BKS Stromschienen ag, the global supplier of cast resin busbars contained in busducts for low and medium voltage power distribution in mining/mineral processing and other industries, now has its own temperature rise test facility which is capable of testing up to 7,000A systems.
The accreditation was done by LOWAG and the test rig was installed in October 2015 at the factory at Balsthal, in the Soloturn Region of Switzerland. It is designed to accept a wide arrangement of configurations, and give clear dynamic test results and reports of low and medium voltage busducts under test. The temperature rise data is linked to on-line automated temperature sensor system, which can be viewed locally and remotely from a PC
The facility means BKS has the capability of testing the actual busduct which is shipped to the mining site rather than just relying on calculations from isolated tests. It also confirms the capacity of systems, where there is a requirement for proof of rating to a specific temperature rise figure, whereas before it was necessary to rely on extrapolated values. The test centre allows a secure design base to facilitate a continuous improvement philosophy, and path, while operating in a diverse and changing environment.
It is possible to complete temperature rise test with a horizontal length of up to 8 m and 6 m vertical length, which is above the official standards that require horizontal 6 m and vertical 4 m. The tests can also be done on a project specific basis on request .
Temperature rise is an aspect of type testing assemblies which is designed to verify temperatures within and around the busducts, to make sure they do not exceed specified limits, relative to the ambient temperature. This is known as temperature above ambient or “K”. With the pursuit of more compact assemblies, optimisation of component sizes, and conservation of raw materials, and the potential for higher temperatures within assemblies from manufacturers oblivious to temperature rise, the probability of failures are increasing. Quality manufacturers of busducts like BKS “appreciate and manage this complex issue, by testing and extrapolating temperature rise data. BKS Stromschienen ag is one of the very few, who actually have an on site test station to confirm the performance and integrity where required.”