3 phase amp clamp study

[shawnbebout]

I have done amp studies before, where you measure the amps on a service to see how much they have available/are using. you hook up the amp clamps and let them set for a week while you collect data. Does anybody know the name of the manufactures or where I could purchase one for my company? I need a portable one, because it will be moved from factory to factory.
Thanks for you help
Shawn

 

[Tony S]

If the companies paying look for a power quality analyser. Fluke and Hioki are very good but not cheap.

 

[shawnbebout]

we are having problems with unbalanced loads on a 3 phase bus rail. I want to monitor all 3 phases and make sure the loads are evenly distrubted. But with different machines running at different times a standard amp clamp won't work.

 

[iwire]

we are having problems with unbalanced loads on a 3 phase bus rail. I want to monitor all 3 phases and make sure the loads are evenly distrubted. But with different machines running at different times a standard amp clamp won't work.

For that a simple recording meter will work but they are not cheap either. Rental is about $500 per month.

 

[Jraef]

Dranetz and AEMC are other alternatives to those already mentioned.

AEMC has a product called a "Simple Logger" that you can pick up for around $1800, including the flexible CTs (which is what AEMC is more famous for). I had one for a long time, worked great for what I was doing, which was recording power quality events as a troubleshooting tool. Got stolen out of my car though...:rant:

 

[ron]

Maybe something simple like a HOBO data logger? http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/data-loggers/ux120-006m

This gizmo plus (3) CT's will gather the info over a period of time dependent on how often you want an instantaneous measurement made.

It doesn't do monitoring between samples times, but since you are looking for differential between phases, you might not need it. Then you can measure without big cost.

 

[roger]

I have done amp studies before, where you measure the amps on a service to see how much they have available/are using. you hook up the amp clamps and let them set for a week while you collect data. Does anybody know the name of the manufactures or where I could purchase one for my company? I need a portable one, because it will be moved from factory to factory.
Thanks for you help
Shawn

If you are mostly concerned with the totals for each facility another option would be to put permanent metering on the service gear with the capability to upload the data to a computer or cloud. The gear manufacturers would be able to help.

Roger

 

[roger]

If you are mostly concerned with the totals for each facility another option would be to put permanent metering on the service gear with the capability to upload the data to a computer or cloud. The gear manufacturers would be able to help.

Roger

For clarification purposes, I was assuming you worked for the company that owns these factories, if you don't and are going to be charging service fees then go with the others suggestions.


Roger

 

[iwire]

If you are mostly concerned with the totals for each facility another option would be to put permanent metering on the service gear with the capability to upload the data to a computer or cloud. The gear manufacturers would be able to help.

Roger

Last month the company bought a new fluke recording meter with wifi so you can look in on the meter remotely assuming the building has an open wifi connection.

 

[roger]

Last month the company bought a new fluke recording meter with wifi so you can look in on the meter remotely assuming the building has an open wifi connection.

Fluke came to our shop last year and demonstrated this, pretty neat but nobody's pulled the trigger on buying one yet.

Roger

 

[iwire]

Fluke came to our shop last year and demonstrated this, pretty neat but nobody's pulled the trigger on buying one yet.

Roger

We had one recording meter already but we kept needing another at the same time. You know how it goes, for months at a time the tools sit on the shelf than when you need one you end up needing another. We rented two at 500 each about a month ago and that was the last straw for the owner, he said buy one.

 

[shawnbebout]

Yes, My company owns the factories. I wonder what they would think about a permanent one mounted to the feed to the busrails. We have had 3 bus rail fires down in Mexico. After the first, I had them do an simple amp reading. Unbalanced loads big time. 90 amps on A, 40 on B and 20 on C. The bus rail was feed by a 100 amp breaker, obsolete busrail. So we had them go through and balance the load on that rail. Unfortunately, they only balanced the load on that rail. The other rails (feed from separate breaker) were not balanced, and they had 2 more fires. We have ordered them to balance all loads on all bus rails.
Maybe a remote is the answer. I think we have wifi on all the factories.

 

[shawnbebout]

Last month the company bought a new fluke recording meter with wifi so you can look in on the meter remotely assuming the building has an open wifi connection.

I like this option. The electricians could install it in Mexico, myself, the facilities manager and corporate safety officer could monitor it from here in Colorado!