POWER QUALITY MANAGEMENTPosted by messungelectricalengineering on February 22nd, 2022 Electrical power is an intrinsic and essential part of modern life. It is generated and delivered across miles to power homes and businesses,operate a wide range of equipment and devices. We take power for granted, rarely bothering to ask “how good is the quality ofthe power I am using?”; “am I using it correctly?”; “is my equipment compatible to function with the power provided?” etc. Yet power quality can be the key to saving energy bills, improving productivity and the lifespan of your machinery. Read on to know more about this crucial aspect of electrical power distribution and usage. WHAT IS POWER QUALITY? As per Wikipedia’s power quality definition, ‘Electric power quality is the degree to which the voltage, frequency, and waveform of a power supply system conform to established specifications. Good power quality can be defined as a steady supply voltage that stays within the prescribed range, steady a.c. frequency close to the rated value, and smooth voltage curve waveform (resembles a sine wave). In general, it is useful to consider power quality as the compatibility between what comes out of an electric outlet and the load that is plugged into it. The term is used to describe electric power that drives an electrical load and the load’s ability to function properly. Without the proper power, an electrical device (or load) may malfunction, fail prematurely or not operate at all. There are many ways in which electric power can be of poor quality and many more causes of such poor quality power.’ Power quality has a huge impact on the performance and cost of a power system. So it is necessary to make sure that the power coming in is of the right quality and that your machines are set to function properly with the power they are supplied.As modern equipment gets increasingly sensitive to any changes in power quality, and as governments enforce policies regarding power quality, utilities, manufacturers, enterprises and consumers – all have to be aware and concerned about power quality issues. SYMPTOMS OF POOR POWER QUALITY It’s time for an in-depth Power Quality Audit if your building or enterprise suffers from any of the following:
An audit will identify hidden problems and the resultant actions will, over time, make a significant difference to a company’s energy consumption and energy bills. Installation of a power quality analyzer will enable power quality monitoring and power quality analysis on a continuous basis. This helps energy experts to pinpoint problem areas and resolve power quality problems so as to make power supply more reliable and energy usage more efficient. HARMONICS IN POWER QUALITY There are a number of electrical devices that have nonlinear operating characteristics. These nonlinear devices used in power distribution circuits create nonlinear currents and which subsequently causes voltage distortions. These nonlinear currents and voltages are generally referred to as harmonic currents and voltages. Harmonic currents and voltages can cause many unfavourable effects on the power system and the connected loads. These include malfunctioning of electronic equipment, capacitor failure, transformer and neutral conductor overheating, excessive heating in rotating machinery, etc. The proliferation of electronic switching devices in modern equipment has resulted in a significant increase in the amount of harmonic pollution in the electrical distribution systems. Some nonlinear loads include:
NEED FOR GOOD POWER QUALITY The increased use of automation and electronic devices; the sensitivity of the vast majority of processes and equipment (industrial, commercial, healthcare, services and even residential) to PQ problems turns the availability of electric power with quality is a crucial factor for competitiveness in every sphere of business activity. Today any interruption of business operations due to poor power quality has a direct impact on the profitability of an enterprise. The most critical areas are the continuous process industry and the information technology services. Insufficient power quality can inflict serious losses on business and economy. In the worst-case scenario, it may pose a threat to human life in mission critical applications and highly sensitive environments, such as hospitals. Power quality improvement allows you to optimise and reduce power consumption – saving money on your electricity bill and thereby, your carbon footprint. Direct savings to consumers come from lower energy cost and reactive power tariffs. Indirect savings are gained by avoiding circumstances such as damage and premature aging of equipment, loss of production or loss of data and work. It also reduces the risk of equipment overheating, malfunctioning or breakdown, and minimises ‘wear and tear’ so your equipment works better and lasts longer. CONCLUSION Messung brings Janitza, the world’s leading energy management technology to India. Janitza offers a comprehensive product range for power quality monitoring, energy management and residual current monitoring – in a single system environment. Messung, in partnership with Janitza, delivers customised solutions to enable power conservation, optimise power consumption and improve quality of power. By leveraging the power of IoT, we ensure connectivity and real-time data analyses for prompt, informed decision making. To ensure high-quality power for your business, invest in Janitza’s cutting-edge power quality analyzer, energy measurement devices and GridVis software for effective energy management that will help you optimise energy efficiency, reduce power bills, minimise downtime and enhance productivity of your enterprise.
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