Transient Recorders

[Acajun]

Does anyone here have any experience with Transient recorders and if so what models have you used? Also did you find that the expense justified the results?

Thanks

Jp

 

[gordonl]

I've installed numerous recorders on my system, and am very happy I did so. They are used fault recording, long term trending, enrgy audits, power quality monitoring, etc.

It has definetly paid off, I would suggest in the following ways:
a) recording length and magnitude of faults allowed oversensitive equipement to be improved.
b) improving data collection for negotiating deregulated contracts.
c) trending power quality for IEEE 519 compliance.

I'm in a large industrial, and we've used GE Power Quality Monitors, and PML ION meters. Not the quality of utility rigs, but the price is reasonable, and provided sufficient data for my purposes.

 

[electricpete]

When I was with large utility T&D dept, we used Rochester Instrument Digital Fault Recorders. I think they've been a historical leader, possibly a little pricey.

In recent years I'm sure there has been a lot of competition.

SEL relays can often do most of what you want for significantly less price. Particularly if you already have them in your system and already have the software and knowledge to use them.

 

[busbar]

I think one class of gear that is reasonably priced for good performance is ‘conventional’ ANSI C12-type [socketed] meters with load-profile options. GE kV2 and Sangamo Vectron are of a couple of examples of devices having fairly sophisticated data-logging features.

They are engineered to be rugged right out of the box—less affected by voltage transients and wide temperature conditions. That are typically intended be installed outdoors without special housings, and are usually pollable by several means.

Software is generally expensive and proprietary, so it tends perpetuate the initial purchase. Be careful in selecting a software package—some can have unadvertised garbage like hardware keys that cripple use of data-gathering functions and inordinately restrict its functionality. These products are too competitive to have to accept such severe limitations. It gets to where the meter/monitor is considered only a trivial peripheral to sometimes gandiose, "IT Empire" applications.

 

[busbar]

Added comment: this type of equipment is usually competitively priced compared to some more exotic 'data pods,' allowing a greater number of nodes to be surveyed for a given budget. With moderately careful installation, should you decide later to handle interdepartmental revenue transfer, you already have a proven-accurate device to do so.

 

[eewd]

We have been using the Power Measurement ION meters 7700, 7600 and 8500 to monitor our system for power quality. And combined with the ION Enterprise software we have a cost effective high quality energy management and power quality monitoring system. We are currently monitoring meters located in six states from our headquarters location.
Data from this system has been used to alert utility companies of pending problems and to expand our program to install Transient Voltage Surge Suppression(TVSS)in the most critical facilities first. Payback on the metering equipment that is also linked to load/demand control systems has been three months or less.