Alltec Corporation News & Articles
New TerraWeld Website
News by Alltec Corporation
Thursday September 2, 2010
Alltec Corporation is pleased to announce the launching of a brand new website, http://www.terraweld.com, spotlighting the best Exothermic Welding system available on the market today, TerraWeld®.
The TerraWeld® Exothermic Welding System provides the ultimate in permanent molecular bonding. The process of exothermic welding, in which no outside source of heat or power is required, is the universally preferred method of making electrical connections of copper-to-copper or copper-to-steel. Lightning protection and grounding systems require connections that maintain current carrying capacity exceeding that of the conductors used in the system. TerraWeld® connections provide higher fusing capacity than the conductors to which they are bonded. System resistance, impedance, and ampacity relate directly to functionality, safety, and regulatory compliance. TerraWeld® meets these challenges and delivers assurance.
The TerraWeld® site contains extensive information about working with Alltec’s exclusive exothermic welding system. There is an installation guide in both PDF and HTML formats and a video demonstration for instructional purposes. The site contains comprehensive information on TerraWeld® including product benefits, code compliance, model variations, and photographs (Exothermic Welding Models). Also, an extensive product catalog is downloadable from the site. In addition, the TerraWeld® video displays how the product works, the materials required for a successful installation, and how to properly care for the equipment. All of these features can be found at the website homepage ( TerraWeld® Exothermic Welding System).
Company president, Christopher Bean, says, “Providing the Terraweld® System with its own website will allow our customers easier access to information about the products and allow the system to gain additional exposure in the marketplace.”
TerraWeld® connections provide performance superior to all existing surface-to-surface mechanical retention connectors. Pressure type connections are susceptible to variation, aging, corrosion, and failure—not TerraWeld®. One click of the starter forges a visually inspectable, uniformly conductive, corrosion resistant, continuous solid metal bonding at the molecular level resulting in the only connection which will not loosen or increase in resistance over the lifetime of the installation.
Certified Power Quality Professional
News by Alltec Corporation
Thursday August 12, 2010
Alltec Corporation would like to recognize Dan Latham for gaining the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Certified Power Quality Professional designation.
AEE’s Certified Power Quality Professional (CPQ) program is designed to award special recognition to power quality professionals who have demonstrated a high level of knowledge, experience, competence and ethical fitness in this emerging, highly specialized field.
Dan Latham, Alltec’s Power Quality Product Manager, states that, “this certification is the only one available in the industry that covers the full spectrum of power related issues facilities are faced with today.” “It also progressively encompasses the newer LEED (acronym) certified energy efficiency considerations that are becoming standard in new construction and which must be managed by properly conditioned power quality.”
The knowledge required of power quality specialists covers a broad range of applications and issues, ranging in scope from the vastness of the nation’s power distribution networks to the immediacy of devices sharing a wall outlet.
The CPQ certification process requires the completion of a three-day training program, followed by successful completion of a four-hour written examination.
Alltec Corporation’s engineering team maintains an ongoing regimen of training in emergent technologies as well as setting the standards through memberships in associations like IEEE and seats on industry specific UL panels.
Alltec Protection Systems Pvt. Ltd. Becomes the First Company in India to be Certified by Underwriters Laboratories in the Installation of Lightning Protection
News by Alltec Corporation
Tuesday August 10, 2010
Alltec Corporation’s India Operations, Alltec Protection Systems Pvt. Ltd, taking its cue from the American offices, worked with Underwriters Laboratories to assert the importance of third party accreditation of lightning protection engineers. India does not have a nationwide set of procedures and practices defined for the inspection of lightning protection installation. By accepting and becoming accredited in the Underwriters Laboratories internationally accepted standards, Alltec Protection Systems Pvt. Ltd. sets itself as the industry leader in lightning protection for the country of India.
Certification was accomplished through a series of seminars, training courses and a final comprehensive examination.
On February 22, 2010, Alltec Protection Systems Pvt. Ltd. and Underwriters Laboratories organized a training seminar on “International Best Practices in Lightning Protection,” at the Hotel Radisson Delhi. The Speakers were: Mr. Richard W. Bouchard, Technical Advisor (Lightning Protection Program) UL USA and Mr. George Dudkowski, Program Manager – Inspection Services UL Canada.
This interactive seminar was well attended, and the delegates and participants took keen interest in information presented.
Based upon the success of the seminar, Underwriters Laboratories organized a training course on UL Standard 96A. Alltec Protection Systems Pvt. Ltd. participated in full strength. The training was provided by UL’s Mr. Richard Bouchard explaining, theoretically, each clause of the standard and giving practical demonstrations.
Underwriters Laboratories further organized an examination on February 26, 2010. Four members of Alltec Protection Systems Pvt. Ltd. participated in the examination and all of them were declared qualified Lightning Protection Installers. Underwriters Laboratories Certificates have been issued.
The Benefits of Designing and Testing a Low-Resistance Grounding System
Grounding by Alltec Corporation
Wednesday December 30, 2009
We all have become dependent on electronics for our everyday lives. These same sensitive devices are very vulnerable to the hazards created by poor grounding. As any power quality expert will relate, poor grounding is second only to improper wiring as the leading cause of equipment malfunction. Standards for equipment performance mandate the installation and maintenance of a reliable, low-resistance earth ground. These standards often cannot be met and certainly cannot be assured for the long term by traditional grounding methods, which call for minimum requirements. Much of this equipment operates on 5 V or less and is often subjected to higher steady-state transients. A properly designed low-resistance system can ensure the operation of critical equipment that often creates its own hazards, such as harmonics and transients. An additional benefit also comes in enhanced personnel safety.
