Short term power monitoring

Power quality analysis

As more and more modern equipment is utilized within industry it is inevitable that the infrastructure and supply arrangements become more technical. The introduction of computer controlled processes has released personnel for other roles but has inadvertently brought about its own inherent problems.

Good power quality is essential in ensuring such technical equipment performs faultlessly, however harmonic disturbance and voltage fluctuation is an increasing problem where this type of equipment is concerned.

Mostly power quality problems go unnoticed or they are not associated with the problem at hand. Poor power quality can lead to any or all of the following problems.

• Overloading of neutrals.
• Nuisance tripping of circuit breakers.
• Over-stressing of power factor correction capacitors.
• Motors overheating and bearing failure.
• Higher than normal Crest Factors.
• Negative sequence power loss.
• Transformer overheating.
• Unexplained switching of CNC equipment or
• UPS’s, Computers etc.

Although power monitoring is essential in determining the quality of the supply much more essential information is determined from the data.

• The major use of electrical energy on site.
• Your energy bills and tariffs.
• Maximum Demand and Availability.
• kW/kVA/kVAr/Power Factor/Peak Demand and Average value.
• Crest Factor & Distortion Factor.
• Nominal and Peak Values of Current and Voltage.
• Transformer De-rating Factor (HDF).
• The condition of any Power Factor Correction Equipment.