Power measurement software

Test & Measurement

16 May 2012 Test & Measurement

A new power measurement software package for the Yokogawa range of precision power analysers provides a complete solution for the testing of standby power in accordance with the latest IEC62301 Ed.2.0 (international) and EN50564:2011 (European) standards.

The software, designed for use with the Yokogawa WT210, WT500, WT1800 and WT3000 power analysers, is targeted at manufacturers of domestic electrical appliances and related equipment, who need accurate measurements to ensure that their products operate at optimum energy efficiency with minimum standby power consumption.

The standby mode on electrical appliances has long been in use and is mostly taken for granted by consumers. The fact that in this mode the equipment is consuming electricity – and that this is something of which most people are unaware – has been a major concern for regulators.

A recent estimate that by 2020 appliances using standby mode will contribute as much as 50 terawatt-hours of electricity consumption per year – similar to the annual electricity consumption of a country such as Portugal or Greece – emphasises the importance of this issue. Ensuring that manufacturers improve the efficiency of equipment in the standby mode can lead to significant reduction in electricity consumption.

Functions provided by the new Yokogawa standby power measurement software include communications between the host PC and the instrument, measurement of power data as defined in the standards, report preparation and production, and saving to the appropriate storage medium.

Electrical parameters measured include total harmonic distortion, crest factor, voltage, frequency, power variation and accumulated energy. In addition, although they are not required by the standard, apparent power and power factor are also measured as reference values.

The software uses both the sampling method and the average reading method defined in the standard, and provides a measurement time check. An ‘auto’ measurement mode checks data stability every 10 seconds according to the algorithms defined in IEC62301, and can automatically end the test once stability and the test conditions have been met.

A text entry function allows information other than the measured values to be entered for incorporation in a report. The report is generated as a PDF file and the measurements are also available in CSV format.

For more information contact Trevor Grundlingh, Protea Electronics, +27 (0)11 719 5700, [email protected], www.protea.co.za

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