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Ecmweb 6477 Electricalfault595
Ecmweb 6477 Electricalfault595
Ecmweb 6477 Electricalfault595
Ecmweb 6477 Electricalfault595
Ecmweb 6477 Electricalfault595

Electrical Troubleshooting Quiz - July 8, 2014

July 8, 2014
How do you determine the sources of voltage imbalance that costs a plant massive downtime and many motors?

The plant engineer hired you a month after accepting his own job. You are the sole maintenance electrician for a 210-person production plant.

The plant engineer wants to eliminate chronic problems through consistent and systematic maintenance. He feels that is possible only by building an “in-house” staff to replace the system of uncoordinated projects bid out to various local shops. And that’s why you were hired.

One of his highest priorities is eliminating the voltage imbalance that has cost the plant massive downtime and many motors. He needs you determine how to find the sources of imbalance and what resources you need to get the job done. What answer should you give him?

For safety reasons, electricians should not work solo. So one resource you’ll need is a good testing firm. That means you’ll serve as the in house expert and administrator. Three tests you need for certain are:

1) Thermographic scan of all panels and accessible connections in the motor supply circuits that have voltage imbalance greater than 2%.

2) AC resistance testing performed on those circuits, to look for high resistance connections.

3) AC resistance testing from the motor disconnect all the way through the motor lead connections. This area is often overlooked as a source of voltage imbalance. It may be that one of those shops created this situation by making poor connections in this area (at the motor starter, for example).

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