2012 was a good year for L&S Electric as a company, and an excellent year for this blog. The number of visitors to this site increased by two-thirds and I’ve been fortunate enough to have made several wonderful contacts.
To sum the year up, I’d like to present the 10 most viewed articles on WATTS Up. A couple of them may seem redundant, however those articles approach the same topic from a different angle:
1. The Top 10 Biggest Wastewater Treatment Plants
Interesting article from Engineering News Record:
Opportunities in the wastewater sector continue to grow, particularly in developing countries. Although large wastewater systems are being built around the globe, the market is changing, with new approaches to looking at wastewater and different mechanisms emerging for financing projects.
The global wastewater market should reach $27.5 billion in 2012, with work divided roughly evenly between developed and developing countries, according to Lux Research, a Boston-based research firm. Full Article
2. Differences Between Electric Motors and Generators
Electric Motor vs Generator
Electricity has become an inseparable part of our life; more or less our whole lifestyle is based on the electrical equipment. Energy is converted from many forms to the form of electrical energy, to power up all these devices. The electric motor is a device which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. On the other hand, devices are used to transform electrical energy into mechanical as required. The motor is the device that performs this function. Full Article
3. Generator 101: What is the difference between AC and DC Generators?
Our services centers provide rotating apparatus repair throughout the upper Midwest and upper Great Plains. Motors, gearbox, and generators fall under that purview.
Generator 101: What is the difference between AC and DC Generators?
An AC generator consists essentially of a long loop of wire called an armature that rotates between the poles of a magnet. The armature is rotated between the poles by the shaft of a fuel powered engine. As the armature rotates it cuts through the magnetic field that exists between the poles of the magnet, thus inducing a current of electricity in the armature. The armature supplies current to an external circuit through slip rings and brushes.
DC generators operate according to the same electromagnetic principles as the AC generator. The major difference between the two is the way in which the induced electromotive force is collected and transferred to an external circuit. Full Article
4. VFD vs. Softstarters
Another device that is available that can do similar is known as the soft starter. There are some fundamental differences between these two and understanding the differences can show you the benefits that the VFD has over the soft starter. For example, when you’re using a soft starter, the motor is started at a reduced voltage and when it has reached full speed, the soft starter is going to kick into play. With a VFD, you have the ability to be able to vary the speed of the motor as it is operating by regulating the output frequency from the VFD. To break it down more simply, a soft starter may be fine if you’re only going to start the motor and ramp it up to full speed, but if any variation is going to be needed, variable frequency drives should be considered. The additional cost of the variable frequency drives will be well worth it when you need it for this purpose and will eventually pay for themselves in energy savings. Full Article
5. Rotating Apparatus Lubrication 101
In the world of rotating machinery, smooth is an important idea. No vibration, no misalignment, smooth running machinery. Lubrication is vital to the health and well-being of machinery of all sizes, not to mention preventing stress headaches for the maintenance people in charge of those pieces of equipment.
With that in mind, here are three areas for you to consider in the realm of lubrication: Full Article
6. Stator-Related Issues
Stator-related failures account for a large portion of all electrical problems on AC motors. The cause of most stator faults is insulation breakdown that leads to winding failure. Full Article
7. Soft Starters vs. Variable Frequency Drives
Pumps, motors, compressors and mixers all require a different means of starting up and finally getting them up and running. Essential to our daily living, the above mentioned devices need to run in top shape in order to be of good use and be able to start right when we need them and where we need them. However, it is often a good point of discussion just how we need the said devices to be used. With an ongoing economic crisis, how can we be practical in using our machinery and at the same time get the best out of them as well? Full Article
8. A Failure to Communicate > VFD Adoption
Communication problems are the basis for almost all conflicts, both a cause and effect. Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, misunderstandings lead to much worse. Once that conflict begins, communication between the parties becomes strained at best, nonexistent at worst.
Communication, argues Dick Caro, could be the culprit in the lack of companies adopting variable frequency drive (VFD) technologies in industrial settings: Full Article
9. Bearings: The Dangers of Over-greasing
Bearing malfunctions are responsible for 51% of all electric motor failures. There’s a variety of reasons why bearings fail, but regarding this post, we’re going to focus on over-greasing.
In an article written at the Machinery Lubrication website, Josh Pickle writes about the dangers of over-greasing: Full Article
10. Gushing with Energy: ND Bakken Oil Production
A couple of years ago, when the recession first made its presence known, if somebody would’ve predicted that North Dakota would be the vanguard of a resurgence in domestic energy production, I’m willing to bet people would’ve scoffed.
However, times have indeed changed. Bakken Business Journal takes a peek at the evolution of North Dakota becoming a major player in the energy game: Full Article
On behalf of L&S Electric, thank you for making us a part of your 2012 online reading!