Electricity + Control January 2016

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LIGHT + CURRENT
Precision dc calibrator offers ease of testing at high currents
The new Yokogawa 2560A precision dc calibrator offers a simple,
stand-alone solution for the testing and calibrating dc measuring
instruments such as analogue meters, clamp meters, thermom-
eters, 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 particu-
lar, it can generate dc voltages up to 1 224 V and dc currents up to
36,72 A. By connecting 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 2560A to be integrated into an automatic test system.
With the flick of a switch, the output can be swept within the
source range with sweep times of 8, 16, 32 or 64 seconds. Linearity
tests can be simply performed by dividing the output into steps,
with a setting of four, for example, generating steps of 25, 50, 75
and 100% of the set output value.
Enquiries: Protea Electronics.Tel: 011 719 5700
Power plants run on propane
Wärtsilä is expanding its Smart Power Generation portfolio by in-
troducing the capability of using propane as fuel for power genera-
tion. “Shale oil and gas production has substantially increased the
availability of propane in the market. Many ofWärtsilä’s customers
see an opportunity for using propane now for power generation,”
saysThomas Hägglund, Vice President,Technology and Solutions
at Wärtsilä Energy Solutions. Hägglund points out that the multi-
fuel capability is one of Wärtsilä’s traditional strengths. Now the
market-leading Wärtsilä 34SG engine can be used not only with
natural gas, but also as a dual-fuel engine that can run on natural
gas or propane without physical modifications to the engine. Pro-
pane is the main component in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG),
which is commonly used in cooking appliances and vehicles, and
increasingly offered for power production. LPG is a by-product of
natural gas processing and crude oil refining. By replacing heavy
fuel oil with propane, carbon dioxide and other emissions from a
power plant can be significantly reduced. Wärtsilä’s first propane-
fired project using two 20V34SG gas engines is currently under
construction in El Salvador and will be operational by the end
of 2015. Wärtsilä’s installed power plant capacity is 58 GW in 175
countries around the world. Out of this, more than 10%, or 6 GW
are multi-fuel plants.
Enquiries: Email
New tools to increase lockout/tagout efficiency
Lockout/Tagout is being implemented in
an increasing number of industries.That is
no surprise since the procedure, if applied
correctly, guarantees employee safety.
New innovations in Lockout/Tagout aim to
increase efficiency by focusing on product
flexibility and ease of use.
The main principle of the Lockout/Tagout
procedure is extremely simple: isolate
machines from their energy supply for safe
interventions and maintenance. To isolate
a machine from its energy sources, push
buttons, levers, valves or handles are ren-
dered inoperable by blocking them with a
lockout device. A maintenance worker can
lock these devices in place with a padlock,
ensuring co-workers cannot acciden-
tally re-energise a machine before
maintenance is done.
Diligently applying Lockout/Tagout
devices in line with procedure is criti-
cal to guarantee worker safety during
machine interventions. This requires
time which is won back by avoiding
costly and time consuming accidents.
New and innovative Lockout/Tagout
solutions, like Brady’s Compact Cable
Safety Padlock, are fast and easy to ap-
ply.They enable increased efficiency for
safe machine interventions.
Enquiries:
Email
Electricity+Control January ‘16 44