Professional Documents
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Ieema May 2018
Ieema May 2018
Ieema May 2018
VOLUME 9 z ISSUE NO. 9 z MAY 2018 z PGS. 1 ! ISSN 0970-2946 z Rs. 100/-
ELECTRICAL
FIRES
Beyond Short Circuits
Cover Story
Electrical Fire Safety in Residential
Buildings
Expert Speak
Electrical Fires - Beyond Short Circuits
Special Report
Safety Audit to Identify Potential
Hazards in Industrial Operations
Solutions
Lightning Protection & Earthing System
in Commercial & Industrial Buildings
Guest Article
Short Circuit Current Enhancement
for Disconnectors
In Depth
Cause of Fire and to Prevent Fire in
Electrical Installations in Residential
Buildings and Industrial Plants
As Per BS7671:2008 and IEC Standards 60364
View Point
Electrical Fire Safety - An 0ver View
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May 2018 5
From the President’s Desk
Dear Friends,
Electricity is essential to modern life, both at home and on the job. It has become
such a familiar part of our daily life. However, we tend to overlook the hazards
electricity poses and fail to treat it with the respect it deserves. In the Indian
scenario, data shows that the majority of industrial disasters and commercial
or household fires are a result of electrical short circuits. These electrical short
circuits cause fires in the electrical appliances or electrical fittings, which rapidly
spread through flames via the connecting electrical wires to the surrounding
rooms or halls and combustible furniture, etc.
The increased standard of living of an average Indian house hold with the
economic growth has also increased our dependence on electricity in our day to
day life. This also means a typical household has more electrical appliances today
than ever before. Also, the common trend in urban India is high rise residential
construction with the increase in density of population per square foot area.
Considering these facts, it’s important for us to give the electrical wiring its due
attention and follow safe wiring practices to avoid fire accidents.
It may be observed that unsafe conditions prevails in many houses and work
places. Similarly, many of us, one way or other neglect safe practices which
could end up in many electrical accidents. Safe conditions and safe practices
are a prerequisite for reducing electrical accidents.
Section (9) of the National Electrical Code is primarily intended to cover guidelines
on essential design and constructional requirements of wiring installations which
are commonly applicable to all types of occupancies. To make people aware more
about the aspects of electrical fire safety, IEEMA is organizing a electrical Fire
Safety conclave on 29th June, 2018 at ITC Maratha Hotel in Mumbai. I request
your support to make this conclave a huge success.
Shreegopal Kabra
6 May 2018
Samvaad...
Dear Members,
The May 2018 issue of IEEMA Journal is focusing on Electrical Fire Safety where
we have experts from the industry talking about various aspects of fire safety.
The recent changes in the governing regulatory and technical standards for
insulated electrical cable and cords used in homes and offices and electrification
are meant to ensure better quality and capacity to withstand higher flames.
Despite regulatory standards being in place, it is felt that the compliance to
the standards should be tightened.
Timely safety audit of buildings and industrial premises which can help eliminate
the risk of fire to a large extent. Safety Audit is a systematic critical examination
of an industrial operation in its entirety to identify potential hazards and levels
of risk. In other words, it is a study aimed to detect any dangers which might
be present in an industrial operation.
It subjects each area of a company activity to a systematic critical examination
with the object of minimising loss. It aims to disclose the strengths and the
weaknesses, the main areas of vulnerability or risk. It is a practical procedure
whereby a workplace and the processes carried on therein, are examined
with a view to ascertain what hazard to health and safety may be in existence.
It is a useful technique to test the effectiveness of a company’s safety
programme. Hence, ‘Safety Audit’ is a form of risk analysis and evaluation in
which a systematic investigation is carried out in order to determine the extent
to which the conditions are present that provide for the development and
implementation of an effective and efficient safety policy, and adopt measures
to mitigate the risk from fire.
Sunil Misra
May 2018 7
APPOINTMENTS
Bureaucratic rejig at Centre and managing director for the past eight months since
Sutirtha Bhattacharya retired in August. Kumar replaces
Senior bureaucrat Tripti Patra Ghosh has been
Gopal Singh, who was brought in from Central Coalfields
appointed the CMD of state-owned SPMCIL, which
Ltd, a subsidiary where he was the chairman.
produces banknotes and coins among others, as part of
a mid-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the central
Mr Pradip Kumar Mishra appointed as new
government.
Director (Commercial) of NALCO
Ghosh, a 1994-batch officer of Indian Cost Accounts Search Mr Pradip Kumar Mishra appointed as new
Service (ICAS), has been appointed to the post for a Director (Commercial) of NALCOMr Pradip Kumar Mishra
tenure of five ye ars, according to an order issued by the took charge as the new Director of National Aluminium
Ministry of Personnel. Company Limited on 23 April. Prior to this assignment,
he was with Steel Authority of India Limited as Executive
The Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India
Director. A postgraduate in English literature from Utkal
Limited (SPMCIL) is under the administrative control of
University, Mishra started his professional career as
the Finance Ministry.
a Management Trainee in SAIL in the year 1983. He
IAS officer Arvind Shrivastava has been appointed Joint brings along rich and varied experiences in the field of
Secretary (JS) in the Department of Economic Affairs for marketing management. During his 35-year stint in SAIL,
five years, it said. lg the Regional Manager in three regions of SAIL.
Shefali Juneja will be JS in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Tata Power appoints Praveer Sinha as CEO
Juneja, an Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre)
Tata Power has announced the appointment of Praveer
officer, is at present a Director in the same ministry.
Sinha as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing
Forest service officer Pravin Laxminarayan Agrawal Director with effect from May 1. This comes after the
has been appointed Joint Secretary in the Department resignation of Anil Sardana as the chief of Tata Power
of Heavy Industry in place of Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, citing personal reasons.
who has been sent back to his cadre states of Sinha is currently the CEO & Managing Director of
Assam-Meghalaya before completion of his tenure, the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. Sinha has over three
order said. decades of experience in the power sector and has
IRS officer Nirupama Kotru has been named Joint been credited with transforming the power distribution
Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. sector and development and setting up of greenfield and
brownfield power plants in India and abroad.
Prashanth Kumar Balsavar will be Managing Director
and Chief Executive Officer of India International Vijay Goel appointed Director, THDCIL
Convention and Exhibition Centre Limited under the Vijay Goel has been appointed as Personnel Director in
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. Balsavar, the THDC India Limited for a period of five years. Goel
a 1991-batch officer of Indian Railway Traffic Service, was earlier serving as General Manager in the THDCIL.
has been appointed to the post for a tenure of five years,
it said.
VACANCIES
Additional coal secretary Suresh Kumar
MIDHANI
appointed CIL CMD
Post: Director (Finance)
The union coal ministry has appointed additional coal
secretary Suresh Kumar chairman and managing director Applications are invited for the post of Finance Director
of Coal India Ltd (CIL). The state-owned miner announced in the Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited. The last date for
in a regulatory filing. CIL has not had a full-time chairman submission of applications is January 1, 2020.
8 May 2018
May 2018 9
Contents
6 14
From the President’s
Desk
7
Samvaad
8
Appointments
This new space in the IEEMA
Journal will incorporate recent
important appointments in the
power and related sectors
14
Cover Story
Electrical Fire Safety in
20 34
Residential Building
Every year fire occurs in millions
Interview In Focus
of houses causing loss of lifes and The man with a passion K-Class Dielectric Fluids
properties. This phenomenon is not for fire safety: eliminates Fire Hazards
only in India, but these are happening Mr Milindkumar V Deshmukh in Power and Distribution
across the globe. It is estimated that
Transformers
50% of all the fire in houses are due to
24
Electricity. In India every year 25000
people die due to fire, 65% of those Special Report
due to Electrical fire. The causes of
Safety Audit to Identify
electrical fire are many. It could be
Potential Hazards in
due to ignorance and negligence
of house owner, it could be due
Industrial Operations
to improper wiring installation, or The audit normally refers to checking
it may be due to old wiring being of financial status of the company. The risk of fire in substations
subjected to overheating by adding Though the word ‘Audit’ has has been historically low, but the
increasingly electrical gadgets. It traditionally been associated with possible impacts of a fire can be
could be due to spurious electrical financial accounting procedures, catastrophic. Fires in substations
product of Commerce and Industry, since 80’s it has come into common can severely impact the supply of
Shri Suresh Prabhu; and eminent usage in India in the field of power to customers and the power
industrial safety, industrial health,
industry veterans who spoke pearls utility revenue and assets. These
and environmental health and so on.
of wisdom to encourage the industry fires can also create a fire hazard
to look at renewable and smart to utility personnel, emergency
solutions for the electrical sector. personnel, and the general public.
10 May 2018
Contents
38 62
In Depth
Cause of Fire and to “Prevent
Fire” in Electrical Installations
in Resident Buildings and
Industrial Plants as per
Bs7671:2008 and IEC
Standards 60364
May 2018 11
Contents
Editorial Board
86 96
Advisory Committee
often referred to as a “silent killer”, IEEMA Activities Worli, Mumbai 400 018.
Phones: +91(0) 22 24930532 / 6528
because it cannot be tasted, seen, Fax: +91(0) 22 2493 2705
Email: gautam.sakhalkar@ieema.org
heard, or smelled.
102 Corporate Office - New Delhi
Rishyamook Building, First floor,
Website: www.ieema.in
ERDA News
94 Articles: Technical data presented and views expressed
by authors of articles are their own and IEEMA does
not assume any responsibility for the same. IEEMA
Corporate News 110 Journal owns copyright for original articles published
in IEEMA Journal.
Vedanta Chairman Commits to
Ramp up Zambia Operations Shocks & Sparks Representatives:
Guwahati (Assam) - Nilankha Chaliha
Email: nilankha.chaliha@ieema.org
Mobile: +91 9706389965
Lucknow (U.P. and Uttarakhand) -
90 Ajuj Kumar Chaturvedi
Email: anuj.chaturvedi@ieema.org
Mobile: +91 9839603195
Chandigarh (Punjab & Haryana)
Bharti Bisht
Email: bharti.bisht@ieema.org
Mobile: +91 9888208880
Jaipur (Rajasthan)
Devesh Vyas
Email: devesh.vyas@ieema.org
Mobile: +91 8955093854
Bhubaneshwar (Odisha)
Smruti Ranjan Samantaray
Email: smrutiranjan.samantaray@ieema.org
Mobile: +91 9437189920
Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)
Jesse A Inaparthi
Email: jesse.inaparthi@ieema.org
Mobile: +91 9949235153
Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir)
Mohammad Irfan Parray
Email: irfan.parray@ieema.org
Mobile: +91 9858455509
Edited, Printed and published by Mr Sunil Kumar Misra on behalf of Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association, and Printed at India Printing Works,
India Printing House, 42, G. D. Ambekar Road, Wadala, Mumbai 400 031 and Published at 501, Kakad Chambers,132, Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400 018.
12 May 2018
ATTENTION UTILITIES!
YOUR QUEST FOR THE ULTIMATE
RELIABLE SOLUTION ENDS HERE
Visit us at
May 2018 13
CoverStory
very year fire occurs in millions of houses causing Faulty socket outlets:
E loss of lifes and properties. This phenomenon is
not only in India, but these are happening across the
Faulty socket outlets cause most electrical fires.
globe. It is estimated that 50% of all the fire in houses Over loaded socket outlets:
are due to Electricity. Too many plugs connected to one socket will give rise
In India every year 25000 people die due to fire, 65% of to situation like improper connection, loose connection,
those due to Electrical fire. arcing etc, for causing fire.
The European Fire Academy estimates that the 2,250,000 Old and outdated appliances
fires (total number of fires) that occur in Europe each Fires are started by faults in appliance cords. Never use
year represent more than 4,000 deaths and 100,000 an appliance with a worn or frayed cable cord.
injuries. The buildings involved are residential buildings
Misuse of extension board
in more than 80 % of cases. Electricity is a very regularly
identified cause of domestic fires In modern world, Misuse of extension board is another cause of Electrical
electricity has become an integral part of our life. Today fire. Whenever there is a shortage of socket outlets at
we cannot imagine life without electricity in our daily life. home, someone will go down to a small electrical shop
Ever increasing demand of electrical power is coming and buy one extension board, with unknown quality
from introduction of newer and newer electrical gadgets and capacity to carry current. Not only the extension
to make our daily life more comfortable. This demand board would become a permanent feature, people add
unfortunately is bringing danger of both electrocution connection from one extension board to another board
and fire in our own home. and connect to high power equipment. Extension board
(http://www.europeanfireacademy.com/) should be used only for a temporary measure.
Mobile battery charger
Cause of electrical fire in residential building
When an original battery charger is lost, people buy a
The causes of electrical fire are many. It could be due cheap duplicate battery charger which often catches
to ignorance and negligence of house owner, it could fire. Many serious fire accidents occurred when people
be due to improper wiring installation, or it may be keep mobile phone on charging mode on bed while
due to old wiring being subjected to overheating by sleeping at night.
adding increasingly electrical gadgets. It could be due
to spurious electrical product. Following are the causes
of fire in the house.
Wiring installation
The concept of proper wiring installation as per CEA
Common mistake by house owner Safety regulation and NEC 2011, is not there even in
Normally most of the time electricity user are unskilled electrical contractors in big cities. Most of the small and
house wife and children. Knowledge of causes of medium size houses including society buildings will
electric fire could help prevent them. lack proper Earthing, MCB with inadequate capacity,
14 May 2018
May 2018 15
CoverStory
low quality conductor, combination all these ultimately 3) Provide protection against fire due to arc fault.
results into fire. Even in large society building concept 4) Provide protection devices along with Surge
of automatic disconnection through low impedance Protection Device as the end of life of SPD, it
of earth fault loop is unknown. 30 mA RCD, though creates short-circuit and if backup protection is
mandatory by CEA regulation, is not provided by 95% not provided- fire will take place.
electrical contractors.
Switchboard - So far Indian standard for Switchboard
Outdated wiring IS 8623 was very old. Fortunately, BIS has just
Outdated wiring often causes electrical fires. A house published IS/IEC 61947-2. For any large, complex, and
which was built 25 years back, might not have enough high-rise building Switchboard must be manufactured
capacity to handle the increased amounts of electrical as per IS/IEC 61947-2. This will ensure quality, reliability
load. People use lot of appliances like TV, Fridge, Micro and no risk of fire and explosion in the switchboard.
oven, even in a small house. Also locking of Switchboard door is important as lizard
or rodent can enter the panel leading to short-circuit
Fuse links in many old houses and fire.
