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  Current Optimisation
  (21 posts)

• Chris Collett said 1 year, 6 months ago:

  Has anyone had an involvement in current optismisation? I am unsure if it works in pratice, however the theory of lowering a cables resistance / I2R losses by pairing free electrons could happen, or is it a bit tooooo far in the future?

• Matthew Hunt said 1 year, 5 months ago:

  Hi Chris

  I would like to see some case studies but suffice to say i am slightly reluctant, if an item of equipment requires for example 10amps, then altering the resistance of the cable would not make any differance whatsoever as they would still require 10 amps, Obviously there would be an improvement in voltage drop but apart from that i cant see the benefits.

• Andy Clarke said 1 year, 5 months ago:

  A technology I am also unaware of; But following the principle of Voltage Optimisation if you reduce the resistance of cabling you increase the voltage at the equipment and therefore use more energy at that point.
  I assume that you actually do Current & Voltage & (presumably Harmonic & Power Factor) Optimisation at the same time?

• Frank le Duc said 1 year, 5 months ago:

  Chris, electrical current optimisation (ECO) is a trademarked technology. It reduces the resistance of the operating load rather than the cables’ resistance. And it introduces paired electrons to the current rather than pairing free electrons. The technology has been in use over the past six years and is now installed in more than 7,000 premises in Europe, Asia and South America.

• Chris Collett said 1 year, 5 months ago:

  Frank, is there any evidence of this technology working and has it been used in this country?

• Matthew Hunt said 1 year, 5 months ago:

  Frank, could you explain what the following means please,

  Electrical Current Optimisation™ results from a combination of rotating electromagnetic waves and far infra-red rays that temporarily pair free electrons. The pre-paired electrons are delivered into the electrical current within the copper wiring, remaining paired long enough to create a state of improved conductivity.  The state of improved conductivity optimises the electrical current reducing the amount of energy needed to meet your load requirements. In laymans terms without the usual spin, can we not just achieve this by less resistance, I.e. bigger cables or does it work exactly the same as VR and will only work on higher voltages?, Sorry to appear confused but a simple electrical principle would suffice

• David Ackrill said 7 months, 1 week ago:

  I’ve recently come across the company who market ECO and I am a bit sceptical.

  Voltage optimation I can understand but this ’combining electrons’ seems a bit far fetched. Have any respected electrical engineering departments in recognised Universities looked at this? Also, as anyone who tries to prove that traditional energy efficiency measures have made a difference knows, it can be difficult to prove savings unless demand is exactly the same between two measurement periods. Say, for instance, running two similar motors (same size/make etc) side by side which are running against the same load one having ECO and the other not. Then measuring voltage, current and taking account of reactive loading as well.

  Experience tells me that just because a lot of people bought something does not necessarily mean that it does what it says it will do…

• Colin Reeds said 7 months ago:

  Hi David
  I can certainly say that Current Optimisation is ”snake oil”. I used to work for a company called Hepworth (Plastic Injection Moulding) and we bought this device from I assume the same company that is trying to sell it to you. We installed it and they were taking current (Amps) measurements. We insisted to measure kWh but they were very reluctant. After weeks of discussions they agreed. We run controlled tests on a 60kW Injection moulding machine over a 5 hour period and in the 5 hours, the so called Current Optimisation, saved 3W. I repeat 3W (not 3kW but 3W). When they were measuring current (Amps), they were showing savings of nearly 20%. Hence, what we thing it is, is a localised Power Factor Correction unit, which as you may know it will not save kWh.

  Anyway, they left the site and then we received an email that the reason it did not work was purely due to the fact that they did not set it properly. We did offer for them to come back to set it ”properly” but they refused.

  Snake Oil – Please avoid them.

• Glyn Lee said 6 months, 3 weeks ago:

  Looks like snake oil as above stated, but I beleive the same of Voltage Optimisation. Yes, VO does reduce energy consumption, by reducing the effective output of the equipment supplied. Reducing volts or amps does one of two things, either you have to increase the other to maintain the same power, or you have less power. Less power = less light from a fitting (did you design for a certain output? If you need less light, design with less fittings or install dimmable), resistive loads, we can forget them, they just take longer to do what they would have done anyway. Motor loads, well there’s the see saw again, cut the volts the amps must increase to deliver the same power, if not there is simply less power output from the motor. If you need less motor speed, fit an inverter to save energy, control the motor better and gain a power factor advantage into the bargain. If the motor is old, run it with the inverter till it dies then buy a replacement HE motor with the cash you saved, and then save more.
  You dont get anything for nothing, so stop looking fo a magic device which reduces your power consumption without affecting what you do. Most genuine efficiency projects work on reeucing what you dont need and working on what you do need. With more efficient lighting all you are doing is cutting out waste heat, which older fittings had the tendancy to produce in abundance. It works as an energy efficiency measure because you are getting what you require, but not spending energy on an output which is not required.
  Finally, if you spent money on putting magnets on your fuel lines, please leave now.

