533 Westover Ln. - Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
voice/fax 925-256-1444 email: george@kamburoff.com

George Kamburoff Consulting has trained tens of thousands of engineers, electricians, and managers across the United States in the last 10 years.

We will train your people to:

• understand how the electrical system interacts with its loads
• find potential problem conditions in your facility
• provide cost-effective solutions to problem conditions
• perform the actions to keep your system and loads working together

Below are some simple examples of checks you can make in your facility today.

How to use inexpensive tools to find expensive conditions

Reading the current at panels and transformers shows the demands put on the electrical system by the loads. Reading voltages at the equipment shows the system response to those demands.

A relatively-inexpensive hand-held meter can be used to infer some important relationships between the electrical system and its loads.

Since single-phase load currents return to the transformer or panel on the Neutral, they generate a voltage "drop" across the Neutral that can be read as Neutral-Ground voltage at the load. The waveshape of this voltage is the waveshape of the current that produced it, or the sum of all currents in that circuit Neutral.  A reading of this voltage will show how the system is responding to demands of connected equipment, and what the equipment "sees" from the electrical system.

1 Set the meter to AC voltage.

2 Connect leads, read and record RMS voltage.

3 Set meter to read PEAK voltage: Read and record.

4 Divide the smaller number (RMS) into the larger(peak).

5 The result is the Crest Factor.

6 Use the graph to find the percentage to derate system components for reliable operation.

NOTE: We are looking for evidence of distorted voltages and currents. These can only be accurately read by meters capable of measuring True RMS values. Your meter should specifically state TRUE RMS on it. Derate your system using this graph.

Sine waves have a crest factor of 1.4. If your crest factor is less, the wave is flattened. If the crest factor is greater than 1.4 the current waveshape is peaked, with high currents.

Voltage imbalances create excessive heat in three-phase motors, significantly reducing their lifetime. Measure the voltages at your motors and use the graph to determine whether voltage imbalances are costing you money.

Call today for an estimate for practical services in your facilitiy.

george@kamburoff.com

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