NIOSH Mining Laboratory
Mine Electrical Laboratory |
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| A mine electrical cable overload experiment in the Mine Electrical Laboratory |
The Mine Electrical Laboratory supports full-scale testing of mine (and other industrial) electrical power system components, such as cables, motors, circuit breakers, and fuses, as well as experiments involving electrical safety equipment. It is equipped with electrical power supplies capable of delivering high voltage (up to 100 kV ac or dc) and high current (up to 50 kA ac), instrumentation that is regularly calibrated to NIST traceable standards, and a secure control room from which tests and experiments can be controlled and observed safely. It has been used for projects examining mining safety issues such as fuse performance, electric motor failure, trolley system faults, electric motor circuit protection, electrical cable performance, and overhead power line hazards. The Mine Electrical Laboratory can also be utilized when responding to requests for technical assistance by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, private industry, and other NIOSH divisions.
Site: Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
Equipment: Hipotronics 750-KVA Three-Phase and DC Power Source , Robotron 50-KA High Current Source , Hipotronics 100-KV AC and DC High Voltage Sources