BY MICHAEL SKELTON Kelvatek Background One of the most critical devices on any electricity network is the circuit breaker which can be described as the silent sentinel, standing guard over the network and only being called into action when a fault occurs. The circuit breaker needs to operate within its composite tripping time (relay trip

By Baldwin Bridger Many older installations of metal-clad switchgear are candidates for modernizing or upgrading. The interrupting duty may have grown past the interrupting capacity of the existing circuit breakers, maintenance costs may be getting out of hand, or circuit breaker parts may no longer be available.   Modernization may be accomplished by either of

ANSI/NETA STANDARDS UPDATES ANSI/NETA MTS-2011 Revision Review and revision of the ANSI/NETA Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment and Systems was completed on April 15, 2011. This document is scheduled to be published as a revised American National Standard in 2011. These specifications cover the suggested field tests and inspections that are

Article Written By Jill Howell, NETA In the early 1970s, there were few standards for electrical testing. NFPA had authorized a committee in 1968 to create NFPA 70B, Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance. This standard addressedelectrical equipment maintenance practices. It also touched on acceptance testing, advised on equipment, type of tests, and how often

Definition An arc flash is the light and heat produced from an electric arc supplied with sufficient electrical energy to cause substantial damage or harm, fire or injury. Electrical arcs, however, fed by limited energy and well controlled, produce very bright light (as in arc lamps—enclosed, or with open electrodes), and are also used for

It’s no doubt you already know that, with ambient temperatures reaching 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit, four times higher than the temperature of the sun’s surface, the results of Arc Flash are rarely less than devastating. Reasons Why Arc Flashes Are Generated Generally, there are three main causes of arc flashes: Human error – unsafe work procedures, maintenance mistakes, and