FEATURE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Fire protection for electrical transformers T
he infrastructure programme has seen the installation of new transformers
on a compact site situated outside key healthcare buildings. Transformers are a critical part of
electrical distribution; however, they often contain oil as an insulator and coolant, so fire and blast protection is required in the unlikely event of a malfunction. Due to the configuration of numerous transformers located in very close proximity, high performance barriers were required between each transformer to contain damage and prevent cascading failures. DunbarWallace installed the
Durasteel E240 system from Promat UK. The company was ideally placed to work with main contractor Marshdale Construction on the most effective way to achieve assured ‘fit and forget’ protection.
It was a project that included the
off-site assembly of the Promat Durasteel system to accommodate the limited space availability and need to minimise disruption. Once on site, the panels were lifted into their positions immediately adjacent to the transformers and secured into the transformers’ concrete bases using heavy duty fixing bolts. This off-site manufacture approach significantly reduced the installation time from several days to less than five hours, which reduced disruption within the grounds of a hospital and kept road closures to an absolute minimum. Promat Durasteel is a certified composite
system of fibre-reinforced cement with punched steel sheets mechanically bonded to both outer surfaces. This delivers the strength and resistance required to withstand high impact and blast
pressures, maintain structural integrity, and provides up to four hours fire protection. It is an extremely durable design with high energy absorption which has passed numerous tests. Steve Farr, commercial manager, at
DunbarWallace says: “Durasteel provided the ideal fire and blast protection solution at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and we are really pleased to have worked closely with Promat UK to deliver this safety solution. Fire and blast resistance barriers were required to provide separation between the new transformers. In the event of a transformer blowing out, or exploding, the barrier ensures the damage is contained and minimises the risk of a ‘domino effect’ chain of explosions and power outage.”
Promat
promat.com
Critical fire and blast protection barriers for new electrical transformers have been provided by passive fire protection specialist DunbarWallace Fire Protection for a leading energy provider using Promat Durasteel
NEXT GEN PROVING UNITS LAUNCHED T
Martindale’s next generation proving units enable contractors and maintenance teams to safely and simply prove the operation of voltage indicators, two pole testers and test lamps, plus common 18th Edition tester functions
he PDSX Series includes an additional Calcheck feature for verifying the
calibration of multifunction installation testers, providing confidence in the performance of all essential test equipment before and after measurement. Calcheck makes it easy to verify the
insulation and low resistance ranges on 18th Edition multifunction instruments and single function insulation testers on-site, making it ideal for identifying potential calibration issues with test equipment prior to certifying a new wiring installation or carrying out a condition report. This is a valuable procedure recognised by electrical contractor assessment bodies to ensure reliable results and avoid unnecessary and expensive retests. Safe electrical working requires the use
of a voltage indicator that has been proven with a suitable proving device before and after use to ensure the instrument is working correctly in accordance with the Electricity at Work
38 FEBRUARY 2020 | ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Regulations. Having de-energised and locked off a circuit prior to maintenance, it’s essential to prove the tester before and after the circuit has been proved to be dead, in accordance with safe isolation procedures. The easiest and safest solution is to use a proving unit matched to the voltage indicator, which can supply the full voltage range of the tester wherever the user is working. Fast and easy to use, immediately
supplying the full test voltage on contact, the new proving units are suitable for proving two pole voltage indicators and test lamps with voltage measurement ranges up to 440V and 690V. Featuring all the benefits of the industry standard Martindale PD440 and PD690, the new PDS and SX series of proving units come in a durable over moulded low profile case and include an MG3 magnetic hanger, which enables the unit to be positioned securely nearby - ideal where space is limited or access difficult.
The S Series have a single voltage output
while the SX Series output voltages are stepped with individual LED indicators for each voltage threshold from 50V to 690V matched to common two pole tester thresholds, ideal for identifying potential voltage tester calibration issues. For added ease of use, the new units are
also colour coded so that the voltage output can easily be identified and matched to Martindale voltage indicators and test lamps which share the same colour coding.
Martindale
martindale-electric.co.uk
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