Many old housed may still have Fuse links as over load
Bus-trunking – It is imperative that any high-rise
and short-circuit protection which are easily tampered building should use Bus trunking system. BIS is in the
with higher capacity fuse. As a result, it will not provide process of issuing IS/IEC 61439-6 for Bus-Trunking.
protection when conductors are over heated due to
excessive current and fire occurs. Conductor quality - Both size and quality of conductor
play a very important role.
Aluminium wire for household wiring
Neutral conductor – Size of Neutral conductor needs
In early 2000, Electrical wiring was done in many old
to be ascertained because of 3rd harmonic current
houses with Aluminium.
due to use of LED bulb, Computer & other electronic
Aluminium easily corrodes and aluminium oxide being equipment. Loose or floating Neutral cause excessive
nonconductive leads to fire due to hotspot and arc at heating in the circuit.
the connection point.
Inadequate skill of wireman Protection against fire due to Leakage
Many small houses, electrical wirings are carried out current: 300 mA RCD
by electricians who are not adequately skilled to carry
out proper wiring installation to cater for modern day
demand of high power electrical gadgets for an average
household. This results in frequent fire accident.
Low quality wires and cables
Low quality insulation and inferior conductor are often
causes of electrical fire. The problem compounds when
such cables are used as concealed wiring. It becomes
a hidden danger.
Electrical fire in modern large, complex and Whenever there is a damage or degradation of
high-rise building insulation of old cables in a distribution box, a small
leakage current flows during rainy season. The driest
While this paper has so far discussed common cause
part creates a spark on the surface. During summer,
of electrical fire due to negligence of house owners and
leakage current stops flowing. In next wet season, the
inadequate skill of wiremen, yet almost every day there leakage current again start flowing, on the way convert
are news of fire in the new and modern large buildings a dart into carbon by spark. The center of the spark
in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore. is very hot, approx. 1000 Degree centigrade. With the
Let’s revisit Causes of fires of electrical origin. Electrical help of carbon, every cycle, leakage current increases,
fires are caused not only by overloads, short circuits, meets more dirt on the way, more sparks occur. This
and earth leakage currents, but also by electric arcs in process continues till the carbon is sufficient enough to
cables and connections. induce a flame. A single flame in a favorable condition
can bring disastrous consequences. Laboratory
To prevent electrical fire, one needs to focus on experiment shows that leakage current above 250 mA
following becomes real danger for fire.
1) Switchboard, Bus-trunking, quality of conductor,
NEC 2011, NBC 2016 and IS 732 recommend use
Neutral conductor etc of 300mA RCD for protection against fire in
2) Provide protection against fire due Leakage building. All Developed countries have made 300 mA
current and RCD mandatory.
16 May 2018
The Premier Trade
Featuring green Fair for Electrical
Engineering & Building
lighting technology Automation Technology
www.ebt-india.in
www.light-india.in
Amitabha Sarkar
Fig. A: Carbonization Fig. B: Resistive short circuit Engineering Graduate & have more than 45 Years of
experience in Electrical field. Mr Sarkar is member of many
ET committees, namely ET 07, ET 20, and ET 50 of BIS. He
Arc fault detection device (AFDD) was in technical committee of NBC 2016-part 8 section
The arc fault detector technology makes it possible to 2 on Electrical and Allied installation. He was involved in
preparation of NEC 2011 and IS 732 (now under printing). At
detect dangerous arcs and thus protect installations. present he is the convener of technical committee of NEC
Such devices have been deployed successfully in the revision work. He is past Chairman of IEEMA Switchgear
United States since the early 2000s, and their installation Division. Last five years he is regularly conducting seminar on
is required by the National Electric Code (USA). Since Electrical Safety across India in association with ICAI.
18 May 2018
May 2018 19
Interview
n being asked about the primary reason for The statutory authorities insist for fire safety inspections
O the increasing number of fire these days, Mr
Deshmukh said, “There are umpteen number of old
by external agencies depending on the type of activity
and the nature of the materials handled in the building.
buildings in the country including in Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures
electrification in these old buildings is designed for a Rules, 2009, made it mandatory for building owners
specific load i.e. few tubelights, fans, refrigerator and and residents to have the Licensed Agencies conduct
some other small appliances, nowhere you will find a half-yearly fire safety inspections and submit the report
three phase connection but these days all the buildings to the fire department.”
20 May 2018
Interview
The fire safety inspection can address the inherent fire India, and thousands are under construction. Because
hazards associated with the day to day activities in an of its peculiar nature, fire in residential buildings, and
occupancy and recommend measures to reduce the particularly in high rise buildings become more complex
potential fire hazards, there is no clear cut provisions and the salvaging operations become more difficult and
in any of the safety legislations in India regarding the sometimes even resulting in many fatalities and huge
scope, objectives, methodology and periodicity of a property losses.”
fire safety audit. The use of smoke detectors, fire alarms, automatic
Asked about how buildings can be made fire resilient? sprinklers, water mist systems, clean agent suppression
He responded, “There are three stages the first one system, should be encouraged, especially in high rise
being the basic structure of the building and the buildings. Passive fire protection systems as they are
materials used during construction. Second, adequate known play a major role in fire protection. Thus proper
supply of water in the premises and the third is open attention must be paid to minimize fire loss in residential
space and occupant load in the building. A small fire in or commercial buildings.
a residential building may spread very fast and within Most persons when buying a new home check about the
a few minutes it can reach a stage beyond the control facilities like gym, club, garden and aesthetics. Few care
of its occupants and ultimately need the help of fire to check whether the building is Firesafe compliant ,has
brigade to carry out a major firefighting operation. sprinkler systems, firealarm systems. Hence , making
the common man aware of this is the first objective; as
During the last one decade there was a vibrant growth
they in turn will then ensure that builders focus on this
in the construction activities in India, especially in
fire safety measures and offer them.
High Rise buildings. Thousands of High Rise buildings
are already constructed in metros and major cities in - Shalini Singh
Et
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22 May 2018
SpecialReport
24 May 2018
SpecialReport
accidents are being avoided without using only failures safety activities, the need for the systematic study
as a yardstick. as visualised in a Safety Audit Report becomes
very vital. The major objective of a safety audit is to
Safety Audit and Inspection determine the effectiveness of the company’s safety
and loss prevention measures. The objectives can be
It was not until 1972, with the publication of the Robens stated as under:
Committee Report in U.K. that the value of the safety
audit became really apparent. In examining the role h To carry out systematic critical appraisal of all
of management, the report discussed methods for potential hazards involving personnel, plant,
the control of safety emphasising: “Safety audits in services and operation methods.
which each aspect of workplace organisation and h To ensure that occupational health and safety
operation is subjected to a carefully planned and standards fully satisfy the legal requirements
comprehensive safety examination”. The difference
and those of the company’s written policies,
between inspections and audits then began to emerge
objectives and programmes.
and these techniques came to be employed more and
more by safety professionals and company managers. In general, the objectives should cover the examination
When health and safety became an integral element of and qualitative assessment of all facts of safety of
the management process, audits became important every activity. The activities should include research
activities for management. Moreover, the use of audits and development, design, occupational health and
is one way of demonstrating that duties imposed by hygiene, environmental control, product and public
safety legislations have been effectively discharged. safety (including storage, packaging, labelling and
transportation) as well as those associated directly with
Since many of the functions of audits and inspections production-technical operation, maintenance, clearance
are similar and indeed complementary, for these certificates, emergency procedures, job descriptions
techniques to be used effectively, it is necessary to and operating instructions, training, housekeeping and
demonstrate their main differences. There should be personal attitudes.
a distinction to be made between ‘Safety Audit’ and
‘Inspection’. A ‘Safety Audit’ is a practical procedure
whereby, a workplace and the process carried on therein Popular Audit Systems
is examined with a view to ascertain what hazards to the A number of safety auditing systems are in existence.
health or safety may be in existence. It is an in-depth Various institutions and individuals or a group of
appraisal of the health and safety management culture. institutions for a period of time developed all these
An Inspection would appear to be the same thing but, systems. Due to limitations of space, it may not
technically, there is an important difference between be possible to explain all the systems in existence.
these terms. Inspections should be looked upon as However, some of the most popular systems are listed
being formal exercise, which aim at detecting the total below:
sum of hazards, which may arise within a workplace
or in connection with any employer’ work activities.
NOSA 5 Star System
An ‘Inspection’, therefore, is really the first stage in
the process of managing safety. It is a technique for The first safety audit system was developed by Mr.
the monitoring of performance, a fact-establishing Bunny Matheson in South Africa. He developed this
approach concerned with issues that can usually be system for the National Occupational Safety Association
corrected by supervisory and middle management. (NOSA) of South Africa. It is based on very simple
An inspection will produce an action list rather than an concepts of safety and in its application appears to be
assessment sheet. largely concerned with housekeeping and orderliness.
26 May 2018
SpecialReport
May 2018 27
SpecialReport
28 May 2018
Cost of
a fire is
far more
than cost
a of cable… CHOOSE WISELY!
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HQVXUHHQRXJKWLPHWRUHDFKVDIHW\DQGPLQLPL]HWKHGDPDJHVFDXVHGGXULQJILUHEUHDNRXWV
Protect people and property with Fire Survival Cables from Ravin, manufactured as per BS 7846 &
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Smoke emission is minimumWRHQDEOHKLJKHVWYLVLELOLW\IRUHYDFXDWLRQ
Reduced emission of harmful toxic gassesWRDYRLGVXIIRFDWLRQ
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GLHOHFWULFVWUHQJWKDQGFDUULHVWKHUDWHGFXUUHQWDWUDWHGYROWDJHHYHQGXULQJILUH
Tested
& certified by
May 2018 29
SpecialReport
Questionnaire and Checklist The adapted version of this standard is popularly known
as ‘Dow Chemical’s Standards’.
The conduct of a safety audit is assisted by the use of
aids such as questionnaire and checklist. A checklist is The methods recommended by BCISC / CIA Standards
a vital tool for successful audit. It serves as a guide to and Dow Chemicals Standards provide a qualitative
the inspection process. It helps as a reminder of what assessment for safety activities of a company. It not only
to look for. It also helps for on the spot recording of all sets out in detail various aspects to be checked, but also
findings and comments by the auditors. If the checklist provides a rating form by means of which standards may
is carefully constructed, the answers can reveal many of be compared within an organisation. These standards
the key areas needing attention. also suggest the methods for a quantitative assessment
of health and safety performance. The quantitative
The checklists are prepared in detail and can be further
assessment can be worked out by assigning numerical
developed depending upon the type of plant to be
values to each level of performance, for example, Score
audited. All the checklist may not find the same degree
0 for Poor Performance; Score 5 for Fair Performance;
of usefulness in all the industries. The usefulness may
Score 10 for Good Performance; Score 15 for Excellent
vary from industry to industry. Utmost care should be
Performance. If necessary, each activity can also be
taken to prepare the list. First of all, it should be a
given a weightage depending on its relative merit. The
comprehensive list. It is therefore necessary to finalise
weighted ratings for all activities are added upto give
the breadth and depth of the audit before finalising a
the total score. The total becomes the overall score for
checklist. Once this is finalised, the auditing team
the location.
should prepare a checklist containing questionnaires.
The preparation of a health and safety performance
Most of the audit systems provide a checklist/
activity standard is a time consuming affair. The
questionnaire. There is no hard and fast rule that the
performance activity standard being a part of a safety
safety audit system should follow a particular checklist/
audit report, the responsibility of preparing such a
questionnaire. The auditors are at liberty to use any
standard lies with the auditor. It can be prepared
checklist/questionnaire or modify the same according to
only when the auditor is having a good grasp of the
their needs. Of course, in principle, the auditors should
operations and health and safety activities carried
prepare their own checklist/questionnaire based on the
by the auditee. The auditor should also have a
activities carried out by the auditee and the scope of the
thorough knowledge of the existing statutory
audit. If such a checklist/questionnaire is prepared, it can
requirements applicable to the activities carried out by
serve most, than the standard checklists/questionnaires
the auditee. The methods suggested in the BCISC/
available elsewhere. No doubt, the preparation of a
CIA Standards and Dow Chemicals Standards can
safety audit checklist/questionnaire is a time consuming
guide the auditor in preparing a performance activity
process and therefore many of the auditors prefer to
standard for an organisation. However, it should be
use a standard checklist/questionnaire.
borne in mind that the auditor must be objective in his
assignment. His evaluation should be free from bias.
Performance Activity Standards His objective should be to guide the management in
A qualitative and quantitative assessment of health and enhancing the performance of health and safety activity
safety performance activity is a must, if the audit has to in the organisation.
be carried out with an objective of improving a safety
and health conditions in a plant. The qualitative and Statutory Requirements
quantitative evaluation of health and safety performance
Rule 10, Sub Rule (4) of the Manufacture, Storage
activity can be assessed by various methods. The first
and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules 1989
known document on health and safety performance
framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1989,
activity standard appeared in an article form entitled “A
of India, insists that in case of both the new and
Quantitative and Qualitative Measurements in Industrial
the existing activity, the occupier shall carry out an
Safety” by Diekemper and Spartz which was published
independent safety audit of his activity with the help of
in December 1970 issue of American Society of Safety
outside experts.
Engineers (ASSE) Journal. It gives a list of activities
and activity standards. The members of the working Though the Factories Rules framed under the Factories
party of the Work Safety Committee of the British Act, 1948, does not specify safety audit as compulsory,
Chemical Industry Safety Council (BCISC) found safety audit is highlighted in many of the safety functions
the importance of this document while preparing a listed in various Factories Rules brought out by various
publication entitled ‘Safety Audit – A Guide to Chemical states. For example, Rule 73-J (e) of Maharashtra
Industry’ which was published by the Chemical Factories Rules, 1963, does specify that functions and
Industries Association (CIA), U.K. in 1972. Since duties of the Safety Committee shall deliberate on
then this standard is popularly known as ‘BCISC/CIA safety audit. Also Rule 73-L, Sub Rule 5 (e) insists for
Standards’. Dow Chemicals Company Limited of a ‘health and safety policy’, which should specify the
U.S.A., has further modified the list of activities and relevant techniques and methods such as safety audit
activity standards developed by Diekemper and Spartz. for periodical assessment of the status of health, safety
30 May 2018
SpecialReport
The major duty of an auditor is to look at his company’s When health and safety became an integral element
safety management systems and assess them in line of the management process, audits became important
with criteria. In doing so, he can determine compliance activities for management. Moreover, the use of audit is
with (i) current legislative requirements and (ii) one way of demonstrating that duties imposed by safety
good safety management practice. He can also assess legislations have been effectively discharged.
whether systems developed from previous audits Regular audits of the workplace are excellent managerial
have been put into practice, and if so, determine their tasks to be included in an accident prevention
effectiveness. Lastly, the auditor has a key role as a policy. Audits allow a pro-active approach. It may be
‘systems analyst’ in identifying weak areas of safety remembered that organisation, which successfully
management systems and potential areas of lack of managed health and safety, display a number of
management control, and recommending corrective common characteristics: one of the most significant
actions. is, the deployment of regular health and safety audit
and inspections. Thus the safety audit is more over a
Audit Team statutory obligation.
