimised windingsand an innovative,highly efficientcomponentgeometry. There areeight standardmodels in therange, which can beobtained fromMMG MagDev. As aresult of itsrelationship withAMS, MMG can also offer custom Harmony chokeswhere the standard products do not meet acustomer's needs. The design of these chokes resultsin lower winding capacitance, lower winding lossesand a lower temperature rise. Harmony chokes offerultra high energy storage, robust construction,UL94V-0 compliance and UL Temp Class Fcompliance.

MMG Magdev01793 425600

CONDUIT SYSTEMS FOR HAZARDOUS AREAS

Kopex International’s electrical conduit systems for hazardous areas nowinclude female versions of the HAM, HAMM and HAMS ranges of ATEXflameproof glands. The glands are approved for use in Zones 1, 2, 21 and22 hazardous area classifications and designed for use in conjunctionwith Kopex Liquid Tight flexible metallic conduits.

Industries such as the petrochemical, offshore oil and gas, nuclear andfood processing will be able to use these Kopex glands in conjunctionwith Liquid Tight Conduit for a wide range of hazardous area

applications. The HAM female gland will complement the range and, when used with existing male HAMglands, will allow for the safe transition of cables from zones into safe areas without loss of Ex certification.The gland can also be fitted to an enclosure with a male thread already exiting the box, without the need tore-test the enclosure, since the new female gland will be approved as a piece of equipment.

Kopex International01675 468 213

ENHANCED CONTACTOR RANGEReduced coil consumption, greaterpacking density and even better valuefor money are the key benefits of thenew enhanced range of xStartcontactors from Moeller Electric.

The new sizes available are DILM15,DILM38, DILM72 and DILM170, whichbetween them cover AC3 switchingrequirements from 15kW up to 90kW,400 V.

Moeller has also added the newcompact DILM570 model, rated 315kW, 400 V, AC3, to the range, and hasintroduced side-mounting auxiliarycontacts as well as IP2X protectiveterminal covers.

With electrical lifespans up to500,000 switching operations for theDILM38 and 750,000 switchingoperations for the other sizes, theenhanced DILM contactors are a costeffective alternative to standardcontactors in the current range.

Moeller Electric01296 393322

ONE STOP SOLUTIONFollowing the recently introduced CENELEC(European) standards which have redefined theway earthing and lightning protection componentsare judged fit for purpose, Newlec from Newey &Eyre is offering a one-stop solution for lightningprotection.

Whereas the previous standard for earthing andlightning products focused on the use of specificmaterials to ensure compliance, the introduction ofthe EN 50164 series of standards means that therigorous performance testing of components hasnow become the key criteria.

Newlec has worked with manufacturers, toensure they offer a range of earthing and lightningprotection components which have been tested toensure compliance with BS EN 50164. Allconnection components comply with BS EN50164-1, with conductors and earth electrodesmeeting the BS EN 50164-2 standard. The Newlecoffering incorporates includes highly tensile earthrods, earth rod accessories, earth bars, lightweightinspection pit, conductors and conductor fixings.

Newey & Eyre0800 783 6909

PRODUCT WATCH

NEW REGIONAL SALES OFFICE OPENEDEPlan Software and Service has announced the opening of a newregional sales office in Birmingham to complement the sales andsupport activities of its UK head office in Hellaby, South Yorkshire.

With over 60,000 users worldwide, EPlan has seen a substantialincrease in demand for its software packages as it has demonstrated itcan significantly reduce project drafting and documentation by between50 to 80%. Currently, most electrical design in the UK is performedusing simple, two-dimensional CAD systems that produce flat,unintelligent drawings where all accompanying lists and documentshave to be researched and assembled separately. EPLAN can performthese functions automatically and instantaneously, compiling schematics, lists and documents from data which onlyneeds to be entered once. Using single data entry and EPLAN’s capability to enforce design rules, the risk of errors –as well as the need to error-check entire projects – is largely eliminated.

Rittal01709 704000

VERTICAL-MOUNT CONFIGURATION GIVES FLEXIBILITYNew vertical-flange mount power entry modules, rated for 6 and 10 A, expand the high-performance P Se-ries from Tyco Electronics. The vertical-mount configuration reduces panel area requirements and gives de-signers greater packaging flexibility in a wide range of applications, including healthcare equipment,household machinery, single- and switched-mode power supplies, and portable electronics devices.

