The Impact of Electric Vehicles on the Electrical Testing Industry

Eric Beckman, National Field Services, NETA PresidentColumns, Fall 2022 Columns, President's Desk

Hopefully, everyone had a safe and enjoyable summer. I know I’m looking forward to cooler temperatures as it’s been a very hot summer across the South. As the world starts to adapt and the production and use of electric vehicles increases, the impact on the electrical infrastructure is drastic. Charging stations, load demand, and power-grid impact and maintenance requirements are …

Ungrounded Systems

Jeffrey R. Jowett, MeggerColumns, Fall 2022 Columns, Tech Tips

“What’s in a name?” asked Shakespeare. The quote is so widely known because it’s so widely applicable. In the electrical industry, the terms “grounded” and “ungrounded” are commonly applied to electrical systems. They are often taken for granted or misunderstood. How can a grounding electrode be present, and yet the system is termed “ungrounded?” It is beneficial and productive to …

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Virginia Balitski, Magna IV EngineeringColumns, Fall 2022 Columns, Tech Quiz

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming much more common for commercial and personal use. The electrical testing industry has started to see an impact regarding EVs and EV charging stations. This quiz will go over some EV charging station information that may be relevant to NETA Technicians. What battery type is primarily used for EVs? a. Lithium-ion b. Lead-acid c. Alkaline …

Battery Safety Concerns

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCSafety Corner, Columns, Fall 2022 Columns

The theme for this issue of NETA World is electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. EV vehicles are either wholly driven off battery power or, in the case of a hybrid, driven with battery and supplemented with a gas internal combustion engine. Let’s review some of the safety issues associated with batteries. One major concern when working with or around batteries …

DC Battery Systems

Mose Ramieh, CBS Field ServicesColumns, Fall 2022 Columns, In the Field

Electrical power systems, regardless of the industry (utility substations, industrial metal-clad switchgear, hospitals, data centers), are built with crucial auxiliary systems. These systems are dependent on each other to ensure these power users have electrical systems that are safe and reliable. The DC battery system might be one of the more critical of these systems. DC batteries provide power to …

Generator Differential Trip Analysis

Steve Turner, Arizona Public Service CompanyColumns, Fall 2022 Columns, Relay Column

A large steam turbine generator tripped on 87 phase differential protection while attempting to synch the machine to the grid. However, only the main generator protection relay operated — not the backup protection. The goal of the analysis is to determine why only one relay operated and what caused the trip to occur. EVENT ANALYSIS Figure 1 shows the system …