HindlePower at 2012 IEEE-PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exhibition
Orlando, FL
This year's IEEE-PES T&D Conference and Exhibition, arguably the most prominent and important event in the Utility Industry, will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL on May 7 through 10, 2012. This 4-day venue brings together several hundred industry professionals for conference topics and exhibits focused on power transmission and distribution. HindlePower will, once again, be exhibiting at this event (Booth # 3383). Exhibits run May 8 through 10, 2012. We look forward to seeing you there!
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HindlePower at Battcon 2012
Hollywood, FL
We are pleased to announce that HindlePower, Inc. will be exhibiting and speaking at the 16th annual Battcon® 2012 International Stationary Battery Conference and Trade Show to be held at the Westin Diplomat Resort, Hollywood, Florida on May 15 through May 17, 2012.
Battcon® is a three day, non-commercial, technical event for storage battery users from a broad range of industries. It is the premier conference for end-users, technologists, and manufacturers.
The event features a two day trade show packed with storage power related vendors, plus optional seminars with CEU's awarded.
Users, manufacturers of batteries and battery test equipment, installers, researchers, and standards and safety experts attend the conference to learn about and discuss the latest industry developments.
This year, Matthew Theriault, Engineering and Technical Support, will be presenting a paper entitled: "Unusual Features and Options Requested for Battery Charger."
Matt's paper discusses the migration history of several DC bus options requested in battery chargers. While these requests are made in an effort to achieve system reliability and cost savings from additional ancillary product purchases, this practice may, in fact, add liability to the DC bus.
Follow the links above to the official websites for both conferences where you can make reservations. We look forward to seeing you at these events!
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REVISED CHARGER AC INPUT CURRENT DATA
Due to inconsistencies in our published information, HindlePower Engineering has re-calculated and revised the Maximum AC Input Current Data for all AT10, AT30 and SCR Series Battery Chargers. The new values are listed on our document DC5016-00.
We are currently reviewing and revising all documentation including product literature. Updated information will be posted on our website, followed by a reprint of all affected collateral materials. We will update you as we work to complete this revision project.
Tech Tip: dBrn Who? Handling requests for C Message Weighting Noise Limits
My customer is asking for the charger to have 32 dBrnC acoustic noise. What is this?
Actually, it's electrical noise, not acoustic noise. This is a specification designed to limit the electrical noise that the charger produces in the voice band in telecommunications equipment. Think of the hum or static that you sometimes hear on the telephone.
What do you mean by voice band?
The charger has a dc output, right? Is the charger going to start talking?
No, but this spec has to do with telecommunication equipment that may be powered by the dc bus. This could be a telephone system. The customer wants to be sure that any noise on the dc output of the charger won't interfere with voice communications.
He's ordering a filtered charger. There shouldn't be any noise...right?
Almost right. A charger's dc filter reduces the ripple, which is measured in millivolts (mV), and is usually 30 mV or less for a filtered charger. But the ripple frequency is 120 Hz for a single phase charger. The voice band is higher, running from about 300 to about 3500 Hz. The dc output voltage of the charger can, and usually does, have some noise in this frequency range. Your customer wants to be sure that the noise in those frequencies is controlled. Usually, the ripple filter does take care of it.
So what does dBrnC mean?
dB (decibel) is a relative measurement of noise, including acoustic noise. That's why there is sometimes some confusion, because chargers also have an acoustic noise spec, measured in dB(A). But in this case we're measuring electrical noise.
rn simply stands for reference noise. The reference in this case is a power level of 1 picowatt (pW). That's a pretty low number – one millionth of a microwatt.
And the C refers to the filter used to shape the frequency response inside the voice band. The shape of the filter is shown in the figure below. When we use this filter to measure the noise, we say that we have a C message weighted signal.
I looked at that curve. You also have something in there called CCITT something, but the two curves look almost the same.
CCITT is the old name for an ITU (Internal Telecommunications Union) agency that prepares telecomm standards. In other words, it's the international standard, equivalent to the C Message weighting standard used in the U.S.
All right, let's see if I understand this. There's noise on the output of the charger. We're going to pass that electrical noise through your C filter, and then measure the voltage. But how do we get that translated into dBrnC?
Well, we're using a special test set, of course. The test set has the filter built in, and it also provides a 600 Ohm standard load. When we measure the filtered voltage on that 600 Ohm resistor, we can calculate power. The test set is already scaled to a reference level of 1 pW, and so we end up with a measurement in dBrnC.
Or, we can just stop when we get the power, if we've been asked to meet the psophometric weighted limits.
The sophomoric?
