The Doble F6 Series: Performance and Reliability That’s Still in Demand
The story of F6 power system simulators continues. The platform remains as the leading relay test equipment used in North America and is still widely adopted around the world. Why? Because people who use F6 instruments get a dependable, rugged, and high-performing toolkit backed by professional expertise from Doble that helps them do their jobs confidently and successfully.
Enduring Value
With six 150 VA sources, the original F6150 integrated 3-phase testing in one test set that offered new capabilities that quickly earned the trust of the industry after the success of the F2. Over time, variants such as the F6150e and F6150sv were developed to meet requirements of higher burden relays and digital testing based on IEC 61850.
Right now, the F6 product family is being used across multiple applications, from calibrating electromechanical relays and testing transducers, meters, and PMU’s, to monitoring and testing complex digital networks via Ethernet and Fiber. These adaptable capabilities are what customers rely on, which is why Doble continues to support the F6 platform with no end in sight.
The Right Tools for the Job
The reputation F6-series hardware has for versatility is well earned. With six current sources and six voltage sources—which are themselves convertible into additional currents—F6150e and F6150sv Power System Simulators handle most conventional relay test scenarios on their own.
With the F6005 Enhanced Rating option, current output of the F6150e/sv units is increased to 6 × 35 A, 3 × 70 A, or 1 × 210 A. Transient values are available for up to 45 seconds at an even higher level of current amplitude.
Accessory equipment extend functionality even further, whether F6300e and F6350e external amplifiers for extra voltages and currents (or for use with RTDS real-time digital simulators), or F6816 units for external I/O, or F5851-series cables for testing a variety of recloser controllers. Additional accessories include synchronization devices, protective travel cases, and more.
The F6 platform offers numerous choices for not only scaling F6 test sets any customer’s requirements, but also for value that protects their investments long term.
Design with you in mind.
Durability is another hallmark of the F6 series. The mechanical design withstands field conditions and allows quick amplifier board replacement by removing the top panel. The board layout is straightforward, enabling technicians to swap an unused board for a damaged one on-site and resume testing without delay. To maintain accuracy, the F6080 Field Calibration Unit provides a practical solution for performing precise calibrations in-house—keeping test sets ready for the next job and downtime low.
Adaptive Automation
All test sets in the F6 series are compatible with Doble Protection Suite and RTS software. Both applications streamline the job of testing relays, even making interoperable end-to-end testing possible across mixed equipment fleets.
Recently, an IEC 61850 test interface was added in RTS that supports the digital testing functions of the F6150sv. This enhancement ensures either software product—Protection Suite or RTS—can be used to control GOOSE and sampled values when testing IEDs with the F6150sv.
Making Business Sense
Doble understands that what makes a piece of test equipment a leader is not any single feature, option, or accessory; it is the way the pieces come together. Done well, success is less a special accomplishment than a standard to expect and count on, a true solution that stands the test of time.
F6-series power system simulators are more than test sets: they’re strategic assets that are vitally important to hundreds of protection system implementations in North America and around the world. Doble offers them in purchase and lease programs and gives trade-in credits toward new units, so organizations have choices for bridging today’s needs to tomorrow’s adaptations while the business of power delivery evolves.
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