A Safety Audit can be carried out by an internal team REFERENCES
or external team. If it is an internal team, its members (1) Alcock, P.A. - Safety Audit and Inspections. Industrial
should be chosen from senior management, middle Safety Data File, United Trade Press Limited, London,
management, safety officers, safety committee 1982.
members, engineering and technical staff, etc. In any (2) Alcock, P.A. - Safety Inspections: the detection of
case, the audit team should not be large and two or hazards at work. H.K. Lewis and Co., London.
three members will be ideal. There is need for careful (3) British Chemical Industry Safety Council of the Chemical
selection and training of the team. However, it may be Industries Association - Safe and Sound. BCISC, London.
May 2018 31
SpecialReport
32 May 2018
May 2018 33
InFocus
Substation Hazards
The physical objects or conditions that create latent
(undeveloped) demands for fire protection are called
hazards. Every fire hazard has the following attributes:
34 May 2018
InFocus
May 2018 35
InFocus
Success Stories
Tata Power: One of the green
milestone in the company’s
centenary year celebrations,
two of India’s first 25 MVA
natural ester filled transformers
were installed in Mumbai. With
this initiative, Tata Power has
A transmission network operator in the German state
once again showcased its
of Baden-Württemberg – commissioned a 420kV power
priority in driving sustainability
transformer in one of its substations in southwest
by implementing path
Germany that is cooled and insulated with Natural Ester
breaking green technology.
FR3. The substation, which has a power rating of 400
Sustainability remains a
MVA is the first in this high-voltage category has been
core business philosophy of Tata Power, and green
working satisfactory since 2013 (OEM Siemens).
transformer is one of the company’s many green
initiatives under its “Be Green” campaign. Tata Power’s
25 MVA transformer filled with Natural ester Enivrotemp Conclusion
FR3 Dielectric fluid. (OEM Schneider India). Among all the alternatives, Natural ester-filled
transformers demands are growing due to their fire
Getco (Gujrat Electric Transmission resistance feature. As natural ester has high fire points
Company) of around 360 ºC, and flash point of 320 ºC, which
is twice the fire points of mineral oil, it makes the
Installed transformers with natural ester fluid FR3 transformers fire resistant. Besides, natural ester is
& after satisfactory on site performance has decided
biodegradable in nature, which makes the transformers
to go in big way with almost 200 plus 66KV, 20MVA
environment friendly. By using Natural ester FR3 Fluid,
units (OEM T&R and Atlanta). Transformers will be
in transformers, the overloading capabilities can be
tested for its higher thermal class as per IEC 60076 part
improved.
14, Table C.2.
*See IEC/TS 60076-14 and IEEE C57.154™ Standard for
the Design, Testing and Application of Liquid-Immersed
Distribution, Power and Regulating Transformers Using
High-Temperature Insulation Systems and Operating at
Elevated Temperature.
Rajaram Shinde
(Global Technology Advisor)
36 May 2018
May 2018 37
InDepth
(OHFWULF)LUHDW&LQHYLVWD)LOP6WXGLRZDVFRPSOHWHO\GHVWUR\HGDW.DQMX0XPEDL-DQXDU\
(OHFWULF)LUHDW5.)LOP6WXGLRZDVFRPSOHWHO\GHVWUR\HGRQ6HSWHPEHU
ureau of Indian Standards (BIS) have following oven, Cooker, Kitchen Appliance and etc.
B standards for Electrical installation for buildings. so “PROBABLITY of SHOCK and FIRE are
1 Indian Standards code of practice for electrical increased”.
wiring installation IS732:1989, May 2007 and IS h RCD (residual Current Device) or ELCB, is
3043 MOST widely is used for protection against shock
2 National Electrical code 2011(NEC) from Bureau and fire,
of Indian Standards (BIS). h Protection for shock and fire: RCD 30mA (0.03A)
h Indian standards are based on “International in flat and outdoor circuits, cost Rs.1000/- each
Electrotechanical Commission (IEC)”, is located h Protection against fire material, Timber, Plywood,
in Switzerland. They develop all electrical
Agriculture, RCD 300mA (0.3A)
standards which are followed in Europe and most
of countries in world. h New British Standard will be publishing in in 2018,
BS7671:2008,
h Our standards are NOT UPDATED AT ALL and not
easy to understand and there is no clear answer h I have used red colour, Remember, “Electricity
to electrical installation. This is reason MANY kills” and destruction due to fire.
FIRES HAPPENS IN BUILDINGS. h Electrical System in India is TT system. In French
T word is “Tetra” means “Earth”. TT means
Objective and Overview Earth at Source (Transformer neutral) and
h Prevent “CAUSE OF FIRE AND PREVENT Earth Electrodes at Main consumer intake from
ELECTRIC FIRE” in electrical in Low Voltage Electricity board. During Fault, Current flow in
system. Earth is to trip Circuit breaker. Figure (1).
h This is not required to solve any puzzle. You
require basic Electrical Knowledge. Book Data on shock and Fire in Europe in year
Standard, BS761:2008 cost Rs. 8,000/- and h 2,250,000 Electrical Fire occurs in Europe.
Excellent Guides available from standards from
h Residential Building involved is more than 80%
and excellent books are available to understand
and training from Guide. h 4000 deaths and 100,000 injuries
h Now, MANY electrical equipment’s are installed h Electrical Fire is major cause of fire in domestic
e. g. heaters, Air-conditions, Microwave buildings.
38 May 2018
InDepth
May 2018 39
InDepth
40 May 2018
May 2018 41
InDepth
42 May 2018
InDepth
.
Figure 4
May 2018 43
InDepth
cable tray open air: Fire barrier must install between all floors, widely
available in market, reputed 3 M Company.
Solution:
I read in Newspaper, 2 accidents happened like this in
1 Cables Install in enclosed conduit:
Mumbai. 10 people died.
h Number of circuits, Correction ground factor Cg,
Ask manufactures for instruction, how to install
Enclosed: 0.57,
h Cg has a value of 0.57 and the cable current
rating becomes 24 x 0.57 = 13.7 A
Figure 10
44 May 2018
!
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)/0#1."".0$"-02#-%3/0#1."".0$.-1%
4-0-"#5,5-#52-1$$,-.$$--
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May 2018 45
InDepth
LSF (Low smoke and fume), outer sheath is AL. Cinema as Cinema Theatre fire in Delhi, Many people
Mylar Tape. died
Materials which have reduced smoke and corrosive
Solution:
gas emissions in fire compared with p.v.c. have been
available for some years. In case of fire, person has to escape immediately from
Exit door with emergency light
Application: Can be considerable safety advantages
in situations where numbers of people may have to be Design by qualified professional. I do not know we have
evacuated in the event of fire. Fire Alarm and emergency Indian standards.
light
Supply from separate MCB and separate conduit and
may be tested every six months
Important, Manufactures’’ instruction for maintenance.
These do not cost much. LED lamps are life long.
Figure 11 Figure 14
Figure 12 Figure 15
Figure 13
46 May 2018
InDepth
Falut current path is from earth h RCD must be install to Limit the Shock Fault
Voltage Uf to 50V and trip within 0.2 seconds
electrodes in groun
Answer;
Automatic disconnection by RCD in TT Systrm h Maximum value of RCD rating for main breaker to
incase of fault to prevent shock and fire, RCD prevent shock is Uf/RA =50V/RA =
currevnt rating and Shock Voltage Uf 50V h 50V/20 ohms= 2.5 Amp = 2500mA.
h RCD rating of MCCB at meter room must less the
2500mA.
Conclusion
Automatic Disconnection in TT system during fault is
achieved by RCD.
Ircd less than or equal to 50V/ RA, where RA is Earth
Electrode Résistance at consumer.
Figure 17
May 2018 47
InDepth
Existing Single Line Drawing Electrical Panel with metal enclosure to Prevent fire in
Residential buildings:
All Wires, Busbars, wire connection to busbars, Meters
and etc. in Metal Enclosure.
Right side is Main handle, Main MCCB with RCD.
In case of Fire, Complete building can be switched
OFF by “UNSKILL person, flat owners and watchmen
immediately”.
Left side compartment for each Flat with switch off
handel+meter+MCCB+RCD
Measure current for each flat and complete building
with Ammeter fix on Panel to check any overload in
Circuit. This IS VERY IMPORTANT.
NO open busbar and No loose wire.
Figure 19
Conclusion
([LVWLQJ 0HWHU URRP LV 0$-25 ),5( +$=$5' DQG
SHOCK.
due to fuse with holder can not switch OFF immeditely.
Open Busbar if touch then shock hazard.
If arcing faut occurs at fault F1 and F2, fire amplify due
to Plastic PVC cable insulation and creates smoke.
Exiting meter room is not as per IEC stanfards, THIS IS
0$-25),5(+D]DUG
Many Fires happens from Meter Room. Fire creates arc
and smoke.
Figure 21
48 May 2018
May 2018 49
InDepth
Location Methods
1 Protection against RCD 30mA can give
Shock inside and primary protection
outdoor of Resident against shock and
building. additional protection
against Fire. Figure 23
50 May 2018
InDepth
Case Study:
Three children were in bath tub with hand dryer. Hand
Dryer is not water proof.
Figure 25
Children resistance in water is about 240 ohms. Voltage
is 240V divide by 240 Ohm, current flow in body 1A. All Locations:
three children died.
h Outdoor lights and equipment are widely use.
2 Fault current path in Human to ground when metal Light can be fixed on perimeter wall, light fix on
pipe is Touch in Bathroom: the path, decorative lights, flexible lights within
reach of person, Fix pole light. Lawn mower, drill
h This requires careful planning and study to
prevent shock.
h Outdoor are HIGH increase shock risk location,
where many accidents are happened
h Case Study: Person was using Lawn Mover in
Garden, wire got cut and touched wire and was
injured.
Figure 24
May 2018 51
InDepth
Omitting RCD protection for any socket-outlet on RCD less and Equal to 300mA for Fire Protection,
the basis of a risk assessment is a serious matter Tripping time
and must never be done lightly. Designer has to justify
4 Testing current Tested at Trip in less
for omission.
300mA 300mA rated the 0.2
RCD current seconds
RCD tripping without fault 3 Maintenance:
h RCD trips even there is NO fault, complete h RCD is “NOT FAIL-SAFE” device and it is
darkness in house the person can trip and get hurt. electromechanical device with switch
h Computer and electronics have switched mode h BS standard says, RCD is tested integral mounted
power supply, capacitors are connected to earth “push button” to PRESS to regularly, what is
so leakage current in Earth wire may trip RCD. period of testing, I am still trying to get answer.
h Computer Leakage current is about 2 mA. 30mA h Main cause of failure is accumulation of dust in
RCD trip between 15 mA and 30mA. Connect 6 switch so better test regularly.
computers per circuit of 30mA RCD otherwise it
may trip. This is often overlooked h Caution: These must be tested and maintain by
skill qualified trained electricians and Engineer.
h Cooker leakage current and overvoltage due to
lightning and etc.
Ingress Protection for Enclosure against
RCD Testing and Commissioning, Solid Particle and Liquid as per BS EN
Tripping Time 60529
h IP is an acronym for “Ingress Protection”. Refer
1 RCD must be tested with RCD meter, inject mA
to on line for more information.
current and measure Tripping current time
RCD “SAVES LIFE AND PREENT FIRE”, must be h How to specify IP protection of equipment? First
tested during commissioning and regularly after letter “generally Dust and second letter Water”.
installation h In Bathroom and outdoor, light fitting and
equipment shall be IP44 to IP55.
h Many times, Electricians do not know, it is
OVERLOOKED. Buy from reputed company
Philips, Bajaj and etc. Check Symbol on lamp
IP44 to IP55. P
New Device
“Arc Fault Detector device (AFDD)”
h RCD will NOT trip, if wire phase to phase arcing
fault and cable is cut since there is NO Earth
Fig. 27, RCD Meter, Cost about Rupee 10,000/- current,
52 May 2018
May 2018 53
InDepth
54 May 2018
InDepth
h Main Switch fuse with fuse holder, Unskilled Published by Schneider Electric, leading French
persons, Flat Owners and watch men, cannot company in world. This company is actively
switch off main power in case of Fire. If fuse is involved to develop IEC standards. “Quick
removed then there will Arc. Wooden cupboard reference, read chapters E, F and Q,
increases fire risk. 2 Further Detail Reading:
11 Proposed Electrical Panel in meter room with
metal enclosure in TT Installation: 1 Electrical Contractor Association (ECA), UK,
“Guide to the Wiring Regulations, 17th Edition,
h In meter room Main breaker, submain breaker, IEE Wiring Regulations (BS 7671: 2008)”, book by
wires and meters are enclosed in Metal Darrell Locke, www.eca.co.uk. This book is written
Enclosure. by Practical people in this field. You get from
h In case of FIRE, MAIN INCOMER CAN BE Amazon.in, Cost Rs.1600/-
SWITCHED OFF IMMEDITELY. 3, www.theiet.org, “Requirement of Electrical
h In TT Earthing system, Mandatory to install Main Installation as per IEE Wiring Regulations” British
at Incomer and sub breaker with RCD for arcing Standard 7671:2008. IET (Institute of Engineering
fault fire. As I know, RCDS are NOT USE. All and Technology), UK. Cost is about Rs.8000.
BUILDINGS are at Fire risk. 4 you can refer to Guidance 9 notes and other
12 Rating of RCD for Main breaker in mA depends books available to explain this standard
Earth Electrode Resistance:
IET, develop and publish the guides to standards as
h During fault, Value of shock Voltage when touch below. Each book cost about Rs.2500/-
electrical metal enclosure must be less than 50V.
