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About Outram Research Ltd. (ORL)

Outram Research Ltd is an electronic design house and manufacturer of state of the art Power Quality Analysers and Fault Level Monitors.

Established in 1985, Outram Research Ltd is an electronic design house and manufacturer of state of the art Power Quality Analysers and Fault Level Monitors.  It’s focus is on combining highly accurate, detailed and unique recording regimes with an easy to use customer interface designed predominantly for use by those in the Electrical Utility Industry, Power Quality Consultants and industrial electrical engineers.

Outram Research is a family business based on the South Coast of England, UK.  While their business emphasis is on the manufacture of Power Quality Monitors, Harmonics Analysers, Troubleshooting Energy and Fault Level Monitors they pride themselves in offering free, responsive and quality support to all of their customers in the UK and abroad, including help with analysis using our bespoke Power Quality Software, Pronto.

History

Originally a design house, Outram Research licensed its products to a major US company who sold the first monitors (process loggers) into the US.  After successfully manufacturing the Phalcon radar beacon processor board for a UK company it decided in 2003 to bring the manufacture of its analysers under its own control and home to the UK.  By now the process monitors had evolved into electrical power monitors/recorders.  The first step required Outram Research to negotiate back the sole rights to the Intellectual Property for the (Rustrak) Ranger brand from the US licensee.  This brave move and subsequent success with the growing family of Power Quality Monitors combined with further innovation won the company the title of Small Business of the Year at the British Engineering Excellence Awards 2012.

Since then the Outram Engineers have been stretching the boundaries of Power Monitoring and signal processing and the team has produced the first ever commercially available product able to predict the worst case Fault Level on a network, the PM7000 Fault Level Monitor.  Fault Level prediction, whether through measuring natural disturbances or using an active system is still unavailable anywhere else in the world.

Innovation

Outram Research has been heavily involved in the UK Low Carbon Network and Innovation initiative which is driving future network evolution in the UK Electrical Utility Market.  The development of the Fault Level Monitor was requested by the Electrical Utility sector and made easier as a result of this push for innovation. It was possible at all because of Outram expertise: the culmination of 30 years’ experience specialising in data acquisition and signal processing systems.  This Fault Level technology, predicting the worst case fault current, will help the utility companies better utilise the capacity of the Electricity Network, reducing the need for expensive re-enforcement.

Worldwide Sales

Worldwide sales have flourished through a dedicated group of distributers, of note Synergy Systems in the USA and Redskye Technologies in the UK.  They are counted as part of the Outram family.  In fact, that family ethos has continued in all three companies as in each case the next generation has come on board to help continue the evolution of their parent’s businesses into the future.

Manufacture & Specialist Engineering

Manufacture of all the products is done locally or in house.  Most assembly and testing is done in house including final system testing which enables the Outram team to be sure of the quality of the products they send out.

In addition we have successfully completed numerous customisation projects, both large and small, based on these versatile devices.

Customers for our specialist engineering include:- in the UK, Western Power Distribution, Scottish Power Energy Networks, Scottish and Southern Electricity, British Nuclear Fuels, Civil Aviation Authority. Also European Atomic Safeguards Directorate, Railtrack, Rolls Royce and Southern Company in the US.

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Bluetooth functionality with PMScreen and real time monitoring is sensational.

Thank you so much for attending to [my support query], and so quickly! Very impressed with these [PM3000] power analysers and the Bluetooth functionality with PMScreen and real time monitoring is sensational.

Euan Galbally, Operations Project Engineer - Supply Restoration, SSE.
By far the best project partner I have ever worked with!

Thank you for all the help and support you all gave me on the RTFLM project… It was an absolute privilege to work with you all and Outram are by far the best project partner I have ever worked with!

Cameron Scott, Innovation Engineer, UK Power Networks, 2022
It’s an amazing piece of Kit!

I certainly will be hiring another PM7000 again. It’s an amazing piece of kit!

Stuart Turner, PCAS (Power Control and Automation Solutions) Ltd, Feb 2020
I have been quite astounded at the detail the Outram Data Logger has captured.

During communications regarding the 3 PM7000TIs that Bob is managing remotely, with new data sent back to him over email every 24 hrs, he told us that he has been finding detail in the recordings he never thought he would see. “I have been quite astounded at the detail the Outram Data Logger has captured.”

