Yokogawa enhances WT5000 power analyser with waveform data streaming
A waveform data streaming option has been added by Yokogawa to its WT5000 Precision power analyser. This data streaming option brings “significant benefits” says the company, when measuring the efficiency or energy consumption of electronic devices being developed for environmentally-friendly applications.
There are two new options available, the DS and the G7, together with a firmware upgrade that the company has implemented for the WT5000 Precision power analyser. The enhancements are designed to help users improve performance when developing or evaluating electronic devices such as EV-related equipment or systems for solar and wind power installations.
The DS option centres on waveform data streaming, while the focus of new G7 option is IEC harmonic, voltage fluctuation and flicker testing. A new firmware version is released that offers Modbus/TCP and raw socket communication, a navigation settings menu, webserver functions and the evaluation of multi-phase motor control.
The Yokogawa WT5000 has measurement accuracy of ±0.03 per cent combined with stability, noise immunity and plug-in modular flexibility to develop energy-efficient systems.
In the development or evaluation of EV or renewable energy systems, continuous waveform output or synchronisation between numerical data and waveform data is required. As well as accurate numerical data collected by the WT5000, users of the new DS option can stream waveform data to a PC at sample speeds of up to 2Msamples per second. Voltage and current waveforms, as well as motor signals, can be streamed, allowing engineers to study transient behaviour simultaneously when measuring efficiency or energy consumption. The waveform data is streamed without gaps, can be combined, and is synchronised with the numerical data. Any abnormal findings in the numerical data can be directly linked and evaluated in the waveform data.
The G7 option, in combination with the harmonic, voltage fluctuation and flicker test software, means that data can be saved to a PC for assessment according to IEC61000-3-3. An IEC standard which specifies limits of voltage changes which may be produced by an equipment tested under specified conditions. This action will show a trend of parameters such as DC, dmax and Pinst (instantaneous flicker sensation).
The Modbus/TCP and raw socket communication enables easy connection between the WT5000 and Yokogawa recorder/PLC products, while the navigation setting menu and gain/phase correction functions support the use of external current sensors. Another firmware introduction is the webserver functionality which allows monitoring and operation of the WT5000 from a PC.
Users of the latest firmware can also take advantage of multi-phase motor control. The user-defined computations of the WT5000 now have pre-set values to measure field-oriented control parameters which are used by inverters to simplify the control of multi-phase motors. Using these pre-sets allows the evaluation of motor control to take place simultaneously with motor efficiency measurements.
Terry Marrinan, vice president of sales and marketing, Yokogawa Europe and south-east Asia, explained how the WT5000 has a role in the development cycle. “Utilising the latest power electronics technology, engineers can capture the variations of electric energy in more detail and use this information to optimise the development and design effort,” he said.
Kelvin Hagebeuk, marketing manager at Yokogawa T&M Europe, added: “In line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs], there is an ever-greater need to protect the environment and develop clean energy solutions. The introduction of enhanced functionality and the new options . . . meet the need of customers looking to reach higher levels of performance of electronic devices used in EVs and renewable energy systems.”
