The Phenix Technologies HC-3 is a portable, high-current test set designed primarily for primary injection testing. It is a workhorse in the field for testing low-voltage circuit breakers and motor overload relays.
Molded-Case Circuit Breakers (MCCB): Verifying thermal and magnetic trip elements by injecting high current directly through the breaker poles.
Motor Overload Relays: Testing thermal, magnetic, and solid-state motor overloads.
Ground Fault Trip Devices: Testing pickup and timing.
Current Transformers (CTs): Ratio testing by injecting primary current.
Max Current (Short Duration): Roughly 3,000A to 4,000A (depending on the impedance of your test cables and the breaker).
Input Power: Typically 230 VAC, 1-phase (requires a 30A or similar circuit).
Output Taps (Configurable):
Low Current / High Voltage: 0–200 A @ 15 V
Medium Current: 0–400 A @ 7.5 V
High Current / Low Voltage: 0–800 A @ 3.75 V
Note: Higher currents (up to 3000A+) are achieved by overloading these taps for short durations (pulse).
Weight: Approx. 220 lbs (100 kg) – it is mounted on pneumatic wheels for “portability,” but it is heavy.
Vernier Auto-Transformer: It uses a large manual knob (variac) to ramp current up/down.
Digital Timer: Built-in timer that counts in seconds or cycles. It has “Auto-Stop” capability—when the breaker trips (contacts open), the timer stops automatically.
Measurement: It measures the output current with a digital ammeter that usually features a “Memory” mode to capture the peak current during an instantaneous trip test.
