Atec BGFT User Manual

BGFT

Battery Ground Fault Tracer

n

Easily locates ground faults in
ungrounded dc systems

n

Operates in high electrical noise
environment

n

Simplifies fault tracing by identifying
fault characteristic (resistive and
capacitive) magnitudes

BGFT

BATTERY GROUND FAULT TRACER

DESCRIPTION

The Battery Ground Fault Tracer is an economical, easy-to­use instrument that identifies, traces and locates ground
faults in ungrounded dc systems — on-line. It is
particularly effective in high electrical noise environments,
as the strength of the test signal can be adjusted.

The Battery Ground Fault Tracer accelerates fault location
by eliminating trial-and-error procedures and because
faults can be located without going off-line. It is
particularly useful in any industry where supply of power
for operating measurement, communication and control
equipment is critical.

APPLICATIONS

The Battery Ground Fault Tracer, which consists of a line­operated transmitter and a portable, battery-power
r

eceiver, determines fault magnitude and severity. The

transmitter connects to the battery bus and station ground.
Incorporating a resistance and capacitance bridge, the

transmitter can be used to determine the fault’s magnitude
and severity prior to tracking the fault.

System capacitance can then be nulled from the
measurement to prevent erroneous readings on the
receiver. Immune to distributed noise in the system,
Battery Ground Fault Tracer readings are unaffected by the
presence of dc current and ac ripple up to 15 Amperes.

ed

The transmitter can be left behind during tracing, which is
performed quickly and easily using the hand-held receiver
and clamp-on probe. The receiver provides digital display
of signal amplitude, with a multiposition switch to adjust
gain for optimal display resolution.

PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION

The Battery Ground Fault T
through an energized or de-energized dc system. Feeder
cables are tested for signal amplitude, which is inversely
proportional to the fault impedance. Faults up to 100 kΩ

e easily traced and isolated by clamping a direction-

ar
sensitive probe on the feeder cable and monitoring signal

ength on the hand-held r

str

FEATURES AND BENEFITS

n Digital display of voltage and current signal amplitudes
n Bridge measurement of fault resistance and system

capacitance. (The use of the bridge is optional.)

n Wide fault resistance measurement range from 1 kΩ to 399 kΩ
n Immune to distributed noise
n Soft-start charging system to prevent sensitive r

tripping

n Convenient, hand-held r
n Receiver gain contr

racer transmits a 20 Hz signal

eceiver.

eceiver

ol for optimal display r

elay

esolution

SPECIFICATIONS

Power Source

Transmitter: 120/240 V ac, 50/60 Hz, 200 VA max.
Receiver: One 9-volt alkaline battery supplies up to 40 hours

continuous use.

Source Voltage

Variable from 0 to 50 V rms

BGFT

ATTERY GROUND FAULT TRACER

B

ource Current

S

Load dependent from 0 to 1.7 A rms

Source Frequency

20 Hz, ±2%

Fault Resistance

1 kΩ to 399 kΩ at 50 V; bridge accuracy ±10%

Line Capacitance

0.01 to 11.1 µF; bridge accuracy ±20%

Display

Transmitter: Separate 3-digit LCD meters for volts and current
Accuracy: ±5%
Receiver: Digital meter display up to 1.999 (three gain selections)

Temperature Range

Operating: 32 to 105° F (0 to 40° C)

torage:-5 to +130° F (-20 to +55° C)

S

Dimensions

Transmitter

7.5 H x 18.5 W x 14.5 D in. (19 H x 47 W x 37 D cm)

Receiver

1.5 H x 3.5 W x 7.5 D in. (4 H x 9 W x 19 D cm)

Weight

Transmitter: 35 lb (15.9 kg)
Receiver: 0.66 lb (0.3 kg)

ORDERING INFORMATION

Item (Qty) Cat. No.

Battery Ground Fault Tracer,120/240 V ac, 50/60 Hz, CE-marked 246100B

Included Accessories

Fused source leads, 20 ft (6 m) [1 pr] 29386-3
Current transformer
AC power cord, 6 ft (1.8 m) [1] 17032-7
Feedback cable, 40 ft (12 m) [1] 29998
Padded accessory bag [1]

, 9 volt [1]

Battery
Operator’s manual [1] AVTM 246100B

Optional Accessories

Mini-CT, 0.5 in. (12 mm) with 4.25 ft (1.3 m) lead 30595
Transit case

UK

Archcliffe Road, Dover
CT17 9EN England
T [phone]
F [phone]
[e-mail]

, 2 in. (5 cm) with leads, 4 ft (1.2 mm) [1 pr] 29999-1

29996

1482-1

36515

TES

UNITED ST

4271 Bronze Way
Dallas, TX 75237-1019 USA
T 1 800 723 2861 (USA only)
T [phone]
F [phone]
USsales@megger

A

.com

OTHER TECHNICAL SALES OFFICES

Norristown USA, Sydney AUSTRALIA,
Toronto CANADA, Trappes FRANCE,
Kingdom of BAHRAIN, Mumbai INDIA,
Johannesburg SOUTH AFRICA, and

e THAILAND

Conjur

ISO STATEMENT

Registered to ISO 9001:2000 Cert. no. 10006.01

BGFT_DS_en_V11

www.megger.com
Megger is a registered trademark