Dual current power analyzer adds motor control support

Yokogawa Test & Measurement has updated its high performance power analyzer for complex power measurements for new energy applications.

The Yokogawa WT1800R power analyzer combines high and low current input elements to verify the efficiency and power consumption of a wide range of applications. The enhancements allow these measurements to be combined measurements with the results from other instruments for field oriented control measurement on motors and drives.

This is aimed at applications such as automated driving, electric vehicle (EV) powertrains and inverters and actuators and motors as well as renewable energy, smart city, smart buildings and data centres.

Having both 5 A and 50 A input elements in one unit enables engineers to use a single WT1800R for multiple applications such as standby power measurement and the evaluation of various operating modes of the device under test.

• High definition oscilloscope for power, energy and transportation

In addition to power parameters, the WT1800R features two options for analyzing harmonics. The first is harmonic measurement mode for fundamental wave, harmonic components, and total harmonic distortion (THD). Also available is a dual harmonic option for the side-by-side measurement of harmonics on two different sources. A good example is the input and output of inverters, variable speed motors, lighting ballasts and uninterruptable power supplies (UPS).

The WT1800R guarantees a power accuracy of 0.05% of reading plus 0.05% of range and is capable of harmonics analysis up to the 500th order of a 50/60 Hz fundamental frequency.  The stability of the power analyzer ensures that precision measurements can be made today and over the long term.

The basic AC power measurement accuracy is guaranteed between 1% to 110% of the selected voltage and current range which equates to voltages from 15 mV to 1100 Vrms and currents from 0.1 mA to 5.5 Arms (for a 5 A input element) and 10 mA to 55 Arms (for a 50 A input element). The unit is also accurate during large phase shifts and high frequencies from the low power factor error of ±0.07% of apparent power.

The power analyzer was designed to support the development and production of high efficiency new energy technologies, combining measurement results with waveform capturing instruments through the IS8000 software. This allows engineers to perform field-oriented control measurements such as Vd/Vq and Id/Iq and store the measurement data directly to a network drive.

With simultaneous 16bit measurements on up to 6 input channels at 2 MS/s, a wide range of display and analysis features through an enhanced display, and PC connectivity, the WT1800R is suitable for a broad range of power efficiency and harmonic analysis requirements.

Engineers can set the measurement intervals of the WT1800R either manually or automatically. The instrument offers nine data update intervals between 50 ms and 20 s, but can also follow fluctuating input frequencies by automatically changing the data update rate. This functionality is useful when measuring devices such as motors where the input signal frequency varies with RPM.

During low-speed operation when the input frequency to the WT1800R is 20 Hz or less, data updates take place every cycle, permitting engineers to check the measurement results per motor revolution.

The high-resolution 8.4-inch XGA display of the WT1800R allows split-screen viewing of up to six waveforms and can show up to 12 pages of diverse measurement parameters. This competence makes it ideal for technicians undertaking efficiency tests on inverter-driven motors, renewable energy technologies, and traction applications like pumps, fans, and hybrid/electric vehicles. The unit can also display measurements in vector format or trending in time.

With the motor evaluation function, technicians can measure far more than just electrical parameters. This innovative feature facilitates the measurement of rotation speed and direction, torque, mechanical power, synchronous speed, slip, electrical angle, motor efficiency and total system efficiency – either from the analog or pulse outputs of rotation and torque sensors.

Yokogawa’s WTViewerE application software connects up to four WT1800R power analyzers to a PC via a communications interface. This facilitates easy access to numeric, waveform, trend and harmonic data.