Electricity + Control December 2015

TRANSFORMERS + SUBSTATIONS

ROUND UP

Launch of circuit designs PowerWindings circuit designs have been officially launched to the market and that InventionShare is now looking for transformer company partners to licence or acquire the design for manufactur- ing or sublicensing. Developed by a senior inventor, the PowerWindings circuit design bench test results have been verified by simulation testing com- pleted recently at UCLA; the report is available to interested parties. These tests demonstrated a 30% greater transformer output with the same core materials and operated at lower temperatures.This resulted in greater reliability, with an increased temperature range for peak power and power surges plus an increase in efficiency with less heat generated. Transformers using PowerWindings circuits can also be designed with 30% less materials, delivering similar output, operating temperature and efficiency, resulting in reduced product costs. Additionally, using the same or comparable core but replacing copper windings with aluminium windings achieves the same output while maintaining the same overall specifications at even lower costs. Greg Waite, Chief Executive Officer of InventionShare , said, “These results are significant - it shows that the PowerWindings circuit designs give transformer manufacturers much greater flex- ibility for increased reliability, efficiency and lower product costs. All variations demonstrate an improvement over today’s traditional designs, especially with the reduced heat which can be important for applications requiring extended product life and better reliability.” Enquiries: Email ktracy@inventionshare.com

Ease of testing at high currents and voltages

The new Yokogawa 2560A precision dc calibrator offers a simple, stand-alone solution for the testing and calibrating dcmeasuring in- struments such as analogue meters, clampmeters, thermometers, temperature transmitters and data loggers. The 2560A generates signals over a wide output range to enable the testing of products over their full operating ranges. In particular, it can generate dc voltages up to 1 224 V and dc currents up to 36,72 A. By connect- ing two instruments in parallel, a maximum current of 73,44 A can be generated.These values are produced with high accuracy, high stability, and high resolution over the full voltage and current range. Intuitive operation is provided by rotary dials and switches for each digit and function, along with traditional 7-segment LEDs to provide clear visibility. In addition, a range of computer interfaces enable the 2 560 A to be integrated into an automatic test system.

Enquiries: Colin Forbes. Protea Electronics. Tel. 011 719 5700 or email colinf@protea.co.za

How theTetris model has influenced Eskom’s maintenance programme In the game of Tetris, a player is required to fit different building blocks into a constrained space, by ensuring that the orientation of the blocks is correct to fit into identified available spaces.These building blocks come in different shapes and sizes, and they need to be arranged in such a manner that the tower does not grow big- ger than the constrained space. The same principle was used for the development of the Eskom MaintenanceTetris model. Eskom’s planned maintenance takes into account many complex variables that theTetris game analogy uses to simplify the maintenance plan- ning methodology by associating the blocks in Tetris to planned shutdowns. If the maintenance tower grows bigger than the con- strained space, Eskom will have to implement load shedding. The critical difference between prior maintenance planning and theTetris way of planning is that now it is more visual, user friendly and in real-time. The system is an automated online system that can be manipulated immediately should any of the variables in the system change.This enables senior executives to make informed decisions and come up with sustainable solutions regarding the planning of maintenance. Furthermore, the tool is currently being used in the Group Capital Division as a planning tool for the delivery of the New Build Programme. The tool was developed by two young engineers who are part

of Eskom’s Top Engineers Programme, namely Christo Murray and Lyle Timm. The Top Engi- neers programme is a leadership development programme, developed by Eskom senior ex- ecutives to expedite and develop the leadership capabilities of Eskom’s young top talent.TheTop Engineers programme provides young engineers the opportunity to work on Eskom’s high visibility, high priority projects where they can harness their skills and bring forth their creativity, diversity and innovation in the multiple projects in which they are involved.

Enquiries: Eskom Media Desk. Tel. 011 800 3304/3343/3378 or email mediadesk@eskom.co.za

Eskom’s Kendal Power Station.

Electricity+Control December ‘15

20