The psophometric weighting curve is the one specified in the ITU-T standard 0.41. That used to be called the CCITT standard. You noticed earlier that it's almost the same as the C weighting curve. Customers sometimes ask for a psophometric measurement, but usually they want a C message weighted spec.
Figure courtesy of Lindos7 through Wikipedia
I think I follow. But I need to know the bottom line. What am I supposed to order?
A charger with a standard dc filter will meet the 32 dBrnC requirement. To meet the 26 dBrnC spec, order a battery eliminator filter option on the charger.
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NEWS December 2011
Revised list of AT SERIES 3rd PARTY AGENCY APPROVALS now available! !
Introducing Roy Gates as the newest member of the HindlePower Family
It is our sincere privilege to announce Roy Gates has joined our organization as the newest member of the HindlePower Sales and Marketing Team.
Roy is a seasoned professional, bringing with him over 25-years' experience in the industrial standby battery business. During that time, Roy fulfilled many roles including battery installation and service, product training and sales management. As a sought after speaker within the IEEE Continuing Education Community, Roy has presented several papers on selection, sizing and configuration of all types of energy storage devices. Specific to stationary chargers, Roy's input was instrumental in the design and manufacture of both our Single-Cell and Universal Maintenance Chargers.
Roy also brings with him a unique customer perspective, having worked with both HindlePower and Hitran as a long-time channel partner. His customer-focused insights will prove vital in allowing us to provide a higher level support to your needs. Roy's expertise, commitment and enthusiasm will be focused on ensuring your success. His role includes RFQ review/price quotations, joint sales appointments, customer presentations and trade show support, to name a few.
Please join us in welcoming Roy Gates to the HindlePower Family.
TECH TIP!
AT SERIES CHARGERS
Voltmeter Calibration with Temperature Compensation Option
The AT10.1 voltmeter is adjusted at the factory to display the actual output voltage within
±0.25%. If you replace any component that affects meter accuracy, such as the main control
circuit board or R4, you should readjust the meter.
1) Turn off (open) the charger's dc breaker and then the ac breaker.
2) Disconnect the temperature probe from the Main Control Board by removing the two
wires from TB8 at the bottom of the Main Control Board.
3) Close the dc breaker and then close the ac breaker.
4) Adjust the float voltage to the desired value.
5) Press and hold the UP key, then press the EQLZ MTHD key
- The DC VOLTS METER MODE indicator will light, and the meter display flashes the
output voltage reading.
6) Measure the output voltage of the AT charger using a dc meter accurate to ±0.25% or
better. (Measure at REMOTE SENSE terminals if using REMOTE SENSE option).
7) While watching the meter connected to the charger's output (not the front panel meter),
press the UP or DOWN key until the actual output voltage matches the float setting on the
front panel meter.
- Each time you press UP or DOWN, you change the charger's output voltage by a small
amount. Continue to press UP or DOWN until the actual output voltage agrees with the
front panel reading within ±0.25%.
- Allow one or two seconds for the output voltage to stabilize each time you press the UP
or DOWN key.
8) When you are finished adjusting the output voltage, the charger waits 5 seconds, then the
display returns to normal operation.
9) Turn off (open) the charger's dc breaker and then the ac breaker.
10) Reconnect the temperature probe to TB8 of the Main Control Board.
11) Close the dc breaker and then close the ac breaker.
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NEWS November 2011
Did you receive the most recent HindlePower News?
We just released our November issue of our monthly email newsletter. If you didn't receive the email in your inbox you can click the link below to see the November issue. You can join our mailing list by entering your email address in the box at the top of this page.
NERC Events
Prepared by Art Salander - Business Development, Applications Engineering
As of this writing the NERC Standard PRC-005-2 has been modified at least 8 times since its first inception on June 5, 2007. The most recent version came out in draft form on August 11th, 2011.
Our focus with regard to PRC-005-2 has been on those items that would reflect the DC portion of this draft. It seems, from the current version, the authors have now further defined the differences between those items that need to be maintained and those that may just be reported. The basics of this standard has not changed; that is, provide a standard practice to help ensure electric reliability by developing a standard for verification, monitoring, testing, inspection and calibration.
With regard to the battery portions of this system, including the chargers, we only need to look at Table 1-4 to see what the committee is trying to accomplish. At this point, the committee has set a series of tasks in which either specified periodic inspections or monitoring may be used. Table 1-4f provides for items that could exclude inspections by performing electronic dc monitoring. If you monitor certain key attributes of a battery system you may eliminate the periodic checks mentioned in Table 1-4a through e. At this point, as you provide for specific monitoring you eliminate the need for periodic maintenance.
