Photovoltaic (PV) - Electrical Calculations
Photovoltaic (PV) cells (sometimes called solar cells) convert solar energy into electrical energy. Every year more and more PV systems are installed...
Periodic Electrical Installation Inspection – What to Inspect?
This is the second post in a series of two on periodic electrical inspections. In the first post, I discussed how often inspections should be carried out...
How a Digital Substation Works
Traditionally substations have used circuit breakers, current transformers (CT), voltage transformers (VT) and protection relays all wired together using...
IEC 61439 Verification Methods
The (relatively new) switchgear and control gear standard, IEC 61439 'Low-voltage switchgear and controlgear assemblies' has three methods which can be...
E-Ink
Before the technical, some general information. E-ink display are found in a lot of e-readers, some mobile phones and similar devices and the intent is...
The dc resistance of conductors
This is the first of two posts on the resistance of conductors. In the next post I will look at the ac resistance, including skin effect and we deal with...
Hazardous Areas – IEC and NEC/CEC Comparison
Depending where in the world you work, you are likely following one of two standards
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
National...
Differential protection, the good old days
This morning I was explaining how differential protection works to a junior engineer. To give him something to read I opened up the NPAG (Network Protection...
Skin Tapping Input
Tapping your forearm or hand with a finger could soon be the way you interact with gadgets. A new technology created by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon ...
Three Phase Power Simplified
A single phase system is perhaps the most common type of system most people are familiar with. This is what people have in their homes and what appliances...