METREL A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp Instruction Manual

: June 4, 2024
: METREL

Table of Contents

General Description
Safety and operational considerations
Current clamp operation
Inspection
Cleaning
Service and Calibration
Technical specifications
References
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Download This Manual (PDF format)

Iron Current Clamp
A 1398 PQA
Instruction manual
Version 1.1.1; Code No. 20 753 248 ****

General Description

The A 1398 PQA current clamps are designed for measuring alternating currents on insulated conductors on low power installations: 50 mA ÷ 20 A. They are designed for Metrel Power Quality Instruments MI 2893 / MI 2892 / MI 2885 / MI 2884 / MI 2883. The current transducer is housed in a plastic case that maintains double insulation. Parts are shown in the figure below:

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handles,
safety barriers,
conductor opening,
clamps jaw,
cable connection with connector.

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1.1 Typical applications
Power Quality Measurement
The A 1398 PQA current clamps have linear responses through wide frequency bandwidth.
Therefore, they are well suited for:

Power Quality auditing,
EN 50160 or troubleshooting. Particularly for:
º Current distortion measurement
º Inrush measurement
º Functional testing of appliances, machines, etc.

High precision and a measurement range up to 20A can cover most current measurements on the secondary side of the current transformer (CT) without opening of current circuit.
Energy and Power Measurement
The A 1398 PQA current clamps have a small phase shift over the wide frequency range. Therefore, they are well suited for:

Power and energy measurements (active, reactive, apparent)
Power factor measurements
Power/Energy efficiency

Safety and operational considerations

2.1Warnings and notes
In order to maintain the highest level of operator safety while carrying out various tests and measurements Metrel recommends keeping your A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp in good condition and undamaged. When using the A 1398 PQA, consider the following general warnings:

The **** symbol on the A 1398 PQA means »Read the Instruction manual with special care for safe operation«. The symbol requires an action!
If the test equipment is used in a manner that is not specified in this Instruction manual, the protection provided by the equipment might be impaired!
Adhere to local and national safety codes. Individual protective equipment must be used to prevent shock and arc blast injury where hazardous live conductors are exposed.
Before each use, inspect the A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp and its latching system for any damage. Pay particular attention to the insulation surrounding the jaw. Look for cracks or missing portions of the clamp housing or output cable insulation. Also, look for loose or weakened components. Don’t use the current sensor if the wear indicator of the cable connection is visible.
Do not use a clamp that is cracked, damaged, or has a defective cable.
Do not use the A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp to measure bare conductors carrying a voltage higher than 30 V ac rms or 42 V ac peak.
Never use the clamp on a circuit with voltages higher than 300 V CAT II (insulated conductors).
De-energize the installation on which currency will be measured or adopt safe operating procedures during application and removal of the current clamp.
Use extreme caution when working around bare conductors or bus bars (follow the requirements of EN 50191).
Do not apply around or remove from UNINSULATED HAZARDOUS LIVE conductors, which may render electric shock, electric burn, or arc flash.

Symbol	Description
****	Read the Instruction manual with special care to safety operation«. The

symbol requires an action!
| Do not apply around or remove from HAZARDOUS LIVE conductors.
| ark on your equipment certifies that it meets the requirements of all subjected EU regulations.
| This equipment should be recycled as electronic waste.

2.2 Standards applied
The A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp is manufactured and tested in accordance with the following regulations:

Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC)
EN 61326 – 1 Electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use – EMC requirements – Part 1: General requirements
EN 61326 – 2 – 2 Electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use – EMC requirements – Part 2-2: Particular requirements – Test configurations, operational conditions, and performance criteria for portable test measuring, and monitoring equipment used in low-voltage distribution systems
Safety (LVD)
EN 61010 – 1 Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control, and laboratory use – Part 1: General requirements
EN 61010 – 2 – 032 Safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use – Part 2-032: Particular requirements for hand-held and hand-manipulated current sensors for electrical test and measurement
Note about EN and IEC standards:
Text of this manual contains references to European standards. All standards of EN 6XXXX (e.g. EN 61010) series are equivalent to IEC standards with the same number (e.g. IEC 61010) and differ only in amended parts required by the European harmonization procedure.

