Ohio Semitronics recently had the pleasure of participating in a roundtable discussion hosted by California Polytechnic State University.  During the roundtable discussion, industry experts spoke with engineering students about emerging trends, needs and products for power measurement in a variety of fields such as alternative energy, oil exploration, environmental engineering, aeronautical engineering, medical and bio engineering.

After completing the presentations on power measurement sensors, pressure sensors and linear position sensors, the roundtable discussion turned into a “stump the experts” session.  And those Cal Poly kids are pretty sharp.  The students would mention their field of interest and ask what types of products they would encounter.  We were glad to answer the student’s questions about products and applications.  But, even more important than products and their applications is the need to have a real understanding of power itself.

In universities, students learn about “clean power” – that is to say sinusoidal waves in which electrical voltage changes smoothly from positive polarity to negative polarity and back again 60 times per cycle.  But, in modern-day commercial applications, power is often “dirty.” Modern industrial equipment, including things like desktop computers and microprocessor-based devices, can create harmonic distortions resulting in non-sinusoidal (distorted) wave forms.

Having a thorough understanding of power is becoming more important with the advent of new variable frequency drives, inverters for solar and wind energy, and other emerging sources of energy that invariably produce complex or distorted waveforms.  This presents a special challenge in making electrical measurements, particularly when you consider that conventional instrumentation often cannot cope with these complex waveforms.   Yet, with the constant push for newer and more efficient forms of energy, it is becoming more vital for graduating engineering students to understand how to work with and measure all types of power.

Understanding the parameters for measuring power will help future engineers excel in their fields of interest.  At Ohio Semitronics, we’re pleased and honored to “pay it forward” and share some of our knowledge with the talented engineering students at Cal Poly.

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Navy warships and pleasure cruise ships are similar in the sense that they’re both like self-sustained, floating cities.  But, they’re also quite different in many regards.

On the deck of a cruise ship, you’ll see the glistening bodies of sun bathers.  On a naval warship, .50 caliber machine guns and ship-to-ship missiles glisten in the sunlight.

You’ll hear the sounds of shuffle board pucks sliding on the decks of a cruise ship.  You’ll hear the roar of F-14 Tomcat jets blasting off the deck of an aircraft carrier.

If a cruise ship has its electrical power disrupted or reduced from, say, an engine room fire, it may drift aimlessly at sea.  If a modern-day naval warship has its power disrupted or reduced, it will likely be capable of completing its mission.

What gives modern-day naval warships the ability to keep going even if power is disrupted or reduced as the result of an explosion or other potentially cataclysmic event?  The latest naval ships are being built with integrated fight through power (IFTP) technology.   IFTP is the electrical distribution system for the next generation of naval ships that provides redundant power and isolates electrical disturbances, thereby improving the quantity, quality and reliability of electrical power.   If power is suddenly and unexpectedly disrupted at one location on a naval ship, the power will be redirected and the ship’s electrical systems will continue operating.

Power quality for naval ships is becoming more vital with the advent of main propulsion electric drives, variable speed motor drives and pulsed loads associated with high-energy weapon systems.   Ohio Semitronics, located in Hilliard, Ohio, designs and manufactures hundreds of current sensors for the U.S. Navy which helps make IFTP technology a reality for the Navy’s latest generations of war ships.  With OSI’s current sensors, the ability to continually monitor power over the entire ship is provided.  That’s no small achievement when you consider one Navy estimate projects modern, “all-electric” ships will require at least 10,000 electrical sensors per ship to properly monitor and regulate power flow.

The U.S. Navy has plans to retrofit older ships with IFTP technology, as well.  The “all-electric” ship of the future will provide the Navy with fighting ships that are lighter, faster and, with the help of OSI’s current sensors and power monitoring solutions, more reliable and economical to build.  At OSI, that’s our pleasure.

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Companies that make furnace controls for either batch or process manufacturing are working hard to keep up with the growing demands from their customers to precisely control heat in their processes. What kinds of products and manufacturing processes are we talking about?  Growing sapphire crystals for making LED lights which are quickly replacing fluorescent lights in homes, or manufacturing products that require quartz as a core ingredient.  Sapphire crystals and quartz need to be “grown” in industrial furnaces over a prolonged period of time.   Makers of glass products need reliable industrial furnaces.  As do food processing companies and large bakeries.