The modules are rated up to 10 A at 250 VAC, 50/60 Hz. They areUL Recognized, CSA Certified, and VDE approved.

The popular Corcom P series power entry module offers aconfigurable platform which can incorporate an on/off switch,voltage selection, fuse holder, and a shield. Refer to the Corcomproduct guide on www.corcom.com for details on the many optionsavailable with the P series.

Tyco Electronics+49 30 38638642

VALUABLE SOURCE OF LIGHTING INFORMATIONVenture Lighting Europe has launched a new catalogue containing new products across its establishedranges, which will provide a source of information on lamps and lighting control gear for the user.

The new catalogue is broken down into colour-coded sections for ease of reference, each containingcomprehensive information on the products offered. It includes specificbenefits/features of each lamp range and ideal application usage, inaddition to valuable energy saving advice. There is also a sectiondedicated to the wide range of ballasts, ignitors and capacitorsmanufactured by Venture, along with detailed technical information.

Five new lamps have been added to Venture’s Natural White range:35W, G12 150W G12, 150W E27 (coated finish), 225W (Operating at225W on 250W mercury ballast) 310W. The existing 365W lamp(operating at 365W on 400W mercury ballast) is also still an option. TheNatural White lamp offers light output in all parts of the visual spectrumand provides better colour rendering (90+ Ra) with unrivalled (90%)lumen maintenance.

Venture Lighting Europe0845 2302222

HANDHELD ENCLOSURES ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED.Rolec’s unique mobilCASE handheld enclosures have been ergonomically designed with a round edge section,

which is very easy to hold, and also acts as a battery compartment ormounting point for cables glands. The cases consist of an anodisedaluminium case body, with internal guide rails for PCBs, and two blackdie-cast end panels which are fitted by self-tapping screws. For outdooror industrial use, the cases can be sealed up to IP 65.

The mobilCASE range consists of twelve models with externaldimensions from 118 x 120 x 80 mm to 168 x 240 x 130 mm. A recess inthe top section can be used for mounting membrane keypads or productlabels, and can also be machined with apertures for LCD modules, push-button switches or ribbon cables. View this product online at www.rolec-enclosures.co.uk/mobilcase.

Rolec Enclosures01489 583858

FLOATING CANOPYSill Lighting has been specified to uplightthe dramatic canopy of the ManchesterGateway metrolink station.

Lighting designers Light Bureau wereappointed to create a high qualitylighting design that gave the canopy theillusion of a floating structure, specifyingSill Lighting for its ability to providehomogenous illumination of the canopyto achieve this effect.

The lighting scheme used 18 Sill 401plane projectors with 250w lamps, tenSill 408 plane projectors with 150wlamps, and three Sill 495 high powernarrow beam projectors with 400wlamps, mounted on columns of varyingheights to light the circular, angled roofas evenly as possible. The projectors,fitted with pure aluminium reflectors,offer high efficiency and controlled lightdirection.

Sill Lighting UK01844 260006

ENCODERS SUITED TOFOOD INDUSTRYAt Baader in North Germany, machines for thefood industry are designed and manufactured.The machines carve meat and fish into portionssuitable for sale.

Encoders from Wachendorff are used in thecompany’s machinery. They are well suited tosuch extreme conditions thanks to their ruggedconstruction and high IP67 level of protection(IP65 directly on the shaft). The stainless steelversion of the 58 series is specially developedfor food and beverage industry.

The encoder bearing can also assume thefunction of an counterbearing, saving on costs.The stainless-steel shaft withstands high loads,vibration and external forces. The operatingtemperature range of between -40 °C and +80°C ensures reliable measurement in everyenvironment – even with fish cooled on ice.Variohm Eurosensor is the exclusive UKdistributor for Wachendorff Automation.

Variohm Eurosensor01327 351004

PRODUCT WATCH

LIGHTING CONTROLS YIELD LABOUR SAVINGSSimmtronic lighting controls have been installed as part of LandSecurities’ major renovation of the Dashwood House corporate officebuilding in London. The scheme was designed in conjunction withconsultants Long & Partners, applying the latest DALI lighting protocolequipment and featuring Simmtronic’s advanced Automatic TestingSystem (ATS) for DALI based emergency lighting.

