As summer approaches, electrical distribution companies are performing seasonal maintenance and load monitoring on their small compressor motors, and it’s a good time to ensure machinery is operating efficiently and isn’t drawing too much current.
CAS DataLoggers and bestselling manufacturer Electrocorder have an economical solution with the new Electrocorder CT-2VA Single Phase Voltage and Current Data Logger, designed to monitor the main voltage supply and the load current. The new power logger allows electrical companies to cost-effectively monitor single phase supplies and enables staff to quickly determine whether a given voltage problem is load-related for further investigation.
Electrocorder voltage datalogger.
The new power data logger allows users to monitor & resolve single-phase voltage and current issues, featuring one voltage channel monitoring up to 300Vac and one current channel measuring 30Aac or 60Aac. Voltage channels record VAvg, VMax & VMin, so users can select an averaging period to suit each situation, accurate to ±2% of the reading. The datalogger’s memory capacity extends to 32,000 true RMS values per channel (10bit), offering users up to 300 days of continuous recording. The CT-2VA model includes the data logger itself, one voltage input lead, one RS232 serial lead, a clamp-on current transformer, software CD, and a carrying case. Setting up the data logger is easy for semi-technical staff and experienced users alike.
Unlike similarly-priced competitors, the Electrocorder range uses a constant sampling technique instead of just taking a single reading. When these dataloggers start to record, they sample every channel 16 times per cycle--a cycle is 16ms at 60Hz and 20ms at 50Hz. At the end of each averaging period, 3 quantities are saved for each channel, meaning that they record all the peaks and lows which are one cycle or longer.
Additionally, Electrosoft software is provided FREE with all Electrocorder data loggers, allowing users to define the voltage to plot power and energy. Stored data is uploaded to a PC via the supplied RS-232 cable.
Power factor is recorded for the voltage channel L1 and the current channel A1; this is then used to calculate the real (Watts), reactive (VARs) and apparent (VA) power. The voltage and current levels are stored on the power datalogger along with dates and times and can be viewed in both tabular and graphical form, exported to a spreadsheet, or saved to file. Graphs can be printed showing the recorded levels and the allowable tolerance bands. Electrosoft also provides an internal database which effectively manages the distribution of multiple units.
Wayne Porter, Applications Specialist with CAS DataLoggers, commented on the new release: “For under $800, our Electrocorder power logger gives you fast sampling with a large memory and also includes software, leads and a transformer—great for when you just want to monitor current and voltage on one channel. This new power logger is great for your summer maintenance projects.”