New energy technologies put emphasis on power measurement techniques,writes Terry Marrinan,Yokogawa's v-p for test and measurement in Europe&Africa.
The increased emphasis on energy efficiency,coupled with the expansion of new technologies in both power generation and conversion has created a demand for new measuring instruments.
These instruments need to combine high accuracy with the versatility to handle multiple and widely varying inputs including waveforms that are distorted and include high levels of harmonics.
No longer is it sufficient just to measure voltages and currents:engineers now need to understand waveforms and harmonics.
Areas as diverse as building controls,office automation and automotive electronics all present challenges with their combination of DC and AC voltages of different levels and frequencies,and all require measurements of key parameters such as input/output voltages and currents,power flows and overall power consumption.
These developments are set against the background of an increasingly stringent international regulatory framework which seeks to optimise energy efficiency by minimising power consumption,while at the same time minimising the adverse effects that can be caused by poor-quality power waveforms:both areas where test and measurement plays a key part.
The need to make multiple measurements in these applications has stimulated the development of a new generation of test instruments incorporating a number of new functions for electrical power and efficiency measurements.
Whether the end product is an automated drive train for a car,a wind turbine,an industrial drive or a compact inverter for a consumer product,test&measurement will play its part in ensuring product quality,reliability and compliance at all stages of its design,development and manufacture.
At the investigation and prototype phases,where engineers are seeking proof of a principle prior to development,general-purpose test instruments are normally required.At the conformance phase,high accuracy is vital,while at the manufacturing phase simple and robust tools are required.
