Q. What is the difference between the 433 and 434 Power Quality Analyzer?
A. The 434 adds a couple features to the base 433 such as Interharmonics,
Transients, Inrush currents and Energy Usage, along with greater memory storage
for screen capture and datasets. The kit also includes FlukeView software and an
optical communication cable to safely connect the power analyzer to your PC.
Q. I purchased a 433 and now have need for the features of a 434. Can I upgrade?
A. YES, The 433 can be field upgraded to include all the feature of a 434. The
purchase of the upgrade also includes the FlukeView software and optical
communications cable. To purchase the upgrade, visit your distributor
Q.
What are all of the functions available in the 43X Power
Quality Analyzers?
A. See: Fluke Model 434 and 434 Power Quality Analyzers
Functions Overview
Q. Why do many of the functions warn me about using the power adapter when I
want to run off of the internal battery?
A. This warning is designed to help prevent data loss. When you select trending
functions that can run over a long time period, the unit alerts you that the
adapter is not plugged in, just in case you intend to record for longer than the
seven hours of battery life.
Q. USB cable driver
installation issues.
A. If you encounter USB cable driver installation issues, review the READ-ME
document on the CD. It contains detailed instructions along with steps for
adjusting the most common problems.
Q. What is the difference between "Dips & Swells", "Transients" and the
"Monitor" function?
A. Transients require a trigger setting and then creates a graphical
representation of the sinewave when that trigger is crossed. Dips & Swells
does not require threshold configuration – it provides a trend chart and a text
listing of changes in nominal voltages. Monitor compares incoming power
to EN50160 or user defined thresholds. It then presents a go no-go chart that
the user can use to drill down into the event listings.
Q. The unit displays unusual color codes & labels. Can these be adjusted?
A. Press the Setup button, followed by F4 to access the User
Preferences menu. Select Phase Identification to toggle between the
L1-L2-L3 and A-B-C phase labels. Under Phase Colors, select F1 to
use U.S. defaults.
Q. Why does the unit
keep turning off?
A. The 430 Series is programmed to prevent accidental power-ons that could
inadvertently discharge the battery. If you don't select another function after
pushing the power-on button, the unit will power-off in 15 seconds. To adjust
the auto-off feature, press the Setup button, choose User Preferences
and then Battery Save/Auto-OFF.
Q: I have
a power quality problem. Where do I start?
A: Start with basic real time readings of your three-phase power:
- Select Unbalance from the menu and see if the phases are balanced.
Having more loads on one or two phases can cause a three-phase motor to
overheat and fail prematurely.
- Select Volts/Amps/Hertz from the menu.
- Verify that the RMS voltages are within acceptable limits. Low voltage
can be just as damaging as high voltage.
- Look for excessive neutral current. This is a common cause for
overheated neutral wires and malfunctioning sensitive computer loads and can
point to bad grounding or incorrect neutral to ground bonds.
Q: Nuisance breaker tripping.
A: Select Inrush Currents from the menu, check the startup current of the
motor load, and see if exceeds the breaker rating. Startup currents are often 5
times the operating rating of the motor and are frequently overlooked. Tip:
Outside of the high current events, many breakers have become more sophisticated
and trip on other factors. This is especially true for three-phase switchgear.
For example, many "smart" breakers" will trip on THD over a certain limit. Take
a look at the harmonics to see if you're near the limit.
Q:
Transformer overheating & premature/repeat failure.
A: Harmonics are the leading cause for transformer over heating and premature
failure. Harmonics also reduce the efficiency of a transformer. Select the
Harmonics function from the menu to trend THD and also identify which
frequencies are present on voltage, current or power. Harmonics are also a
consideration when sizing the neutral conductor and why the NEC code recommends
at least a double sizing. It can also be a factor in motor over heating .
Q:
My snapshots look within tolerance, but I still have a problem.
A: Many power quality problems are a result of loads turning on/off.
Troubleshooting this requires longer term monitoring, as it may happen when you
are not present at the panel. Having a monitor trend and capture excursions is
essential. Set the 430 series Monitor function to run over a period that
characterizes the problem. Tip: Keeping a log of complaints will help you
determine when and how often the problem occurs – and how long to monitor for.
Then, line up particular complaint times with the data captured during those
same period and correlate repetitive events with equipment cycles.
Q: What is in-rush current?
A: Inrush is the large spike most commonly caused by a motor load coming
on-line. As it first energizes, the motor utilizes a higher amount of current
than when runs at a constant speed. This large current draw frequently causes a
large enough voltage dip to send other equipment off-line or cause the lights to
blink. The Inrush function of the 434 allows you to capture the inrush
magnitude along with the length of time it takes the motor to come up to speed.
If the inrush magnitude and duration exceeds the breaker setting, it will trip
-- even though the motor's normal current draw is much lower.
Q: How do I locate
the cause of an event?
A: To isolate the fault location, use the 434 Transients function and
monitor at several points in the distribution. As you work your way down the
line, eliminate circuits that don't show events and follow the circuits that
show the event in sharper detail. The sharper the event, the closer you are to
the load causing the problem. Three-phase monitoring also allows you to
determine if it is a single, dual or three phase load causing the problem,
further reducing the number of culprits.
Q. Why would I use the less expensive 430 Series power quality analyzer to
do a power quality study, rather than a traditional power quality monitor or
recorder? Isn't expensive better?
A. Just like any job, having the right tool is what matters most. The 430 series
is designed for front line power quality troubleshooting and audits. It's
lightweight, handheld, battery operated and has the three phase capabilities
required for industrial and commercial environments. It's also CAT IV rated for
use at the service entrance where most audits begin. When you need to take
measurements at several points along the distribution, ease of use and
portability are more important than high transient capture and extensive
storage. Likewise, when troubleshooting a mysterious power quality problem, you
need to measure dips, swells, harmonics, unbalance, power, flicker and waveforms
before you know what setups and thresholds to set. The 430 Series can begin
measuring immediately, while a monitor or recorder requires thresholds. Then,
once more complexity is required, the 430 series can become a threshold driven
meter for pass/fail reporting. It can also capture and characterize inrush
current, store and transfer data to a PC for later analysis and report
generation, and capture transients at 5uS. |
