Electricity + Control January 2016

LIGHT + CURRENT

Power plants run on propane

The new Yokogawa 2560A precision dc calibrator offers a simple, stand-alone solution for the testing and calibrating dc measuring instruments such as analogue meters, clamp meters, thermom- eters, 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 particu- lar, it can generate dc voltages up to 1 224 V and dc currents up to 36,72 A. By connecting 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 2560A to be integrated into an automatic test system. With the flick of a switch, the output can be swept within the Wärtsilä is expanding its Smart Power Generation portfolio by in- troducing the capability of using propane as fuel for power genera- tion. “Shale oil and gas production has substantially increased the availability of propane in the market. Many ofWärtsilä’s customers see an opportunity for using propane now for power generation,” saysThomas Hägglund, Vice President,Technology and Solutions at Wärtsilä Energy Solutions. Hägglund points out that the multi- fuel capability is one of Wärtsilä’s traditional strengths. Now the market-leading Wärtsilä 34SG engine can be used not only with natural gas, but also as a dual-fuel engine that can run on natural gas or propane without physical modifications to the engine. Pro- pane is the main component in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which is commonly used in cooking appliances and vehicles, and increasingly offered for power production. LPG is a by-product of natural gas processing and crude oil refining. By replacing heavy fuel oil with propane, carbon dioxide and other emissions from a power plant can be significantly reduced. Wärtsilä’s first propane- fired project using two 20V34SG gas engines is currently under construction in El Salvador and will be operational by the end

of 2015. Wärtsilä’s installed power plant capacity is 58 GW in 175 countries around the world. Out of this, more than 10%, or 6 GW are multi-fuel plants. Enquiries: Email raul.carral@wartsila.com

Precision dc calibrator offers ease of testing at high currents

source range with sweep times of 8, 16, 32 or 64 seconds. Linearity tests can be simply performed by dividing the output into steps, with a setting of four, for example, generating steps of 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the set output value. Enquiries: Protea Electronics.Tel: 011 719 5700 colinf@protea.co.za

New tools to increase lockout/tagout efficiency

Lockout/Tagout is being implemented in an increasing number of industries.That is no surprise since the procedure, if applied correctly, guarantees employee safety. New innovations in Lockout/Tagout aim to increase efficiency by focusing on product flexibility and ease of use. The main principle of the Lockout/Tagout procedure is extremely simple: isolate machines from their energy supply for safe interventions and maintenance. To isolate a machine from its energy sources, push buttons, levers, valves or handles are ren- dered inoperable by blocking them with a lockout device. A maintenance worker can lock these devices in place with a padlock,

ensuring co-workers cannot acciden- tally re-energise a machine before maintenance is done. Diligently applying Lockout/Tagout devices in line with procedure is criti- cal to guarantee worker safety during machine interventions. This requires time which is won back by avoiding costly and time consuming accidents. New and innovative Lockout/Tagout solutions, like Brady ’s Compact Cable Safety Padlock, are fast and easy to ap- ply.They enable increased efficiency for safe machine interventions. Enquiries: Email emea_request@bradycorp.com

Electricity+Control January ‘16

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