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Megger’s portable cable fault locators pack more power!

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Designed specifically to aid rapid, accurate location of cable faults in power systems, thereby cutting downtime and, in distribution installations, costly ‘consumer minutes lost’, cable fault locators in Megger’s new PFL40 range offer a full range of tests from a single compact and easily transportable unit.

Despite their small size, PFL testers perform DC testing at up to 40kV and impulse testing with energies up to 2,000J, a level of performance that is unmatched by any other portable test set currently available.

The latest additions to Megger’s established range of cable fault locators, which embody many of the patents granted to the company in this field, the new PFL40 units offer all of the test facilities needed for cable testing, cable fault diagnosis, pre-location of cable faults, fault conditioning and pin-point location of faults. Users therefore have immediate access to all of the resources needed to deal swiftly with even the most intransigent of cable faults.

PFL40 cable fault locators feature a high-voltage DC test set, complemented by a time domain reflectometer (TDR). The DC test set can be used to prove the integrity of cable networks or to confirm faults at voltages up to 40kV and currents up to 25mA. An operator selectable overcurrent trip is incorporated to protect the system under test in the event of a cable breakdown.

Fault pre-location can be achieved using the TDR in standard pulse echo mode, or by the arc reflection, impulse current or voltage decay methods. Acoustic pinpoint fault location, using the PFL40’s high voltage, high-energy surge generator, is also supported.

For intermittent or unstable faults, PFL40 testers offer a choice of fault conditioning features. In proof/burn mode, after cable breakdown has occurred, the testers apply a high current that stabilises the fault, making it much easier to locate. Alternatively, the arc reflection method can be used to establish a temporary bridge to earth, enabling standard pulse echo location techniques to be used.

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