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Quality of electrical connections

27. June 2022, jdreier - Resistance measurement

When distributing electrical energy, it must be remembered that poor current connections cause losses that must be compensated for by additional power from the power generator.

Substation

The power loss at the contact point depends on the current and the resistance: P = I²·R

When transmitting high currents, the aim must therefore be to achieve the lowest possible contact resistance at the connection points. The contact resistance is influenced by several variables and increases in the course of the operating time due to aging. By testing at the installation site, a faulty connection can be detected and eliminated.

The quantity for assessing an electrical connection is the resistance. The resistance of an electrical connection is in the micro ohm range. These small resistance values require special measurement technology, such as resistance measurement in four-wire technique (Kelvin method).

In order to assess the quality of a connection, the PROMET SE and PROMET R300/R600 resistance measuring instrument is able to determine the quality of a connection. Due to two voltage measurement inputs, a simple and quick determination of the quality, e.g. of screw connections on bus bars, is possible. The determination is made via the quality factor. This is defined by the ratio of the resistance of the connection over the overlap length to the resistance of the bus bar of the same length.

Micro-ohm meters PROMET R300/R600: Setup for quality factor measurement

The quality factor K is the ratio of the resistance RCON of the connection over the overlap length lCON to the resistance RREF of the bus bar of the same length lREF.

     K = RCON/RREF

     RCON: Resistance of the connection
     RREF: Resistance of the bus bar

Values of the quality factor measurement of a connection

Therefore, when making an electrical connection, care must be taken to limit aging and provide a low-maintenance and reliable connection.

By determining the resistance or quality of a connection, the correct connection can be verified during installation and maintenance and a reduction in electrical losses, an extension of service life and an increase in plant safety can be achieved.

Do you have questions or additions to the resistance measurement or to our measuring devices? Then contact us via the comment function here on the blog or by mail to info(at)kocos.com.

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PROMET R300/R600 – Efficiency through automation

22. July 2021, jdreier - Resistance measurement

Automation in the field of low-resistance measurement is increasingly required in the factory or laboratory. Be it in the automotive/electromobility sector, in the investigation of soldered or welded joints of high-current connections or in a wide variety of other applications.

For special requirements, e.g. for use in test stands, the easy-to-use PROMET PI programming interface is available for control and measurement with the PROMET R300/R600 resistance measuring devices. This can be used in COM/ActiveX-supporting as well as in .NET environments.
By programming the measurement sequence once, it is possible to integrate the PROMET R300 or R600 resistance measuring instruments into the test equipment via the programming interface and to perform measurements automatically.

Concept of a resistance measuring system with PROMET R300/R600 in automated processes

A driver is installed with the programming interface, via which the connected devices are addressed. Communication between the software/PC and the external PROMET R300/R600 is made possible by the installed ActiveX component. This allows communication via USB or Ethernet interfaces.
As an example, an Excel sheet is used to control the PROMET R300/R600 and to evaluate the measurement results in this description, via which the programmed VBA macros (Visual Basic for Applications) are executed. Programs can be modified and adapted according to the requirements.

The PROMET R300/R600 precision resistance meters are an ideal tool for characterizing components for high current and low resistance due to their four-wire measurement and ability to accurately measure both current and voltage. 
As demonstrated in the article, a resistance measurement system controlled via external software can be easily integrated into an automated application. Using the PROMET R300/R600 resistance measuring instruments to perform such measurements simplifies the test setup, reduces programming time, and enables efficient test sequences.

Further information on the use of the PROMET PI programming interface can be found in the application report PROMET R300/R600 - The intelligent way to measure resistance!

Do you have any questions about resistance measurement or our measuring devices? Then contact us via the comment function here on the blog or by mail to info(at)kocos.com.

Postscript
The EPOS 360 three-phase signal generator can also be integrated into your own test applications in a similar form via the EPOS PI programming interface!

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PROMET R300/R600: Simultaneous resistance determination at three measuring points

03. February 2021, jdreier - Resistance measurement

Saving of working time through simultaneous resistance determination at three measuring points

For switchgear in the medium-voltage and high-voltage level, the switchgear standard IEC 62271-1 requires a static resistance measurement of the main circuit in order to exclude an unacceptable heating of the current path.