Current clamp operation

Step 1
Connect A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamps to the desired input on the measuring instrument.
Step 2
Clamp the probe around the insulated current-carrying conductor(s) to be measured. Make sure that probe jaws are tightly closed around the conductor(s). In the case of measuring current near live, naked conductor(s), remove electrical power from wires, before clamping (follow the requirements of EN 50191).

Figure 2: Current clamps A 1398 PQA – connection to the measuring instrument

Step 3
Select Phase and Neutral clamps to Smart Clamp in the Connection setup menu on your instrument.

Step 4
Observe the current value and waveform on the instrument’s display.

Inspection

To maintain operator safety and ensure the reliability of the A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp, it is good practice to inspect it on a regular basis. Check that the enclosure and optional connection are without defects such as scratches or breaks. Jaw surface must be clean. Pollution on jaw surfaces reduces the current clamp sensitivity.

Cleaning

No special maintenance is required for the housing. To clean the surface of the A 1398 PQA use a soft cloth slightly moistened with soapy water or alcohol. Then leave the A 1398 PQA to dry totally before use.

Warnings :

Do not use liquids based on petrol or hydrocarbons!
Do not spill cleaning liquid over the A 1398 PQA!

Service and Calibration

It is essential that your clamp is regularly calibrated in order to guarantee the technical specification listed in this Instruction manual. We recommend 2-year calibration interval. Metrelencloses an original calibration certificate with every new instrument and clamp. For recalibration and repairs under or out of warranty time please contact your distributor for further information.
Warning :
Only a competent, authorized person is allowed to carry out service intervention!

Technical specifications

Nominal current (INom) …………………………….. 10 A
Nominal current range ……………………………. 5 % INom … 200 % INom
Maximal current (IMax) …………………………….. 20 A
Crest factor @ Nominal current ……………….. 4,0
Peak current ………………………………………….. 40 A
Bandwidth …………………………………………….. 40 Hz … 400 Hz
Uncertainty ……………………………………………. ± (0,5 % of reading ± 10 mA)
Phase Error ……………………………………………. ± ≤0,45° (50 – 60 Hz)
External fields ………………………………………… 30 A/m (No influence)
Continuity of measurements ……………………. 20 A (continuous) 30 A (40 min / 20 min intermitted)
Dimensions & Mechanical data:
Current sensor type ………………………………… D
Length of connection cable ……………………… 1,2 m
Jaw opening …………………………………………… 13 mm
Maximum conductor sizes……………………….. fi < 13 mm
Length of connection cable ……………………… 1,2 m
Dimensions (W x H x L) ……………………………. 27 mm x 52 mm x 170 mm
Weight …………………………………………………. 340 g
Safety specification:
Over-voltage category …………………………….. No CAT, (can be used on insulated conductors in 300 V CAT II)
Pollution degree …………………………………….. 2
Degree of protection ………………………………. IP 40
EMC:
Emission ………………………………………………… Class B
Immunity ………………………………………………. Portable equipment
Environment conditions:
Working temperature range ……………………. -10 °C … 50 °C
Storage temperature range ……………………… -20 °C … 60 °C
Humidity range ………………………………………. 0 %RH … 80 %RH
Reference temperature range ………………….. 25 C ± 5 C @ 40 %RH … 60 %RH
Altitude …………………………………………………. up to 2000 m
Operation ……………………………………………… Indoor use
Substitute Electric Model for A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp
Equivalent circuit diagram for current clamp measurement:

Figure 3: A 1398 PQA Iron Current Clamp – block diagram

Symbols on circuit diagrams have the following meaning:

Im	Measured (AC) current, primary current
Is	Secondary transformer current

Distributor:

Manufacturer:

METAL d.d.
Ljubljanska cesta 77
1354 Horjul
Slovenia
web site: http://www.metrel.si
e-mail: metrel@metrel.si

| Mark on your equipment certifies that it meets requirements of all subjected EU regulations
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| Hereby, Metrel d.d. declares that the A 1398 PQA is in compliance with subjected directives. The full text of the EU declaration of conformity is available at the following internet address https://www.metrel.si/DoC.

.The trade names Metrel ®, Smartec ®, Eurotest ® , and Auto Sequence ® are trademarks registered in Europe and other countries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without permission in writing from METAL.