The result of two years R&D, the new Simmtronic DALI ATS supervisesmore that 1000 DALI emergency luminaires and is one of five such majorsystems recently installed. In accordance with the latest internationalstandards for automated testing, the system provides unprecedented

testing coverage and security of what has traditionally been a complex task. The system also yieldssignificant labour savings and eliminates the normal risks associated with testing an occupied building.

Simmtronic01992 456869

NEW TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMMETyco Thermal Controls has launched a training and certification programme for installers of its Raychem electricunderfloor heating systems. Electricians who successfully complete the training course will become official RaychemCertifiedPRO accredited installers and be entitled to display the logo on their stationery and promotional material. Theywill enjoy access to technical and promotional support and be able to offer end users a specially extended manufacturer’stotal warranty on any Raychem floor heating projects they commission.

This Raychem accreditation will be promoted to consumers, encouraging end users to seekout and select CertifiedPRO installers to undertake their electric underfloor heating projects.Within the Raychem range of electric underfloor heating systems are energy-efficient solutionsfor all traditional floor surfaces, including wood. The offering encompasses both self-regulatingand robust pre-terminated constant wattage cable systems and ready formatted ultra-thinpower mats. In its T2Red+Reflecta system, self-regulating heating cable is used in combinationwith a pre-grooved, thermally insulated, aluminium-covered plate, which minimises heat lossand provides optimum heat distribution, increasing energy efficiency by 20%.Tyco Thermal Controls0800 969013

WATER HEATING FOR PORTABLE BUILDING MARKETZip Heaters (UK) has launched a special variant of its Contract over-sink water heater range, designedspecifically for the portable buildings market; an application where the unit is likely to be regularlydisconnected from water and electricity supplies as the building is moved from site to site.

Available in a choice of 5 and 10 litre capacities the new models are 2.0 kW rated open outlet over-sink water heaters for single point of use. They feature full temperature control with frost protection aswell as externally resettable over temperature protection.

David Bradbrook of Zip Heaters, commented: “When commissioning portablebuildings there is always a possibility of a heater being switched on before wateris available. To cater for such eventualities the new Zip Contract incorporates drystart protection to prevent damage to the unit in such circumstances. Howeverhaving protected the product, users of such buildings then want to be able toquickly fill it with water, reset the protection device and start using it without theneed to disassemble the heater, obtain spare parts or await a service visit.”

Zip Heaters0845 602 4533

INTERACTIVE 3D TECHNOLOGIES EMBRACED BY INDUSTRYAlthough interactive 3D technologies have been available for years, it has taken a surprisingly long time for many inindustry to embrace them. In the electrical industry, one of the first to see the potential 5 years ago was SchneiderElectric in the UK. Members of the Animmersion team were involved in numerous projects,utilising both rendered and interactive 3D animations for switchgear product operation guidesdelivered via CD/DVD, an advantage to producing the usual printed versions.

Animmersion is experienced, innovative and recognises the potential of 3D interactiveand animated solutions when it comes to marketing, presenting or training for electricalequipment or products. Animmersion also produces high definition, photorealistic imagery ofcomponents, cables and installed equipment for marketing, catalogues and the web. Theadvantage over still life photography is evident when you see the results. CAD models canbe used or bespoke models created which can then be re-used to produce interactiveproduct demonstrations, exploded diagrams and rich internet applications. To find out moreor request a personal demo please email [email protected]

Animmersion UK01642 384474

ZONE AND FAN COIL CONTROLLERS

Sontay has added a new series of zone andfan coil controllers to its offering for 2009.Versions are available with the choice ofhumidity, PIR, floating and analogue (0-10vdc) options together with stand-alone, Lonor BACnet MS/TP communicationcapabilities.

The CN series of zone and fan coilcontrollers feature simple menu-driven siteconfiguration to reduce the installed cost.The range includes pre-configured operationsequences to reduce on-site programmingand commissioning time. The backlit LCDdisplay with dedicated function menu keysensures ease of use and the lockable keypadprevents unauthorised changes toconfiguration. Accurate temperature controlis achieved using a P+1 control algorithmwhich virtually eliminates the temperatureoffset associated with traditional, differentialbased units.

