Equipment Ground Fault Monitoring
As we become more aware of occupational health and safety so the need for protection against ground faults is growing. Industrial electrical equipment is fed via a distribution system which in turn is connected to a main feed. Ground fault protection may be installed, for instance at a main breaker, protecting the branch circuit but not necessarily a valuable or critical piece of equipment. Industrial Ground Fault Sensors from NK Technologies are designed to be installed in individual pieces of equipment or their electrical feed. The sensors provide an on/off output that may be used to operate a circuit interruption device like a shunt trip breaker or feed into an alarm system. With over 100 models to choose from, there’s sure to be one to fit your application.
UV & IR Lamp Status Monitoring
Ultraviolet (UV) lamps are used commonly to disinfect water by killing bacteria. High Intensity Infra Red (IR) lamps are used in a variety of industrial processes to provide heat both for drying and curing processes. Correct operation is very important and can be determined by measuring current draw. Using an NK Technologies’ Current Operated Switch provides simple and quick verification. The on/off contacts of the switch may be used to simply indicate status to an operator using a lamp or wired to the input of a PLC preprogrammed with the necessary corrective action. Alternatively, NK’s Current Transducers may be used to provide an accurate measurement of the current draw by a UV, IR or other light source.
Critical Lighting Systems Preventative Maintenance
High technology lamps have been developed for a variety of specialized industrial and commercial applications. These lamps are expensive and their useful life should be maximized. Installing an NK Technologies’ Current Transducer to measure the current draw of a lamp provides the information to determine the lamp’s condition by comparison to known characteristics. Intelligent control devices, like PLCs, are programmed to adjust the applied voltage or current to optimize the life of the lamp.
Lamp Failure Detection
The simple addition of an NK Technologies’ Current Operated Switch in a lighting circuit provides an isolated on/off signal to either a relay to automatically switch to a back-up lamp or signal a PLC to indicate lamp failure. The split-core model is designed for quick and simple installation for existing installations and the solid-core device provides a compact solution for new installations.
Insulation Breakdown
Industrial electrical heaters are prone to ground leakage due to the breakdown or contamination of insulators. The use of NK Technologies’ Ground Fault Sensors enables early detection of leakage Currents as small as 5mA. The on/off output of the sensor can be used to trigger a circuit interruption device (for example a shunt-trip breaker) or a monitoring device like a PLC to determine the required action. Latching and auto-reset models are available in both normally energized and normally de-energized configurations suitable for most applications.