Fluke 430 Series II three-phase power quality analysers

The Fluke 430 Series II three-phase power quality analysers are claimed to be the first tools to directly measure and calculate the cost of energy wasted in electrical systems due to power quality issues. The series helps facilities reduce electrical power consumption and improve the performance and lifespan of electromechanical equipment by providing the return on investment (ROI) justification to mitigate power quality distortion.

Previously, only experts could calculate how much energy was being wasted due to power quality issues. With the United Power function of the 430 Series II, electricians, utility technicians, electrical engineers, field service technicians and energy consultants can automatically determine how much power is being wasted and calculate the extra consumption costs with a single handheld tool.

The analysers let facilities assess the impact of energy-efficient, electronically driven systems, from lighting to motor controls to HVAC. While these models consume less energy as individual installations, they increase the level of power quality disturbance in the overall electrical system, increasing waste energy due to harmonics and reducing the total potential energy savings. The analysers calculate the monetary cost of that waste energy.

The updated 430 Series II models feature three more measurement functions as well as hardware, software and firmware improvements. The models have up to 32 GB (8 GB standard) memory, a swappable SD memory card and USB connectivity for longer power, energy logging and faster data download. Screen quality and battery life are improved and the accompanying software has been redesigned to give users more options to analyse both power quality and power consumption.

Both models are compliant with the international IEC 61000-4-30 Class-A standard. Each one can monitor systems with up to 10 power quality parameters on one screen and can record up to 150 parameters on four phases simultaneously, in accordance with the EN50160 standard, and are safety rated 600 V CAT IV/1000 V CAT III.

The Inverter Efficiency function simultaneously measures the input and output power of inverters in solar systems, wind turbines and uninterrupted power supplies, letting the operator see how much electricity the inverter itself is consuming and whether it is operating efficiently. The measurements let operators adjust settings or make a case for a replacement unit.

The Power Wave measurement function is a fast capture system that displays waveforms, half cycle RMS voltage and current values in full detail so motor and generator operators can measure the interaction during switching operations. This lets facility and utility service electricians, electrical contractors and generator suppliers gather measurements with one tool for load profiling, to prevent motor/drive/load mismatches, and for motor and generator commissioning and start-up testing.