The way the current standard is going, if you have enough remote monitoring you never would have to actually look at the battery system at all! While this sounds good at the surface, an amalgam of inspections and monitoring is your best bet to provide reliability. A requirement for careful maintenance planning is the best solution as no one device will provide the complete and universal NERC solution for battery monitoring. If such a single NERC solution device exists, maintaining that device might be more complicated then maintaining the battery itself!
We are interested in your opinions. Please E-Mail me directly at asalander@hindlepowerinc.com with your opinion about NERC requirements and solutions. We will publish the best one's in our upcoming E-Newsletters
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NRTL 3rd Party Certifications
Prepared by Art Salander - Business Development, Applications Engineering
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is the agency of the US Government tasked with certifying independent testing laboratories in the USA for the purpose of providing 3rd party certifications. OSHA currently lists 17 laboratories as NRTL (NRTL – National Recognized Testing Laboratory). You may see the current list of NRTLs at http://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl.
NRTL Program recognizes and certifies private sector organizations as NRTLs. Recognition signifies that an organization has met the necessary qualifications specified in the regulations for the program. The NRTL determines that specific equipment and materials ("products") meet consensus-based standards of safety to provide the assurance, required by OSHA, and that these products are safe for use.
The quagmire associated with 3rd party certifications can be very confusing. Many people are in doubt about what it really means to test a product and provide a 3rd party certification. Most Americans will request a UL listing without realizing that Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent, private, not for profit corporation formed in 1894 to provide fire safety standards for products manufactured in the United States. UL is not a government agency and has no official powers to regulate product merchantability, nor is it a preferred resource by OSHA.
For many years HindlePower used Canadian Standards Association (CSA) its NRTL testing. CSA is also a participant in OSHA's "Cooperative Arrangement between the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC)". This allows us to use a single point firm to provide both our Canadian and US domestic NRTL certification thereby eliminating duplication.
NEWS October 2011
Are you in need of HindlePower Literature, Drawings or Manuals?
As a reminder, we maintain an inventory of product literature available to you for sales appointments, presentations, trade shows, etc. If you would like to receive any of our hard-copy brochures, please complete the request form (offered in both Word andAdobe Acrobat formats) and return to us via email or fax. Instructions are printed on the form. Also, our web-site contains additional collateral materials such as operations manuals, drawings
and instructions.
Best regards, Gary Guagliardi
Director Sales & Marketing .__________________________________________________________
NEWS August 2011
Manufacturing is hardly dead!
You've heard it before -- manufacturing is dead. Not so, says our own Bill Hindle. Industries are hiring; they just can't find enough qualified workers. Last Thursday (8/11), Bill and several local company CEOs gathered at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA, as part of the Lehigh Valley Manufacturing Summit. The summit joined business leaders with school superintendents and others to meet and figure out ways to teach kids the skills they'll need for the next generation of manufacturing jobs. Click the video above and follow the link to the channel 69 (WFMZ) news story.
HINDLEPOWER becomes a movie star ... with it's supporting role in the Davinci Science Center's "I'm a maker" video series.
A film crew from DaVinci Science Center recently shot a short video at HindlePower as part of their "Summer of Manufacturing" Series. The video offers an overview of the products we build, why we build, and most importantly, the people who build them. The science center's "I'm a Maker" Program highlights local companies by emphasizing the educational importance and economic benefits manufacturing offers on their local communities.
In addition to the video, HindlePower constructed and donated an interactive display located in the Science Centers' Wing entitled "How People Make Things." Inspired by the Mister Roger's Factory Tours, the displays engages visitors actively through the entire manufacturing process for making a variety of products made here in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.
We hope you have as much fun watching the video as we did participating in it.
The DaVinci Science Center's "Summer of Manufacturing" is taking place now through October 16, 2011. If you're in the Allentown area, stop by and check it out.
Here's a link to the science center's web-site: davincisciencecenter.org
HINDLEPOWER participates in DaVinci Science Center's "How People Make Things, Summer of Manufacturing"
The Summer of Manufacturing is anchored by the Da Vinci Science Center's presentation of the How People Make Things exhibit, inspired by the Mister Rogers' Factory Tours. This blockbuster exhibit engages visitors actively through the entire manufacturing process for making crayons, golf carts, ice cream cups, baseball gloves, and other familiar products.
In addition to the How People Make Things Exhibit, DaVinci Science Center is presenting a region-wide Summer of Manufacturing initiative throughout eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. Summer of Manufacturing highlights the powerful, vibrant manufacturing driving economy and culture throughout eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, the region's manufacturing heritage, and the cutting-edge manufacturing that will provide the future's products and services.
