FAME 3: Fast and Modular Energy Test System

Phoenix Contact's FAME (fast and modular energy) test system is comprised of two components: a base test unit with terminal points and a removable handle that facilitates the test operation. Circuits are wired to the back of the base unit, inside the cabinet. FAME can be configured in 10- or 14-position units to match current industry practices. Technically, FAME can accommodate a range of 4 to 25 positions. The base test unit, which is equipped with ring-lug terminal connections, incorporates jumpers, test plugs, and marking channels. It is installed "through the wall" in the switchgear cabinet door, which enables relay technicians to perform test and measurement operations from outside the cabinet. The base unit matches existing door cutouts, making it ideal for retrofits. The handle, with safety test leads and adapters, plugs into the base test unit for the effective protection, metering, and control of hazardous circuits. To further enhance operator safety, blind plugs (to prevent unintended access) and clear covers can be added.

FAME delivers an advanced approach for testing and system maintenance oflow- and medium-voltage switchgear. FAME incorporates an innovative, pluggable system to perform manual testing of current transformers (CTs) and voltage transformers (VTs) most commonly found behind protective relays in electric power substations. A CT is an inductor placed around a current-carrying device. As the device carries more current, the CT produces more current. Due to the nature of the CT, the current leaving the CT is usually within a 0 A to 5 A range, which is why CT ratings consist of a ratio. For example, a 400-to-5 ratio means the CT will output 5 A with a 400 A flow in the measured primary conductor. Testing CTs requires shorting the current transformer across the secondary terminal to transform line current to values suitable for standard instruments (normally operating on a maximum of 5 A) and to prevent inducing very high voltages. The FAME test system safely and effectively shorts the CT. This makes the impedance negligible so the voltage drop across the CT is negligible, producing a safe operating condition.