electrical maintenance & commissioning

• High and Medium Voltage Cables: Insulation resistance, shield-continuity, time domain reflectometry (TDR), very low frequency (VLF)- withstand/tan delta/partial discharge, online partial discharge 60Hz, fault locating.
• Circuit Breakers: Insulation resistance, contact resistance, timing tests, dielectric withstand tests, power factor testing, coil pickup testing, SF6 gas filling/reclaiming/analysis and auxiliary device operation.
• Power Transformers: Turns ration, insulation resistance, winding resistance, excitation, power factor and capacitance measurements, sweep frequency response analysis (SFRA), tap changer tests including transformer paralleling systems, auxiliary device operation, fluid analysis.
• High and Medium Voltage Switches: Verify correct blade alignment/penetration/travel/stops of manual and motor operated devices, contact resistance, insulation resistance, dielectric withstand
• Instrument Transformers: turns ratio, insulation resistance, power factor, saturation and excitation, primary injection.
• Rotating Machines: Insulation resistance, winding resistance, power factor, sensor verification RTD's etc., excitation systems.
• Relaying: Complete functional and logic testing with the ability to establish automated test plans and complex communication assisted schemes (POTT, DCB, current differential etc.)
• DC Systems: Charger programing and verifications, parallel charger and battery schemes, internal ohmic measurements, load bank testing.
• Grounding Systems: Soil resistivity (Wenner), grid resistance (Fall of Potential), point to point continuity. 

Electrical equipment maintenance is at the core of Prime Engineering's business. Ensuring that our customers equipment is in safe working order is our top priority.

Why perform electrical equipment maintenance?

CSA Z462 Standard for Workplace Electrical Safety states:

The equipment owner or the owner's representative shall establish, implement, and maintain a documented maintenance program to address the safety-related maintenance requirements

Also states:

Electrical equipment shall be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or industry consensus standards to reduce the risk associated with failure.

Inadequate maintenance can result in equipment failure or increased opening time of the overcurrent protective device and a potential increase in incident energy. Failure of switching devices that are used to create an electrically safe work condition can result in an unsafe working condition. 

CSA Z463 Standard for Workplace Electrical Safety states:

Electrical power systems equipment operated when it is in poor condition because of lack of maintenance presents a higher risk for personnel of exposure to electrical shock and arcing faults. Switching devices, such as circuit breakers, disconnect switches, and contactors, commonly used to isolate the power system to create electrically safe work conditions should undergo regular maintenance to confirm that they are operating as designed.

Canadian Electrical Code, Part I: Safety Standard for Electrical Installations states:

1. All operating electrical equipment shall be kept in safe and proper working condition
2. Electrical equipment maintained for emergency service shall be periodically inspected and tested as necessary to ensure its fitness for service
3. Infrequently used electrical equipment maintained for future service shall be thoroughly inspected before us in order to determine its fitness for service
4. Defective equipment shall either be put in good order or permanently disconnected.