When HindlePower was approached to be part of this initiative we jumped at the chance to participate. Our exhibit focuses on converting AC to DC power and allows the visitors the chance to create a "diode bridge". We are excited to be participating in an initiative that focuses on conveying, to children, the importance and validity of manufacturing in Pennsylvania.
If you visit the DaVinci Science Center between June 4 – October 16 make sure to try "Diode Mania" at HindlePower "Harnessing Electricity" booth.
Charlie Dent, United States Congressman representing Pennsylvania's 15th District, visited HindlePower on April 18, 2011. His HindlePower stopover was in keeping with his commitment to get better acquainted with businesses located in his congressional district.
Congressman Dent's visit lasted about 90 minutes. He toured our facility, asked questions and appeared very interested in our company culture. At the conclusion of his plant tour, Congressman Dent spoke to us about the state of the economy on both the local and world stage.
About Charlie Dent:
Charlie Dent was first sworn in to the United States House of Representatives in January 2005. He represents Pennsylvania's 15th District, which includes all or parts of Lehigh, Northampton, Montgomery, and Berks counties. Congressman Dent currently serves on two House committees: Appropriations and Ethics.
HindlePower to attend Battcon® 2011 International Stationary Battery Conference and Trade Show
We are pleased to announce that HindlePower, Inc. will again be exhibiting at the 15th annual Battcon® 2011 International Stationary Battery Conference and Trade Show, to be held May 16 through 18, 2011 at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida.
Battcon 2011® is a three day, non-commercial, technical event for stationary battery users from a broad range of markets including Utility, Telecom, UPS and Industrial. It is the premier conference for end-users, technologists, and manufacturers.
This conference includes a two-day trade show packed with DC Power related vendors. HindlePower's booth number is 114-116.
A broad cross section of attendees including Battery, Battery Test Equipment and DC Power Manufacturers, End Users, Engineering Firms, EF&I Integrators, and Standards & Safety experts. The goal of the conference is to discuss and learn more about product and industry related issues including new industry developments.
Art Salander, Business Development and Application Engineer, has been accepted by the Battcon® Technical Committee to deliver a paper at this upcoming conference. His topic involves the use of steering diodes in engineering more reliable dc systems for critical applications. Art's paper is entitled Designing More Reliable Battery Systems Using Steering Diodes, aka Best Battery Selectors.
We will also be showcasing our AT10.1 Series Microprocessor-controlled battery chargers, Best Battery Selectors and DC Systems including our outdoor Consoles and Trailers.
If you plan on attending, please stop by our booth to say hello. We look forward to seeing you in Orlando at the world's premier stationary battery conference.
Everyone at HindlePower would like to extend a "Thank You and Congratulations" to Manuel "Manny" Ramirez for his 40 years of continued service and commitment to HindlePower. If you see Manny around our production facility please stop by and thank him for helping to ensure the quality & integrity of HindlePower products for 40 years.
Thank you Manny. We are proud to have you as member of our team and we look forward to working with you for many years to come.
We are
very pleased to announce another new addition to our HindlePower
Family. Kyle
Huggins
joined our organization recently as our new Marketing &
Communications Assistant. Please join me in welcoming Kyle to HindlePower.
I
would like to take a moment to introduce myself as the newest addition
to the HindlePower team. As a Marketing &
Communications Assistant, I will be responsible for creating and
implementing innovative approaches for better communication with you and
the markets we serve. Activities include updating visual tools to
enhance and amplify the benefits of our products and services to better
assist in your sales endeavors.
Working
closely with
Gary Guagliardi, Director
of Sales and Marketing, we will be collaborating on several projects
including web-site enhancements for easier site navigation, a product
photo library, flash technology for instructional video and links to
social media. Another project involves revised literature with a
fresh layout and new photos, along with a newly designed trade show
booth.
I
graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2008, with a
B.A. Degree in Studio Art and a concentration in graphic design. I
have three years experience as an in-house designer working with
multiple freelance clients. I'm excited to begin tackling this
new, challenging position. A key goal is to create a heightened
brand aesthetic bridging the quality of our products with our valued
sales channels who promote and sell them.
I am
confident that my skills in design and photography will greatly assist
in connecting you with your customers and prospects. I am very
excited and look forward to meeting and working with you.
Sincerely,
Kyle
Huggins
Marketing & Communications Assistant
HindlePower, Inc.