The challenge for process control system integrators is that industrial furnaces must precisely control heat and pressure, sometimes over a long manufacturing time cycle.  Reliable and accurate power measurement for industrial furnaces is critical.  And virtually every need for power measurement with industrial furnaces is unique.

Companies that make process control systems come to OSI because they can get the exact current and voltage transducers they need.  One application might require a Rogowski coil.  Another application might require a Hall-effect transducer.  With over 8,000 standard power measurement products, and the ability to provide modified-standard and custom products, OSI can provide the exact power measurement solution process control manufacturers are looking for.

Why take the chance of “hoping” what you bought online from an automation catalog website or an  overseas supplier of power measurement devices will do the job when you can get exactly what’s needed from OSI?   With our breadth of power measurement solutions, getting exactly what’s needed is “no sweat” when you “ask the experts” at OSI.

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When a customer calls with a problem or issue, we conduct a thorough survey of their situation.  But, when we hear the words “clamp on amp meter” we usually have a pretty good idea of what the issue might be.

Common clamp on amp meters read only average current and provide correct RMS readings only when measuring sinusoidal wave forms.  Sinusoidal alternating currents (AC) of 1000A or more are easily read with common clamp on meters.  However, direct currents (DC) and very low AC currents (milliamps) are more difficult to measure with common clamp on meters.   When common clamp on amp meters are used to measure non-sinusoidal loads, readings can often be quite inaccurate.   And common clamp on meters are often susceptible to position sensitivity issues.  The difference between a RMS or average measurement transducer  reading and a clamp on amp meter reading is like the difference between listening to a vinyl record (if you’re old enough to remember those) on an analog amplifier compared to listening to a CD on a modern-day digital sound system.  You can still “hear” the same song, but the quality of sound will be noticeably different.   In other words, if you’re using a common clamp on amp meter, you may only be getting a “partial” measurement, not a true RMS measurement.    So, the problem may not be with the transducer at all, but rather with the clamp on meter.

Fortunately, customers can simply pick up the phone and “ask the experts” at Ohio Semitronics in Hilliard, Ohio when they have questions or problems.  If it’s a problem with one of our transducers, we’ll resolve the issue.  More often than not, though, resolving a problem does not require shipping a new transducer.  Given the opportunity to survey a customer’s issue over the phone usually leads to a quick and simple solution.   In fact, when you call “the experts” at OSI, we’re able to resolve customer issues on the first phone call over 80% of the time.

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At Ohio Semitronics, we’re pretty particular about the way we do things.  We have all of our manufacturing, engineering, sales and customer service under one roof in Hilliard, Ohio enabling us to be more flexible and responsive to customer needs.  We are in the process of obtaining ISO 17025 certification, making OSI the only manufacturer of power measurement products to also provide in-house calibration certification.  And, OSI is the only U.S. manufacturer of power measurement products to formulate its own indium arsenide for making Hall probes for non-contact current measurement.

Non-contact current measurement – measuring AC or DC current without connecting to a conductor or wire – is necessary when you cannot break a power line to insert a sensor and for safety reasons to protect from high power surges.  A Hall probe is the key device for measuring current flowing through a conductor without connecting to the conductor.  Hall probes provide high linearity, low noise and excellent measurement stability for magnetic sensing and electrical current measurement applications.    And the making of Hall probes requires indium arsenide – a semiconductor material composed of indium and arsenic.

So, why do we formulate our own indium arsenide and make our own Hall probes at OSI?  We do it so we have greater flexibility for making a wide variety of Hall elements.  We believe that a “one size fits all” approach is limiting when it comes to making power measurement devices.  By formulating our own indium arsenide, OSI can provide Hall probes for both high and low Hall coefficients to match the design of specific transducers.

Power measurement applications continue to expand with new energy and power generation technologies.  If we at OSI were to only provide “off-the-shelf” power measurement devices, our customers’ ability to innovate would be limited.  At OSI, about half of our business is in the design and manufacturing of modified and custom power measurement devices for unique applications.  Often times, when you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.  When you need power measurement done right, you need to “ask the experts” at OSI.

