Cennamo Electronics, LLC

-Reliability Program Planning and Execution

-Electrical and Mechanical Design

Let Us Be Your Expert

CE Brochure Business Card JR23 Flyer JR23 TM

JR23 Product and Design

JR23 Combo Regulator and Neutral Tester

Cennamo Electronics' Role

Joe Robb of ZEMAR Inc. contacted Mr. Cennamo about taking a proven design concept he had developed and translating it to a producible and reliable design. Joe has many years experience in the power distribution industry and is an expert on power regulators like those used at power substations. Maintenance can prove to be fatal if failures occur and go undetected so Joe saw an opportunity to save lives.

Joe had proven the concept with some off the shelf products using a portion of each's functionality. Joe needed to miniaturize this to fit within his mechanical concept of using a Pelican 1200 case and having everything self-contained. He also had some other design constraints such as easy to use momentary pushbuttons for operation with gloved linemen and simple and easy to understand feedback. Pictures of the finished design and internal structures are further down on this page.

Cennamo Electronics took the requirements of ZEMAR's concept and created a custom design using the necessary functions of the proof of concept translated to surface mount electrical circuitry. Cennamo Electronics did all electrical design and circuit card layout as well as design the mechanical supporting structures which allow the incorporation into the Pelican case and a removable battery that will last significant time. The electrical design includes functionality needed AND safety detection features for both internal failures and improper attachment to the regulator under test.

Cennamo Electronics also developed a fully functional circuit card level tester to isolate circuit card build issues prior to final assembly and a top assembly tester which verifies all functions are operational and within acceptable parameters prior to shipment in the assembled configuration. Cennamo Electronics is responsible for building these units and employs these testers in that process. Detailed work instructions were developed for assembly and test of the JR23 by Cennamo Electronics to minimize variability and ensure proper functionality.

Cennamo Electronics also developed the technical manual, accessable by the button on the left ribbon of this page.

System Description

The JR23 Combo Regulator and Neutral Tester, referred to as the JR23, is a self-contained and portable de-energized distribution voltage regulator tester. The primary purpose of the JR23 is a safety device to ensure the voltage regulator is on neutral prior to energizing the regulator. Neutral is typically indicated on the voltage regulator through step “0” on the position indicator with neutral light illuminated in the control. While the voltage regulator has these visual indications of being on neutral, that system can fail and mislead the installer about the true state of the regulator. Failure to ensure the voltage regulator is on neutral can lead to excessive damage and potentially be fatal. Energizing a voltage regulator when not on neutral often leads to explosion of the regulator due to the high circulating currents in the regulator.

While the primary purpose of the JR23 is a safety device to save lives, it also provides other benefits. The JR23 can save time and money by detecting failures of voltage regulators at different stages of ownership. For instance, the JR23 can detect multiple failures of the voltage regulator before it is even unloaded from the truck at initial receipt, prior to loading for transportation to the job site, and then prior to energizing the voltage regulator where it becomes a safety issue. Detecting the failed voltage regulator early prevents the cost and time of handling a failed voltage regulator. The JR23 tests the voltage regulator for the following with a simple automated test.