,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R6HOHFWLRQDQGHUHFWLRQ
h RCD sensitivity rating for Main Incomer MCCB in
,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R,VRODWLRQDQGVZLWFKLQJ
mA must be less than or equal to < 50V/RA. RA is
Earth Electrode Resistance at Consumer. ,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R,QVSHFWLRQDQGWHVWLQJ
13 RCD Cost for Protection against Shock and Fire: ,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R3URWHFWLRQDJDLQVWILUH
,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R3URWHFWLRQDJDLQVW
h “SHOCK” can be prevented by RCD (ELCB) 30mA
in Residential Flat in Building and give additional electric shock;
protection against fire. Cost Rupee Rs. 1000/- ,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R3URWHFWLRQDJDLQVW
each, overcurrent;
h Install circuits INDOOR AND OUTDOO WITH ,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R6SHFLDOORFDWLRQV
30mA RCD. ,((*XLGDQFH1RWH1R(DUWKLQJDQGERQGLQJ
h Protection against “FIRE” by 500mA at Main ,((2QVLWH*XLGH*XLGDQFHIRUWKHVPDOO
Incomer Breaker, preferably 300mA in Meter room. installation.
h Cost Rupee. 5000 to 10.000/- each. We conduct Training course for Electrical Engineers
and Electricians on Electrical Installations
References
We conduct short Course, 2 to 4 weeks, for “training
Initial reading for Electrical Engineers and Electricians” on Electrical
Installation as per “British and IEC Standards” in Low
You can Read first 1, 2, first then 3 and 4. These are
Voltage for Residential Buildings and Industrial Plants
easy to understand.
to Prevent Shock and Fire
$XWKRUSXEOLVKHG$UWLFOHLQ,((0$-RXUQDO0DUFK
Objectives are as below:
2017, Special focus: “Overview of Residual
Current Device (RCD), ELCB for Protection Brief Introduction to Standards. Recommend books for
against shock and Fire as British Standard reading
BS7671:2008. Prevent “shock and Fire” in Resident building and
2 www.electricsafetyfirst.org.uk is part of Industrial Plants.
Electric Safety council, UK. Consumer friendly
“SHOCK” can be prevented by RCD (ELCB) 30mA, cost
information. very easy to follow and you can
Rs. 1000/- in Residential Flat
download free.
3 Please, refer to www.theIET.org < Right side click “FIRE” by 300mA, Cost. Rupee. 1000 to 10.000/-
Other IET Web Site < click IET Electrical < Go to Gajaria Gokal
down Middle page, Click Wiring Matters. You can B.E. and M.E. (U.S.A.)
download free and explain very simple way. Electrical Engineer
4, Electrical Installation Guide 2016, (IEC), is Gajaria Electrical Training Consultant
May 2018 55
56 May 2018
Solution
convenience called as structural earthing). Electrical insulation of exposed LPS parts 10-2
In conventional method down conductors are outside Soil equipotentialisation -2
10
the building and generally isolated from the structure.
Vertical Earth electrodes are used outside the building. Structural Earthing 0
Generally the LPS is not connected to Equipotential
P
Bonding bar, but in some cases earth electrodes are Protection Measures (Physical Damages) B
May 2018 57
Solution
58 May 2018
May 2018 59
Solution
60 May 2018
O
May 2018 61
GuestArticle
Disconnector is one of the equipments of electrical substation which was designed in an early day of
electrical power transmission and distribution system evoluation. However, like any other T & D system
component, several design of the disconnector (also known as Isolator) was evolved as situation demands.
Present scenario calls for enhancement of the power handling capacity of the existing substation. In other
words, newly developed substations for utilities or industries are expected to handle more power in a smallest
possible area. This imposes challenge to redesign the existing disconnector with the capability of higher
continuous and short circuit current handing capability. In this paper, a theoritical approach is presented to
estimate the design margin of short circuit current handling capability of an existing disconnector along with
the experimental validation of the design. This also presents the parameters which can be altered to enhance
the short time current rating of the disconnector.
ne of the most safety critical equipment in air and continuous) of all the components of the electrical
O substation is disconnector. Disconnector breaks
the electrical path between two lines, which can be
substation. Various components of disconnector need
to be evaluated for the purpose of enhancement of
physically seen. It is essential to witness discontinuity current rating. Below are the typical components of
of electrical circuit before carrying out any installation any disconnector,
/ maintenance work in electrical lines. Disconnector is h Current carrying blades- openable blade provide
classified into On load and Off load type based upon the the main current carry path from input side to
operating condition of it. In the present work, discussion output side.
will be restricted on the off load type disconnector. It
has several design requirements among which dielectric h Insulators- This provides the insulation between
withstand voltage, current carry capacity during normal the live parts (current carrying blades) and the
and fault condition, seismic vibration, earthing capacity, base support.
synchronous operation of 3 arms, mechanical strength h Motor or manual operating device- For rotation
and lowest contact resistances are the few critical for of the blades, electrical motor with coupling
selecting the disconnector for a particular application. device can be used. Some cases this is done
Disconnector also needs to operate several times unlike manually also.
other fixed contacts in a sub-station. Hence, reliability h Structure- This provide the mechanical support
of the operation is also critical. As the electrical energy and capable to take the load of the terminals and
consumption is increasing day by day, utilities are the input and output lines.
looking for power level up gradation of existing energy h Base cum rotor housing- This provides the
transmission and distribution corridor. As a result, the foundation support to the whole disconnector and
substations are required to be designed with higher house the rotor.
current handling capacity with minimum power loss. This h Terminal connectors- This acts as coupler for
calls for augmentation of current rating (both short term input or output lines to the disconnector’s current
62 May 2018
GuestArticle
Figure 2 Centre break (CB) disconnector Figure 3 Double break rotating blade (DBRB) disconnector
May 2018 63
GuestArticle
/ outgoing line and terminals will not come over the while increasing the current rating of the disconnector.
rotating insulator. The reliability of the disconnector
The electromagnetic repulsive forces increase as the
increases. This requires usage of additional insulator
short circuit current rating increase. So it is important to
and structure to hold this rotating blade.
revisit the holding mechanism of the opennable contact.
Knee type - With the increase of the voltage level, the The holding force in the contact region is achieved
air gap between the income and outgoing terminal by the spring compression in design. FE simulation
increases. This means the openenable arm length has done to calculate the Lorentz force felt outwards
become taller in a vertically openable single break or opening direction. This force will be generated due
design. At very high voltage level, it becomes difficult to changes in the current direction and the generated
to give rotating torque to a very long arm and support force is proportional to the current density[3, 4]. Figure
this during the open condition. To overcome these 7 shows the current density plot in the fingers of the
difficulties knee type disconnector is developed, where moving contact of DBRB type disconnector.
the openable blade will be folded (Figure 5).
Design of certain components needs to be reviewed or This has to be noted that the other two phases will also
re designed in case the current rating of the disconnector put repulsive force on the other phase disconnector
to be increased. In the subsequent paragraphs, a blade. The locking mechanism of the rotating blades
design approach has been presented in relation with counters this huge force. If there is a shift in the center of
enhancement of short circuit current rating from 50 gravity of one phase to another, then a resultant torque
kA to 63 kA and continuous current rating of 2500 A will try to rotate the blade which will be proportional to
to 3000A. Design to be revisited for both short circuit the off centering length. Hence it is extremely important
current rating and maximum continuous current rating, that all the disconnector is anchored similarly.
64 May 2018
GuestArticle
May 2018 65
GuestArticle
Preventive maintenance
Since disconnector consist of rotating parts and it has
opennable contacts, hence preventive maintenance
need to be carried out in a regular intervals. During
preventive maintenance as well as post installation,
alignment of the moving blades is checked critically[8].
Thermal vision cameras [9] can be used to understand
the hot spot temperature in the contact zones.
This will give indication of contact condition. Some
cases contact resistance is also measured as part of
health checking. Generally, utilities have their own
guideline and predefined intervals for this type of critical
Figure 9 temperature distribution patterns in a contact zone
measurement.
66 May 2018
GuestArticle
Future Trends
Some advance work is also in progress where the
spring less contact system is under development. This
required a special alloy which can provide the elastic
contact with the higher conductivity. This advancement
will radically change the concept of contact design.
With the advancement of wireless technology, R & D
work is in progress where wireless smart controller to
be implemented. This will offer a wireless operating
mechanism with wireless electrically gang of all the
phases with no cabling between switchyard and
remotely located control room as well as in-between the
different phases of disconnector.
REFERENCES
1 Chao Bian, Yug Zhon, Weimin Guan, Jinggang
Yang and Zhiue Xu, “Study on the closing state
of high voltage disconnector based on the modal
analysis”, 20th International conference on Electrical
machines and systems ( ICEMS), 2017, DOI 10.1109 /
ICEMS.2017.8056228.
2 Chao Yang, Gang Li, Yonghuai AN, Shenyi Bai, Shuibin
Zhou, “VLD- based position monitoring method for
intelligent disconnector”, High Voltage electrical
appliances, Vol. 50, No. 7, Pp 76-82,2014.
3 Xiangyu Guan, Naiqiu, Shu, Bing Kang and Minghan
Zou, “ Multiphysics of analysis of plug I connector under
steady and short circuit conditions”, IEEE Transaction on
components, packaging and manufacturing technology,
Vol. 5, No. 3, March 2015.
4 Gholamreza Kodhodaei, Keyhan Sheshyekani,
Mohsen Hamzeh, “ Coupled electric-magnetic-thermal
mechanical modeling of busbars under short circuit
conditions”, IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution,
Vol. 10, Issue 4, Pp 955-963, 2016
5 Yuqin Ding, Qiaogen Zhang, Xuandong Liu, Meng Gao,
Yuan Li, Yi Zhao, Hengchi Ma,Guangqi Liu, Ke Wang,
“Study on thermal circuit model of typical disconnector
and current transformer”, 2017 1st International
conference on electrical materials and power equipment
(ICEMPE), Pp 179-183.
6 David Simek, “The thermal model and temperature rise
test of disconnector”, 17th International conference on
Mechatronics-Mechatronika (ME), 2016.
7 IEC-62271-102, “High Voltage switchgear and
controlgear –Part 102: Alternating current discnnectors
and earthing switches”, 2003.
8 Jan Henning, Jurgensen Anna Brodersson, Lars
Nordstrom, Patrik Hilber, “Impact assessment of remote
control and preventive maintenance on the failure rate of
a disconnector population”, IEEE Transaction on power
delivery.
9 https://www.lumasenseinc.com/EN/home/home-
lumasense-technologies.html
Kaladhar D
Hivelm Indusries
May 2018 67
ExpertSpeak
e use electricity knowing that it is dangerous. We time I realized the spark appearing at the power outlet
W feel safe, because we have installed protection
devices such as circuit breakers and fuses. We assume
where my cellphone was charging. I switched off all the
devices in my room and went to the distribution board.
that it ought to disrupt power in case of risk to human I was surprised to find none of the circuit breakers had
life or property. We trust these protection systems with tripped. What was I supposed to do now? I started
our lives. Have we asked ourselves – are they enough? turning some other devices in the house to see what
How often do you see a nuisance tripping of your circuit happened. I stood close to the distribution box and
breaker? The circuit breaker trips, we turn it back on and assumed in the worse case I would trip some circuit
circuits are working just fine. We have all experienced breakers. Cautiously, I started switching one appliance
it. We all have. Experiencing frequent nuisance tripping at a time in the living room. The first switch was for a
is certainly not a good sign. It is an indication that your tubelight, it worked, but output was low. The next switch
electrical systems need to be examined. It could also was for a fan -- that didn’t work. Next I tried one of the
mean that your circuit breakers are getting old and halogen spotlights in the passage close to my bedroom,
need to be changed. But, amongst the many evils this and BOOM -- a small explosion!!! The bulb exploded.
is by far better, in comparison to a circuit breaker not No breaker tripped and luckily, no other damage. This
tripping when there is actually an significant electrical time the sound was enough to wake up the rest of my
risk. How is that possible you might ask. family. I turned off the main circuit breaker and then
Let me share my experiences from a few years ago. The went to ask the others if they noticed anything odd.
date is 23rd February 2014. I had started to observe My father complained, that the AC in his room stopped
issues with my electrical supply the night before. I working and the fan started operating really fast. My
reached home and wanted to watch a football match brother smelt some burnt electronics in his room.
but the set-top box kept turning off randomly. A closer Sparking, fans operating at high speeds, bulbs bursting
examination revealed sparking at the spike guard and all indicated overvoltage. But, nobody else in the
intermittent supply from the power adapter to the set- building seemed to be complaining. The problem was
top box. I assumed that there was a problem with the localized to my home. How was our flat the only one
adapter. Everything else worked fine at the moment. in the building receiving a higher voltage. We do have
Later, close to midnight one of the lights near the same a three phase supply at home. It was possible that we
set-top box started to flicker. Since the supply to the rest were receiving a Phase-to-Phase voltage of 415V at the
of the house seemed fine, I thought it was too late to appliances/outlets, instead of Phase-to-Neutral of 230V.
bother. I switched off the lights and went to bed. While I did not have my voltage meter and could not be sure.
I was sleeping, close to about 5am I heard a sound, But, I still had some lingering thoughts. What was the
like somebody was knocking at the bedroom door. I cause of the Phase-to-Phase voltage? It would have to
woke up, checked the bedroom door and nobody was suggest a Phase-to-Neutral Short. Which should have
there, just then I heard the knocking sound again. This tripped the circuit breakers. And what was the reason
68 May 2018
ExpertSpeak
May 2018 69
ViewPoint
n recent days there are major fires taking place in till the completion of the construction.
I Urban Areas and Mega cities. Many Public programs,
Entertainment shows and High Rise Buildings are
h Shipyards, R C C Casting Yards and similar sites
where wires and cables are just sprayed on
catching fire because of various reasons. However the
ground and subjected to all handling of trollies,
moment fire is quinced the fire Dept quickly announces
falling of material, etc.
that the fire was due to short circuit. The site of fire
is Not even visited by the concern Electrical Inspector h Typical type of Industrial Establishments like Steel
even then fire Dept announces the reason behind fire. plants, Cement plant, fish processing plants.
The announcement of cause of fire is the responsibility Food processing yards, etc.
of the Electrical Inspector as per Electricity Rules. h Agricultural fields, where temporary nature of
Then the question comes that installation is used permanently.
1) who has carried out the wiring/installation, h In general where installation work is not done as
per standard practices and carried out carelessly.
2) whether it was inspected and approved by
Electrical Inspector,
Rules & Regulations
3) Whether the Installation carried out by Licensed
Central Electricity Authority have formulated Rules and
Electrical Contractor,
Regulations for Electrical Safety and is titled as :
4) In accordance with the standard norms and
practices followed for proper installation? “Central Electricity Authority (Measures relating to
Safety and Electric Supply) Regulation – 2015”
5) If ISI marked material was used or not?
