Blue Sea Systems 8410 AC Digital Meter Panel - 240V AC - Manual

Marine Electrical Products
120/240 AC Digital Meter Panel
PN 8410
Panel Specifi cations
Material: 0.125” 5052-H32 Aluminum Alloy
Primary Finish: Chemical Treatment per Mil Spec C-5541C
Final Panel Finish: Graphite color 2 part textured Polyurethane
Inches Millimeters
Overall Dimensions: 5-1/4 x 3-3/4 133.40 x 95.30
Mounting Centers: 4-7/16 x 2-15/16 112.70 x 74.60
Standards: This panel, when properly installed, complies with
all applicable Standards and Recommended
Practices of the American Boat and Yacht Council
as well as United States Coast Guard 33 CFR Sub
Part 1.
Panel Features
• Perfect solution for monitoring 120/240V AC systems
• Monitor Line 1 or Line 2 to Neutral and Line 1 to Line 2 Voltages
• Monitor 120V and 240V currents
• Intended for use with 8247 AC Digital Multimeter (Not included)
• Includes two additional current transformers PN 8256
Blue Sea Systems Inc. Phone (360) 738-8230
425 Sequoia Drive Fax (360) 734-4195
Bellingham, WA 98226 USA E-mail [email protected]
www.bluesea.com
Document 6961 Rev.E
Page 1 of 3
WARNING
@ It is not possible within the scope of these instructions to fully acquaint
the installer with all the knowledge of electrical systems that may be
necessary to correctly install this product. If the installer is not
knowledgeable in electrical systems we strongly recommend that an
electrical professional be retained to make the installation.
@ Do not use this meter panel for systems using two 120V shore cords
and individual load groups in the panel. It is potentially hazardous to
connect the two shore neutrals together on the boat if certain faults
occur in the marina wiring. This panel only has a single neutral
reference connection.
@ If either the panel front or back is to be exposed to water it must be
protected with a waterproof shield.
@ The panels must not be installed in explosive environments such as
gasoline engine rooms or battery compartments as the circuit breakers
are not ignition proof.
@ The vessel’s shore power cord must be disconnected form shoreside
power before installing this electrical panel.
@ If an inverter is installed on the vessel its power leads must be
disconnected at the battery before the panel installation. Be aware that
many inverters have a “sleep mode” in which their voltage potential
may not be detectable with measuring equipment.
@ If an AC Generator is installed aboard it must be stopped and rendered
inoperable before the panel is installed.
@ Verify that no other AC source is connected to the vessel’s wiring
before the panel is installed.
Guarantee
Any Blue Sea Systems product with which a customer is not satisfi ed
may be returned for a refund or replacement at any time.
Introduction
The 120/240V AC Digital Meter Panel (PN 8410) is a kit that allows a
single Blue Sea Systems PN 8247 AC Digital Multimeter to completely
monitor a 120/240V AC 60Hz, single phase, three wire system.
The assembly is installed in a standard sized 4-7/16” x 2-15/16” Blue
Sea Systems panel. The 8247 AC Digital Meter (not included) is panel
mounted in a precut hole. The kit also includes the two additional
Current Transformers (PN 8256) that are shown in the installation
drawing.
Understanding Current Flow
in 120/240V AC Single Phase Systems
Before beginning installation please read this section to understand
exactly how the system must be wired. The easiest way is to understand
it one step at a time. We begin by thinking about DC systems.
In a DC circuit we assign a polarity to Voltage and a direction to current
fl ow. By convention current fl ows out of the positive of the source through
the load, where there is a voltage drop, and returns to the negative of the
source. It is easy to visualize the current fl owing out of a battery, through
a light bulb, and back to the battery. There is a voltage rise across the
battery and a drop across the light bulb. If we connect another light bulb,
it too requires current. The total current will be sum of the current fl owing
in each bulb.
When we think about AC current fl ow it is easy to be confused by the fact
that the current fl ow changes direction 60 times a second (or 50 in
Europe). That is why we call it alternating current. Fortunately, if we use
RMS Voltage and Current, we normally use exactly the same laws and
rules for AC and DC. We simply assign a current fl ow direction, voltage
rises and drops, and as long as we stay consistent everything works just
like DC. The major exception is when calculating power for non-resistive
we must take into account power factor, which is beyond the scope of
these
instructions.
Current Flow in a 240V Load
First consider the current fl ow in a 240V load, in this example Load 3,
and assume it is purely resistive. The red arrows indicate the direction
we are assigning to the current fl ow from the AC source, which might be
shore power or a generator. We could have reversed the current fl ow
assignment but once a direction is assigned we cannot change it. We
have intentionally not shown the neutral.
Adding a 120V Load
Now let’s add the Neutral and a 120V load that is connected between L2
and Neutral. The current fl ow for this load is shown with green arrows.
The
current fl ows through the load and returns back to the source (shore
power or a generator) via the neutral. We see that the current in L2 is
now equal to the current fl owing in the 240V Load 3 plus the 120V
Load1. We also see that the current fl ow in Line 1 is unchanged.