Page 8 - Energize August 2022

NEWS

Technology day showcases advanced,

sophisticated gear

by Roger Lilley, Energize measuring equipment is vital, since it ensures that equipment remains accurate according
to predetermined specifications as laid out in international standards. Verification, on the
he media was invited to Comtest’s other hand, she said, ensures that the equipment is still working to the calibrated standard.
Technology Day event recently. Verification is useful as part of a preventative maintenance programme as it helps operators
TComtest is a local test and to know the “health” of working instruments. Comtest offers calibration and verification
measurement, communications, process services locally using professional master reference devices.
control, equipment, solutions and
specialised systems supplier based in Renewable energy – Kristo Engelbrecht
Linbro Park, Johannesburg. Kristo Engelbrecht demonstrated a battery tester device and explained how it measures the
The event showcased some of real state of the battery. This device is more than just a simple voltmeter. By measuring the
the most advanced and sophisticated internal resistance at a specific frequency, technicians can predict when the battery is likely
equipment available on the market today to fail. He demonstrated a handheld infra-red (IR) camera which could be used to measure
for use by engineers and technicians the surface temperature of solar PV panels. Hot spots appear, he said, when particular
working in the electrical power sector. cells fail, because the sun’s energy heats up the faulty cell instead of being converted to
In his opening address, Barend electricity. Another device has the ability to “see” partial discharge noise in substations and
Niemand, the company’s CEO, shared power line towers. He also discussed power loggers, showing how load analysis helps people
the firm’s strategy with an enthusiastic understand the problems associated with poor power quality, especially harmonics from PV
and attentive audience. The company, and wind farm inverters on power lines. Finally, he spoke about the importance of proper
Niemand said, seeks to do more than earthing and the professional installation of solar PV equipment.
just sell equipment to members of the
industry. Customers should be educated Power quality – Gerrit Barnard
about new solutions, and for this reason, Gerrit Barnard demonstrated Fluke’s power loggers and explained their usefulness to
high quality marketing and promotional technicians working in the field. Power loggers are indispensable tools, he said, since power
material is made available to engineers quality is very important in modern electric networks. He explained that these versatile
and technicians via local industry journals. devices are used for conducting energy, load and power quality studies. They are easy to use
This material is there to help them specify and power directly from the measured circuit. They automatically capture and log voltage,
the correct product for the application in
hand, he said.
Delegates to the event were divided
into small groups and given short
presentations by various product experts.
These presentations ran concurrently,
with each group being moved from
room to room at predetermined times.
Presentations were given on products and
services for process calibration, renewable
energy, power quality, IoT sensors and
optical measurement.

Process calibration -
Jenine Jansen van Vuuren
Jenine Jansen van Vuuren defined the
difference between verification and
calibration. Using actual equipment, she
explained how the calibration of test and

energize | August 2022 | 6