The Electrical Short Circuit or Electrical Fire generally In our country Roti, Kapada and Makan were earmarked
takes place mainly on the following Installations. as basic needs, but today Electricity is also considered
as basic need, particularly in the Urban Areas. As
h Events, Programs, Large Public meetings where such all the cities, towns and even villages do have
temporary wiring is carried out for the Tenure of the Electricity Board’s/Licencee’s wire Network which
the event. is tapped at the consumer’s premises and meters are
h Old buildings, where old electrical Installation installed. The accidents starting point begins here.
(Generally for more than 25-30 years old) exists,
The reasons
which has grossly over loaded wires and cables
due to additional load put on the old installation. h Unauthorised tapping of 440 V; 3 ph. Supply from
h Construction sites, where the wires and cables overhead L.T. Lines.
switchgear are laid without following the proper h Improper Installation of wires, cables and other
Installation procedure, which results in to over electrical equipments as well as illiteracy about
loading of wires, cables and switchgears installed Electricity Rules and Regulations.
70 May 2018
ViewPoint
h Joints, Tappings of wires and cables are generally the Stair Case, which do not have manuvaring
loosesly done and Not properly Insulated with space as well as there is poor ventilation.
Tapes. These leads to small sparkings. b) To take cables on the upper floors, generally a
h Connectors are generally not used for the cut is provided on the slab of landings of the
purpose of continuation of wires and termination Stair cases, hardly a separate Electrical Duct is
of wires. provided in the Buildings.
h Loose Termination gives sparking, joint’s heating c) Due to space constrains generally safe clearance
and charring effects. and distances between cables coming from
Substation to Meter Room and from Meter Room
h Not Maintaining the adequate clearances/
to every floor are not observed.
distances between two feeder wires which
are open wires in the overhead supply, which d) Ground Clearances in Substation is NOT
generates Electrical field and offen arcing is also observed.
seen. e) Less no of Earthing Stations are provided due to
the paucity of open space as well as Lightening
h Installation Not having proper earthing and No
Arrestors are shifted at rear side of the building
ELCB or MCB for tripping of supply in case of
instead of Highest Point.
eventuality.
f) Not using Standard ISI marked material and
h In the villages where Electricity Tripping is a equipments.
frequent phenomina, there is a tendancy of
g) The Labours are ill qualified and not having
tieing of switchgear handles with a rope, so that
adequate experience and expertise.
the Switchgear/starters do not tripp off when
power failure and there is no need to restart the h) Standard Procedure as required by National
switchgear when power is re-established. Building Code/National Electricity Code is NOT
followed.
h The life of wiring as per National Electricity Code
i) Workmen and Supervisors do NOT have required
of 2011 is 20 to 25 years, during this period the
Training for the proper installation and Not having
wires, cables, switchgears get deteriorated and
the knowledge of Rules; Regulations & Practice of
get under rated. They are also overloaded due
Installations.
to additional load. Hence they need to be
replaced with new equipments and wires. j) For underground cable proper Cable Trenches
This is NOT done. with covers and/or RCC Pipe Duct with chambers
are NOT provided in the campus.
h Flamable material like paper Rags, kerosene,
chemicals, Gas Cylinder etc. are stored around k) Control Panels do NOT have a separate Panel
the electrical installation. Room with Cable Trenches, instead they are
located below the stair case space.
h The fire occurs due to fire triangle components
l) Cable Trays are NOT provided, but cables are laid
e.g. spark, flammable
on wall or laid loose above false ceiling.
Oxygen substance and oxygen
Flammable And the total Electrical
Substance In Industry/Factories/Workshop
fires to the extent of 40
The Industry has large consumption of Power as
to 45 percent are due to
Spark such large power consuming machinery need bigger
Electrical Short Circuit.
Electrical Equipments like Switchgears, Transformers,
About 2500 people died
D.G. Sets, Control Panels, Cables, Trunking Bus Bars
due to Electrical Fire last Spark year. etc. are used invariably. Hence Trained and Expert
h For avoiding these short circuits we need to figure Electrical Staff has to be appointed in the Industry.
out the reasons and try to eliminate these reasons
a) While original Installation as well as subsequent
to avoid fire break ups.
addition and alteration in the Installation all
h In order to avoid Electrical Fires we shall start proper procedure of laying cables on trays,
looking & avoiding reasons from beginning fixing them with proper sized saddles; keeping
adequate clearances between cable, giving
In Civil Construction cable ties and numbering them. Keeping vertical
a) The Architect generally looks for aesthetic show clearance/distance below control panel form the
of the building and Ambiance surrounding. He is maintenance point of view has to be done.
generally not concerned with the Electrical Safety b) Substation and Main Control Room must display
due to unawareness. Cable Layout Plans, Drawings of the Control
You will find at many places that the Electrical Panel, Details of DG Sets, Transformer and other
Control Room and Meter Room is located below Heavy Switchgear Equipments.
May 2018 71
ViewPoint
h Following Papers should be prepared for Audit All the Electrical Installations i.e. Residential, Commercial
& Industrial as well as H. T. Installation should be got
h Inspection Report
done from a Licensed Electrical Contractor in order
h Single Line Diagram to have proper, electrically safe and as per the Rules,
h Transformer Oil Breakdown Voltage Test Regulations & Standard Norms & Practices of carrying
out safe installation. This is mandatory as per Electricity
h Insulation Test Report
Act 2003.
h Earth Resistance Test Report
If these practices are adopted for permanents,
h Capacitor Test Report
Temporary or casual Installations there will be NO threat
h Protection Relays Test Report of Short Circuit and Electrical Fire.
h Log Book for Transformers and Allied Equipments
Anil Gachke
Working
Former General Secretary
h Log Book for DG Set Working & its maintenance. Electrical Contractors’ Association of Maharashtra
72 May 2018
May 2018 73
Opinion
The increased standard of living of an average Indian c. For medium heavy electrical loads (Air-
house hold with the economic growth has also increased conditioners, geyser, grinder, washing
our dependence on electricity in our day to day life. This machine, oven etc) between 1000 watts to
also means a typical household has more electrical 3000 watts always use 4 Sq. mm copper wires
appliances today than ever before. Also, the common 3. Ensure the electrical points are properly
trend in urban India is high rise residential construction planned in the house not only for present use
with the increase in density of population per square but also for future applications. When more
foot area. Considering these facts, it’s important for us plugs are connected to one point, it results in
to give the electrical wiring its due attention and follow the cables drawing cumulative current of all the
safe wiring practices to avoid fire accidents. appliances connected to that point resulting in the
At present in India home owners are not involved in overloading and short circuit
decision making of matters related to electrical wiring 4. Ensure correct planning and designing of the
both due to concealed nature of the application and electrical circuit
the limited knowledge and home owners tend to a. Ensure independent circuits for each room
focus more on paint, electrical accessories, plumbing
b. Keep higher load gadgets in separate circuits
accessories etc. But considering the importance of the
like AC, Geyser, Heater, Iron etc.
electrical wiring for the overall safety of the household
it is important for home owners to involve and ensure c. Isolate each major circuit and connect it to a
good wiring practices are followed by the developers / Miniature Circuit Breaker (MCB)
contractors. d. Circuits should be further sub distributed for
each room
Key steps to ensure safer wiring & safer homes:
5. Follow right earthing practices to avoid electric
1. Use copper wires made of pure copper shocks
(electrolytic) only for optimum current carrying
a. Use copper wires, plates and rods for earthing
capacity. You can ensure this by buying
as Galvanized Iron plates and rods tend to
cables of reputed brands that are ISI marked
corrode and disintegrate
2. Wiring specification:
a. For light electrical loads (tube-lights, fans etc) Central Electricity Authority (Measures
less than 250 Watts use 1.5 Sq. mm copper
wire
relating to safety and Electric Supply)
b. For medium electrical loads (TV, refrigerator, Regulations, 2010.
computer, music system etc) between 250 h The regulations specify the following key
watts to 1000 watts use 2.5 Sq. mm copper requirements concerning home and other
wires installations:
74 May 2018
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May 2018 75
Opinion
Licensed contractors only suppliers are required to inspect and test installations
Under regulation 29(1), only an electrical contractor under the provisions of Regulation 30(3). Form I (for
licensed by the state government can undertake installations up to 250 volts) requires the report to cover
electrical works. Those executing the work under him the condition of service lines, cables, wires, apparatus
must have a certificate of competency of wireman’s and “such other fittings placed by the supplier or owner
grade issued by state government. And all workers of the premises.” The report must state whether the
must be deployed under supervisors who have have a condition of these is satisfactory or not. Form II (for
certificate of competency of supervisor’s grade issued installations above 250 volts and below 650 volts)
by the government. The regulation is applicable to all has a provision to also report whether the register
electrical installation work except 250-volt or below of designated persons is kept as required under
sundry fixtures like lamp replacement and the like. Regulation 3 and that it is duly updated and attested.
Regulation 29(2) further prohibits the powering up of Essentially, the thrust of the regulations is on following
electrical installations and wiring done by any person
and enforcing prescribed standards to enhance the
other than those certified.
safety of installations, as the very title specifies. The
provisions also seek to build an ecosystem where the
Right person, right records entire electrical system -- from supplier through the
The rules also recognize that different levels of distributor to the end user -- is built, maintained and
proficiency will be required for various installations. supervised in a manner that it is robust, safe and can be
House wiring calls for skills materially different form operated with minimal losses.
those required for high tension power lines. Regulation
3(1) calls for designation of persons to execute specified
tasks, with their names recorded in a register as National Electrical Code of
specified in Regulation 3(2) to ensure that only qualified India 2011 – Key Provisions
and certified persons are working in a given designated
h Section (9) of the National Electrical Code is
area. Regulation 3(3) specifies that no person shall be
designated unless he has a certificate of competency primarily intended to cover guidelines on essential
or electrical work permit issued by the appropriate design and constructional requirements of wiring
government and his name is entered in the said register. installations which are commonly applicable to
all types of occupancies. The NEC guides for
This helps not only keep a record of work and people selection and safe installation of equipment and
but also to fix responsibility in case of mishaps. Under
materials. However, the NEC is not intended as
Regulation 4(1), the records are liable to be produced
a design specification, but rather, is for reference
before an Electrical Inspector, who is empowered under
Regulation 4(2) to recommend removal of the names and guidance.
of those not qualified. This keeps an external check on
contractors and will help ensure that work standards are Estimation of Electrical Loads and Related
not compromised or work is not handed to ill-trained Protection
staff just to cut down on spends at the cost of safety. Different types of circuits are needed to carry the load
in each location like room. Wiring in each circuit is
Inspection forms protected by an over current device, either a fuse or
Schedule IV of the Regulations lists the forms of Circuit Breaker. If a circuit becomes overloaded, or a
Inspection Report which are required to be filled when short circuit develops, the breaker will open to stop
14513
3500
16000 3032
3000
11444
14000 2548
2218 2450
12000 2500
8869
10000 2000
1341
8000 1500 1133
5828
5808
5517
5382
5244
5182
1080
4799
6000 1000
3534
3427
3244
603 2015-16
2597
2336
2309
4000 500
2000
217
0
92
57
40
11
0
2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17
Year
Total Human Fatal Human Non-Fatal Animal Fatal Animal Non-Fatal
76 May 2018
May 2018 77
Opinion
the current flow. By providing multiple branch circuits Residential Wiring – Key Considerations
within a house, one can keep costs down and ensure
(CLAUSE 5.1.1.2)
safe operation. The load carrying capacity of a wire is
measured in amperes and stated as ampacity. Wire with h Installation shall be separate for ceiling and
higher cross section has a higher ampacity. Appliances higher levels in walls
having higher power need will require larger wire with a h Devices consuming higher power or supplied by
higher ampacity. cord n plug separate wiring
h For plug-in equipment, provisions for ELCB at sub
Circuits distribution board
The various types of circuits include: h Separate circuits for Kitchen and bathroom
h Each sub circuit shall not have more than 10
h General Purpose Circuit: A General-Purpose points (light, fan n 6A sockets)
Circuit includes all lighting outlets and most
h Power sub circuit designed as per load but in no
receptacles. These circuits do supply lighting but
case more than two 16A socket; practice is 16A
are rather used to connect other items such as
socket for RAC, cooking range, storage water
vacuum cleaners, radios, televisions, computing
heater etc.
gadgets, entertainment devices etc., to them.
h Common area lighting separate
h Small Appliance Circuit: Small Appliance Circuit h Large halls 3 wire control with individual and
are often the ones used in the kitchen area to master control for effective conservation
supply power to mixers, toasters, blenders, and h Any fire alarm / emergency lighting circuits shall
other small appliances. be segregated from all other cables and from
h Individual Branch Circuits: Individual Branch each other, Extra low voltage circuit like ICE must
Circuits are wired directly from the breaker be having separate system
panel to only one appliance. They are used for
items that require larger loads, e.g. A/C, water Large Buildings – Key Recommendations
heater, etc. (CLAUSE 5.1.1.5)
h Deploy sub distribution board (final circuit
Electrical Devices – Precautions distribution board) to avoid cable length or
Electrical wiring, if fireproofed with thermal insulation, prevent voltage drop at more distant points
must be de-rated in ampacity. Extra length of wire (lamps n fans etc)
should be provided so that it gives it the flexibility h Number of sub main circuits (distribution Ckt),
and liberty as to where to attach the wire. And it also sub distribution boards (branch distribution
prevents possible stress on a too tight wire. The cable boards), final circuits to load are decided as per
can be installed on a wall, in cable tray or embedded number of points to be wired and load to be
in or below a concrete slab. Where cables embedded connected per circuit.
in concrete emerge from the slab, protection against h Distribution board with plenty of wiring space
sheer damage shall be provided by means of a short between terminals and adequate size
PVC conduit stub, metal plate or angle, at that point. h Branch distribution board with surge protective
Reasonable precautions should be taken against blows
device and earth leakage protection on live
with sharp instruments and pulling over sharp objects.
conductor of each sub circuit and the earthed
And extra care should be taken to avoid the ingress of
neutral conductor connected to common link but
moisture due to condensation.
capable of being disconnected for
Electric motors generally draw a high current during testing purpose
starting cycle, requiring wire and fuse sizes to be h Power socket outlet circuit not to exceed 3000 W.
calculated carefully. Even during the run cycle of In case of fault only particular circuit should get
a motor, if the voltage is low it causes the motor to disconnected
overheat and may cause failure. If the voltage drops h Essential loads fed by standby source through
considerably, the wire size is too small. Low voltage can separate wiring; wiring for safety services
cause the motor to fail. separate and distinct
Critical equipment includes all emergency shutdown h Unless otherwise specified wiring shall be done
equipment such as block valves; emergency lighting only by ‘looping system’. Phase conductors
equipment; and any other monitoring equipment. All looped at switch boxes and neutral at point
electrical work requires a permit, licensed electricians outlets.
to carry out all such work. In case the installation is not Amol C Kalsekar
proper, then the connections (where the wires join to Chief Manager – Building Wire
the outlets and switches) can present a fire hazard. International Copper Association India
78 May 2018
Providers of High Voltage Testing Solutions Since 1970
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CONTROL PANEL & GIS & SWITCHGEAR POWER INSULATION MATERIAL / TEST &
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May 2018 79
Insight
se of fire survival cables in buildings and or with unfamiliar layout of buildings like malls
U establishments are a key to minimize loss during
fire breakouts.
and cinema halls and crowded places like offices,
schools, etc where the need to evacuate people during
While electricity is a wonderful aspect of modern life, fire breakouts is of primary concern.
it can be dangerous if we aren’t careful. Electrical fires Cables play a key role in safety of an establishment
are a frequent occurrence in India. We read and hear of with respect to fires, as they are a vital link between
instances in the news regularly describing ghastly fire emergency equipment and their power or control
accidents causing massive damage to property and source and hence it is crucial that they must remain
claiming innocent lives. Majority of electrical fires are functional even during a fire. In case of a large fire;
a result of short circuit due to old wiring, damaged or Elevators, escalators, extraction fans, emergency
poor quality of equipment and faulty outlets. lighting, warning sirens, etc; need to keep running as
long as possible so people can get out.
