Projects
Continuous
High Volume Test
The Problem
Residential Circuit Breakers are exposed to an incredible variety of loading conditions, as unique appliance combinations, in different residences, start and stop during different times throughout any given day. Comprehensive testing of these products requires a huge variety of electrical loads which can be switched into and out of the test circuit as the desired load mix warrants.
To perform such testing efficiently, the entire process (including the generation of the load mix sequencing) must be automated and run nearly continuously.
The Solution
The Automated Residential Load Tester consists of a large room full of hundreds of types and brands of electrical loads, automatically switched into and out of electrical circuits during testing by a custom software application written in LabVIEW.
The user sets up a test in the software by selecting and grouping loads that are defined in a database. The software automatically generates a testing sequence that covers every permutation of electrical load application, given the load groupings.
As each load is switched on or off, high-speed current data is captured, analyzed and logged. Circuit breaker trips are logged and flagged for later review before the system automatically repeats the failing test. The test continues until every permutation has been exercised, typically lasting for day.
The Outcome
The system is generating far more valuable data, far faster than possible with a manual process, accelerating the rate at which JET’s customer characterizes and understands the performance of its own products, as well as those of its competitors.