As General Manager of A&F Electrical Testing, Inc., New York’s only independent testing company, Kevin Chilton has built a career specializing in acceptance and maintenance testing to NETA specifications. Rounding the home stretch on a 35-year career, this Level 4 NETA Certified Technician shares lessons and advice for the next generation of electrical testing professionals. NW: How did you find …
Don’t Have a Blast! Best Practices for Arc-Flash Mitigation
Arc-flash reduction methods must be considered prior to working on energized electrical equipment for personnel safety. The idea behind energy reduction is to place energized electrical equipment in a state where less arc energy is available when an arcing fault occurs. These techniques range from the obvious (de-energize!) to more complex and costly engineering solutions. NEC Article 240.87-2011, initially titled …
A Reliable Arc-Flash Protection System
An electric arc or arc flash occurs when a high voltage causes ionization of a gas — for example, air. Ionization turns an ordinarily nonconductive gas into conductive gas that can carry a sustained current. The color of a typical arc flash in air is very distinctive. This is because air is composed of 21% oxygen and 78% nitrogen; oxygen …
Impact of Changes to IEEE Std. 1584, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations – Part 1
In 2018, major changes were made to the calculations and procedures for determining arc-flash incident energy levels from the original 2002 edition of the IEEE Std. 1584, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations[1]. Now, three years since its release, facility owners and arc-flash service providers still debate how, when, and where to apply the new calculation methods. While the …
Hand Protection
Workers’ hands are the most commonly injured body part. Whether the hazard comes from rotating machinery, pinches between two materials, heat, chemicals, or electricity, your hands are under constant attack. Without them, every task would be difficult to perform. This article identifies the common hazards and risks to a worker’s hands as well as ways to mitigate injuries and promote …
MCC Catastrophic Failure at a Client Facility
AES personnel were dispatched to a gas plant in northern Alberta, Canada, for emergency repair of a failed 600 v MCC bus. Before the technicians arrived, the 600 v bus components had already been disassembled by facility personnel to prepare for installation of a new MCC section. For our client, getting the facility back up and running was more critical than …
Analysis of Generator Protection Operations
This article analyzes several protection operations for large combustion turbine generators. Generator protection trips tend to be rare, so any major event is always of interest. EVENT 1: CLOSE-IN THREE-PHASE FAULT A large gas combustion turbine generator experienced a close-in three-phase fault during a rainstorm. The generator terminal voltage is rated 13.8 kV line-to-line, and the machine is high-impedance grounded. The …
Fault On Feeder M1A: Planning Recovery Using NFPA 70E
Previously, we discussed a 15 kV feeder fault at a manufacturing plant and how NFPA 70E is an important tool for the electrical worker to use in the field as they troubleshoot, repair, and restore the equipment to get the facility up and running. To recap, here’s what happened: The main circuit breaker in one of the plant’s three medium-voltage substations …
NERC and NETA
NETA has been setting standards that pave the way for the minimum requirements to ensure an electrical system operates reliably and safely since 1972. As a result of several widespread blackouts compromising the electric grid, the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC)was appointed in 2006 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to develop various standards to aid in the …
Luke Leifeste: When Troubleshooting Is Mission-Critical
Chief Petty Officer Luke Leifeste is a MUSE Technician (Mobility Utility Support Equipment) deployed by the U.S. Navy to create, secure, and repair electrical power supply systems in Africa. With nearly 18 years in the military, he says the intrigue of troubleshooting in the field keeps him inspired for the next challenge. NW: How would you describe the nature of …