Warning signs of electrical dangers
include Electrical cables and wires - the
h Reoccurring or frequent issues associated with significant fire safety issue in today’s
blowing fuses in machinery, appliances or tripping establishments and installations:
circuit breakers.
h If the insulating or jacketing materials in cables
h Tingling sensation as you touch an electrical catch fire, they can represent a significant quantity
appliance at home. of fuel for fire, because of the sheer volume of
h Sparks coming from an outlet or discolored or cables in modern buildings (electrical, telephone,
warm wall outlets. computer connections …etc.).
h A continuous burning smell from a room or h If cables are not fire safe, then they are highly
appliance. susceptible to be the cause of fire, making
h Lights that frequently flicker or dim. overheating of wires, arcing, short circuits or
electrical faults develop into flames of burning
Cables are like ‘Arteries & Veins’ of any construction
insulating material.
reaching each & every corner of the building, hence
selection of right cable, its sizing, testing and installation h Furthermore, cables are often the carriers of fire
all put together plays a vital role for in-service through a building, as they cross fireproof walls,
performance of the cable. And with the rapid growth in linking occupied spaces to service areas, ceiling
infrastructure and urbanization there is a growing need voids and other parts of the building. In case of
for specialty cables. Fire survival cables, especially, fire, they can also result in:
have seen a steady demand in places inhabited by h Increased smoke emission (sufficient to limit
people with limited mobility like hospitals, clinics visibility and inhibit escape).
80 May 2018
Insight
Why LSZH Cables? Fire resistant cables are designed to maintain circuit
h Eliminates the hazard of suffocation by inhalation integrity of the vital safety and rescue equipment during
of highly irritant Hydrochloric acid that is formed the fire. In addition to maintaining circuit integrity under
fire conditions, Fire resistant cables have limited smoke
FWTKPIſTG
emission and corrosive gases when assessed under
the fire conditions, thus safeguarding human life and
protecting equipment.
May 2018 81
Insight
82 May 2018
May 2018 83
Insight
Resistance to Fire with Water BS 7846 (Category F30): Resistance to fire with direct
BS 6387 (Category W): Cables are subjected to fire at mechanical impact & water jet assessed in combination,
650 °C for 15 minutes, then at 650°C with water spray when tested in accordance with BS 8491 for 30 Min.
for further 15 minutes.
BS 7846 (Category F60): Resistance to fire with direct
mechanical impact & water jet assessed in combination,
when tested in accordance with BS 8491 for 60 Min.
BS 7846 (Category F120): Resistance to fire with direct
mechanical impact & water jet assessed in combination,
when tested in accordance with BS 8491 for 120 Min.
(All cables manufactured as per BS 7846 are supposed
to pass all the tests as per BS 6387)
The cable will possess the characteristics for providing
circuit integrity so long as during the course of the test;
Resistance to Fire with Mechanical the voltage is maintained i.e. no fuse fails or circuit-
breaker is interrupted and a conductor does not rupture,
Shock i.e. the lamp is not extinguished.
IEC 60331-31: Cables are subjected to fire at 830 °C
with mechanical shock for 120 minutes.
Determination of the Halogen Acid Gas
BS 6387 (Category X): Cables are subjected to fire at
650 °C with mechanical shock for 15 minutes. Content
IEC 60754-1 and BS EN 50267-2-1 Standards specify
BS 6387 (Category Y): Cables are subjected to fire at
a test for determination of the halogen acid gas other
750 °C with mechanical shock for 15 minutes.
than the hydrofluoric acid evolved during combustion
BS 6387 (Category Z): Cables are subjected to fire at of compound based on halogenated polymers and
84 May 2018
Insight
compounds containing halogenated additives taken results are defined as oxygen index values at the test
from cable constructions. In this test, when the burner temperature.
is heated to 800 °C, 1g sample is placed inside and the
HCL is absorbed into water inside the chamber fed with To conclude, it is important to look beyond the bliners
air flow. The water is then tested with its acidity. If the of price and rather put more emphasis on upgrading
hydrochloric acid yield is less than 5 mg/g, the cable technology and incorporating means of mitigating risks
specimen is categorized as LSHF. that arise from fires. Unfortunately, we are still not very
serious about safety standards in our country. The first
concern being that Costs still have precedence over
Determination of Acidity Safety and the second are the outdated standards of
IEC 60754-2 and BS EN 50267-2-2 Standards specify a quality checks and testing that we still follow, while the
test for the determination of degree of acidity of gases world has moved to more upgraded standards for safety
evolved during combustion of the cable specimen by and protection of their consumers. The question to ask
measuring its pH and ionic conductivity. The specimen is, while we are updated in terms of providing global
is deemed to pass this test if the pH value is not less technology, why are we lagging behind in adhering to
than 4.3 when related to 1 litre of water and the weighted global standards of safety and quality?
value of conductivity is less than10 μS/mm.
Generally public sector undertakings follow the ‘L1’
approach, where the lowest quotation is approved. This
forced economy reduces profitability and the initiative
to invest in R&D. Unlike here in India, in European or
American economies innovations and R&D is welcomed
by the governments which aid safety of the population
at large.
There are an increasing number of cases of fire due to
short circuit, and especially in crowded cities, and high
rises where countless lives have been lost. It is high
time that even the establishment owners take onus of
the high degree of risk that comes with the use of poor
quality cables and should conduct proper research
before making the final selection. The quality of cables
should not be compromised for the sake of price.
Moreover, people should be made aware that a
standardized and a well-engineered product will give
Smoke Emission Test: (IEC 61034, BS EN higher returns on investment as compared to a non-
standardized one. Selecting quality cables is important
61034) not only as property and life-saver, but also because it
IEC 61034 and BS EN 61034 Standards specify a test reduces electricity consumption.
for determination of smoke density. Also there have to be stringent quality checks of cables,
A one-meter length of cable is placed in the 3 m3 both at manufacturers’ end as well as at users end.
enclosure, and a fire is then generated within the Getting the installations checked regularly through
container and the minimum light transmission is specialized agencies for homes as well as other
recorded. The result is expressed as percentage of light establishments will also help lower the risk of fires, as
transmitted. The specimen is deemed to pass this test installation can also play a big role in avoiding mishaps.
if the value is greater than 60%. The higher the light
transmittance, the less smoke emitted during a fire. Although we do see an increasing trend in industry,
especially the large ones who buy cables directly, to
focus on flame retardant cables, the other segments
Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI): (BS EN ISO need to bring in the focus on this aspect, especially
4589, ASTM D 2863) builders and utilities. Some high rises are now asking
for FR/FRLS as well as Fire Survival cables and this
BS EN ISO 4589 and ASTM D 2863 Standards trend is slowly increasing, which we need to speed up
Specify methods for the determination the minimum so that customers demand cables with additional fire
concentration of oxygen, in a mixture with nitrogen, safety features.
which will support combustion of small vertical test
specimens under specified test conditions over a Piyush Karia
range of temperatures between 25 °C and 150 °C. The Director, Ravin Cables Ltd.
May 2018 85
Thoughts
lectricity is essential to modern life, both at home it is felt that the compliance to the standards should
E and on the job. It has become such a familiar part
of our daily life. However, we tend to overlook the
be tightened. Unfair trade practices and lower quality
manufacturing of wires by the unorganised cable
hazards electricity poses and fail to treat it with the manufacturers makes the competition unhealthy and
respect it deserves. Electricity is often referred to as a the consumers unsafe.
“silent killer”, because it cannot be tasted, seen, heard,
or smelled. It is essentially invisible. One of the most Statutory provisions
important responsibilities of any facility’s management
As per Section 29 of the Indian Electricity Rules 1956, all
is to keep employees safe. Each facility will have
electric supply lines and apparatus shall be of sufficient
a different list of potential hazards to address, and
ratings for powers, insulation and estimated fault current
properly addressing them will protect employees and
and of sufficient mechanical strength, for the work
contribute to the facility’s future success. Electricity has
they may be required to do and shall be constructed,
also introduced a wide range of potential dangers that installed, protected, worked, and maintained in such a
really didn’t exist before its widespread use. Taking manner as to ensure safety of personnel and property.
electrical safety seriously in the homes and facility will
help to get all the benefits, while minimizing any risks. This provision covers all the aspects for ensuring
safety right from choosing of materials for electrical
In the Indian scenario, data shows that the majority of
installation, actual installation, protective devices to be
industrial disasters and commercial or household fires
provided, tests to be taken, periodical maintenance and
are a result of electrical short circuits. These electrical
upkeep, etc. In fact there are specific rules elsewhere
short circuits cause fires in the electrical appliances or
in the Electricity Rules, specifying requirements in
electrical fittings, which rapidly spread through flames
connection with the various aspects mentioned above.
via the connecting electrical wires to the surrounding
But where no such specific rules exit this provision can
rooms or halls and combustible furniture, etc. Apart
be made applicable to ensure general safety. While
from igniting the combustible furniture, other connected
choosing materials for the electrical installation it is
electrical equipment, these ‘under fire’ cables emit thick
smoke from the burning insulating compounds in the always desirable to go in for materials manufactured to
wires, which cause asphyxia in humans, if exposed to the specifications of Bureau of Indian Standards.
such hazardous environments for prolonged periods
lead to their falling into coma or their death if unattended Causes of Electrical fire
or untreated.
When a wire or cable is punctured, but not completely
Recent changes in the governing regulatory and severed, the electric current can move away from its path
technical standards for insulated electrical cable and and result in an incredible amount of heat. This leaking
cords used in homes and offices and electrification of the current is called an arc fault. The heat from an
are meant to ensure better quality and higher flame arc fault can eventually cause a fire, which may quickly
withstand parameters of these wires and cables. spread to surrounding wood and other combustibles,
Despite the fact that regulatory standards are in place, as well as other wiring. Take extra care when doing
86 May 2018
Thoughts
home renovations to ensure that do not damage any surfaces such as curtains, beds, clothing, chairs,
wires when hammering or drilling into walls. couches and rugs. Coil space heaters are especially
dangerous in this regard because the coils become so
The arc fault causing an arc fire can prevent with the
hot they will almost instantaneously ignite any nearby
help of by installing an arc-fault circuit interrupter to
flammable surface. If we do use space heaters, use the
the circuit breakers. When arc fault circuit interrupters
radiator-type that diffuse heat over the entire surface of
detect irregular current flow, they shut down the circuit
the appliance.
to prevent overheating and combustion. Using a stud
finder to locate framing studs behind drywall can also
prevent arc faults from occurring. Wiring
In India, the harsh environmental conditions of ambient Outdated wiring often causes electrical fires. If a home is
temperatures (up to 55° C) and high humidity which over 20 years old, it may not have the wiring capacity to
are common in summers and monsoons, mandate handle the increased amounts of electrical appliances
unambiguous and strict standards for the conductors in today’s average home, such as computers, wide-
and insulation. The months with the most electrical screen televisions, video and gaming players,
fires are December and January due to increased use microwaves and air conditioners. Breakers should be
of heating appliances and lights. Most electrical fires triggered when circuits get overloaded by too much
electricity, but outdated breaker boxes often have worn
start in the bedroom, but the highest number of fatalities
connectors that do not work, causing the system to
occur with fires located in the living room, family room
overload and start an electrical fire.
and den. Some electrical fires happen because of
problems in house wiring or appliance failure, but many
occur due to mistakes that homeowners make like Water or moisture
overloading electrical outlets or extension cords. It’s one of the cardinal rules of electrical safety: don’t mix
electricity and water. Always keep electrical appliances
Common causes of electrical fires. away from water and moisture. Whether it’s on or off, if
a plugged-in appliance falls – or is accidentally dropped
Some of the common causes of electrical fires in homes – into water, do not attempt to retrieve or unplug it. Go
and work places are as follows: immediately to the home’s panel board and shut off
power to the corresponding circuit. Once that’s done,
Faulty outlets, appliances the appliance can be safely unplugged and removed
from the water.
Most electrical fires are caused by faulty electrical
outlets and old, outdated appliances. Other fires It may be observed that unsafe conditions were
are started by faults in appliance cords, receptacles prevailed in many houses and work places. Similarly,
and switches. Never use an appliance with a worn or many of us, one way or other neglect safe practices
frayed cord which can send heat onto combustible which could end up in many electrical accidents. Safe
surfaces like floors, curtains, and rugs that can start a conditions and safe practices are a prerequisite for
fire. Removing the grounding plug from a cord so it can reducing electrical accidents. With this in view some of
be used in a two-prong electrical outlet can also cause the Do’s and Don’ts for working with electricity are given
a fire. below:
May 2018 87
Thoughts
88 May 2018
Thoughts
Use the right extension cord for the job. Before plug in,
make sure that the wattage rating of the extension cord
using is greater than the pull (or power requirement) of
the equipment it’s powering. Using an extension cord
to supply more wattage than it’s rated for can cause
conductor strain, overheating, and possibly even fire.
Pay attention to what appliances are telling. When
an appliance repeatedly trips a circuit breaker, blows a
fuse, or gives shocks, it’s not just a coincidence, these
are signs that something is wrong. Prevent further –
and possibly more dangerous – malfunctions from
occurring by immediately unplugging the appliance
and discontinuing use until a professional electrician
can inspect it, make repairs, and ultimately declare safe.