Sontay0845 345 7253

AUTOMATIC WINDINGANALYSER LAUNCHMaintec 2009 will see the launch byCrawley based Whitelegg Machines of itsAWA automatic winding analyser,manufactured by Baker Instruments, whichis now capable of testing DC armatures,opening up high quality testing regimes torail, metro and rapid transit motor repairers.

The AWA software is able to store up to1000 bar to bar surge test waveforms andresults enabling trending and qualitycontrol routines. Professional colour testreports can be generated on the testeritself, or downloaded to a PC. Also new for2009, are both AC and DC softwarepackages for use with existing digital surgetesters. These packages allow customers tosave test data and generate professionalreports using existing test units, replacingthe old one-page black and white reports.

Whitelegg Machines01306 713200

PRODUCT WATCH

INTEGRATED CONTROL IN A SINGLE UNITThe new Blue Box modular room controllers from Infranet Partners integratetemperature, ventilation and lighting control in a single unit.

The Blue Box concept not only saves time and expense during installationand commissioning, but also saves energy throughout the life of the building,as heating and cooling set points and ventilation levels are dynamicallyadjusted based upon room occupancy. Maintenance costs are also reducedthrough fewer control boxes and simple ‘plug and play’ wiring.

Blue Box controllers are supplied by Infranet Partners either ‘ready-to-run’for the most common applications, or freely programmable for custom projects. “People are recognising thevalue of an integrated approach to room control” said Tim Sly, managing director of Infranet Partners UK. “Atypical office has systems for lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. Traditionally, each is served by its owncontroller, with limited scope to integrate functions without significant engineering. Our Blue Box concept savesmoney on product purchases and installation, as well as saving energy.”

Infranet Partners UK0845 345 9355

REPLACEMENT SHOWER FOR EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS

Market research suggests the UK shower market is worth £110 million of which 80% is thereplacement market. Heastores Aqua Profile Plus shower range, available in 7.2, 8.5 and 9.5kWmodels, is the ideal replacement shower.

Designed with a generous footprint that will fit over a wide range of showers, the three entrycable and pipework positions allow for entry in either the top right, bottom right or rear right sothe shower can be fitted with the minimum of changes to existing pipework, wiring or tiling. Inaddition to being easy to install, the shower styling compliments most bath and shower rooms.The showers come with an array of features and benefits making it effective and efficient

including an electrically operated start-stop water flow control, low flow indicator which informs the user if thewater supply drops too low, an ‘eco’ summer mode which switches the shower to ½ power setting and an overtemperature cut-out. More importantly, Heatstore offer a two year after-sales support, repair/replacementwarranty so the installer and end user can be assured that a Heatstore engineer will repair any problems on site.

Heatstore0117 923 5375

CHIP FUSE LAUNCHTyco Electronics introduced today a new line offast-acting, high-current chip fuses. Helpingprovide overcurrent protection on powersupplies, servers, communications equipment,voltage regulator modules and other space-constrainedapplications, thesurface mount chipfuse offers strong arcsuppressioncharacteristics andsome of the highestcurrent ratingsavailable in theindustry-standard 1206 form factor.

Key device parameters for the high-currentfuse include:• rated current values up to 20A with voltage

ratings up to 24VDC• operating temperature range of -55°C to

+125°C• 100A interrupt rating at rated voltage• some of the highest I2t values available in the

1206 form factor, and• halogen free and RoHS compliant.

The fuse's monolithic, multilayer designenhances high temperature performance andcontributes to the high inrush currentwithstanding capability.

Tyco Electronics001 800 227 7040

To advertise in this section contact Matthew Dawe on: 020 7933 8980 or [email protected]: £19 pccm, Box No £25

UPS

A.C. Voltage Stabilisers

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Recruitment

Power FactorCorrection

Power Factor CorrectionPowerLogicTM Metering Systems

Energy MetersLoad Monitoring

Power Quality Monitoring& Solutions

Harmonic Surveys To G5/4Harmonic Filters

UPS & Surge ProtectionThermal Imaging Surveys

Call for survey and quotation :-Tel 01773 - 603110 Fax 01773 - 603112

e-mail [email protected] site - www.varservices.co.uk

VAR Services Ltd. 27 Main Road,

Jacksdale, Nottingham, NG16 5JU

Inspection Testing

Cables / Telecables

42 To advertise in section contact Matthew Dawe on: 020 7933 8980 or [email protected]

energysaving.claudelyons.com

To advertise in this section contact Matthew Dawe on: 020 7933 8980 or [email protected]

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100% Dedicated to the Electrical Industry.