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2011 is just around the corner.  But, before you start making your new year’s plans, you better prepare for increased solar activity in 2011 and through 2012.  The sun will be approaching the peak of its 11-year “solar maximum” cycle, so we can expect a lot of solar activity in the next couple of years.  And if you’re operating a power substation, you might consider taking some added precautions.

Solar activity and solar flare ups can cause rapid changes in the configuration of the earth’s magnetic field which, in turn, induce currents in the long wires of power grids.   High-power grids act as particularly efficient antennas, channeling direct currents (DC) into the power transformers.  Power grids were not built to handle this sort of DC electricity. The greatest danger is at the step-up and step-down transformers used to convert power from its transport voltage to domestically useful voltage. The increased DC resulting from solar flare ups creates strong magnetic fields that saturate a transformer’s magnetic core. The result is runaway current in the transformer’s copper wiring, which rapidly heats up and melts.

What can substation operators do about the ever-increasing threats from solar flare ups in the coming years?  Take proactive steps to monitor AC frequencies for the presence of DC.  Transformers and DC don’t mix.  But, by taking proactive steps to monitor AC frequencies in large transmission lines, you’re more likely to detect the unexpected introduction of DC from solar flare ups.  When you detect DC, shut your system down to prevent blowing a transformer.  A brief transformer shut-down is far less expensive and time-consuming than replacing a blown-out transformer.   And if you’re in the northern U.S. or Canada, you’re particularly vulnerable to the effects of solar flare ups due to the thinner ozone layer in northern latitudes.

One other thing you can do to counter the potentially harmful effects of solar flare ups is to “ask the experts” at Ohio Semitronics.  OSI offers a product line of transducers (the CM line) that will measure the DC component riding the AC wave form.  Nothing can be done to prevent solar flare ups.  So, the best thing to do is take preventative measures and “ask the experts” at OSI.

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With all due respect to Sir Francis Bacon, we have a slightly different take on this famous quote that’s better-suited for the times and industry we live in:  Knowledge of power is power.

Power is one of those things that tend to get taken for granted.  When you say “power,” you typically think about the power in your house.  Flip a switch and you get power.  But the parameters for measuring power can be far more complex, especially when it comes to measuring power for today’s alternative energy needs or for the latest developments in variable frequency drives.  Measuring power is more than just knowing volts and amps.  Where is power being generated from?  Where is it being fed to?  What types of loads are you dealing with?   Any number of factors can affect your ability to accurately measure and verify the efficiency of power.

In colleges and universities today, aspiring engineers are taught mostly about “clean power,” meaning power with no distorted wave forms.  In real-world applications, distorted wave forms (“dirty power”) are more common.  This is especially true for the latest innovations in solar and wind energy and variable frequency drive systems.  Measuring and verifying the efficiency of power from distorted wave forms requires both an in-depth knowledge of power measurement, and the right equipment such as RMS measuring transducers and the use of digital signal processing.

For the third year in a row, OSI has been asked to participate in a roundtable discussion hosted by California Polytechnic State University on the latest trends impacting power measurement.  During the discussion, industry experts will discuss the needs and challenges faced by engineers who need to measure and verify power efficiency for today’s latest and evolving applications.  Look for an update in the coming weeks from OSI detailing the topics and trends from the Cal Poly roundtable discussion.

At OSI, we believe it’s our knowledge and understanding of power measurement that sets us apart.  Sure, we make over 8,000 standard power measurement and metering products.  But when you have a question about a power measurement product or application, you can always “ask the experts” at OSI.  We’re glad to share the power of our knowledge.

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With all of the factors that can impact measuring system accuracy, how can you really be sure your system accuracy is what it needs to be?  Here are two helpful pieces of advice from Ohio Semitronics, the leader in power measurement, to make measuring system accuracy easier and more reliable.

First, understand the calibration of your power measurement devices.  If you buy a “typical” current transducer or voltage transducer, it may be calibrated to work over a range of 50 to 400 hertz.  That may be “okay,” but what if you’re running your equipment at 400 hertz the vast majority of the time?  A transducer that’s calibrated “somewhere between 50 to 400 hertz” may not provide the system accuracy you need for your specific application.  At OSI, we work with customers to understand their real-world measurement applications and provide custom calibration of transducers.  We can take virtually any standard OSI transducer, provide custom calibration and deliver a modified-standard transducer that will provide far greater system accuracy.