• Julie said 6 months, 3 weeks ago:

  Thank you Mr Lee!!! Exactly what I’ve been saying for years!!!

• Paul Gibbon said 5 months, 3 weeks ago:

  I think you need to look at the evidence from major customers IE – Aggregate Industries, Marshalls, Antons Printers etc etc and then prove it for your self.

  The system works on Inductive loads and is significantly more reasonable to purchase than any Voltage optimisation system on the market by a factor of 5X.

  The system will give a return on Investment in 24 months.

  Very happy to present the results to you or any forum you care to organise…

  over to you Mr Lee

• Colin Reeds said 5 months, 3 weeks ago:

  Hi Paul
  I assume you work for a company selling this current optimisation. I can ensure you that it does not work. It acts as a local Power Factor correction which it does not save energy. We tried it in my previous job and did nothing, I repeat nothing, hence please don’t try and push your systems on this forum.

  As far as voltage optimisation, that works and that can be explained in terms of engineering formulae. I tried, personally both technologies, VO works well, your current optimisation doesn’t do anything, it is ”snake oil”.

  There would always be silly people within small and large companies that make mistakes and buy boxes, like Hepworth did when I worked there. Even though it did not work and we asked the company that supplied the Current Optimisation units to remove them, they continue to use Hepworth as a ”client” and reference (without our knowledge and approval) for nearly 10 months. I would assume the same is happening now with your references above.

  Colin

• Robin Hale said 5 months, 3 weeks ago:

  PLEASE NOTE:
  This forum is open to all sectors of the industry, and genuine debate and experience is welcomed. Whilst posts remain inside the posting rules they will be allowed. Anything that is deemed unacceptable and does not contribute to the debate in a positive way will be dealt with by the site Admin, directly or by private message. Any members who disagree with the allowing of certain posts should report them to Admin or myself for appropriate action.

• Geoff Bishop said 5 months, 3 weeks ago:

  I have read with interest the various comments posted on current and voltage optimisation application.I agree with respondents who advocate inverter solution for induction motor applications.
  There is also always a danger that a manufacturer or supplier will market kit
  with usually honest claims from experience of energy saving benefits,which prove
  disappointing when installed.
  There are enormous opportunities for bottom line cost saving in so many organisations
  where a progressive action plan to deal with energy waste on a low investment/short term ROI.is not happening.
  Thus where doubt exists from claims made on a product led solution, do not gamble but get on with less technical sensitive applications.
  The theory associated with saving via optimisation has always been questionable but
  where accurate comparisons are possible favourable results are being obtained
  We should all be treating attention to reducing energy consumption as a duty of care
  for that organisation and the community.
  2012 should provide business owners and senior management with an unavoidable
  need to find every possible opportunity to reduce operating costs.
  Energy wastage if perputated due to lack of effort this suggests a poorly run organisation.

• Graeme Robertson said 5 months, 2 weeks ago:

  I agree with Geoff above, that we have a responsibility to look at all savings opportunites, whatever they may be.

  We have looked at current optimisation for a number of our clients, and whilst it is certainly not suitable for all load types, it does work on variable inductive loads, and benchmarking backs this up.

  I have also checked with the distributors, in light of some of the comments above, and they have assured me that they have never spoken to Hepworths, let alone done an install, so whatever technology was installed was not this. This technology is new to the UK, and will always be met with sceptisism (we were extremely sceptical), but benchmarking shows that is does work, and providing that correct loads are targeted, does show significantly improved paybacks over comparative technologies.

  It is not a ”silver bullet” and does not suit all load types, but taken as part of a managed review of energy efficiency, can be effective, and as Geoff states, with rising prices, and Carbon Costs, any new technology should be looked at, and taken on merit, as part of an overall strategy.

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