As energy storage systems (ESS) become more integrated into our society, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) provides resources to ensure they are installed safely and that our firefighters are prepared to respond to the safety issues they present. Even though batteries have been around for hundreds of years, new innovations allow us to do more with them than ever …
Not all equipment is created equal when it comes to production objectives versus safety objectives in an electrical power system. Certain devices should be tested and maintained to ensure uptime; others should be inspected to ensure they perform properly to protect workers in an arc flash event. When considering arc flash safety and selecting the associated PPE, the condition of …
Electrical workers, supervisors, and managers are instinctively aware that getting to the root cause of electrical incidents involving the safety of their people and/or the integrity of their equipment requires insightful questions. Failure to find the foundational root cause is a tragedy that compounds the incident itself. Unfortunately, if the first question asks, “Why did it happen?” the answer often …
To explain VLF tan delta, we must first explain the reason it was developed and how the concept and equipment used to perform this test came about. Tan delta is still a form of high-potential (hipot) testing but utilizes the advantages of both AC and DC testing while eliminating many, but not all, of the disadvantages. The very-low-frequency (VLF) portion …
While the chemistry behind dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is complex and important for industry chemists to understand, the typical DGA review need not be as complex. Thermal or hot metal gasses are commonly known in DGA, and they are widely understood by industry experts, chemists, and many asset owners. The carbon oxide gasses — carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide — …
Bushings are the means by which electric power passes to and from different electrical devices, as they provide a point of interface for electrical voltage to be applied and current to pass to and from an electrical apparatus. The bushing’s center conductor is above ground potential and must be electrically insulated from the tank walls, which are at ground potential. …
Due to the complex temperature-driven dynamics of the exchange of water between the paper insulation and the oil and the lack of thermal equilibrium in most operating transformers, it is difficult to interpret the water content of oil or paper insulation by looking at individual dissolved-water measurements or time-series data. Furthermore, increases in water solubility due to aging of oil …
Line differential protection is one of the most popular applications used for transmission line protection. Line differential protection works on the theory of Kirchhoff’s current law, where the magnitude of the current flowing into the line should be equal to the current flowing out of the line. For line differential protection, the zone of protection is defined by the location …
All networks are susceptible to problems that affect communications. One consequence of a fiber optic system’s high bandwidth, long distance capability, and security is the extreme dependence of users on the non-stop operation of these systems. Because they can transmit large amounts of data long distances with immunity from signal degradation and extremely high reliability, these systems usually carry the …
The high level of penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) is one of the main characteristics of the smart grid, and it requires a different approach to the protection of the grid. IEC 61850 is widely accepted around the world due to the significant benefits it provides compared with conventional hardwired solutions. However, many specialists in the industry still hesitate …