Consulting Services
Since its founding in 1986, PowerCET Corporation has focused on improving the productivity and reliability of electronic systems through consulting, education and training programs for client companies. PowerCET stresses an understanding of the electromagnetic environment, the effects of adverse power quality, and the means to identify and correct sources of interference.
The experience of the PowerCET founders provides the basis for the services offered by PowerCET. Bruce Lonie and Tom Shaughnessy, co-founders of PowerCET Corporation, have extensive experience in the investigation and diagnosis of complex electrical environment problems. They both specialize in the application of mitigation equipment to resolve productivity and reliability issues.
Services range from investigation of traditional electrical power problems to the solution of complex interference problems found on local area networks (LANs) and other communication facilities. Test and measurement procedures include low and high frequency observation, testing and problem resolution. Field experience and research efforts by PowerCET’s founders have resulted in the development of proprietary monitoring equipment, procedures, and software to automate the data collection and analysis process.
PowerCET Canada was established effective January 1, 1997 in partnership with Better Technologies Corporation (BTC) of Ottawa, Canada. PowerCET Canada is operated as a division of BTC. The professional staff of the Canadian operation services the Canadian market and supplement PowerCET (USA) in domestic and international operations.
Facility Audits and Investigations
PowerCET conducts facility audits and investigations directed at power quality and electromagnetic interference problems. Additional services include lightning risk analysis, and facility-wide evaluation and hardening against the effects of lightning and transients. PowerCET facility investigations follow a thorough, highly-structured format. This proven methodology pinpoints problems and solutions in an efficient, cost-effective manner. In addition to traditional power quality investigative and monitoring techniques, PowerCET’s arsenal includes advanced approaches to gathering and analyzing data across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Main Event, a proprietary data analysis software package, was developed as an outgrowth of PowerCET’s long experience in the power quality analysis field.
Power Quality Monitoring Services and Equipment
PowerCET provides Power Quality Monitoring Services and rents power monitoring equipment to commercial clients nationwide. Power Quality monitoring services by PowerCET include installation, monitoring, data analysis and report preparation. Client reports and monitoring data can be posted on a password protected web site for access by the client or e-mailed directly. PowerCET also rents a variety of standard PQ monitoring equipment configured for the clients needs and provides application support and a review of the collected data as part of the overall rental package. For specific information visit the Rentals section of the web site.
Education, Training, Special Programs
PowerCET educational courses are designed to provide participants with a working understanding of the causes and solutions to power quality problems. Courses range from one-day intensive seminars to in-depth three-day sessions. PowerCET also offers a wide variety of skills-based instructional courses designed to bring participants up to speed on the use of power quality analyzers, energy analyzers, harmonics analyzers and other instrumentation systems. Students completing a PowerCET educational experience are armed with the knowledge to make an immediate contribution.
Course Topics include:
- Power Quality Problems, Analysis and Solutions
- Power Quality Waveform Analysis
- Power Frequency Harmonics & Reactive Power
- Lightning & Transient Protection
- Equipment Sensitivity Issues
- Grounding
- Effects of Adjustable Speed Drives
- UPS System Problems and Solution
Course Descriptions
Detailed course information is available on this web site through the Training menu. In addition all courses can be tailored for in-house programs.
Product Evaluation
PowerCET product testing laboratories maintain the same standards of excellence and impartiality as our consulting services. PowerCET’s laboratory is equipped to test product performance and determine the susceptibility of equipment to power and data line disturbances over the full electromagnetic spectrum. Services include:
- Evaluation of devices and systems for performance against real-world standards
- System profiling and sensitivity testing for EMI, RFI and ESD
- Surge testing of electronic equipment and electrical protection equipment
- Specification and documentation reviews
- Benchmark testing against regulatory standards
PowerCET will investigate manufacturability issues and even recommend design changes to improve product performance.
Lightning Hardening and Protection
PowerCET provides comprehensive consulting services in the field of Lightning Hardening and Protection.
Expert Witness, Stray Voltage and Forensic Studies
Utility companies and corporations must frequently determine the underlying causes for power-related phenomena that have resulted in property and equipment damage, injury and death. Unless careful forensic analysis can prove otherwise, they can face the prospect of expensive legal judgements returned by juries without command of the technical issues or exculpatory evidence.
PowerCET brings the same logical and systematic analysis in arriving at the probable cause for the events in question as we do in our power quality consulting work. An understanding of the myths, popular misconceptions and mistaken beliefs as they apply to electrical phenomena helps identify pitfalls and likely opposition strategies. And as accomplished classroom educators, PowerCET expert witnesses can explain complex issues in clear simple language, easily understood by non-technical members of a jury.
