Busway tap-off box whip monitoring

Solution overview

Busway tap-off box whip monitoring using Packet Power’s inline wireless energy monitoring modules is a simple way of augmenting any busway system with modern power monitoring capabilities. It has been deployed worldwide in thousands of units, with multiple systems including Starline, E+I / Vertiv, Siemens, VASS, Anord Mardix and many others. It is fully compatible with Packet Power’s larger energy and environmental monitoring suite.

Benefits

Whip-based monitoring allows monitoring to be added without ANY modifications to the existing tap-off boxes. Both connector-based and connector-less (”wired whip”) options are available, accommodating all interconnect options (see Figure 1).

Technical overview

Packet Power in-line monitors are constructed without internal connectors, using “hard” cable splices with ratings exceeding the rating of the cable itself, thus minimizing potential points of failure. The monitoring modules use inductively-coupled (shunt-less) current sensors that do not introduce any additional circuit resistance. The modules are designed to fail independently of the monitored circuit, preventing power flow interruptions in case of module failure.

The following pictures shows a sample 63A 3-phase power monitoring module (Packet Power P/N  RG63-005S). The module pictured corresponds to configuration #4 in Figure 1.