Second, use this simple equation for determining system accuracy when using multiple transducers:  system accuracy = the square root of the sum of the squares. For example, if you are using nine different current transducers for your application, take the stated accuracy for each transducer.  Then, square the stated accuracy for each transducer, sum the numbers together and take the square root of the sum.  This will determine the system accuracy factoring in each component in your system.

There are many things you need to be aware of when measuring system accuracy.  At OSI, we’re focused on working directly with customers to provide modified-standard and custom power measurement devices that provide greater system accuracy than standard, “off-the-shelf” products.  If you have a question or need more information regarding system accuracy, just “ask the experts” at OSI.

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One solution to this dilemma is to invest in an energy load management system.   These systems will generate an alert if you’re approaching your kilowatt demand level so power-saving adjustments (load shedding) can take place.  Energy management load shedding systems are great, but they can cost over $100,000.  Though load shedding systems will help save money on energy, most small companies (and people, for that matter) can’t afford a six-figure investment.

Leave it to “the experts” at OSI to develop a more cost-effective solution to energy load management systems costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

OSI, the leader in power measurement and control solutions, has developed their own energy load management system using their own hardware.  And OSI is putting their system to use in a very important place:  their own corporate headquarters location in Hilliard, Ohio.  Like any other smaller-sized business, OSI has to control energy costs, but cannot necessarily afford huge cash outlays.  OSI’s engineers went to work creating their own energy load management system with OSI’s power measurement hardware.  So now, when OSI’s kilowatt demand level is nearing its limit, an audio warning is generated and power can be manually scaled back on non-essential equipment before OSI exceeds its kilowatt demand level.

Best of all, OSI’s self-created energy load management system costs a fraction of what other systems available today cost.  But, don’t start counting all the money you could save with OSI’s energy load management system just yet.  OSI’s system is still in the developmental phase.  Software and testing on all of the many types of computer platforms are still yet to be finalized.  But, so far, the results from OSI’s use of its own energy load management system have been quite promising.

Finding new ways to use energy more efficiently is becoming more and more important.  “The experts” at OSI are leading the charge to develop new power measurement and testing devices that can make saving energy both more efficient and more affordable.  And that can be a load off everyone’s mind.

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How do you build navy ships lighter, faster and cheaper…without sacrificing quality?  The solution calls for suppliers to adopt lean manufacturing principles that can not only develop parts and components for naval vessels faster and cheaper, but also do it in a way that provides “standard work” documentation.  This principle is referred to as “partners of workplace and engagement results,” or POWER, which calls for management and shop personnel of companies that supply parts and components to the Navy to work together and provide more efficiency.

OSI is accommodating the Navy’s needs by developing lean manufacturing systems and procedures.  By March 2011, OSI will have completed its lean manufacturing pilot program. Let’s say, for instance, the Navy needed a supply of split core current transformers from OSI.  Rather than OSI employees having to gather all the components from different locations, OSI will create a lean manufacturing cell where all the assembly people and kitted components for split core current transformers are gathered in one location.  This lean manufacturing cell will have everything for assembling and testing the transformers in one area and in hands-reach of every employee.  There is no wasted motion or wasted time.  Assembly and testing are done faster.  And “standard work” is achieved by documenting work procedures so any OSI employee can perform the necessary tasks.

Because OSI is a small business that manufactures all of its products from one location in Hilliard, Ohio, OSI can be flexible and quickly adopt new working procedures and methods to satisfy customer needs.  Naval vessels can cost billions of dollars to build.  But, as the Navy looks to achieve “lighter, faster, cheaper” ships in the future without sacrificing quality, the Navy is relying more and more on small businesses like OSI.  In fact, 75 percent of all components on a U.S. Navy submarine are manufactured by companies with under 500 employees.  Maintaining a strong ship building network of U.S. suppliers will keep the U.S. Navy from becoming dependent on overseas manufacturers of parts and components, and allow our Navy to continue to protect our shores today and into the future.

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