Electricity + Control

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ROUND UP
Launch of circuit designs
PowerWindings circuit designs have been officially launched to
the market and that InventionShare is now looking for transformer
company partners to licence or acquire the design for manufactur-
ing or sublicensing.
Developed by a senior inventor, the PowerWindings circuit design
bench test results have been verified by simulation testing com-
pleted recently at UCLA; the report is available to interested parties.
These tests demonstrated a 30% greater transformer output with
the same core materials and operated at lower temperatures.This
resulted in greater reliability, with an increased temperature range
for peak power and power surges plus an increase in efficiency with
less heat generated. Transformers using PowerWindings circuits
can also be designed with 30% less materials, delivering similar
output, operating temperature and efficiency, resulting in reduced
product costs. Additionally, using the same or comparable core but
replacing copper windings with aluminium windings achieves the
same output while maintaining the same overall specifications at
even lower costs.
Greg Waite, Chief Executive Officer of InventionShare, said,
“These results are significant - it shows that the PowerWindings
circuit designs give transformer manufacturers much greater flex-
ibility for increased reliability, efficiency and lower product costs.
All variations demonstrate an improvement over today’s traditional
designs, especially with the reduced heat which can be important for
applications requiring extended product life and better reliability.”
Enquiries: Email
Ease of testing at high currents
and voltages
The new Yokogawa 2560A precision dc calibrator offers a simple,
stand-alone solution for the testing and calibrating dcmeasuring in-
struments such as analogue meters, clampmeters, thermometers,
temperature transmitters and data loggers. The 2560A generates
signals over a wide output range to enable the testing of products
over their full operating ranges. In particular, it can generate dc
voltages up to 1 224 V and dc currents up to 36,72 A. By connect-
ing two instruments in parallel, a maximum current of 73,44 A
can be generated.These values are produced with high accuracy,
high stability, and high resolution over the full voltage and current
range. Intuitive operation is provided by rotary dials and switches
for each digit and function, along with traditional 7-segment LEDs
to provide clear visibility. In addition, a range of computer interfaces
enable the 2 560 A to be integrated into an automatic test system.
Enquiries: Colin Forbes. Protea Electronics.
Tel. 011 719 5700 or email
How theTetris model has influenced Eskom’s maintenance programme
In the game of Tetris, a player is required to fit different building
blocks into a constrained space, by ensuring that the orientation
of the blocks is correct to fit into identified available spaces.These
building blocks come in different shapes and sizes, and they need
to be arranged in such a manner that the tower does not grow big-
ger than the constrained space. The same principle was used for
the development of the Eskom MaintenanceTetris model. Eskom’s
planned maintenance takes into account many complex variables
that theTetris game analogy uses to simplify the maintenance plan-
ning methodology by associating the blocks in Tetris to planned
shutdowns. If the maintenance tower grows bigger than the con-
strained space, Eskom will have to implement load shedding. The
critical difference between prior maintenance planning and theTetris
way of planning is that now it is more visual, user friendly and in
real-time. The system is an automated online system that can be
manipulated immediately should any of the variables in the system
change.This enables senior executives to make informed decisions
and come up with sustainable solutions regarding the planning of
maintenance. Furthermore, the tool is currently being used in the
Group Capital Division as a planning tool for the delivery of the
New Build Programme.
The tool was developed by two young engineers who are part
of Eskom’s Top Engineers Programme, namely
Christo Murray and Lyle Timm. The Top Engi-
neers programme is a leadership development
programme, developed by Eskom senior ex-
ecutives to expedite and develop the leadership
capabilities of Eskom’s young top talent.TheTop
Engineers programme provides young engineers
the opportunity to work on Eskom’s high visibility,
high priority projects where they can harness their
skills and bring forth their creativity, diversity and
innovation in the multiple projects in which they
are involved.
Enquiries: Eskom Media Desk.
Tel. 011 800 3304/3343/3378
or email
TRANSFORMERS + SUBSTATIONS
Eskom’s Kendal Power Station.
Electricity+Control December ‘15 20