Traditionally, the measurements are carried out one after the other and individually at each phase. The main circuit is supplied with 100 A direct current and the voltage drop is measured. If the measured value, i.e. the voltage drop is within the specified limits, the test is passed and the results can be recorded/stored. This measuring procedure is time-consuming as the three phases are tested one after the other.

To increase productivity and improve reliability, the measuring method for resistance and voltage drop measurement can be optimized with the PROMET R300 or R600.

The PROMET R300/R600 resistance measurement systems are equipped with three voltage measurement inputs, allowing parallel measurement at three measuring points, for example to measure the resistance of three main contacts statically.

 

In order to perform a simultaneous measurement of three main contacts, the test objects must be connected in series and provided with a test current connection. Since a four-wire measurement is carried out, it is important to ensure that the voltage connections are between the high current connections and that they are connected exactly at the points where the resistance is to be determined.

Connection example for a measurement on three test objects connected in series, e.g. three interrupter units.

In stand-alone mode, the three static resistance results with the measurement details (actual test current and voltage drop, measurement ranges etc.) can be stored in the measurement device.

 

The data stored in the device can be read out and managed with an easy-to-use PROMET software. The clearly displayed measurement results can also be output in a PDF test report or exported as CSV data.

The described simultaneous measuring method for the acquisition of three resistances thus saves working, changeover and measuring time!

As a further automation option, PROMET R300/R600 are equipped with interfaces for connection to the ACTAS 2.60 switchgear testing software. Resistance measurement can be conveniently integrated via the ACTAS test software. Even without an additional ACTAS test system, automated test sequences and a comprehensive analysis of the test results can be carried out without any problems.

 

The method is not only applicable in switchgear testing, but also in applications such as e.g. in the field of e-mobility, where several resistors have to be detected at the same time.

If you have further questions, please leave a comment or contact us directly.

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Kelvin test probes KP 200

17. November 2020, jdreier - Resistance measurement

Use of the Kelvin test probes KP 200 together with PROMET R300/R600

The KP 200 Kelvin test probes were developed for safe and easy resistance measurement at measuring points which are difficult to access. The test probe pair is equipped with spring-loaded high-current and voltage contacts for the determination of low-resistance according to the four-wire method for a test current of up to 200 A.

 

Can the test probes be used together with the PROMET R300 or R600 resistance meters?

The PROMET R300/R600 are designed with 13 mm high current sockets for the connection of 50 or 70 mm² high current cables. With the reducers 13/9 from 13 mm to 9 mm socket/plug diameter, it is possible to connect high-current cables with a smaller cross-section and 9 mm plugs or sockets to the PROMET R300/R600, such as the CS 205 cable set (2 x 5 m , 25 mm²).
With these cables it is now possible to use the KP 200 Kelvin test probes with the PROMET R300 or R600.

 

Furthermore, a measuring mode for the safe use of the KP 200 Kelvin test probes has been implemented in the stand-alone operation of the PROMET R300/R600 (from firmware version FWP 1.5).
According to the maximum load of the KP 200 Kelvin test probes, the current output in this mode is limited to 200 A.

If the measurement has started actively, the measuring device waits in this measuring mode for the test probes to be placed on the test object. A measurement is only carried out when the test probes are reliably and completely contacted (voltage and current contact). That is, the test current is output, the best measuring ranges are determined and the resistance value is measured. The measurement is carried out automatically with the shortest possible measurement time.

In order to simplify the use of the test probes on site, the current status of a measurement is also signaled by means of the LED status display and an acoustic signal.
The measurement result now remains on the display until the test probes are removed and the next measurement process is activated by placing the test probes. The resistance measurement results are displayed in a table and the results can be viewed before they can be saved.

With this sophisticated functionality, safe and automated operation of the KP 200 Kelvin test probes together with the PROMET R300/R600 resistance measuring devices is possible.

If you have further questions, please leave a comment or contact us directly.

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