Power Quality
Power quality is the set of limits of electrical properties that allows electrical systems to function in their intended manner without significant loss of performance or life.
Electrical power is an important raw material for all commercial operations and, like any other raw material, the quality of supply is very important. It is estimated that power quality problems cost industry and commerce in the EU about 10 billion per annum while expenditure on preventative measures is less than 5 % of this. They are certain PQ Parameter that are promised from the Service Providers also they are standards laid down internationally for the same. There is also a precise limit of PQ standards that is warranted by costly sensitive equipment. To ascertain the same Power Quality Monitoring is very much required. EEPl with their state of art high end Analyzers and Trained Minds is well equipped to analyze document and to mitigate the issues.
Apart from Data logging issues related to improper wiring, Incorrect grounding, unbalanced loads, and electrical noise forms part of the study. Even if we assume pure sinusoidal wave are being fed from the Supplier the Sophisticated equipment used in the Industries/Facilities like VFD’s, Computers, UPS, Servers, LED’s distort the sinusoidal wave.
Issues related to noise results in malfunctioning of critical equipment. Some of the Power Quality issues are Harmonics, Interruptions (Short Long), Undervoltage, Overvoltage, Sags, Swells, Transients, Flickers.
Often Cost of Poor Power Quality is –
- increase in Maintenance cost due to equipment failures
- increase in Production cost and time overrun
- increase in losses due to delays in supply
Measurement Standards:
- IEC 61000-4-7 Voltage Flicker
- IEC 61000-4-15 Harmonic Measurement
- IEC 61000-4-30 Measurement Accuracy (“Class A”, “Class S” “Class B”)
- IEC 62052/3-11, 22, 23 Energy Accuracy (“Class 0.2S”, “Class 0.5S”)
Power Quality Standards:
- BS:EN 50160: In use worldwide, in favor of the utilities, voltage only,Statistical standard
- IEEE 519 and IEEE 1159: American standards, practical point of view
Power Monitoring is key to evaluate Power Quality thereby improving uptime. Collecting data is the first step and the next step is to Analyze and then to correlate with the instrument requirements.
The PQ issues arising in networks affects both Utilities and End Consumers
UTILITIES:
- Extensive Voltage variations, frequency variations on the grid leading to breakdown
- Harmonic Currents drawn from various sources by nonlinear loads coupled with impedance of cables/transformers create Harmonic Voltage distortion.
USERS:
Voltage dip, long interruption, Surges, Transients, Harmonics, Flickering results in damage of equipment, data loss. We offer end to end solutions on Power Quality from Detection to Mitigation. We offer Solutions for improving Power Quality in LV, MV & HV networks.
Harmonic Analysis:
As more and more industries opt for process automation to increase control over operations and save on energy, the use of electronic equipment has also increased simultaneously, we have the state of the art advanced equipment to measure harmonics and we provide solutions for the same.
We carry out the study as per CEA & IEEE 519 norms.