Make sure using the right size circuit breakers and
fuses. If fuses and circuit breakers aren’t the right
size and wattage rating to match the specifications of
their circuits, they’re going to fail right when you most
need them to perform. Read packages carefully when
shopping for replacements.
Replace missing or broken wall plates. They’re not
just there for the looks – wall plates also protect your
fingers from making contact with the electrical wiring
behind them. Broken wall plates, or the absence of
them altogether, can be especially dangerous in the
dark – when trying to locate a switch by touch, you may
end up being shocked or electrocuted if you miss the
mark and end up hitting live wires instead.
Keep electrically powered yard-care tools
dry. Whether it’s raining, just finished raining, or person
recently run the sprinklers, never attempt yard work with
electrically powered tools in wet conditions. Protect
TDK Technology
himself from shock and electrocution by keeping
electric hedge trimmer, weed whacker, and lawnmower
Advancing power
safely unplugged and stowed away until precipitation
has stopped, grass and foliage is dry, and puddles can solutions.
be easily avoided.
Rare-earth magnets Varistors and
with high magnetic surge arresters
Conclusion field strength for wind with high surge
power generators capability
Shockingly, almost 90 percent of all fire accidents
originate from “electrical” causes, and behind a vast
majority of these fires are low-quality wires and cables,
that is, either low-quality insulation or inferior conductor
or both. The past several decades have been a grim
reminder of countless human lives lost in fire accidents
resulting from electrical fires. The fatal fire of Delhi’s
Uphaar Cinema is just one of endless examples of
electrical fire accidents that occur routinely year after
year, taking toll of precious human life, property and
EMC filters and Aluminum electrolytic
data. The basic problem of such irrational buying sine-wave filters for and film capacitors
decisions is a general lack of awareness or insensitivity currents up to 8 kA for high ripple currents
to safety issues until such a calamity strikes.
Ashok Upadhyay
BE (Electrical), M Tech. Hon. (Ind. Engg.)
M. Phil (Renewable Energy), PHD Scholar
Dy. Director (Generation) product.tdk.com/en/industrial
M.P. Electricity Regulatory Commission Bhopal (M.P.)
May 2018 89
InternationalNews
INTERNATIONALNEWS
SBI to invest Rs 8,000 crore in 900 Mw Nick Emery of Fred. Olsen group of companies, said:
“Origami Energy has made great progress in the two
hydro power project in Nepal years since our original investment and we are pleased
The State Bank of India (SBI) will be investing a total of to continue to support the company. The energy world
Rs 80 billion in the Arun III hydropower project of Nepal, is changing rapidly; we see Origami Energy at the
which has 900 (MW) electricity production capacities. forefront of developing technology to capitalise on the
The SJVN, which has been awarded with the opportunities presented to energy market participants.”
construction of the mega power project of Nepal, has This funding round provides the company with additional
made an informal agreement with the SBI to acquire capital to continue the delivery of its growth plans and
the investment as a loan and soon will make the formal become a strategic technology partner for some of the
agreement, sources informed ANI. world’s largest energy companies. The funds will be
“The Director Committee Meeting of the bank is due to used to help accelerate the growth of Origami Energy
make the recommendation. They soon will decide over. in the UK and to prepare for international deployment.
As of now they have decided over the loan extend and Andrew Williamson of Cambridge Innovation Capital
the interest rate over it has been finalized,” the source added: “We are pleased to see that Origami Energy
informed with anonymity. continues to meet key targets in commercialising
“The 1.4 trillion rupees over the project will be its technology to provide value to energy market
expended for the construction of the structures and participants. We look forward to working with the
additional 11 billion rupees for the transmission lines,” company during the next phase of its expansion.”
the source briefed. Simon King of Octopus Ventures commented: “Origami
Energy has a compelling proposition for the rapidly-
With the completion of the project, Nepal will get 21.9
evolving distributed energy market. It is making excellent
percent of the total electricity produced in a year i.e.,
197 MW electricity with 86 crore unit for free in a year. progress in commercialising its technology platform to
meet the challenges and opportunities presented by a
changing energy landscape.”
Origami Energy raises £18.6m series ‘B’ Peter Bance, chief executive of Origami Energy
funding commented: “The continued support of our existing
Origami Energy, technology platform provider to the shareholders and Aggreko’s major investment in
energy market, today announces that its latest funding our company demonstrates their confidence in our
round, completed in March, has raised a total of £18.6m. business growth. Furthermore, our recent partnership
This takes the total funds raised by the company to announcements with SmartestEnergy and Good Energy
£36m since 2014 and includes the major investment demonstrate that innovative energy market players
from FTSE-listed Aggreko plc, the global leader in realise the value in using our intelligent technology
on-site power generation with a presence in over 100 platform to improve their profitability by enabling new
countries. Current investors who participated in this services.”
funding round include Octopus Ventures, Cambridge Energy flexibility (the ability for generation, storage and
Innovation Capital, and Fred. Olsen related companies. demand assets to turn up/down or on/off) is growing
Over the last 12 months Origami Energy has progressed in importance globally as the industry embraces the
from deploying commercial projects with industrial structural changes resulting from decentralisation,
and commercial customers to signing multi-year decarbonisation and digitalisation. By harnessing
partnership agreements with leading energy suppliers energy flexibility, Origami Energy’s technology enables
including SmartestEnergy (owned by Marubeni, the greater use of renewables and increases profitability for
Japanese-headquartered global trading company) and energy market participants including energy suppliers,
the renewables specialist Good Energy plc. traders and distributed energy asset owners.
90 May 2018
InternationalNews
FirstEnergy Solutions begins bankruptcy Son told reporters the “two visions have come together
to create clean, sustainable, low-cost and productive
Attorneys for FirstEnergy Solutions and six affiliated
renewable energy”.
debtors are to appear in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Tuesday
to begin Chapter 11 proceedings before Judge Alan A government-backed plan to develop more than
M. Koschik, a move that parent company FirstEnergy 100GW of solar in the Kingdom stuttered and stalled
Corp. sees as a necessary step for it to remain viable despite great fanfare. A more conservative tender
and start anew. programme open to private investors has been more
FirstEnergy is one of America’s largest utilities. It for successful with 300MW of solar already awarded. It is
years had owned the Davis-Besse nuclear plant east targeting more than 9GW of renewable deployment by
of Toledo, the Perry nuclear plant east of Cleveland, 2023 and 3.3GW of solar tenders in 2018 alone.
the twin-reactor Beaver Valley nuclear complex west
of Pittsburgh, and one of the nation’s largest coal-fired
power plants, the Sammis plant in eastern Ohio, as well
Suzlon installs and commissions S128;
as the much smaller Bay Shore power plant in Oregon, India’s largest wind turbine generator
which in 2012 shut down its last three coal-fired units Suzlon Group, India’s largest renewable energy
but has continued producing electricity from one unit solutions provider, has announced the installation
that has operated on petroleum coke from the nearby and commissioning of its new product, S128; the
BP-Husky refinery since 2000. largest wind turbine generator (WTG) in India. The
first prototype of S128 has been commissioned at the
SoftBank, China’s GCL team up for $930 Sanganeri, site in Tamil Nadu. Testing is underway with
million Indian solar venture certification expected in Q3 of Calendar Year 2018
(CY2018). The S128 WTG is available in 2.6 MW to 2.8
Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp has agreed to launch
MW variants and offers hub heights up to 140 meters.
a $930 million Indian joint solar energy venture with
Chinese firm GCL System Integration Technology Co The S128 wind turbine generator is the latest addition to
as part of its India solar investment roadmap. Suzlon’s product portfolio and features the time tested
The venture will work on photovoltaic technology, which Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) technology.
is used in solar panels. GCL will provide technology and It also consists of the country’s largest rotor blade
SoftBank will assist in obtaining land and regulatory measuring 63 meters and has a rotor diameter of
approvals, GCL said in a filing to the Shenzhen stock 128 meters. The SB 63 blade has been engineered
exchange dated Friday. and developed by Suzlon utilizing carbon fiber which
provides the capability to utilize thinner aerodynamic
SoftBank said in 2015 that it would invest up to $20 profiles. This technology provides excellent performance
billion along with Foxconn Technology and Bharti
in low wind sites. The S128 series offers ~33% more
Enterprises in solar projects in India and aimed to have
swept area (12,860 m2) and is expected to deliver
a capacity of up to 20 gigawatts (GW).
~32% more energy generation compared to the S111.
India has set a target to achieve an operational solar It is designed to optimally harness wind resources at
power capacity of 100 GW by 2022, five times current higher altitudes making low wind sites viable. This next
levels, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s renewable generation turbine is well equipped to improve energy
energy strategy. yield and support competitive tariff environment in India
while protecting customers return on investment (ROI).
Softbank Vision Fund to seed investment in J.P. Chalasani, Group CEO, Suzlon Group said “The
200GW of Saudi Arabian solar S128 wind turbine is going to be a revolutionary product
in India. It has been our continuous effort to reduce the
The Softbank Vision Fund will begin a major investment
levelised cost of energy (LCoE) and we continue to
partnership with Saudi Arabia that could see 200GW of
invest in R&D with an aim to develop technologically
solar generation capacity installed.
advanced and innovative products. It is a proud
In comments to reporters in New York that have been moment for us to manufacture, install and commission
reported widely, Softbank chief Masayoshi Son said the the largest wind turbine generator in the country. With
first phase would involve the development of 7.2GW of its reduced levelised cost of energy (LCoE), cost
solar. Softbank’s Vision Fund will provide US$1 billion effective design and superior performance S128 will
of the total US$5 billion required. Project finance will be unlock unviable sites and set new benchmarks in the
sought for the remainder. Indian wind industry”
By 2030 the collaboration could yield 200GW of Duncan Koerbel, Chief Technology Officer (CTO),
generation capacity including energy storage and Suzlon Energy, said “Our focus is on developing efficient
Saudi-based manufacturing for PV modules. turbines that ensure higher ROI to our customers. The
Saudi Arabia has a young, growing population, soaring prototype of the S128 is delivering close to conventional
electricity demand and a desire under the country’s fuel competitive Plant Load Factor (PLF). We are
new leadership to aggressively diversify its economy. leveraging the S128 technology to further grow our
The package of reforms are collectively referred to as portfolio to bring offshore size technology onshore to
Vision 2030. India and other developing markets.”
May 2018 91
NationalNews
NATIONALNEWS
92 May 2018
NationalNews
The launch was done through a video conferencing India probes dumping of EVA sheets for
with States where eminent dignitaries including State
Ministers like Dr. Neera Yadav, Hon’ble Minister for solar modules by 5 nations
Labour and Skill Development, Uttar Pradesh and India has initiated a probe into the alleged dumping
Shri Deepak Joshi, Hon’ble Minister of Skills, Madhya of EVA sheets used in solar cell industry, imported
Pradesh, were present. The Ministers engaged to from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and
discuss local challenges and targets to support the Thailand.
project have the best output. The investigation on imports of ‘Ethylene Vinyl Acetate
(EVA) sheets for solar modules’ is carried out by the
As the scheme is to be implemented across the Directorate General of Antidumping and Allied Duties
country with 200 districts as major focus area, the (DGAD), which is an arm of the commerce ministry.
skilling initiatives are proposed to be delivered in In the probe, the directorate would determine the
a decentralized mode at district level. The training existence, degree and effect of the dumped products
infrastructures available with ITI’s at district level as on the domestic industry.
well as the infrastructures available with the State If established that dumping had caused material injury
Power Distribution Utilities will be utilized for skill training to domestic players, the DGAD would recommend
of the candidates ensuring successful implementation imposition of anti-dumping duty on the imports of the
of the scheme. sheet from these nations.
May 2018 93
CorporateNews
CORPORATENEWS
Vedanta Chairman Commits to Ramp up enterprise in defence electronics and tactical systems,
have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Zambia Operations to cater to the needs of evolving domestic and export
Anil Agarwal, the Chairman of Vedanta Resources Plc, markets for defence products and systems.
outlined a Path to Growth for the Konkola Copper Mines
The MoU seeks to leverage the capabilities of both
(KCM), a Zambian subsidiary of the diversified global
the firms for meeting the growing requirements of the
mining and resources company. The Chairman also
Indian Armed Forces. The MoU also intends to leverage
expressed confidence in what he sees as the start of an
the well-developed supply chain, vast experience and
African economic resurgence driven by various metals.
expertise of BEL and L&T to synergise and enhance
Mr. Agarwal, who is on a two-day visit to Zambia, where exports in the defence sector.
he has attended the India-Zambia Business forum, said
Mr. Jayant Patil, Whole-time Director (Defence) and
Vedanta was fully committed to supporting KCM’s plans Member of L&T Board, said: “This MoU offers an
to increase production to 400,000 metric tonnes per opportunity for public-private sector partnership
annum in the next few years. The growth will be driven by between two industry leaders in Defence Equipment
an injection of $700 million, following Vedanta’s previous & Systems to synergise their strengths to deliver to
injection of $3 billion (comprising the $1 billion pledge of the Indian Armed Forces and to the export market
fresh investments made by Mr Agarwal in 2017) contemporary products with high indigenous content.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the Zambia-India Business The decision to formalise the partnership through this
forum, the Chairman said that KCM will construct a new MoU, a key milestone for both L&T and for BEL in
cobalt refinery, a coal-fired power plant, a training school their long-term relationship, was made after extensive
for upskilling local talent and continue to invest in local evaluation and identifying the core competencies and
communities in the areas of education, health, sport strong synergies between the two of them. L&T and BEL
and poverty eradication and sustainable livelihoods. have collaborated and partnered on co-development
Mr Agarwal commented: “I was eager to come to and production of major subsystems involving complex
Zambia almost 15 years ago at a time when KCM was technologies and sophisticated weapon systems such
facing a lot of challenges. We have now created a strong as Akash Missile launchers and other radar platforms
position for KCM after investing over $3 billion. Last year for Indian MoD orders.
I pledged to invest an extra $1 billion. We are targeting L&T has been delivering a range of launcher systems, fire
strong growth for KCM in the years ahead. control systems and airframes / sub-systems for various
Mr Agarwal said Zambia remains one of Africa’s indigenous weapon programmes as development
preferred investment destinations and that further partners and production agency to DRDO and DPSUs.
improvements to investment climate, stability in the tax By synergising L&T’s manufacturing, system design &
regime and affordable power would attract still more integration capabilities and extensive global footprint
foreign direct investment to the country. Zambia has with BEL’s core competencies in electronic equipment
an excellent pool of talent, which Vedanta and KCM will & systems, the companies look forward to enhancing
continue to nurture. their product range, jointly evolve new products and
enhance business prospects.