Earth Grounding
The definition of a ground electrode is “a conductor or group of conductors in intimate contact with the earth for the purpose of providing a connection with the soil.” This definition does not refer to an actual ohm resistance value of the electrode. The resistance value is determined by the resistivity of soil with which these electrodes are in contact. As in the case of ground water, the current must pass through the soil to the assumed earth potential of 0 Ω. When an object is grounded, it is then forced to assume the same zero potential as the earth. If the potential of the grounded object is higher or lower, current will pass through the grounding connection until the potential of the object and earth are the same. The earth electrode is that connection path from the equipment to the earth (Figure 1). The resistance of the electrode, measured in ohms, determines how quickly and at what potential energy is equalized. Hence, grounding is necessary to maintain an object’s potential equal to that of the earth’s.
Figure 1. Ground electrode
Soil Resistivity
The soil is the dynamic conductor for steady-state, natural, and man-made fault currents. Most soils naturally contain varying amounts of electrolytes that conduct electricity. As a result, the addition of moisture will enhance or reduce the conductive properties. In general, however, the greater the moisture contents in soil, the lower the resistivity. Temperature, like moisture, can have a significant impact on resistivity. Soil resistivity varies with temperature, especially when reaching 32 °F (the moisture in the soil freezes and the resistivity increases by almost three times its unfrozen value). This can have a detrimental effect on your clay-or cement-based backfill materials that rely on water as their primary conductor. A carbon-based backfill material will have the advantage of being an all-weather, year-round, low-resistance conductor.
Soil Resistivity Measurements
To determine the conductivity of the soil, a four-point ground meter is utilized (Figure 2). This test requires the user to place four equally spaced auxiliary probes into the earth to determine the actual soil resistance, traditionally in ohms-cm. This test must take place around the entire area to determine the soil value at all locations. This test is done at different spacing, 5 to 40 feet, to determine the resistance value at various depths. This knowledge will aid in the design and implementation of the correct ground system to meet the particular site requirements. Soil values can range from 500 Ωcm with large amounts of electrolytes to over 1 million Ωcm in sandy dry soil.
Figure 2. Measuring soil resistivity – Click here to enlarge
Post-Installation Testing
Once a ground system has been designed
and installed, the verification process begins. This requires the use of a three-point, fall-of-potential, ground-resistance method (Figure 3). This test involves the use of two auxiliary probes placed in the ground in a straight line. The lengths of the conductors from the instrument to these probes are determined by the size of the facility under test. This is traditionally five times the diagonal distance of the grounding system. The test must also be performed before tying into any other ground source. The reason for this is to verify that your system has the designed ground resistance value without influence from outside sources.
Figure 3. Post-installation testing before power is connected – Click here to Enlarge
If the test is performed after the power is connected, the clamp-on ground-resistance tester can be utilized (Figure 4). This involves clamping onto the power neutral between the utility transformer and the site ground. The user Service Box must be aware that a 0.7-Ωreading indicates a continuity loop and not ground resistance.
Figure 4. Post-installation testing after power is tested
Low-Resistance Grounding System Design
The design process for a grounding system begins with a site and power survey of the installation area (Figure 5). The power survey includes bonding and grounding methods of present AC, telecommunications, SPDs, UPS, and many other systems that operate in the facility. A site survey must also include soil-resistivity analysis at several depths, relevant site plans, topography analysis, and a boring core sample, if available. The site survey will show if any physical barriers such as rock, high-resistivity Mode soil, or power lines will affect the earth-ground resistance in the installation area. Once this information is obtained, an effective design can be initiated.
Figure 5. Site and power survey – Click here to enlarge
Benefits of a Well-Designed System
A properly designed low-resistance grounding system will play a major role in obtaining and maintaining a well-protected and efficient facility. High-tech equipment is highly sensitive and business downtime is often irreplaceable. In the fast paced competitive business world availability is everything; to stay at the forefront of hard-line business competition companies must be entirely reliable. The ground system is an integral part of the site and should be regarded as highly as all the other equipment-critical components. This may be achieved with traditional methods and/or an enhanced system with electrolytic electrodes with carbon backfill.
About the Author
Harshul Gupta is the Vice President of Engineering at Alltec Corporation. He has a Master’s in Electrical Engineering and more than 10 years of industry experience. He has extensive knowledge in the design and testing of grounding systems for commercial and industrial facilities. He has written many technical papers on the subject.
Why Protecting Wind Turbines from Lightning is Critical
News by Alltec Corporation
Tuesday December 29, 2009
Exactly when and where lightning will strike is an unpredictable act of nature. If scientists could calculate the exact location of future lightning, the United States would be able to avoid the $2 billion in annual property damage due to this awesome yet terrifying natural phenomenon. However, the fact that lightning usually strikes the highest point is indisputable. Height, shape and isolation are all leading factors in determining the place where lightning will choose to strike. One of the worst possible courses of action during a storm is to stand under a tree; in fact, this is the number one leading cause of death or injury from lightning strikes. Wind turbines act in a similar manner, as they are the tallest point and sustain a high probability of being struck by lightning. Therefore, it is often not a matter of “if” but “when” a wind turbine will be struck by lightning or experiences other types of overvoltages and currents.
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