1075 Saint John Street
Easton, PA 18042
Office: 610.330.9000 (ext. 227)
Fax: 610.330.8510
NEWS April 2010
HindlePower at Battcon 2010
We are
pleased to announce that HindlePower, Inc. will again be
exhibiting at the 14th annual Battcon®
2010 International Stationary Battery Conference and Trade Show,
to be held May 17 through 19, 2010 at the Westin Diplomat Hotel in
Hollywood, Florida.Battcon®
2010 is a three day, non-commercial, technical
event for stationary battery users from a broad range of markets
including Utility, Telecom, UPS and Industrial. It is the premier
conference for end-users, technologists, and manufacturers.
This
conference includes a two-day trade show packed with DC Power related
vendors. HindlePower's booth number is 415-417.
A broad cross section of
attendees include Battery, Battery Test Equipment and DC Power
Manufacturers, End Users, Engineering Firms, EF&I Value-added
Integrators, and Standards & Safety experts. The goal of the conference
is to learn and discuss more about product and industry related issues
and new developments.
Matt
Theriault, our Product Specialist, has
once again been accepted by the Battcon®
Technical Committee to deliver a paper at this upcoming
conference. His topic involves designing dc systems in
substations, considering repair and maintenance. It is entitled Battery
Circuits for Stationary Applications Designed for the Long Haul.
If you are
planning on attending Battcon®
2010, please stop by our booth to say hello. We look
forward to seeing you in Hollywood at The World's Leading Stationary Battery Conference.
HindlePower
Now Offering Customized DC Power Trailers
Going beyond manufacturing
merely battery chargers, HindlePower continues to evolve by offering custom engineered products such as our new mobile
dc power systems.
Utility power outages are unpredictable and require immediate response when these interruptions occur.
The ability to respond quickly with a reliable backup dc power source is crucial to restoring
a commercial utility. To that end, HindlePower is pleased to offer our
Customized DC Power
Trailer. These trailers are equipped with a complete mobile
dc power system, custom engineered and outfitted to meet your specific requirements.
Trailer construction is of course DOT-approved. HindlePower
offers both lower-profile systems, accessible from outside panels, and
even larger walk-in mobile facilities with user work stations.
The DC
Power Trailer is often equipped with battery chargers, batteries,
battery & ac power cable reels, internal or external transfer
switches, ac & dc power distribution, and even a diesel-powered
backup ac generator if needed. These systems are also offered with
additional options such as battery spill containment, eye wash stations,
internal baseboard heating, venting and cooling fans, air conditioning,
interior lighting, standard GFI outlets, and exterior power receptacles.
Feel free to browse the
photo gallery below, featuring images of some of
the Customized
DC Power Trailer systems that HindlePower has supplied to the field.
HindlePower provides total
EF&I (engineer, furnish and install) services with these
trailers, and delivers a complete and fully tested system prior to shipping.
walk-in
facility type
-
-
-
-
(internal
rear view)
-
-
-
-
A comprehensive set of engineered electro-mechanical drawings are provided as part of this customized product, designed to your specifications.
-
-
-
-
low-profile
panel type
-
-
-
-
(internal
rear view)
Please refer to our preliminary product brochure
JF5041-00, highlighting
the Customized DC Power Trailer features and our overall capabilities.
For pricing on YOURCustomized DC Power Trailer, we ask that you submit a detaled
specification and request for quote (RFQ). HindlePower
is very excited to offer this total system package and look forward to working with you on new sales opportunities.
To find
out more about these systems including other dc power products we offer,
please contact
Gary Guagliardi, Director Sales &
Marketing.
NEWS February
2010
HindlePower
at the 2010 IEEE PES T&D Conference and Exposition
This is the premiere
utility transmission and distribution engineering venue, bringing together
utilities and power providers from around the world to learn the latest engineering standards and to interact with the industry's leading manufacturers. Their program guide offers the following as the purpose for this event:
"The 2010 IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition in New Orleans is designed and organized to provide the international power-delivery community with the information and detail necessary to manage technology and business solutions now and in the decades ahead."
HindlePower will be featuring our AT Series
battery chargers and EPIC Series console, during the associated trade show.
We will announce additional featured products in the months ahead.
Our booth space is 4145-4147. We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
For additional information regarding our participation with this event, please contact
Gary Guagliardi, Director Sales &
Marketing.
Further
HindlePower updates available in Archived
NEWS!
Word
Adobe Acrobat
I
would like to take a moment to introduce myself as the newest addition
to the HindlePower team. As a Marketing &
Communications Assistant, I will be responsible for creating and
implementing innovative approaches for better communication with you and
the markets we serve. Activities include updating visual tools to
enhance and amplify the benefits of our products and services to better
assist in your sales endeavors.