Bob King, Power Phase Services, UK
I have used data loggers in the past… Not in the same league as the Outram equipment

Thank you for all your fantastic efforts yesterday.

I have used data loggers in the past but they were not in the same league as the Outram equipment.

Last December when Network Rail asked me to install PQ monitoring I looked at hiring a couple of [competitor] PQ monitors. I had a Network Rail Graduate alongside me and I thought it would be a good learning exercise for him. As I began to understand the railway electrification system I realised [these] were a non-starter, so when the local electricity board ‘turned the screw’ I decided to look deeper.

I discovered Outram and when I read about your collaboration with Scottish Power I immediately realised the Outram equipment was the only one to consider. From what I have seen since yesterday morning I know I was correct in contacting your company.

Bob King, Power Phase Services, UK (Contracting for Network Rail)
“These [PM7000s] really are pucker units”

Following successful measurements using 2 of our PM7000 Power Quality Hire units…

“We captured some good stuff, these [PM7000s] really are pucker units.”

Shaun Smith, Firstfield Electrical Ltd, March 2021

 

Shaun Smith, Firstfield Electrical Ltd, March 2021
Fault Level Monitors to Validate ENWL RESPOND Project Network models

Fault level monitors – Outram fault level monitors have been installed at seven [Electricity North West] Respond [Project] sites. These monitors will validate our network model and the Fault Level Assessment Tool. Electricity North West Ltd RESPOND Project Newsletter, May 2016.

Electricity North West Ltd RESPOND Project Newsletter, May 2016.
The Outram PM7000FLM … software made analysis of fault-current straightforward

We found the Outram PM7000FLM useful for capturing data, and its software made analysis of fault-current straightforward. Other methods of data capture can be used, but would require further development to accurately give fault level information; the area where the FLM scores is its ease of use, and also that statistical analysis is applied over the whole test period, rather than at a ‘snapshot’ of one event as our analysis. This makes it less prone to noise and other disturbances on the system.

Rob Weller, Rina Consulting, UK Power Networks Earth Fault Level Project, March 2018
…calculation of fault level trivial in comparison to the ‘manual’ methods

The Outram equipment (and associated software) makes calculation of fault level trivial in comparison to the ‘manual’ methods.

Rob Weller, Rina Consulting, UK Power Networks Earth Fault Level Project
…PM3000 is the best product in my shop

The reason I think your PM3000 is the best product in my shop is the reliability and the software. I use 5 different brands of recorders and this one by far has been the most reliable. The software updates are great, with the 60 day reminders. The layout of the software and every single function make it simple and user friendly unlike most products.

Greg Ellis, Electrical District #3, Arizona USA, 2014
….Commendable for its ease of use and portability

The Outram equipment is commendable for its ease of use and portability.

Rob Weller, Rina Consulting, UK Power Networks Earth Fault Level Project
Your kit knocks spots of the bigger manufacturers

Your kit knocks spots of the bigger manufacturers.

Andrew Williams, MD, Smart Electrical Systems, Sept 2018
The analyser did everything that we needed. We were also impressed with how quickly it got across the US.

The analyser did everything that we needed. Rob was surprised at how easily it went on.

We were also impressed with how quickly it got across the US. It was there before we even left [the UK] and we didn’t expect that to happen.

It’s a specialised subject and the support we received from Duncan was second to none.

Chris Brookes, Simpson and Wood, UK Feb 2019
Outram PM7000FLM proved capable of reliably assessing Fault Level

The Outram PM7000FLM and associated software proved to be capable of reliably assessing / calculating fault level from both repeated low-level steps, as well as one-off larger pulses.

Rob Weller, Rina Consulting, UK Power Networks Earth Fault Level Project, March 2018
That’s a hell of a piece of Kit!

That’s a hell of a piece of Kit!

Now I’ve seen what it can do I’m going to mention it to another customer here in the UK who I know is having trouble.”

Rob Rose, Simpson and Wood, UK Feb 2019
It’s shown me just how much time your software is going to save me!

What you showed me this morning and what I’ve been doing this afternoon has shown me just how much time your software is going to save me!

Bob King, Power Phase Services, UK (Contracting for Network Rail)
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