We do nothing else.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO FILL APERMANENT VACANCY.

WE ARE THE PEOPLE TO TALK TO FIRST.

Visit our website at www.electricalrecruit.co.uk

[email protected] call 0845 094 7201

PFC Engineering LtdStation Road, Great Chesterford,SaffronWalden, Essex CB10 1NY

Total Power Quality SolutionsPower Factor Correction Design and Manufacture - LV / MVPower Factor Correction Maintenance and InstallationHarmonic Analysis and Penetration StudiesHarmonic Filtration Systems - LV / MV Design and ManufactureVoltage Disturbance and Flicker ControlComplete Analytical ServicesConsultation and Advice

Contact us for expert advice onTel: +44 (0) 1799 530728, Fax: +44 (0) 1799 530235

email: [email protected]

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MICHAEL TWITCHETTIEng. FIET. MSOE. MIPlantE

Tel or Fax: 01737 352755e-mail: [email protected]

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With better, more reliable broadband, noone inthe UK has to wait more than a split-second tosee their inbox fill up with spam emails sent byEastern European fraudsters with entirelyunconvincing subject lines such as ‘Helo goodfrend Jhon how are u dong this days?’

Faster broadband makes it possible to wastetime more efficiently. UK productivity actuallyfalls due to bored office staff discovering that itis now 80% quicker to send moderatelyamusing pictures of a dog wearing a jumper toall their mates.

Although traditional manufacturing industriessuch as engineering have been hit by therecession, Digital Britain offers an excitingopportunity to diversify into new areas. As morepeople go online, thousands of jobs are createdin broadband technical support. Fears of a skillsshortage prove to be unfounded, as most newoperatives can be trained to ask “Have you leftcaps lock on?” in a relatively short period oftime.

More efficient online banking makes it mucheasier to discover your bank has just collapsedthanks to a high-risk lending strategy, eg.

offering loans to domestic pets.

Standards of grammar and spelling plummet asmore people come to believe that the abysmallevels of literacy displayed on internet bulletinboards are English as it is meant to be written.By 2050 a typical leader article in The Timesbegins: “Teh guvment has got 2 do sumfingabout teh econemy!!! Or else we R all stuffed!!!LOL!!!”

Online shopping becomes increasingly popular.Despite the harm done to small high streetshops, UK consumers breath a sigh of relief atnot having to spend five whole minutes havinga painfully trivial conversation with their localbutcher about the amount of fat on some porkchops.

Online dating becomes much quicker, making iteasier to strike up relationships with peoplewho:

• Put a picture of Colin Farrell on their onlineprofile when they actually look more like Shrek

• Have a phenomenally dull list of ‘interests’,such as “going out or just staying in”

• Have neglected to mention an important

element of their life, eg. dipsomania; theircollection of Nazi memorabilia; or beingmarried.

The UK’s ageing population, previouslyexcluded from the digital revolution, spendmore time shopping online. In 2010, GirlsAloud’s latest single is knocked off the numberone spot in the charts by George Formby’sImagine me on the Maginot Line.

As mobile phones become fully internet-enabled, drivers are able to buy car insuranceonline while actually walking over to the carthey’ve just driven into because they wereyapping on their mobile phone.

In the world of business, the UK experiences areturn to the heady days of the 1990s dotcomboom. The public experiences extreme déjà vuas every night the news features a story about asmug 31-year-old paper millionaire and theirwebsite selling sushi online.

Every home is equipped with a dedicateddigibox designed to keep the population up todate with the latest government internet plans.Sadly, successive governments still have apenchant for hastily sketched out initiativesbased on excessive faith in the power oftechnology, for example:

• Allowing members of the public to report afire in their home by email

• Encouraging truanting youngster tocontribute to lessons by text

• Somehow doing your recycling online

OPEN CIRCUIT

This month a report by the peer Lord Carter was published whichsets out plans for ‘Digital Britain’ – the government’s strategy toimprove broadband internet access across the UK, without whichthe UK is doomed, apparently. But what will Digital Britain looklike? Open Circuit stops mucking around on Google for fiveminutes and offers a snapshot of this brave new world…

PREVIEW OF DIGITAL BRITAIN

03.2009.pdf

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