L&T and BEL sign MoU for Defence NPCIL joins hands with NSDC to support
Products and Systems Skill India Mission
In line with the efforts to indigenise the defence sector Aiming to contribute towards economic and sustainable
under ‘Make in India’ initiative, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), development of the communities, National Skill
India’s multinational engineering conglomerate, and Development Corporation (NSDC) has signed a
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a leading public sector memorandum of understanding with Nuclear Power
94 May 2018
CorporateNews
Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to provide skill out with various engagement plans and marketing
training to 500 youth and women at Kudankulam in initiatives around the tie-up.
Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on the company’s association with RCB in T20
The skill development project will be executed by this season, Mr.Gautam Seth, Joint Managing Director,
NSDC through its approved training partners near HPL Electric & Power Ltd said, “It is a matter of great
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), the single pride for us to be a part of T20 season and teaming
largest nuclear power station in India, situated in the up with the dynamic Royal Challengers Bangalore. As
Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil HPL Electric is growing and strengthening its presence
Nadu. Under this tripartite agreement between NSDC, in the market, we intend to take the brand to individual
NSDF and NPCIL; NSDC will conduct a baseline survey consumers by making it a household name and to build
in 19 villages in Tirunelveli district to examine nature an instant connect with the wider audience through the
and extent of talent gap and will accordingly identify T20 platform. We are positive that the association will
job roles for the training. The skill development project help us in strengthening our brand image amongst the
aims to provide gainful employment (wage and self- youth.”
employment) to nearly 70% of the trained candidates
post-training. NPCIL has committed INR 1.74 crore The company is on a growth trajectory and is looking to
under its CSR contributions towards this project, which substantially increase the annual budget on marketing
is estimated to be complete in 15 months. this year.
Speaking about the project, Jayant Krishna, ED & Royal Challengers Bangalore Chairman, Amrit Thomas
COO, NSDC said, “NSDC’s Industry Partnerships said, “We are extremely delighted to have HPL Electric
and CSR Wing has been working collaboratively with as the official team partner in LED & Switchgears
various public-sector undertakings and private sector category. Team RCB is synonymous with performance
corporates to leverage their CSR funds towards the Skill and delivery and having a brand like HPL with us which
India which is a nation-building mission. Initiatives such rings in the same values is a great opportunity. We
as these, not only bring positive changes in the lives of look forward to delivering great values to the company
underserved, but also help in capacity building of the through this association.”
local communities and improve economic performance
of the regions, thereby reducing the rural-to-urban
migration.” Sterlite Power’s OPGW facility receives
Commenting on the initiative, Site Director of KKNPP, 17025:2005 accreditation by NABL
Mr. D.S. Choudhary, shared “This initiative by NPCIL Sterlite Power’s Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) facility in
is a part of our commitment towards the welfare of the Silvassa has been granted a prestigious accreditation
people around us. This skill development programme, by National Accreditation Board for Testing and
I hope, will pave a path to social and economic Calibration Laboratories (NABL). This is for the first
growth, especially for the underprivileged sections in time that an OPGW laboratory in India has received
the nearest society.”Upon successful completion of this rating for testing OPGW cables, ACS Wires, Alloy
the training, the trainee will receive a certificate which Wires and Optical Fibres. With this rating, products
conforms to National Skills Qualification Framework manufactured by Sterlite Power in this facility can be
(NSQF), a competency-based framework for skills. The used in user countries without the need for additional
program will also embed soft skills and digital modules. re-testing, resulting in cost savings.
NSDC will ensure quality training and management of
the structured skill development program, while NPCIL Talking about the development, Pratik Agarwal, Group
will monitor the progress of the implementation of the CEO Sterlite Power said, “For India to achieve its “Make
project to ensure that the objective of the project is met in India” vision and supply products of the highest
effectively. standards globally, the country needs ‘state of the art’
testing facilities. This accreditation is a step forward in
that direction and towards playing a greater role in the
HPL Electric ties-up with RCB for T20 global markets.”
Season- 2018 Manish Agarwal, CEO, Solutions Business, Sterlite
HPL Electric & Power Ltd, established electric Power said: “The accreditation by NABL gives our
equipment manufacturing company in India, has tied- customers the assurance that the equipment used and
up with RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) in T20 product provided has passed the highest standards.
this season as the official partner in LED Lighting & This certification demonstrates our commitment to
Switchgears category. As a part of the association, deliver reliable products and to constantly improve the
Royal Challengers Bangalore will sport the company’s development processes.”
branding on its uniform.
Valid for two year, till March 2020, the certificate
The company will further leverage the association establishes that the lab infrastructure operates at the
by using RCB & its associated players in all highest standards for all tests conducted at the facility,
communications related to LED & Switchgears for the including manpower, documentation, calibration and
agreement duration. The company also plans to come the Inter Lab Comparison (ILC) test.
May 2018 95
PowerStatistics
Coal Production
Producers MT Net Exporters MT Net Importers MT
People Rep of China 3242 Australia 389 People Rep of China 247
India 708 Indonesia 367 India 199
United States 672 Russian Federation 147 Japan 189
Australia 503 Colombia 83 Korea 134
Indonesia 460 South Africa 76 Chinse Taipei 66
Russian Federation 365 United States 46 Germany 53
South Africa 257 Mongolia 26 Turkey 36
Germany 176 Kazakhstan 26 Malaysia 29
Poland 131 Canada 24 Thailand 23
Kazakhstan 98 DPR Of Korea 21 Brazil 20
Rest of The World 657 Others 8 Others 215
World 7269 Total 1213 Total 1211
96 May 2018
PowerStatistics
(UTILITIES)
Modewise Breakup Grand
Thermal Total
Ownership/ RES*
Region Nuclear Hydro
Sector Coal Gas Diesel Total (MNRE)
Northern Private 22760.83 558.00 0.00 23318.83 0.00 2514.00 11854.66 37687.49
Region Central 13290.37 2344.06 0.00 15634.43 1620.00 8596.22 329.00 26179.65
Sub Total 52939.20 5781.26 0.00 58720.46 1620.00 19753.77 12873.22 92967.45
Western Private 34285.67 4676.00 0.00 38961.67 0.00 481.00 19473.89 58916.56
Region Central 15042.95 3280.67 0.00 18323.62 1840.00 1520.00 661.30 22344.92
Sub Total 70608.62 10806.49 0.00 81415.11 1840.00 7447.50 20446.38 111148.99
Southern Private 12124.50 5322.10 473.70 17920.30 0.00 0.00 33359.36 51279.66
Region Central 14225.02 359.58 0.00 14584.60 3320.00 0.00 491.90 18396.50
Sub Total 45782.02 6473.66 761.58 53017.26 3320.00 11808.30 34369.28 102514.57
Eastern Private 6375.00 0.00 0.00 6375.00 0.00 399.00 803.29 7577.29
Region Central 13876.64 0.00 0.00 13876.64 0.00 1005.20 10.00 14891.84
Sub Total 27321.64 100.00 0.00 27421.64 0.00 4942.12 1038.40 33402.16
Sub Total 520.02 1736.05 36.00 2292.07 0.00 1342.00 282.56 3916.63
Sub Total 0.00 0.00 40.05 40.05 0.00 0.00 12.56 52.61
Sub Total 197171.50 24897.46 837.63 222906.59 6780.00 45293.42 69022.39 344002.39
Source: CEA
May 2018 97
IEEMADatabase
150000
(Rs./MT)
140000
130000
120000
The basic prices and indices are calculated on the basis of raw material prices, exclusive of excise/C.V.
duty wherever manufactures are eligible to obtain MODVAT benefit.
These basic prices and indices are for operation of IEEMA’s Price Variation Clauses for various products.
Basic Price Variation Clauses, explanation of nomenclature can be obtained from IEEMA office.
Every care has been taken to ensure correctness of reported prices and indices. However, no
responsibility is assured for correctness. Authenticated prices and indices are separately circulated
by IEEMA every month. We recommend using authenticated prices and indices only for claiming
price variation.
98 May 2018
IEEMADatabase
Production
Accounting For the From Feb. 17
Name of Product Highest Annual
Unit Month to
Feb 2018 Jan. 18 Production
Electric Motors*
AC Motors - LT 000' KW 1043 11395 11580
AC Motors - HT 000' KW 353 3721 5091
DC Motors 000' KW 40 370 618
AC Generators 000' KVA 1085 12586 11544
Switchgears*
Contactors 000' Nos. 607 9974 9743
Motor Starters 000' Nos. 168 1934 1986
Switch Fuse & Fuse Switch Units Nos. 70637 763995 947878
Miniature Circuit Breakers 000' Poles 10625 156935 159917
Circuit Breakers - LT Nos. 134906 2542653 2736967
Circuit Breakers - HT Nos. 6093 75048 72492
Custom Built Product Rs. Lakhs 78570 266911 265267
HRC Fuses & Overload Relays 000' Nos. 1285 14456 16875
Power Cables* KM 71112 648163 565332
Power Capacitors - LT & HT* 000' KVAR 5203 50539 53417
Transformers
Distribution Transformers 000' KVA 4704 48047 46761
Power Transformers 000' KVA 28559 244443 202036
Instrument Transformers
Current Transformers 000' Nos. 55 601 705
Voltage Transformers Nos. 11574 107968 114488
Energy Meters* 000' Nos. 3665 30123 29317
Transmission Line Towers* 000' MT 112 1159 1250
* Weighted Production
IEEMA Database
May 2018 99
IEEMAActivities
Readers are requested to send their feedback about content of the Journal at
editor@ieema.org
IEEMA Workshop on
Power Transformer Tank Fabrication
ower Transformer division of IEEMA organized Mr. P Ramachandran (ABB), Mr. Rajan Choran (TELK),
P a one day workshop at Vadodara exclusively
for transformer tank fabricators and transformer
Mr. Satish P Sawant (Institute Of Welding and Testing
Technology, Thane, Mumbai www.weldingtesting.org)
manufacturers with the dedicated theme of improving and Meghan M Manjarekar (National Institute of Coating
the quality, surface finish and aesthetics of tanks to Technology, Pune). There were lively discussions and
global standards. This workshop, first of its kind from experience sharing during each session.
IEEMA to support sub –vendors to achieve excellence
In the concluding session chaired by Mr.Manjit S Sethi
was held on March 23, 2018 at Hotel Mercure,
Vadodara. Approximately 170 participants, with nearly the following way forward actions were agreed upon:
equal participation from transformer manufacturers and (a) Formulate a common industry specification for
tank fabricators, attended the workshop. Tank designers, Tank covering fabrication, welding, surface treatment,
quality inspectors, fabrication engineers, welding and painting and testing requirements
painting experts from industry actively participated in
the workshop. (b) Guide lines for fabrication friendly designs meeting
aesthetic requirements
Workshop was opened for deliberations by Power
Transformer Division Chairman, Mr. Manjit S Sethi (c) A standardization and variety reduction Guide –
who emphasized the need for super quality tanks fixing sizes and grades of materials for transformer
with excellent surface treatment and painting to meet industry, standard flanges, man holes and hand holes.
the challenges in the transformer export markets. All these will be compiled in to an IEEMA standard
There were four sessions covering topics viz (a) that will be adopted, in due course, by utilities in their
tank specifications and aesthetic requirements, (b)
specifications as happened in case of IEEMA Standard
materials, fabrications and fitting (c) welding and testing
for Transformer Radiators. Committees are being
(d) surface treatment and painting. Each session had
formed from industry experts to draft the above guides.
an expert key note speech covering current and latest
trends on the topic, followed by summary reports It was also suggested to plan for annual mutual visits
from rapporteurs, covering the supplementary papers by designers and fabricators for close interactions for
and case histories (a total of 32 papers and problem quality improvement. Fabricators should arrange annual
histories from industry members) and bringing out the audit by welding and painting experts to improve their
cardinal learnings from them. Key note speakers were quality and productivity to global levels.
EPCOS AG 89 RE 79
ERDA 41 SCOPE 19
Rajib Chattopadhyay
Head BD & CRM
Phone (D): 0265-3021505, Mobile: 9978940954
E-mail: rajib.chattopadhyay@erda.org
Power Quality Measurement Type-C Goniophotometer
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1000/-
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the leading electrical & electronics monthly
the leading electrical & electronics monthly the leading
the leadingelectrical
electrical&&electronics
electronics monthly
monthly the leading electrical & electronics monthly
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INTELECT 2017
Redefining Electricity for Smarter Living
DistribuELEC
Be ready for Powerplay upto 33kV Power Quality for Smart Grid Special Report
Financial performance of Indian Cover Story
Face 2 Face Electrical Equipment Industry ELECRAMA-2016
Strong political will needed to execute for FY 2015-16
In Depth
proper planning in the power sector : Decline in imports have created an
Mr Pawan Kumar Jain Special Feature optimistic scenario in the Indian EE industry New Tariff Policy
IEEMA Events
2nd TRAFOTECH workshop 2016 Special Report Expert Speak Guest Articles
10th T&D Conclave “E3 - Energize, Empower East” Promoting ELECRAMA Globally Development of nuclear power projects Standardization of PV Wires
15
Energy Convention in India and its challenges Energy Efficiency Measures
Face 2 Face Cover Story
“No Coal based capacity addition is IEEMA Events
IEEMA Annual Convention &
AGM Interactive Session
68th Grid
20nce orn Insight Tech Space
TE
CH nc
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fere rs
RO
required during the years 2017-22” IEEMA Smart a Paris Agreement Commitments and
fere e Power Quality in Grid on este
- Mr S D Dubey, Chairperson, CEA on olg India’s nuclear energy programme
EP l C rr
“Together towards a brighter tomorrow”
Face2Face l C ntr 15 na e A
na Co r 20
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rna n S pril 2 Del
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Opinion Mr Conference
International Anil Swarupon In Focus
rna gea ovem i, Indi Inte als o th A n, New er
Automation in buildings key to Secretary,
“Safe Protective Ministry
Devices of Coal
for Safe Inte itch 27th N ba Economic, social & environmental nd 9
co tori & 2 idie Cov
Energy Efficiency Installations” 9th Sw 6th & Mum 19 elements of power projects Se m Tu 28th e Mer Back
2 cu lL
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1000/-
1800/-
2400/-
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4
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owner gave her the flag. John: An angel!
She asked ... Can you show few more colors A crowd of women in heaven?
John: A host of angels!
What’s Ford?
All the women in heaven?
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Santa: So simple, Bail Gaadi
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