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Quality is a major factor that plays a role in efficiency and durability, not only with a pair of sneakers or your new phone but also in other aspects of our lives. Of course, without high-quality services or products, there won't be a difference in how we use or take advantage of them which is also the case when it comes to commercial and industrial use of electricity. Here the power consumption is way different then what you'd expect to have at home and in order to measure the quality of the power being used you need special devices called power quality analyzers/ meters. Poor power quality can affect equipment and cause damage too, which can plant efficiency negatively. To learn more about how they work, the different ways they determine power quality and the places they have found the most sue in we've made this quick guide to help you understand more easily.
How They Work
- Power quality analyzers can identify issues in regards to power quality by sampling AC voltage at a very fast rate at multiple points along the whole shape of the waveform which then makes the various pieces of information that came from those points digitally available. Power quality meters use a microprocessor in order to make all the numerical analysis needed in order to get to harmonic frequency magnitudes. You can also monitor current and both calculate and display power values with this device which presents that information in a way that helps a skilful technician too easily differentiate nonlinear loads which help identify the source of the problem.
Types of Measurements
- First, we have THD which stands for Total Harmonic Distortion which is a very common measurement used to define the ratio of total harmonics to that of the value of fundamental frequency caused by non-linear electronics or equipment. The most common traits of harmonics are circuit tripping and dangerous heat levels which is why this is the most common type of measurement used by power quality meters as this usually occurs from high frequencies that can create the additional voltage which leads to these traits. Problems such as misfiring and voltage spikes are also common traits.
- Power factor is the ratio of real power that is flowing through and supplied to the circuit which ranges between 0 and 1. If an electric power system has a very low power factor then it draws in more current than a high power factor system. This causes the system to lose a lot of energy and it also requires larger wires and makes the whole facility very inefficient. A low power factor will also make the electrical utility charge you more in order to compensate for the wasted energy in order to keep your facility supplied with enough power.
- With power quality meters you can also monitor sags and swells which represent the reduction and enlargement of voltage within a short period of time. The most common of the two are sags which can cause damage to all sorts of equipment like relays, controllers and PLC's whilst also posing the risk of damaging internal circuitries which devices try to compensate due to the negative affect to the power quality caused by the sags. While sometimes these issues are blamed on the utility, more often than not they are the cause of improper site bonding, grounding and coding or when powering different types of equipment from the same supply.
- When talking about AC circuits it's important to have the relationship between a current sine wave and a voltage within the circuitry closely monitored. The current and the voltage do not peak at the same time when there are both capacitors and inductors which can make a large phase angle that is a sign of inefficiency and also the cause of a low power factor. The shifting distance of the waveform along the horizontal zero axis refers to that phase angle which is expressed in degrees.
Applications
- Power quality meters are used in labs in order to closely monitor the power quality for an extensive in-depth analysis to help isolate issues and test responses in a controlled setting like this. They are also used to run walkthroughs as well as help in the planning of restructured layouts and new facilities.
- Datacenters are usually the places that use high volume circuits so there's no room for power disruptions and internal damage. Closely monitoring power quality in these environments will ensure that efficiency does not get interrupted by critical devices making it a proactive solution ideal for this type of setting.
- ESCO or Energy Service Companies have an important and critical function that will analyze problem areas but also demonstrate improvement. This can only be done through proper use of power quality management and through improved energy efficiencies which can be kept to a satisfactory level only by closely monitoring them.
- Business prosperity and customer satisfaction are important for commercial facilities, hence why measuring power quality is also a major deal here in order to keep everyday activities uninterrupted. There are also critical systems that can affect all these instances so again having a proactive solution such as power quality meters is important in order to prevent damage.
- Industrial plants and manufacturing facilities need to take proactive measures too in order to keep their process-based operations up and running. Facility managers and building operators make sure that all systems are working both efficiently and effectively by constantly monitoring their use of power which is what these facilities rely on.
- Healthcare facilities need to have their devices run smoothly too and although they may be not as demanding as industrial facilities the need to monitor power quality is even more important. When lives are at stake you cannot afford to let unexpected events interrupt or prevent the operation of critical devices.
